by made in UK » Sun Jan 17, 2010 1:50 pm
Liverpool legend Ian St John has slammed the tactics deployed by manager Rafael Benitez and castigated him for his antics in the pre-match press conference before Saturday's draw with Stoke City.
The former Kop hero took aim at the under-fire Spaniard following his attempt to make light of the current crisis at the club ahead of the 1-1 stalemate at the Britannia Stadium and described the Reds' style of play as 'boring' and 'diabolical'.
Before his side's visit to the Potteries, Benitez read a short statement off a piece of paper; echoing his actions during the infamous press conference when he accused Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson of being above the law when it came to bad-mouthing referees.
However speaking on a Merseyside radio station, the ex-striker turned media pundit claimed that the Kop boss's attempt to humour the press had backfired on him and feels that he made himself look foolish.
St John, 71, said: "Rafa's under extreme pressure for all that he tries to say he's not. I think he was just thinking ahead about what he could do and say. He came up with the idea of trying to be funny which is not his style.
"He's not a stand-up comedian like some managers, who are quite funny and witty. But Rafa is not that kind of guy. For him to do that was just dropping himself in it."
During a post-match phone-in on Radio City, St John also attacked promising French target man David Ngog, insisting that the 20-year-old will never make the grade at Anfield.
He continued: "He can't play that position. I don't know what position he can play but he can't play up front as a centre forward - he just can't do it.
"I don't think he's even good enough to play for Liverpool. I've said that very early on in his career when I've seen him.
"You're doing him no favours having him as a lone striker and you're doing the team no favours by playing him."
The Scot, who scored 118 times for Liverpool during 1961 and 1971, went on to blast the tactics used by Benitez and claimed that it did not reflect the Anfield teams of old.
St John believes that the Reds have no approach to their game other than using a repetitive 'square ball' tactic, which saw them fail to build on last season's second-place finish with last week's humilating FA Cup exit to Championship side Reading turning the heat up on Benitez.
He said: "We don't have a style of play. I watched Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa the other night and you could see the style of both teams and what they were trying to do.
"When we go out and play, and the last week has just emphasised it, we don't have a style of play. Nobody can say 'this is how we're trying to play' because you cannot see anything.
"It seems to be a case of getting the ball and pass it to whoever is square of you. Today it was punt it up the park time but the other night against Reading it was just square ball after square ball.
"We don't have a system that we used to have when Liverpool got the ball and then were all moving and you could see who was playing to who and who went where. You could see the movement and read the game ahead because the players were reading the game ahead."
Lanarkshire-born St John, nicknamed "The Saint" by Kopites, said that he felt the current crop of players at Anfield had baffled the club's diehard supporters who appeared to have looks of bewilderment during Saturday's match.
He added: "If you're a fan and you see it week in and week out, you know what's happening. With this lot you don't know what's happening. You don't know what they're going to do apart from play it square.
"Apart from the most boring football, it has been diabolical and when the cameras cut to the fans they're looking at it with a glazed look in their eyes - they can't understand it."
"I'm a bellend and now I'm banned for life"
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