'We have a good resilient spirit now'
On finally breaking down Bolton…
“It was a difficult game with Bolton having two very deep lines. Their midfield was very close to their defence and for an hour we couldn’t find a way through. Maybe our passing was not incisive enough and not forward-orientated enough.
"They were very strong in the tackle and it is easier to play with only one focus - to defend well. It looked like it could be 0-0 because we never looked like conceding but we didn’t create many chances. Although in the last 20 minutes we had to finish in a good old-fashioned 4-2-4 to win the game.”
On the Nicklas Bendtner’s impact from the bench…
“You could say he didn’t have the best passing game today but he could have scored two goals. That sums up what a striker is. It is so cold for the subs when you come on it is not easy. You sit there for an hour and you start to warm up until you come on. When you really get into the game, the game is over. When Nicklas came on there were 15 minutes left and he had no real time to warm up really.”
On the Dane’s overall contribution this season…
“He had an injury problem with his ankle and I thought it affected his game a little bit, especially with his back to goal. He looks in training as if he is sharp again. He had some difficult periods because of those problems with his ankle but now slowly he is getting back to where he will be.”
On the importance of three points after Villa’s early win…
“I am not too concerned about that, for us it is important [to win]. We cannot afford to drop points against Bolton at home, we are swimming against the stream enough already. I feel we look stable defensively, we have been more creative in the past but we have now won three games 1-0 and that is a good basis. We have a good resilient spirit and let’s just take it game by game. I have seen Villa today against West Brom and every game is difficult for everybody.”
On whether new signings would have helped break down Bolton…
“It is difficult to say because of the context of the game today; it was very difficult to create. I have said it many times, if we have Walcott, Rosicky and Fabregas out on the creative side of the game it is many players. Any injury on the offensive side, in creative midfield, can be a problem.
“We look for them [new faces] and as soon as we find them we will tell you.”
On Rafa Benitez’s recent comments about Sir Alex Ferguson…
“I must say it came as a big surprise because he is usually a quiet man. I wouldn’t like to comment further on that. I don’t know really what it was about basically.
“I don’t know what he [Ferguson] is doing, you don’t know, I don’t know, nobody knows in the country. I believe that it’s not down to me to do that. If Ferguson, Benitez or me do something wrong then you have people around the referees who make reports, I don’t want to intervene with that.
“It is important that we focus on the game. When we see something that isn’t normal, we tell it. I saw it at Aston Villa and I said that after the game. Apart from that I couldn’t see any deep problem for English football in there.”
On the performance of today’s referee…
“He was good. At half time he was perfectly free I promise you. He got a good cup of tea with nobody around him.”
On whether the outburst could affect Liverpool’s title challenge…
“It depends on the results. It is very difficult, for example, Benitez looked very angry I don’t know what happened behind the scenes but it is very difficult to determine what influence it has on the results of the team.
“I remember when I arrived here there was the famous story with Kevin Keegan and Ferguson where, in the end, there was that famous moment where Keegan lost his nerves a little bit and it cost him the championship. I am not convinced though; I think their defensive frailty cost them the championship rather than one moment of their manager losing his cool a little bit.
“It will certainly have an impact on their relationship but not on Ferguson.”
