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Archive for January, 2010

• Liverpool’s manager counters Italian reports that a deal is fixed
• Spaniard says he has not met officials of the Serie A club

Rafael Benítez has denied claims that he has already agreed personal terms with Juventus and is scheduled to finalise a summer move to Stadio delle Alpi with the Italian club’s lawyers tomorrow.

The Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, reported yesterday that the Juventus president, Jean-Claude Blanc, had “already fixed everything with Benítez and has in his drawer a detailed agreement of his terms and length of contract”. While the Liverpool manager has left the way clear for a move at the end of this season, admitting on Friday that he was “proud” of Juventus’s interest, he has dismissed the idea he will meet a delegation from Turin this week.

In a statement released tonight, Benítez said: “Contrary to reports in the Italian media this weekend, I want to make it absolutely clear I have no agreement with Juventus and have not and will not be meeting Juventus or their representatives or any other club. I have a long-term contract with Liverpool and I’ll repeat what I said on Friday that I am happy here and my only focus is to do my job as well as I can to get the team back into the top four, beginning with the derby against Everton.”

Rafael BenítezLiverpoolJuventusPremier LeagueAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Italian media suggested deal was agreed with Turin club
• ‘I have no agreement with Juventus,’ says Benítez

Rafael Benítez has denied that he has met with officials from Juventus to discuss the managerial position at the Serie A side. The Spaniard has been linked with the Italians since they parted company with Ciro Ferrara last week and appointed Alberto Zaccheroni as caretaker until the end of the season.

The Liverpool manager said on Friday that

In a season filled with disappointment, Liverpool can take heart from one achievement. Rarely have a side so lacking in rhythm, nous and conviction threatened to achieve their eventual ambition. It is now five wins in six matches for Rafael Benítez’s team and this latest was arguably the ugliest of the lot. No matter, though, while that much-desired fourth place remains in sight.

The majority of those at Anfield desperately wanted to see their side swagger through games again and might have thought this would be the day. Bolton have not won at this ground in 56 years and, despite two consecutive wins under their new manager Owen Coyle, cannot be considered a major threat. But, yet again, a visiting side made life uncomfortable for Liverpool.

Ultimately they did triumph thanks to a close-range first-half strike from Dirk Kuyt following Alberto Aquilani’s nod down and then, 20 minutes from time, an own goal from Kevin Davies. The Bolton forward was unlucky to see Emiliano Insúa’s speculative drive squirm off his thigh and beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen in the visitors’ goal.

That aside, Liverpool rarely threatened. Steven Gerrard was shifted to the right wing in a bid to free him from the shackles of his expected man-marker, in this case Mark Davies, but the Liverpool captain, despite the increased room, could not influence proceedings in his usual manner.

It was, though, his close-range shot after 53 minutes from which David Ngog, brought into the side to play as a lone striker, missed an absolute sitter. With the goal open following Jaaskelainen’s low save of Gerrard’s strike, the Frenchman somehow managed to skew a drive from fewer than four yards out on to the bar.

It seemed then that Liverpool would once again crumble, but Kevin Davies’s bad luck soon afterwards eventually secured the win and kept the hosts within a point of Tottenham in fourth.

Time will tell how long Liverpool will continue to win ugly, but what is certain is that should Benítez, as he has hinted, join Juventus in the summer, the Turin club will hope he does not bring such dourness with him.

Premier LeagueLiverpoolBolton WanderersSachin Nakraniguardian.co.uk