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The truth behind the latest Allardyce/Benitez feud

Rafael Benitez did not like what he saw against Blackburn © Getty Images

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Those who were privy to the Anfield changing-room area after Sunday's clash between Liverpool and Blackburn will know that the 'feud' between Rafael Benitez and Sam Allardyce has been rather misrepresented.

Benitez's post-match quotes, which sarcastically mocked Allardyce's aggressive style as an example for the world of football to follow, rightly earned all the headlines. But it should be noted that the Liverpool manager did not cast the first stone, as has been portrayed by the major providers of sports news.

The privileged minority who witnessed the post-match interviews of Messrs Allardyce and Benitez will know it was the Blackburn boss who sparked tempers with a slant on Liverpool's style of football on Sunday, and it was in response to Allardyce's scarcely-veiled digs at Liverpool's discipline that a smiling Benitez suddenly found reason to frown.

Neither this, nor Allardyce's angry march into referee Alan Wiley's dressing room, were reported in the fall-out to Liverpool's 2-1 victory.

The true chain of events at Anfield began with Allardyce, fiddling with a thin piece of paper, claiming his Blackburn side had not warranted the 25 fouls and five bookings dished out by Wiley, in contrast to Liverpool's 10 fouls and solitary booking. No doubt this was the issue he later took up with Wiley in more private quarters, despite the fact Rovers had been lucky to keep both Steven N'Zonzi and Pascal Chimbonda on the pitch following acts of violent conduct.

Perhaps more amusingly, Allardyce then insinuated that Liverpool's management, players and fans had done their best throughout the 90 minutes to influence the referee's judgement. However, having spent more time lambasting the fourth official than coaching his own team, even when Michel Salgado and Nikola Kalinic had committed cynical fouls directly in front of him, Allardyce surely knew he was in the pot-kettle-black territory on this point.

Then came Benitez's turn to greet his interviewers, at which point he was immediately made aware of Allardyce's accusations. The sharp exchange of a smile for a furrowed brow by the Liverpool manager gave warning of what was to come, with the Spaniard answering what he saw as a personal attack with one of his own.

"I think it is a model for all the managers around the world, their style of football, his behaviour," Benitez said of Allardyce. "It is the perfect model for all the kids and I'm sure all parents will enjoy this model and encourage their kids to be the same. The style of football, I think, Barcelona are thinking of copying."

Rarely does one manager personally ridicule a fellow rival in such a show of disrespect. Benitez, as manager of Liverpool Football Club, should be expected to act with more grace, particularly as his side had only managed one shot on target in a very poor second half. Not something Barcelona will be rushing to copy, one would suspect.

However, this was not the first time Allardyce had questioned Benitez's ethics. The corresponding fixture last season prompted the Blackburn boss to gang up with Sir Alex Ferguson in branding Benitez arrogant, for what they conceived to be "game over" gestures following a Fernando Torres header.

The truth was that Benitez had been asking Xabi Alonso to send his free kick deep, only to see the midfielder send the ball in to the near post where Torres scored. When Alonso asked his manager why he had been shouting, Benitez gestured to say "don't worry".

Misrepresented back then and misrepresented again now. The Liverpool boss was unprofessional in his mocking of Allardyce, but he at least deserves a fair portrayal in the ongoing saga.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.