Premier League - Managers: Benitez goes crazy

Eurosport - Thu, 29 Jan 11:06:00 2009

Reaction from Wednesday's Premier League games with raging Rafa Benitez blaming a 'crazy' second half for Liverpool's draw against Wigan Athletic.

2008-2009 Liverpool Rafa Benitez - 0

Wigan 1-1 Liverpool

Steve Bruce: "It has been a difficult January for us. But we've made a few changes, and a couple of them have hit the ground running. The one thing they do is stick at it and have a right good crack at it. In the last 20 to 25 minutes, they really got the bit between their teeth. Lee Cattermole got among them and tackled everything that moved. It was a decent performance from us."

Rafael Benitez: "The second half was a crazy game and when it is a crazy game you cannot control things. I am disappointed with a number of things (about) the Wigan approach - (but) I will not talk about them. It has happened in the last three games. They have something in common I don't like. I know why, but I cannot say anything. The players were okay. They were working very hard in the first half but the second half changed because it was crazy."

Everton 1-1 Arsenal

David Moyes: "In the end we should have run the ball into the corner rather than conceding possession like that. We did not need to give the ball away in that situation. We are disappointed that we ended up with one point when we were so close to three. To concede a goal in the 93rd minute is hard to take after we had played so well. Overall we deserved the points. We have conceded a late goal to Arsenal not long after we did the same thing against Aston Villa - and that game we lost."

Arsene Wenger: "It was very important not to lose. We needed to keep Everton at a distance from us, and three points would have put them very close to us. Van Persie's finish was an exceptional one. But when you see the ball dropping like that towards his left foot, you always think that he can hit the target. He will make the keeper work, he will never put the ball into the stands from a position like that."

Chelsea 2-0 Middlesbrough

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins: "It's a very emotional game, isn't it? Passions run high. They ran high on their bench. They did on ours. That's the way the game is played. It's played with great passion on the pitch and off it, whether it is with supporters or managers. I shook hands. It was a nothing conversation. I didn't even see the incident, to be honest. If the referee felt he (Scolari) needed to be sent to the stands, he would have done that."

Gareth Southgate: "There were words between my assistant and Phil Scolari. He seemed to want to get one of my players booked. He didn't shake hands at the end. A strange reaction, but that's his prerogative. You expect a moment of real class, to be carved open a few times, but that didn't really happen. Our discipline was really good. A bit of quality from a set-piece from us might have been our best manner of scoring, so it's a big let-down to lose to two set-pieces given the quality we were up against."

Manchester City 2-1 Newcastle United

Mark Hughes: "(Robinho) was fully focused and looking ahead to the game. Mentally he was in the right place, he was concentrating on the job in hand and it was never any real doubt for me that he should play. The good thing was he played an intelligent ball to release Shaun Wright-Phillips for our first goal. The icing on the cake was (Craig) Bellamy's performance. Craig will strengthen this team because he is a quality player. A lot of people's judgment of him is clouded by past misdemeanours but there is no doubt what he can bring to us."

Joe Kinnear: "It is one thing after another at the moment. The doctor had said six to eight weeks with Michael and 10 for Joey. The guy (owner Mike Ashley) has lost £2 billion from his businesses. I do not know what this club is worth but at the moment we have to get on with it as best we can. I tried to sell Geremi yesterday because I thought it would raise £4m but that deal fell through so I had to play him tonight. We have been negotiating with someone else on the continent. We thought that deal was done but suddenly the goal posts have moved."

West Ham 2-0 Hull City

Gianfranco Zola: "(David) Di Michele was fantastic, but he has been like that in the last couple of games. He is such an important player for the team, and that is the type of atmosphere we want to build up here - with fair competition between each other with everybody looking forward to getting into this team. They are enjoying themselves, and that is what we want here. Every time they play, it is always the best game, which is the biggest compliment you can give to a team."

Phil Brown: "There were a couple of positives, but in the main the biggest negative was the form which we caught West Ham in. They were playing with a lot of confidence and their two strikers played a massive part in the downfall of our side. But Matt Duke stepped up to the plate and put in a fantastic performance, and we also played some good football when Jimmy Bullard came on. The belief and trust which is required was there when he came on, but unfortunately then we were chasing a 2-0 deficit."

Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Bolton Wanderers

Sam Allardyce: "I don't understand why (Jussi Jaaskelainen) wasn't given a red card. We made the substitutions, and Tugay has played the ball to Roque (Santa Cruz) who showed the quality he has. He is through and we're all ready to jump off our seats thinking it's a goal, and instead it's a penalty. We all thought then it would be Benni to compose himself against their reserve 'keeper, but that wasn't to be. It was the wrong decision, but at the end of the day Mike Dean has deemed it was not a goalscoring opportunity."

Gary Megson on Bolton's attempt to sign Miguel Veloso: "If we can bring him in, great, if not we need to move on sooner rather than later. We need to make sure we're not on a fool's errand. They've made it clear what kind of money they want, and we won't pay that. If that's a stalemate, then we will move on."

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  1. As for R keane, I don't feel for you, You all need lessons from Kaka.Continue sitting on the bench for your childhood club,after all thats what children do for their childhood clubs - watch from the bench. Childhood club my foot.I used to admire you when u were at Spurs, but sorry,I can't admire a spectator when a game is on.

    From football.total, on Thu 29 Jan 9:40PM

  2. Rafa B.- Last week it was negative football.This week negativity has moved on to crazy!Please can some one tell me how a Team can play negative football and still score against his opponent

    Carraghar played negative football when he scored an own goal.Benitez is crying because the conseqences of his own action caught up with him. He was saving Gerald and Torres for the next match against Chelsea thereby dropping 2 heavy points.Rafa go home and sob, you are losing the next match.

    From football.total, on Thu 29 Jan 9:30PM

  3. Rafa was the crazy thing - nothing else...

    From gordon.merk, on Thu 29 Jan 4:13PM

  4. apart from Torres and Gerald who else is a top team player on the pitch? The remaining few are on the bench..Keane....Rafa does not know how to buy nor select...

    From Kanayo, on Thu 29 Jan 3:09PM

  5. RB is not happy with the current situiation in the club. don't expect 100% commitment from him. too many draws ! MU is a much better side. LFC can forget about winning the cup fromn MU and the champion league. Real will wack them nicely !

    From stevenkop, on Thu 29 Jan 2:19PM

  6. time for rafa to pack his bucket & spade & retire home to the costa del scrapheap - 2nd half crazy substitutions vs wigan proves he's lost the plot - i would no longer give him 20p to spend on transfers let alone £20 million - the credit crunch has muddled his noggin - pounds, euros or potatoes - compreder i think not - as for the ham shanks - well they know everything about everything - as we are so reliably informed - i believe the $ printing machine has finally conked out - any takers? - maybe the oil billionaires can mount a rescue - or is it volleyball next season from blackpool beach?

    From Robert, on Thu 29 Jan 1:41PM

  7. Oh dear. Raffa's complaining about the opposition again??? Obviously it's not his fault Liverpool drew again last night, nothing to do with taking Torres off, leaving Keane on the bench, then taking Gerrard off after Wigan had equalised. It's all Wigan's fault for playing negative football and playing dirty tactics is it? How many yellow cards were there lasst night? It's both pathetic and embarrasing. Benitez will be off to Madrid in the summer and good riddance too. It's all set up for the return of Kenny Dalglish - and not before time either!

    From Lee 1973, on Thu 29 Jan 1:35PM

  8. What odds by the end of Feb Liverpool will be out of Europe, out of the FA Cup and out of the running for the league? Surely the next thing "out" would be Rafa.

    From Graham P, on Thu 29 Jan 1:01PM

  9. Honestly,I see liverpool in 4th place at the end of the season unless BENITEZ adjust quickly to his TECHNICAL STUPIDITY!He splash #20m on ROBBIE KEANE and could not exercise patience nor give him enough chance to prove himself & to justify the #20m. I ask,why did he buy him in the first instance?Obviously,most new players to a team may have a poor start except few and will bounce back with PATIENCE,ENCOURAGEMENT and REGULAR GAMES when fit to boost thier confidence and adapt to the system and patern of their new teams.All these were lacking in ROBBIE KEANE'S case. Even the likes of : Ronaldo, Berbatov,Tevez,Pavlychenko,Daren Bent e.t.c all had a poor start to their respective new teams but with encouragement,regular games and patience from their coaches,they have or begin to justify their investments.

    The Biggest mistake BENITEZ will commit is to over relied on TORRES at the expense of other strikers!If am right,I think KEANE played better and score a couple of goals during the games SAMMY LEE was incharge! Also, I think with the exception of TORRES and SKRTEL, the best eleven for LIVERPOOL were displayed duriing SAMMY LEE few games incharge.I beleive TORRES is still not fit enough to start games.Surely,He is a worldclass striker,but when injury happens like this,it will take some time to get back to his best and superb performance.The same thing is what DROGBA is going through which pave way for ANELKA and KALOU.

    So far, ALONSO, GERRARD and CARRAGHER alone have performed above average in BENITEZ prefered starting eleven.Arguably,GERRARD and LAMPARD are the best ENGLISH PLAYERS but sometimes thier performances are bad!That is to tell us that good footballers can equally have bad games!If LIVERPOOL is to compete for any HONOUR this season, RAFA should use: BENAYOUN, ROBBIE KEANE,RIERA & HYYPIA often and minimize the inclusion of KUYT,BABEL,ARBELOA and LUCAS who knows nothing than to commit a serious blunder as he did to MASCHERANO at BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC.

    From mayowa_badmus2002, on Thu 29 Jan 12:31PM

  10. DO YOU THINK FROM THE PICTURE AT THE TOP KEANE IS WATCHING THE GAME THROUGH RUFASF*CK BENITEZS EARS OR IS THINKING HE IS EL LOCO

    From BLUENOSE, on Thu 29 Jan 12:10PM

  11. rotate rafa the pack shuffler!!...lpool are fading fast....

    From sean d, on Thu 29 Jan 12:04PM

  12. rafa cant hold on pressure??
    damn~~
    "The second half was a crazy game and when it is a crazy game you cannot control things" i think u crazy~~ f....~~

    From maxy c, on Thu 29 Jan 11:58AM

  13. So the fat spanish waiter gets it wrong again what the hell was he doing taking gerrard of that surprised me and im a united fan but still wigan played well and didnt play defensive all nigh either otherwise they wouldnt have equalised or nearly win it

    From Danny P, on Thu 29 Jan 11:53AM

  14. rafa ur head is on the board! wrong players in the field,thats not for the first time!!!!

    From siva_nallan, on Thu 29 Jan 11:21AM

  15. FACTS!FACTS!FACTS!you @#$% next time concentrate on your football instead of talking about Sir Alex, you are cracking up and thats a fact!COMMON UNITED!!!!!

    From mamelie1901, on Thu 29 Jan 11:07AM

  16. Sorry to say it but its bye bye Newcastle relagation is 100% . It will take years for you lot to return to the premier league you dont have the fight to stay up or the players my predictions for relagation NEWCASTLE / MIDDLESBOURGH / HULL .... and the humiliation for newcastle when sunderland win on sunday will be to much for you lot to handle so the last one out of sid james park on sunday turn of the lights.

    From Jeff b, on Thu 29 Jan 10:59AM

  17. I am absolutely mystified by the substitution of Torres and Gerrard. I am also at a loss to understand how Lucas is still featuring in the team. There are a lot of things that are wrong with the team, and I'm afraid Benitez is not the one to sort them out. I thing Rafa is fed up and wants a move. If he's not given the opportunity of this move he''ll cost us our place in the Champions' League ( this year's and next )

    From joe scribe, on Thu 29 Jan 10:51AM

  18. Rafa's cracking up!!!

    You can't cry because teams put men behind the ball, you have to break them down, and you need eleven players to do that, not just Gerrard!

    From rabid421, on Thu 29 Jan 10:46AM

  19. Crazy game? I tot you were crazy when taken off Stevie and Torres at the crucial time when you know Stevie is the player who always score late!! What were you thinking Rafa? And plzzzz, don't blame no one but you yourself!

    From Hamimah, on Thu 29 Jan 10:31AM

  20. Bye - bye benitez!! Liverpool might aswell roll over and die! You can see it in the players reactions that something ain't right, no one is making an effort, the team is all over the place. Time to make a change. Rafa's had chance after chance to make a difference, and just when you think he's gonna make a difference he goes and shots himself in the foot!! Everyone as commented on here about Lucas but he still plays him, and it cost us last night! The whole team as had enough, the fans have had enough of this stupid constant team change, the players don't know if they are coming or going!

    From Bow, on Thu 29 Jan 9:56AM
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