Rafa optimistic Reds will find form

RAFA BENITEZ remains optimistic for the New Year despite seeing Liverpool FC held to an FA Cup draw at Reading.

The Spaniard's side must replay their third round tie at Anfield on Wednesday week after a 1-1 draw on Saturday at the Championship strugglers.

Wales international Simon Church gave Reading a 24th-minute lead only for Steven Gerrard to equalise 12 minutes later.

But with Liverpool having won their previous two Premier League games, Benitez is confident his team are showing signs of improvement.

"If you see the training sessions they are training really well, they are very positive, their commitment in every training situation is very good," said Benitez.

"We have been improving in the last three or four weeks and against Aston Villa we were in control. Reading had one or two chances at set-pieces but we had control of the game and then hopefully it will be the same in the next games. I remain optimistic for 2010, yes."

Benitez admits Liverpool are still attempting to coax Gerrard back to full fitness while asking the skipper to play.

Gerrard has responded with two goals in his last three games, and Benitez said: "I'm not surprised Steven has the desire to win every game. He was injured before but we were trying to give him some match fitness so he has to play games and you know that Gerrard, Torres, they can make the difference. We are trying just to take care of him and if he has to play, he has to play.

"But I will talk about all of the players, I don't like to talk just about one. You could see my players were working very hard against a team that was tough and difficult to beat, so Steven was doing well, especially in the second half. And for me, Lucas Leiva has been amazing the last two or three games.

"The style of football is different in the FA Cup, you can see the passion of everyone, the fans and the players, so it is more competitive and I think it is a nice competition to win."

Benitez sidestepped another tiresome debate over zonal marking after Liverpool conceded another goal from a set-piece.

"It was very difficult to defend," he added. "It was a long ball and then the ball goes to the back post. It is always difficult to defend in these situations because I think the players think the ball is going out then you are having to be surprised.

"Every single week I can see a lot of highlights and you see man-to-man marking and then conceding goals.

"The last four or five games we didn't concede so I think we are much better now and we have also to keep working high at set-pieces, but I don't feel that we are worse than other teams."

Before the replay, Liverpool entertain Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday knowing victory could move them to within two points of the fourth-placed Londoners.

And Benitez added: "Every game will be very, very important and difficult for us and Tottenham will be one of these games because they are in a good position in the table, and we know that we have to try our best and beat them. More or less every game for us has to be a must-win game."

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