LIVERPOOL have found goals hard to come by in recent months but Rafa Benitez believes Maxi Rodriguez can provide an answer to their problems.
Having started the campaign with a flurry, putting six past Hull City as well as hitting Stoke City and Burnley both for four in the opening weeks, the Reds’ play has lacked a killer instinct during a winter when their ambitions have come off the rails.
Given they were the sharpest shooters in the Premier League last season – their tally of 77 dwarfed the final totals of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal – their inability to convert chances into goals has, not surprisingly, given Benitez a headache.
Not since September 26 have Liverpool scored more than two in a game and if they are going to resurrect their push for a place in the top four, Benitez is well aware possession must be turned into something tangible.
That’s why he hopes Rodriguez – in the absence of leading scorers Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun – can take over the mantle, starting in tomorrow’s crucial Anfield showdown with Tottenham Hotspur.
Rodriguez, of course, is no stranger to scoring in front of The Kop – he rifled in Atletico Madrid’s goal in a 1-1 Champions League draw in November 2008 – and a glance through his career statistics show he has a healthy goals to games ratio.
So with Liverpool in need of a boost, Benitez wants to see a player he expects to prove himself a fans’ favourite take the first step towards that prediction by doing what he does best against a Tottenham side intent on causing problems.
“We were working hard (in the transfer market), looking for solutions in some areas and we were also looking for someone to give us a lift and that’s why we went for Maxi,” Benitez explained.
“Maxi knows Javier (Mascherano) and Fernando (Torres) and the big positive from that point was they have a very good opinion of him. He is a player who knows about the game.
“He is not really, really quick like some wingers who go on runs and beat players.
“But he is someone who is very clever, technically very good and can keep the ball.
“He also uses the ball well and can finish – he has scored a lot of goals in his career, has a very good record and now we want him to do the same for us.”
Reds’ supporters got their first glimpse of Rodriguez during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Stoke and while he never had much chance to make an impact, there were brief glimpses of the quality which has helped him win 35 caps for Argentina.
There might not be much of him in turns of stature – he is only marginally taller than former Liverpool hero Luis Garcia – but Benitez is quick to stress Rodriguez is a completely different type of player.
“Maxi is very strong,” his new manager pointed out.
“Normally if you can keep the ball, he will be there but he likes to get into the box and has a record of up to 15 goals every year.
“We have had some players playing too many games and we needed to give these players a rest; if we can choose Maxi, then give someone a rest, it will be really good for the team.”
Torres, for one, wasted no time in extolling Rodriguez’s virtues but it is going to be six weeks at least before the pair get the chance to recreate the fireworks they produced for Atletico, as Liverpool’s number nine is currently recovering from knee surgery.
His absence, however, will provide a chance for someone to make a name for themselves during the course of the next month – aside from Tottenham, Everton and Arsenal are on the horizon – and Benitez is intrigued to see who will grasp it.
“Fernando didn’t say anything about the tackle (he suffered in the FA Cup replay against Reading), he just said he felt it twist,” said Benitez.
“We know some players have had injury problems from the beginning of the season.
“They had been in with their national team and they came back injured. But they have been so important for us that we have had to play them.
“But they cannot be here now. Others have got to come in and take their place and you never know.
“It could be a chance for somebody to really make a name. It’s difficult to replace a player of Torres’ quality but now we will see if they have the character.”
One man hoping to profit from Torres’ absence is the willing front runner David Ngog.
The young striker endured a difficult afternoon at Stoke but, with six goals to his name already, he is determined to help Benitez as much as he can between now and the end of the season.
“I hope I can keep improving,” said Ngog. “ It is all to do with confidence
“It is good for me to be here in Liverpool and I have been playing a little bit more this season but nothing changes; you have to keep working hard.
“I’m enjoying my football and believe that I can score goals for Liverpool.
“My dream was always to play for one of the best clubs in the world.
“It’s fantastic to play in the Premier League but I just have to keep taking a step after a step.”
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