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Rafa explains Keane and Barry debacle


Torvald Utne
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BENITEZ WANTS DOMESTIC GLORY | Football Transfer News, Football News, Fixtures, Results, Match Reports, Stats

 

Rafael Benitez would rather win the Barclays Premier League trophy than another Champions League title.

 

Following a disappointing start to the season which has seen them lose five league games already, many are ruling the Reds out of the title race this term.

 

Nevertheless, Benitez, who brought the Champions League trophy to Anfield in 2005, is desperate to claim the domestic crown.

 

He told The Times: "Anyone who knows me knows that I want to win every trophy, every game.

 

"But if you ask me what I prefer, I will say the Premier League.

 

"If I do not win the title, I'm sure I'd be so disappointed maybe I would have this feeling [of failure]."

 

Many saw last term as a great chance for Liverpool to challenge for the Premier League title, but Benitez saw his plans scuppered when he failed to bring Gareth Barry to Liverpool.

 

And he believes the season would have turned out differently - possibly even with his ultimate goal reached - had Barry moved to Anfield.

 

"You never know," he said. "Football is a funny game.

 

"The plan was for Barry to play on the left and feed the ball to Robbie Keane, who would play up front with Fernando Torres.

 

"This blueprint had to be scrapped. The collateral damage was Keane, who signed from Tottenham Hotspur before the Barry deal had been done.

 

"When we wanted to sign Barry, we were sure we were signing a good player with a very good mentality and the quality to play in the Premier League. The priority was Barry, then Keane."

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Anyone else getting a bit worried about Rafa's latest interviews? I'm not his biggest fan, I know, but it's not really like him to be like this.

 

When has a manager explained himself so much, in such a short period of time?

 

I said it on another thread, nobody replied to me. It was the same when I asked why Pako left

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Anyone else getting a bit worried about Rafa's latest interviews? I'm not his biggest fan, I know, but it's not really like him to be like this.

 

When has a manager explained himself so much, in such a short period of time?

 

I think it's just the one interview with the Times being sliced ,diced and re-served everywhere else.

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I thought we needed to get rid of Alonso to bring Barry in, and so this article would be misleading.

 

Aye.

 

It is strange that Rafa doesn't say that. It was very clear at the time that we could only afford Barry if we sold Alonso.

 

So Barry on the left with Gerrard and Mascherano in the middle? And Keane and Torres up front?

 

I still can't get my head around why Barry was absolutely essential for Keane's success?

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I think it's just the one interview with the Times being sliced ,diced and re-served everywhere else.

 

I suppose, they are really exploiting the fact its meant to be his first exclusive interview with a national, I don't blame them.

 

However I think it is odd that he is talking about these issues now

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I suppose, they are really exploiting the fact its meant to be his first exclusive interview with a national, I don't blame them.

 

However I think it is odd that he is talking about these issues now

 

He's under pressure in the media and thinks he needs to get his side of the story out to our support.

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I suppose, they are really exploiting the fact its meant to be his first exclusive interview with a national, I don't blame them.

 

However I think it is odd that he is talking about these issues now

 

Could be because the interviewer is a genuine Liverpool supporter with more than just a jobbing reporter's interest in the issues raised. He isn't out to hammer Rafa, just to talk about the club in which they both have a vested interest. Makes a change from the usual shite we get in the national press.

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When we were mooted to be interested in Barry, I was expecting us to line up like this:

 

Gerrard Mascherano Barry

.....Kuyt Torres Keane

 

Is that what he means by "on the left"?

 

Because I think it would make a certain amount of sense.

 

Certainly more sense than playing Barry out wide.

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When we were mooted to be interested in Barry, I was expecting us to line up like this:

 

Gerrard Mascherano Barry

.....Kuyt Torres Keane

 

Is that what he means by "on the left"?

 

Because I think it would make a certain amount of sense.

 

Certainly more sense than playing Barry out wide.

 

Depends which left he means....

 

Or something like that.

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Guest PurpleNose
When we were mooted to be interested in Barry, I was expecting us to line up like this:

 

Gerrard Mascherano Barry

.....Kuyt Torres Keane

 

 

I think the idea was 4-3-2-1

 

Kuyt Mascherano Barry

Gerrard Keane

Torres

 

Width from fullbacks.

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So you're not interested in an explanation of his thoughts, methods or behind the scenes workings ?

 

I'm more interested in winning games and going up the table.

 

Actually, I'm least interested in hearing our manager talk about the players we missed out and the overall value of the squad. I wouldn't want to go to Anfield and sit there thinking how much the squad value is or how Barry would have thrived in that team.

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