Alex Ferguson and Rafael Benitez: Stupidity in the Guise of Mind Games

Mind games have always brought an extra edge into football. Sir Alex Ferguson is an outstanding example of how to unsettle opponents, in the context of a title race or a particular match. 

However, he has taken them to a new low.

In an attack on Rafa Benitez, who apparently showed "contempt" and "arrogance" to Sam Allardyce in last Saturday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Blackburn, Ferguson looked like a teenager making an immature argument.

The issue barely concerned him—he has an FA Cup semifinal game to worry about—and yet he took his time out to make a well-planned dig at the manager of Manchester United's main rivals to the Premier League title this season. 

Mind games were designed to destabilise opponents, to make them think twice about what they would usually do on the pitch without thinking much. But what the Manchester United boss said, and looked to do yesterday was simply childish.

In the guise of protecting someone who "has done so much for the LMA", Ferguson thought that the media and fans alike would lap up whatever he said without questioning it.

It was almost as if Sam Allardyce and Alex Ferguson had a little chat on the phone before their respective press conferences and decided to launch this "co-ordinated" attack on Rafa Benitez.

Allardyce, for his part, did well to look like a hurt, innocent teenager who had been affected by "the huge injustice" done to him. Sir Alex, for his part played the part of the onlooker, who was simply disgraced at the sight this huge injustice.

In any case, Benitez apparently never meant for his actions to convey the meaning that they did. He was signalling to his players that he was wrong about the instructions which he passed on for the freekick leading up to Liverpool's second game—hence the "arms wide open with a shrug."

Sam Allardyce has done everything to make teams stop playing football. He preaches anti-football in a sense and if he had anything to be humiliated or embarrassed about—it was that.

As for Sir Alex Ferguson, he will not stop doing what he does, despite the fact that it reeks of hypocrisy. He even managed to bring Benitez's name into an answer when he was asked about Everton. The Manchester United boss replied, "Everton are a big club, not a small one which Benitez arrogantly said." 

Mind games were supposed to be crafty—but this just looked like a bunch of personal attacks. 

Quite ironically, it was Ferguson who played the part of a hurt, angry young man in Manchester United's 3-3 draw with Liverpool in 1988. He famously complained about a penalty given against his side in that game, saying "managers have to leave here (Anfield) choking on their own vomit—biting on their tongue, afraid to tell the truth."

He has probably forgotten that quote, but that is the way most managers feel today when they come to Old Trafford. They cannot complain about any refereeing decisions, and have to accept whatever is thrown  at them.

In trying to topple the Liverpool monopoly which he hated so much Sir Alex, for all his managerial prowess, seems to be blinded by the hate for the club when he talks about anything that is related to the club.

His recent outburst can perhaps be qualified by the response that Kenny Dalglish, the then manager of Liverpool gave to the above-mentioned quote:

"People would get more sense out of my six-week-old daughter."

Update: This is the major gesture we're talking about from Benitez which has led to such a hue and cry: