O'Neill: Benítez Shows No Respect

Martin O'Neill last night launched a stinging attack on Rafael Benítez, accusing the Liverpool manager of being "disingenuous" and "not respecting anything" after the Spaniard intimated discussions were ongoing about Gareth Barry's future.

Having reacted with disbelief when he learned Liverpool's £10m offer for Barry had been leaked on Merseyside last week, O'Neill was even more dismayed yesterday when he read Benítez had told reporters the Villa manager "knew my idea".

O'Neill said he had never given Benítez any encouragement regarding Barry and revealed "it's a long time since I've been this angry". His resolve to keep the England international is likely to have been strengthened by the simmering row.

"Rafa Benítez is quoted as saying he knew my idea and I knew his," O'Neill said. "The only idea I had was to get him off the phone and to say no. He spoke to me about Gareth Barry and I told him I was not interested in selling but I would put it to my owner [Randy Lerner] who deserved to be told about these things.

"But I said to him I would assume Randy's viewpoint would be concurring with my own. That was the case. The next time I spoke to Rafa was last Friday when he rang me to ask if I'd seen his offer. I told him I had seen it. It was only after I put the phone down that I realised the story had broken in Liverpool Echo. He was on the phone to cover his backside. I phoned him back immediately to say I was amazed to find out the story had appeared.

"All this about a prolonged conversation is simply untrue. It's disingenuous of him and he knows that. Rafa said something about wanting to respect our viewpoint by waiting until the end of the season. In my view Rafa does not respect anything."

David Moyes confirmed he expects to be at Everton next season. The manager, who has a year remaining on his contract, has not been offered a new deal and is uncertain how much money he will have for signings, but he said: "I will be here at the start of next season. I would hope my situation would get sorted out soon."