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Wanderers Ways. Neil Thompson 1961-2021

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Posted
Sam's a good mate of old red nose, hes just helping to keep the pressure on Benitez thats all

 

 

Sir Alex Ferguson has renewed hostilities with Rafael Ben?tez, accusing the Liverpool manager of "arrogance" and showing "contempt" in his dealings with fellow Premier League managers.

 

 

First, the Manchester United manager lambasted the Spaniard for his description of Everton, United's FA Cup semi-final opponents at Wembley on Sunday, as a "small club", before rounding on him for the attitude he showed in dismissing Blackburn last weekend, once Liverpool had scored a second goal at Anfield. Blackburn's manager, Sam Allardyce, later added stringent criticism of his own.

 

 

Ferguson said: "Everton are a big club, not a small one which Benitez arrogantly said. But arrogance is one thing. You cannot forgive contempt, which is what he showed Sam Allardyce last weekend. When Liverpool scored their second goal he signalled as if the game was ?finished. I do not think Sam deserved that. Sam has worked so hard for the LMA [League Managers Association] and he's had a weakened team. I just thought it showed contempt.

 

 

"In my experience no Liverpool manager has ever done that. It was beyond the pale."

 

 

Allardyce has reviewed footage of Ben?tez's gesture, which followed Liverpool's second goal in their 4-0 victory. Although Ben?tez is well-known for his hand signals from the technical area, Allardyce insists that his opposite number's gesticulations following ?Fernando Torres's 33rd-minute header were directed towards him and his team.

 

Allardyce's understanding is that Ben?tez crossed his arms over dismissively, as if to suggest "that's it, game over, job done". Allardyce also believes that Ben?tez showed a lack of respect by not showing up in his own office for a post-match drink.

 

 

"I think if everybody has a look back at his gestures you will see them as pretty dismissive to me and the Blackburn ?Rovers team as a whole," said Allardyce. "I was hugely disappointed by those gestures. I think they were disrespectful and quite humiliating. Having looked at them again this week, I think I'm right and ?everybody will see why I'm complaining.

 

 

"The feeling was that he had written us off. It was open arms and then a ?crossover of the arms as if to suggest that was it. I admit it was a hard game, a difficult game for us, and we were well beaten by an outstanding Liverpool side. But in terms of respect, you don't expect those sort of things to happen in a game of football. I was very, very upset by it.

 

 

"The game is hard enough as it is without a fellow manager doing what seemed to be an undermining gesture. I then waited to have a word with him after the game in his room, but as usual and unfortunately, he didn't turn up.

 

"Not explaining himself by not turning up in his office really shows what he is like. The only people I saw were [Liverpool head coach] Sammy Lee and a few of the staff, but he never showed his face. That was just as disappointing as the gesture, and it typifies the man."

 

 

Allardyce has made no attempt to contact Ben?tez to try to clarify the matter. "Why should I?" he asked. "If he can't come into his own room and have a drink with his fellow manager, why would I want to pick up the phone and speak to him?

 

 

"I gave him the opportunity by being courteous enough after being beaten 4-0 to go and have a drink in his room. There was no need for those sorts of gestures, and my opinion as to whether I'm right is obviously going to be speculated upon by other people, but I think I'm right.

 

 

"He would have had the opportunity to have explained himself if he had turned up in his room, but [he] didn't, so that's why I'm talking about it today. It's in the past now and I'll move on, but I just want to make everybody aware of what I consider to be a lack of respect for me, the Blackburn Rovers players and the football club as a whole."

 

 

Asked if the issue would act as motivation for Blackburn's crucial relegation match at Stoke tomorrow, Allardyce said: "It doesn't matter what Rafa Ben?tez does or doesn't do. In the end, in terms of us wanting to stay in the Premier League, that is what we've been after from day one.

 

 

"What I expect is a little more respect from a fellow manager."

Posted
What the hell is he wittering about now - body language of all things.

Give it a rest fat boy your team were lucky not to concede 10.

 

I agree with you mate but i dont think Big Sam should be slagged off - hes still a legend in my eyes

Posted
I agree with you mate but i dont think Big Sam should be slagged off - hes still a legend in my eyes

 

And in his own too, unfortunately.

 

He's still a fat slug media whore IMO.

Guest squidgy66
Posted

Feguson is getting involved now in the latest war of words.

 

Much as I think he is a cocck, does anyone else find the whole petty Ferguson v Benitez mildly amusing :pardon:

Posted
Feguson is getting involved now in the latest war of words.

 

Much as I think he is a cocck, does anyone else find the whole petty Ferguson v Benitez mildly amusing :pardon:

 

Yep!

Posted

benitez was actually right, though

 

in fact, the game was up when allardyce played samba up front and left mccarthy on the bench

Posted
in fact, the game was up when allardyce played samba up front and left mccarthy on the bench

 

......... which by playing a weakened team was disrespectful to Liverpool .

Posted
benitez was actually right, though

 

in fact, the game was up when allardyce played samba up front and left mccarthy on the bench

 

What a wonderful bit of man management by the way, something he is widely praised for.

 

Can you imagine how humiliated McCarthy felt sitting on the bench whilst a Centre Back is playing as the lone striker.

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