Liverpool boss says he talks to Gerrard every day, and makes a couple of wisecracks
IT WAS like a game of poker. And guess who had all the cards.
On stage at Liverpool's first press conference here at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel yesterday were manager Rafael Benitez, shy Spanish striker Fernando Torres and seemingly dour midfielder Yossi Benayoun.
The Merseyside club arrived in Singapore - the second stop of their Asian Tour - after being held 1-1 by Thailand in Bangkok on Tuesday and will play the Singapore national side on Sunday at the National Stadium.
There were no angry outbursts from Benitez about Sir Alex Ferguson, or on any other topic for that matter - it's the off-season, no need for mind games.
At least not yet. Wily Benitez is keeping his cards close to his chest.
The boss ain't telling
There would have been more excitement in that Liverpool courtroom in England - where captain Steven Gerrard is currently standing trial for affray - than there was yesterday at the hotel ballroom.
Benitez refused to be drawn into saying anything of note about ex-Liverpool hero Michael Owen heading to Old Trafford or Carlos Tevez moving across Manchester to City.
Neither player wore the Reds' jersey, so not for him to comment.
Even when delivering the answer that everyone was waiting for - on the trial of Gerrard - the manager came back with a classic Rafa response.
"I talk to him every day," said Benitez. "He has the support of the club, for sure of the fans and I am confident that everything will be good and in the end he will be playing for us, scoring lots of goals and winning some trophies."
Addressing stories in the English press that Javier Mascherano was ready to quit Anfield, all Benitez would say was: "More or less it's the same situation, he knows our idea.
"He worked very hard the other day and he had the armband, and that means that he's an important player for us."
Torres and Benayoun followed the boss' lead, carefully, although their message also reflected the confidence flowing through the side right now.
"The main thing for me, and I think for my team-mates, is to win trophies again," said expert marksman Torres.
Israeli international Benayoun was equally buoyant.
"I am very confident in the team, especially after last season," he said. "We have the belief that we can win the league, but we will have to work hard and improve all the time. I believe we will have a good season."
Benitez the deadpan comic
Not that the press conference was complete tedium. Rafa did crack a few jokes and intermittently flashed a smile of approval when faced with offbeat questions.
When a local reporter pointed out that he was wearing a T-shirt bearing a caricature of Benitez, the Spaniard wisecracked: "You should give one to my wife."
The crowd loved it. And he had more tricks up his sleeve.
Asked if Torres would play more than the 10 minutes he did against Thailand, Benitez' response drew loud laughter, again.
"Yes, maybe 11 or 12 minutes," he deadpanned.
He then added, wearing the same sombre face, that Torres' condition would have to be assessed before the match, before any decision ismade.
Judging from the closed-door training session later, when Benitez tried to upstage his players with a ball-juggling act at one stage, Liverpool are set to ramp things up.