Liverpool FC Forum

milou wrote:LIVERPOOL BOSS' FURY
Starting a fight in an empty room

By Phil Holland

January 9, 2009

Rafa Benitez has been goaded into a furious reaction after losing his cool and falling into yet another baited trap set by the master of the mind game, Sir Alex Ferguson. Or has he?

That's the obvious reaction to the Liverpool manager's fascinating outburst against his Manchester United counterpart. But surely to fall into a trap, one first has to be set, and as Benitez himself said, it seems a little early in the season for Fergie to fire the opening salvo in his traditional psychological war.

The spark that ignited Benitez's tirade was Ferguson's claims of last week that the Premier League's fixtures are designed to scupper United. Does anyone actually believe that, even for a second?

Rather than his usual barbed criticism or loaded comment, Ferguson's rant bore all the hallmarks of a slightly tired and paranoid character venting frustration against the club's choc-a-bloc calendar, itself a trapping of the club's continued success.

Would the Premier League really manipulate the fixture list to undermine their most prized asset? Remember the league's job is to work on the clubs' behalf not against them, and United are the league's biggest cash cow; to undermine them would be to undermine the league.

No, Ferguson didn't set a trap for Benitez, rather Benitez seems to have started a fight in an empty room - a talent Fergie once claimed belonged to Denis Wise.

Unlike Kevin Keegan's infamous 'I would love it if they beat them, love it' when one could envisage Ferguson stretching back on the sofa and taking a sip from celebratory glass of red after a job well done, in this case Ferguson's private reaction is more likely to be one of incredulity followed by mild amusement.

The most extraordinary part of Benitez's tirade was its premeditated nature. Sat in his weekly pre-match press conference, the Spaniard read from a prepared sheet on which were detailed myriad charges and claims against Ferguson.

At first when Benitez looked to his script there appeared to be a stifled grin on his face, as if he knew what he was saying would have repercussions, but as the speech continued so Benitez revealed what appeared to be a genuine antipathy towards Ferguson.

The starting point for Benitez's outburst was Ferguson's claim over a fixtures conspiracy, something Benitez refuted by suggesting that in fact Liverpool suffered more than United.

There then followed a list of charges and occasions when Ferguson has flouted the new Respect agenda and received no punishment for personally criticising referees and allowing his players and staff to harangue officials during games.

It was remarkable stuff, but if one accepts that Ferguson never set a trap to snare Benitez in the first place, the mystery remains as to why has the Spaniard had his say now?

It could be that he is employing a double bluff and is actually trying to goad Fergie. Or it could be that after five years of quiet seething Rafa has let his guard down and revealed just how infuriating he finds Fergie's approach to the game.

Perhaps it is a little of both, with the added objective of taking attention away from his own squad as their title credentials come under close scrutiny with an added benefit of adding a little pressure to Ferguson's own charges while issuing a marker to Premier League referees.

What we know for certain is that what Benitez said and the manner of it was remarkable, and that the reaction, or lack thereof, from Ferguson will be equally fascinating.

woof woof ! wrote:Loved every minute of Rafa's comment, particularly his observation that perhaps "Mr Ferguson could write out the fixtures in his office and then let the rest of the premier league managers know "  his insistence on referring to Ferguson as " Mr " not " Sir " slayed me     

Mr Ferguson. Brilliant.

And zonal marking of United's staff. Rafa's a funny man. 

Thingy wrote:Anyone else just seen what Rafa was saying about Fergie? Absalutely fantastic points by Benitez. Saying all about Uniteds advantages over fixtures and how Fergie is untouchable when it comes to talking about referees. Spot on Rafa. Top man.

Sabre wrote:I think that any journalist that speaks of rage, and losing it, is lying on purpose. Rafa was calm for a Spaniard, yesterday.

What we saw yesterday were Truths as big as Cathedrals, a bit of comtempt towards Mr. Fergurson (I will use this from now on), and the fúcking truth.

Saying that Rafa was furious is lying and a pathetic attempt to try to diminish the truth of what he said, rather than discussing what he actually said. Because what he said, it can be hardly denied.

Ciggy wrote:Poll backing for Rafa

Former referee agrees with Benitez
Last updated: 10th January 2009


Former Premier League referee Graham Poll agrees that Mr.  Ferguson receives lenient treatment from the Football Association.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez launched an astonishing attack on his Manchester United counterpart on Friday.

Benitez claimed Ferguson does not get punished sufficiently for his sometimes outspoken criticism of match officials.

Poll enjoyed a good relationship with Ferguson during his time as a referee but believes the Scot does get preferential treatment from FA disciplinary chiefs.

"Rafa Benitez has articulated what referees have been thinking for years - that Mr. Ferguson  can say what he wants about them and the FA will allow him to get away with it," Poll told the Daily Mail.

"The authorities could point to Ferguson's two-match ban imposed earlier this season as proof that he is not out of reach of their disciplinary department, but that was for marching onto the field after the 4-3 win over Hull and for comments made directly to the referee, Mike Dean, who in reporting the misconduct forced the FA's hand."



http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_4773786,00.html

Well that's OK then if Mr Poll says so 

Kash_Mountain wrote:All Mwanck fans are saying that this is "Rafa's Keegan moment" and that Mwanck Utd have Rafa and Liverpool FC right where they want them. This is total nonsence.  Why is it that when someone responds to something that Fergie has said, they are accused of losing the plot etc, but when Fergie says something he is called the "master".

Rafa was cool, calm and collected- he was not ranting. Someone had to speak out and Rafa chose to do that.  I bet Fergie was hopein gthat Rafa would lose his rag, well he didn't.  It shows that he is not afraid.

By the way, its being talked about on Talksport.

Redmen you must be fired up.

One difference between this and Keegan's rant is that Keegan lost his cool, Rafa was far the opposite and just kept to stating facts - some will try and argue with facts, but facts are proveable. Another difference and massive floor in manc fans' attempt to make out we'll do a Newcastle is we've never been way ahead in the race and there are three teams in it, not just two. Plus the Premiership is much harder to win these days, it makes a mockery of early manc dominance that the teams they were getting most competion from between 1991/2 and 1996/7 were the likes of Blackburn, Newcastle and Leeds - look at where those teams are now, one in the third tier and the other two worrying about relegation.

I read through the footy chat pages of ITV (p416) They make interesting reading sometimes and there were some saying Rafa had done a Keegan, some neutrals applauding Rafa for speaking out/the truth and a few other opinions in support of Rafa.


As for the content :-

FIXTURES

It is unfortunate that with success comes congestion, that's the price of success and his team has had a few games postponed through having three extra 'competitons' (Super Cup, World Mickey Mouse competition and domestic Mickey Mouse competition aka the Community Shield) and a run in the Carling Cup.

As for the order of the fixtures, so what? He should be beating the weaker teams home and away, there's as much advantage to be gained playing tougher teams at home later in the season when there's possibly more at stake than earlier in the season. I'd rather not be travelling to old trafford later in the season.

And we've played last season's top ten away as well, maybe not all but certainly the tougher ones

1. mancs - we played them at home
2. Chelsea - we've played them away already
3. Arsenal - we've played them away already
4. LIVERPOOL - couldn't play ourselves
5. bitters - we've played them away already
6. villa - we've played them away already
7. Blackburn - we've played them away already
8. Portsmouth - we played them at home, soon away I believe
9. Citeh - we've played them away already
10. West Ham - played them at home

So we've played pretty much the key "tough" games away as much as the mancs - did we complain? West Ham, Citeh, Pompey and Blackburn are nothing special so it's really only the top six that matter and we've played most of them away already too. We've played 6/9 of last season's top 10 away this season, the mancs have played 8/9 away so only TWO more than us - big deal. Had we played them away earlier in the season then it would be seven each, that's how little difference there is in the scheduling - ONE fixture.

REFEREES

the mancs always have something to say to and about the refs, on and off the pitch. Not just fergie, but he thinks he has the right to voice his opinion and gets away with it. I remember one farcical incident where I think it was van diver who came onto the pitch against Fulham to dispute a penalty not given when he wasn't supposed to be on the pitch! Just shows they think they can do what they like, should have been two yellows and therefore a red - for dissent and for being on the pitch without the ref's consent

"United felt they should have had a penalty for a foul on Saha and Ruud van Nistelrooy, warming up as a substitute, was booked for running on to protest. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3507609.stm

They think they are above the law, helped by the fact that the law turns a blind eye MOST of the time so in a way they are. I wish the FA wouldn't occaisionally punish the mancs because their fans use that to "show" they don't get special treatment. The fact that they get penalised maybe once in 20 offences or even once in 20 months is no never mind to them, I'd rather they were punished every time or not at all - the latter to show they get preferential treatment.

When things aren't going their way they cheat, whinge, harrass refs and go into 'mind games'. With the refs giving decisions in their favour so much, helped by the pressure they put on them on and off the pitch, then it's no wonder they dominate. Chelsea may have had a money advantage, but when you get free penalties and never get one against, when you get plenty of dodgy free kicks and decisions for, plus the best of 50-50 decisions as much as they do, then you're bound to win plenty of games a season and be champions as much as they have. Mike "seven penalties at old trafford" Riley was at it again in the FA Cup, it must be hard with all the hype over the mancs not to think they are a great side and therefore give decisions to them on the basis a great player like Ronaldo must have been fouled if he fell over, that Ferdinand is so great he can't have been fouling the opponent and must have won the ball cleanly.



Rant over. Well done Rafa  Hopefully fergie choked on his whiskey when he heard, saw or read what Rafa said. If one of those home games against last season's top ten proves to be decisive, I wonder if the media will bring up fergie's comments again.................

Clearly fergie 'thinks' the mancs would be top if they'd played their 'big four' rivals at home. If they'd beat us and Chelsea (with the games reversed to be at old trafford) then they'd be ahead of us both with two games in hand (+5 points to the mancs, -1 to Chelsea and -3 to us) BUT they'd have to play us both away so I don't see that 'advantage' proving much of a difference as they'd lose momentum later in the season if they dropped five points in the reverse fixtures anyway. Had they beaten us and Chelsea away as they could have, then they'd be ahead and games in hand.

Momentum is a key word, the mancs could use playing all three 'big four' rivals at home as an advantage with them less likely to be defeated overall. Instead fergie tries to paint it as a negative and a conspiracy, guy's clueless