Rafa Benitez did the obvious and defended his Argentinian's 'discussion' with referee Steve Bennett in the crucial game at Old Trafford. But Bennett was right to stand his ground and could well have set an important precedent for future conduct.
'Well done Mr Bennett. It looks like the days of the Big Four attacking refs and getting everything their own way could be numbered'
The so called “Grand Slam Sunday” was proof, if ever it were needed, that it is no longer a Big Four but in fact a Big Three despite Liverpool’s attempts to spend enough money to fund a small country’s national health service to keep themselves in there.
I am not to sure it’s a coincidence that these “wonderful”, Sky-fuelled weekends at the peak of English football (devoid of much in the way of English talent) seem to pop up at least twice a season and usually when these teams do not have a European game to think about.
But as we all know the Premier League is not shy in looking after the so-called Big Four.
Let's be honest the fact that Liverpool went a man down didn’t have an affect on the result. But it did however give Rafa Benitez a new excuse to deflect the negative press away from the real questions, and not one mention of the American owners or no money.
Was this a new refreshing Benitez? Not really, he had played right into Sir Alex Ferguson's hands by joining the 'let's show refs respect' debate before big games. And Benitez wasn’t shy in mentioning how he had told his players to do the same, only for Javier Mascherano to show this as a lie.
Did Liverpool and Benitez fall for the old one-two of the Manchester United manager? Definitely, but my question is this, were Mascherano and Benitez right to be so surprised at referee Steve Bennett’s reaction?
Mascherano, despite Benitez's attempts to say otherwise, is one of the players you think of when refs talk about lack of respect. He got Jeremie Aliadiere sent of at Anfield three weeks ago by slapping him and then immediately highlighting to everyone that he had been slapped back. He bends the rules as far as the ref will allow him and that includes constantly haranguing them.
He did nothing different at old Trafford than he does any other game, only the referee did something he normally does not do. He officiated the game as he should do every week and did not allow the players of the so called Big Four to dictate to him.
Well done Mr Bennett. It looks like the days of the Big Four attacking refs and getting everything their own way could be numbered (for everyone apart from Manchester United that is).
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