Martin Tyler On liverpool
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I am genuinely fascinated by the progress Liverpool are making under Rafael Benitez at Anfield and I have no doubts that it will ultimately lead to them winning the biggest prize in English football.
Of course no guarantees can be made in football but all the signs are that the good times are well and truly returning to the red half of the city.
Rafa has stated on a number of occasions that he is here for the long haul and wants to spend many years in Liverpool. That is great news for the club.
I have really enjoyed watching the impact he has made since his arrival eighteen months ago and there's no doubt everyone at the club, including the supporters, understands his vision and what he's trying to do. His approach, tactical intelligence and detail to work have impressed me greatly.
I don't usually conduct the manager interviews after games, but when we have Football First games on a Saturday on SKY all the commentators speak to the managers afterwards. On a couple of occasions this season I've asked him the same question: 'How near is this Liverpool team to the machine-like side you had at Valencia?' Both times he has knocked away the question and said there is still much work to do. I do, however, think he is making big progress towards that.
Tyler on Benitez
Rafa Benitez will win the title with Liverpool eventually. Whether it's next season, the season after or the season after that I don't know, but he knows what he is doing, he understands how to build a successful and winning team and I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before Liverpool fans are celebrating lifting their nineteenth championship trophy.
Rafa Benitez will win the title with Liverpool eventually. Whether it's next season, the season after or the season after that I don't know, but he knows what he is doing, he understands how to build a successful and winning team and I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before Liverpool fans are celebrating lifting their nineteenth championship trophy.
I have a great deal of admiration for Benitez. He doesn't always make life easy for those interviewing him but that's fair enough. The important thing is what he achieves on the field and so far there won't be anyone at Anfield complaining. His results speak for themself and last season's Champions League run was simply stunning.
The only advice I'd give him follows the same principle of some great advice I was given many years ago by David Coleman - a great commentator in his day. He once said to me that you can never deliver the perfect commentary, but you must try to achieve it. I think the same advice could be offered to Rafa. He is a perfectionist in everything he tries to do - a real 24/7 football man - and he must continue working to try and put together the perfect team to play perfect football. It may not be possible, but I'm sure that's what he is striving for.
It's easy to say that Rafa has taken Liverpool to another level since Gerard Houllier left but I think history will judge Gerard in a much kinder light than he was judged by many when he left. I am good friends with Gerard, we still speak often and I think it's important to remember that he was the man who brought the trophy winning times back to Liverpool. All managers inevitably have a shelf life and the club felt the time was right to go in another direction. They certainly appear to have appointed the right man to take them in the direction they need to be heading.
The thing that has struck me most this season has been the level of improvement in their league games. Europe is going to plan so far and I do think that finishing above Chelsea in their qualifying group was a big prize. With the greatest of respect to Benfica, who of course were partly responsible for knocking Manchester United out, I think Liverpool have got the easier tie because Barcelona are not a team any side would want to face.
The last time I saw Liverpool play before yesterday was when they lost to a late goal at Old Trafford. Their level of performance in that tough away game was another indication of how much they have improved since last season when they lost eleven games on the road. That was a very poor record.
Whether Liverpool are making small steps at a time or whether they're taking big steps is something I think we'll only discover at the end of the season.
A resurgent Liverpool and a title challenging Liverpool side is good for the English game. I can tell you from a television point of view that very few clubs have as much pulling power as Liverpool. We're very aware that when Liverpool are on we get a bigger than average audience, and that didn't change even when the club were going through a bad spell.
I'm old enough to remember Liverpool's glorious era when they dominated football in this country. People are often resentful of successful teams and a lot of jealousy creeps in, but I take the opposite view and say that we should salute teams who win. The challenge for the others then is to reach those standards. The mentality of fans in this country is to want to see the teams at the top knocked off straightaway.
Tyler on the return of Fowler
I have a lot of time and a lot of affection for Robbie because he is someone I've known for many years since he was playing at England youth level. I've commentated on some of his best moments, such as the five minute hat-trick against Arsenal. It's great to see him being given this new lease of life at Liverpool and I think it's a move which brings no risk. Fowler scores goals and Liverpool need goals so hopefully it will work out as well as Rafa is hoping.
To stay at the top is a massive achievement, better than even getting there in the first place. Chelsea are in pole position at the moment and so we're looking for challengers from anywhere to try and topple them. Liverpool, with the staff they have at their disposal, have that ability.
I can't see Liverpool pushing on and winning the title this season - I'd have held the same view even if they'd won at Chelsea yesterday - but they have suggested with some of their results this year that next season they will be looking to improve even further. I can only imagine how exciting it must be to be a Liverpool supporter this season with the league campaign going well, still being in Europe and a wonderful FA Cup clash against Manchester United to look forward to.
For Liverpool to be the team which emerges as Chelsea's main challengers for the title, I do think they need to score more goals. I think Rafael Benitez feels that as well and that is why he has signed Robbie Fowler. I have a lot of time and a lot of affection for Robbie because he is someone I've known for many years since he was playing at England youth level. I've commentated on some of his best moments, such as the five minute hat-trick against Arsenal. It's great to see him being given this new lease of life at Liverpool and I think it's a move which brings no risk. Fowler scores goals and Liverpool need goals so hopefully it will work out as well as Rafa is hoping.
With Manchester United looking to replace Roy Keane in midfield and Arsenal going through something of a transition the challenge is there for one team to come out of the pack and really challenge Chelsea's dominance next year. Could that team be Liverpool? If they can become more prolific in front of goal then the answer is yes.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv
