Tension high as Benitez comes calling

SOCCER ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUERAFAEL BENITEZ admitted yesterday the transfer wrangle over Gareth Barry had wrecked his relationship with Aston Villa's manager, Martin O'Neill, as he prepared to take Liverpool to Villa Park, where he can expect a hostile reception from the home fans tomorrow.

Benitez spent several ultimately fruitless months pursuing Barry and infuriated O'Neill by going public with his interest in the midfielder. The managers are likely to exchange no more than a cursory touchline handshake tomorrow.

"Do I have a good relationship with him (O'Neill)? I don't think so," Benitez said. "If I have to say hello then I will say hello to him; I don't have any problem.

"I had a good relationship with Martin O'Neill before this summer and I was surprised at what has been said. I talked with him in April and I haven't spoken to him since then but I do not believe there will be any problem shaking hands; we can do it. My concern is to see my team playing well on the pitch and if the other things can be good, then that's good. But if not, I will stay concentrated on my team.

"I don't know what the reaction will be from the Villa fans. But we were correct in what we did with the transfer."

O'Neill was unhappy with Liverpool's conduct in their attempts to sign Barry, which were frustrated by the refusal of the Anfield club's owners to pay the €22 million asking price. This week Barry's agent confirmed the 27-year-old would not leave Villa before the close of the transfer window.

"The agent was clear. The player will stay there and for me that's it, end of story," said Benitez, who has instead turned his attention to the Spaniard Albert Riera, who flew to Merseyside yesterday to conclude a €10.5 million move from Espanyol.

"We know that Barry is a good player, very good for them. We will try to contain him on the pitch and not talk too much about other things that have happened in the summer. It is important we all concentrate on football, but I expect Barry to do his best for his team."

O'Neill played down his fractured relationship with Benitez.

"I'm not every single day phoning up managers to ask how they are, nor do I expect them to call me," he said. "I'm sure shaking hands will not be a problem. Let me be clear on this, I have not a major problem at all, because it happens in the game."

Benitez will head to Villa Park having smoothed over any problems with Fabio Capello over Steven Gerrard's withdrawal from England's forthcoming World Cup qualifiers with Andorra and Croatia.

Capello was understood to have been upset at being kept in the dark over Gerrard's groin operation but Benitez said he had a "positive" phone conversation yesterday with the England manager, whom he has known for years.

"He called me and we spoke about Steve's operation and how long it would be; everything was really positive," he said.

"We needed to decide what was best for the player, the club and for England. To keep a player with a problem for weeks didn't make sense, so we needed to do it now. Our doctor is in contact with doctors of the national team but the decision is our decision. He couldn't play at the same level as normal. We needed to be quick and do the operation as soon as possible. If we'd delayed it, then he might have been out for even longer. You can't keep an injured player playing games . . . Steven couldn't play and was struggling with the problem he had and was always in pain."

Gerrard will have another "minor" operation today, having undergone surgery yesterday, but Benitez said his captain could be available to face Manchester United on September 13th.

Guardian Service