By Redsfan
July 25 2005

Rafael Benitez insists the fans are wrong in likening him to Bill Shankly. Winning the European Cup has made many supporters talk of the similarities between him and the the Great Shanks. Rafa says, though it is an honour to be mentioned in the same breath as the great Shanks, he has his own ideas.

Rafa said:

"Shankly is beyond anything," stressed Benitez ahead of the Champions League qualifier against FBK Kaunas. "He was above all the creator of an ideology. He changed the mentality of the team and produced an ambitious club with a new mentality.

"Bob Paisley won more titles, but Shankly laid the foundations as everybody knows. Those are big words - foundations, ideology - and I am miles away from that. In football everything changes at a fast pace. I am very pragmatic. I think day to day, I prefer to concentrate on improving things progressively and that is your real inheritance - to have the conscience that you have done your job. That is all. If you get the results and people thank you for it, then so much the better."


When Rafa was asked about comments attributed to Chelsea CE Kenyon that all their rival are jealous of the Chelsea outfit, Rafa said:

"I don't waste my time worrying about other clubs and what other people say. We will see what happens over the course of the season. I'm only concerned with my team and what we achieve.

"I will try to do my best in the Premiership and we will see what happens. I don't think I am better now than I was six weeks ago. I prefer to concentrate on the job in hand rather than worrying about how people see me or what they say about me. I'd won two titles and the UEFA Cup before I joined Liverpool and just because I've added one more trophy to that list, it doesn't mean my job is done. It's only just started."