Liverpool FC Forum

by **Toffeehater** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:24 pm

Kop legend Smith blasts Reds boss Benitez

Legendary Liverpool defender Tommy Smith has launched a stinging criticism of Reds boss Rafael Benitez after his side were knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley.

Brian Howard's injury-time winner at Anfield dumped Liverpool out of yet another competition, leaving them with just the Champions League - in which they face Inter Milan this week - to contest.

And Smith, who captained Liverpool to the 1971 league and UEFA Cup double, has hit out at Benitez's controversial rotation policy and decision to rest several key players for yesterday's visit of the Coca-Cola Championship side.

Smith told BBC Radio Five Live: 'In the programme for yesterday's game Benitez said cup competitions are always dangerous if you think you can beat teams easily. So why on earth didn't he put a strong team out against Barnsley?'

Smith admitted Reds fans may finally start to run out of patience with the Spanish boss.

'I should imagine so. At the end of the day Bill Shankly used to tell us you're only as good as your last result. How on earth does Benitez think he's going to win stuff if he puts a second-class team out?

'Because Liverpool's squad is not as strong as I think he thought at the beginning of the season. I don't think he's even got a strong first XI.

'How could he leave (Jose) Reina, (Steven) Gerrard and (Javier) Mascherano out?'

Smith admitted the last-16 European tie with Inter is now do-or-die.

'I'm afraid so,' he said. 'He keeps going on about winning four cups and all that but at the end of the day it's not even entertaining at Anfield at the moment. The crowd keep it going but they booed everybody at the end of the game and quite rightly.

'The first person you put on the team-sheet is Gerrard. How on earth could he sit on the bench for 75 minutes and watch that...then he (Benitez) talks about chances. Well, they've gone. You can't score after the game finishes.'

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=508760&cc=4716

Haven't see this posted here and if the mods think this does not need its own thread then pls move it and if u do a big thank you in advance ...

I think he makes some excellent points and rafa deserves this slaughtering that he is getting , maybe he will wake up and stop being so stubborn

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:33 pm

Toffeehater wrote:Kop legend Smith blasts Reds boss Benitez

Legendary Liverpool defender Tommy Smith has launched a stinging criticism of Reds boss Rafael Benitez after his side were knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley.

Brian Howard's injury-time winner at Anfield dumped Liverpool out of yet another competition, leaving them with just the Champions League - in which they face Inter Milan this week - to contest.

And Smith, who captained Liverpool to the 1971 league and UEFA Cup double, has hit out at Benitez's controversial rotation policy and decision to rest several key players for yesterday's visit of the Coca-Cola Championship side.

Smith told BBC Radio Five Live: 'In the programme for yesterday's game Benitez said cup competitions are always dangerous if you think you can beat teams easily. So why on earth didn't he put a strong team out against Barnsley?'

Smith admitted Reds fans may finally start to run out of patience with the Spanish boss.

'I should imagine so. At the end of the day Bill Shankly used to tell us you're only as good as your last result. How on earth does Benitez think he's going to win stuff if he puts a second-class team out?

'Because Liverpool's squad is not as strong as I think he thought at the beginning of the season. I don't think he's even got a strong first XI.

'How could he leave (Jose) Reina, (Steven) Gerrard and (Javier) Mascherano out?'

Smith admitted the last-16 European tie with Inter is now do-or-die.

'I'm afraid so,' he said. 'He keeps going on about winning four cups and all that but at the end of the day it's not even entertaining at Anfield at the moment. The crowd keep it going but they booed everybody at the end of the game and quite rightly.

'The first person you put on the team-sheet is Gerrard. How on earth could he sit on the bench for 75 minutes and watch that...then he (Benitez) talks about chances. Well, they've gone. You can't score after the game finishes.'

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=508760&cc=4716

Haven't see this posted here and if the mods think this does not need its own thread then pls move it and if u do a big thank you in advance ...

I think he makes some excellent points and rafa deserves this slaughtering that he is getting , maybe he will wake up and stop being so stubborn

Whoever wrote that should be stopped from writing anything again. When did Liverpool win the UEFA Cup in 71? Our FIRST UEFA Cup was in 73.

On the Tommy Smith issue, he's spot on. Well said Iron Man.

by **Torres25** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:35 pm

Ex-players should know better then 2 publicly critize any liverpool manager

by **dawson99** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:37 pm

Torres25 wrote:Ex-players should know better then 2 publicly critize any liverpool manager

dunno, someones gotta stand up and say it how it is

by **lakes10** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:40 pm

Torres25 wrote:Ex-players should know better then 2 publicly critize any liverpool manager

thats ok then as Rafa is not a Liverpool manager, he is a CL manager.

by **mart** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:46 pm

Both ManU and Arsenal leaves out some of their best players for cup matches, especially against lower division teams. How on earth can liverpool win anything if he cant even trust a team without Gerrard to win against a team like Barnsley? These players are supposed to challenge for a first team position in supposedly one of the top4 clubs in England.

by **Stev1eran** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:59 pm

Quote (Torres25 @ Feb. 17 2008,13:35)
Ex-players should know better then 2 publicly critize any liverpool manager

Nothing else has been done ' the Liverpool way ' this season
so why shouldn't ex players jump on the bandwagon, Tommy Smith is probably saying what the current players are thinking.

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:07 pm

Man United drop their stars, go out to Coventry in the League Cup.

Chelsea on the other hand play their best players in every game. Lampard and Terry always play. Under Mourinho they played their best 11 in every possible game. Look at their cup record. Winners of the Carling Cup 05. Winners of the FA Cup 06. Winners of the Carling Cup 07. Finalists of the Carling this year, and every chance of making the FA Cup final again. See a pattern forming? Play your best players (ours Carra/Gerrard/Torres) at every given chance and you stand a bloody good chance of progressing. Fair enough Torres was injured, so I can forgive that, but Gerrard wasn't. He should of played.

by **dawson99** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:10 pm

what if hed played them, won but got them injured for wednesdays game?

the prob is that rafa is always looking to the next game before the current game is over, and its costing us.

by **ConnO'var** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:15 pm

Torres25 wrote:Ex-players should know better then 2 publicly critize any liverpool manager

By the same token, the CURRENT manager of Liverpool Football club should never wash dirty laundry about the club in public... don't you think?

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:17 pm

dawson99 wrote:what if hed played them, won but got them injured for wednesdays game?

the prob is that rafa is always looking to the next game before the current game is over, and its costing us.

What's Wednesday game got to do with us Dawson

As if that's the case you'd never play Gerrard because you'd be scared of him getting injured. You've got to be brave if you're to win anything.

by **dawson99** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:18 pm

tuesdays game then you pedantic bar steward

all im saying is that if hed played stevie and stevie had got injured wed just have loads here saying "why risk out big players with such an important match on TUESDAY

by **ConnO'var** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:19 pm

mart wrote:Both ManU and Arsenal leaves out some of their best players for cup matches, especially against lower division teams. How on earth can liverpool win anything if he cant even trust a team without Gerrard to win against a team like Barnsley? These players are supposed to challenge for a first team position in supposedly one of the top4 clubs in England.

And the current squad was assembled by whom exactly?

That's right..... one R. Benitez. If they're not good enough, shouldn't he then know better than to field a weakened side? After all, he did buy most of them.....

Disgraceful result yesterday... I was positively fuming when I saw the line-up and still so at the end of the game. Refused to post immediately after as I was pi$$ed as hell and went and got meself drunk.... After 24 hours, I'm still furious..... The gaffer needs to pull his finger out....

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:21 pm

I agree people would of been complaining, but then again, IF we played him and won without him getting injured, how many people would be arsed then? You have to take the risk.

by **dawson99** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:23 pm

agreed, but rafa doesnt take the risk. thats half my prob with him. the other half is that hes just mucking us up league wise.

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