Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has defended his Anfield record and said he would like to remain at the club if possible.
His comments came in an interview with Guillem Balague in the Daily Mirror where Benitez said that heavy criticism of his Anfield record was undeserved.
Barring an impressive second-place finish last season Liverpool have yet to top the dizzy heights of 2005 when Benitez led them to victory in the Champions League and topped things off with an FA Cup win in 2006.
He said: “There is this legend that Liverpool hasn’t won many trophies, which we have failed in that aspect. Well, Chelsea and Manchester United have won 10 trophies in the six years I’ve been in Liverpool; Arsenal, Spurs and Portsmouth one.
“Liverpool? Four trophies and we have played in three finals. Liverpool have been competitive”.
Benitez revealed his desire to tough it out at Anfield and feels that his successes at the club are not reported fairly given the comparative resources he has had to spend.
“Does Liverpool have to win the league, as everybody demands, every year?” he asked.
And in an apparent sideswipe at the club hierarchy Benitez rued the limitations on managerial powers in England and the lack of transfer funds that meant he missed targets such as Gareth Barry and Dani Alves.
Benitez said: “Does the manager have absolute power in England?
“No, it depends on a budget and on the executive director that negotiates the signings of players.
“And it depends on the money you have and the intelligence with which you operate in the marketplace. Look at the wages picked up by the players on Chelsea or Manchester United’s substitutes’ bench: Obi Mikel, Owen, Kalou, Berbatov, Carrick could be on £4million a year!
“When Portsmouth offered Peter Crouch more money than we were paying him and promised him a starting place, it became very complicated for us to keep hold of him.
“Some people say I have spent £280m. But we have spent £220m on players and generated £160m in player sales. That is the equivalent of a £60m net spend over six years: in other words, £10m spent per year.”
His comments came in an interview with Guillem Balague in the Daily Mirror where Benitez said that heavy criticism of his Anfield record was undeserved.
Barring an impressive second-place finish last season Liverpool have yet to top the dizzy heights of 2005 when Benitez led them to victory in the Champions League and topped things off with an FA Cup win in 2006.
He said: “There is this legend that Liverpool hasn’t won many trophies, which we have failed in that aspect. Well, Chelsea and Manchester United have won 10 trophies in the six years I’ve been in Liverpool; Arsenal, Spurs and Portsmouth one.
“Liverpool? Four trophies and we have played in three finals. Liverpool have been competitive”.
Benitez revealed his desire to tough it out at Anfield and feels that his successes at the club are not reported fairly given the comparative resources he has had to spend.
“Does Liverpool have to win the league, as everybody demands, every year?” he asked.
And in an apparent sideswipe at the club hierarchy Benitez rued the limitations on managerial powers in England and the lack of transfer funds that meant he missed targets such as Gareth Barry and Dani Alves.
Benitez said: “Does the manager have absolute power in England?
“No, it depends on a budget and on the executive director that negotiates the signings of players.
“And it depends on the money you have and the intelligence with which you operate in the marketplace. Look at the wages picked up by the players on Chelsea or Manchester United’s substitutes’ bench: Obi Mikel, Owen, Kalou, Berbatov, Carrick could be on £4million a year!
“When Portsmouth offered Peter Crouch more money than we were paying him and promised him a starting place, it became very complicated for us to keep hold of him.
“Some people say I have spent £280m. But we have spent £220m on players and generated £160m in player sales. That is the equivalent of a £60m net spend over six years: in other words, £10m spent per year.”
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