Premier League - Managers: Rafa refuses blame

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.

FOOTBALL 2008-09 Premier League Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez - 0

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."

Middlesbrough 1-1 Sunderland

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."

Eurosport

Comment 1 - 14 of 34

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  1. moxeyman69, I sugesst you take on the job of football­ analyst in Liverpoo. You will feel home. Dropping­ points is never good and as you should see, beating the­ top teams does not make you a champ.

    From Half A Brain, on Sun 11 Jan 10:10AM
  2. ?

    From Gizmo, on Sun 11 Jan 10:09AM
  3. how many times does it have to be said,, its only a­ game,, a big big big money game.. goow up .pay your­ money and keep it shut,,this is the uk 2009,, ex­ supporter now just a fan

    From kpbnatg, on Sun 11 Jan 10:08AM
  4. rafa is getting fat, the double chin and all. someone­ should look into that.

    From Leeroy, on Sun 11 Jan 10:05AM
  5. Rafa refuses to take blame? k ?
    THIS MAN IS A JOKE FOR­ ALLL LIVERPOOL FANS!!!

    From Bratu, on Sun 11 Jan 9:56AM
  6. I think with Liverpool at the minute its all about the­ players and the league, alot of hard games are to come,­ meaning there are alot of more difficult teams to beat­ and gain the points off. I think what Rafa is thinking,­ he should use the men that are not indepensable using­ the men he has that would not cause a huge threat if­ they where injured. To lose star players now to a small­ a*%se team would jeopodise gaining points where it­ matters in the near future.

    From Peter, on Sun 11 Jan 9:14AM
  7. I think he already knows that Liverpool won't be­ Prem League Champs so he is starting to make the­ excuses now. If he is right and Man U win games because­ Fergie has a go at refs, that makes Fergie a better­ manager.

    From walkingsex1, on Sun 11 Jan 9:13AM
  8. Marge Simpson- Ferguson a 'no mark'???????­ Bless you. whether you like or loathe Ferguson, his­ record at United makes him one of the best managers in­ europe. How many times have Liverpool won the­ Premiership?

    From fullmetaljacketpotato, on Sun 11 Jan 9:12AM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    poor little rafa, e ain't got a clue!

    From joshua, on Sun 11 Jan 9:07AM
  10. Why leave keane & Torres on the bench and Lukes on­ the field.Bloody madness.I sometimes wish Sammy Lea­ would take over .he knows how its done.Rafa you need to­ start realising this is football not a popularity­ contest.We dont give a s**t what Fergi does.hes a no­ mark anyway.

    From Marge Simpson., on Sun 11 Jan 8:51AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the mind have worked, liverpool go and lose points at­ stoke. but while all the so called big 4 are playing­ mind games, aston villa are sneaking up on them all and­ by the time they realise they are real contenders then­ it may be to late.

    From upthevilla, on Sat 10 Jan 11:56PM
  12. Stoke could have finished the game by half time, it­ was an absolute siege and liverpool had no game plan on­ how to break the lock , i guess stoke is the boogieman­ of the big four or the prem just became hard.

    From paul, on Sat 10 Jan 9:36PM
  13. i think the pressure is getting to him fergusson must­ be laughing his tits off Hook line and sinker

    From mark, on Sat 10 Jan 9:07PM
  14. Rafa, Rafa, Rafa every time you open your mouth before­ a big game you hand the initiative to the World Champs,­ you are hilariously inept!

    One up front against a team­ you should be beating to have any chance of the Prem,­ you are an overated muppet!

    From MICHAEL, on Sat 10 Jan 8:34PM
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