Rafa Benítez was managing Liverpool and Dimitar Berbatov was at eventual champions Manchester United the last time the clubs were in a title tussle. They recall that 2008-09 season, when United lost both games, and assess this year’s battle
Rafa Benítez, Dimitar Berbatov
Saturday January 16 2021, 12.01am, The Times
How big is this game?
Benítez It will be important, for sure, but not crucial to what happens in the rest of the season. There will be plenty of time to rectify what happens in this game. The confidence you get from winning is the main thing. You can win in a “bad” way and what I mean by that is you get lucky. Apart from three points, it is maybe not that useful. If you win in a “good” way and are much better than the other team, then that shows you are strong. It feels more important.
Berbatov United are in a good position now. That was a very important win over Burnley [the 1-0 victory at Turf Moor on Tuesday night] — the kind of win that you need to become champions. Sir Alex [Ferguson] was always happy when we used to win the games 1-0, not 5-0. It’s the same result, three points. With a 1-0 win it shows that you have been concentrating the whole game. Trust me, these matches are the hardest. Now they are going to face Liverpool, a completely different game and, if they win it, it will be better for all of us who support the team.
Both teams have pressure. Manchester United to stay top and continue their run and Liverpool to respond to losing top spot.
Benítez People are saying United changed this or that, but they were doing similar things. They needed a couple of good results to get confidence because they have top-class players. Watching some games, I could see a good team with good players and they were missing maybe a little bit of pace, the tempo of the games was maybe a little bit slow sometimes. But in terms of players, and level of the players, it was a question of time for me.
Liverpool have the intensity. They have the tempo normally. They can see Manchester United on top now and so that means they have to get back to being more consistent. If they have made mistakes recently, then they have still had consistency during the season.
But this is a very strange season. The way that you train and behave in the week is not the same. If you get the virus, you can recover but a lot of people still have problems. It is quite complicated to judge someone and be categorical in expressing your opinion.
Berbatov The pressure will be there for United. It doesn’t matter that there are no fans. You put it on yourself, because we are human beings. You think: “What if I make a bad pass? What if we lose this game?” Maybe Liverpool will have a bad day; look at the injuries they have, and you need to take advantage of that. You need to be clever, cunning and be smart, because United are fighting for a Premier League title. Just imagine how they will feel if they end up moving six points clear after the game. That would be an unbelievable feeling for the United players. They will go into the game with respect for Liverpool but they must have no fear.
United have lost semi-finals under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Liverpool have lost finals under Jürgen Klopp. Is this a process you have to go through before winning?
Benítez As a team you can have potential and quality, but you can still be missing something. You need players who are competitive and whose mentality is to be winners. It is not just about getting them into the team, but being in the squad and the dressing room and pushing everyone.
When I went to Napoli, [Edinson] Cavani was sold to Paris Saint-Germain and everyone was telling me about his mentality and how competitive he was. He was a winner. I am sure he will have some influence in the dressing room.
Bruno Fernandes was a player we were following at Newcastle United. He was at Sporting Lisbon and he had an issue with his club. There was a chance he could leave on a free. We were progressing but the problem was that the matter would go to court and that would complicate it. The club didn’t want that. He has been crucial for United. He changed everything with the way he is playing — assists and goals. He has “personality”. He tries to look for the right passes. In recent games, I saw him going to press with determination and intensity.
Berbatov It’s four semi-finals in a row that United have lost and at the same time they are doing so well in the Premier League. You start thinking: “What is the problem here? How can it be like this?” I lost my fair share of semi-finals too. But when it’s four in a row, you start thinking: “There is a habit here, probably.” Maybe United just didn’t take their opportunities, but if they win the Premier League, everyone is going to forget about that.
Who do you think are favourites tomorrow?
Benítez These games are very complicated. I have the feeling that Liverpool can do well, but I have to be honest, and Manchester United have been doing well in recent games. It will be 50-50, or 60-40 with my heart. If you have problems in defence you have to try to protect that area by staying more compact but, at the same time, your style is to press and push the other team. You have to take risks.
The problem with Manchester United is they have some pace up front and you have to be sure not to let them run easily behind your defenders.
Berbatov We all know the kind of players that Liverpool have, and they would like to cut the difference in points and go back on top. It doesn’t make a difference that the game is being played at Anfield, but the difference is the players. Liverpool have great players and a great manager but they will give United the respect they deserve because, at the moment, United are in first place. I would expect United to win, with my history with the team, but it’s going to be a tough game.
Which other teams do you think will contest the title race?
Benítez For me it will be Manchester City if they continue improving. Leicester City are doing really well, Chelsea have spent a lot of money and have a good team. But in terms of experience and consistency, Manchester City have to be there.
Berbatov I have always been drawn to the underdog, that is why I thought it was unbelievable when Leicester won the title. This year we have Manchester United, Liverpool, City in the running. I was happy to see Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the table. Hopefully they will get back on track and surprise a few people.
A United fan holds up a “Rafa’s cracking up” banner, but Liverpool won the match 4-1
A United fan holds up a “Rafa’s cracking up” banner, but Liverpool won the match 4-1
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The 2008-09 season was the last time Liverpool and United really went head to head in a title race? What do you remember about that run-in?
Benítez Everyone talks about the press conference I gave before the Stoke game, but people forget United had two games in hand. We had 45 points from 20 games, Chelsea had 42 from 20, and Man United had 38 from 18. I was trying to express something that was happening in English football. No one can argue about the facts I gave. I read this week that Mark Clattenburg [the referee] said he gave three penalties to Liverpool in one game at Old Trafford but that David Moyes was the United manager. He said it would not have happened if Sir Alex had been in charge. I wanted to try to ensure we had a level playing field until the end of the season. They did better than us and you can say: “OK, well done.” They had a good team, Fergie time, [Federico] Macheda’s goals and history is written for the winners. But we finished with ten wins and a draw in 11 games, so how is it that United got under our skin? I remember we were going to Old Trafford and there was a boy with his father. He had a “Rafa is cracking up” sign and then we beat them 4-1. They can say what they want, and they won the league, but it is not true.
Berbatov I wasn’t usually big on watching press conferences or that kind of thing, but I remember this one happening. Sir Alex was a master of mind games. He knew how to get under the skin of managers and players, and take advantage of it, make you make a mistake and in the end, most of the time he gets on top of you and he takes what he wants and in that case it was the Premier League.
That year, every time we got to the dressing-room door, Sir Alex would be standing there and he would say one word to every one of us before we went through the door and out on to the pitch. He would say: “Concentration, concentration, concentration,” and this is very important because every game is decided by mistakes that you commit on the pitch, and if your concentration level is high you will not make more mistakes.
● Interviews by Paul Joyce and Paul Hirst. For more from Betfair ambassador Dimitar Berbatov head to www.betfair.com/berbatov
