Peter Crouch has suggested that Rafa Benitez will not be bothered about upsetting Liverpool’s title hopes when the Reds visit St. James’ Park on Saturday evening.
The veteran striker played under the Newcastle United boss during their time together at Anfield, but Crouch believes that Benitez won’t let sentiments get in the way when he faces his former club in a match that could decide the title race.
Writing in a column for the Daily Mail, Crouch said: “If there is one manager who will be able to exploit any slips, it is Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez and I can assure you now the feelings he will have for his old club will mean nothing at kick-off on Saturday night.
“Rafa is cold and ruthless. If Burnley played Liverpool and I scored a goal to stop them becoming champions, I’m not sure how it would sit with me.
“Rafa, by contrast, will not have given a moment’s thought to the implications of a Newcastle win. He just wants three points.”
OPINION
Crouch knows Benitez better than most, and if he says that the manager won’t care about anything other than the three points, then the chances are that he won’t care about anything other than the three points. The Spaniard is still idolised on Merseyside, and rightly so after all he achieved there, but his current task is to keep the Toon Army happy. A win against Jurgen Klopp’s men, with the eyes of the footballing world upon them, would go a long way to doing just that. Rafa has been a revelation on Tyneside, and is beginning to build the kind of legacy and reputation at St. James’ Park that makes him such a popular figure with the red half of Liverpool. Even the most ardent Kopite will realise that he has a job to do tonight, however, and all favours are off the cards as his side look to cause an upset that would send shockwaves throughout the game.