Reds rise for Rafalution

By Jonathan Caswell

Injury to captain Steven Gerrard and defeat at rivals Manchester United FC on Monday may have taken some of the gloss off Liverpool FC's UEFA Champions League success against AS Monaco FC, but the red side of Merseyside is still impressed by Rafael Benítez's Spanish 'Rafalution' at Anfield.

Scintillating football
A 2-0 win over last season's Champions League finalists at Anfield was the perfect start to the manager's first European campaign with his new club. It also saw Liverpool playing some scintillating attacking football, while maintaining composure in defence.

Houllier decision
For many, it was further proof that Liverpool's decision to dismiss Gérard Houllier - the first time they had fired a manager in 45 years - was the correct one. The Frenchman had played an enormous part in hoisting the team out of the doldrums, but former Valencia CF coach Benítez, it seems, has the ability to lift Liverpool even higher.

Spanish brilliance
It was the Spanish players Benítez has brought to Anfield that really caught the eye against Monaco. Luis García is now being likened to Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, thanks to the impact he has made providing the missing link between midfield and attack.

Dalglish comparison
The attacking midfield player himself plays down the comparison. "I've heard of Kenny Dalglish but I never saw him play," García said. "The important thing is if people say that, it must mean I am making the fans happy."

Trophy targets
Like fellow Spaniards Xabi Alonso and Josemi, García has moved to Merseyside to win trophies. "I've left a great club in [FC] Barcelona, but I've also joined one of the biggest clubs in Europe," he said. "The intention is to build something special here and we've started off on the right footing. Players like Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard already have a reputation across Europe for being great, but what we really need to do is win trophies."

Wider options
García was in devastating form against Monaco, but Benítez insisted the 26-year-old is only one of an array of options at his command. "Garcia played well," he said. "Normally when a player tries a lot of things it's good and it worked for him, but I like to have lots of possibilities. I have players who can attack and players to defend. My idea is to have a good squad, a full team, not only with Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso, but also Didi Hamann, Salif Diao or Igor Bišcan."

Gerrard sidelined
The injury sustained by Gerrard against United, a broken metatarsal bone in his foot, will force Benítez to make changes sooner than he would have liked. The English international had been forming an excellent partnership with Xabi Alonso in the heart of midfield and Liverpool will be weaker for his absence over the next two months.

Anfield excellence
Certainly Monaco coach Didier Deschamps was impressed with what he saw at Anfield. "We just could not get into the game, we lost out all over the park," he said. "Of course we never want to lose, but to come to Liverpool and lose is not a big shock."

Full-strength side
Benítez and his Merseyside 'Rafalutionaries' will be hoping that Deschamps will not be the last Champions League coach to face up to a full-strength Liverpool side this season.