Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez declared the long chase to sign Fernando Morientes well worth the wait and effort after the Spanish star netted his first Anfield goal to set Liverpool on the way to a 3-1 win over Fulham.
Benitez said: "We have been looking for a better level of performance and thankfully we seemed to have achieved that with three wins in succession. It certainly does a lot to replace the feelings we had after losing those three games in a week.
"And I am obviously delighted with Morientes. We needed a good target man and he has become that for us.
"He is good in the air, passes the ball well to the wings and is starting to link well with Milan Baros.
"It was a long wait for him, but he has been worth the wait. Good players make a managers' job easier. And he is a good player and a good professional.
"Each week he improved. He arrived here having not played for five months and now he is training every day and regaining his match fitness."
Benitez was happier, too, with his team's level of consistency.
He said: "We have needed more consistency, and I was pleased certainly with the way we controlled the second half.
"We started the game well, had a poor 20 minute spell, but deserved the points with the way we played in the second period."
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