Sunday news report thread

[Morph]

Ah right so Bascombe has now caught the bug that most Sunday paper journalists get.

Hear a story about a manager in crisis, sensationalise it with your own theory and make it sound 1billion times worse, find a manager that's available and that every ****** in the world is familiar with, link said manager to the job and make it sound like fact and you've got a story.

In the event that it does't happen no one will remember any way.

Bascambe's a ****. Always has been, always will be.

he's certainly gone up in my **** estimation, that is of course assuming he actually wrote that story, i've noticed the notw seems to have nameless reporters on a lot of their articles, however not actually buying the paper i'm not sure if that's the case or not

[Craig_H]

I still think it's a non story, in terms of 'sackings' etc. It'll blow over, providing Rafa doesnt keep publicly having a pop at Hicks.

[AFII]

Rafa Benitez could get extra £15m to spend if Liverpool stay in Europe

Nov 25 2007

More pressure has clearly been heaped on Liverpool as they go into their make-or-break Champions League home clash with Porto on Wednesday following the fall-out between manager and owners.

Boss Rafael Benitez has clearly been told his transfer budget for January depends very much on whether Liverpool reach the knock-out stages.

Owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have announced they will be talking to Benitez about cash and transfers when they next travel to the UK for the Manchester United home match on December 16, five days after Liverpool’s final group match in Marseille.

Liverpool have to beat Porto at Anfield and then triumph in Marseille to have any chance of further progress.

If they do qualify then there is extra UEFA cash, anything upwards of £15million that could become available.

And that is cash the Americans will let Benitez spend, just like they did in the summer with the Sky money and proceeds from last season’s run to the Champions League final in Athens.

Benitez knows Liverpool will have to be a lot better against Porto this time than they were for their first group match in Portugal in September.

That poor display, in which they eventually managed a 1-1 draw, set the tone for several weeks of indifferent Liverpool form.

Benitez, though, believes his expensive squad is playing better than that last confrontation with Porto. He said: “Yes, I think the team is playing better (than when we last faced Porto.)

“The Besiktas victory in the last match can be a boost for us, but we need to score goals and not concede any.”

But Liverpool now face an even greater test of their composure and confidence with the pressures increased following the mid-week differences between Benitez and the American owners.

Benitez will hope that the off-field ramifications will not affect his players.

For goalkeeper Jose Reina the situation is clear. He said: “We are third in the group now and need to register two more wins.

“That will not be easy but it will be enough to qualify. We must also win in Marseille, but we must deal with Porto first.

“There is no point in looking further ahead than that. If we play our real game then we know that will be enough.”

He added: “When the team won the trophy back in 2005, in the group stages they managed to get to 10 points, and that was enough. We must aim for that total again, and that will also be enough.

“That run to the final should be a mirror for us. We can look at it as an example of how the situation can be resolved.”

Reina was not at Liverpool when they won that Istanbul final against AC Milan, but he was around to share in the disappointment of last season against the same opposition in Athens.

It is an experience he does not want again. He said: “I have not really looked at that DVD, it is in the past, we lost it and we must forget it and keep going.

“People say we were unlucky in Athens, but in the end Milan won. If we get to the final again we must make sure we do not finish with that same feeling.

“But before we can even think about things like that we must make sure we win these last two group games, we must reach the knock-out rounds before thinking ahead to any more finals.”

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/...4375-20157210/

[kurtangle01]

he's certainly gone up in my **** estimation, that is of course assuming he actually wrote that story, i've noticed the notw seems to have nameless reporters on a lot of their articles, however not actually buying the paper i'm not sure if that's the case or not

The headline it's under is laughable.

Bascambe really has sold his soul to the devil.

[MrMichael]

Rafa Benitez could get extra £15m to spend if Liverpool stay in Europe

Nov 25 2007

More pressure has clearly been heaped on Liverpool as they go into their make-or-break Champions League home clash with Porto on Wednesday following the fall-out between manager and owners.

Boss Rafael Benitez has clearly been told his transfer budget for January depends very much on whether Liverpool reach the knock-out stages.

Owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have announced they will be talking to Benitez about cash and transfers when they next travel to the UK for the Manchester United home match on December 16, five days after Liverpool’s final group match in Marseille.

Liverpool have to beat Porto at Anfield and then triumph in Marseille to have any chance of further progress.

If they do qualify then there is extra UEFA cash, anything upwards of £15million that could become available.

And that is cash the Americans will let Benitez spend, just like they did in the summer with the Sky money and proceeds from last season’s run to the Champions League final in Athens.

etc”

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/...4375-20157210/

Now that's a more sensible article.

I still think this could all have a reasonable chance of just blowing over.

[kurtangle01]

Now that's a more sensible article.

I still think this could all have a reasonable chance of just blowing over.

I agree. Two wins from our next two matches and I'm sure the press will find something else to write about.

[carrsim]

i sullied myself by looking at the NOTW website. here is the story. reads like typical tabloid bollox imo:

Rafa will be axed
Mourinho tops Kop list

Exclusive by Chris Bascombe
Rafa Benitez will be axedRAFA BENITEZ will be sacked following his latest tirade against Liverpool owner Tom Hicks.

And former Kop hate-figure Jose Mourinho is the shock front runner to replace him.

Liverpool's American owners were already preparing to ditch the Spanish boss (left) after tiring of the constant behind-the-scenes bickering but this week's developments have sealed his fate.

It's now a matter of when not if the Spanish boss leaves Anfield and that's expected to be sooner rather than later.

Despite his epic Anfield bust-ups while at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho tops a wanted list already being assembled by the owners.

An approach will be made once Benitez's departure is confirmed.

The Portuguese boss may have his enemies on Merseyside, but he's recognised as one of the best and most sought after coaches in Europe.

Benitez showed no sign of ducking a fight with his hierarchy following yesterday's 3-0 win over Newcastle, despite knowing his job was on the line.

"It's clear Mr Hicks wants the best for the club. So do I," he said.

"We have been here for a long time and we know what the passion of football means and what the transfer market in Europe means.

"It's not a draft system. We have free players available now. I'm not talking about players that cost money.

"We need to talk to the agents now, if not we will lose targets. In the summer, the players will be more expensive. I have not been talking about spending but doing the opposite. We have brought money back. We brought in £26m this year and you can see the value of the squad.

"We had a meeting on the day of the Arsenal game which was really positive. After this, something changed."

They told me to be focused on coaching and training because Rick Parry will be looking after signing players."

Swing

Benitez won't walk away, adding: "I have passion for this club. The fans who were with me in Istanbul know what it means to me."

With no resignation on the horizon, Hicks (left) and Gillett are now ready to swing their axe regardless of Liverpool's league placing or Champions League progress.

[desertscouser]

News of the world (Bascombe) say Rafa will be sacked and Mourinho tops the list. Dunno whats in the article, they were just the headlines on the paper round up.

That little weasel Basombe is starting to really get on my tits. He's such a ****** with his predicatble Rafa to be sacked and to be replaced by Mourinho story.

I don't think the Yanks would have the balls to sack Rafa. rafa will walk before being sacked.

[CAD]

Utter ****e. Like Mourinho would ever EVAR come to Anfield. If Rafa can't get the backing why would the give it to him? It makes NO sense.

Rafa will probably leave sooner rather than later if we fail to make the last 16. Only a really good PL result would keep him after that IMO.

Mourinho...what a joke of an article....

[kurtangle01]

That little weasel Basombe is starting to really get on my tits. He's such a ****** with his predicatble Rafa to be sacked and to be replaced by Mourinho story.

I don't think the Yanks would have the balls to sack Rafa. rafa will walk before being sacked.

I think they would have to balls to do it. You don't become a billionaire without being ruthless.

I don't think they will sack him though and this will blow over and anything that's said between the owners and Rafa will be conducted behind closed doors in future.

As long as the end result of their talks is that the club as a whole benefits I'm sure no one will really mind and this will all be forgiven if not forgotten.

[Guest]

Strange story by Bascombe. Mourihno is not a yes man, so Bascombe's logic defies belief.

[El Jefecito]

Strange story by Bascombe. Mourihno is not a yes man, so Bascombe's logic defies belief.

To be honest I think CB is doing us a favour. He's giving us a heads up that unless we do something Rafa is going to be sacked.

[Guest]

To be honest I think CB is doing us a favour. He's giving us a heads up that unless we do something Rafa is going to be sacked.

In the end, it's the club's best interests which is most important and I think the two camps should meet in the middle. They are adults and they should stop acting via the press and sit down as soon as possible and resolve the issues.

If Rafa goes, that would be a disaster for us. A complete disaster.

[alunevans]

Why wouldn't they want him to organise his targets? It has to be about money or control (which effectively involves spending decisions anyway).

because, as rafa put it, they don't understand the european 'soccer' transfer market

[El Jefecito]

In the end, it's the club's best interests which is most important and I think the two camps should meet in the middle. They are adults and they should stop acting via the press and sit down as soon as possible and resolve the issues.

If Rafa goes, that would be a disaster for us. A complete disaster.

It's obvious that to Hicks this is a numbers game. As long as he can get the stadium built, he can make his $. Does he need Rafa to get it built? Nope. Is Rafa high maintenance? Yep. Does he think he can get away with putting in a yes man? Sure does, worked for Roman.