Rafael Benitez shoots himself in the foot again

Kaveh Solhekol

Anyone who thinks that Rafael Benitez was just getting something off his chest when he attacked Sir Alex Ferguson last Friday should have been at the Britannia Stadium the following evening.

Tony Pulis, the Stoke City manager, decided to duck out of the post-match press conference after his side had drawn 0-0 with Liverpool. That gave Benitez the perfect opportunity to keep schtum, but the temptation to pour fuel on the fire he had started 24 hours earlier proved too much.

Talking with the carefree abandon of an old soak who had spent the afternoon in his local, Benitez rambled on about how the evil Ferguson was responsible for global warming, the Respect campaign falling apart, Woolworths closing down and dodgy refereeing decisions.

OK, he may not have got round to global warming and Woolworths but he probably would have done if he hadn’t promised his wife he’d be home in time for Match of the Day.

Nobody can deny that Benitez is one of the best managers in the business, but if Liverpool can afford to pay Steven Gerrard £100,000 a week, why can’t they employ a half-decent PR man to tell the Spaniard to engage his brain before he opens his mouth? Or to keep his mouth shut?

Benitez is going back to hospital to have another operation on his kidney stones this week. While he’s in there he should ask the doctor to have a look at the bullet holes in his feet.

Pimp my side

Somebody call the style police. Hull City have not won for a month and Phil Brown has started turning up to games dressed like a pimp. Not since Malcolm Allison’s fedora-and-cigar glory days in the Seventies has a manager pushed the boat out so far in the fashion stakes. Fur-trimmed leather jacket? Check. Snakeskin scarf? Check. Brown leather winklepickers? Check. No points? Check.

Nightclub seeks transfer

Good news: Chinawhite, every footballers' favourite nightclub has closed down after its lease ran out. Bad news: its owners are looking for new premises in Central London.

Mind your language

Thanks to football365.com for investigating some of Benitez’s “facts” and demolishing one of them with a sledgehammer.

Benitez last Friday:
"Then Ferguson was talking about the fixtures. Two years ago we were playing a lot of early kick-offs away on Saturdays when United were playing on Sundays. And we didn't say anything."

Benitez on August 23, 2007:
"I would like to ask the Premier League why is it that Liverpool always play the most fixtures away from home in an early kick-off, following an international break? We had more than the top clubs last season and we have four already to prepare for this season. It's going to be very difficult for us to win the Premier League because the other teams are so strong, but I want our supporters to know that despite the disadvantages we have, we will fight all the way."

Benitez on September 17, 2007:
"We will analyse it and talk with the Premier League. We will see how to stop this situation, but if you play on Tuesday, for example, in an international break, it will be easier. In the Champions League, if you play on Wednesday, you must play on Sunday. In Spain it's like this. The television companies decide on early kick-offs on Saturday, so someone needs to talk to them as well. If you want your teams at the top of the Champions League, then protect them."

Comments

[mrs freda kennedy]

i love my football still at age 78 what managers say or dont say is not worth all the time the press give to it what matters is to enjoy the game at the time life is far to short i hate my team loosing but its great when they win but may i say as a liverpool fan for years i still like everton to win expect when they play my team one little moan if i may iam glad rooney does not play for everton any more his foal mouth would give merseyside a very bad name football enjoy it ok

[Alpha Turay]

I'm not surprise at the unanimous comments against Benitez because he is a spanish and fergusson is the son of England(Scottish).He is always favoured by the FA.This baisness of the Premiership FA will make England not to head FIFA.Remember,charity begins at home.If you allow the English to do things at thier advantage,they'll not be protected outside England.
If they misbvehave at referees,they will be shown the yellow/red card.Example rooney,Gary neveille and Ferdinard always displayed their anger and misbehaved at the refs whenever the opponent is outplaying or a foul is blown against them.
Please do a proper investigation in the FA,i'm suspecting a foul or match fixing on officials.
Lastly,my best player is Wes brown because whenever he plays a foul,he knows it is a foul and will not pretend or cheat the ref.

[Nick]

Oh Brian, what utter garbage you post.
Ronaldo diving? Check out Gerrard,Drogba et al. Ronny has cleaned up his act yet he is still the most fouled player in the PL.

The added time at OT is a complete myth as well. One game , against Sheff Wed, nealy 16 years ago and the same nonsense is peddled.
Just because SAF checks his watch has nothing to do with the officials adding time.

As for Bruces Wigan, as i recall they have lost every top 4 encounter bar a 1-1 draw with Chelsea last season!

Plus if you support Liverpool and are older than 15 you will recall the numerous "dodgy" decisions given at Anfield in the late 70s/80s.

There is no unfair playing field and Benitez for all his talk of "facts" really needed to check his first before pontificating.

He says SAF is never punished yet hes the only PL manager to serve a touch line ban this season. He says SAF is the only manager who gers away with questioning the fixture list, Rafa himself has done the same!

To finish ill throw this one in as Benitez bought it up. Yes United played a day later during Christmas(Villaplayed 2 days later but this doesnt appear to merit a mention) but this meant they were a day closer to the next fixture!

Us United fans may regard SAF as God but as far as iam aware he hasnt yet accrued the ability to put extra days in the week for Uniteds benefit.

[brian]

Everyone knows this favouritism goes on for man u except you. Ten minutes extra time at the end of matches untill man u score, penalties out of thin air, ronaldo could be in the portugal olympic team for diving but he dives so far he would miss the pool.I could go on but i cant be bothered. By the way how come man u beat steve bruces teams every time they play? and he normally nicks a result at the other top teams.

[DJ]

Yet again another pointless space filling article. Isn't it about time all you journalists got off your bums and actually found a story worth reporting on instead of re-hashing the existing ones? And when I say report I mean an unbiased, FACTUAL item that readers would care to know.

As stated by a previous poster all the press seem to want to do is condemn Rafa Benitez and try to make him look a fool. Not one of you has actually argued for or against his FACTS. At least he had the bottle to say what a large majority have been thinking for years, and those that disagree are either deluded or liars!

[Turbo]

Guys, guys, guys!

People are more likely to believe things that they want to hear. Mark, Julian, Scott ... you're all fine examples of that.

There is no proof and no reason for a debate. The premise that a 'debate' is needed is laughable. In a professional league where millions upon millions is at stake then why in the name of a flying flip would the manager of team affairs be the one to raise it (at a press conference, by the way, not a vehicle in which any formal review can be undertaken) if there was GENUINE PROOF?! It's probably one for the boys in the legal team? Perhaps the club directors would be raising it at a higher level within the FA? No. It's Rafa at press conference with a sheet of A4! If it's true then Liverpool FC needs a serious review of it's procedures.

You've got no more sense than Benitez. Stick to the comics, boys.

[Dave Hodgson]

Marc from Glasgow has it spot on. Mr Solhekol's blog, as well as many other articles covering this story, has shown why Ferguson has got away with it for so long. Rather than examining whether Benitez's comments were correct, journalists have predictably gone for the 'mind games' angle of the story. Gutless... but hardly surprising. Can we expect a Mediawatch-inspired retread of all of Ferguson's contradictions next week Mr Solhekol?

[Eddie]

@ Turbo

talk about selective memory. Who whinged about the fixture list a mere two wesks ago? Who complained about an Arsenal season ticket on the FA commmission in the Evra suspension? Who has spent the best part of the last 20 years complaining?

Conspiracy theories are for 14 year old sci-fi nerds ... and SAF

[Scott]

Mr. Solhekol, wouldn't it be more constructive to ask why Rooney seems to be exempt from the respect campaign. Everyone who watched the United/Chelsea game saw his continual use of foul language, disrespect towards the referee and his lashing out at a Chelsea player. It is not just one game it is many and he continually gets away with it. Benitez has a point and many people agree with him.

[Daniel]

The reason it make so many headlines is because he is talking like he's crazy. I dont say this to be offensive but he seems to be talking without thinking, it might be the stress. He's whining about the Premier League not protecting them in the Champions League, but havent the last four teams been English for the past two years? He talks about Liverpool having a disadvantage, why dont other teams say anything?, maybe because they know that themselves alone are responsible for their results instead at blaming others.

[Turbo]

Marc from Glasgow

Good grief. There is no favouritism. Ferguson doesn't get away with 'murder'. There was no UFO at Roswell. There isn't a hidden message in 'The Last Supper'.

Benitez is no better or worse than Ferguson when it comes to selective memory, whining about refs or fixtures or favouritism. Benitez isn't punished any more or any less when he trots out one of his red-faced little rants either.

Conspiracy theories are for 14 year old sci-fi nerds ... and Rafa.

[Julian Glantz]

Marc from Glasgow has largely stolen my thunder; I agree entirely with what he says, and would only add that his suggestion that readers of The Times should expect a higher and more incisive standard of journalism is apposite.

We know how much of a bully Ferguson is regarding press passes to Old Trafford, and his cavalier attitude to fulfilling his personal responsibility at press conferences. When will hacks show the balls that Benitez has done?

[marc from glasgow]

having read this and several other of the articles regarding rafa benitez's comments on alex ferguson. to precis benitez's comments: he stated alex ferguson's conduct is beyond the lines of acceptability, is rarely or never punished and has influence which leads to an unfair advantage to his club.

All I have read in this and other newspapers discussion is the ridiculous knight's move logic of how the comments had affected the outcome of the weekends respective games for liverpool and manchester united or which of the men will win an imagined battle of "mind games".

Why did this and other aparently respected authors fall in to this lowbrow media trap and not address the actual comments and debate the real question of whether what benitez said is true or not??!!

The consequences go way beyond this weekends fixtures and are relevant next week, next season etc...

Is it merely insipid journalism on behalf of Mr Solhekol and colleagues, descending into cheap mockery or is it that the Times and its staff shrink from openly debating whether such an important figure's influence creates an unfair playing field?

If the reason is the latter, it rather suggest mr benitez has an excellent point