Barry slams Benitez

[Vermilion]

I agree. He's entitled to answer back, especially with the amount of negativitivty aimed at him. If anything, Rafa is out of order for bringing it up/discussing it in the first place.

I also think he's entitled to answer back too, but i don't think he's correct when he infers Rafa never tried hard enough to sign him, which he sites as one of the reasons he chose City.

It would be nice for a player to come out for once and just say, "financially they made me an offer i couldn't refuse, and to be fair it's not really a bad place to be playing football right now either is it, with exciting times ahead".

I actually think people would respect that decision, we're all human, and we all really know what most footballers are like, Barry saying "it's not for the money" isn't going to change anyones opinion of why they think he went to City anyway.

[Venton]

I think it was the journalist who brought it up, when he asked why we hadnt got Barry. Rafa just answered with the truth.

And what is the truth? That Barry went for a massive pay rise? That a club paid for him up front and gave him a massive pay rise? That a club promised a load of top class players joining the squad to challenge for the league and paid up for him front and gave him a massive pay rise? That he didn't feel that we valued enough for him last year?

Well, who knows what the truth is? I don't, and neither does anyone else here. If you are looking for the truth in football you are looking in the wrong place. Rafa is as capable as anyone at lying if it suits his plan and there isn't anything wrong in that. Being in control means you don't have to reply to those kind of questions.

We went for Barry and lost out to cash is my opinion, not based on truth or fact, but judgment. I don't begrudge him it, and I certainly don't hate him for it, but I don't think we should whine about it. Good luck to him, we'll be above City next season.

[Venton]

No it's not just with Rafa, whatever gave you that idea, as you say it's what they do, but i would just add that with Rafa, nothing he says ever gets past them, if there's anyway at all they can make it the slightest bit controversial then they will.

While say Fergie, O'neil or Mark Hughes can get away with more, and as someone mentioned in another thread that has more to do with British managers getting an easier ride than foreign ones.

Now that's not at all to say the media would let a British manager off the hook if there was a 'GOOD' story to be told, but i do believe they are given far more leeway by the press when dealing with the more mundane quotes they make.

I agree with that. Every time there is a meeting with the press they are expecting something that they can use. But he does have a habit of feeding them something when the pressure is on. Maybe he has a master plan and all this is some uber-stratego long-term campaign. I wouldn't put it past him.

[carheex]

And what is the truth? That Barry went for a massive pay rise? That a club paid for him up front and gave him a massive pay rise? That a club promised a load of top class players joining the squad to challenge for the league and paid up for him front and gave him a massive pay rise? That he didn't feel that we valued enough for him last year?

Well, who knows what the truth is? I don't, and neither does anyone else here. If you are looking for the truth in football you are looking in the wrong place. Rafa is as capable as anyone at lying if it suits his plan and there isn't anything wrong in that. Being in control means you don't have to reply to those kind of questions.

We went for Barry and lost out to cash is my opinion, not based on truth or fact, but judgment. I don't begrudge him it, and I certainly don't hate him for it, but I don't think we should whine about it. Good luck to him, we'll be above City next season.

Agreed but for one point - we never even bid for Barry this summer! That's why all this fuss makes me laugh. Barry had 2 choices....stay at villa or go to city. Who, out of everyone here, wouldn't make that same choice if offered double the money? Time to end this argument I think.

[rudedog]

Agreed but for one point - we never even bid for Barry this summer! That's why all this fuss makes me laugh. Barry had 2 choices....stay at villa or go to city. Who, out of everyone here, wouldn't make that same choice if offered double the money? Time to end this argument I think.

Are you sure? I thought we matched City's bid

[shelly]

Are you sure? I thought we matched City's bid

we did according to barry that is

Liverpool had a chance to buy me last season but failed to pay the money, and only found it this year when they knew someone else had reached an agreement.

[brightred]

I really, really, really hope city flop next season. We all thought Chavski were unbearable when the russian arrived but they now appear great compared to city and barry.

[Icon]

Even the Villa fans think he's a money grabbing tosser!

[Fivex]

I really, really, really hope city flop next season. We all thought Chavski were unbearable when the russian arrived but they now appear great compared to city and barry.

Chelsea aren't great at all. Still the hypocritical arrogant ****s they've always been since the russian came in. The recent crying about Terry being tapped up proves this - oh the irony!!

City aren't as bad as that yet, and if they keep having digs at the Mancs like this, then they get my vote!

[Craig_H]

And what is the truth? That Barry went for a massive pay rise? That a club paid for him up front and gave him a massive pay rise? That a club promised a load of top class players joining the squad to challenge for the league and paid up for him front and gave him a massive pay rise? That he didn't feel that we valued enough for him last year?

Well, who knows what the truth is? I don't, and neither does anyone else here. If you are looking for the truth in football you are looking in the wrong place. Rafa is as capable as anyone at lying if it suits his plan and there isn't anything wrong in that. Being in control means you don't have to reply to those kind of questions.

We went for Barry and lost out to cash is my opinion, not based on truth or fact, but judgment. I don't begrudge him it, and I certainly don't hate him for it, but I don't think we should whine about it. Good luck to him, we'll be above City next season.

It's hardly rocket science. City cant offer CL football, nor even europe at all, not even InterToto. They're not title challengers and they arent a european giant. So that narrows down the reasons for him joining them, to financial.

I didnt need to hire Sherlock Holmes for that one. As you point out yourself, it was cash. Or 'money money money' as Rafa put it.

So you basically agree with me and are putting forward the same argument.

[lfc for life]

Rafa didn't have a go at him. In a news conference a journalist brought the subject up, not Rafa. And he just replied that he thought Barry's move to City was all about money. That was that. He didn't bring the subject up, didn't rant and rave about it, but made a very brief reply to the journalist who asked him a specific question. It was other newspapers that tried to make stuff up about it - "Rafa blasts Barry" etc, which was far from the truth

Rafa wnted Barry and Oneil wanted carson,rafa pushed the price high on carson so oneil followed suit,oneil was desperate to hold on to his main player hence the price tag,but knew he would lose him the next season,there was that much crap going on that Barry sacked his agent,to distance himself away from all the stories in the press and the crap that was going on between the two managers,if Rafa wanted him so much we should have got him the first time even tho the price was inflated,i know that barry wanted to come to liverpool but all the **** that was caused it created so much **** for him,we never had that sort of money at the time and we lost him,theres better players out there and im sure Rafa will find them at half the price

[dom9]

"The difference was that City made me feel wanted. Liverpool had a chance to buy me last season but failed to pay the money, and only found it this year when they knew someone else had reached an agreement.

Not about the money?

[Mike]

"Liverpool had a chance to buy me last season but failed to pay the money, and only found it this year when they knew someone else had reached an agreement."

Maybe another years worth of funds could be why, prik.

[Venton]

It's hardly rocket science. City cant offer CL football, nor even europe at all, not even InterToto. They're not title challengers and they arent a european giant. So that narrows down the reasons for him joining them, to financial.

I didnt need to hire Sherlock Holmes for that one. As you point out yourself, it was cash. Or 'money money money' as Rafa put it.

So you basically agree with me and are putting forward the same argument.

I would say they see themselves as title challengers. My point is not about the cash, it is the moaning about it afterwards. I'm not agreeing with you at all, you missed my point entirely. Elementary really.

[Redspin]

He still had a go. He could have said he was disappointed and left it at that. He could have said we have other plans. By saying he thought it was about money he had a go.

He didn't have a go at all. The guy asked him what he thought the reason behind his move to City was, so he gave his - very brief - opinion. The question didn't lend itself to a reply of the sort you describe. He was asked his opinion directly, so he replied in a very understated and non-confrontational way. If he'd been asked if he was disappointed at not signing him then maybe he would have said something along the lines you gave, but that wasn't the case. How can his opinion be deemed to be "having a go", when someone else broached the subject with him? His reply to the question was over in literally about 3 seconds and they moved on. If he'd given an expansive drawn-out diatribe when he'd been asked about something else then I'd agree with you