Benitez thread

[Guest]

Rafa didn't rant in public though

If the stories are correct Rafa had just got off the phone to Hicks & Gillett seconds before he did his press conference. He was clearly pissed off about something and to stop himself ranting he answered each question the same. Maybe if he would have had a few hours to calm down then it might have been different.

All Rafa wants is what's best for the club and the supporters. He wants to win things yet it seems that he is constantly coming up against a brick wall.

His face and the fact he repeated the same thing (apparently 25 times ) seems to me close to a rant.

[mick the click]

No, not really. Rafa, great man but he goes we move on.

It's the direction we would probably move that concerns me - if Rafa goes, I can't see us moving in the right direction for some time...

[JohnDoe]

Yes, I am concerned. The impossible scenario of Mourinho becoming our manager is not as impossible at the moment.

[Joe King]

Yes I am concerned. These Yanks have got everything wrong. They should be doing it the way the Mancs were taken over. Throw more money to make the team more successful and you will get more money back for being successful from prize money, merchandise, tv money, tickets etc

[chrispy]

And what if he walked? Wouldn't seem so clever then would it?

At the end of the day he's not the only manager who could take us to the EPL title and i've had doubts for a while he could do it anyway. Sure, he's a terrific manager with a great football brain but he's not the only one in Europe who could do it. Mourinho, Capello, Lippi are all available I think. I'm just getting so pissed off with Rafa constantly harping on about not being backed every bloody transfer window. We have a very good squad and with the sales in January (e.g. Carson £10 million, Crouch £10 million, Riise £3-4 million) he'll have a decent kitty there to stengthen the team with a good striker. Kewell looks like he's coming back (from the reserve matches i've watched him play in) so a left winger isn't required. All we'll need is a striker to partner Torres (although I think this role could easily be filled by Ryan Babbelvif rafa would give him half a dozen games to get used to it) and cover for Agger.

He's never had masses of money to spend regardless of what club he's been at and the only club in world football who could satisfy his spending needs is Chelsea. Surely i'm not the only one getting pissed off with his antics every transfer window am I?

[Pablo]

Yes, I am concerned. The impossible scenario of Mourinho becoming our manager is not as impossible at the moment.

Thats the first thing I thought of with all this Rafa unrest. I've no doubt he would be in pole position in the unlikely event Rafa walks. He would jump at the chance to manage us too im sure. Even the thought of that slimey ******* walking into Anfield makes my skin crawl!

[Resu]

Yes I am concerned. These Yanks have got everything wrong. They should be doing it the way the Mancs were taken over. Throw more money to make the team more successful and you will get more money back for being successful from prize money, merchandise, tv money, tickets etc

The new owners scrapped to "old new" stadium and the plans now looks much better. The extra cost for that might have something to do with it.
Getting a great new stadium is the most important thing for the club. Without it we can`t compete with the Scum, Arse, Rafa or no Rafa.
It also seems that the commercial part of the club are going in the right direction

So to say that they`ve done everyhing wrong, is wrong IMO.

[Imy]

Yes I am concerned. These Yanks have got everything wrong. They should be doing it the way the Mancs were taken over. Throw more money to make the team more successful and you will get more money back for being successful from prize money, merchandise, tv money, tickets etc

The Yanks have done one thing right which is the stadium, however with the refinancing and the debt is it right? long term probably yes.

The Mancs have a different business model, they already have a massive stadium bringing in excellent revenue, and they have optimised other revenue streams for donkeys years well before us, things like exploiting Asian and US markets, TV Channel etc.

The Scum bags moved with the times during the advent of the Premiership, our board were stuck in historical times, this lack of movement at that time is still causing us problems today.

[JohnDoe]

Thats the first thing I thought of with all this Rafa unrest. I've no doubt he would be in pole position in the unlikely event Rafa walks. He would jump at the chance to manage us too im sure. Even the thought of that slimey ******* walking into Anfield makes my skin crawl!

With Pako as his assistant.

[dww]

Is anyone not worried about what is going on at Anfield?? I for one am - It seems obvious the owners are putting the club in jeorpardy by putting £500m+ debt on the club.

We used to pay £4m interest a year, but this will be approx £30m going forward. Liverpool have NEVER paid a dividend so the cash isn't coming from profits.

Additional TV and attendance money will not meet this shortfall.

Granted the new stadium looks great, but I see the only people to benefit from the takeover were Moores (£80m), Parry (£500k) and existing shareholders.

We spent approx £25m net this Summer which is what Liverpool should be spending - we're a top 5 European Side FFS.

I have a friend in the local media and he has privately voiced his concern but he doesn't give away any inside info as I tend to blab. It is obvious Rafa isn't happy and it wouldn't surprise me if he left - no inside info just a hunch.

The thing is that I really feel people are giving G&H a hard time. I have no idea about the current situation but given that Moores had to give a personal loan to buy Kuyt it is reasonable to assume that without them the transfer activity this summer would have been much reduced.

I really think that you could reasonably add Kuyt and the Mascher loan into the amount of cash that they have spent on transfers as they had to come up with the money for both in the end. They also allowed us to go for transfers we would never have gone for before such as Lucas who was a complete luxury and the sort of youth purchase associated more usually with Arsenal. Along with the bigger investment in Torres this was a step change in the way we operate.

I like everyone who supports LFC as we want the best for our club and want our owners and manager to be singing from the same hymn sheet. At this time I really think we have to give the owners some leeway as they are trying to refinance a huge debt in a way that will influence the future of the club for years to come.

No one knows whether Rafa's frustration is short or long term - we have seen outburst from him before when he has felt he hasn't had the tools at his disposal he desires at the time when he is unhappy with team performance. It is obviously bad that he feels this way but from the outside it is not clear at all whether this is impatience while the owners sort the debt or a bigger problem that might lead to him leaving. On this basis I think the best thing to do is wait and see - I suspect everything will become clearer by February.

[The Erectile Banana]

Rafa all the way.

Best manager we've had in years.

Gillett and Hicks would be very foolish not to recognise this.

[Joe King]

That was the most obvious thing that needed addressing, the stadium. Anfield is really small compared to their rivals and they have done that well, I agree. But our transfer policy looks a bit shoddy and the relationship between the owners and the management doesn't look that good. We don't hear Fergie complaining about the lack of finance. Its about time G&T got real, think about their priorities and sort themselves out.

[Slim]

I am concerned about what is going on behind the scenes but what concerns me more is that the whole thing seems to be being played out in public.

[cobain]

From Daily Mail:

Rafa Benitez will deliver a stark ultimatum to his Liverpool bosses after becoming exasperated with their refusal to sanction his January transfer plans.

After several failed attempts to clarify how much he has to spend, a frustrated Benitez is ready to tell George Gillett and Tom Hicks to dig deep or consider whether they should start looking for a new manager.

Liverpool's co-owners will sit down with Benitez when they visit Anfield for the December 16 showdown with Manchester United and it promises to be as fiery off the pitch as on it after the manager made little secret yesterday of the rift that has developed in recent weeks.

With a £6million pay- off written into his contract in the event of the sack, Benitez is unlikely to quit. But he could test the patience of Hicks and Gillett to the point where they decide to act, if he is anything like as tetchy as at a Melwood press conference yesterday to preview tomorrow's game at Newcastle.

Matters came to a head earlier this week when the Americans deferred an answer on Benitez's spending power until next month's meeting and urged him to 'concentrate on coaching the team' in the meantime.

Riled at what he sees as another example of their dragging their heels, a monosyllabic Benitez straight-batted any mention of Newcastle or England's Euro 2008 demise by saying: 'I can only focus on training and coaching my team.'

He even resorted to using the England vacancy to exert more pressure on his bosses by claiming he might have an interest in succeeding Steve McClaren.

Asked if he should be taken seriously, he replied, enigmatically: 'It is your decision. You never know what might happen in the future. Yes, I am being serious.'

He is anxious for confirmation he can complete the £17m signing of on-loan midfielder Javier Mascherano and is looking for a further £18m to add Racing Santander's Argentina centre back Ezequiel Garay and Heerenveen's Brazil striker Afonso Alves to his squad.

Although he spent around £45m in the summer on Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun, he has become increasingly impatient over a lack of communication from owners in the past two months.

Hicks and Gillett were dismayed by his post-Champions League Final outburst last May, when he accused them of 'all talk and no action', and they appear just as put out by his latest agitating after issuing a statement reiterating that they will not be browbeaten into parting with more funds.

Ominously for Benitez, there was a strong hint that his plea for cash could hinge on Liverpool's Champions League fate, with victory over Porto (home) and Marseille (away) needed if they are to reach the knockout stages.

The Americans are trying to juggle huge sums as they decide on how much should go on a new stadium and commercial activities and how much towards transfers.

[Fierce]

The thing is that I really feel people are giving G&H a hard time. I have no idea about the current situation but given that Moores had to give a personal loan to buy Kuyt it is reasonable to assume that without them the transfer activity this summer would have been much reduced.

I really think that you could reasonably add Kuyt and the Mascher loan into the amount of cash that they have spent on transfers as they had to come up with the money for both in the end. They also allowed us to go for transfers we would never have gone for before such as Lucas who was a complete luxury and the sort of youth purchase associated more usually with Arsenal. Along with the bigger investment in Torres this was a step change in the way we operate.

I like everyone who supports LFC as we want the best for our club and want our owners and manager to be singing from the same hymn sheet. At this time I really think we have to give the owners some leeway as they are trying to refinance a huge debt in a way that will influence the future of the club for years to come.

No one knows whether Rafa's frustration is short or long term - we have seen outburst from him before when he has felt he hasn't had the tools at his disposal he desires at the time when he is unhappy with team performance. It is obviously bad that he feels this way but from the outside it is not clear at all whether this is impatience while the owners sort the debt or a bigger problem that might lead to him leaving. On this basis I think the best thing to do is wait and see - I suspect everything will become clearer by February.