Defiant Rafa insists Reds not dead yet
LIVERPOOL: Rafael Benitez has insisted Liverpool can still claim its first English title since 1990, despite falling 10 points off the pace after another painful defeat at the hands of Manchester United.
Carlos Tevez's strike - just before halftime in a match Liverpool might easily have won - gave United a 1-0 victory at Anfield, where Sir Alex Ferguson's men have not lost a league match since 2001.
The manner of Sunday's defeat will have been particularly frustrating for Benitez as the match was followed by talks with George Gillet and Tom Hicks, the club's American owners with whom he has enjoyed a fraught relationship.
But the Spaniard insisted that his side's spirited performance was evidence that it is much closer to mounting a sustained challenge to the champion than it was when it lost the corresponding fixture last season in similar fashion.
"For me it is too soon (to talk about the title), there is still a long way to go," Benitez said.
"It will be harder now. If we are going to get closer we need to start winning some games in a row. But we have seen this season that every team can lose points, so I have confidence to keep going and try to keep winning.
"These games between the top sides are always tough. We created some good chances in the first half but we couldn't take them. They had two chances, took one and always in these games it is very important to score first.
"I don't see a big difference between the two teams. It was just a small detail that made the difference."
That small detail was a sloppy piece of defending by Liverpool, which allowed Wayne Rooney to loiter with intent 10 yards outside the box as Ryan Giggs took a corner in front of the Kop.
Giggs duly side-footed a pass to the England forward, whose shot was diverted into the net by Tevez within two minutes of the end of a first half that Liverpool had bossed.
Later Sunday, Liverpool issued a statement claiming that the talks between Benitez and Gillet and Hicks had been "positive".
"A meeting was held this evening involving Tom Hicks, George Gillett, Foster Gillett, (chief executive) Rick Parry and Rafa Benitez which was wide-ranging and positive," said the statement.
"The discussions were amicable and constructive. All those present are united in their desire to bring further success to the club."
The future of Javier Mascherano, the outstanding midfielder on either side on Sunday, had been expected to top the agenda at the talks with Benitez keen to ensure funds are in place to make the Argentina star's move to Liverpool permanent.
Gillet and Hicks will certainly have been left in no doubt about Benitez's popularity among the Anfield faithful and they should also have been convinced by Liverpool's demonstration that it is getting closer to knocking United off its perch.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson could justifiably point to the fact that his side had the clearest chance of the second half - which Rooney side-footed wide from eight yards after being teed up by Cristiano Ronaldo's lovely outside-of-the-boot delivery.
But the Scot agreed with Benitez's observation that it was too early to count Liverpool out of the title race.
"Any gap in terms of points is significant in December," said Ferguson.
"But I always think it is important to wait until you get to the end of the month to see where you are. If we are around the top on January 1 we will have a real chance of winning the league and we will also know who our challengers are going to be."
AFP
(China Daily 12/18/2007 page23)
