Benitez: We lost our cool at crucial time
Sep 26 2005
By David Prior, Daily Post
RAFAEL BENITEZ claimed his players had squandered a chance for victory at St Andrews by losing their cool at the vital moment.
The Spaniard watched as Peter Crouch, John Arne Riise and Djibril Cisse all snatched at late chances after Cisse's penalty hauled Liverpool level.
"At the end of the game we played too quickly," said Benitez. "We needed to play with a little but more calm.
"We had two good opportunities and we only needed to show good control, but we shot too early. When you are putting them under pressure you need to control the pbuttes and not to play too quickly."
Benitez was bitterly disappointed his side had not gone on to win after finally claiming a goal away from Anfield.
"We have done the most difficult thing which is to score the first goal but in five minutes we lost the advantage. It was a pity," he said.
"It's always a mistake when we concede two goals, we need to analyse (what happened). Next time maybe we will need three (goals).
"In the first half we were in control, we kept the ball and controlled all the situations. It's a pity we lost two points but we will continue working hard."
Benitez now turns his attention to Wednesday night and their Champions League Group G clash against Chelsea, with the league clash between the two sides following just four days later on Sunday.
And captain Steven Gerrard admitted: "It's mbuttive. You don't have to get any of the lads up for that. We know how important the two games are but we've got to take the first one first, the Champions League.
"If we can get a good result in that one, it will put us in the driving seat in the group.
"I will relish the challenge. Big games like this are what you want to play in. They don't come bigger than Liverpool v Chelsea in the Champions League. It is exciting and we need to get the right result because it will hurt if we don't."
Cisse claimed Liverpool would go in to the Anfield doubleheader in a confident frame of mind.
"We go into the two games with Chelsea in a confident way," the Frenchman said. "We know what we can do and Chelsea know what we are capable of.
"We are confident of our quality, and there is a feeling in the camp that we can do it."
Didi Hamann added: "Everybody knows what a good side Chelsea are but we beat them last season so we have no need to be afraid."
