Benitez lays into rival Ferguson

[Elano]

Read Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez's response to Manchester United boss to Sir Alex Ferguson's observations about the Premier League fixture programme.

The Spaniard was speaking at a press conference ahead of Liverpool's trip to Stoke.

Rafael Benitez statement

"I was surprised by what has been said, but maybe they (Manchester United) are nervous because we are at the top of the table.

"But I want to talk about facts. I want to be clear, I do not want to play mind games too early, although they seem to want to start.

"But I have seen some facts. On November 1, they played Hull and Mr Ferguson had a two-match touchline ban and a £10,000 fine after confronting Mike Dean, the referee, for improper conduct.

"We started the Respect campaign, and that was when (Javier) Mascherano was sent off (last season) at Old Trafford.

"The referee (Steve Bennett) was the referee when they played against Wigan - he could not see the handball against Wigan by Rio Ferdinand, he did not give a penalty. They won the game and they won the title in this game.

"I think it will be the same referee who will be in charge of their game in hand this season (against Wigan).

"During the Respect campaign - and this is a fact - Mr Ferguson was charged by the FA for improper conduct after comments made about Martin Atkinson and Keith Hackett.

"He was not punished. He is the only manager in the league that cannot be punished for these things.

"Then he 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.

"Now he is complaining about everything, that everybody is against United. But the second half of the season will see them playing at home against all the teams at the top of the table, it is a fantastic advantage.

"But at Christmas, United played on the 29th and the rest of the teams played on the 28th. We were away against Newcastle two days after playing Bolton. They were playing about 40 hours later, they were not complaining then.

"And about his behaviour with referees. The Southampton manager he knows how Mr Ferguson works and how he works, he was very clear. I am not playing mind games, just facts.

"If he wants to talk about fixtures, and have a level playing field as you say in England. There are two options if we don't want more problems with fixtures.

"One is the same as in Spain, the draw for the first part of the league is known, everyone knows which weekend. In the second-half everyone plays the opposite, so you all know.

"Sky and Setanta have the right to choose their games and it will be the same for everyone. So Mr Ferguson will not be complaining about fixtures and a campaign against United.

"Or there is another option. That Mr Ferguson organises the fixtures in his office and sends it to us and everyone will know and cannot complain. That is simple.

"We know what happens every time we go to Old Trafford and the United staff. They are always going man to man with the referees, especially at half-time when they walk close to the referees and they are talking and talking.

"All managers need to know is that only Mr Ferguson can talk about the fixtures, can talk about referees and nothing happens.

"We need to know that I am taking about facts, not my impression. There are things that everyone can see every single week.

"Are they under pressure? Maybe they were not thinking that we would be at the top of the table in January. But we are at the top of the table and they are nervous.

"I am not telling the authorities what to do. But I have been here for five years and know how things are going on. I will be watching United's game with Chelsea.

"The result does not matter to us, if we win at Stoke that result does not matter.

"I was surprised United wanted to start the mind games too early, maybe it is because we are top of the table. But I only wanted to explain our position.

"It is a massive difference to play early on a Saturday, say, after a European match in midweek.

"But they will play the second half of the season with home matches against the other top teams, and that is a massive advantage to them.

"They cannot complain about the fixtures after they were playing on 29 December while the rest played on the 28th.

"I have decided that I had a lot of information and I have been watching every single week what has been going on. Then they started talking about us, but every single week we know they will be talking.

"But we want to stay at the top and maybe they will talk about us right to the end.

"To hear someone talking when he has problems with referees every single week, and now complaining about the fixtures and complaining about everything, I think that is not fair.

"You can see every single week how they put (referees) under pressure, we know this. We have seen it before. We have seen players sent off at Old Trafford and we do not see our opponents sent off.

"It is part of the game. But to complain and to always have an advantage is not fair.

"We had a meeting in Manchester with managers and FA about the Respect campaign. And I was very clear, forget the campaign because Mr Ferguson was killing the referees, killing Mr Atkinson, killing Mr Hackett.

"But he is not punished. How can you talk about the respect campaign and criticise the referee every single week?

"You can analyse the facts and come to your own decision and ideas.

"There is still no news about my contract, my agent has not received any documents so he is a little bit disappointed. But we will see.

"I would rather not talk too much about this, though, when we have an important game ahead."

[KURUPTION-81]

I thought it would take longer than this for Fergie to get to Benitez, its only January. We could be witnessing another Keegan moment in the next few months.

At least Keegans was heat of the moment off the cuff reaction, Benitez came with notes 

Lets be honest all managers moan about the fixtures and referees.

Benitez is playing right into Fergie's hands, If Benitez had any sense he would ignore Fergie.

[Elano]

Mourinho can teach Benitez a thing or two about psychological warfare

There is more chance of Prince Harry being sent to negotiate a truce in Gaza, but if Rafael Benítez really wants to conduct a psychological war with Sir Alex Ferguson, the Liverpool manager should pick up the phone to another of his enemies, José Mourinho. If the former Chelsea manager were honest — and many would say that would be a first — then his best advice to the Spaniard would be to say nothing at all.

Mourinho is the only manager to have consistently got the better of Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, winning the championship in two of the three years they were direct competitors, a key to his success being a reluctance to get drawn into the Scot’s fabled mental confrontations.

Mourinho was smart enough to realise that if he were not engaged, he could not be unsettled. He made a deliberate decision to shower the United manager with praise, refusing to play Ferguson at his own game in the manner that Arsène Wenger, of Arsenal, and now Benítez have succumbed over the years. On the pitch, he won five of their nine competitive meetings.

With Inter Milan drawn against United in the Champions League, Mourinho was at it again yesterday, glad-handing at Old Trafford in an attempt to douse Ferguson’s fire. Benítez, a more natural diplomat, would benefit from following Mourinho’s example.

The phrase “player power” is generally used to describe the Machiavellian machinations of overpaid, pampered footballers, but it might be time to alter the definition. Even at the height of David Beckham’s influence as England captain, when he picked the hotels, suits and once pulled a face when asked to play at right back, the midfield player would not have dreamt of attempting to unseat the manager, as Kevin Pietersen, who resigned as England cricket captain last week, did by demanding the removal of Peter Moores as head coach.

Beckham may be daft enough to believe he can transform the ambivalence of the United States but at least his ego has its limits.

Mourinho’s charm offensive could lead to him replacing Ferguson at Old Trafford, but only if the powers that be at United suffer from a particularly virulent bout of collective amnesia. Mourinho is a brilliant tactician and has a proven track record at the highest level, as well as being an engaging personality when the mood takes him, but he has a habit of causing trouble wherever he goes. If such a young and ambitious club as Chelsea considered such sideshows too much trouble, United are unlikely to put up with them, either.

[Elano]

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has accused Rafael Benitez of being "ridiculous".

Liverpool's boss claimed Ferguson goes unpunished for criticising referees and even suggested United are a "bit scared" of the Premier League leaders.

"There was a lot of venom in what he has said," responded Ferguson. "I don't understand where it has come from.

"When he reflects on it he must realise what he is saying is ridiculous. He is obviously disturbed about something."

Ferguson refused to discuss Benitez's comments in too much detail, preferring instead to bask in his side's 3-0 win over Chelsea.

Following Sunday's impressive win at Old Trafford, third-placed United have closed the gap on Liverpool to five points, with two games in hand.

Benitez launched his attack on Ferguson during an extraordinary four-minute monologue in a news conference on Friday and also said he believed the Scot was nervous because Liverpool are top of the league.

"We had a Respect campaign meeting and I said forget it because Mr Ferguson is 'killing' the referees," said the Spaniard.

He added that Ferguson is "the only manager who will not be punished" for verbally attacking referees and also claimed that Ferguson and his United support staff intimidate match officials.

An unrepentant Benitez launched a fresh attack on Ferguson following Liverpool's 0-0 draw at Stoke on Saturday, suggesting the United boss may be "a little bit scared" of the Merseyside club's title challenge.

"In 20 years, nobody could say these things but maybe they think the same as me," stated Benitez. "I don't regret it."

His actions, seemingly triggered by Ferguson's assertion that nerves may affect Liverpool's title challenge, have provoked huge debate, while the Football Association is set to review Benitez's comments before deciding whether to take any action against him.

But the Liverpool manager claims he has received plenty of support.

"I can guarantee a lot of people have sent a lot of messages, not to me but to our staff and a lot of people in Liverpool," he revealed.

"It is one person saying what everyone wants to say but I was not thinking about what people think, I was thinking about my club and Mr Ferguson's comments on Liverpool this season. You can understand why."

When asked if he thought Ferguson was nervous, Benitez replied: "Clearly. Maybe he is a little bit scared.

"He is talking too much about Liverpool. He has to think about his own team, the problems they have and all the things they are doing."

[da_notorious_mack]

benitez was bang on made me laugh yesterday a certain England striker committed a fairly wild foul from behind against a Chelsea defender, then turned his back on the ref twice, walking away waving his arms and shouting obscenities as Howard Webb called him back. At the end of the first half, the same striker sprinted 20 yards to shout and gesticulate angrily at the linesman. I don't even need mention the player's name.

[da_notorious_mack]

and LOL @ the sun's unbuyist reporter conviently missing out "ferguson is a great manager and i have a lot of respect for him,he just needs to stop talking about liverpool"...im sure that was just a mistake on their part

[tempo2]

yep echos fof keegan here....althoug bentiez is right in what he says

[KURUPTION-81]

benitez was bang on made me laugh yesterday a certain England striker committed a fairly wild foul from behind against a Chelsea defender, then turned his back on the ref twice, walking away waving his arms and shouting obscenities as Howard Webb called him back. At the end of the first half, the same striker sprinted 20 yards to shout and gesticulate angrily at the linesman. I don't even need mention the player's name.

Lol its up to the ref to enforce the rules, how about we talk about certain players after a match trying to fight fans, or the same player throwing a coin at the crowd or placing hit on a rival player.

At the end of the day because we are successful the spot light is on us, every week a manager criticises a ref but no one bats an eye lid. Last week both moyes and phil brown criticised the same ref !

I lose track of the amount of touch line bans/fines/warnings fergie gets.

[Elano]

benitez was bang on made me laugh yesterday a certain England striker committed a fairly wild foul from behind against a Chelsea defender, then turned his back on the ref twice, walking away waving his arms and shouting obscenities as Howard Webb called him back. At the end of the first half, the same striker sprinted 20 yards to shout and gesticulate angrily at the linesman. I don't even need mention the player's name.

Lol its up to the ref to enforce the rules, how about we talk about certain players after a match trying to fight fans, or the same player throwing a coin at the crowd.

if you talk about this fight
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/0cHXHWf0qEQ" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/0cHXHWf0qEQ</a>
you should remeber this one...

[KURUPTION-81]

Im on about a liverpool player who tried to have a fight with luton fans and threw a coin at some arsenal fans.

Its nice how evra got a four match ban for not hitting anyone and if he had done in a match he would have got a 3 game ban. Typical united getting off lightly again !

[Elano]

Im on about a liverpool player who tried to have a fight with luton fans and threw a coin at some arsenal fans.

Its nice how evra got a four match ban for not hitting anyone and if he had done in agame he would have got a 3 game ban. Typical united getting off lightly again !

that dickhead pennant ?

[KURUPTION-81]

Im on about a liverpool player who tried to have a fight with luton fans and threw a coin at some arsenal fans.

Its nice how evra got a four match ban for not hitting anyone and if he had done in agame he would have got a 3 game ban. Typical united getting off lightly again !

that dickhead pennant ?

lol nah
Here is a few other clues

1) Retired from the england squad, then a radio presenter called him a bottler so he called up and offered him a fight.
2) Had his leg broken by a blackburn player and then in his autobiography said he put a hit out the player.

[Elano]

Im on about a liverpool player who tried to have a fight with luton fans and threw a coin at some arsenal fans.

Its nice how evra got a four match ban for not hitting anyone and if he had done in agame he would have got a 3 game ban. Typical united getting off lightly again !

that dickhead pennant ?

lol nah
Here is a few other clues

1) Retired from the england squad, then a radio presenter called him a bottler so he called up and offered him a fight.
2) Had his leg broken by a blackburn player and then in his autobiography said he put a hit out the player.

AH.....

[KURUPTION-81]

Im on about a liverpool player who tried to have a fight with luton fans and threw a coin at some arsenal fans.

Its nice how evra got a four match ban for not hitting anyone and if he had done in agame he would have got a 3 game ban. Typical united getting off lightly again !

that dickhead pennant ?

lol nah
Here is a few other clues

1) Retired from the england squad, then a radio presenter called him a bottler so he called up and offered him a fight.
2) Had his leg broken by a blackburn player and then in his autobiography said he put a hit out the player.

AH.....

That would be the one.

[da_notorious_mack]

Im on about a liverpool player who tried to have a fight with luton fans and threw a coin at some arsenal fans.

Its nice how evra got a four match ban for not hitting anyone and if he had done in agame he would have got a 3 game ban. Typical united getting off lightly again !

that dickhead pennant ?

lol nah
Here is a few other clues

1) Retired from the england squad, then a radio presenter called him a bottler so he called up and offered him a fight.
2) Had his leg broken by a blackburn player and then in his autobiography said he put a hit out the player.

1)he went a bit loopy @ the bloke yes...can you youtube it show me where he offered him out??
2)just finished reading the auto-biography cant remember that?...were u thinkin of roy keane??

as for the coin he was punished...and took his punishment...Evra's still fuckin complaining and he's finished the ban LOL

would you argue that what got Mascherano sent off at old trafford is pretty much rooneys full time mentality

that linesman looked physically AFRAID!!

then again you cant blame him...that Rooneys a shifty one...i wouldn't trust him with me nan