'Liverpool manager's man management was horrendous – he didn't speak to anyone'

Rafa Benitez had “zero” man-management skills and barely spoke to his players, according to a former Liverpool star.

The Spaniard remains an idol on the red half of Merseyside for his six-year spell at Anfield, which included Champions League and FA Cup glory. He later returned to the Premier League for spells with Chelsea, Newcastle and, controversially, Everton.

Benitez has come in for heavy criticism from one of his former players, Stephen Warnock, who made his Reds debut under the former Valencia boss. Warnock, now a Sky Sports pundit, has recalled how Benitez’s treatment of certain players, including himself, left him raging.

“He didn’t speak to anyone. His man-management was horrendous, absolutely horrendous,” said Warnock on the Undr The Cosh podcast. “I’ve said this to loads of people, [he’s] tactically brilliant. Man-management? Zero. Absolutely no idea how to speak to anyone.”

One particular incident ahead of the 2005 Champions League final summed up the Spaniard's lack of people skills, according to Warnock. He continued: “Istanbul was an absolute disgrace, how he treated me and a few of the other lads, but he didn’t care.

“Two weeks after the season, the Champions League final was on. So we were in for two weeks building up to that. Then, two days before, we were travelling over to Istanbul.

“A squad list of 18 would go up after training, your first 11 and seven subs. You knew if you were either playing or on the bench.

“I remember running in after the last training session and thinking, ‘please be in’. I looked on the squad list and my name was on it. I was like, ‘f****** hell, Champions League final, I’m on the bench or playing'.

“I rang the family and told them to get the plane tickets booked. I was at home