Whelan row continues

The row between Liverpool and Wigan chairman Dave Whelan looks set to continue for another day, with Whelan hitting back at Reds managing director Ian Eyre over comments made about Roberto Martinez during the recruitment process for Kenny Dalglish’s successor.

For weeks it appeared as though Martinez was Liverpool’s first choice replacement for Dalglish, with Dave Whelan apparently stating in interviews that his manager had even been offered the post at Anfield. Following that, there was great surprise when the Reds then approached Swansea and eventually hired Brendan Rodgers for the job.

It is understood that many Anfield officials were enraged about Whelan’s comments throughout the whole recruitment process, with Steven Gerrard and Ian Eyre both stating that he should simply be ignored. Eyre actually went a step further just several days ago, when he likened Whelan to a comedian following the whole saga.

Never shy on words, Whelan has responded to that jibe today by stating that all of his comments have been “misinterpreted”. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, the Latics chairman stated, “I cannot help it if some people misinterpreted what I said, which was that Liverpool wanted our manager, which they did as they asked permission to speak with him, and talked to him on a number of occasions. My response is a simple one – I wish Liverpool all the very best with their new manager. They have appointed a super lad for the job, a very good manager, and I am very happy for them. We’ve kept Roberto Martinez, so I wish them luck for next season.”

It would appear that this is the end of the public feud and both clubs can now get organised with preparing for next term. While he may not have been the first choice of a lot of supporters, the general consensus was that Brendan Rodgers was going to be a much more popular option than Roberto Martinez, which suits both clubs perfectly.