Hicks - "I Have No Problem With Rafa"

[The Glove]

It may seem like a massive culture shock

And that for me is the difference here.

Them waving dollars about, people here have taken as thats what they are going to do were as Im sure in America it would just be viewed as them pissing about. We need to get used to thier ways and they need to get used to ours.

[bazza76]

Facts based on feelings. Love it. You ever thought of starting your own religion? If so, I'm in.

I know it's an English team, but he's a Yank owner. Owners in NA get interviewed more, speak more, and get quoted more than they do over there. It may seem like a massive culture shock to hear the owners speak their mind, and actually have an opinion on things, but in all honesty I prefer an owner to be that way. Not a meddling control freak that micromanages to the very end, (read: Chelsea) but someone that actually has a thought and vision of where the club currently is and where they'd like it to go. If an open cheque book was given without a shared vision with the manager our club would be soulless.

I understand your worries Baz, and if Hicks were to have answered that question from the reporter in the interview with a "I'm sorry, I choose to not comment on that" then it would be even worse in the press, and he'd have to come out with a retraction which would have him in front of the mic yet again. The press is having a field day with "standard press release answers" with all that is going on with the stadium, ownership, bull**** rifts with Rafa, etc, so for him to be as clear-cut and precise in his answers the first time, I don't have a problem.

It is a very delicate balance, but these are the idiosyncracies that we all have to deal with with foreign ownership.

As Bill Shankly once said:

At a football club, there's a holy trinity - the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don't come into it. They are only there to sign the cheques.

I believe this to be largely true. When the likes of Hicks start explaining our losses to the press, it is trouble. The mere fact that he said that the team lost because we lacked belief shows how little he knows. Rafa didn't say it.

[bazza76]

I've got to back bazza up here. Hicks had absolutely no business on criticising the teams performance in the press. He may aswell just have come out and told Rafa to motivate his players better.

wohoo someone agrees with me

[Kilteragh]

wohoo someone agrees with me

You have two logins. We're on to you.

[loco_law]

[bazza76]

You have two logins. We're on to you.

[Steve101]

wohoo someone agrees with me

Kurtangle's a tart, it'll never last!!!!!!!

[bazza76]

Right now John Edwards, we know you are reading, reveal youself whoever you are

link

Liverpool owner Hicks in dig at Rafa over his inferior design
By JOHN EDWARDS - More by this author » Last updated at 22:51pm on 28th December 2007

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Rafa Benitez was facing further uncertainty over his Anfield future yesterday after club owner Tom Hicks claimed Liverpool had an inferiority complex in their crucial pre-Christmas clash with Manchester United.

Benitez's motivational skills appeared to be called into question over an Anfield meeting his side had to win to be accepted as credible title challengers.

Gerrard

Beaten and bowed: Gerrard and Co trudge away as United celebrate victory

Read more...

Hicks and co-owner George Gillett looked on from the directors' box as Liverpool turned in their worst performance of the season to lose 1-0 and slip further behind their bitter rivals in the Barclays Premier League table.

In a scathing assessment of the way Liverpool players froze and seldom looked like recovering from a first-half goal by Carlos Tevez, Hicks said: "Our team played like they mentally didn't think they were good enough to win. They played tight."

Speaking to Sports Illustrated magazine, Hicks also opened up on the rift that developed between Benitez and his American bosses and the uneasy truce that followed.

Although denying there had ever been any direct threat to sack Benitez, the 61-year-old Texan could not resist a dig at his manager's petulant response to being ordered to put his transfer plans on hold and concentrate on the players already at his disposal.

"We wanted to see what we could do with the players we had already bought," he said. "We just wanted to see if the team was going to gel. Then he (Benitez) went to a press conference and kind of pouted and answered in the same way 20 times: 'I'm focusing on my team'.

"The media made up everything from that point forward. They made up that we were going to fire him, that I told him to shut up, that there was a battle between Benitez and the Americans. It's really funny to watch."

With their working relationship at its most fragile a month ago, Benitez was heartened by a rousing show of support from around 2,000 fans who waved banners and flags on a march to the ground before the Champions League game with Porto.

"They wanted to protect Rafa," said Hicks. "That part you have to admire. We think Rafa is terrific and we've put all that behind us. It is the fans' club. The last family had it 51 years and it has been around for 115. Hopefully, we will have it for a long time as well."

As Benitez prepared to face Manchester City at Eastlands tomorrow, he hit back at claims that Liverpool are over reliant on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres and insisted both are reaping the benefits of being rested earlier in the season.

The last scoring performance without a goal from Gerrard or Torres was the 2-1 derby win at Everton on October 20 and even Ryan Babel suggested others should be contributing more after a 2-1 Boxing Day success at Derby secured by a last minute winner from captain Gerrard.

Benitez said : "It's just a temporary problem. Not long ago, we had Babel, Voronin, Kuyt, Torres and Gerrard all scoring goals and hopefully Alonso will add a few before long. We have enough quality in that department and I'm not worried.

"If players like Gerrard and Torres are fit, then we can use them. Earlier in the season, I was careful with Torres. I knew that we couldn't use him all the time if we wanted him to be fit and strong for this part of the campaign. In the last two months of the season, you want your players with fresh legs and that is what should happen.

"We can use them now because we have three or four days between games. It's not a problem. Torres is showing character and quality and has settled down well in England. He is playing well but he can get better and he is only 23.

"Like all clubs, we are looking to improve our squad. If you can find the right player for the right price then we will do something. Otherwise, we will try to improve the players we have. I'm sure the club will back me if I give them a name of a player I want to buy."

[Steve101]

Right now John Edwards, we know you are reading, reveal youself whoever you are

link

same article as the sportsweek one, but with a different slant, how indicative of the way the press works. they can turn any quote the way they want it to sound. actually hicks' directly quoted words contradict the opening few sentences by this 'journo'.

Rafa Benitez was facing further uncertainty over his Anfield future yesterday after club owner Tom Hicks claimed Liverpool had an inferiority complex in their crucial pre-Christmas clash with Manchester United.

Benitez's motivational skills appeared to be called into question over an Anfield meeting his side had to win to be accepted as credible title challengers.......followed by..........

"The media made up everything from that point forward. They made up that we were going to fire him, that I told him to shut up, that there was a battle between Benitez and the Americans. It's really funny to watch."

With their working relationship at its most fragile a month ago, Benitez was heartened by a rousing show of support from around 2,000 fans who waved banners and flags on a march to the ground before the Champions League game with Porto.

"They wanted to protect Rafa," said Hicks. "That part you have to admire. We think Rafa is terrific and we've put all that behind us. It is the fans' club. The last family had it 51 years and it has been around for 115. Hopefully, we will have it for a long time as well."

Some journalism that.................not!!

[loco_law]

That's scary really. At least he could have quoted us!!!!!!!

[bazza76]

That's scary really. At least he could have quoted us!!!!!!!

Would make ya think alright.
Tom was only saying last week that there is someone from Sky that is a member on here. But maybe we have moe guests than we realise.

[Dan]

I've got to back bazza up here. Hicks had absolutely no business on criticising the teams performance in the press. He may aswell just have come out and told Rafa to motivate his players better.

Jesus a few texts from Vegas and all of a sudden Bazza has his very own fanclub:whatever:

[loco_law]

[dww]

Would make ya think alright.
Tom was only saying last week that there is someone from Sky that is a member on here. But maybe we have moe guests than we realise.

I tried to look up some stats earlier on Torres and one on ones. The third entry on google was one of my posts on here. I would suggest this is the standard of research which many a journalist will indulge in.

[Dan]

I tried to look up some stats earlier on Torres and one on ones. The third entry on google was one of my posts on here. I would suggest this is the standard of research which many a journalist will indulge in.

That's brilliant