Benitez furious with Reds' inept strikers

LONDON - WHILE dumping Barcelona out of the Champions League may be an admirable achievement, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is far from satisfied.

The Spaniard has seen the best and worst of his side in recent weeks.

They dominated Manchester United at Anfield in the Premiership last Saturday, then did the same against Barcelona three days later.

But, despite 15 attempts on goal in each game, Liverpool lost 0-1 both times.

Benitez has been infuriated that his frontline - Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt or Peter Crouch - could not kill off these ties, reported The Guardian.

'We have seen these things all season,' he admitted.

'We deserved to score a lot of goals in the first half, hitting the bar twice. Even in the second half when Barcelona had more possession, we had chances on the break.

'We weren't finishing the opportunities we were creating but we managed to hang on and made sure we qualified.'

The recruitment of a striker remains a priority in the summer.

The thinking is that, had they possessed a clinical forward capable of scoring 20 goals a season, they might just have been challenging nearer the pinnacle.

Bellamy, hardly a prolific scorer throughout his career, has managed nine goals in all competitions. Kuyt is still adjusting to life in England and has netted 10.

Crouch, the top scorer with 13, has had only one start. He has admitted to feeling frustrated at being restricted to the bench.

'I feel when I've played, I've got goals,' said Crouch, who is considering delaying an operation on his broken nose to the end of the season so that he can play a full part.

The wasted chances up front are heaping pressure on those at the back, with Liverpool increasingly reliant on defender Jamie Carragher's excellence.

'Over the two legs, Carragher has been phenomenal,' said captain Steven Gerrard.

'I look at the defenders across Europe and the rest of the world, and I really don't see anyone who's better than him. I definitely wouldn't swop him for anyone.'