Doubts on Rafa Benitez are ‘crackers’ – Southgate

Jan 14 2008 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

GARETH SOUTHGATE has branded doubts over the future of Rafael Benitez as “crackers”.

The Middlesbrough manager saw his side hold Liverpool to a 1-1 draw on Saturday at a ground where the Merseysiders have failed to win in the league for six years.

It leaves Liverpool 12 points behind leaders Manchester United and Arsenal and eight points behind Chelsea in third.

Southgate revealed he is not surprised by growing concerns that Benitez does not have the backing of American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who made no move to quash claims that they sounded out Jurgen Klinsmann about the Anfield manager’s job last summer.

Conversely, the Middlesbrough manager enjoys the unequivocal backing of his chairman Steve Gibson despite the fact that his side is hovering dangerously above the relegation zone. But Southgate admitted: “It is a very different situation to ours. I guess that when you talk about Liverpool, their aims are different because of their history.

“Most of the chairmen who are in the game now are successful businessmen in their own fields, rather than it being a hereditary takeover like it used to be, and they are going to demand results.

“I am lucky I have a chairman who is very realistic on how quickly things can be achieved and turned around.

“People are pumping in tens of millions. But only one can win it and three who go down. There will be some who spend tens of millions and end up with nothing. That is the competition that is there.”

On Benitez’s status, Southgate said: “My feeling is the game is crackers at the moment. So it doesn’t surprise me. Clearly his record is outstanding. What he has won there and the finals he has already reached you cannot say his record is not superb.”

Southgate feels that holding Liverpool at home a month after they inflicted Arsenal’s only defeat of the campaign on them, can only boost confidence in the battle to avoid relegation.

He added: “We had the biggest crowd of the season so it is pleasing to give a performance to give them something to shout about. That is something we can build on for the rest of the season.

“The big sides are do not like coming here. Because of the sorts of results we have it must be in the teams’ minds. We have had a lot of draws or wins against Liverpool that’s for sure.”