RAFA SALUTES GERRARD - 99 NOT OUT

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[tr][td=1,1,357]Rafael Benitez has hailed Steven Gerrard as one of the top three players in the world as the Reds skipper goes in search of a century of goals for the club against Stoke City tomorrow. [/td][/tr][tr][td=2,1,487]
The talismanic midfielder netted a magnificent double in Tuesday night's Champions League success in Marseille to take his tally to 99 and the Reds boss feels the 28-year-old could now go on to set a new club record for the most number of goals scored by a midfielder.
  
"For any player it is fantastic to score 99 or maybe 100 soon - but especially for a midfielder," said Rafa.
  
"It just shows the quality and ability of Gerrard. He is a player who can play anywhere and score fantastic goals. Not just normal goals, but we are talking about fantastic goals too.
  
"This is what you get with a top class player. To score that many goals is a great achievement. First of all you have to be really good and secondly you have to have an offensive mentality and quality.
  
"You also have to play in a top side because at the end of the day you need to attack and create chances. It's not easy but he is still young and I think he will score a lot of goals and maybe he will have a record as a midfielder.
  
"If he keeps playing as well as he is then why not? And if he keeps taking the penalties it will be easier too. If he can score against Stoke I will be really pleased."
  
The England international once again proved how invaluable he is to the Liverpool cause when he dragged his team back into the clash at the Stade Velodrome with a sensational equaliser before holding his nerve to convert a twice-taken penalty.
  
The calibre of his first strike has been heralded across Europe as an early goal of the season contender and Benitez feels only a rare breed of footballer is capable of producing such an exquisite finish.
  
"Only two or three players can do the same," he said.
  
"It was not easy. It was a fantastic strike and the timing was really good for us and the quality was of the highest level.
  
"But we saw him score one today in training that was similar so we know he can do these things."
  
A victory over Stoke City would cap a magnificent week for Liverpool in which they followed up a deserved 2-1 success over Manchester United by getting their Champions League campaign off to a flier in the South of France.
  
It has made a solid start to the new campaign look even better and while Benitez is pleased with his team's success on the pitch, he is determined to ensure they maintain their focus against Stoke - refusing to discuss any suggestion that this could be the year the club's title drought could come to an end.
  
"Overall it's been a really good week," he said. "We've had two difficult and important games to play and we won them both so everyone is very happy here at Liverpool.
  
"But we are just looking at the next game and we are now ready to play Stoke. It is important to understand that we need to take one game at a time.
  
"If we keep winning then every game, little by little, we will be in a better position so we will talk about this maybe in two or three months time, but at the moment it is game by game."
  
Benitez is well aware of the threat Stoke will pose having seen them follow up a surprise win over Aston Villa earlier in the season by pushing neighbours Everton all the way at the weekend.
  
He feels it would be unprofessional for his side to take three points against Tony Pulis' men for granted and has warned his players of the problems they could cause at set pieces.
  
"In football It's very difficult to say you can win every game and some people may say it's an easy game, but we know it's not easy," he said.
  
"We know it will be tough, that Stoke are a well organised team and they are physically very strong.
  
"They play direct football. I have been really impressed with their set pieces and I don't just mean their throw-ins. I mean the corners and free-kicks too. The manager is doing a very good job there.
  
"In England a lot of teams use the long throw too, so we have to be aware and try to be ready for the first ball and also the second ball.
  
"We will try to play our football. If we can keep passing and moving the ball, then it will be fantastic. If not then we know that physically it will be difficult but we know that technically and tactically is how we need to make a difference."
  
The Reds currently sit second in the table on goal difference behind Chelsea and while the Reds boss is delighted his side have made such a competent start in terms of putting points on the board, he admitted he feels his side still have a few gears to go up when it comes to performance.
  
"Yes, I think we can improve," he said. "The pre-season was different from normal with a lot of players coming back from the Olympic Games and the European Championships late, so I think physically we can improve a lot and that means we can also do that technically and tactically too.
  
"We have a very good squad and the mentality is really good. We won against United without Torres and Gerrard on the pitch from the start so I think it is really good to see other members of the squad playing well and that means we can maybe use different players in other competitions this season and keep the same level." [/td][/tr]