Ruthless Rafa Starts Purge

[Eth]

Afterreading Paco's interview on.tv I see a clear message that you need to walk the line in Mr. Benitez's house or you're out the door. I'm delighted to see it. Goodbye to the hangers'on

[AFII]

Saw something about that in an article in the Telegraph or Guardian during the week, that the club are waiting for some sort of legal ruling which will enable the americans to use the money and that doing business right now it would mean increasing our overdraft ... Something along these lines but I can't remember exactly which paper I've seen that.

Could be our case against Reebok.

[Steve101]

I dont get all the negativity towards the americans here. Rafas just talking like a fan, but with influence. G & H wern't here for the previous seasons transfers, or any other stuff for that matter, so why would he critisise them? He's fed up after last night, and his words were only the same as thousands of fans all over the world.


believe.

[dww]

IF Hargreaves had played for United against Milan they would probably have been in the final last night

I think Fergie is looking to follow Rafa and Jose's lead and have two holding midfielders

I wouldnt say hes a "great player" but hes certainly a decent player. Not sure hes worth £18 million though but then neither was Carrick imo

I think you have to judge the values of a player by the difference they make to your team. From that pointof view I think Carrick has proved and Hargreaves will prove to be worth £18m to Man United.

I will admit that "great" was probably over egging the pudding, I was really making a point that I think he is actually very good. I think that to call him decent is to do him a diservice.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

After reading this thread I decide it's time for some Leonard Cohen.

[Sir Bob]

There are clearly problems behind the scenes, Rafa's comments show this. This is the 2nd time in recent months that Rafa has come out with this type of outburst. Rafa's clearly concerned that we are slow off the mark with transfers and that all too often we are beaten to the punch. The groundwork for transfers needs to start well before the transfer window opens, its no good doing all the groundwork in August, the horse has long since bolted.

[Neil Young]

It's a good way of avoiding headlines about the game.

Rafa isn't stupid - he's good at handling the media...and us.

[Yozza]

New article from 'The Mail'.... again, very aggressive by Rafa

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=457438&in_page_id=1779&ito=newsnow

Benitez demands action not words from owners

The time for talking is over. Now Rafael Benitez is demanding Liverpool's new owners urgently fulfil a £100million promise to back their manager in the transfer market.

George Gillett and Tom Hicks have played an astute public relations game since their £450million buyout of the Anfield outfit in February.

The American duo have made all the right noises about restoring Liverpool to the pinnacle of the English game.

Benitez has accepted the pledges at face value. But, in the aftermath of last night's Champions League final defeat to AC Milan, the Spaniard has laid bare the stark reality of the situation Liverpool find themselves in.

And, if Gillett and Hicks are really intent on ensuring the Merseyside giants' league title drought does not extend beyond 18 years, Benitez wants money, lots of it - and he needs it now.

"Sometimes, when you are in another country or another continent, you don't know how important this time is," he said.

"The owners have said they will back me and we are really excited about the future. But it is okay to talk, we need to change things now.

"The top sides have been spending £50million or more over the last five or 10 years. Manchester United just won the league and finished 21 points in front of us. They are paying £20million for a new midfield player in Owen Hargreaves. We have been spending £9million on a striker. That is a big difference.

"We cannot reduce the gap if we spend almost the same amount, or do almost the same things.

"If people think it is enough, fine - but next season all we will be fighting for is to get into the top four."

Gillett and Hicks do not have to look back too far to work out what is likely to happen if Benitez does not get his way.

The 47-year-old may appear jovial and relaxed but underneath the pleasant exterior beats the heart of an ultra-ambitious man who quit Valencia for Liverpool three years ago because the Spanish outfit refused to meet his demands and has already rejected overtures from his beloved Real Madrid on three separate occasions.

On his arrival at Anfield, Benitez famously declared he asked the Valencia board for a coffee table and was given a table lamp instead. And he has still not forgotten.

"We won the league with Valencia for the first time in 31 years," he recalled.

"Afterwards, everyone said 'fantastic, we are so good we do not need to spend any money'. The following season we finished fifth.

"With Liverpool, we have won the FA Cup, the Super Cup, the Community Shield and the Champions League and reached another final.

"But if we do not spend money now, we will continue to lose games because we do not have enough quality and eventually finish 20 points behind United, Chelsea and Arsenal."

With Bolo Zenden, Mark Gonzalez and - possibly - Craig Bellamy among those on their way out, the decks are being cleared for a huge influx of new players.

The number of potential signings is wide-ranging. The defence and midfield will be tinkered with, while at least two new strikers can be expected given Liverpool's season-long difficulties in front of goal, which proved so costly in the Olympic Stadium.

David Villa, Samuel Eto'o, Darren Bent and Carlos Tevez could all appear on Benitez's radar.

Clearly though, business needs to be done swiftly if the Spaniard's demands are to be satisfied and Gillett and Hicks are to ensure Liverpool's magnificent new stadium in Stanley Park is not to become a huge white elephant by the time it opens in 2009.

"I can't say exactly how many players I want, it depends on the market," said Benitez.

"Also, there might be someone we don't really want to sell who we get a fantastic bid for which makes us look at the situation again.

"But we need to look at two or three things, that is very obvious to everyone.

"We have some targets but we must move quickly because if we end up with our second or third choices, we cannot be contenders.

"The new owners know what my ideas are and they know what is required. They are businessmen. It is clear when you spend £250million on a stadium, you need to keep the team in the top four and try to be contenders every season before 2009.

"It is not difficult. They want to see their stadium full of supporters. And the supporters know the club needs to progress.

"If we do the right things, they will be there."

[Pacman]

New article from 'The Mail'.... again, very aggressive by Rafa

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=457438&in_page_id=1779&ito=newsnow

Benitez demands action not words from owners






"Sometimes, when you are in another country or another continent, you don't know how important this time is," he said.

"The owners have said they will back me and we are really excited about the future. But it is okay to talk, we need to change things now.

Exactly what I've been saying.

[saveferris]

This kind of talk from Benitez started before the final though, this talk of a major clear out has been going on since the return from the training camp. Initially i thought it was a public way of telling the players the places werent safe, but it is clear that he could have been stating what he wants and now. He knows that H&G have said and what they have agreed to, he was in a pants mood and so now he wants to forget about the final and move on. This is the best way he can do it.

[bazza76]

I don't worry about that tbh because from all accounts they've never interfered before with their other sports clubs.

I just think Rafa is saying to them 'right boys you've mouthed off enough now it's time to put your hand in your pockets and keep your promises' I get the feeling Rafa is starting to doubt them.

I wouldn't say Rafa is starting to doubt them, I would say its more a case of wanting to get the show on the road. The new owners may have not realized how quick Rafa wants results and it may have irritated him regarding transfers. This is all of course just guess work. But I have a feeling Rafa wants to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later as he is a workaholic and doesn't want to miss out on any opportunities that may arise. I would have thought he was well pissed off with what he had to work with after last nights match, If we had the quality Milan had last night, we would have won.

[Guest]

Exactly what I've been saying.

I've been saying that before you.

[einar]

I wouldn't say Rafa is starting to doubt them, I would say its more a case of wanting to get the show on the road. The new owners may have not realized how quick Rafa wants results and it may have irritated him regarding transfers. This is all of course just guess work. But I have a feeling Rafa wants to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later as he is a workaholic and doesn't want to miss out on any opportunities that may arise. I would have thought he was well pissed off with what he had to work with after last nights match, If we had the quality Milan had last night, we would have won.

I think this is so true. I usually say to people who trash Liverpool and Rafa: imagine Liverpool with Ronaldo on the left, SWP on the right and Drogba and Rooney up front.
This is, whether we like it or not, about money.
So hopefully in 2-3 years time we will see Liverpool with Quaresma on the right, Simao on the left and Eto´o and Tevez up front.
Then nr. 19 is ours.

[Fowler_God]

Also, there might be someone we don't really want to sell who we get a fantastic bid for which makes us look at the situation again.

I'm thinking either xabi or momo. He is sending a message to a club sniffing around one of the players we never thought would be sold. Are you listening Barca and Juve?

[einar]

Gerrard?