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  1. S.Gerrard: "I couldn't understand Rafa's thinking in wanting to take on SAF, a master of mind games, when we were sitting so calmly on top."

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    Gerrard: "When I met up with England all the MUFC players told me Fergie was just laughing at Rafa, saying: 'I've got him. I've got him."

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Gerrard: "Rafa kept saying 'fact fact fact' & I could not believe what I was hearing. I was grabbing the couch, feeling embarrassed for him"

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I don't think Rafa Benitez liked me as a person. I'm not sure why, but that's the feeling I got from him. It probably started even before he spoke to me, when he met my mum.

Rafa was appointed as Liverpool's manager in June 2004 — and I was playing for England in the Euros in Portugal that summer.

Even though he was being replaced by Rafa, Gerard Houllier still loved Liverpool and he remained very close to me. He and my mum flew out to Portugal to watch me play for England against Croatia — and they bumped into Rafa.

 

Gerard introduced Rafa to my mum. Rafa shook her hand, said hello and then immediately asked her a very blunt question: 'Does Steven like money?'

Apart from a standard 'Hello... good to meet you' introduction, those were the first words Rafa said to my mum. I thought: 'What kind of question is that?'

I can pick up the phone and speak to all of my previous Liverpool managers. Except for Rafa.

It's a shame because we probably shared the biggest night of both our careers — the 2005 Champions League victory in Istanbul — and yet there is no bond between us.

I used to think he favoured our Spanish-speakers. He was an especially big fan of South American players, which is fine. It caused no problem between us.

At press conferences he might call other players by their first name but I was always 'Gerrard'. It was the same in the dressing room. He would read out the team and use nicknames. But, for me, it would just be 'Gerrard'.

 

It wouldn't have made me play any better if he'd suddenly started calling me 'Stevie'. I just wanted to win the next game and I knew Rafa could, usually, help us achieve another victory. He was the best tactical coach I worked with at Liverpool and England so I didn't care what he called me.

If we were to bump into each other tomorrow there would be no unpleasantness but maybe a day will come when we can actually have a deeper and friendlier conversation and reflect on everything we experienced at Liverpool.

Our working relationship was ultra-professional and his frostiness drove me to become a better player. I had a hunger to earn a compliment from him — but also a hunger to let him know he really needed me as a player. We were like fire and ice. Passion surged inside me, while Rafa was the strategic thinker. 

 

One time he did suffer a meltdown involving Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson. I went home from training that Friday lunchtime and switched on the TV. Rafa sat down with his usual half-smile. It looked likely to be a normal press conference, but then he reached into his pocket for a piece of paper.

He spread it out on the table and began to read out one 'fact' after another. Rafa kept saying 'fact... fact... fact...' and I could not believe what I was hearing. I was grabbing the couch, digging my fingers into the arms, feeling embarrassed for him.

Rafa started by saying that maybe Manchester United 'are nervous because we are at the top of the table'. I thought: 'Uh oh, what's happening here?'

It seemed so unlike Rafa to talk in such an emotional way. You could see the anger in him. 'I want to talk about facts,' Rafa said. 'I want to be clear, I do not want to play mind games too early, although they seem to want to start. But I have seen some facts.'

Rafa went off on a ramble about how Manchester United and 'Mr Ferguson' had not been properly punished for various misdemeanours. He listed dates and incidents and concluded that 'Mr Ferguson is the only manager in the league that cannot be punished for these things'. 

 

He then railed against the fixture list and the timing of matches being skewed in United's favour. Rafa was sounding muddled and bitter and paranoid. He was humiliating himself. It was a disaster. I couldn't understand Rafa's thinking in wanting to take on Ferguson, a master of mind games, when we were sitting so calmly on top of the table early into a new year.

When I met up with England all the Manchester United players told me Fergie was just laughing at Rafa, saying: 'I've got him. I've got him.'

Rafa made a lot of decisions with himself in mind. He wanted power and control. I didn't like it. Fighting with the board, other managers and the press wasn't the Liverpool way.

Rafa had fallen out with the owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett. We were all starting to doubt them but Rafa talked to the press about problems with his new contract.

Rafa broke the focus of the team. We got asked about it all the time in the media: 'What's all that about? Why has he done that?' We never found out because Rafa didn't say a word to us. I think he felt awkward because he knew it backfired. 

 

That weekend Manchester United hammered Chelsea 3–0. We drew 0–0 at Stoke. My managers over the years have been diverse personalities, with their own style of working.

On a basic human level I prefer a likeable manager, such as Gerard Houllier or Brendan Rodgers, but in terms of football I really don't mind working with a colder man. An emotionless and distant relationship with the likes of Rafa Benítez and Fabio Capello can sometimes produce more success.

It would not be my style if I were to ever become a manager — I'd try to fuse the best of Rafa's tactical thinking with Brendan's skill as a man-manager.

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Steven Gerrard has revealed he was appointed “unofficial” negotiator at Liverpool by Brendan Rodgers, including for failed moves for Willian and Toni Kroos.


In his autobiography, serialised by the Daily Mail, Gerrard claims that Rodgers asked him to send texts to potential club targets in order to persuade them to move to Anfield.


Gerrard admitted himself at feeling slight embarrassment when contacting the likes of Champions League winner Toni Kroos personally, telling Rodgers he was “p*****g into the wind” by targeting the then Bayern Munich star.


The former Liverpool captain’s claim that the club asked him to text targets because it “would have more impact coming from me” also doesn’t reflect all too kindly on Rodgers’ lure for star players.


‘I had an unofficial role at the club, trying to persuade some great players to join Liverpool,’ Gerrard wrote in My Story. ‘It was the same ritual every summer. The club would let me know which long-shot target they had in mind and then ask me to contact him. They thought that a request to consider moving to Liverpool would have more impact coming from me.


‘In 2013, the latest player in our sights was Willian, the Brazilian midfielder. I followed the usual routine when approaching a star player we wanted to sign. Instead of calling him directly I always sent a text. It seemed more respectful and allowed the player to read my message at a time when it suited him best. A cold call felt wrong.


‘I slipped into the groove with Willian. I said hello and hoped he didn’t mind me contacting him directly. I stressed how much I admired him as a player and then, having mentioned that I knew Liverpool were speaking to his agent, I used the standard line: ‘If you need to chat or ask any questions I’m available at any time.


‘It was the opening move in a familiar game. The reply came in and the same old conversation started. Willian thanked me and he said the usual, along the lines of, ‘I’d love to play with you, Steven, blah-blah-blah, but there are other clubs who play in the Champions League I need to talk to as well.’ I knew Spurs and Chelsea were also very keen on Willian. So I answered him and said, of course, I understood. But I then went in with my sales pitch. ‘I think Liverpool would be a great move for you. The fans are amazing, the history is there and we’re building a good team. You could do something great here – and we’d love to have you.’


‘I meant it, too, because the club only asked for my help if it was with a player I rated. But I always tried to persuade with honesty and respect and never mentioned anything about the player’s financial situation or the contract he could expect from Liverpool. The next text from Willian was so obvious I could have written it for him even before I read it. He again said that it would be great to play in the same team as me but ‘I’m not sure Liverpool can give me the Champions League.’ He went to Chelsea.


‘It was a game of texting ping-pong that had only small differences each time. Occasionally a player would say his wife or girlfriend preferred the idea of living in London, Madrid or Paris. The clear message was that there were fancier shops and swankier restaurants in bigger cities than Liverpool. I knew then that the deal was dead.


‘Our target in 2014 was ridiculously optimistic. Brendan asked me to take a crack at trying to talk Toni Kroos into signing for Liverpool. He smiled when I said we’d be p*****g into the wind with this one. We both admired Kroos immensely. I knew Real Madrid were gearing up to make Bayern Munich an offer and so I felt a bit awkward when I texted Kroos. The German was on his way to winning the World Cup with his country and Real were the champions of Europe. But God loves a trier, and so I gave it a whirl.


‘Some of the best footballers in the world can also be the most respectful. Kroos didn’t make me feel like I was a total idiot. But, of course, he would soon sign for Real Madrid. We had a nice little exchange of texts and I said well done and good luck.’


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Mourinho...


On creating a legacy: “This is the first time I am going to do that so I don’t have good or bad experiences of doing that. I have nothing to show to anyone.”


On third seasons: “Stop asking stupid questions. I’m telling you that the question is stupid.”


On problems at the club: “It’s quite sad that so many people try to find problems when there are no problems.”


On team news: “[Falcao] has a little problem, but nothing important.”


Begovic...


On Mourinho: “I thought he was the best manager in the world and you can see why.”


On the Everton game: “We’re disappointed. The mood wasn’t great after Saturday.”


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