Liverpool’s under-fire manager Rafael Benitez is determined to remain in charge of the Reds and believes his side will help his cause by overcoming their problems in the Champions League. If they should lose to Group E leaders Lyon it mean the Reds are all but out of this year’s competition. Lyon, have three wins already and need only one point to qualify for the last 16, while Liverpool have never lost three successive European Cup games in their history.

But Rafa is remaining defiant and even quoted Liverpool’s famous “You’ll Never Walk Alone” anthem, “When you walk through a storm with your head high, – I will try to keep it high.”, “I’m very pleased to be here and I wish to be here for a long time,” he said. “The players are strong enough for this challenge. The mentality is good, and they are determined to win.”

Liverpool havent lost seven out of eight games since Bill Shankly’s appointment as manager 50 years ago, but the Red’s injury problems have overshadowed the build-up to the game with Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio and Albert Riera all missing. Midfielder Alberto Aquilani is on the verge of starting his first game for the club and a late decision will be taken on Daniel Agger’s back problem.

Benitez is banking on striker Fernando Torres getting through most of the match without aggravating what is now thought to be a hernia problem. Steven Gerrard has not travelled to France, and Benitez insists that a decision on whether his skipper needs a groin operation will not be taken until Liverpool return to Merseyside.

Benitez said: “We do not want either player to have an operation, we will hope that they continue to improve. It is too early to say just yet.”, “It is not easy with this injury crisis. If any of the top sides in England lost four or five of their very best players and then four or five from their bench, they would struggle.”
“People do not realise how important Torres and Gerrard are until you lose them, this situation is not easy for anyone. But we will do our best and we do have the experience of such situations.”
“Two years ago we also needed to win our final three group matches, and we succeeded. We can do that again. The players here are strong enough for this challenge.”

But Rafa knows his position as manager will come under further scrutiny if they fall to a second defeat in two weeks to the French side.

“Losing would be bad for us, bad for the club, but we will keep going. But we are not thinking that way, we are only thinking of winning.”