Sunday news report thread

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Kingmaker Dunk.

Classic.

[Marky]

No there won't.

We're better than that.

I think 95% of fans would be absolutely disgusted if Rafa was given the boot.
The relationship between Rafa and the Liverpool fans is strong, very strong.

[kurtangle01]

The Americans can **** off if they sack Rafa.
There will be a riot in Liverpool if they do sack him.

No there wont.

What would that achieve?

[desertscouser]

oh and another thing where the **** is gillette in all this?
its all hicks hicks hicks
his son ****ed off a month ago and since then not a peep from that family
he was supposed to be the main man ,after all it was him who brought hicks to the table yet we havent heard a thing from him.

If you believe one rumour, Gillette is busy looking for another billionaire to take over Hick's share. Probably complete cack but you never know.

[Marky]

No there wont.

What would that achieve?

Well maybe not a riot but you know what i'm getting at like

[kurtangle01]

I think 95% of fans would be absolutely disgusted if Rafa was given the boot.
The relationship between Rafa and the Liverpool fans is strong, very strong.

Dissapointed. Yes.

Angry. Probably.

Start rioting. No.

Lets face it we're all pussies and all we would do is whinge about it on a message board for while.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I think 95% of fans would be absolutely disgusted if Rafa was given the boot.
The relationship between Rafa and the Liverpool fans is strong, very strong.

Absolutely. The majority of us would be gutted.

But it's not going to happen, so stop torturing yourself.

[MascheredUp]

Feck, not good reading.

Rafael Benitez sarcasm may be punished

Oliver Kay

Rafael BenÍtez has lost what little support he may have had from George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks, Liverpool’s American owners, and is in grave danger of losing his job sooner rather than later, with their working relationship seemingly beyond repair.

Gillett and Hicks issued a statement last night to deny reports that they intend to sack BenÍtez, but while they insisted that nothing had changed since a previous statement, in which Hicks told the manager to “quit talking about new players”, there was no attempt to back the Spaniard.

Sources in the Anfield hierarchy believe there is no way that BenÍtez can survive this fallout in the long term, with growing fears that he could be dismissed even before a planned meeting with Gillett and Hicks next month.

In their joint statement, the owners said: “Despite speculation in the newspapers, there is nothing new to say. We had a good win on Saturday and have got some very important games coming up. Both of us, together with chief executive Rick Parry, plan to meet with Rafa when we come over mid-December to make decisions on the team’s requirements at that time.”

BenÍtez could yet be given the opportunity to see out the season, particularly if there is agreement between all parties on the amount of money needed to strengthen the squad in the January transfer window, but the meeting in mid-December has the makings of an explosive showdown. The immediate priority for BenÍtez is to “focus on coaching and training the team” � the phrase first uttered by Hicks and subsequently adopted as a sarcastic mantra by the manager � but preparations for the must-win Champions League match at home to FC Porto on Wednesday are being overshadowed by the political turmoil at the club.

It remains to be seen whether BenÍtez will dare to discuss the subject at tomorrow’s prematch press conference, but, already on the thinnest of ice, he did himself no favours with his comments after the 3-0 win away to Newcastle United on Saturday. By inferring that Gillett and Hicks do not understand “what the passion of football means and what the transfer market in Europe means”, he was perceived to have insulted the Americans. Even his decision to wear a tracksuit, rather than his usual suit, at St James’ Park has been widely interpreted within the club as a sarcastic response to the demand that he focus on coaching and training.

Gillett and Hicks are understood to have sought advice about a possible successor to BenÍtez, with José Mourinho, the former Chelsea head coach, having almost inevitably cropped up. Quite whether they would be brave enough to appoint another difficult character, though, and one whose relationship with Liverpool’s supporters is fraught, remains to be seen.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article2943522.ece

[MascheredUp]

A Ballague interview from Spanish Radio; translation from AnotherSpanishFan off RAWK:

JR: Are you completely sure Benitez will leave Liverpool, likely next season?

GB: The whole saga has been rather strange. Rumours have been ongoing all day about the possible sacking today, this week or soon of Rafa Benitez and all of this would seem like a joke if it wasn’t for all the things you have already explained and because the story has been fueled by some articles in the English press like the NOTW for example that predict that possibility. So it’s clear that at least one of the owners, Tom Hicks, has been talking off-the-record that the relationship with the manager is near breaking point and that the sacking is a real possibility. As a matter of fact he’s said that it’s a fact and it’s just a matter of when.

JR: That it’s been decided and they just need to put a date?

GB: That’s what one of the owners has been telling people and there’s been so much speculation today that…

JR: Guillem, who are the owners?

GB: Tom Hicks and George Gillett. They own other soccer teams and may other businesses and that’ perhaps where the problem arises. They feel that Liverpool is another business that doesn’t require a special treatment and that the last thing they want to hear is one of their employees- they consider Rafa Benitez just another employee- protest and demand the speeding of some negotiations, to start buying and selling…

JR: What exactly is he complaining about?

GB: Well, for example he had almost closed a couple of deals for players, at zero cost, and had practically sealed two sales that would bring the club an extra €20m but even then they have not allowed him, as a matter of fact they don’t allow him right now to buy or sell players. And that has not sat well with Benitez on one side and then Tom Hicks, who knows nothing about football, has come out telling him to just focus on coaching because he’s just an employee and that’s all he needs to worry about. And that prompted, I don’t know if you’ve seen the images of the press conference on Friday where he repeated 20 times ‘I’m only here to coach my team’, a bit as a response to Tom Hicks. The relationship is very, very tense and since there’s been so much talk of Benitez’s future the club has come out with a public statement, on which I don’t think the owners have had anything to do with, but where the reports that have been coming out are neither confirmed nor denied and that in December the owners and Rafa will meet hoping that everything will be worked out…but as of right now things are not looking good

[bazza76]

. By inferring that Gillett and Hicks do not understand “what the passion of football means and what the transfer market in Europe means”, he was perceived to have insulted the Americans. Even his decision to wear a tracksuit, rather than his usual suit, at St James’ Park has been widely interpreted within the club as a sarcastic response to the demand that he focus on coaching and training.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle2943522.ece

Ehh, if I am not mistaken, Are Gillett, Hicks and Foster not over in the states?. So who exactly is pissed at Rafa wearing a fuking tracksuit. I didn't even cop it lol. Not as if Hicks and Gillett are, and you can bet, they most likely didn't even watch the match.
So Kay is now officially a rat then cos you can bet, nobody at LFC was running back to the Americans with this story.

[bazza76]

A Ballague interview from Spanish Radio; translation from AnotherSpanishFan off RAWK:

JR: Are you completely sure Benitez will leave Liverpool, likely next season?

GB: The whole saga has been rather strange. Rumours have been ongoing all day about the possible sacking today, this week or soon of Rafa Benitez and all of this would seem like a joke if it wasn’t for all the things you have already explained and because the story has been fueled by some articles in the English press like the NOTW for example that predict that possibility. So it’s clear that at least one of the owners, Tom Hicks, has been talking off-the-record that the relationship with the manager is near breaking point and that the sacking is a real possibility. As a matter of fact he’s said that it’s a fact and it’s just a matter of when.

JR: That it’s been decided and they just need to put a date?

GB: That’s what one of the owners has been telling people and there’s been so much speculation today that…

JR: Guillem, who are the owners?

GB: Tom Hicks and George Gillett. They own other soccer teams and may other businesses and that’ perhaps where the problem arises. They feel that Liverpool is another business that doesn’t require a special treatment and that the last thing they want to hear is one of their employees- they consider Rafa Benitez just another employee- protest and demand the speeding of some negotiations, to start buying and selling…

JR: What exactly is he complaining about?

GB: Well, for example he had almost closed a couple of deals for players, at zero cost, and had practically sealed two sales that would bring the club an extra €20m but even then they have not allowed him, as a matter of fact they don’t allow him right now to buy or sell players. And that has not sat well with Benitez on one side and then Tom Hicks, who knows nothing about football, has come out telling him to just focus on coaching because he’s just an employee and that’s all he needs to worry about. And that prompted, I don’t know if you’ve seen the images of the press conference on Friday where he repeated 20 times ‘I’m only here to coach my team’, a bit as a response to Tom Hicks. The relationship is very, very tense and since there’s been so much talk of Benitez’s future the club has come out with a public statement, on which I don’t think the owners have had anything to do with, but where the reports that have been coming out are neither confirmed nor denied and that in December the owners and Rafa will meet hoping that everything will be worked out…but as of right now things are not looking good

I would believe Balague more than any of the english Journos, he is a friend of Rafa's. He may even have called Rafa to check out the situation. You wouldn't know. Whoever it is, seems confident that one of them is talking about giving Rafa the chop.
All reminds me of the summer, the more I read, the more worried I got, then I just thought to myself, this is all bollocks. turned out I was right, I really hope thatis the situation again.

[Nicey]

If this is true these two clowns should pack there bags and **** off back to cloud cookcoo land

[Dhav]

I despair. We are becoming like Chelsea. If Parry really does have the ear of Hicks and Gillett then he needs to start earning his crust and persuade them how imperative it is that Rafa stays and that he is backed.

If they do force him out then I dont want to spend a further penny on the club to line the pockets of two yanks who clearly know nothing about The Liverpool Way. All their promises about respecting the fans and heritage of the cub, and supporting the manager all seem hollow.

Some of us on here have been critical and suspicious of the yanks from the moment they came on the scene. I sincerely hope we will be proved wrong, but I really fear as to where we are heading now as a club.

[Dhav]

The Americans can **** off if they sack Rafa.
There will be a riot in Liverpool if they do sack him.

There won't be a riot, but I will agree with you on this:-

The Americans can **** off if they sack Rafa.

[RedWolverine]

Well it seems most of the papers will be covering this in the morning, judging by the online editions of the papers.