Rafa Benitez wants to strengthen the Liverpool squad further in the January transfer window amid a fresh injury crisis.
Benitez opened his weekly press conference by reading from a statement of “facts,” a reference to a tirade he launched almost exactly a year ago against United manager Alex Ferguson which began in similar fashion.
“We are not playing well and we feel sorry for our fans,” Benitez said as he read from a piece of paper. “We know every week things can change in football and we have confidence we can improve.”
Benitez didn’t directly answer questions about his future in the wake of Liverpool’s disappointing FA Cup exit to Championship side Reading.
“We want to concentrate and it’s better we talk about football,” Benitez said ahead of Saturday’s match at Stoke. “We must not talk too much about the other things.”
After signing Argentina winger Maxi Rodriguez on Wednesday, Liverpool lost Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun to injuries after a defeat against second-tier Reading in the FA Cup.
Torres requires surgery on his right knee that will sideline the striker for six weeks, while Benayoun has been ruled out for up to a month with a fractured rib and captain Steven Gerrard is out for two weeks with a hamstring strain.
“We are still working hard to find good players,” Benitez said. “In this market it is very difficult but we have to keep looking to see if we can find someone.”
Goalkeeper Pepe Reina could return from injury at Stoke.
