http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/...-sir-alex-ferguson-sam-allardyce-rafa-benitez
Ferguson claims Benítez displays total 'contempt'
• Allardyce joins in attack on Liverpool's manager
• Anfield sources laugh off 'co-ordinated' criticism
A long time ago Rafael Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson shared a joke but do not smile together now. Photograph: Neal Simpson/EMPICS Sport/PA Photos
Sir Alex Ferguson, backed up by his close friend
Sam Allardyce, launched a sustained attack on
Rafael Benítez last night. The pair accused the
Liverpool manager of being
"arrogant," lacking "humility" and displaying "absolute contempt".
Ferguson first criticised the Spaniard for dismissing Everton,
Manchester United's opponents in tomorrow's FA Cup semi-final, as a "small club". He then alleged Benítez had openly taunted Allardyce during Liverpool's 4–0 defeat of Blackburn Rovers at Anfield last Saturday, making a provocative gesture to signal that the game was effectively over once the second goal was scored. "To get that kind of contempt, I don't think any other Liverpool manager in the past would ever have done that," Ferguson said. "But he [Benítez] is beyond the pale."
The claims were ridiculed at Anfield where there is a strong suspicion that Ferguson and Allardyce, both of whom dislike Benítez, collaborated before their respective press conferences yesterday. "Rafa has laughed off what is clearly a co-ordinated attack on him," said a source close to the Liverpool manager.
Allardyce, who looks up to Ferguson, also questioned Benítez's "humility", using similar language. "He [Benítez] opened his arms out and then crossed them over as if to say: 'That's it!' The gestures he made were dismissive to myself and to Blackburn Rovers," Allardyce said. "They were disrespectful and quite humiliating."
Ferguson, who said he had not spoken to Allardyce and had seen it on Match of the Day, went further. "There's one thing with his [Benítez's] arrogance that you can't forgive and that is his contempt for Sam Allardyce last week. Did you see it? Absolute contempt! He went like that [crossing his arms back and forth] as if to say: 'Game finished!' I don't think Sam Allardyce deserved that. A guy who has worked so hard for the League Managers Association, looking after young managers and players, he didn't deserve that."
Benítez is yet to respond but there is a sense of bemusement inside Anfield about the allegations and, in particular, why Ferguson has felt it necessary to get involved. Allardyce did not raise the issue after the match and Benítez says the only gesture he made was a self-deprecating one to Xabi Alonso because the goal had originated from the midfielder ignoring his advice at a free-kick.
Benítez instructed Alonso and Emiliano Insúa to take a short free-kick and attack the Blackburn full-back, Keith Andrews, two versus one. Instead, Alonso whipped in a long ball that Fernando Torres headed beyond Paul Robinson and the Liverpool manager responded with a gesture to his players that apparently loosely translated as: "You were right. What do I know?"
The TV pictures appear to support Benítez but Ferguson says there is a case to answer. "I saw it and I'm surprised nobody picked it up," he said. "I think you should respect a manager. I don't think you'd ever get me doing something like that - you won't. You have to have humility."
Asked whether he had ever had any altercations with Benítez during games, Ferguson replied: "I've never had any of these issues like that. He's never done that – never had a chance." He went on to question why Benítez had insisted on having control of Liverpool's transfer business. "He has played himself into a powerful position. He wants control of all the transfers - for whatever reasons I don't know, but that's the last thing I'd want. Crikey!" There was also a thinly veiled swipe about Benítez 's recent criticisms of himself. "I don't know what he does in his spare time, but he's certainly not using it in the right way." Of Benítez's remarks in 2007 about Everton being a "small club", Ferguson added: "Irrespective of what Rafael Benítez says, they are a big club. He called them a small club, which just points to his arrogance."
Allardyce, who described Benítez before last weekend's game as someone who "loves moaning and whinging" has not got on with the Spaniard since his time as Bolton Wanderers. He said: "I went to have a word with Benítez after the game but unfortunately and, as usual, he didn't turn up.
"He probably was avoiding me and that shows you the measure of the man. It was a gesture that said to me: 'Finished, you're done.' He didn't do it directly at me, but it was more or less in my direction.
"I've looked at it three or four times, I've taken all week to have a calm and clinical look at it. I can only be of the opinion that's what he meant by it. From someone of his standing I'd expect better – but that's the way the man is. He needs to show a bit of humility."