 "I have read about this problem (Gerrard speculation), but what can I do? I can talk with them and tell them about my ideas for the future. He is intelligent, I don't need to tell him to give me a chance. He knows he is a good player, I know he is a fantastic player. "He understands that Liver-pool has now perhaps a new mentality. The last year Liverpool were a very good team, but now they are a very good team with some differences." An early clue as to Benitez's leadership style - and jarringly at odds with Mourinho's schoolmasterly approach - came with the revelation he would welcome criticism from his senior players. Even at this preliminary stage, it is clear that while Benitez may bear an undeniable physical resemblance to Gerard Houllier, his man-management style heralds from a completely different school of thought to his predecessor. "All I want to transmit to them is that I have confidence and I need these players (Gerrard and Owen)," the 45-year-old said. "They know the mentality, they know the spirit, and me as a foreign manager, I need people that stay with me. If I make a mistake I want them to say 'hey manager, or Rafael, or Benitez, it's not good for the team'. "With the Academy players it will of course be different, but with players like Gerrard, Owen and Carragher, it will be better for me. I need to hear everybody and learn from everybody. "We need to improve how to do the right things and I need to talk to the players and staff to know how the Premiership mentality is. "I've noticed the players here fight and have spirit. I've spoken with my friend Steve McClaren and asked him 'how do you obtain this spirit?'. He said 'we just have it' - but in Spain it is different." 'Mentality' is already emerging as something of a buzzword for the man who led Valencia to two La Ligas in the past three seasons. Yesterday he was skilfully dodging any invitations to put a time limit on success at Anfield, instead preferring to push all the right buttons with his new employers. | 
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