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McManaman: Benitez has got balance right

0 Comments Published by KL Ocs Kid on Thursday, August 9, 2007 at 8:20 AM.

McManaman: Benitez has got balance right

Former Liverpool legend Steve McManaman has hailed the club's summer spending spree, insisting that Rafa Benitez has finally addressed the balance of his midfield after acquiring the services of wingers Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel.

McManaman, who played 274 times, scoring 46 goals as a winger during a 10-year spell at Anfield, is confident that the club have at last found the right-hand side solution in former West Ham player Benayoun, allowing skipper Steven Gerrard to revert to his usual central midfield role.

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"They've certainly had wingers like Kewell and Pennant since I left but I think the manager has at last solved the balance on both wings," said McManaman.

Club record £20 million signing Fernando Torres opened his account on Friday during the 2-0 win over Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua, assisted by Benayoun, much to McManaman's delight.

He said: "I know Rafa has been a big fan of Benayoun ever since he was at Racing Santander."

Liverpool face Feyenoord this evening in the final match of the Port of Rotterdam tournament, with Benitez's latest Dutch recruit Babel set to supply compatriot Dirk Kuyt in attack from his natural left-side position - but McManaman has warned Liverpool supporters not to expect too much from the £11.5 million signing just yet.

"A lot of us don't know a great deal about Babel although he did very well for Ajax, scoring a lot of goals, and really came to prominence at the recent under-21 European Championships," he said. "He's a young boy and a great prospect. In three years' time we might be saying Babel is the snip of the century."

Yet McManaman, who began life at Liverpool in the same season the club last won the league in 1989-90, believes there will be little time for the new signings to settle in due to the demand of the supporters who crave an end to their rivals' domestic dominance.

"The league is most definitely the Holy Grail for Liverpool fans. The likes of Gerrard and Jamie Carragher want to win the Premiership every year. Forget the Champions League," he said.

"People are going to expect the new recruits to score lots of goals because of the huge pressure to win the title at Anfield."

Steve McManaman is the lead analyst for Setanta Sports, whose live Premier League coverage begins next Saturday with Aston Villa v Liverpool.

Labels: mcmanaman

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0 Comments Published by KL Ocs Kid on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 at 4:33 PM.

Torres is the right man for the job - McManaman

Jul 31 2007

By Simon Stone, Liverpool Echo

Steve McManaman

THE arrival of Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid could give Liverpool the striker they have so badly missed in recent seasons.

That’s the view of former Anfield star Steve McManaman, who believes Rafa Benitez has signed a quality striker.

“I think he is an excellent player,” said McManaman. “He was the superstar in Atletico. He is a typical number nine. He puts his head in where he knows he could get hurt. He’s strong and he’s deceptively quick.

“Every year he was the captain, the superstar and the iconic figure at Atletico and it was difficult to score lots of goals in a team that wasn’t playing very well.”

However, McManaman, who captured two Champions League winner’s medals after he left the Reds for Real Madrid, feels that the £20m fee will put extra pressure on Torres to provide goals from the start.

“He’s arrived on a huge fee and Chelsea’s Andriy Shevchenko had a lot of criticism last year – there was no settling in period.

“I think Liverpool fans will be expecting instant results. It’s all about now.

“Liverpool have spent big this year but they have recouped a lot of money as well. But it is the first time they have spent over £20 million on a player so they are expecting things. That is a pressure in itself – but I think he will score goals.”

McManaman says Liverpool still have a lot of ground to make up on Manchester United and Chelsea, despite the arrival of the likes of Torres, Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun, Lucas and Andriy Voronin.

Although Liverpool have won the Champions League under Rafael Benitez, the Anfield faithful are still waiting for the current generation of players to lift the league crown they last secured in 1990.

Liverpool finished 21 points behind champions Manchester United last season and McManaman believes it will take a huge effort to bridge that gap, especially as United have also spent big.

“The holy grail of the Liverpool fans seems to be the Premier League. They have won the Champions League but everyone is hankering after the title.

“In the last five years, Liverpool have been successful in terms of winning trophies, but all Liverpool fans go on about is the league. If they won the league they would be fine and talk about the Champions League again.

“Tottenham have spent a lot of money, but I still think it will be very difficult to dislodge Manchester United and Chelsea.”

Labels: Kop Fernando, mcmanaman

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McManaman says title may still be out of reach

0 Comments Published by KL Ocs Kid on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 4:36 PM.

McManaman says title may still be out of reach

Jul 31 2007

by Adrian Curtis, Liverpool Daily Post Correspondent

Fernando Torres, made his club debut against Werder Bremen in Grenchen, Switzerland, - Picture: MARTIN BIRCHALL

STEVE McMANAMAN insists Liverpool still have a lot of ground to make up on Manchester United and Chelsea despite splashing out more than £20million on striker Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid.

Former Anfield hero McManaman is a big fan of Torres but hints that everyone will be expecting immediate results for such a huge fee.

Although Liverpool have won the Champions League under Rafael Benitez, the Anfield faithful are still waiting for the current generation of players to lift the league crown they last secured in 1990.

Liverpool finished some 21 points behind champions Manchester United last season and McManaman believes it will take a huge effort to bridge that gap, especially as United have also spent big.

Torres has been joined by Yossi Benayoun, Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin in the hope that Liverpool can finally land their ’holy grail’ this season. McManaman said: “The holy grail for the Liverpool fans seems to be the Premier League. They have won the Champions League but everyone is hankering on about the Premier League.

“In the last five years Liverpool have been successful in terms of winning trophies but all Liverpool fans go on about is the league. If they won the league they would be fine and talk about the Champions League again.

“Tottenham have spent a lot of money, but I still think it will be very difficult to dislodge Manchester United and Chelsea.

“As much as everybody else has gone out and strengthened and I still think United will buy more players, the fact is there was a 21-point difference between Manchester United and Liverpool last season – it is a big gap.

“While the holy grail for Liverpool fans is the Premier League, for the other big two, United and Chelsea, it is the Champions League.

“Manchester United have bought players for the Champions League. Their second leg defeat to AC Milan last season was down to tired legs and a lack of bodies. Alex Ferguson doesn’t want that to happen again.

“But it is not as if they have bought five players who are going to go straight into the starting XI.

“They want to be strong in all competitions right up until the end, that’s why they have bought these players. I think they have bought for all four competitions.”

The arrival of Torres from Atletico Madrid could give Liverpool the striker they have so badly missed in recent seasons.

But the huge fee involved has put extra pressure on the 23-year-old to provide goals from the start.

McManaman added: “I think he is an excellent player. He was the superstar in Atletico. He is a typical number nine. He puts his head in where he knows he could get hurt. He’s strong and he’s deceptively quick.”

Labels: Kop Fernando, mcmanaman