Empty handed: But Benitez says you don't need to
win trophies to be successful
It was a day when things could not get much worse for
Rafa Benitez. Liverpool’s
manager saw his side crash to their fifth Premier League defeat of
the season as they were beaten 3-1 at Fulham , having
Jamie Carragher and Phillip Degen sent off in the
process.
The defeat casts immense doubt on Liverpool’s ability to
challenge for the championship. But according to Benitez, winning
trophies is not what the game is all about.
In the build-up to yesterday’s game, Benitez insisted: ‘I don’t
agree with people when they say you have to win trophies. I always
say the same, you have to be there. You
have to improve, you have to create a group of players who can
fight for trophies.
‘We got 86 points in the Premier League last year and
some people say it wasn’t a good season for us. But to finish
second and reduce the gap to four points was a massive
achievement.
‘So it depends, trophies mean a lot for everyone. But to see the
progression of the team means you can guarantee that you will be
there in the future and that you can fight for the trophies.’
Many managers, especially those who, like Benitez, appear to
have fallen short of expectations in the trophy department, could
not hope to survive such an extraordinary admission. But Benitez
will be safe from the sack even if his side do crash out of the
Champions League this week.
He goes into Wednesday’s £15million match against Lyon with
assurances about his long-term future from Spanish-speaking
managing director Christian Purslow, the man who now holds the real
power at Anfield rather than lame duck owners Tom Hicks and George
Gillett.
Purslow’s backing is vital, as he is the eyes and ears of the
Royal Bank of Scotland, with whom Hicks and Gillett had to
refinance a £350million loan in the summer.
An indication of how the power base has shifted at the
club came when Gillett was hauled into line recently after telling
supporters’ groups that Benitez was to blame for Liverpool’s
indifferent start to the season.
The hapless American was forced to do a quick U-turn and hail
the Spaniard as the best manager in the Premier League.
Even though Benitez had to fight off speculation about his
future before last Sunday’s face-saving win against Manchester
United, the truth is Hicks and Gillett no longer have the power to
sack him and sanction a £20m pay-off without Purslow’s
agreement.
Benitez was defiant after yesterday’s defeat at Fulham,
insisting that he does not feel under pressure, despite a nightmare
series of results punctuated only by the victory over United last
Sunday.
‘I had the same question before United but after that everything
changed,’ he said.
‘In football, you have to keep calm and try to find solutions.
When you are not winning, you have analyse why. You all saw the
game against United. We are confident we can turn things
around.’
Seeing red: Jamie Carragher is sent for an early
bath
Liverpool need a win in France on Wednesday to keep
their Champions League hopes alive after defeats against Fiorentina
and at home to Lyon. Elimination from the group stages would cost
Liverpool an estimated £15m and hit Benitez’s ability to spend
during the transfer window.
Benitez, who has not won a trophy since leading Liverpool to the
FA Cup in 2006, is aware of the flak he will get if Liverpool crash
out, but he is adamant that it will not detract from his and
Purslow’s long-term goals and he argues that his real job is to
maintain Liverpool’s position among the country’s elite.
But he does accept that his transfer budget will be cut if
Liverpool do not reach the knockout stages of the Champions League,
although he insists: ‘It will not make a massive difference when
you look at the long term. We are looking beyond just the
next transfer window.’
