Rafa lays in to Souness and Klinsmann

[psl]

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8...5765234,00.html

 

BENITEZ HITS BACK AT CRITICS

 

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has delivered a withering riposte to his critics and dismissed Jurgen Klinsmann's managerial record.

 

The former Germany international attacked Benitez's record as Liverpool manager and the quality of the current squad.

 

Klinsmann took Germany to the semi-finals of their home World Cup in 2006, but his stint in charge of Bayern Munich lasted less than a season before he was sacked.

 

Speaking about Klinsmann's attack, Benitez said: "I think he was an expert in marketing. His management career? Short."

 

Klinsmann was at the centre of a storm two years ago when he was involved in talks with Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett over the Anfield hot seat.

 

Former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness also warned of a potential "meltdown" at the club this week but Benitez said: "There is always criticism but I don't listen. I turn off the volume on the TV."

 

He added sarcastically: "Both have fantastic records as managers, so the fans ignore what they say.

 

"We have to win, we have a responsibility and we must concentrate on our job.

 

"If someone talks too much, it is their problem, but the fans know the record they both have as managers, fantastic."

[Frosty Jack]

Love it

[muleskinner]

Souness isn't as deserving as Klinsmann in this, he wasn't having a dig at Rafa and has, as far as I can remember, been supportive of him and the football side of things at the club.

[stressederic]

Just wait until Sky invite Souness on for our game on Sunday then and give him a nice long slot where he can say he was simply speaking with the club's interests at heart and how Rafa's latest rant is a sign that he's under pressure.

Edited December 11, 2009 by stressederic

[Buzz]

Speaking about Klinsmann's attack, Benitez said: "I think he was an expert in marketing. His management career? Short."

Quality.

[floyd]

Rafa does an excellent line in sarcasm . Pity he didn't lay into that fvckin gimp Keys, but I feel it coming.....

[domlfc]

Klinsmann was having sly digs every chance he got, not sure Souness was having a pop at Rafa, thought he did really well trying to get across the point that the owners need to go. Noticed Souness trying to get the fact across about how much trouble we are in financially

[sutty]

I heard Souness's meltdown comments and I think they were aimed exclusively at the owners - not at the playing staff

 

He talked pretty much exclusively about the finance and the stadium. He did say that he was concerned that missing out on CL qualification would make getting the best players into the club tricky, but that's not particularly contraversial

[MarkD]

Scorch 'em all, Rafa, lad. No prisoners.

[johngibo YPC]

Didn't see any of the Klinsmann stuff. Was it bad?

Haven't seen Souness either obviously but i always thought he was alright. He never just has a go for the sake of it

[Knox_Harrington]

Speaking about Klinsmann's attack, Benitez said: "I think he was an expert in marketing. His management career? Short."

f*** off. Jesus.

[Bailo]

Thought you'd like that Knox?

[Marvin]

I love the idea of rafa watching this stuff on Sky with the volume turned off.

[CarraLegend]

Klinsmann is a f***ing c**k. He's been on sky before, he'd have known what sky's agenda was but still went on there and threw the mud.

 

If Rafa ever does go I pray to god this clown isnt let anywhere near here.

[Knox_Harrington]

Thought you'd like that Knox?

I f***ing love it.

[Bailo]

I f***ing love it.

Ah, misunderstood that. Brilliant stuff on Klinsmann, though I think it's slightly harsh on Souness.

[psl]

Ah, misunderstood that. Brilliant stuff on Klinsmann, though I think it's slightly harsh on Souness.

 

I think so too. From what I heard, he was clearly criticising the owners.

[Spike]

Slightly different quotes in this one...

 

Rafa Benitez has hit back at Graeme Souness after comments made by the former Liverpool manager that the club are on the verge of "meltdown".

 

Wednesday's Sky Sports studio panel of Souness and Jurgen Klinsmann were critical of the Reds after they succumbed to another late sucker punch in the UEFA Champions League which saw them lose 2-1 to Fiorentina.

 

Souness, who managed the club in the early 1990s, revealed his fear that his former club could capitulate should they fail to qualify for next year's European competition.

 

But Benitez, who came close to leaving the club when American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks spoke to Klinsmann about the possibility of taking over from the Spaniard, was unfazed by the Scot's comments.

 

"I switch off the volume of Sky," Benitez joked to Sky Sports News. "I think they both have a fantastic record as a manager so the fans they know really well what they say.

 

Unfazed

 

"The club we have to win, we have a responsibility, we have to concentrate on our job and that's it. If someone talks too much then that's their problem but the fans know the records they have both as a manager is fantastic."

 

Fernando Torres, who Souness fears will leave the club if they do not clinch Champions League football next term, conceded earlier on Friday that he thought Liverpool were out of the title race.

 

But Benitez was not yet ready to give up on hopes that the Reds can end their 20-year wait for the domestic crown ahead of Sunday's clash with Arsenal, which can be seen live on Sky Sports.

 

"I am just thinking about Arsenal," the Spanish tactician added. "We have to play against Arsenal, try to win, think about Wigan, think about Portsmouth and carry on."

 

Important

 

The weekend clash, which resulted in a 4-4 thriller last season, could see Liverpool go within one point of the Gunners should they claim maximum points.

 

But Benitez was quick to play down the significance of the Anfield showdown, claiming every game from now until the end of the season is vital to the Reds' quest for a top-four finish.

 

Of Sunday's game: "I think it's important but every game can be important to the end of the season.

 

"We have to start with this one because they are at the top of the table so if we can win we will be closer and we'll have better chances to finish in the top four."

 

 

 

 

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_5765124,00.html

[sutty]

Didn't see any of the Klinsmann stuff. Was it bad?

Haven't seen Souness either obviously but i always thought he was alright. He never just has a go for the sake of it

 

Klinnsman was critical of the team and Rafa. Some of the stuff he pointed out was of course not wide of the mark but he has no credentials at all really

 

Souness said something like

 

"There is a reall danger of a meltdown if the club don't qualify for the champions league. As Steven gerrard just said, if they don't qualify for the CL then it'll be the 1st time in memory that the best players don't want to play for liverpool. The club is in hundreds of millions of debt and needs a new stadium just to stand still. All the time the new stadium isn't there they are falling behind and the owners blah blah blah"

 

Wasn't critical of Rafa at all really

[_00_deathscar]

Although I don't know what he's said recently...going by what he's said in the past, don't think Souness is all that bad really - he's actually one of the better ones...whether that's a slight on Souness or on the general state of punditry I don't know.

[Bailo]

I've disagreed with Souness, but I've not gone mental when he's been on the screen spouting something.

[surf]

souness has been alright recently, hasn't he?

i vaguely remember a CL game on that irish channel where he was a guest with dunpy, giles(?) and someone else. the others were have massive digs at liverpool but souness told them where to stick itt

[Mike]

think souness has been unfairly brought into it tbh.

[BG]

think souness has been unfairly brought into it tbh.

 

Tend to agree though he did say recently I think that at other clubs Rafa would have been sacked by now.

 

As for Klinnsman he deserves everything he got. c***.

[Tommok]

Souness isn't as deserving as Klinsmann in this, he wasn't having a dig at Rafa and has, as far as I can remember, been supportive of him and the football side of things at the club.

 

 

I think it's slightly harsh on Souness.

 

He had a good dig at Rafa a few weeks back saying he had spent a lot of money and got little to show for it whilst quoting figures that showed he'd got the net spend issue totally wrong, said at any other club Rafa would have been sacked by now. I got the sense he was basically saying that HE (Souness) didn't get the same amount of money or time that Rafa is getting.

 

Souness is fair game for a retort from Rafa in my opinion, although admittedly not solely on the back of his comments this week.