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da premier bet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Rafa Benitez has made a humble admission in comparing the current Liverpool side to his 2005 Champions League winning team.
What did he say?
There are similarities between the Liverpool sides managed by Jurgen Klopp and Benitez.
Like in 2005, there is a great team spirit in the current camp and a connection to the fans which makes the team seem unbeatable, particularly on European nights, and both have produced similar results.
Both sides were crowned European champions and did so by performing some of the greatest comebacks ever witnessed in the Champions League – the final in 2005 and Liverpool’s semi-final tie against Barcelona in the last campaign.
It is arguable that Liverpool winning the Champions League in 2005 was the more surprising achievement of the two, so when asked which Liverpool edition was better – 2005 or 2019 – Benitez could be forgiven for favouring his own side.
However, in a Q&A for The Athletic, he answered: “I’m really proud of what we achieved in 2005, but I have to say that the 2019 team is stronger already.
“What we had at that time was great team effort and a lot of character, as well as commitment on the pitch. This team have the intensity and the quality that can make the difference in games.”
Check out fan reaction to Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal in the video below…
The statistics would support his response, too. Liverpool scored 89 goals on their way to gathering 97 Premier League points last season, whereas in 2005 Benitez had to settle for fifth-place, some 37 points off Chelsea in first, which shows they couldn’t compete on multiple fronts like Liverpool did last season.
What’s the difference?
The English game has moved on remarkably in the past fourteen years, and it is now quicker and more intense than ever before.
Liverpool in many ways encapsulate what the Premier League is about now, and that is why they are so effective. Their hugely successful high-pressing style is a far cry from the more balanced football Benitez deployed and the fact they finished second-highest in terms of shots on target last season shows their attacking quality.
What the 2005 Liverpool team lacked in ability they made up for in spirit and determination, but the current Liverpool team possesses both.
In Sadio Mane and Mo Salah they have two of the best attacking players in Europe, whilst Virgil van Dijk is considered to have a genuine chance of winning the Ballon d’Or.
By contrast, Steven Gerrard was named the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year for his exploits that season, but no other player in the squad was shortlisted for an award.
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