Liverpool 4, Olympiacos 3 (Echo)
Jul 25 2005
By Tony Barrett
RAFA BENITEZ says he likes nothing more than being posed problems by his players.
But before Joey Barton gets on the phone looking for an unlikely move to Anfield, someone should tell him that what the Liverpool boss has in mind is players battling for selection, not each other.
In an entertaining friendly against Greek champions Olympiakos, Liverpool's forwards provided Benitez with enough problems to last him a managerial lifetime - with not a single freshly chewed finger in sight.
In Peter Crouch, Djibril Cisse and Fernando Morientes he has three strikers who, between them, produce a recipe for attacking play which has a bit of everything.
Aerial power, movement, pace, intelligent running, clbutty link-up play, and more often than not, quality finishing.
Three into two simply won't go though, and all three are fighting for places, and as the season gets nearer the battle is hotting up.
In a win that should have been more conclusive than the eventual 4-3 scoreline, all three gave the manager reasons to consider them part of his ideal starting line-up.
But the real star of the show was a player who is unlikely to figure in Benitez's thinking for much longer.
In a dazzling second half cameo, Milan Baros performed like a man who sees a move to the likes of Aston Villa or West Ham as career dissolution.
With two goals and an buttist for Morientes's expertly-taken strike, this was Baros at his very best.
But there was an inescapable feeling that this was too little too late, and that even a haul of five goals in three pre-season games is not likely to give Baros a stay of end.
Benitez has been sharpening the Anfield guillotine for too long for his plans to be changed now and, unless he has a dramatic and unlikely change of heart, Baros will be heading out of Anfield shortly.
For Peter Crouch, on the other hand, the future looks bright
As expected he won almost everything in the air on his Liverpool debut.
Dwarfed only by the Alps which overlook the picturesque Rheinpark Stadium in Liechtenstein, the England man was an aerial threat to the Greek defence throughout the first half.
But, he also showed his ability with the ball at his feet, most tellingly when he slalomed his way past successive tackles in the buildup to Luis Garcia's opening goal.
Comparing Crouch with Thierry Henry might be stretching the point a bit, but there is no doubt he can play.
In a seven-goal thriller the forwards were always likely to steal the show, but Xabi Alonso's performance as a second half substitute showed just why so many observers are tipping him to be Liverpool's brightest star this coming season.
With Gerrard, Hamann and Sissoko also on top of their game the heart of the Reds midfield looks in excellent working order as the league season approaches.
The one problem that Benitez could do without is the question mark that has hung over his team's defending ever since the European Cup final in May.
Conceding three against AC Milan brings no shame, but in recent weeks Liverpool have had to score four times to beat both Wrexham and now Olympiakos.
In their defence, the back four always suffers most from the uncertainty brought about by necesary pre-season tinkering.
But, worryingly, against Olympiakos each time the back line was breached it was from a through ball played in behind them.
Rivaldo and Konstantinou, twice, were the beneficiaries on this occasion and, even despite the perpetual brilliance of Jamie Carragher, it could be that the addition of the kind of speedy, mobile centre half Benitez is looking for will go a long way to solving this particular problem.
The balance between attack and defence is still to be struck.
Maybe a bit of creativity will be sacrificed when the meaningful games get under way as practicality takes precedence over friendly flare - starting with FC Kaunas tomorrow.
According to Benitez, the last time Liverpool defeated Olympiakos it gave them the confidence to go on and win the Champions League.
To expect the same to happen this time might be asking a bit much.
But at least the manager has got enough problems to keep him happy.
LIVERPOOL (first half): Carson, Josemi, Medjani, Hyypia, Riise, Garcia, Potter, Gerrard, Hamann, Cisse, Crouch.
LIVERPOOL (second half): Carson, Josemi (Carragher 58), Medjani, Warnock, Whitbread, Potter (Le Tallec 67), Sissoko, Alonso, Zenden, Morientes, Baros.
