Tom Hicks: Quit talking and coach the players

[Chrono]

Pointless.

[Morph]

right that's that over with then

[AFII]

No need for an apology

The plan is to piss Rafa off so he will resign and then sell the whole squad and make a big profit.

[Rich]

G&T are stupid cunts

Thats all.

Fair enough

[El Jefecito]

Net spend is 20.5m add to that the Kuyt debt near 9m so total spend is nearer 30m.

DWW and i have been debating the source of this money, my arguments being it is the New Premiership money and prize money from the CL.

We both agree that with a new stadium on the horizon the club need to be slightly prudent.

Most people on here agree that we will not get substantial spending sprees like what the yanks mooted when they bought the club, it was all hype, smoke and mirrors.

The manc comparison is valid because they are our rivals, but they are so far ahead of us with regards to revenue streams we can not compete with them.

The more I look at it the more that this appears to be a control issue. Rafa wants control of transfers, they won't let him have it. They won't even give him a budget!

[Shaggy]

BBC Sport editor on bust-up

Rafael Benitez's relationship with Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks has been strained before - now it is close to breaking point.

Benitez delivered an extraordinary, exasperated performance at his media briefing before Liverpool's visit to Newcatle on Saturday.

He responded to questioning on a variety of topics by repeating that he was "focused on training and coaching my team" no fewer than 25 times.

Benitez was so agitated that he was even happy to link himself with the newly-vacated England job - a sure sign of any man's discontent.

So what is the truth behind the apparent breakdown in relations between Benitez and Anfield's American owners?

My understanding is that Hicks and Gillett were furious with Benitez's outburst, which they regard as unwarranted and undeserved.

And, contrary to reports, his incendiary reaction was not a response to a telephone call with the Americans shortly before the press conference.

Benitez has been told within the last three weeks that no transfer business - in or out - or any potential funding, will be discussed until Hicks and Gillett return to Merseyside from America in mid-December.

He has clearly stewed on this information and the lid came off at Liverpool's Melwood training headquarters in almost surreal circumstances.

Hicks and Gillett were similarly infuriated and mystified when Benitez, in an apparent fit of pique, launched an attack on them in the wake of the Champions League defeat against AC Milan in Athens in November.

I believe that was forgiven, if not exactly forgotten, and even Thursday's outburst has not put his job in immediate jeopardy.

But if it was designed to shake the Americans off course from their original strategy of formulating all their transfer plans in December, it has backfired.

Benitez's very public show of petulance will not persuade Hicks or Gillett to shift their stance one inch.

There will be no discussions until mid-December whether Benitez likes it or not.

If that has made him question his position, so be it.

The ball is now firmly back in his court, but he can be in no doubt that he has not pleased his employers and they are sure to take a dim view if he delivers any more public criticism.

Hicks and Gillett believe they gave Benitez everything he wanted in the transfer market in the summer, even though it was a stretch on their planned transfer budget.

They feel the arrival of Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel demonstrated their commitment.

This is a point for debate among Liverpool supporters, with some suggesting he recouped plenty back from sales, but this is the view across the Atlantic.

Benitez has since come up with a number of transfer targets that he wishes to pursue and has expressed fears to the Anfield hierarchy that he could miss out.

Hicks and Gillett want to sit down in December and formulate a clear plan. There will be no scatter-gun spending.

Rather than back down in the face of increasing and regular pressure from Benitez, I am told his latest broadside left the American pair almost having to be scraped off the ceiling in rage.

Their message to Benitez was to stay silent and get on with the business of coaching and winning games between now and December - then they will talk business.

They feel their request that Benitez waits until December to discuss matters further is perfectly reasonable - a view clearly not shared by their manager.

Benitez is no stranger to the politicking of football. He had similar problems at Valencia over transfer targets.

But I understand the Americans will not be budged, leaving Benitez to either bite his tongue and wait or continue to publicly berate the club's owners.

If he fails to take the hint, it may well be that Benitez might pursue his ambitions elsewhere.

Benitez, despite his benign public image, is a ruthless, single-minded, sore loser - no problem with that.

He also remains a highly-popular figure with Liverpool fans, although that might alter if they fail to reach the Champions League knockout phase.

But Hicks and Gillett feel they have played fair with Benitez, a feeling not reciprocated by the Spanish manager.

Benitez may have the last word, but a major diplomatic incident has been sparked by his criticism and he needs results more than ever as Liverpool enter a crucial phase of their campaign.

[Morph]

Manchester united (them again) originally planned to by anderson 12 months later than they actually did - they are looking at the future - we are talking about giving benitez 2 weeks to sort out his transfer targets.

just crazy

the things is we don't know thats actually true, at the end of the day i doubt G&T have much say in the in's and outs of the squad but more the money side of things, there's nothing to stop us persuing those options - i think the crux of the matter is the cash, and either rafa is aiming to high or G&T are aiming to low, as DJS rightly said in another thread, when we know our CL status at the end of the group stage we'll be able to decide on the money available.

[Morph]

The more I look at it the more that this appears to be a control issue. Rafa wants control of transfers, they won't let him have it. They won't even give him a budget!

maybe they can't at the moment cos of his **** ups in the champions league

[carlton]

It seems that the people in charge of non-footballing matters at LFC have taken this advice at times over the years and hence we remain miles behind them financially. Whether you like it or not(and you clearly dont) they are the benchmark in the EPL-even the yanks have said that.

[Nicey]

No need for an apology

The plan is to piss Rafa off so he will resign and then sell the whole squad and make a big profit.

Mate ... what are these ****ers playing at... I can't forgive George for coming out and saying what he has just said.

We need this like a hole in the head.

I am gobsmacked ... theres me banging on about we are all adults and stupid cunt says that ... He is playing with fire.. Liverpool Fans are the last fans in the world he wants to see turn on them ...

**** me School Boy error or what ...

Giving a choice between G&T and Rafa it would be Rafa for me ... If they ran him out of town ..I would seriously consider taking a break from football to those two left town

[Imy]

The more I look at it the more that this appears to be a control issue. Rafa wants control of transfers, they won't let him have it. They won't even give him a budget!

Which is so stupid, they can not dedicate enough time to all their 'franchises' therefore they have to let some of the control go, give it to Foster or Parry.

I can totally appreciate Rafa's grumblings, time after time he has stated we are too late in to the market and lose out on players because of this. They should have given him a budget and ages back and let him do his magic, be it a small or large budget. A man like Benitez is analytical wants to be in control of the situation, uncertainty is something he probably dislikes and that is exactly how the Yanks are treating him.

[El Jefecito]

maybe they can't at the moment cos of his **** ups in the champions league

Mate they'd have to have prepared a 10 year business plan. If they planning their investment on a monthly basis then we're introuble.

[AFII]

you've got to look at the bigger picture tho mate, they aren't going to throw money out left right and center, one of the big things they are doing is the stadium and this is going to provide us with money in the long term, however you can't really expect them to bank roll the club for the next 3 years, they are business men after all. Maybe we aimed to low when we sold the club, but thats a different story.

Well, they would probably earn more money long term if they splashed the cash now with better sponsorship deals, a full stadium week in week out, better price for the naming rights for the new stadium and so on with a winning team and not a team fighting for a CL place.

[El Jefecito]

Which is so stupid, they can not dedicate enough time to all their 'franchises' therefore they have to let some of the control go, give it to Foster or Parry.

I can totally appreciate Rafa's grumblings, time after time he has stated we are too late in to the market and lose out on players because of this. They should have given him a budget and ages back and let him do his magic, be it a small or large budget. A man like Benitez is analytical wants to be in control of the situation, uncertainty is something he probably dislikes and that is exactly how the Yanks are treating him.

and throw in the Iberian passion and you have a powder keg.

[Morph]

Mate they'd have to have prepared a 10 year business plan. If they planning their investment on a monthly basis then we're introuble.

yes but certain things will be built into that business plan and CL money will be in there won't it