Eurosport - Sun, 11 Jan 13:04:00 2009
A look at the reaction to Saturday's Premier League action, with Rafael Benitez insisting his pre-match press conference outburst was not to blame for Liverpool's goalless draw at Stoke.
Stoke City 0-0 Liverpool
Tony Pulis: "I'm very, very pleased with the players. The effort and commitment was first class, and we created quite a few good chances as well. Liverpool are a great side, they've got some great players and it's a great football club. They're in the best position they possibly could be. I'm sure Rafa will be pleased to push on from here."
Rafael Benitez: "When you are top you want to win, it doesn't matter which game it is. Today we needed to win, with or without the press conference. After 22 years with Ferguson in charge it could have been any moment (to bring it up) so why not the other day? I think it was the right moment to say, 'That's it, now we will talk about everything'. I was thinking about defending my team. I thought 'enough is enough' and that's it."
Arsenal 1-0 Bolton Wanderers
Arsene Wenger: "We are already swimming enough against the stream not to drop points against Bolton. We were solid defensively and now we have won 1-0 three times, which is a good basis. We must just take it game by game because every match is difficult."
Gary Megson: "We played against one of the best teams in the world today, who have quality everywhere, but we wanted to press the ball, keep everything in front of us and not leave space behind - and we did okay in the main."
Aston Villa 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
Martin O'Neill: "Gabriel Agbonlahor played when really a lot of lesser people wouldn't have bothered turning up. He has been ill all week, he's only done 10 minutes training and yet he's declared himself fit. He did brilliantly and he deserves that goal."
Tony Mowbray: "We have always been vulnerable to set-plays and Scott Carson is disappointed with the second goal. In football you need to get people to do their jobs at both ends. At one end you need people to score goals and to get rid of it at the other."
Everton 2-0 Hull City
David Moyes: "It is another win, another clean sheet and although Hull made it a scrap, we deserved the win. Referees we have had recently have been very good, but I don't think this one was. And we have had an offside goal, that was clear. I will be straight with things that affect both sides, and our first goal was offside. I have to be fair."
Phil Brown: "I have heard Tony Pulis talking recently about the little clubs not getting the decisions. But our whole season has been unhinged by a succession of officials and decisions we are not happy with. The first goal, with Everton not conceding in the previous five, was always going to be crucial at Goodison Park. But the first was wrong, even though Mikel Arteta's free-kick was a touch of brilliance from a brilliant player."
Gareth Southgate: "As for (Stewart) Downing - his performance was a real highlight. He's accepted our stance and totally understands it. He's up for the challenge of staying here beyond this month and helping us remain in this division - that's the end of it, the whole saga is done and dusted."
Ricky Sbragia: "I'm definitely happy with a point, especially after being 1-0 down. We got caught out on the stroke of half-time so at the break we asked them to up the tempo and the longer the game went on the better we looked. We could even have won it, but we're happy."
Newcastle United 2-2 West Ham
Newcastle assistant Chris Hughton: "Andy (Carroll) has made a very telling contribution in the two games he's played and I was very pleased he got the goal. You always want to claim three points at home but in the period when we were 2-1 down they were always a threat up front. And at that point you'd probably have settled for a draw."
Gianfranco Zola: "It was an excellent game. If we had come out with three points nobody could have said a word about it because the performance we put on this afternoon was excellent. To be fair we played against a team that did not want to lose and they got a late goal. Bellamy and Cole are on fire and that is making the difference."
Comment 15 - 34 of 34
@#$% benitez
Felliano is gettinga name for himself as a dirty player.Refs need to watch a few toffie players ,they seem to favour the elbow!!!!
Still FOUR MORE than the mancs
Don't see how Moyes can complain about the booking of Felliano as his foot was 4' in the air and he should have been sent of for the repated elbow to the face of the Hull defender on that one corner - video evidence shows it clearly and he should get a belated red card for that alone - 3 match ban minimum for violent conduct, more likely extended to 5.
Hey marge
League Titles 17
FA Cup 11
League Cup 2
European 3
That's only 4 behind (0 by the end of the year)
the only thing you scousers are good at is ancient history and mugging.
Hey Rick Premier Cup, what cup is that - do you mean the Premiership title - if so, pray please tell when was the last time liverpool held that, oh, they NEVER have!!!!!
To Tasdeon (Post 24)
Indeed you have moved on since then. Moved on down the line towards the back....
Ok full metal. 18 League titles.--7 League Cups---5 European Cups---7 FA cups. Manu match that?????
rafa your a joke what you said about fergie back fired on you ,nil all against stoke ha come on mam u today ,show liverpool what a great manager ye have ,glory glory man u fan.
rick b ,,,,stop reading the history of liverpool in the 70s and 80s we have moved on since then ,,,,
I wonder why ManU still bother playing all these games. If what Rafa was saying is true why not just let SAF scream at every match officials and they will give all the three points to ManU without even playing. Then ManU will be champions year after year. Forever - as long as SAF is still at ManU. For goodness sake every team has elevel players and they play a game of two halves of 45 minutes plus the additional time added on. Referees make mistakes even at the world cup - not because the managers shouted at them but because they are just human beings. So let's juszt get on with the games. Go ManU and beat Chelsea tonight.
this happened just to make him shut the @#$% uop and do not ever blame ferguson for intimidating referees and so on.....@#$% u and ur liverpool...red devil's blood till death !!!
All Chelsea An Mancy Fans are all the sme crying when they loose pointing the finger in a draw and cheap comments at toher peoples expense, How may more times do Liverpool have to lift the FA cup, Champions League cup and Premier cup to make you biiter gits understand.
This Comes from an Arsenal supporter with nothing but respect for Liverpool!
All Chelsea An Mancy Fans are all the sme crying when they loose pointing the finger in a draw and cheap comments at toher peoples expense, How may more times do Liverpool have to lift the FA cup, Champions League cup and Premier cup to make you biiter gits understand.
This Comes from an Arsenal supporter with nothing but respect for Liverpool!
walkingsex1 WELL SAID
RAFA WHAT A JOKE OF A MANAGER ! HE HAS GOT A THUG AS A CAPTAIN AND RAFA CAN'T MANAGE !
WOOP'S NEARLY FORGOT HE ALSO SPEAKS CR-P,
To call belittle SAF, undeniably one of the best managers in football anywhere in the world, or to downplay his achievements is futile and pointless. He has proved time and again over many years that he is a good judge of a players quality, and knows how to get the best performance out of them.
It's right that Rafa should start making his excuses for losing the Prem title now, it'll save hime time later. One thing is certain, he will never be half as good as Sir Alex, and I am not, and never have been a Man U fan.
Fergie 1 - Rafa (with biro beard) 0...
Hahahahahaaaaaaa...
LOVE IT!!!
Damn!!! I lengthy post doesn't make it but a ? does?????????
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