Liverpool FC Forum

dawson99 wrote:lets not all competely dismiss pennant tho, he has played some good games for us in the past and will do again

Leonmc0708 wrote:Good article in the Echo:

Click this for the Echo link

YOSSI BENAYOUN has revealed he is happy to continue playing cameo roles as long as they help contribute to Liverpool victories.

Benayoun’s first Premier League goal for Liverpool brought them victory at Wigan on Saturday after he came on as a substitute in the 56th minute.

The former West Ham midfielder was appearing in the league for only the third time in a Liverpool shirt and the 0-0 draw at Portsmouth two weeks ago remains the only time he has been in the starting line-up.

But after taking his chance in the side with a goal against Reading in the 4-2 Carling Cup win in midweek, Benayoun was delighted just to play a part in Liverpool extending their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Benayoun, who sat out the previous week’s goalless draw with Birmingham because of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, said: “I will take this every game – coming on with 20 minutes to go and scoring, as long as we keep winning.

“I’m really happy to score but that doesn’t matter so long as we get the results.

“The most important thing, even if I’m only on for 10 minutes or so, is to prove I am good enough and contribute like that.


“If the manager says I can make a difference then I believe him but I’m here for a reason and that’s to provide moments like that.


“You have to be ready for everything here and I am. We have a great squad, full of talented players, and I would not tell anyone I should be playing – but I am ready if needed.”


The Israeli’s strike 15 minutes from time enabled Liverpool to match the scoreline Arsenal achieved at West Ham, and kept them within four points of Arsene Wenger’s leaders.


Julius Aghahowa missed a last-gasp sitter to save a point for Wigan but the margin of victory could already have been greater as Fernando Torres spurned several chances to add to his six-goal tally.


The Spaniard was restored to that starting line-up after being benched for the previous two Premier League games but Benayoun defended both Torres’s performance and his manager Rafael Benitez’s rotation policy.


“Fernando missed some chances but I think he played really well,” said Benayoun. “I think everyone realises what a big player he is for us. He has real quality but we are a team, and you have to respect every decision the manager makes.


“People put pressure on because Torres didn’t play against Birmingham but no-one here makes promises that we’d have won even if he had been on from the start.


“We have a lot who can win a game in one moment – Voronin, Torres, Stevie, Babel – we have a much stronger squad even when things go against us.”


Benayoun also acknowledged the importance of the timing of his goal, which averted a third successive goalless draw in the league for Liverpool.


He added: “It was an important goal today because if we’d have drawn there would have been a lot of pressure on us. It is a good win because Wigan are a good side and will take a lot of points off teams here. They deserve a lot of credit.


“It was very frustrating seeing what was happening, because we’d missed three or four chances and you do wonder if it is going to be a day when they don’t go in.


“But one thing we have is a lot of confidence that we could win, because at least we were creating a lot. We’ve got the quality in the side to do that.”


Benitez’s side suffered no fresh injury concerns ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League group game at home to Marseille, although Jermaine Pennant will miss the game through suspension.

Nice article even though I detect a bit of brown nosing from Yossi 

LOVERPOOL wrote:no question. Banayoun is better then Pennant...

woof woof ! wrote:

LOVERPOOL wrote:no question. Banayoun is better then Pennant...

Benayoun is in my opinion more skillful than Pennant but as a wide player is he really better ?. I guess a lot depends on what it is you want from your wide players. Pennant gets down the line and puts in crosses. Benayoun tends to cut inside and drives himself towards the area, slipping short balls to team mates. Most times I would pick Benayoun ahead of Pennant , but not if my plan was to get crosses into the box.

Not as a wide player Woof.

The position he has to play is behind the strikers. His close control and vision will be best used there. Plus he's constantly drifting inside anyway when he's supposed to be on the wings.

He's a more consistent version of Garcia (not that that's saying much)

stmichael wrote:

woof woof ! wrote:

LOVERPOOL wrote:no question. Banayoun is better then Pennant...

Benayoun is in my opinion more skillful than Pennant but as a wide player is he really better ?. I guess a lot depends on what it is you want from your wide players. Pennant gets down the line and puts in crosses. Benayoun tends to cut inside and drives himself towards the area, slipping short balls to team mates. Most times I would pick Benayoun ahead of Pennant , but not if my plan was to get crosses into the box.

Not as a wide player Woof.

The position he has to play is behind the strikers. His close control and vision will be best used there. Plus he's constantly drifting inside anyway when he's supposed to be on the wings.

He's a more consistent version of Garcia (not that that's saying much)

I take your point St Mick but if he's used in that role, given Gerrards eagerness to get forward we could end up playing 4-2-2-2.