Interview with Balague
Rafa Benitez has launched a passionate defence of his Liverpool record as he prepares to extend his stay at Anfield. Benitez has been in Madrid over the last few days speaking at several functions and giving a lecture at the University where he once studied - and admitted he has not always had as much control as he would have liked at Anfield. "Does the manager have absolute power in England?" said Benitez, "No, it depends on a budget and on the executive director that negotiates the signings of players.
"And it depends on the money you have and the intelligence with which you operate in the marketplace".
The Liverpool chief, who arrived at the club in 2004 and led them to an incredible Champions League victory at the end of his first season, insists he does not deserve the increasingly hostile criticism his reign has received.
When Liverpool won the FA Cup the following year Benitez became the first manager in the club`s history to win a trophy in each one of his first two seasons, and he says: "There is this legend that Liverpool hasn`t won many trophies, that we have failed in that aspect. Well, Chelsea and Manchester United have won 10 trophies in the six years I`ve been in Liverpool; Arsenal, Spurs and Portsmouth one. Liverpool? Four trophies and we have played in three finals. Liverpool have been competitive".
Now he wants to fight on, taking the club as far as he can despite having smaller budgets than his rivals.
Benitez revealed he feels his methods are misunderstood and his achievements underestimated during one of the toughest periods in the recent history of the club.
He responded to accusations that he employs defensive or negative tactics, by pointing out his side has scored 61.8 goals per season in the league and an average of 97.5 in all competitions during his time at the club and asks: "Does Liverpool have to win the league, as everybody demands, every year?"
Benitez used Opta and AMisco statistics to show that in the last 12 seasons Liverpool achieved an average of 68.9 points (while Man United averaged 83, Chelsea 77.8 and Arsenal 77) - but that in two of his six seasons at Anfield, the record points tally for a season has been broken - 82 points in 2006 and 86 in 2009.
Benitez continued: "Look at the wages picked up by the players on Chelsea or Manchester United`s substitutes bench: Obi Mikel, Owen, Kalou, Berbatov, Carrick could be on £4 million a year!
"When Portsmouth offered Peter Crouch more money than we were paying him and promised him a starting place, it became very complicated for us to keep hold of him. The arrival of Fernando Torres meant he couldn`t play as often at Liverpool."
Benitez has been accused of signing bad players, but an inability to compete with the game`s top spenders and a lack of funds meant he was unable to complete the signings of several players he had been on the verge of bringing to Anfield and instead of Dani Alves, Florent Malouda, Jack Rodwell and Gareth Barry - Liverpool often have often ended up with the manager`s backup options.
"That is always a risk when expectations and demands are so high" says Benitez.
Benitez also claims he has turned Liverpool into one of the most valuable sporting assets in the world. When he arrived at Liverpool, he was told the club was valued at £80million and according to the American owner`s asking price, it is now worth £500 million.
Likewise, the squad`s value has increased from £100 million to £300 million.
"Some people say I have spent £280 million," says Benitez, "when we have spent £220 million on players and generated £160 million in player sales. That is the equivalent of a £60 million net spend over six years: in other words, £10 million spent per year.
"Deduct from that figure the £120 million revenue from the Champions League success and qualification over that period, and we have in fact generated an additional £60 million for the club".
Benitez believes that many of the figures used to illustrate Liverpool`s transfer spending are deliberately distorted to undermine his work at the club, and another misleading statistic is the number of players he has signed. "It is said we signed 70 players, but that includes players for the first team, reserve team and academy. In the analysis of other club`s transfers, nobody ever counts all those acquisitions".
Liverpool cannot afford to compete with the biggest spenders in the transfer market putting pressure on the youth set-up to produce first-team players. But Benitez, who took control of the academy only last year, says: "Only four players from the Liverpool Academy - Warnock, Gerrard, Owen and Carragher - from the last 13 years play in the Premier league. "We have spent £5 million on young players in six years - Arsenal have spent £15 million on Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey alone."
Rafa Benitez has launched a passionate defence of his Liverpool record as he prepares to extend his stay at Anfield. Benitez has been in Madrid over the last few days speaking at several functions and giving a lecture at the University where he once studied - and admitted he has not always had as much control as he would have liked at Anfield. "Does the manager have absolute power in England?" said Benitez, "No, it depends on a budget and on the executive director that negotiates the signings of players.
"And it depends on the money you have and the intelligence with which you operate in the marketplace".
The Liverpool chief, who arrived at the club in 2004 and led them to an incredible Champions League victory at the end of his first season, insists he does not deserve the increasingly hostile criticism his reign has received.
When Liverpool won the FA Cup the following year Benitez became the first manager in the club`s history to win a trophy in each one of his first two seasons, and he says: "There is this legend that Liverpool hasn`t won many trophies, that we have failed in that aspect. Well, Chelsea and Manchester United have won 10 trophies in the six years I`ve been in Liverpool; Arsenal, Spurs and Portsmouth one. Liverpool? Four trophies and we have played in three finals. Liverpool have been competitive".
Now he wants to fight on, taking the club as far as he can despite having smaller budgets than his rivals.
Benitez revealed he feels his methods are misunderstood and his achievements underestimated during one of the toughest periods in the recent history of the club.
He responded to accusations that he employs defensive or negative tactics, by pointing out his side has scored 61.8 goals per season in the league and an average of 97.5 in all competitions during his time at the club and asks: "Does Liverpool have to win the league, as everybody demands, every year?"
Benitez used Opta and AMisco statistics to show that in the last 12 seasons Liverpool achieved an average of 68.9 points (while Man United averaged 83, Chelsea 77.8 and Arsenal 77) - but that in two of his six seasons at Anfield, the record points tally for a season has been broken - 82 points in 2006 and 86 in 2009.
Benitez continued: "Look at the wages picked up by the players on Chelsea or Manchester United`s substitutes bench: Obi Mikel, Owen, Kalou, Berbatov, Carrick could be on £4 million a year!
"When Portsmouth offered Peter Crouch more money than we were paying him and promised him a starting place, it became very complicated for us to keep hold of him. The arrival of Fernando Torres meant he couldn`t play as often at Liverpool."
Benitez has been accused of signing bad players, but an inability to compete with the game`s top spenders and a lack of funds meant he was unable to complete the signings of several players he had been on the verge of bringing to Anfield and instead of Dani Alves, Florent Malouda, Jack Rodwell and Gareth Barry - Liverpool often have often ended up with the manager`s backup options.
"That is always a risk when expectations and demands are so high" says Benitez.
Benitez also claims he has turned Liverpool into one of the most valuable sporting assets in the world. When he arrived at Liverpool, he was told the club was valued at £80million and according to the American owner`s asking price, it is now worth £500 million.
Likewise, the squad`s value has increased from £100 million to £300 million.
"Some people say I have spent £280 million," says Benitez, "when we have spent £220 million on players and generated £160 million in player sales. That is the equivalent of a £60 million net spend over six years: in other words, £10 million spent per year.
"Deduct from that figure the £120 million revenue from the Champions League success and qualification over that period, and we have in fact generated an additional £60 million for the club".
Benitez believes that many of the figures used to illustrate Liverpool`s transfer spending are deliberately distorted to undermine his work at the club, and another misleading statistic is the number of players he has signed. "It is said we signed 70 players, but that includes players for the first team, reserve team and academy. In the analysis of other club`s transfers, nobody ever counts all those acquisitions".
Liverpool cannot afford to compete with the biggest spenders in the transfer market putting pressure on the youth set-up to produce first-team players. But Benitez, who took control of the academy only last year, says: "Only four players from the Liverpool Academy - Warnock, Gerrard, Owen and Carragher - from the last 13 years play in the Premier league. "We have spent £5 million on young players in six years - Arsenal have spent £15 million on Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey alone."
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