Benitez silent on Juve switch talk

Following the goalless draw at Wolves, Benitez refused to comment on speculation suggesting Juve are about to sack coach Ciro Ferrara. The Spaniard saw his side miss out on the chance to put pressure on the Premier League top four after a shot-shy performance in which they failed seriously to test Wolves keeper Marcus Hahnemann. Benitez, when asked about the Juventus link, said: "I prefer to talk about the game. Is the speculation a distraction? I was really focused today on trying to do the right things and to try and win this game. "Is being linked with Juventus flattering? I prefer to concentrate on the game." Benitez accepted a share of the spoils was a fair result, with his side dominating the opening 45 minutes before Wolves came more into the game after the break. He said: "If you analyse the game, it was a fair result. In the first half, we were in control, although we didn't create chances. The final pass in the final third was the difference. "In the second half, they pushed harder. We still had some good counter-attacks but again the final pass was the difference. It was a fair result." The big plus for Benitez was the return of skipper Steven Gerrard, who completed the 90 minutes after missing two games with a hamstring problem. Benitez believes a fit Gerrard will be crucial to the Reds' hopes of breaking back into the Champions League positions. He said: "We know Steven is a key player for us. He has to improve his match fitness. But, if he is fit and can train properly in the week and play games, he can make the difference for us." Wolves boss Mick McCarthy believes his players were well worth the point that took them to the 20 mark for the season in their battle to stay in the top flight. And he praised the performance of striker Kevin Doyle, who operated as the only frontman in a revamped 4-5-1 formation. He said: "If you see a better performance from a centre-forward than Doyle showed tonight, I would like to see it. "If he had just managed a goal, it would have been one of the best all-round performances. He is physically strong enough to play that role. "We changed the system and I don't think our keeper had a save to make. I don't think we were troubled. "It was a really solid performance and it's great to get off 19 points because we've been there for too long."