Marseille boss Erik Gerets has likened Liverpool to Duracell bunnies because they can run forever.
The Belgian, who has twice plotted victories over Liverpool in Europe, first for Galatasaray and then in Marseille's win at Anfield last season, admits to being concerned about the level of form the five-time European Cup winners achieved in beating the current champions on Saturday.
Gerets sends out his Marseille side, undefeated this term, on Tuesday against a side brimming with confidence after their victory over Manchester United.
And Gerets is even more worried that Liverpool beat United without Fernando Torres and with captain Steven Gerrard only involved for 20 minutes.
He said: "If I had been asked five days ago whether I was happy with Liverpool not having their best two players, it would have been a different answer to now.
"I love watching Premier League football played at that pace. I really enjoyed watching Liverpool's game with Manchester United.
"Liverpool are like the Duracell bunnies - they are an example to the rest of the world for the effort they put in. You just wind them up and off they go."
He added: "Liverpool have a fantastic coach, a fantastic team. I know that Manchester United have cut their lead of titles (now 18-17 in the Merseysiders' favour) but I really hope that Liverpool win the Premier League, and somehow we survive in this group and end up playing them in the Champions League final."
Gerets has bitter experience of facing a fired-up Liverpool, having suffered at their hands 4-0 last December at Stade Velodrome.
He said: "Liverpool do not surprise me any more. They outplayed us then in everything they did, physically and tactically.
"But we will not let it happen again because we aim to cut out those mistakes this time."
Skipper Lorik Cana, rested in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Bordeaux, will return in midfield, probably in place of Karim Ziani, while there is a worry over Hatem Ben Arfa who has a knee injury.
Canna played in that 4-0 mauling last term, and said: "We are better now, more experienced with new players who are superior, overall, than last time.
"We saw the way they played against Manchester United, they have big names and are in great form.
"But all we can do is give everything, 100 per cent. We will not want another home defeat like last time."
Striker Mamadou Niang also believes Marseille are better prepared to face Liverpool this time.
That mauling ensured that Liverpool became the first English team to win in the Stade Velodrome and in doing so inflicted on Marseille their heaviest home European defeat.
That night in December, both sides were playing for the right to progress into the knockout stages, and the French club have still not forgotten that humiliation.
Niang, the club's top scorer last season, said: "Playing an important match at Bordeaux on Saturday was good preparation for facing Liverpool, but with respect, Liverpool are a step up in standard.
"And we have not forgotten what happened when Liverpool beat us here. We were a young side and we lacked experience in that game.
"We started with everyone attacking, and a fine team like Liverpool were able to wait for the right moments to hit us on the break.
"Maybe we were not equipped to handle that style of match and did not play with real intelligence.
"And we have seen how well Liverpool have started their season. The victory against Manchester United showed what form they are in and how strong they are.
"We know, though, more of what to expect. When you face an English side it will always be a strong, physical match. They have many tall players and we do have rather a lot of smaller attackers.
"They do have some very fine players - Gerrard, Torres, (Jamie) Carragher and (Javier) Mascherano are exceptional. And in (Dirk) Kuyt they have a player who can work defensively as well as in attack.
"(Robbie) Keane is also a player of great experience who they have added to their squad."
Gerets fears English clubs will again dominate the Champions League this year.
Liverpool were one of three Premier League sides in the semi-finals last season and Gerets said: "The English sides are strong, and I'm afraid they will continue to dominate.
"If you look at the Premier League, the big clubs can put out two teams and maybe both can get into the Champions League. They have really fantastic players and teams at the moment."
And having lost Samir Nasri to Arsenal and Djibril Cisse to Sunderland during the summer, Gerets also believes the financial disparity with the Premier League is having an adverse effect on the French game.
"I am afraid of the gap getting bigger and also every year good French players are leaving the country to go to England," he said.
"If you see how many French players are playing in England at the moment and doing so well, it means that our competition is poorer than it was two or three years ago." |
發表於 2008-9-16 03:39 AM
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