Rafa Benitez has opened up about why he thinks Sir Alex Ferguson was ‘so worried about Liverpool’ when he was manager. The former Reds boss claims the legendary Scottish manager had ‘a lot of things’ going in his favour.
During the Ferguson-Benitez era, United and Liverpool clashed in a number of fierce Premier League battles, with both teams battling for supremacy at domestic and European level.
During the 2008–09 season, United and Liverpool battled it out for the English league title, with Ferguson’s side beating their Merseyside rivals by four points.
Tempers between both managers and teams would flare that season, with Benitez taking Ferguson to task in a now iconic and shameless tirade about ‘facts’.
At the press conference he insisted that United were ‘nervous’ and that he ‘didn’t want to play games’, but attacked Ferguson, complaining that he was the ‘only’ manager who could talk to referees about games and get away with it.
The former Liverpool manager, who has since worked at other top clubs including Chelsea, Everton and Newcastle, has now shed more light on his rivalry with Ferguson during his time at Anfield.
Reflecting on his explosive press conference, Benitez spoke on the Stick to Football Podcast, brought to you by Sky Bettinginsisted he “didn’t burst out laughing” after Gary Neville claimed the “pressure got to him”.
“That’s not possible and I’ll tell you why,” he said on the podcast, before reflecting on his team’s 4-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2009.
He told Neville: ‘We went to Old Trafford and there was a boy with a father. He had a big banner saying, “Rafa is cracking up.” And we beat Manchester United 4-1.
Pointing to the former Man United defender, who missed the match through injury, Benitez added: ‘You were in stitches because Sir Alex Ferguson was so worried about us that he used everything he had in his book to get a win. [that environment].
When we were ahead [in the League] you had two games in hand because you were playing in the Club World Cup, then you came back and won the games and of course you did well.
‘I’m laughing my head off, I joked, because the last 11 games we’ve drawn 4-4 at home against Arsenal and won 10. So we weren’t laughing our heads off – you had extra time, and then you play seven extra minutes and you score against Aston Villa with [Federico] ‘Macheda.’
After their victory at Old Trafford in March 2009, Liverpool would only lose points to Arsenal. Remarkably, in their last five games, they had scored 15 goals and conceded just two.
Benitez took another swipe at Ferguson in the podcast, claiming the legendary Manchester United manager had been “given a lot of things”.
“We’ve played four games after the international break and the Champions League games,” he continued on Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast.
‘We play four games at home and eight games away. Manchester United played eight games at home, even on Sundays – and four games away. Why? Ferguson complained: “Oh, we played the second half of the league at home against the top teams.”
‘Yes, everyone wants to play at home for the second part of the competition! So, he complained. And then I say: “Oh, you can’t decide the games, you can’t decide what you want”.
During his explosive press conference, Benitez indicated that he had to stand up for his team.
“But we played four away games, kick-off at 12.45. And I have to defend my club, and the only way for us – because I could see you were making progress – and the way the games were going with things like extra time,” he said.
‘A lot of things happened, and one more thing, Rio Ferdinand’s handball and it was given as a corner – whatever – I could imagine it would happen.
‘Then I said, the only chance we have is if you lose at home to Chelsea. Then I analysed the games, this is the game. So I wanted to make sure there was a level playing field, and everyone will be focused on that, and anything strange can happen. The problem is that you won 2-0, because they [Luiz Felipe] Scolari later and you were better or something.’