Ferguson: We’ll investigate over Heinze episode

Aug 25 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

SIR ALEX FERGUSON yesterday slammed “churlish” Rafael Benitez then claimed Manchester United are taking the extraordinary step of investigating Liverpool’s conduct in the Gabriel Heinze affair.

Ferguson has revealed United chief executive David Gill is currently checking what contact Liverpool had with Heinze over a proposed move to Anfield, which fell through earlier this week.

A three-man panel eventually dismissed the Argentina defender’s argument that a letter signed by Gill, citing a fee at which a deal could be done, constituted an agreement to sell.

Liverpool manager Benitez was stunned by the verdict after he was “100% confident” Heinze would end up at Anfield, and regards some of the evidence presented to the panel by United as “unbelievable”.

Nevertheless, the Premier League chose to side with United rather than Heinze, who has instead moved to Real Madrid.

And Ferguson, whose United team have suffered their worst start to a season in 15 years, yesterday hit back at Benitez, and when asked whether he was alleging Liverpool had ‘tapped up’ Heinze, he replied: “We will see how it comes out.”

Ferguson is no stranger to ‘tapping up’ allegations, after having been the subject of 14 public complaints of illegal approaches since 1998.

But Benitez believes the fact United went to such lengths to prevent Heinze from moving to Anfield is a sign they regard Liverpool as a serious threat to their championship crown.

“They have shown us they think we are stronger now because they didn’t want us to sign a very good player,” said Benitez.

“Now we have to show them they’re right and do everything we can to be even stronger in the future.”

Benitez has grown increasingly unhappy with what he perceives as favourable treatment towards United, particularly over the drafting of the fixture list and the ease at which the Premier League passed Carlos Tevez’s transfer when compared to the drawn-out nature of Javier Mascherano’s move to Liverpool.

But a bullish Ferguson said: “What Rafa said is a bit churlish. He obviously did not study the Premier League rules because he had no chance of winning the case.

“But we are looking at Liverpool’s whole role in this. David Gill is working on it at the moment. We will get to the bottom of it and see what comes out because we are not letting them off with it.

“I am really disappointed with Rafa. He is going on about Saturday fixtures after European games.

“Well, he wants to look at our fixture list over the last two or three years. Maybe then he would have something to complain about. As for Carlos Tevez, it took about three months.”

Benitez will hope Liverpool can put the frustrations of the past week behind them when they travel to Sunderland for their first early kick-off of the season today.

They are likely to be without Steven Gerrard, with Mascherano the favourite ahead of Momo Sissoko to replace the skipper.

Benitez is backing whoever comes in, and said: “It is clear that we have a better squad and more players in this position so if we have to play without Steven Gerrard it will be easier.”

The Liverpool manager expects a tough game at the Stadium of Light, and is a fan of the job Roy Keane has done since taking charge at the Black Cats last year.

“Roy Keane is a great manager,” said Benitez. “The last season was amazing because to be in the bottom of the table and then promoted to the Premier League is really good.”