Liverpool are 'overachieving'
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Rafa Benitez last night claimed Liverpool were the poor relations of the Premier League big guns - and admitted they have to hold their nerve to have any chance of winning the crown.
The Spaniard remains unrepentant over the wisdom of last month's verbal assault on Sir Alex Ferguson, insisting it was a battle that needed to be fought.
But with Liverpool likely to be five points behind Manchester United after the title holders play Fulham tomorrow, Benitez went on the front foot as he insisted his club were overachieving given their financial position.
"Every year, United collect £60million more than us - and that means they can buy three £20m players each season," said the Liverpool boss. "Chelsea will have spent £500m over the last five years.
"We've made a team that can compete with them but economically we're inferiors and can't afford the players they can.
"I have enough data to bore you with it. But if you look at United, it wasn't just spending £32m on Dimitar Berbatov - they can spend whatever it takes for what they need every year. Last year it was £17m on Owen Hargreaves, £18m on Nani and £20m on
Anderson. Seven years ago they paid £30m for Rio Ferdinand.
"In my five years, I've paid less in transfer fees than I've received, even though I spent £40m on Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane. It's as simple as that." Benitez, set to end his contract stand-off with the board and the club's American owners by signing a new deal, knows excuses will count for nothing if Liverpool fail to land the title in May.
While he insisted he was 100 per cent right to stand up to Fergie, he admitted the desperation of the Anfield fans is an extra factor his side must conquer. Benitez added: "Ferguson controls everything in this country. These are the facts, as everyone knows.
"And when he decided to speak about Liverpool, I knew I had to respond to him. Now we're out of the FA Cup, it's necessary to look for the positives and those are that we will play fewer games and be able to concentrate more on the Premier League and the Champions League.
"The title in England is very competitive, more so than in Spain, because every opponent you face in the Premier League will make it hard for you.
"So far we've never lost control of the games we didn't win but what we couldn't do was finish the matches off. Our biggest problem is in the great expectations of success that surround us.
"All we ever hear from the fans is: 'The League, the League, it's 19 years since we had it'. Since I've been at the club we've won four trophies, fought for more and been in another Champions League semi-final.
"I feel we're where we need to be but the problem for us now is the anxiety around us. We must handle it and that is not easy." Liverpool travel to Real Madrid next week in the last 16 of the Champions League with Benitez optimistic of success against his old club. He said: "I've the experience of the duel we had with Barcelona. They were the big favourites but we knocked them out.
"We didn't have luck when the draw came out as we have different goals for the season now.
For Madrid, it's all about the Champions League. That is all they have to win.
"We're still alive in the title race but what matters is the condition of my players when the games come. Torres is still getting back to his best form, while Steven Gerrard, who is to our team what Raul is to Real, the emblem, is still recovering from a hamstring injury.
"It's fair to compare Steven to Raul. Both are charismatic players, with enormous hearts, whose personality makes a mark on the rest of the team."
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I find Rafa is trying to spin something to confuse everyone...in this report from themirror.
He tries to spotlight on MU spending more, but when it dawn on torres/keane, he gets tongue tied. He spends as much in percentage as much as United, but sadly, he doesn't want to admit.
Does SAF really controls everything that Rafa has to make his rant? How did that help him?
Lastly, is Gerrard comparable to Raul?
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Gerrard won't make it for the first leg... 3 weeks is too short a time. Rooney has been out for 6 weeks already with the same injury... But if he really makes it, I think its Rafa risking Gerrard's long term for a short term gain... which may not also turn out Rafa's way... Not worth the gamble, keep him for the 2nd leg better.
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if gerrard don't play
lucas will
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Originally posted by iceFatboy:
I find Rafa is trying to spin something to confuse everyone...in this report from themirror.
He tries to spotlight on MU spending more, but when it dawn on torres/keane, he gets tongue tied. He spends as much in percentage as much as United, but sadly, he doesn't want to admit.
Does SAF really controls everything that Rafa has to make his rant? How did that help him?
Lastly, is Gerrard comparable to Raul?
His rant was a total disaster... Before he made it, Pool were leading the table but after he said those things... Pool went 4 matches without winning or pick up 3 out of a possible 9 points... That 6 points would have put them above United by 4 even before today's game.I think he is also trying to highlight Parry's doing a poor job by comparing how much $$$ United makes each season in marketing and commercial gains compare to Liverpool...
Another stab to Parry... Bad rafa, bad rafa... lol
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Originally posted by kopiosatu:
if gerrard don't play
lucas will
Nvm lah, Let Lucas chop Robben and make him unavailable for the 2nd leg lor... Quite a good tread off mah... Lucas and Robben both miss 2nd leg... lol -
Rafa is half right... The Fools are overachieving given their plight for the past 19 yrs... But at the same time HE is underachieving... His track record at buying players sucks... Of cos you can say with every Rooney, Ronaldo & the Da Silva twins, there is a Bellion, a Kleberson, a Djemba-Djemba but at least these misfits did not upset the applecart too much...