Liverpool new boy Rodriguez vows to bail out Benitez

Liverpool midfielder Maxi Rodriguez has vowed to help beleaguered boss Rafael Benitez by making an immediate impact at Anfield after his move from Atletico Madrid.

Rodriguez, 29, arrived on Merseyside on a three-and-a-half-year contract just in time to see the Reds dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship strugglers Reading on Wednesday.

Benitez is feeling the heat of Liverpool’s worst season during his five-year reign and could do with some match-winning displays from his new signing.

The Argentina international goes straight into the squad for Saturday’s clash at Stoke and is likely to play some part as Benitez is without injured stars Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun.

“If you decide to come to a club you don’t look at recent form and whether results are going for or against you,” Rodriguez said on Friday.

“They are a great club with great tradition and you don’t change your mind on something like that because of a short period of results.

“The important thing is to come here with that desire to win, work hard, make the team even more competitive and first of all try to win my place in the side.

“By hard work we will turn things around. I will be putting in lots of hard work, putting myself on the line for my team and team-mates because that is important.”

Rodriguez has spoken to Torres, a former Atletico team-mate, and Javier Mascherano, his national team captain, about the difficulties facing Liverpool, and insists he never considered turning down a to Merseyside.

“It wouldn’t be the start everyone had dreamed of but the thing about it is all the players are convinced we can turn things around,” he added.

“The main thing is to have a strong belief and mentality. In football you can get a bad start or a bad run in the middle of the season but the important thing is to stop concentrating on the negatives and think positively.

“They are convinced as much as I am that it can be turned around and with a couple of victories you can get the confidence back and results will improve.”