Post match Reds v Blackburn

[SimonNo7]

Good result against an absolute alehouse of a team. Sunday is completely the right day for Blackburn to play and as been mentioned several times how they ended up with 11 players on the pitch I'll never know.

Pepe was superb again, most definitely one of the best keepers in the world. Mascha was immense at right back, well as an attacking right back. Good to see Gerrard and Torres both scoring and finally well done to Lucas. Still not sure he is a LFC player but he is without doubt getting better.

3 points is all that matters at the moment however, sorry to bring the mood down, I did not see anything that would change my mind into thinking we will miss out on 4th this season.

[tiktu]

From Offal, Rafa on Fat Sam

Repeatedly pressed on negative comments by Sam Allardyce before the game, Benitez replied: "We prefer to talk on the pitch.

"We can win on the pitch and enjoy. Some people have to talk before or after the press conference because it's more difficult for them to do a football job.

"I think he's a model for managers all around the world. I am sure his style of football, his behaviour - everything. It's the perfect model for all the kids.

"The style of football - I am sure Barcelona are thinking about copying the style."

[Shaggy]

A fuller version from the press conferences...

The long-running spat between Rafael Benitez and Sam Allardyce showed no signs of ending after Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Blackburn at Anfield.

Neither have been complimentary about each other in recent years, going back to the Spaniard's first match against Bolton in August 2004 when Sami Hyypia sustained a broken nose in the opening minutes.

Prior to this match Allardyce claimed his opposite number had turned Liverpool into a side scrapping for results, akin to his former Wanderers team.

Benitez responded after the game by ironically suggesting Barcelona - regarded as the best footballing side in the world - were considering copying Blackburn's style.

When asked about Allardyce's claims that his side dominated long periods, Benitez said: "It doesn't matter - we won.

"It is really important (the way to play) but sometimes we cannot play football.

"We try to do our talking on the pitch. If they are pleased with the way they play under this manager it is their decision.

"They have a style and they are a team that plays this way under this manager.

"We won so we they have to be thinking about whether the style is good or not.

"Some people have to talk before the press conference or after because it is more difficult for them to do a football job.

"I think it is a model for all the managers around the world, their style of football, his behaviour.

"It is the perfect model for all the kids and I'm sure all parents will enjoy this model and encourage their kids to be the same.

"The style of football, I think, Barcelona are thinking of copying."

Liverpool found themselves on the receiving end of a number of robust challenges and had only one player booked compared to the five of Blackburn.

Rovers could easily have also had Steven Nzonzi, who pushed Lucas Leiva in the face, and Pascal Chimbonda, who kicked Maxi Rodriguez in the chest, red-carded in off-the-ball incidents.

"Nzonzi was very clear, touching the face of Lucas, and the rules are the rules," added Benitez.

"We have had four of five players with problems, bleeding, and Maxi with stud (marks) in his abdomen. Interesting - but we won."

Allardyce, obviously, saw things differently and said of his pre-match criticism of Benitez: "It was only because Liverpool have a go at me and because I am entitled to respond when I get criticised by Rafa Benitez.

"If you don't understand that over the last few years you must be deluded.

"Not this time but many other times I have been criticised personally by the manager - all I said was they got six bookings at Manchester City away so they are digging games out now rather than the flowing football they played last year.

"We had five bookings and 25 fouls given against us which was, for me, a wrong reflection on how we played.

"We haven't come here and hung on, we've dominated the game for long periods.

"If you want to criticise us for the fouls we have given away and the bookings we have got that is entirely up to you."

Allardyce prickled when questioned about the behaviour of former Liverpool striker El-Hadji Diouf - who seemed intent on winding up the crowd - and directed his anger towards journalists in the press conference.

"I won't answer that question because I think it is a diabolical question," he said.

"Diouf has always got the crowd to contend with because of the problems he has caused himself in the past but I don't see any real problems - he has gone out and played like everyone else."

The off-field row overshadowed a goalscoring return for Fernando Torres, who marked his first start since January 13 by scoring the winner.

Torres scored his 13th goal in 17 Barclays Premier League appearances a minute before half-time, having seen Keith Andrews equalise from the penalty spot after Steven Gerrard's 20th-minute opener.

Allardyce, however, felt his side should have had more from the game.

"If we had had a goalscorer we would have won the game on chances created," he added.

"It is not very often you come to Liverpool and create more chances than they did.

"We failed because we didn't have a goalscorer and they have Torres and Gerrard who are top quality players and they get half a chance and score."

[Vermilion]

Originally Spoken by Rafael Benitez

"I think it's a model for managers all around the world. I am sure his [Allardyce's] style of football, his behaviour, everything is the perfect model for all the kids.

"I am sure that parents will be enjoying this model and will encourage their kids to be the same and the style of football. I think that Barcelona is now thinking about copying the style.”

[Stanbull]

How they ended the game with 11 men still on the pitch is unbelievable

The linesman in front of me in the Paddock gave a brilliant impersonation of Stevie Wonder, he was standing 3 feet from Maxi & didn't see anything!!

Ref was weak and he is to blame for their behaviour, they got worse knowing that they would have to produce a meat cleaver before he gave a red card

Oh and Allardyce is just a fat dodgy gob****e who worships Ferguson, the classless cunt

[Exiled_red]

When you look at what they got away with today compared with the yellow cards we got against City it really does highlight the level of inconistancy amongst referees.

Also puts Alladyce's pre match comments in perspective

[Exiled_red]

I think he's trying to emulate Ferguson; get some headlines and build up his profile because he blatantly thinks that he's destined for greater things.

He's never normally going to get many column inches being boss of Blackburn unless he says something controversial.

He's one of those people that always has these types of sound bites, him, Neil Warnock and Dave Whelan can be relied on for this type of stuff when Sky Sports News are short of stuff

[Chazza]

Rafa post match interview

Reporter 'Did you know it was going to be a physical game?'

Rafa 'Physical?, everybody knows this team plays fantastic football under this manager, they are the best in the world!'

Superb!

Just about to be on LFCTV again if anyone is interested

[Roboklopp]

I'd love to knock the fat-headed cunt out. Nice on Rafa.

[Craig_H]

Rafa post match interview

Reporter 'Did you know it was going to be a physical game?'

Rafa 'Physical?, everybody knows this team plays fantastic football under this manager, they are the best in the world!'

Superb!

Love it.

Was that from Sky or BBC? I hope it's on MOTD2, desperately wanna see that.

[Craig_H]

From Offal, Rafa on Fat Sam

Repeatedly pressed on negative comments by Sam Allardyce before the game, Benitez replied: "We prefer to talk on the pitch.

"We can win on the pitch and enjoy. Some people have to talk before or after the press conference because it's more difficult for them to do a football job.

"I think he's a model for managers all around the world. I am sure his style of football, his behaviour - everything. It's the perfect model for all the kids.

"The style of football - I am sure Barcelona are thinking about copying the style."

****ing superb, legendary.

I'd love the mainstream press to highlight this, but of course they wont.

[Chazza]

Love it.

Was that from Sky or BBC? I hope it's on MOTD2, desperately wanna see that.

I think it was Rob Hawthorn doing the interview so it might be on Sky later

[Craig_H]

Cheers mate

I love the way Rafa keeps quiet, and then has the last laugh

[Shaggy]

Cheers mate

I love the way Rafa keeps quiet, and then has the last laugh

He tore into him similarly in the Sky interview, the BBC interview and also the press conference. The BBC website has his full 'broadside' (when else do we hear that word? Only ever in sport ), in print only mind, and the Sporting Life has a good, full-ish write-up of what he said in the press conference.

[Craig_H]

One thing i really love about this, is that Rafa's a foreigner (something fat Sam [allegedly] hates) and obviously isnt conversing in his native language, but yet, even in a language foreign to him, he still makes Allardyce look like the monkey we all know he is