Rafa Benitez assured in ‘positive’ meeting

[Venton]

The statement is completely neutral.

I'm glad about that. At least they'll be working things out talking to each other rather than through the press, that's the first good thing. That was all too embarrassing. None of them came out with any credit at all.

[rage]

when i was about 10 yrs old and a coward i'd always look for an excuse to dump a girl. i'd wait for her to do something and use that as a reason. g&t are exactly the same, rafa would have got sacked if he hadn't beat marsaille and he'll get sacked if he doesn't deliver the league/champ league in the summer.

these yanks have not been good for us, i have nothing personal against them but am judging them on their actions to date (once i managed to unspin the spin) and of my experiences as a human being.

of course i may be proved wrong but imo if the yanks continue with their ownership of us we are in for dark times.

[Dhav]

But why would they grant him a stay of execution?

If they weren't happy they could just sack him and just get somebody else in, why would they wait?

It's time to leave this whole issue alone, not that I think there is one. To be honest I've found the whole episode embarrassing for this club, from Rafa's outburst to the fallout in which the hacks and hysterical net insider wannabees somehow managed to convince grown men through third hand rumours and benign press releases. The nadir was Rushian "we're being run by mancs" thread on Rawk. No facts, just a provocative title to whip'em into a frenzy. Sad thing is it works, and it will continue to.

Now let's get on with the important stuff, the football. No doubt Rafa will.

Shame some just won't let it lie.

His position will be judged on results no doubt.

Finances seem to be an issue at the mo, purse strings seem to be tight and I'm sure they thought better of sacking Rafa given how much it will cost them. Also it would be disastrous to sack a successful manager mid-season, it would probably write-off our whole season - surely even these clowns would realise it. I think they also underestimated the fan's backing of Rafa and the likely backlash if he were sacked - they'll probably wait to the end of the season, and if he doesn't win anything probably sack him then, hoping the fans are more likely to accept it if it has not been a successful trophy-winning season.

I agree with you, the whole thing has been embarrassing and has besmirched the good name of the club, starting with Rafa's outburst - but you have to ask what the yanks did to provoke him, and I bet it centred around promises broken and him not being backed in transfer market as he had previously been assured he would (yes, I'm speculating, but call it an educated guess). And so the media have, like a dog picked up the bone and ran with it, causing the hysteria. But what concerns me is that these "benign" statements as you call them have served only to make the situation fester, flame the fires and increase the speculation and heap the pressure on the manager. Those statements were carefully worded, they must have known it would have that effect. Which makes me think they were deliberately intended to turn up the heat on Rafa. They must have known that an appropriately worded statement could have killed all the speculation and allowed everyone to "focus on the important matches ahead", which is what the yanks said was the priority. The statements dont seem innocent to me, they seem to serve an agenda.

I understand what you're saying, no point jumping in at the deep end without any facts. But sometimes we need to look beyond the smokescreen and see what's lurking behind it. And here there is more than meets the eye. I don't believe people have over-reacted, not at all. Because to me it is clear that there was a real danger Rafa would lose his job, and I'm not yet convinced that between now and the end of the season that danger has dissipated.

I agree, we need to focus on football without this distraction hanging over us. Possibly after Gillet's words today we might finally be able to do that.

As for "shame some won't let it lie" - FLMAO given after qualifying for the last 16 of the CL instead of glorying in our victory in Marseille you preferred to drudge up Reading again.

[AFII]

Liverpool's belt tightening leaves Benitez in a squeeze
By Sam Wallace
Published: 18 December 2007

Rafael Benitez's difficult relationship with Liverpool's American owners will be severely tested after it emerged that George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks will refuse to sanction even a free signing during the January transfer window. The Liverpool manager was made aware of the embargo long before Sunday's long-awaited peace summit at Anfield immediately after the defeat to Manchester United.

The Americans did not wait until they arrived last week to inform Benitez of the limitations imposed on him. It is understood Benitez has been told he will be not be able to sell, or buy at all during the transfer window and two free signings he had hoped to make would not be considered by the board either.

It came as a major blow to Benitez whose long-term future at the club has been under serious doubt ever since his first fall-outs with the Americans last month. Although Liverpool and Gillett have attempted to put a more positive spin on the events of the last two days it is not how Benitez sees events in private. He is disbelieving at the limitations placed on him by the board who will have seen first hand on Sunday the need to strengthen the Liverpool squad.

Whether the Americans' position changes in the next few weeks is not clear but Benitez certainly went into Sunday's meeting on the understanding no funds would be made available for transfers in January. Yesterday Gillett, who spoke at a meeting of former Liverpool players, was ambiguous about January signings saying only, in terms of the transfer window, "we might use the option that gives us, or we might not."

A statement released by the club on Sunday night claimed that the meeting between Hicks, Gillett, his son Foster, Benitez and chief executive Rick Parry had been "amicable". Gillett attempted to keep the mood upbeat once again when he said that after the fallout between the two parties the "focus has to be on finding a common platform to continue our co-operation."

He added: "Rafa is the one we want as a manager further on, and we have faith in him. I've been married over 40 years and have first hand knowledge about how to solve an argument. We concentrated on getting an overview over the situation, and I felt we accomplished that."

The dispute between Benitez and his bosses began with his criticism of them for lacking understanding of the workings of the transfer market last month and escalated with Hicks warning his manager "to quit talking about new players and coach the ones that we have." That message would appear to have been reinforced over the last few days.

Parry also warned that Liverpool have had to revise their ambitious plans for the new 70,000-capacity stadium planned for the 2011-2012 season. He said: "The new stadium will be a significant improvement on the original plans and a slightly downgraded version of the new ones."

http://sport.independent.co.uk/footb...cle3260752.ece

[Dhav]

Speculative. I'm not sure how they can know the details of a private meeting between 5 people (unless those details are correct and Rafa was so pissed off he leaked it to them is the only explanation I can think of), but if that is true then I find it both baffling and worrying. Do not see the logic at all.

[AFII]

Speculative. I'm not sure how they can know the details of a private meeting between 5 people (unless those details are correct and Rafa was so pissed off he leaked it to them is the only explanation I can think of), but if that is true then I find it both baffling and worrying. Do not see the logic at all.

The only reason I can see would be that they hope that Rafa will walk and save them £6m.

I don't think it's true because it wouldn't make any financial sense at all.

[Dhav]

The only reason I can see would be that they hope that Rafa will walk and save them £6m.

I don't think it's true because it wouldn't make any financial sense at all.

Indeed. I see absolutely no sense in a transfer embargo especially as we have so many saleable assets (Carson, Momo, etc), unless it is like you say to force Rafa to show his hand.

[slimbimjim]

Why wouldn't he be able to sell players?

Sounds like another bull**** article to me.

[Nicey]

When will all this bollix end ... you ****ers will run this man out of town with this endless speculative ****e

[peekay]

Why wouldn't he be able to sell players?

Sounds like another bull**** article to me.

If that is the case the message is loud and clear. They want Rafa out and do not want any more disruptions to the squad until they bring a new manager in.
Either way we will know in a couple of weeks.

[Dhav]

When will all this bollix end ... you ****ers will run this man out of town with this endless speculative ****e

All I will say is irrespective of how speculative these latest reports are regarding Rafa' transfer budget/embargo, this speculation would never have gotten out of hand if the club never allowed it to, and that begs the question, have they deliberately allowed this speculation to manifest itself?

[slimbimjim]

If that is the case the message is loud and clear. They want Rafa out and do not want any more disruptions to the squad until they bring a new manager in.
Either way we will know in a couple of weeks.

Heres to hoping that all is well.

[slimbimjim]

I'm sure all this is having an impact on our performances.

[Nicey]

Its a disease with is endemic within the fanbase, for as long as I can remember there has been one big conspiracy going on regarding all kinds of topics, as soon as one is clarified the pack move on ****ing immediately to the next big who done it, its never ending and grinds you down after awhile. If its not the negativity regarding our chances, its schoolyard 12 year old name calling of our own ****ing players, then there is the hypocrisy of the slagging off the rags when the boards are just one big speculative wankfeast based on the very publications we are not supposed to be reading. Its all ****ed its all doom and gloom, there are a small proportion of the fans online who are straight shooters and can see things for what they are but the rest, its one bad result and a ****ing vicious witch hunt is started ... Benny makes one mistake and suddenly he is ****.. well no ! he is not **** you its more like you dont know your arse from your elbow.

As been mentioned if you offered us, 6 points off the pace coming into Chrimbo .. with a decent run of fixtures and next round of the champions lg Qrt Final of the Reserve Cup, and FA cup still to contend most sensible fans would have bitten your hand off. Well thats were we are .. Still in the fight scoring goals for fun best goal keeper in the land .. one of the best defences in the land with our 2nd choice CB holding the fort.

I just wish the endless moaning and speculation would end sometime but alas I know thats not going to happen anyday soon

[Guest]

Its a disease with is endemic within the fanbase, for as long as I can remember there has been one big conspiracy going on regarding all kinds of topics, as soon as one is clarified the pack move on ****ing immediately to the next big who done it, its never ending and grinds you down after awhile. If its not the negativity regarding our chances, its schoolyard 12 year old name calling of our own ****ing players, then there is the hypocrisy of the slagging off the rags when the boards are just one big speculative wankfeast based on the very publications we are not supposed to be reading. Its all ****ed its all doom and gloom, there are a small proportion of the fans online who are straight shooters and can see things for what they are but the rest, its one bad result and a ****ing vicious witch hunt is started ... Benny makes one mistake and suddenly he is ****.. well no ! he is not **** you its more like you dont know your arse from your elbow.

As been mentioned if you offered us, 6 points off the pace coming into Chrimbo .. with a decent run of fixtures and next round of the champions lg Qrt Final of the Reserve Cup, and FA cup still to contend most sensible fans would have bitten your hand off. Well thats were we are .. Still in the fight scoring goals for fun best goal keeper in the land .. one of the best defences in the land with our 2nd choice CB holding the fort.

I just wish the endless moaning and speculation would end sometime but alas I know thats not going to happen anyday soon

But it won't happen mate, as you said.