Jermaine Pennant, still technically a Liverpool player, has stabbed the Liverpool boss in the back only hours in to his loan move to Portsmouth.
The player, who clearly thinks very highly of himself is baffled as to why Benitez doesn’t play him when so many sides want him, and claims many Liverpool players don’t understand him. The player, lest we forget, is still on Liverpool’s books.
Pennant, who wasn’t holding a bottle of Jack Daniels during the interview, said:
“I felt like my career was rotting away at Liverpool.
“I found it strange that I had been linked with a move to both Real Madrid and AC Milan, but couldn’t even get on the Liverpool bench.
Not that strange Jermaine. Neither Real Madrid or AC Milan are title contenders. And if they were so interested – why are you at Portsmouth?
“Some people were asking me why I was not getting a sniff, even on the bench. But Rafa was the manager, and had his team, so I suppose I could not have a lot of argument.
Who was asking. Your mum? Your dad? The fella at the local offy?
“I don’t know what it is between him and me really, but I have to say half the players at Liverpool can’t seem to work him out.”
Let me guess. Is this the half of the team who don’t play much?
“Rafa didn’t speak to me very much. I think the last time was in 2006… only joking,”
“Seriously, though, he hardly ever spoke to me apart from saying, ‘Good morning, how are you?’ and I sensed I might not have a future at the club.
“I was training on my own on a Saturday when the rest of the boys were playing and you can only put up with that for a certain amount of time before you have to decide what to do.
But only last week you were going to ‘fight for your place at Liverpool and didn’t want to go to Portsmouth’.
“I don’t know if foreign managers don’t like the mentality of English players and the way we work.
“Peter Crouch was moved on, and now I have. You can’t really knock Benitez because he has won the Champions League and a load of other trophies, but I wasn’t part of his plans and it will be nice to be appreciated again.”
Here we go, poor talented English player blaming it all on foreign players. You weren’t good enough Jermaine – face it.
“Tony is just the same as when we were together at Arsenal, that’s the great thing about him. He is just like one of the players, and it’s easy to forget he’s the gaffer.”
Yes. Seems to be working well. Congratulations on losing 2-0 at home to league side Swansea on your debut.
“I’ve come here to Portsmouth to do a job for them and when my contract is finished in July then the world’s my oyster. I don’t think Liverpool will be watching or coming back for me.”
Anyone else reckon we should cancel the loan agreement and let Jermaine get the rest of the players boots really really shiny for the second half of the season?
@Kev, re: your point on Daniel Alves, we were in for him and the deal collapsed (maybe Rick Parry could answer why), and Rafa bought Pennant, as a second choice. If the deal for Alves had gone through I don’t think we would be having conversations about second choice players, which is all Pennant was at Arsenal and is all he will ever be remembered as at Liverpool. As someone else pointed out, watch the door behind you Jermaine, I never expected to much of you when we signed you, so I’m not too surprised about this rant now that you’ve finally gone.
Pennant didn’t have the bottle to play for Liverpool. He has talent but not much else. He lacks heart and game intelligence. Other wingers chip in with there fair share of goals, mostly by picking up the loose balls at the far post. Pennant scored 2 goals in his time at Liverpool. One was a cracker against Chelsea, the other was a clearance which hit him and fortiously went over the full-back and goalie’s head. If he wants to see what a winger does, he should look at Albert Riera who rips teams apart with his technical ability and then crosses or passes a mean ball. He also has 4 goals to his credit already this season. Liverpool don’t need passengers. Sure there are a few more but thankfully none as bad as Pennant.
It would be a lot easier to laugh at Pennant if we had someone decent on the right wing right now instead of Kuyt and Benayoun…………. but since we don’t I find myself (in spite of my dislike for Pennant) substantially agreeing with at least some of what he has to say. Incidentally you state that Pennant is biting the hand that feeds him but Rafa Benitez is the subject of Pennant’s criticism not LFC. I for one have no trouble telling the difference.
Well Gerrard, Carragher, Alonso, Reina, Kuyt seem to understand Rafa quite well. Is it mere coincidence that these are the players that do the business every week too? Pennant was clearly never up to the task, neither was Crouch, Bellamy and nor is Robbie Keane. It’s pretty simple really. If you find a player that has had loads of other clubs then avoid like the plague. It’s quite obvious they’ve never been rated as ‘good enough’ at their previous clubs in the first place so what do we want with them? Mediocre ability + questionable attitude = Rubbish. Both Bellamy and Pennant fit this equation quite nicely, so did Don Hutchison by the way. With regards to Babel, well it’s clear he has ability but in fairness he goes missing too often in games. He came with a big price tag and a reputation of being the next John Barnes. I think he should be doing more to keep his place in the side. I like Kuyt, I think he gives his heart and soul for Liverpool, but let’s face it, if a wide player with any quality emerged that could beat players and cross the ball properly instead of slapping the thing into the box like he does all too often, then Kuyt would not be playing would he? It’s up to Babel to displace Kuyt in the side becuase I doubt he’ll get a game on the left. Pennant couldn’t displace Kuyt either becuase all too often he was found wanting. Remember, we were in for Daniel Alves at the time, but when that one didn’t come off Rafa made a ‘panic buy’ getting Pennant in. That’s like being after Kaka and ending up with Kevin Nolan.
Pennant was a bad boy for Benitez he Drinks too much.
We were sometimes wondering why he wasnt at least on the bench?
Rafa played him in Athens and he could have won the game for us had he been a better footballer. He had more of the ball than any other player that night yet did nothing with it!!
Jermain .Do your talkin on the pitch mate.Unfortunately your new team have just been knocked out of the FA cup
and you cant play against us(on loan!)
Enjoy your short stay at Pompy
PLAY UP PENNANT PENNANT PLAY UUUUP!!
“Pennant, who wasn’t holding a bottle of Jack Daniels during the interview, said…”
Brilliant.
Pennant is a bad trainer (alledgedly) with a terrible attitude who has failed to deliver on the pitch. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Liverpool have lost a real talented player.When he was playing he put in the most crosses(quality) in the league….something thats not happening now.Torres and Keane would thrive on his service…..but instead Rafa insists on using Dirk Kuyt who cant cross his legs let alone a ball.Another POOR decision by Rafa.Wake up Liverpool…….Rafa is ruining this great club.
Well bad karma seems to follow JP i wonder why. First game his side loses to Swansea. Perhaps he is angry as now he has to show up for training on time. Perhaps he might end up in turkey with harry kewell.
I may or may not disagree with you, but that last sentence regarding the boots really made me laugh.
I really don’t see why you are so sarcastic, Pennant is right, he hasn’t been given a lot of chances, neather has Babel by the way, and he is probably the next player to leave Liverpool. Half of the player can’t seem to work Benitez out, well neather can half the fans. Some players seem to play every week, no matter how bad they play, Keane, Kuyt and dont forget Leiva (what is he doing in Liverpool), while Babel gets 10-15 min. accationally on the wing, why not try him as keeper. You comments doesn’t show a great knowledge of football.