Rafael Benitez Game Quotations

Luis said to me that as he turned away, he was right on the line, and he said the ball was over the line. And after the game my secretary Sheila, who was sitting right in line in the main stand, said to me that the ball had crossed the line. She is a very honest person and that was good enough for me. It was a goal.

I am sure Chelsea do not like playing Liverpool. When they are talking and talking and talking before the game it means they are worried, maybe they are afraid. But I hope that is the case after this weekend.

If you are going to win a game by a single goal, that is the kind of goal you want it to be. It was very important for Harry after all he has been through.

But we have another game on Friday, and this is the time to use the squad to give players some rest and to field a side which will still be strong and do the job for us.

He's a clever player, he plays well between the lines he can play on the right or the left side. He gives us more chances, more opportunities, more space and more game intelligence.

I am happy with the performance of the team but we should have scored more goals and their goalkeeper played very well. I told the players at halftime to finish the game off but we couldn't get the third goal.

He is important to us. He is good in the air, he is a good finisher and can shoot with both feet. He also has the mentality to go straight into a game like Saturday's if necessary.

My idea is to think about the next game and if you win the next game we can move closer and fight for the second place.

We could have scored a lot more goals, it was a good game for us,

We had good chances to win the game and in the end it is two points lost for us,

We began really well and started controlling the game with good counter attacks and scored two quick goals. After that, we tried to keep the ball but it was difficult,

We know how important the game is for us as individuals and for the club, but we don't have any anxiety,

It was a difficult game because we created a lot of opportunities, but we never scored the second goal so they continued going forward.

But he may not have the physical condition to play at this level. He is a good passer and can control a game and we have to decide whether he plays from the start or just the second half.

He told me he wants to play but I said no, you must rest. If it was a game that we needed to win to qualify then maybe he would have played but we have already qualified.

The two forwards scored in this game which is good for the team. The second goal relaxed the team and it's important that we kept a clean sheet.

It was difficult to play against one of the best teams and to win this game was amazing.

We lost a game that we were controlling.

I told him during the game to calm down, and at the end we also talked. The message on his shirt was for his young son and his family, and he has told me that he wishes to say sorry to the Newcastle fans. He hopes it is not a problem. I do not think there will be any further action, it was not a serious incident.

The last game was not good for us but we matched them before and played at a very good level. All I am thinking about is my team and three more points.