Paul Eaton 23 September 2005 Rafael Benitez is confident his side's defensive stability will provide the platform for success this season. The Reds' boss is well aware that many people are preferring to focus on the fact that Liverpool have scored only one goal this season and not about their four clean sheets, but he is adamant a rock solid back-line is crucial for any side harbouring hopes of a title challenge.
Benitez has also promised to work with his players on the system he wants to employ to strike a balance between solid defending at one end and goalscoring at the other.
Just to rub salt in the woundTBH mate I really don't care either way about Everton. I don't gloat over them when they lose and was happy enough...
"I know we need improvement in attack, but we are better in defence. If you want to build a strong team you must always start at the back," insists Benitez.
"The quality of the players is the most important thing. You must know what you have and work with it.
"The formation depends on the players you have and who you're playing. We play 4-2-3-1 a lot. People say it's 4-5-1 when you don't have the ball.
"Chelsea play similar, but for them it becomes 4-3-3 when they have the ball and attack. But the system isn't that important. The players' movement is what makes it work.
"You don't score a lot of goals just by playing a lot of strikers. What you need is a lot of players who are capable of getting into the box.
"In the Champions League, Chelsea used Robert Huth as a striker in the last 10 minutes. They had four players as strikers at the end. Did that mean they scored goals? No. They still couldn't score.
"Tell me, how do Chelsea win their matches? They control the game in defence first and then they have good forwards to build attacks. They win most games 1-0 or 2-0. United and Arsenal do the same. They defend properly first and don't allow their opponent many opportunities. That's what we're trying to achieve.
"We have the defensive part better now, but for sure we must improve more in attack. It can take time to get the balance right but at this moment we are heading the right way. I know we can beat anyone.
Birmingham 22 Liverpool:BBCA Djibril Cisse penalty rescued Liverpool after a Stephen Warnock own goal and a Jose Reina fumble looked to have given Birmingham an unlikely win. Luis...
"Manchester United have conceded only once this season but when they came to Anfieldthey were afraid of what we could do to them. They paid us a lot of respect.
"We know we need to win more games, but the first thing you must do is control the game inorder to make chances."
Much has been said and written this week about Liverpool's failure to win more matches this season - but the boss has heard it all before.
"In my first season in charge of Valencia we went 13 games without losing a match. There were seven draws in those games. Everyone spoke about the number of games we drew and how the team needed to win," he said.
"At the end of the season, we were league champions."
Jay -- LIVERPOOL FC - KINGS OF EUROPE MANCHE$TER BUCCANEERS & BLUEpooE - KINGS OF COMEDY
