Premier League - Benitez slams cash-obsessed City

Eurosport - Fri, 10 Jul 08:49:00 2009

Rafael Benitez unveiled new boy Glen Johnson and then took a swipe at Manchester City with their "money, money, money" approach to the transfer market.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Premier League Liverpool Rafa Benitez - 0

The Liverpool boss has spent £17 million on the England full-back, a large chunk of which is wiped out by the cash Portsmouth still owe the Anfield club from the Peter Crouch deal. And while Benitez played hardball with Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano over their long-term futures, he accepts that the market was now "crazy" and dominated by money.

Benitez, who admitted he had tried again to sign Gareth Barry this summer from Aston Villa, said: "We had to pay big money, the market is now crazy. It is all money, money, money now. But we were signing a good player, an England player, and that is very positive."

He added: "He has a good mentality, and when I spoke to him first it was clear he wanted to come here.

"Things have changed. You have to adapt to a situation. Manchester City and big clubs in Europe are spending big money, so the market has changed and we have to work harder.

"You have to do that to stay at the level we are at because of the big money being spent here and abroad."

City also wanted Johnson, but Benitez said: "It was difficult, some clubs are offering big money. But he wanted to come here, that was the difference.

"We did go back again for Barry, but as I said. it is all about money, money, money. It is as simple as that."

On City's influence on the market and their prospects for next term, Benitez added: "City have signed a lot of good players, but that is no guarantee they will win anything. But it will be interesting to see what happens next season.

"But whatever happens, experience is more important and we feel that we have that to be in the top positions. If you spend big it is always easier to perform well. But when you have a good understanding between players that is also important. If they are together, they work hard, that is just as important."

PA Sport

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  1. Wow, I dont feel Raffa is a good manager, however the­ filth spewed out at him is ludicrous, its a game, a­ sport, lets not get carried away.

    From , on Fri 10 Jul 9:14AM

  2. shout up barry would never play 4 yous,

    From Michael F, on Fri 10 Jul 9:12AM

  3. 1. He didn't want to play for you, speically after­ your treatment of robbie keane, he prefers to play for­ Mark Hughes
    2. Your only being a child again with this­ latest spat as your running out of funds.
    3. Your­ pis**d off you didn't get the deal done last year,­ instead squabling over a million or so pound.
    4.­ You've realised you need more english players in­ your squad now with the new champion league rules.
    5.­ You got lucky in the Champions league final on­ pen's and have never won the EPL so go home you­ chubby spainish waiter.

    From terri-ann, on Fri 10 Jul 9:12AM

  4. kim may i point out that your mediocre sucecess in­ recent european cup games was at the expense of all­ other trophies ! in one of those semi finals (v's­ chelsea ) they were in all four competitions and top of­ the league ,liverpool were out of all competions and­ rested their key players for ten days ,and still pnly­ one with a phantom goal ,you can make mfigures look how­ you want to the fact is in the time benites has been­ there he has spent more than anyone else fact

    From handyandyisalways, on Fri 10 Jul 9:10AM

  5. liverpools dumb waiter cant watch his own table. Wants­ to sort his team, hehehe

    From packington7, on Fri 10 Jul 9:08AM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    MISTAR WABBLAY AS SO ANSTADY AN HES FEET THOT A NEDS­ FACKUN STABALEEZARS.

    From Donney, on Fri 10 Jul 9:07AM

  7. how can anyone sack those peope without a reason they­ are people not numbers and some have been employed­ 20years! disgraceful

    From handyandyisalways, on Fri 10 Jul 9:01AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    to the wa**er who wrote this column or the city fans­ who are crying. rafa said barry was about money, money,­ money, not man city the club. he said liverpool­ could`nt compete with city`s money. and when asked­ about signing barry he said city offered barry more­ money to join them. this is after barry would only­ leave villa for champions league football. which proves­ rafa`s point, that barry is motivated by money, money,­ money.
    also city fans think that liverpool will fall­ out of the top 4, and man city replace them. you really­ need to get a grip on reallity. you will soon have a­ squad of players apart from a few that have come to­ your club, and never heard of your club. but i you keep­ offering players £100.000 - £250.000 a week they will­ start hearing of city. mean it`s not surprising that­ players like eto`o, ribery, kaka, villa, aguero,­ torres, forlan are not interested in joining city when­ man city have won 1 trophy (league cup - 1976) in 38­ years. so if you think your very small club that has­ won 8 major trophy``s in there history, can over take­ liverpool at the top, then you really are living in a­ fantasy.

    From LFC - REAL EUROPEAN LEGENDS., on Fri 10 Jul 9:01AM

  9. """"Things have changed. You have­ to adapt to a situation. Manchester City and big clubs­ in Europe are spending big money, so the market has­ changed and we have to work­ harder.""""

    How the feck is that­ 'slamming' Man City? Benitez clearly says that­ Liverpool have to 'work harder'. He isn't­ slamming Man City.

    The level of intelligence on these­ boards leaves a lot to be desired.

    From Kim S, on Fri 10 Jul 9:00AM

  10. Pathetic bitter little man. He implies he made­ Mascherano and Alonso the players they are, moans about­ loyalty after signing Torres for a fortune on wages his­ team couldn't afford. His only problem is that City­ are a viable threat to the cosy assumption that­ Liverpool et al will get into the champions league­ every season. He knows that without this his team are­ %$^£ed financially and, like Wenger is scared of the­ reality check that being in the Europa league for a­ couple of seasons.

    From steve c, on Fri 10 Jul 9:00AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    6 NAY.

    From Donney, on Fri 10 Jul 8:57AM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    S HAT YER FACE MISTAR WABBLAY.

    From Donney, on Fri 10 Jul 8:57AM

  13. For all you idiots saying Rafa has spent more than­ Fergie, think again.

    The most expensive squads in the­ Premiership are Man Utd and Chelsea's. Both are­ considerably more expensive than Liverpool's.

    As­ for Rafa spending more than Fergie, that's nonsense­ and totally untrue. Just because Alex Ferguson says­ this it doesn't mean it's true. Fergie­ 'conveniently' only took the spending totals­ from 2004/2005 while 'conveniently' leaving out­ the fact that the likes of Ferdinand etc were bought­ before 2004.

    The bottom line is that Liverpool's­ squad is not as expensive as either Man Utd's or­ Chelsea's so it's no surprise really that­ Liverpool haven't been able to win the Premier­ League under Rafa, although they went close last season­ and have performed very well in Europe. One of the best­ records in Europe in fact (1 win, 1 final defeat, 3­ semis in 5 seasons).

    The fact is that those that have­ spent the most money will invariably win the Premier­ league in this day and age. Liverpool haven't spent­ the most on their squad so they haven't been able­ to win it.

    Anybody who wants to true and argue this­ obvious logic is an idiot.

    Since Roman Abramovich came­ into the Preier League, even Arsenal have been left by­ the wayside as they can't compete with moneybags­ Chelsea and Man Utd either.

    From Kim S, on Fri 10 Jul 8:56AM

  14. well done raffa, those dirty mancs won't even break­ into the top seven, no fecker wants to join shytty no­ matter how much poke they have, they will fall like a­ pack of cards

    From bigbollocks_uk_uk, on Fri 10 Jul 8:56AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF.

    From Donney, on Fri 10 Jul 8:56AM

  16. this is for blinkerede kim !
    St. Mirren­ (1974–1978)
    Scottish First Division: 1976-77

    Aberdeen­ (1978–1986)
    Scottish Premier Division: 1979-80,­ 1983-84, 1984-85
    Scottish Cup: 1981–82, 1982–83,­ 1983–84, 1985–86
    Scottish League Cup: 1985-86
    UEFA­ Cup Winners' Cup: 1982–83
    UEFA Super Cup: 1983­

    Manchester United (1986–present)
    Premier League:­ 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000,­ 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
    FA Cup:­ 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
    League­ Cup: 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09
    FA Charity/Community­ Shield: 1990*, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008­
    UEFA Champions League: 1998–99, 2007–08
    UEFA Cup­ Winners' Cup: 1990–91
    UEFA Super Cup: 1991­
    Intercontinental Cup: 1999
    FIFA Club World Cup: 2008­
    *—shared

    Individual
    Football Writers'­ Association Tribute Award: 1996
    Mussabini Medal: 1999

    From lemontreesid, on Fri 10 Jul 8:55AM

  17. Now give it a rest Donial.

    From wobblay, on Fri 10 Jul 8:53AM

  18. Your're a f ucking freak mister Donney. A 25 carrot­ gold nutcase.

    From wobblay, on Fri 10 Jul 8:52AM

  19. Donney your sick in the head get back to the institute­ ya dirty wee hun.

    From wobblay, on Fri 10 Jul 8:50AM

  20. 403

    ""you pool men???, best on a limited­ budget, only broke­ the bank 4 kenny and beardsley???­ get real!!!""

    Ok then clever cloggs, you­ tell me. Which other players did Liverpool break the­ record transfer fee with? Daglish was one (after they­ sold Kevin Keegan for a similar amount) in 1977 and­ Peter Beardlsey was the other one in 1987.

    In between­ this, Man Utd, Forest, Spurs and Arsenal etc etc were­ all spending more money than Liverpool.

    Even today,­ Liverpool's most expensive signing is Torres but­ even he is way below what Man Utd paid for Rooney,­ Ferdinand, Berbatov, Veron etc.

    From Kim S, on Fri 10 Jul 8:47AM
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