Liverpool FC Forum

[Bad Bob]

From Football365.com:

WORLD CUP IS TOO LONG - BENITEZ
Posted 25/08/06 16:10

Rafael Benitez has launched an astonishing attack on the World Cup and claims that it damages the big clubs' chances of success.

The Liverpool manager also insists that there is far more chance of players being injured when they return from major tournaments as their clubs find themselves immediately playing vital Champions League matches that can dictate their future and finances.

Benitez's side take on West Ham on Saturday at Anfield without a clutch of injured stars and with others who played in the World Cup way short of the standards he believes they require.

Harry Kewell is still suffering from a World Cup injury and Jamie Carragher could be out for another three weeks after picking up an ankle problem.

Gabriel Paletta, Stephen Warnock, John Arne Riise and Mohamed Sissoko are also out with injuries, while the match fitness and form of World Cup players Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch, Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso has already been questioned.

Benitez believes a radical change in the World Cup format should take place. He says: "The World Cup is too long, and big clubs lose their players for something like two months.

"They come back from the finals not fit and carrying injuries because they have been playing and working so hard.

"Sure they like playing for their countries, but frankly half the World Cup is not important.

"For the first 15 days you are playing teams that do not matter and matches that do not matter. Then after that you have the best teams playing for the trophy in the last couple of weeks.

"To lose players for two months and find them playing build-up friendlies and then games against small countries is too much.

"They return not fit, with injuries, and then they have to play very important club games straight away. At big clubs you must win every game, whenever it is."

He added: "You must play for big money for Champions League qualification when players are not ready.

"The World Cup must be played by fewer teams, players are being expected to perform too much in poor matches that don't mean anything.

"If you then lose your first club matches, people start to criticise, but you lose those games because you are not fit."

And Benitez even had words of sympathy for Chelsea, whose manager Jose Mourinho has persistently complained about the stress and work heaped on his stars from the World Cup.

Benitez, who is more than aware that Chelsea have lost two games already this season - one to his own club - chose not to gloat, saying: "It is not the best situation this season, with two international breaks straight after the World Cup is over. Chelsea are having the same problem with the fitness of their players.

"For Chelsea it was very good, and very difficult to win two titles on the trot and to win three will be even harder."

Benitez takes on West Ham - a side his team only beat in the FA Cup final on a penalty shoot-out - and likely to introduce £10million striker Dirk Kuyt from the bench.

He said: "I said before the cup final that West Ham are a difficult side, they attack, they score lots of goals and it will be an open game because that is how they play.

"I just hope they don't score as many as they did in Cardiff against us. But they had a fine season after getting promotion and I have a lot of respect for them and their approach.

"It is hard to say what our targets are, it has been such a difficult start to the season with injuries and form, and that is all because of the World Cup.

"I will have a better idea of how we are progressing after this next international break and we can get everyone fit and playing as a team."

After the internationals, Liverpool will be headlong into their Champions League group stage, with the highlight a return to the Ataturk stadium in Istanbul to take on Galatasaray, the venue of their European Cup final triumph of two seasons ago.

Benitez said: "I hope our group is comfortable before we have to go to Galatasaray for the last game in the group. Even if it will be nice to go back to the Ataturk stadium where we have such great memories.

"It is a dangerous group, nobody should say it is easy because it is not. PSV have great experience in Europe, Bordeaux have some very good players and playing Galatasaray in Istanbul is never easy."

____

On the one hand, I think Rafa has a good point.  The World Cup did take its toll on some of our key players and it is really disruptive having international friendlies sandwiched in between CL qualifiers.  And, that's not to mention the upcoming international qualifiers, where even injured players like Riise are being selected and expected to travel (as the Echo reported today).

On the other hand, is it just me or does this kind of thing seem too much like the type of whinging we've grown accustomed to with Mourinho, Ferguson and Wenger?  One of the things I love about Rafa is that he usually seems above the fray: he doesn't bad-mouth opponents incessantly or whinge to the press when things go pear-shaped.  Calling for a drastic reduction in the length and number of teams at the WC seems just a little bit self-serving in this case, though, and doesn't sit well with me.

Your thoughts?

[account deleted by request]

I mentioned in a post before the World Cup that historically Liverpool have always done poorly after a World Cup(involving England). The demands on our players last season was bad enough without the season being extended by the WC. We had to play CL Qualifiers, ChampL, Super Cup, World Club Champ, and a long FA cup run, all followed by the WC. To go back to the old World Cup formulae would hardly be a solution however, as it would only reduce the number of games played by each team by one!(plus we might never get to see England )
           So my answer would be yes the WC makes it more difficult for top teams, (more so if they need to play ChampL qualifyers,) and Benitez has a point, but to reduce the number of teams in the WC would in my opinion be a poor solution.

[48-1119859832]

Benitez is starting to get quite Mourinho-esque with his comments in recent times, he needs to keep stum and do his job, like the Benitez of old, and to be honest he's wasting his breath, it won't change things. Top players will play a lot of games, Liverpool house many top players, so that's a disadvantage that comes with being incharge of one of Europe's finest clubs.

[66-1120597113]

I dont agree with all what Raffa says!To be honest i would rather he just kept quiet about things like this...its basically a pointless moan.The world cup is just there it happens every 4 years and that is that.

As he said big clubs loose players for 2 months...very true yes but Chelsea ,Utd and Arsenal are all in the same boat as us.Therefore it in no way handicaps Liverpool or gives our rivals any more of a chance!

Yes OK we have a few minor injuries to a few key players,i can understand the manager being frustrated at this!But to blame the world cup is pointless.Its a case of hard luck and thats all!

I still love Raffa though.

[puroresu]

Its the same for everyone.  I do feel though that players who have an extended wc run do not get enough rest after the tournament before the season starts.

[Sabre]

The Liverpool manager also insists that there is far more chance of players being injured when they return from major tournaments as their clubs find themselves immediately playing vital Champions League matches that can dictate their future and finances.

This is a known fact and not because it's happening to us right now (Alonso still needs some weeks more, injuries, etc) it happens everywhere.

I think that the diagnostic he makes is correct, but I disagree in the solution he proposes. For me football must be more than just finances and money, and if there's something that has history in football that's the world cup. Yes, all those bad aspects are true, but they've been part of football always and I'd personally like to continue that way.

[drummerphil]

There is the debate of course that players in the world cup are actually training and playing games at the highest level,so after they should be mega fit,compared to players who have done feck all for 6 weeks........

[Kev Huyton 2006]

This statement is a bit silly really.

I mean, these players are paid well enough for what they do.

Just get on with it fr christe's sake !

All other big teams have the same problem. same for injuries and the like.

If I recall, Stevie G had three weeks off after the world cup, before returning to pre-season training, Carra Prob the same, to go jetskiing in barbados and Florida etc.

C'mon Rafa this is a joke surely.

[48-1119859832]

Rafa's only human, he's frustrated with the injuries that are no doubt putting a downer on the start of our season, so he's venting his disappointment to the press, it's not something I would expect from Rafa, but the man's a walking, talking mystery. 

I don't think his rant to the press will change anything, Gerrard, Carragher and other should be fit enough, and it's not like all our players went to the World Cup, so they should be fit enough.

[davo_LFC]

Well you have to admit that the world cup is a bit of a tw.at when it comes to fu.cking up pre season, its not like rafas saying fu.ck the tourno off for the rest of history hes just saying what a lot of people think, sure it makes the summer less borin but its a bit of a pain in the hoop as far as the clubs interests go.

hes entitled to have a bit of a moan now and again, but i think that its the pathetic friendlys that pi$$ him off more, like the one 3 days before the prem started, i hardly think hes anywhere near mourinho-esque though oasis after 1 moan FFS

perhaps he is tryin to protect his players from un-necessary critiscism, did you think of that? no didnt think so

[The_Rock]

Don't know why rafa is moaning....This is a problem all the major clubs in the world face. Thats the trade-off.

Quite suprised with that comment though...i expect these kind of comments from fergie or wenger not rafa.

[Lando_Griffin]

This statement is a bit silly really.

I mean, these players are paid well enough for what they do.

Just get on with it fr christe's sake !

If anything's silly, it's that comment, mate.

Are you saying that they shouldn't be tired after 11 months of footy because they get paid a lot?

I take it you also agreed with the absolute dickheads who stated that after about 60 games, LFC's players shouldn't be out-run by a Bolton side who'd played about half that?

Come on Kev - wise up. No amount of money makes you a super-human. 

[ConnO'var]

On the one hand, I think Rafa has a good point.  The World Cup did take its toll on some of our key players and it is really disruptive having international friendlies sandwiched in between CL qualifiers.  And, that's not to mention the upcoming international qualifiers, where even injured players like Riise are being selected and expected to travel (as the Echo reported today).

On the other hand, is it just me or does this kind of thing seem too much like the type of whinging we've grown accustomed to with Mourinho, Ferguson and Wenger?  One of the things I love about Rafa is that he usually seems above the fray: he doesn't bad-mouth opponents incessantly or whinge to the press when things go pear-shaped.  Calling for a drastic reduction in the length and number of teams at the WC seems just a little bit self-serving in this case, though, and doesn't sit well with me.

Your thoughts?

He does have a good point Bob, but agree with you this smells a little like he's venting his frustrations with all the injuries we've had.... But this very unlike him and yes, this statement does make him sound like Mourinho and Wenger.... something I never thought I'd be saying bout Rafa....

[Dalglish]

Gabriel Paletta, Stephen Warnock, John Arne Riise and Mohamed Sissoko are also out with injuries...............

Am I right in thinking that NONE of these players played in the World Cup 

[Lando_Griffin]

Gabriel Paletta, Stephen Warnock, John Arne Riise and Mohamed Sissoko are also out with injuries...............

Am I right in thinking that NONE of these players played in the World Cup 

You certainly are.