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Posts Tagged ‘press’

• Argentina midfielder wants a change of lifestyle
• ‘Maybe for my life I prefer to change the country’

The Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano insists he has no problem with the club but just fancies a change of lifestyle. The 26-year-old has made no secret of his wish to leave Anfield, with Internazionale and Barcelona reportedly interested in acquiring his services.

Speaking after Argentina’s 1-0 win over Republic of Ireland, he told Sky Sports: “The only thing I want to say is I don’t have nothing against the Liverpool supporters, the Liverpool people. My problem is not to play for Liverpool. I’m very proud to play for Liverpool. It’s another thing.

“I said to him [the new Liverpool manager, Roy Hodgson] that maybe for my life I prefer to change the country, not to change the club – that is the fact.

“Sometimes you can see all the things that the papers or the press say, but at the end the only thing I can say is thank you to everyone in Liverpool because they supported me all the time, from the beginning until now.”

LiverpoolTransfer windowguardian.co.uk

• Liverpool manager has yet to meet new chairman
• For me, the club has to answer a lot of questions, he said

Liverpool’s manager, Rafael Benítez, has called on officials at the club to “answer a lot of questions” about the future direction things will take.

The Spaniard has a meeting scheduled this week with the chairman, Martin Broughton, in which he expects to be given detailed information about what plans are being put in place for next season and beyond.

Broughton, also the chairman of British Airways, has been brought in by the co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to oversee the sale of Liverpool but it has taken him nearly three weeks to schedule a meeting with Benítez.

That has not pleased the manager, who would like to stay at Anfield despite strong interest from Juventus.

Benítez, 14 months into a five-year contract, wants an enhanced transfer budget in order to bring in the five players he feels they need to get back into Champions League contention, never mind a title challenge.

“We have plenty of time in this season, I still have four years of my contract left and I still I have to talk to the new chairman,” said the Spaniard. “It [the meeting] is to talk about the future. Everyone is asking about my future but the future of the club is more important.

“Still I do not know what is going on in the club. I don’t know if we will have any investors so there are a lot of questions – not just, for me, one question. For me the club has to answer a lot of questions. It is very clear: we have to wait and see what is going on. The future is maybe tomorrow or maybe one week; at this moment it is something we don’t know.”

Benítez refused to clarify his future plans after Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat to Chelsea, which ended their hopes of Champions League football for next season. But he expressed his frustration at the campaign which appears to be going on around him concerning his future. He is unhappy about the way Juventus have publicly targeted him but also hinted there were may be factors at work within Liverpool to try to force his hand.

“If I have a conversation with him [Broughton] we will try to keep it private,” said Benítez in his now-familiar cryptic style. “At this point we have to concentrate on next Sunday’s game at Hull. There are too many rumours in the press and I know some people are just trying to create a mess.

“To be fair we were trying our best last week, signing [Charlton's two-footed midfielder] Jonjo Shelvey because still we have the same mentality – to improve the club and do the best for the club. I try to do my best every day.”

Benítez has received the backing of Yossi Benayoun, although the Israel international added to the uncertainty by stating he did not know whether he would be around for the start of next season. “When you are at a big club and things go bad, it is normal for the pressure to be put on the manager,” said Benayoun, who was linked with a move away in January. “Rafa has done a great job and we are trying not to look at what has happened in the past. Rafa has proven himself, he is a big manager. The people above will make the right decisions.”

Benayoun admitted the squad are disappointed with the way the season had turned out, with early exits from the Champions League and FA Cup compounded by a failure to finish fourth. But he stressed the off-field situation needs to be sorted sooner rather than later.

“We have tried to do our best but it hasn’t been good enough,” said the midfielder, 30 on Wednesday and who has yet to decide his future. “Liverpool are a great club and I enjoy it but a lot of things are happening in this moment and we will have to see it. A club like Liverpool must do everything they can to keep players like Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres but a lot of things can change and in a few weeks we will know better.”

Rafael BenítezLiverpoolPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk

• New contract will allay fears of move to Barcelona
• ‘Liverpool know I want to stay,’ says Argentina captain

The Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has pledged his future to the club and expects a new contract to be signed “in the next few weeks”.

Securing the Argentina captain and the Spain goalkeeper Pepe Reina on extended deals have been a priority of the Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez.

With Reina close to concluding an agreement, it appears Mascherano will not be far behind him. “The club are talking with my agents,” said Mascherano, who was a reported target for Barcelona in the summer.

“I don’t like to be involved in the contract meetings so I leave that to my agents and the people at the club. Liverpool know I want to stay. I don’t think it will be difficult to arrive at a deal and we will see what happens in the next few weeks.”

Benítez has always been confident the 25-year-old would extend his stay at Anfield despite speculation to the contrary and the player sees his future at Anfield.

“I have never said I was not happy at Liverpool – that was the press,” said Mascherano, who has been one of the more consistent performers in a disappointing season, even when filling in as an emergency right-back on a couple of occasions.

“I am happy here and the only way I can show that is with my performances on the pitch. I always try to do everything I can to help my team-mates and manager.

“Sometimes I can do well and sometimes I can’t, but I always look to give 100% in training and in games.”

Meanwhile, Benítez is wary of the threat 20-goal Darren Bent will pose when Sunderland visit Anfield on Sunday. The manager knows his defenders will have to be at their best if Liverpool are to avenge October’s 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light.

“Bent is a good player,” Benítez told Liverpoolfc.tv. “He’s always thinking about scoring and it could be a problem for us. Twenty goals in the Premier League is a fantastic achievement.

“They have some other good players and they showed good team spirit in the game in October. I think they’re improving a little bit now so it will be dangerous.

“They will be working hard, they’ll try to be organised and push and press and play counter-attack. But playing at Anfield makes a big difference for us and we’ll have to play well in front of our fans.”

It was Bent who scored the winner in October – with a little help from a beachball which had strayed on to the pitch. Benítez added: “It was a pity. It was a difficult situation, a big mistake that cost us the rest of the game. We have had some problems this season but to change your luck you need to work hard.”

LiverpoolRafael BenítezPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk