SOCCER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:THE NATIVES are stirring, George Gillett plans to attend again and Manchester United are influencing the mood. Otherwise, and to the relief of Rafael Benitez, there exists a stark contrast between Liverpool's previous visit to Marseille and the opening of the Champions League group stage here tonight .
Last December when Benitez entered the Stade Velodrome both his job and qualification for the knock-out phase were on the line. The latter was brilliantly achieved with a 4-0 win that enhanced Liverpool's reputation for delivering when cornered, having required three wins from the final three group games to progress, but the former was a more delicate affair.
Benitez faced Marseille last season with the fallout from the club's approach to Jürgen Klinsmann still disrupting the club. The Spaniard had been roundly condemned for missing out on three points at Reading by withdrawing Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher while trailing the previous weekend.
He knew elimination from the Champions League offered a convenient excuse for his departure to American owners who needed European revenue and would meet the manager following United's visit to Anfield five days later. And a Carlos Tevez winner in front of the Kop ensured that encounter took place under another cloud.
Now, despite the Argentinian striking again on Saturday and despite the fault lines under Liverpool remaining, there is an optimism around Benitez and his squad. The manager believes his first league victory over Alex Ferguson will rid his players of an inferiority complex. It has certainly enabled him to consign last season's problems to the distant past, although the experience has not been forgotten.
"It was difficult but it did not get to me. I have some experience of these situations, don't forget," said Benitez. "This kind of talk has been going on for years and you learn to live with it. You have to be calm and do your job because you cannot change things by talking, only by working harder. That's what we did in Marseille last year and the response from the team was perfect."
Liverpool are not the only team in better shape at the Stade Velodrome. They were mediocre, mid-table hosts in December who were dispatched into the Uefa Cup on the back of their heaviest ever home defeat in Europe. The locals want revenge and Marseille, second in the French league and unbeaten, are a stronger proposition despite losing Samir Nasri to Arsenal and with their major summer signing, Hatem Ben Arfa, struggling with a groin problem.
Manager Eric Gerets yesterday expressed his concerns about facing a side who can beat United without Torres and with Gerrard only involved for 20 minutes.
"If I had been asked five days ago whether I was happy with Liverpool not having their best two players, it would have been a different answer to now," he said. "Liverpool are like the Duracell bunnies - they are an example to the rest of the world for the effort they put in. You just wind them up and off they go."
Benitez remains cautious ahead of the match: "They are playing really well, they have good balance in their team and they have players with quality and pace up front."
The Liverpool manager insisted Torres and Gerrard are fit to play if required and will take Saturday's exertions into consideration before finalising his side. Javier Mascherano will be a late call having limped out of the United game injured.
One influential figure in need of playing time is Daniel Agger, whose lack of game time could lead to an Anfield exit, according to reports in his native Denmark yesterday. Agger can exploit the Webster Ruling in January and buy out the remainder of his Liverpool contract for €3.5 million.
"Daniel is very important to the future of the club," the chief executive, Rick Parry said yesterday, but the player has left the option open.
• Guardian Service
