Carragher: Unimpressed

Benitez was effectively daring the owners to arrange his funeral.

Jamie Carragher
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Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Anfield began to resemble a 'launderette' during the war of words between manager Rafa Benitez and the club's American co-owners.

Benitez and Texas-based duo George Gillett and Tom Hicks suffered a much publicised bust-up last season as they clashed over Liverpool's transfer policy.

Former Valencia boss Benitez was thought to be close to the sack during the 2007/08 campaign, with Gillett and Hicks admitting to holding discussions with Jurgen Klinsmann in January.

And Carragher - who is preparing to face Manchester United on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD 1 - has criticised the Reds hierarchy for the manner in which the dispute was handled.

Damage

"I believe he (Benitez) suspected a plan was already in place to sack him and the owners were holding back funds for his replacement," Carragher said in extracts of his autobiography published in the Daily Mail.

"He was effectively daring the owners to arrange his funeral, especially when Hicks ended the boardroom silence by telling him to shut up on the front page of the local paper.

"It was more than rumour by this stage, and Rafa must have known how close he was to the sack. To my mind, everyone was trying to be too clever, playing politics with little regard for how much damage it was doing.

"Never mind about not washing your dirty linen in public, Anfield was beginning to resemble a launderette."