Benitez deflects the blame for not Barry talks

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez on Friday rejected suggestions he has played any role in recent failed attempts to prise away Gareth Barry of Aston Villa. Benitez told a press conference recent transfer of all talks concerning the 27-year-old England midfielder has been manipulated by the Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry and owners of the club.

"I will try to be very clear ... everybody has been talking and it is clear some newspapers and journalists ... blame me for everything - global warming, increases in prices of petrol, everything," said one exasperated Benitez.

"Since I talked to (manager) Martin O'Neill in April, I do not talk to anyone at Aston Villa. All have been talks between Rick Parry and the owner and chief executive of Aston Villa - and they have been pretty good."

"If someone wants to talk about Barry in the future, they will have to talk to the owner or chief executive of Aston Villa, or Rick Parry.

"I was not doing talks about Barry, I was not doing talks about (Xabi) Alonso and Arsenal," Benitez said referring to Liverpool's Spain midfielder has been linked with a move to Merseyside club's Premier League rivals .

"If you want to talk about players, you have to talk to Rick Parry, if you want to talk football, talk to me."

Parry said last week that the price of Villa had demanded for Barry was too high but added that Liverpool's American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are backing Benitez. "There has been a lot of feedback about our position with regard to Gareth Barry," Parry had said in a statement on the club's official website (www.liverpoolfc.tv). "This is not questioning the judgement of the administrator or the ability of a player. The owners have clearly demonstrated throughout the year are willing to back Rafa in the transfer market and will continue to do so.

"Of course, is the sale of the club's prerogative to introduce the price they want for the player, but this time Liverpool think the price is too high."

The club bought last month Ireland captain Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur for 20.3 million pounds ($ 38.01 million), but baulked at paying another great rate - the British press reported that at least 18 million pounds -- for Barry.

Villa ended any possibility of Barry playing for Liverpool in Europe this year, when he played and scored on Thursday in the Uefa Cup qualifying round 4-1 win over Hafnarfjordur, Iceland.