Monday, May 26, 2008

Benitez warns it's difficult to catch big-spending rivals

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) - Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez says winning the Premier League next season is just "an option."

That's unlikely to please feuding owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr., who want Benitez to lead Liverpool to its first league championship since 1990 as a main priority.

Benitez feels the league is harder now to win than when he joined Liverpool in 2004. But he implied Sunday that the Americans, who are locked in a bitter power struggle, are an obstacle with the Reds unable to match the spending power of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in the transfer market.

"It's more difficult because after two years of Chelsea winning the league and spending big money, United needed to do the same," Benitez said. "They started spending big money, and Arsenal were also spending big money on young players.

"We are trying to do the same but because they are continuing to spend big money, it makes it more difficult to catch up ... We will try to do our best and the key for me is to not talk about the title."

Benitez brought the European Cup back to Anfield in 2005 after a 21-year absence and was only denied a second Champions League final appearance in three years by Chelsea in the semifinals.

He has stressed his preference for European play while his side has consistently fallen short in the Premier League. Liverpool finished fourth last season, 11 points adrift of winner Manchester United, which is within one title of matching the 18-time champion's record haul.

Enhancing the squad is even tougher with the Anfield civil war showing no signs of a resolution, despite a wealthy Dubai group ready to seize control.

Benitez has warned the American owners that teams below Liverpool are spending big money in a bid to break into the traditional "Big Four" and qualify for the lucrative Champions League.

"You also see Aston Villa, Newcastle, West Ham and Everton spending money and having strong teams," he said. "It's not easy to be in the top four and be contenders, but because we have a young squad we can try again."

No comments: