Rafa post match interview

Very very strange intervies with BBC after the game. The reporter seemed obsessed with why Masch was at right back!

Rafa Benítez became embroiled in a bizarre exchange with BBC football reporter Ian Dennis after refusing to reveal why he selected Javier Mascherano at right-back for the game with Sunderland on Tuesday.


Questioned over his team selection following the 2-0 win, Benítez was at his most elusive when interviewed by Dennis. While the interview has been cut from the BBC website, Radio Five Live has provided a full airing of the lengthy game of question and avoidance.


Benítez: "Mascherano had to play there so we needed to do it in this way."


Dennis: "Jamie [Carragher] has played there before so why didn't you use him?"


Benítez: "Mascherano had to play there."


Dennis: "But why?"


Benítez: "Because Mascherano had to play there."


Dennis: "Was it a tactical decision?"


Benítez: "No. He had to play there."


Dennis: "Ok. Any news on your contract?"


Benítez: "No news. We have to enjoy our victory tonight."


Dennis: "You're not helping me much, Rafa! Come on! No clues?"


Benítez: "As I said, the best thing to do is enjoy the victory. I think everyone will be happy tonight."


Dennis: "Enjoy your evening."


Benítez's reluctance to discuss his selection at right-back was mirrored before the game. The Liverpool website still carries the following exchange made between the Spaniard and an unidentified radio hack in the wake of Saturday's 2-0 defeat at the Riverside:


Journalist: "Your injury problems meant you had to put Martin Skrtel at right-back against Middlesbrough. Could you explain why you didn't use Jamie Carragher in that position, and did you feel Martin struggled?"


Benítez: "We had to do it for this game, so we did it."


Journalist: "Do you think he maybe had a tough time in that position? Was it a bit unnatural for him?"


Benítez: "I was really pleased with him because he wanted to play in this position. It was good for the team."

Why ask that more then once. Ferguson was never asked about playing Fletcher at right back was he? I think there hinting at a problem between Rafa and Carra which was hinted at the weekend. Carra refuseing to play at right back! More press sh*te stirring. Fair play Rafa dont give them anything 

Brian you know as I do that nobody questions purple nose about his selections he'd F**k and blind them,blank the tv station,paper or whatever and put the manUre mafia on the case,its only the anticipated victories that are open for discussion

Brian you know as I do that nobody questions purple nose about his selections he'd f**k and blind them,blank the tv station,paper or whatever and put the manUre mafia .on the case,its only the anticipated victories that are open for discussion

Well is Rafa right or should he give them an answer so maybe they show him more respect? I think the press ridicule him to a ridiculous degree. He doesnt deserve it

Maybe Rafa should refuse to talk to the BBC like Ferguson does?

What I believe is Rafa has seen ehough of the English press & doesnt give a damn about what they think or write.He is a forward thinking manager & sometimes some of his decisions do come unstuck & when that happens its a meal day for the reporters who try to highlight it as the footballing news of the century.I fully back Rafa in his campaign against the crap press usually come out with regarding us & its time to give them back what they deserve. 

Mascherano did an excellent job and we won fairly comfortably. They look pretty stupid questioning a decision that came off very well and worked to a tee don't they?

the importing thing is that we done our job, gotten the 3 points we wanted and move in. y is BBC questioning rafa even though we won?

I hear daft things coming from Journo's questioning Rafa on anything he does , Managers such as Allardyce and football people who should know better including some ex-players are also joining in.

Sky being the worst offenders. After the games on Tuesday only Chelsea were mentioned as having any chance of catching the Mancs , we were not mentioned at the time in any way, almost as if we don't exist.

Rafa gets accused of being to defensive which is the biggest lie you could lay at his door, how can we be defensive and yet the stats always show that to be a lie. In nearly every game we have most ball possession, in nearly all games we have double or more shots on goal and Rafa is constantly asked the most mundane questions like ''why do you play Mascha at right back, and not Carra'', is it any wonder that these guys get a short answer.

Rafa should start to do what ferguson does and send out Sammy with the words that he speak the lingo better. I know ive gone off the point but the questions the journo's ask have no point and no intelligence....

I hear daft things coming from Journo's questioning Rafa on anything he does , Managers such as Allardyce and football people who should know better including some ex-players are also joining in.

Sky being the worst offenders. After the games on Tuesday only Chelsea were mentioned as having any chance of catching the Mancs , we were not mentioned at the time in any way, almost as if we don't exist.

Rafa gets accused of being to defensive which is the biggest lie you could lay at his door, how can we be defensive and yet the stats always show that to be a lie. In nearly every game we have most ball possession, in nearly all games we have double or more shots on goal and Rafa is constantly asked the most mundane questions like ''why do you play Mascha at right back, and not Carra'', is it any wonder that these guys get a short answer.

Rafa should start to do what ferguson does and send out Sammy with the words that he speak the lingo better. I know ive gone off the point but the questions the journo's ask have no point and no intelligence....

Yep , totally agree...they juz wanna see us crack under the pressure

All journalists (with a couple of exceptions) are scumbags but it was a question I would have liked to know the answer to.  These post-match interviews are Rafa's way of speaking to us as much as to the press.

Why didn't Rafa just say, "Darby had a slight knock and we thought Masch was a better option than Skrtel at RB because he could get up and down really well, which he showed.  We wanted Carra in the middle because he's the best centre half in the league."

Why does everyone want Rafa to act like Fergie?  He is much bigger person than that whinging whiskey-nosed, old sot.

Just let us (and, grudgingly, the press too) know what is going on.

If we played Carra at RB he would have been killed by Richardson with Pace.

I thought Masch did a fantastic job at RB, Don't see why the Interviewer has to ask him that.

Did the interviewer think he had a bad game or something? Masch had a great game. It was a pointless question really, and there was definately no need to ask more than once. At least Rafa didn't give into it though, nor would I expect him to.

Well in Rafa. Don't give those leech cu*ts anything. You'll get ridiculed for it, but you're the bigger man in my books.

In Rafa We Trust.
Viva la Rafalution.

I thought Masch did a fantastic job at RB, Don't see why the Interviewer has to ask him that.

Because the interviewer is a w**ker.

When the Journo asked him "but why?" He should have turned to him and asked "Donda este el banyo?"  and walked off!

If we played Carra at RB he would have been killed by Richardson with Pace.

I thought Masch did a fantastic job at RB, Don't see why the Interviewer has to ask him that.

So very true,Mascherano had an excellent game and at one stage he even had time to get over to the left back position to give Insua a hand even if it did cost him a free kick.If these media people gave RAFA some respect maybe he would reciprocate.

Because the interviewer is a w**ker.

why don't they leave benitez alone? what have they got against him? does he know better about his team, or they know?

I love it when there is a press conference or interview with Benitez. He makes me laugh, just the fact that he is winding all the press up with his answers which have nothing to do with the question he has been asked. Not only is he a genius with the team but he is a genius in the interview room. All my mates hate it when his interviews are on TV because they feel he is ignorant for not giving away information BUT how can they think that when Fergie is the most boring manager ever and Hughes thinks he can have any player and doesn't shut up about Kaka haha.