Rafa hits back at Houllier
Rafael Benitez says Gerard Houllier should stop trying to claim credit for Liverpool's 2005 Champions League win.
The Spaniard took over at Anfield in the summer of 2004, ending Houllier's six-year spell in charge, and his appointment paid instant dividends as he led the Reds to European glory in his very first season
Earlier this year, the Frenchman argued that he had played a decisive role in the club's triumph success because "apart from two players, they had been signed or developed under me".
But speaking exclusively to Sky Sports' Guillem Balague, Benitez dismissed his predecessor's claims, arguing that Liverpool adopted a totally different tactical and mental approach under his leadership.
He said that his signings, Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia, made a significant difference to the squad and that the team had moved on from the one that finished fourth in the Premier League in Houllier's final season.
"The last two years of Houllier were not the best," Benitez said.
"I was in charge because they decided to change, so that is one crucial point for me too.
"But the way we arrived at the final, we had a lot of good games and there were a lot of top sides that we beat.
"Key players for us, Alonso and Luis Garcia, were not in the squad (under Houllier) and also the approach of the game changed.
"At Valencia, I tried to play higher and press higher, so you can see the tactics were different, the commitment was different and the passion of the players was different.
"It was a different team."
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_6841476,00.html
