RAFA BACKS MIDFIELD AND CARRA BACKS RAFA!

Carragher likes the rotation

It was all one big love-in between Rafa and the players after tonight's 1-0 win over Bordeaux.

Rafa was pleased with the midfield performance.

"Our performance was good because we had to work very hard to control the game. We knew they like to play between the lines and it was difficult to control that. It was very hard.

"Xavi Alonso, Mark Gonzalez, Luis Garcia, Bolo and then Momo, who controls a lot of space, did a great job," Benitez added. "All the players came out with a lot of credit."

"We couldn't score the second goal - but we worked really hard.

"We scored a good goal, had two or three more chances and kept going forward.

"It's really important to keep a clean sheet and to win away - we needed to win for our confidence."

Meanwhile Jamie Carragher decided that the victory was testament to the squad rotation system...

"The manager has a big squad and he believes all players are capable of doing the job - and we've proved that tonight."

"It's important to go to Manchester United with more confidence - and it's important to see Steve Gerrard fit for the weekend."

Goalscorer Peter Crouch was also pleased: "It's always hard to go away in the Champions League and get a result and I thought we defended well as a team.

"We should have been 1-0 ahead at least in the first half, so thankfully when another chance came along I was able to take it.

"It's important to get our first away win of season. We're in a good position in the group now - we've just got to see it out."

Discuss this news story in the LFC Forum