Rafa pense qu'avec les recrues , on puet luter pour le titre de champion d'angleterre .
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Benitez We're gunning for the title
RAFA BENITEZ today backed his summer signings to help Liverpool make a stronger challenge for the Premiership title this season.
Peter Crouch's arrival from Southampton made him the sixth player to sign in at Anfield since the end of last season following the arrival of Pepe Reina, Bolo Zenden, Momo Sissoko, Mark Gonzales and Antonio Barragan.
And Benitez revealed the spending may not end here with long term targets Luis Figo and Gabriel Milito still believed to be in his sights.
He said: "We knew we needed to improve the quality of the squad and that is what we have done.
"We needed to strengthen different positions and we're happy with the players we have managed to bring in.
"I have been here for a year now with my staff and we all have more experience of English football. I wanted to sign some players with experience of the Premiership and we've done that in Zenden and Crouch.
"We have more quality to work with now and so I am sure we will do better in the league. That's our idea."
He added: "We have more options for different positions in the team and so the competition for places is going to be strong.
"All the players are working as hard as they can in pre-season and in the friendly games to show me they are worth a place in the side.
"We probably still need to strengthen certain positions in the squad and that is something we are working on at the moment."
Benitez is currently with his players in Switzerland preparing for Saturday's friendly against Olympiakos and next Tuesday night's Champions League qualifier against FKB Kaunas in Lithuainia.
The Reds boss says the programme of pre-season friendlies and Champions League qualifiers is a tough one, but one that is improving the physical condition of the players.
"We are playing a lot of games at the moment and so the players are getting chances to improve their match fitness," he said..
"We've had two good games against TNS and they should stand us in good stead for the start of the season. We're not at our best yet, but the more games we play and the more training we do then the better the physical condition of the play-ers will become.
"The game in Lithuania next week is obviously a big one for us. I don't know too much about them at the moment but we have a scout preparing the reports and we're waiting for them.
Meanwhile, Crouch is in line to make his Liverpool debut in the friendly against Olympiakos this weekend after Rafa Benitez hailed the latest addition to his squad.
Benitez has high hopes of the former Southampton man and is tipping him to make an immediate impression against the Greek side in Saturday night's match.
And the Reds manager revealed the capture of Crouch, who will wear the number 15 shirt vacated by Salif Diao, marks the end of a long pursuit of the front man.
Benitez said: "We had some trouble controlling him last season.
"It was the first part of last season when I first noticed Crouch. I saw some videos of him in action and I immediately thought to myself that he was a good player.
"I spoke to our scouting department about him and we watched him over the remainder of the season.
"Of course, in our away game against Southampton last season we had problems controlling him.
"We didn't play very well that day and one of the reasons for that was Peter Crouch."
Liverpool were beaten 2-0 by Southampton that day with Crouch scoring one of the goals, but Benitez was equally impressed by the 24-year-old's ability to hold up the ball, as he was with his knack of finding the net.
He added: "He gives us different options in attack and I think he has the intelligence which is so important at top level.
"Another reason I like him is because he is English. It is always important to bring English players to the club, but only at the right price - I think we have done a good deal."
Source : liverpool daily post
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