Benitez: We can end our away daze
Aug 15 2005
By Ian Doyle Daily Post Staff
RAFAEL BENITEZ believes Liverpool's performance at Middlesbrough on Saturday is proof his team can cure their travel sickness.
Liverpool dominated a goalless draw at the Riverside, with Steven Gerrard spurning a host of good opportunities to claim victory in their Premiership opener.
The Anfield outfit's away record last season, in which they lost 11 games and won just five, was the major contributory factor behind their finish outside the Champions League qualification places.
But Benitez is confident his summer signings - Pepe Reina, Momo Sissoko and Boudewijn Zenden all made their league debuts at the weekend - can ensure Premiership improvement this campaign.
"We have done a better job, played better and got a better result," said the Liverpool manager. "We were always moving it forward and attacking.
REINA IN LINE FOR SPAIN DEBUT:LFC.TVLiverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is in line to make his international debut for Spain after Iker Casillas suffered a thigh injury while playing for Real Madrid at the...
"The result was not the best but we were very happy because the team worked hard. I am happy with the players.
"I am always very, very positive, and I am sure we will win more games away from home this season.
"Already I can see we are going to do better away from home.
"There are many positives. It is important to have new players - Sissoko and Zenden gave us something different and helped us to keep the ball. "We can work harder with Sissoko, Zenden and then Crouch, and you can manage a game in different ways.
"We have a little bit more confidence now and with new players we have improved the attitude. The mentality and the attitude of the team is good and the quality of the new players has improved the team."
Liverpool could not find a way past Middlesbrough goal-keeper Mark Schwarzer, despite the home side playing the last 16 minutes with 10 men after Ugo Ehiogu was sent off for a professional foul on Gerrard.
And Benitez conceded he regarded the draw as two points lost at a venue where Liverpool have now failed to score in six of their last seven visits.
"When you defend well, restrict the opposition to hardly any chances and have opportunities to score yourself then you have to be pleased," he added..
"But we have lost a couple of points. The clean sheet was something we were thinking about and the team worked very hard.
"The overall picture is that we have had a good game and the players have done the right things."
Benitez also praised the performance of Gerrard but again dismissed the notion of Liverpool being a one-man team.
"It is very difficult for teams to play against Steven Gerrard," he said..
"He can shoot, he can cross, he can head the ball and that makes it almost impossible for other teams to defend against him.
"I like to see Steven creating opportunities but it is not true to say the rest of the side have done a bad job. We have had crosses from the left and the right; many different possibilities than just Gerrard. He was just one of them."
Milan Baros made his first competitive appearance of the season as a second-half substitute, with Liverpool still awaiting an acceptable bid for the striker's services.
"He is our player at the moment and we need to use the players that we have when we are thinking about winning," said Benitez.
"I have very good professionals in the squad and they know and understand that they must be ready if I ask them to play. They are professionals and they need to be fit."
AC Milan are the latest club to be linked with Baros, although Aston Villa remain favourites for his signature.
Gerrard admitted Liverpool were far from satisfied with a solitary point.
"The idea was to go for goals if I got past Ugo (for the red card)," said Gerrard. "They defended very well and it was unfortunate he had to be sent off.
"Last year they dominated us here. It was a good point but three would have been better. On another day I could have got a couple of goals. "Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United don't drop many points but this was a tough opening game for us."
Middlesbrough Steve McClaren said of Ehiogu's red card: "At the time, I was just relieved that it was not in the penalty box and a sending-off and a penalty and 1-0 down and probably losing the game."
