Former reds boss Rafa Benitez has exposed the widely known division between him and Christian Purslow during today’s press conference ahead of Inter’s game against Spurs.
The media pressed Benitez about Liverpool’s situation and his responsibility for the club’s current 19th place in the Premier League.
Benitez said:
“I prefer not to talk about this because I feel sorry for the fans. I was really sad for them and after the defeat the other day (against Everton).
“We have a saying in Spanish that says ‘white liquid in a bottle has to be milk’. This means that, after 86 points and finishing second in the league, what changed? The Americans. They decide and choose a new managing director and everything changed.
“The managing director is involved in all the decisions. New lawyer, new chief of press, new manager, new nine players, new medical staff, new fitness coaches. They change everything, so they change managing director then we change everything that we were doing in the past.
“If you ask me what’s going on it’s simple – they changed some things and by the end they changed everything. White liquid in a bottle – milk. You know who to blame!”
Christian Purslow anchored the departure of Rafa Benitez in the summer to the European Champions before setting up on his quest to bring Roy Hodgson to Anfield in the summer of 2010.
unitl Jaunary, so its a must that we get a new or caretaker manager in straight away. We need someone who will comand respect and performances off the players and at the moment there is only one man for that task KING KENNY.
it all wrong, they are losing the fans respect aswell as making us a laughing stock. I mean losing to Blackpool (no disrespect Blackpool I hope you do well this term you deserve it) but we should not lose to teams that have got a sunday league size ground. Ian Holloway will go down in history up North while Roy will go the same way except Ian will be a hero while Roy will be and already is in ALL our eyes the villian.
Please get rid of him NOW before its too late, we cant get rid of the players
boardroom rubbish took over and ruined the club. As for the players they should be ashamed of themselves they play for lfc not the board, its the same as Rooney he has come out and stated he wants out so why dont our so called stars do the same or just get on with doing their jobs.
We dont just become a bad team overnight, we were excellent against Arsenal yet turn rubbish there after come on something isnt right. Surely the board can see this is not working under Roy but the players are doing
Agree with you and I think they are using so – called player power to get rid of Roy too. He should never have been given the job. Kenny in for rest of season then see how we perform and either offer it to him full time or look elsewhere.
I am no to sure on O’Neil as he seems a bit like Rafa when he does’nt get his own way he strops. Rafa was treated very bad which was wrong with what he did for the club, houillier got us to where we belonged and Rafa took us 1 step further until all this
I was one who thought it was time for Benitez to leave but like in any marriage if you have been married to Jenifer Lopez you don’t divorce her and marry Ena Sharples!! you look for someone better than you already had – Liverpool FC needed a new start from top to bottom -New Owners – New Manager -New CEO and dare I say it new players (especially Gerard & Carra- who along with Purslow were instrumental in getting rid of our manager)- this is the worst period in LFC’s history.
in 38 away fixtures over 2 seasons and you’ve got a chump. Before people slag off Rafa’s transfers, I’d take a fit Aquilani over Meireles any day. Why on earth spend 10m on a player we don’t need. New striker anyone? Good winger? Roy’s transfers have hardly been good have they. Oh yeah, he’s got his hands tied I forgot. Hmmm, didn’t Liverpool make a profit in each of Rafa’s last FOUR transfer windows? The best team we’ve had at the club since 1990 is the team of 2008/09. Rafa’s team. FACT
Rafa Benitez is absolutely 100% spot on with his comments. The people running Liverpool Football Club have not got the first clue about football. Why on earth would you sack a manager of Rafa’s calibre and replace him with a guy that has done precisely nothing with a top club. Add that to the fact that he oversaw the worst relegation in premier league history with Blackburn (they were the most expensively assembled set of players ever to get relegated) and the fact that he has a measly 4 games
I have two idiots at work who blamed everything on Rafa. Have a look at a post I put on the official website in response to Hodgson’s analysis of the game. it is under eder82 which is another name I use. it is so plainly obvious how much Purslow is involved in the club. Shankly once said directors are only there to sign cheques. But today’s directors want to be stars just like the managers and players and that is the current problem at Liverpool.
BTW, you can think about Houllier what you want (I think that he’s put us back on the European map), he surely loved Liverpool too, but he never came back and blamed anybody for the things that went wrong under his tenure. I think that is more dignified behaviour and that is why I hold him in high regard as a person.
True about Houillier. I guess that’s why I for one am wishing him well with Villa. He looks a lot happier down there- he always seems to be smiling on TV. I remember him being grumpy most of the time at Liverpool.
Rafa gyaranteed 4th place because that is positivity and spole like a matador…. so ANTEATER you want a timid manager with low expectations then you should be happy with roy hodgson… i mean northampton are formidable, win at everton utopia, lets not lose 6 nil, …. do you want me to carry on….
i have a brilliant business idea… an academy of the uneducated fans of our great club and make them literate in all things liverpool… i am ashamed that we have so many idiots that are so thick
You are reading a bit much into my comment there, don’t you? And I find it quite offending that you call me uneducated and thick as you have never met me and don’t know anything but maybe a few lines about me. It makes you sound not too clever if you judge people like that. Do you really think that everyone should have the same opinion you hold because your opinion is the absolute truth and everything else is false?
Is this the man who guaranteed a forth place finish last season?
Go back and read the full quote. He guaranteed it on the condition that our starting 11 remained fit and injury free.
If Roy continues on, the Reds will be Red carded from EPL. As simple as that. So please get rid of Hodgson asap.
Get rid of Hodgson.
appoint king kenny Dalgish as our new caretaker boss
Ken08, I agree with everything you say about Hodgson but lets face it the Benitez bird has flown and it’s time to look elsewhere. My sense is we need a thorough overhaul at the club that certainly should involve Hodgson leaving and if Purslow needs to go so be it. We should get King Kenny in NOW for the rest of the season- obviously is that works out and he wants to stay after that then fine. Otherwise we need to go for someone quality next season- definitely NOT O’Neil.
Simon,how many top drawer managers are there?i DONT want Mourino then there is Hiddink,Ancelloti and Frank Ryjcard with comparible tactical nous,Rafa would jump at the chance to come back BUT with changes to his EPL tacticts and not getting too involved with boardroom politics,but with the new boardroom in place with open discussion
and them affording the players he wants when he wants them,would be good business,Oh and Rafa outhought all the above YNWA
There are some we just won’t get (Wenger for instance) or wouldn’t want even if we could get them (Ferguson). Has anyone thought about Ian Holloway???!!! ;-))) After all he outhought the tactical genius Roy Hodgson.
i think the players involved(Gerrard and maybe Carragher and other) conspired against Rafa with Purslow,Broughton and other simply to appease the paymasters,and God i now hope they`re ALL
happy to bring LFC further on its knees,never in a million years is Hodgson a Liverpool manager
and his non existant tactical nous, i personally want Kenny in till Rafa`s contract expires at Inter and
return to his rightful place. Shame on Gerrard and others and`managerial sources` via Henry Winter
Or liquid paper (Tipex)…..
Nothing like a Benitez comment to bring out the post Istanbul fans.
He was our best manager in 20 years and considering he had no money to spend in 3 years and was undermined by the owners and the managing director, he seriously overachieved in getting our highest ever Premier League points total.
And considering we are 19th at the minute – it looks like he massively overachieved finishing 7th last year as well.
Some of you need to learn a bit of respect.
Jeez what a twit, does he think all Red supporters are stupid, only those who cannot think for themselves will be taken in by this drivel.
Or it could be medicine or liquidised dandruff……
By the way what on earth is that quote about the milk supposed to mean? White liquid in a bottle could be cream or it could be sperm, hundreds and millions of them, waiting to get out and impregnate people. I really can’t understand what on earth he means. Can someone explain?
Simon I think the English expressions that explain it are : If the cap fits… and If it walks like a duck…
In other words Hickabilly and his mate put cecil in and he changed everything… The manager, the staff and some players.
Probably some meaning thats lost in translation!
Well said Rafa.
Most of us know full well about Purslow’s media briefings against him, and the £8M deal to get rid of Rafa and bring in Roy has really put us on the path to glory.
Purslow’s disrespect for communicating with fans, lying about transfer investments and over-involvement for transfers are well documented.
I am sure that in the next few weeks he will finally be removed, along with Roy, and the H&G era at Anfield will finally be over.
TOTALLY AGREE WITH BENITEZ. GET RID OF PURSLOW, AND GET A MANAGER WHO CAN TAKE US FORWARDS AND NOT BACKWARDS!!
I think one aspect of Rafa that we won’t miss is his endless politicking. Before he joined Liverpool he did the same thing at Valencia. Also what he seems to be forgetting is that he was, I believe, very keen that Purslow’s predecessor Rick Parry should be given the boot. When Parry was in charge we were fed endless stories about how the two of them didn’t get on. I have no doubt that he was a good manager but my sense is that he was too much of a control freak.
fired hodgson…!!!!he dont know to manage the big club….and take a new manager like martin o’neil….or take rafael benitez again……if hodgson stay in the reds it means the reds will out of the premier league…..
I cant agree with you more. Roy has got to go he cant motivate himself let alone the team. Look at his body language Sunday at least with Rafa he would have his team talk half time and more often than not they would come out a different team second half. Just look at AC MILLAN game.
This guy does not have a clue he has buckled under the belief that he was our saviour. I am not being funny but he couldnt save a drowning fly let alone a sinking ship.
looks like there has been turmoil and infighting behind closed doors,lets hope with new owners things bw sorted out.
Rafa should keep his opinions to himself and go with dignity.
Don’t care whether he was asked or volunteered this; he gave us some good times (and thank you for those) but ran out of ideas and steam.
He chose the team, not Purslow and must accept responsibility. If he carries on like this he will lose the respect he earned.
It is ok for every tom dick and harry to have a go at rafa but when he responds it’s not o.k to some of our eneducated fan base the deluded bunch who were anti rafa and do not have a brain cell to actually evaluate the cancer running through our football club….. how is life under roy ….
in rafa i trust ,,, but we do not deserve this great man….
Trevor mate Rafa chose the team that cecil had allowed him to have. Get it?
Put another way…If you are managing a team and I’m the MD and give you cheap alternatives to the players you asked for will it be your fault the team is not performing or mine?