This isn't Anfield: Benitez looks relaxed while
addressing reporters in Milan on his "White liquid in a bottle
has to be milk" statement.
Rafael Benitez laid the blame for Liverpool's downward
spiral on the ousted American owners and their decision to appoint
Christian Purslow as managing director.
In a cryptic attack that bore more than a passing resemblance to
Eric Cantona's infamous 'seagulls and trawler' speech, Benitez
compared the reasons behind his old club's alarming decline to a
bottle of milk.
Speaking ahead of tonight's Champions League clash with
Tottenham, the Inter Milan coach defended himself against former
co-owner Tom Hicks' claim that Liverpool's disastrous start had
been down to him wasting money in the transfer market.
'I feel really sorry for the fans,' said Benitez, who watched
his former club's Merseyside derby defeat on Sunday.
'I was really sad after the defeat. We have a saying in Spanish,
which is, "White liquid in a bottle has to be milk".
'What does this mean? It means that after 86 points and
finishing second in the league, what changed? The Americans, they
chose a new managing director and everything changed.
'So, what changed? The managing director is involved in all the
decisions: new lawyer, new chief of Press, new manager, nine new
players, new medical staff, and new fitness coaches - they changed
everything.'
Benitez was referring to the changes implemented by Purslow
since he was appointed by Hicks and co-owner George Gillett in June
2009, effectively taking over from former chief executive Rick
Parry.
Benitez had fallen out with Parry and his power battle
with Purslow is believed to date back to a row over whether
Liverpool should sign Joe Cole or the manager's preferred option
Marouane Chamakh.
Benitez left in June after six years in charge and joined Inter,
taking most of his backroom staff with him, and believes Purslow's
recruitment policy has contributed to the problems at
Anfield.
He added: 'At the beginning, they changed the managing director
who was talking with some players, and they changed everything that
we were doing in the past.
'So, if you want to ask again what was going on, it's simple:
they changed something and, at the end, they changed everything.
So, white liquid in a bottle: milk. You will know who is to
blame.'
Que, Rafa? The Inter Milan manager, pictured in
training with Samuel Eto'o, had a cryptic message
Pressed to clarify his comments, Benitez would only add:
'White liquid in a bottle. If I see John the milkman in the Wirral,
where I was living, with this bottle, I'd say, "It's milk,
sure".'
Harry Redknapp believes Benitez was given all the financial
support he could have wished for from the Americans.
'Tom Hicks has had terrible criticism,' said
Redknapp. 'Liverpool were never short of spending money. If it
went wrong here I couldn't blame Daniel Levy. It wouldn't be his
fault, it would be my fault. I'm the one who brought the players
in.'
