Benitez: Spurs preoccupied with Inter at United

RAFAEL BENITEZ last night suggested Tottenham had one eye on their clash with his Inter Milan side when they lost at Manchester United on Saturday.

Spurs went down 2-0 at Old Trafford in the Barclays Premier League just three days before tonight’s crucial Champions League showdown with holders Inter.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has publicly stated his priority this season is qualifying again for Europe’s premier club competition through the league.

But Inter counterpart Benitez reckons Spurs’ approach at the weekend proved otherwise.

“For me, watching the game against United, it’s obvious that they were just concentrating on this game,” he said last night.

“I thought they were just thinking about this game because it’s very, very important for them.

“That was my feeling.”

Leaders Inter, could reach the last 16 if they win and the other game in the group goes their way.

And Benitez confirmed Redknapp’s worst fears by hinting he would rest players in Inter’s final two group matches if they do qualify early.

The former Liverpool boss said: “If we do win tomorrow then we are through and we can relax a little bit and we’ll be able to perhaps spend more time preparing for forthcoming league games and also the World Club Championship.

Defeat would move Spurs level on points with Inter and throw the group wide open, Benitez added: “We are in a good position now; we are in the driving seat, and we will try to do our best.”

While at Liverpool, Benitez failed to win at White Hart Lane after Redknapp took over Spurs, a record the Spaniard said he would “try to improve”.

He also refused to discuss his interest in Tottenham’s man of the moment Gareth Bale, who Inter president Massimo Moratti has already confirmed was on the European champions’ radar even before his sensational San Siro hat-trick two weeks ago.

But Benitez hinted he might speak more freely after tonight’s game.

“Gareth Bale is a rival tomorrow, so that’s it. I cannot talk about the future,” he said. “He’s good but I think this is a question for Harry Redknapp more than me.”

Benitez used last night’s press conference to launch another cryptic attack on the current regime at Liverpool, this time lambasting successor Roy Hodgson.

Almost two weeks to the day since hitting out at then-managing director Christian Purslow and comparing his own departure from Anfield to a bottle of milk, Benitez claimed Hodgson could not “see a priest on a mountain of sugar”.

Benitez was responding to accusations from Hodgson that he had banned club ambassador and scout Kenny Dalglish from Liverpool’s Melwood training ground during his time in charge.

“Every single press conference is even worse than the last one. He’s talking about things that he doesn’t know.

“And some people cannot see a priest on a mountain of sugar.

“Maybe he hasn’t been in Liverpool too long. We gave the fans their pride – again. We fought for the fans, we fought for the club and we fought for our players.

“He (Hodgson) doesn’t know but I will explain it to him.

“So, instead of talking about the flips or the flops, he has to concentrate on his players, try to do his best.

“He has a good job to do.”