This guy on RAWK...

[barnes10]

thats then point. sacking rafa is ultimately a realy big backwards step. few could come in and take rafa's work forward without wholesale changes. the club is in rafas image at present and all it takes are a couple more tweaks (the kind that are ongoing for any top team). so unless we fail to qualify for the CL via the league, there is no way of saying that rafa's methods arent working.

the key to improving cashflow and profit is the new stadium and global merchandising. We have the TV channel now. But it all has to be on the back of a successful team. not on the back of turmoil and an impression that the club has lost its traditions.

it strikes me as a really dumb decision to sack rafa. extremely dumb. i have greater faith in our owners than that so cannot see it happening. rafa will probably walk before he's pushed.

as another poster has said, rafa has stated its a misunderstanding and all is fine and the meeting will iron things out. so why can we not just accept that?

[Skullflower]

this link clearly shows that the problems have been sorted out

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1384797112

[BFG]

I don't want to comment on any individual but there was countless 'respected' internet posters who claimed that Rafa had already gone a few weeks back and he's still there.

Obvioulsly the tension isn't all cleared because G&H haven't publicly backed Rafa yet but I still think a lot of people are taking stabs in the dark to be the one "who told you so."

It may be unfair to judge anything on the same standards as that **** factory but Kraptalk has made me very cynical of anything that's posted in a forum.

[Dhav]

The speculation is going on for too long now. G&H aswell as Parry need to put it to bed for once and for all. As long as they stay silent the papers will keep speculating. I don't want the dreaded vote of confidence but wouldn't it be nice if they at least said what is being written for the last month was nonsence. My blood is boiling thinking about it ffs

Is what I've been saying all along. The yanks or PArry could have killed all the ongoing speculation stone dead with one carefully worded press release, but they have thus far refused to do so, which makes me suspicious of their motives and intentions. I would really like to think that whatever the power-struggle between Parry and Rafa (if there is idneed one) or the personality clash between Rafa and the owners, that they are not stupid enough to sack our manager when we have, IMO, the potential to achieve greatness if Rafa is allowed to see his planning through. Then again, the yanks seem to think Parry is competent and he seems to have their ear, so I guess anything is possible.

I just find it amazing that Parry managed to arrange the sale of the club, got a windfall and bonus out of it, plus got to keep his job.

[Darth Marty]

I think Parry is a very easy target, this recent rubbish is purely speculation regardless of whos coming out with it.
Personally I think the Americans will come out with a statement shortly after we beat the scum saying something along the lines of "we love the club, fans, roffa and continue to love everything...roffa will get our full backing and was alweays going to, misunderstandings, poor press, blah blah blah" End result - Everyone happy, Rafa safe!

[AFII]

IF they sack Rafa then I can't see G&H keep the club. They would be the most unpopular owners in english league history.

There is no way that we, the supporters, would be able to trust them again. If they sack Rafa then the long time stability is gone for a long time, look at Newcastle, that would be our situation, not exactly a nice picture.

They would be forced to sell the club within a year IMO.

[Woobus]

I try my best not to listen to all these people with inside info, normally they turn out not to be true or just a small part of the truth. We would have bought Bent, Rafa would already be sacked, Maureen would be managing us and Hicks would have sold his share for 500 million if they were all true.

[Taffy]

Well, I for one won't lose any sleep over what Rushian has supposedly said.

If I believed everything he's said in the past then I'd have committed suicide by now and we'd have every **** player imaginable playing for us! A lot of what Rushian has said in the past has proved to be incorrect, like a lot of these 'in the know' individuals we find on these internet forums, and I won't be worrying myself silly because of these latest comments of his.

Maybe he's been fed something, maybe he hasn't, maybe he's been told something to deliberately get that vibe out to the fans?! What I do know is that a lot of what Rushian has said over the years on these internet forums are crap and have been proved to be wrong, so I won't be crying into my keyboard with what he's been saying recently!

Yes, there obviously has been a problem of some sort between Rafa/Rick/G&H but I won't be jumping out of my window here from what Rushian has said on another LFC forum. Chill guys!

[Ataturk]

all of a sudden almost everyone associated with the club has a seige mentality.

rafa to deliver the results to back up his words and prove he is focussed in coaching his team.

the players are 100% playing for the manager.

the fans are even more pumped up.

all this isnt so bad.

[red g]

all of a sudden almost everyone associated with the club has a seige mentality.

rafa to deliver the results to back up his words and prove he is focussed in coaching his team.

the players are 100% playing for the manager.

the fans are even more pumped up.

all this isnt so bad.

worked for chelsea

[AFII]

All we know for a fact is that we will know if Rafa stays long term or not next week and that the problem is down to buying and selling players because he said so himself.

Everything else is speculation.

[lfc1394]

I don't know if any of it is true or not, but we should have a 91ft banner, with 'Sack Parry you American ******s' for Sunday.

[red g]

worked for chelsea!

[red g]

All we know for a fact is that we will know if Rafa stays long term or not next week and that the problem is down to buying and selling players because he said so himself.

Everything else is speculation.

Why will we know next week? he may just get a stay of execution till the end of season?

[calvoboy]

Here's where I reckon we are at:

- Rafa and the owners have had a disagreement (confirmed by both sides)
- At one stage, with both sides arguing through the media, it looked like their differences would be irreconcilable (Bascombe article plus lots of others including the Echo)
- Since then results have picked up, and through meetings with Parry and Foster both sides have realised it was a misunderstanding that led to it being escalated to extreme levels (confirmed by Hicks and Rafa)
- The original disagreement between Rafa and the owners remains though, and the owners aren't happy about Rafa criticising them in the media (seems obvious)
- They are meeting on Sunday or Monday where Rafa will apologise, and then they will try and find a way to solve the disagreement. (most reports say there will be a meeting Sunday or Monday and that Rafa will hold out an olive branch)
- Rafa seems confident that they will be able to sort it out, based on his conversations with Foster and Parry (quotes from the last day or so)
- But, because of the arguing, most of the board are not too impressed with Rafa's conduct, so he is still on thin ice (Oliver Kay article, plus others from the Echo)

- In my opinion, the most likely scenario is that they will meet and thrash out the problems, after which he will be given cautious public backing by the owners. He will then have until the end of the season, when he will be judged on our results in all four competitions. After 4 years at the club, it is only right that his position would be questioned if we are not seriously challenging for the league.

- Even if I'm right, it wouldn't do any harm to chant his name for 10 mins when we are 3-0 up on Sunday!