Bearded Benitez, who of late has been dispensing sneers and put downs with the frequency that Clattenberg dishes out red cards to Evertonians, has started to show his softer side.The Daily Mail is reporting that Rafa and Stevie G ‘today cleared the air’ over the decision to sub Gerrard off in the Merseyside derby, much to the visible frustration of the club’s captain. Gerrard claimed to be “hurt and disappointed” by Rafa’s managerial decision, but the Bearded-One strangely explained that the change was because Liverpool needed “less passion”. Interesting…
Benitez told Liverpoolfc.tv:
“When you are a manager you need to make decisions, not just think about them. You must think how you can win the game. Every player is the same for me when you are trying to win a game.We have talked because every player would be disappointed, especially Gerrard because it was a derby. He wanted to score the winning goal, but he is okay. After some time he’ll understand that it was an idea and I was thinking about the best for the team.You know when you change a player he must show that he wants to play, but I think he was okay at the end.”
Gerrard, also talking to Liverpoolfc.tv, said that although he was in a strop at the time, he feels better now – three points and a derby win being the best rift-healers there are. Gerrard said:
“I’m a local lad so the derby is really important to me and I would have liked nothing better than to play the full game and to be on the pitch when we got the winner.But as it turned out I was taken off and Lucas Leiva who replaced me played a crucial role in us getting the winning goal.I was hurt and disappointed at being taken off because, like I said, I’m a local lad and the derby means everything to me.”
Always good to see people getting along. Until Gerrard finds himself out of the next match too according to Rafa’s Lunar Calendar Of Rotation.