Hicks: Rafa should focus
23 Nov 2007 - 16:31:20
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has been told to focus on winning matches rather than complain about being unable to sign players by co-chairman Tom Hicks.
The Spaniard was noticeably unhappy during his press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League meeting with Newcastle United.
He refused to answer any questions concerning anything other than the forthcoming match before cryptically suggesting he could one day become England manager.
Reports have suggested Benitez's unhappiness was down to a disagreement with Hicks and fellow co-chairman George Gillett over further investment in the squad during January.
But Hicks has left his manager under no illusions about where he should be focusing his efforts in the future.
"After the Champions League final in Athens, Rafa made certain demands of us and we responded to those demands in the summer," he told the Liverpool Echo.
"We brought in some good players and spent more money than has ever been spent before at this club.
"We now have some crucial games coming up in the Premier League and the Champions League and we want to see if we can win these games with the players we have.
"This was the message we gave to Rafa recently and I think during the international break he must have grown a bit frustrated about this.
"We told him to concentrate on the games coming up and nothing else and I guess he didn't like that.
"But, for the time being, we just need to be focused on what happens on the pitch."