dear god... hicks : we lined up klinsmann

[Bob]

I think the press are making a meal of the whole situation. I think the owners and Rafa have sorted out their differences for the good of the club.

It's the job of the press to be sensationalist, it's how they attract sales. But don't underestimate the power of the press - they've hounded managers out of jobs before now.

[Guest]

The media are gonna spunk themselves over this. Put this way, if my company started looking for alternatives for my job... i'd hand my notice in there and then! And i'm deadly serious about that, i'm very principled. I believe Rafa is as well.

Now my position would clearly never make the press, but that obviously exacerbates the position. Loads will see this post as a grand overreaction, but IMO i would not be surprised if Rafa walked off the back of this. The only caveat for me is he'd be waving goodbye to 6m compo (and maybe this is part of Hick's plan).

Look we all said in the past that Rafa would be unlikely to take the Real Madrid job because of the way they treat their managers over there. We are now as much of a farce as Real Madrid - no question! The way Hicks has treated Rafa since he has took over has been a complete, unequivocal DISGRACE!

You've said it all.

[bobbyfallon]

The media are gonna spunk themselves over this. Put this way, if my company started looking for alternatives for my job... i'd hand my notice in there and then! And i'm deadly serious about that, i'm very principled. I believe Rafa is as well.

Now my position would clearly never make the press, but that obviously exacerbates the position. Loads will see this post as a grand overreaction, but IMO i would not be surprised if Rafa walked off the back of this. The only caveat for me is he'd be waving goodbye to 6m compo (and maybe this is part of Hick's plan).

Look we all said in the past that Rafa would be unlikely to take the Real Madrid job because of the way they treat their managers over there. We are now as much of a farce as Real Madrid - no question! The way Hicks has treated Rafa since he has took over has been a complete, unequivocal DISGRACE!

completely agree with you here, i would be the same i would walk if my position was offered to someone else.

your completely right about it being part of hicks plan to push rafa out.

worst thing is i believe they just have. i see rafa handing in his notice this week, he is a proud man and lets face it, any top club in the world will take him in the morning.

dark day for LFC

[AFII]

I concur.

1/10.

[Johnny]

If you were in Rafa's shoes, what would you do after something like that ?

NB:Assuming he didn't know anything about the Klinsmann affair. (Which is pretty certain by judging first hand Hick's statement.)

I`d speak reasonably to my Boss and ask him am I safe in my position.after he said for the umpteenth time that i was safe i`d get on with my well paid job.

[kopdan]

NB:Assuming he didn't know anything about the Klinsmann affair.

speculating?

[Shaggy]

I`d speak reasonably to my Boss and ask him am I safe in my position.after he said for the umpteenth time that i was safe i`d get on with my well paid job.

Just like Martin Jol did.

[Rich]

It's one of them unwritten rules: Never admit to talking to other managers.

[Johnny]

1/10.

Your only allowed to mark Prophesies on a scale off probability.

[kopdan]

It's the job of the press to be sensationalist, it's how they attract sales. But don't underestimate the power of the press - they've hounded managers out of jobs before now.

Well aware of that. Was kind of my angle too

[disco]

I think we should all leave this forum, have a wank, wait for Rarfa's press conference and then see what's what.

[carlton]

DIC bid to buy stake in Liverpool FC aborted
Jan 14 2008


by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo


DIC would have bought a stake in Liverpool Football Club last autumn had they been able to agree a price with club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, the ECHO can today reveal.

Talks between the two parties reached an advanced stage as the Arab consortium considered buying a minority shareholding of between 10-20%.

Only a disagreement on the valuation placed on the club by its American owners stopped DIC from investing.

The ECHO understands that despite missing out on buying the club in its entirety when David Moores opted to sell his shares to Hicks and Gillett, DIC maintained an interest in Liverpool which resurfaced in October.

And when Hicks and Gillett attended the home game against Arsenal on the 28th of that month an intermediary brought the two parties together.


Story continues
ADVERTISEMENT

On the table was a minority shareholding. Initially, DIC wanted a 20% stake but Hicks and Gillett were willing to offer them no more than 10%. But a compromise of 15% was eventually reached and at that stage it looked likely that DIC would finally be able to invest in Liverpool FC.

That was until they learned that Hicks and Gillett had valued the club at £1bn, a figure which meant they would have to pay £150m if they wanted to purchase the proposed 15% stake. There was also a proviso that any such deal could only be concluded if DIC agreed to forego any voting rights.

At that point, DIC pulled out of the talks insistent that the club had been overvalued, particularly as Hicks and Gillett had purchased it for just £218.9m (including £44.8m of debt) just 10 months earlier.

The new £1bn valuation was based on what Hicks and Gillett estimated the club would be worth once the new Anfield stadium was built – a valuation which DIC felt was over the top.

The ECHO understands that if Liverpool FC was put up for sale DIC would again be willing to make an offer.

But, contrary to newspaper reports yesterday, no official offers for the club have been made and no meetings are planned between Hicks and Gillett and DIC.

Hicks told the ECHO: “The speculation in the London tabloids on Sunday morning is more rubbish.

“George and I have no interest in meeting with DIC or selling our shares to them.

“We are amazed at how silly rumours find themselves in print in the tabloids.”

Hicks and Gillett have until the end of February to complete financial restructuring, as they seek to transfer £350m of debt incurred in the purchase and running of the club onto the club itself.

It has been reported that should they fail in their efforts to repay the estimated £350m acquisition debt when it is due in six weeks time, there would be the possibility of the running of the club being taken over by the Royal Bank of Scotland, to which the debt is owed.

But sources close to Hicks insist it is only a matter of days before a financial restructuring deal is in place and plans for the long awaited new stadium are released.

If the restructuring deal is concluded later this week it is highly likely that both Hicks and Gillett will have had to use some of their own personal equity to secure the loan as the credit crunch has made borrowing money much more difficult and costly than it was just six months ago.

But until any such deal is signed, Liverpool’s fans will wonder what lies in store for their club.

A late bid by an interested party which could result in Hicks and Gillett diluting their stake in the club cannot be ruled out. But time is running out and, according to Hicks, neither of them is looking to sell, anyway.

[Johnny]

Just like Martin Jol did.

Your back again with the Martin Jol thing.


Agenda.

[AFII]

Your only allowed to mark Prophesies on a scale off probability.

5/10.

[Rich]

I think we should all leave this forum, have a wank, wait for Rarfa's press conference and then see what's what.

I'm at work, although that wouldn't stop Shaggy