Brilliant Rafa Quote Re: Everton

[Dhav]

Can't believe they released a statement.

They are so small time it's unbelievable. If I was an Evertonian, apart from the fact that it would mean I'm an idiot, I'd be thoroughly embarrassed at Wyness's statement.

Funnye you should say that, because here's what a couple of idiots had to say about it on Bluekipper

Benitez is in a minority of one in believing Everton is a small club.

"Somehow we just expect more of a Liverpool manager."

"It is disappointing to hear such an unnecessary comment at the conclusion of what was such a splendid local derby."

I think the comments from Everton have shown a bit of class. Something the ****e have never had, never will have and wouldn't understand. Apart from Paisley maybe...

I'd have loved it if he dropped a few sarcy comments to wind the Spanish tubby up a bit more .... "If being a small team means conceding no goals and picking up 4 points in a season, then small we shall continue to be."

[Red_Polo]

Picking up 4 points in a season. Oh how I'd love them to do just that.

[disco]

Another thing - I wonder what some of you guys would have thought (at the time) about Shankly and some of the jovial/biting comments he made about Everton.

[AFII]

LIVERPOOL 0-0 EVERTON
By David Maddock

FORGET about rivalry, forget about bitterness or sour grapes. What Rafa Benitez’s post-match comments illustrated, subtly, was his disenchantment with his own team.

The Liverpool manager knew that victory over the old Merseyside enemy wasn’t so much desirable as essential if his side were to retain any lingering title pretensions, and the lame draw they settled for destroyed those ambitions.

Benitez, in his anger at an inadequate result, ridiculed Everton’s ambition and dismissed them as a small club, but they were big enough to expose glaring weaknesses in the home side that have fatally undermined their Premiership campaign.

Take nothing away from David Moyes’s determined warriors because they deserved their point and could easily have pickpocketed a victory from a contest they largely controlled by making Liverpool play in front of them.

But Benitez knows that his team were too predictable in their obsession with high balls aimed at Peter Crouch, a target-man who was placed rather too easily in the pocket of the excellent Alan Stubbs.

He knows too that there wasn’t sufficient creativity in his side’s play, nor even a semblance of the standard of passing required to break down a team as well organised and disciplined as Everton.

If Liverpool failed to breach a massed defence then it was due to their own failings. Benitez must know that, but if he didn’t then he had the point rather forcibly emphasised by man of the match Stubbs.

"He’s going to be bitter when he’s not had a result, but he has to look at his own side instead of having a snipe at us," Stubbs said.

"He’s got to look at how they performed because they didn’t do much to break us down, and if he thinks we’re a small team then that would be my response to him.

"He can pretend he’s been misquoted. And he knows that they didn’t do much against us. And that means United and Chelsea are away now. People can talk about Liverpool after they’ve had a run of good results, but for me there are only two teams in it."

The veteran centre-half was outstanding at the heart of defence as he nullified Crouch’s height advantage and, along with Joseph Yobo, dominated proceedings. Phil Neville and Lee Carsley forced Liverpool to play in front of the Everton midfield and sling in angled balls from deep that simply didn’t trouble the visitors.

Stubbs said his performance forced him to rethink his immediate plans.

"I did think this was my last derby but a result like this changes everything," he said.

"I still feel I have a bit to offer and even though I take a bit longer to recover, I am still finishing games feeling strong.

"Ideally, I would like another year at the top and then maybe I’ll call it a day. It’s been great, but my body will answer for me the question of when it’s time to go. Until then I’ll keep going."

Everton could have won had not Pepe Reina produced a decent save from Andy Johnson when the striker had done well to wriggle free in the box. Only a Crouch volley well saved by Tim Howard and a poor effort from the big front-man when well placed six yards from goal troubled an Everton defence that had the cigars out by the end.

As Stubbs said: "Everything was in front of us, nothing behind, and meant that we were able to sit there and head the ball away."

Benitez, perhaps recognising that he’ll need to spend heavily to turn Liverpool into a title-winning side, has called for a speedy conclusion to the Anfield take-over saga.

US sports moguls Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jnr will be on Merseyside this week hoping to clinch a deal. The pair have made what amounts to a £450million bid to buy the club, including chairman and owner David Moores’ 51.6 per cent controlling interest.

Benitez, who could be given significant summer funds by the new consortium, said: "If it is sorted out next week, then that will be better because we can start talking about the game and the players rather than other things."

The Spaniard believes the pressure of Saturday’s derby proved too much for his players.

"We knew that they would play deep, and we worked on that in the week, but we played nervously and we gave the ball away too easily," he said.

"When the other team work hard and you don’t play as you have done normally, then you can become anxious. But the problem was that it was a derby and you never know how these games will turn out."

The problem for Liverpool is that they had to ensure it turned out in their favour. Manchester United coped rather more easily with the pressure of their own derby this season, and Chelsea seem to deal with the various London rivalries they encounter.

When you are a top side, when you have genuine title ambitions, then you must win the games that matter, and this one mattered more than most.

CLICKY - The Mirror

[disco]

All bollocks. They spent 45 minutes with a minimum of 6-8 people in their own box. Chelsea, Arsenal or Man U only 'break it down' with crosses and long shots (what was Arsenal's equaliser from Bolton, for example). You can't use 'guile' to get past an enormous narrow wall of shirts.

[Mumsafan]

What does he expect teams to do...let us score? If he couldn't come up with the tactics to beat them then he should just shut up in my opinion. Having a cheap shot was stupid. Rafa should have learnt from the Portsmouth home game. He didn't. The tactics against Everton were wrong and the comment about Everton just hides the inadequecies of his tactics.

Gosh I wish we were all as sensible as you

[Maestro]

I agree with you. Maybe we will get Tevez in the summer.

No. We won't.

[AFII]

No. We won't.

Is that a fact or just a guess? I just said that we may get him because of Mascherano and he is the type of player we are missing.

[Rocket]

Is that a fact or just a guess? I just said that we may get him because of Mascherano and he is the type of player we are missing.

yes, he's exactly the type of striker we need, one that doesn't score any goals

[AFII]

yes, he's exactly the type of striker we need, one that doesn't score any goals

He has been out injured and played as a winger

[enema of the state]

It also helped that against Chelsea their 2 centre backs weren't very good in the air, it was the right game to play against Chelsea, but not yesterday.

we used the same tactics v man city and struggled to beat a side we ought to have spanked.

we should have subbed crouch midway through 2nd half or sooner.

[Rocket]

He has been out injured and played as a winger

when he was played as a striker, he couldn't hit a cows ass with a banjo

[Maestro]

Is that a fact or just a guess? I just said that we may get him because of Mascherano and he is the type of player we are missing.

Why do people insist on believing that the kind of player they think we need is the type we will get?
Tevez is nothing like Mascherano in mentality and is not a Rafa player.
Rafa does not want him. I also believe that the fact that Mascherano is now (more or less) at Anfield doesn't mean anything with regards to Tevez.

[AFII]

Benitez: Why I made ‘jibe’

Feb 5 2007

by Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo

RAFA BENITEZ today explained his thinking behind the comments which have infuriated Everton in the aftermath of Saturday’s derby.

The Liverpool boss had no intention of causing such a furore, but felt he was simply defending his own club rather than attacking his neighbours.

“It’s easy for me to explain what I’ve said,” said Benitez. “I’ve read lots of comments from Bill Shankly over the years where he’s made comments which compared Liverpool as a club to other teams. I’ve done it on this occasion.

“I’m the manager of Liverpool and I was simply comparing our club to most other clubs who come to Anfield. We are in a position where we are trying to compete with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, while for other teams and managers that’s more difficult.

“The top four are considered the biggest clubs in the Premiership, and even managers from other teams accept it’s different for them when they play against the bigger teams. That’s what I was saying.”

Benitez was clearly disappointed with his side’s inability to break down an impressive Everton defence.

“We have been on a good run and it’s always a pity when you don’t win at home, particularly against your local rivals.”

Meanwhile, Benitez says he’s in the dark over weekend claims he’ll have a transfer kitty of as much as £120m when the American takeover in complete.

“I’ve not been told this,” said Benitez. “Maybe I will be meeting the new people this week, but my idea is the same. If we have money it will be better.

“If not, we will continue working as we have been. As I’ve said before, it’s not all about money when you are running a successful club.”

George Gillett Jnr and Tom Hicks are expected on Merseyside today to conclude negotiations on their £170m takeover.

CLICKY - The Echo

[JRC]

All of the Top 4 will have games this season where they drop points in performances like this.

"When you are a top side, when you have genuine title ambitions, then you must win the games that matter, and this one mattered more than most."

That can be applied to any game you don't win - 2 weeks ago, 'to have genuine title ambitions', we had to beat the another Big 3 team; We did that, and now it's games like this. It's a truism that to have title ambitions you have to not drop points, and our Home record is still that of a team with 'genuine title ambitions', even if our Away one isn't.