Benitez: no margin for error when I splashes the cash
-
Ferguson & Benitez must 'move on'
The League Managers Association (LMA) has urged Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to "move on" from their rift.
Benitez refused to congratulate Ferguson on United winning the Premier League title in the pair's latest spat. "They are very experienced, very successful and highly competitive," said LMA chief executive Richard Bevan.
"They will at times have strong views but I think on this instant it is time for all parties to move on." And Bevan insisted the LMA takes an active role in making sure managers act responsibly.
"At the LMA the image of the game matters and we speak to all of our members on an ongoing basis on a variety of issues," he added. Benitez was cagey when asked about United's title win following his own side's 2-0 victory over West Brom.
"I prefer just to say well done to the club, a big club, a good club," he said. "Normally you have to be polite and respect the other manager but during the season we have seen a lot of things that I didn't like, so that's it. "I say congratulations to United because they have won. And that's it."
Benitez's comments added fuel to the ongoing feud between the two managers as they have traded blows while their teams have battled for the league crown.
In January Liverpool were top of the Premier League when Benitez unleashed a tirade regarding Ferguson's views on the Christmas fixture list, which came to be know in the tabloids as "Rafa's rant."
And in April, prior to United's FA Cup semi-final defeat against Everton, Ferguson blasted Benitez for labelling Everton as a "small club" and criticised the Spaniard for showing contempt to Blackburn when the Liverpool boss appeared to dismiss Sam Allardyce's side once Liverpool scored their second goal in a 4-0 win.
United's victory gave them a record-equalling 18 titles along with Liverpool.
-
Benitez must blank out Ferguson
Post categories: Premier League
Sir Alex Ferguson - on the rare occasions when Manchester United have been denied the Premier League title - has traditionally written a letter of congratulation to the victorious manager.
It is hardly a major feat of deduction to guess that Benitez will not be moved to prose in praise of Ferguson after United equalled Liverpool's tally of 18 titles.
If he could not bring himself to utter verbal congratulations to Ferguson when pressed at The Hawthorns on Sunday, Benitez is unlikely to put it down in writing.
He was prepared to salute Manchester United but made a point of not congratulating Ferguson - putting the latest coating of acrimony on a soured relationship between the pair.
The problem Benitez has here is two-fold. Firstly, even though Ferguson will be supremely indifferent as to whether he receives bouquets from Liverpool's manager or not, it makes his Anfield counterpart look petty and a bitterly sore loser.
Secondly, and more importantly, the man who holds the trophies wins the arguments and Ferguson has beaten Benitez hands down by securing a third successive title.
Benitez's lack of affection for Ferguson is painfully obvious and placed in certain contexts understandable.
And he certainly should not be expected to be subservient towards Ferguson. Liverpool's manager rightly feels it is more important to fight Anfield's corner than cosy up to Old Trafford's overlord.
But Benitez started a dangerous game when he delivered his carefully considered - definitely not a rant - attack against Ferguson's conduct towards referees, the FA's Respect campaign and fixture lists.
I spoke to Benitez at Stoke 24 hours after that outspoken attack on Ferguson, and to say he was spectacularly unrepentant is a masterpiece of understatement.
He was even moved to suggest, with an air of real belief in his words, that Ferguson was "a little bit scared" that Liverpool were table-toppers at that time. Brave - but ill-advised.
Sadly for Benitez, it also came after the sort of lifeless goalless draw that was to eventually become a significant factor in Benitez losing a title he simply had to win once he decided to throw down the gauntlet to Ferguson.
It was also provoked by what was, by Ferguson's standards, a fairly routine jab about the possibility of Liverpool getting nervous in the closing stages of the title race.
Benitez would not have enjoyed congratulating Ferguson. He would have hated it, but he should have swallowed hard and done it. It would have been the gracious thing to do and would have avoided the headlines that greeted him on Monday.
The latest outbreak of rancour also removed some focus from Liverpool's own outstanding development in the last three months, which can rightly bring huge satisfaction for Benitez and be the source of genuine optimism for next season.
Benitez is famously single-minded tactically and applies tunnel vision to his pursuit of success - he must now apply those same qualities to his relationship with Ferguson.
He must put an end to what is in danger of becoming an unhealthy sideshow, a sideshow that is currently benefiting only one man. And that man is not Benitez.
Benitez must blank everything Ferguson says and does from his mind and concentrate every fibre solely on Liverpool. He must somehow ensure that Manchester United become almost meaningless to him rather than developing an obsession with Old Trafford.
Easier said than done, but there is no mileage in taking on the master at his own game.
Ferguson is football's streetfighter, preying on any sign of vulnerablity and Benitez's original verbal jousting appeared to concentrate the minds of all at Manchester United at a crucial point in the season.
Benitez has assembled a team, if not quite a squad, that is capable of building on their progression this season and making a serious attempt to win the Premier League next season.
Liverpool can have no guarantees because Ferguson will have carefully noted their development, but if they maintain the positive attacking approach sparked by the 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in the Champions League and keep Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres fit, they will be even more dangerous opponents for United next season.
This is the best way for Benitez to fight Ferguson - and the only way in which he can win his arguments with the all-conquering Scot.
-
BENITEZT ... cautious over £30m war chest
RAFA BENITEZ says he has no margin for error when he splashes the cash this summer — unlike bitter rivals Manchester United.
The Liverpool chief will get a war chest of around £30million to land the men he hopes can finally bring the Premier League crown to Anfield.
Any additional funds are going to have to come from flogging some of his current stars, including Ryan Babel, Andrea Dossena, Lucas and even Xabi Alonso.
Benitez said: “If we spend big on one player and he’s not successful, it’s worse for us than United. If they make one or two mistakes, because of the difference in money between us, they can spend £40-50m on players.
“If you have more money you can sign players with more quality, like United have.”
For all Rafa’s bleating, he has not been slow out of the blocks at spending himself — and not always with the right result.
Last summer, Robbie Keane arrived from Spurs for £20m but was then sold back to them for £12m in January.