Is Rafa Benitez clutching at straws with his Champions League hype?

It really gets my goat when people go on about the Champions’ being an easier competition to win. I think this is utter rubbish and it is about time we put a stop to such nonsense. The reason is plain to those that can think it through. Let me help you:- To win the Champion's league, you have to play a domestic qualifying round of 38 games in the premiership (in England). Now it may be you are the best at doing this, in which case you are named champions of the domestic league. This is then carried over to six (or eight depending on whether you finish fourth or third) group and qualifying matches. Then the knock out stages!! So I agree with Rafa that it is much more difficult to win the champions’ league due to both having to play more games and with varying styles and quality.

Rafa has already come out and said his priority is the Champions League and FA cup. Maybe people should listen to what the great man has to say.

Is it not part of the job of the 'manager' to 'manage' the minds of the team? If Liverpool loses in one competition it is Benitez's job to keep his players positive and to keep them focused on the next goal. If that next goal is not met then he would ask the players to focus on the next. One of the few things a manager cannot 'manage' is the actions of the press who seem hellbent to disparage the man at every turn... To answer your question about the comparitive difficulties of winning the Champion's League vs. the Premier League - there will never be a clear answer. Yes, it is very difficult to win the league over an entire season and there are so many things that a manager cannot control... bad luck, injuries, referee biases toward certain teams, and many others. One factor that has always been known is that mental battle between teams that champions like Man U seem to win before the ball is even kicked. A midtable team will see Man U on the schedule and mentally give themselves 'zero' points (wheth

lets move on from all the anti rafa stuff .. hes not perfect but niether is any other manager the press have jumpped all over him and liverpool ever since jose got the boot at chelsea. Now their attention is tuning to kevin kegan and playing prem games in the usa. Uttter dirt! Papers are only goo for fish n chips.