Benitez wants protection.

MontyMagpie · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:40 pm

Benitez wants the most skilfull players protected. What is with these managers SAF and now Benitez wants to protect the most skilfull players. Surely all players should have the same protection and we should not single out certain players and rap them in cotton wool.

Benitez said players such as Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to the list of players he feels should receive protection after SAF mentioned Ronaldo.

He says the use of retrospective video evidence make players careful as they will then know that there are cameras watching them. Benitez says "If players get banned for three games the first week it is done, then three games on the second week and more on the third, it will soon stop".

Is he and Alex ferguson right or are they both full or sh!t?

I think the latter.

papa5murf · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:15 pm

The article I read about it was that Rafa didn't come out and say his players needed protection. It was more of a response to Fergies 'mind games'. He was calling out Fergie for intimidating the refs and asking for protection for Ronaldo before this Sunday's matchup. And saying Fergie is playing mind games with the refs dealing with protection of key players. Rafa then made the statement that if Ronaldo receives special treatment and protection that he expects players like Gerrard and Torres to receive the same protection.

shlj · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:31 pm

I think all players should be protected aginst violent and dangerous play
Of course skillfull players are easy target, what would the point of injuring Gary Neville for example?
If a player wants to take out or injure someone they will do ronaldo Rooney or tevez or gerrard and torres.

G_Man · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:31 pm

Wtebar · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:44 pm

G_Man wrote:

Ba ba ba ba babybel

MontyMagpie · Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 2:28 am

papa5murf wrote:

The article I read about it was that Rafa didn't come out and say his players needed protection.

I'm referring to the BBC article

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/7308716.stm

MontyMagpie · Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 2:31 am

shlj wrote:

I think all players should be protected aginst violent and dangerous play
Of course skillfull players are easy target, what would the point of injuring Gary Neville for example?
If a player wants to take out or injure someone they will do ronaldo Rooney or tevez or gerrard and torres.

The keeper could be good to take out. Might win you the game especially if you know they don't have a sub keeper on the bench.

shlj · Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:04 am

Reading- Chelsea Laughing

innit · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:32 am

G_Man wrote:

A pair of rubber gloves and some scissors ought to be enough.

(And before anyone asks about number 11, the goalkeeper has enough protection anyway.)

papa5murf · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:36 pm

MontyMagpie wrote:

papa5murf wrote:

The article I read about it was that Rafa didn't come out and say his players needed protection.

I'm referring to the BBC article

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/7308716.stm

Got it.

Here's the article I read and was referring to.

Quote:

Benitez Annoyed By Fergie Ref Tactics
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has accused his Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson of trying to intimidate the match officials before the two sides clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Ferguson this week has called for referees to protect his star player Cristiano Ronaldo more so than they are at the moment. The United boss fears that teams are targeting the Portuguese starlet and that such rough house tactics could ultimately cause him to leave the Premiership.

The tactics of Portsmouth in the club�s recent FA Cup defeat were cited by the Scotsman, but Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez believes this is just another way for Ferguson to play minds games before a big game.

"Ferguson is clever, that is clear" Benitez said. "After a difficult game, he was talking about referees and before an important game against Liverpool he is talking about protecting Ronaldo.

"The referees, though, have experience and they will know Ferguson. This kind of treatment must be the same for all the teams and all the players.

"I wasn't surprised last week to hear what he was saying. I just want to go into the game with the same situation as the other team.

"I think the referee has experience and is strong enough so I don't see it being a problem.

"Ferguson is very clever and has a lot of experience.

"I don't know what he was thinking about exactly, but if you need to protect Ronaldo, you also need to protect (Fernando) Torres and (Steven) Gerrard and all the skilful players in the league."
Benitez went on to suggest that implementing the use of video evidence would go a long way towards protecting the country's most skilful players.

"I have always felt that video evidence should be used after a game for disciplinary matters," he added.

"You can find things, you can protect players for the next game. Everyone will see that players have to be careful, they will say 'I can't do this again because I could be banned on what the video shows'.

"To me it is clear, you do not need to change the game, you just need to analyse what has happened. If players get banned for three games the first week it is done, then three games on the second week and more on the third, it will soon stop.

"It will take just a few weeks of this type of action and things will change very quickly."

He added: "A lack of respect for officials is the same problem, more or less, in lots of countries and major leagues.

"It is something we can improve. The players and managers must set an example for youngsters.

"I certainly try to do this. Sometimes you can be bitterly disappointed by something but you must try to be calm and try not to create any problem for referees.

"It is different talking about using technology to judge goals, which FIFA have rejected. To use technology for incidents in a game is valid.

"If a referee gives a yellow card for a tackle, or a yellow card for use of the elbow, and then afterwards you can see the intent, then why can the decision not be changed?

"A referee can say he made a mistake. And the next time, the next player will not do the same."

Kylus · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:22 pm

Did anyone else see the footage they showed on sky sports last week (Last Word, I think) of some of the challenges made on stars in Spain? Made me "lol" that the general perception is those players not getting protection will move to Spain, when the tackles there are just as nasty.

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Benitez wants protection.

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