SOCCER/ ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: RAFAEL BENITEZ conceded that Liverpool must beat Manchester United at Old Trafford to keep their fading title aspirations alive, after they were held to another damaging home draw by Manchester City yesterday.
City became the sixth team to leave Anfield with a point this season, courtesy of the former Liverpool forward Craig Bellamy, and enabled Alex Ferguson’s champions to establish a seven-point lead over their closest challengers.
The draw capped another frustrating afternoon for Liverpool at Anfield, where Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso were sorely missed and Benitez is still refusing to sign a lucrative long-term contract. And it was left to the Spaniard to accept the size of the task now facing Liverpool as they attempt to win their first league crown since 1990.
“I think we will have to beat Manchester United now,” said the Liverpool manager, whose side travel to Old Trafford on March 14th. “Clearly it is more difficult now. It is a bad result. We have to beat Middlesbrough and Sunderland and start thinking about if we can win at Old Trafford.
“You never know what can happen but clearly they can win games and win games without playing well. I have confidence that we can beat Middlesbrough and Sunderland and then it will be a different situation. There are still 12 games to go, you can’t say anything is finished.”
The City manager, Mark Hughes, believes the title is now United’s to lose after his club produced a vastly improved display on their last away outing, the 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth. “There is still a long way to go but Liverpool are probably looking at Manchester United slipping up more now, and they don’t do that very often.”
The widening gap between Anfield and Old Trafford was not Liverpool’s only concern yesterday, with Benitez refusing to elaborate on reports he has rejected another contract offer from the owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
The Liverpool manager briefed Sunday newspaper journalists at a press conference on Friday about his reluctance to commit to a new deal that would keep him at Anfield until 2013. Yesterday, however, he insisted: “I said in the press conference that we had to concentrate on football. I didn’t say anything more.”
When asked if he expects the saga to be resolved within the next few days, with Liverpool meeting Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, he reiterated: “We have to concentrate on football.”
Benitez’ latest problem with his contract is believed to be the absence of a clause that allows him to walk away from Liverpool under a new ownership regime. The Spaniard wants legal assurances that if, as expected, the Americans’ sell or dilute their 100 per cent stake, and their replacements as owners fail to invest significantly in the squad or he finds himself encountering the same fractured relationship that exists between Hicks and Gillett, he can quit. The Americans are unprepared to commit to a clause that, due to the uncertainty, affects their asking price for the club.
As for the performance against City, Benitez said: “We needed to score first again. Then we conceded to a deflection at the start of the second half and the game changed. City have players with quality and pace and they worked hard today. They were always dangerous on the counter-attack.”
Benitez will assess Gerrard’s availability for Madrid following training today. “It is not an easy decision but he is improving. It will be close,” the Liverpool manager said.
Guardian Service
