Re: Rafa Post Match statement - Shock

[blacky]

The most important person in all this is Rafa. We need to rally behind him and protect our manager. He is being undermined and stabbed in the back by everyone at the club. Hicks, Gillette and Parry need to go in that order.

[spud_gun]

I wouldn't blame Rafa is he were to walk.

Behind the scenes at the club really is a **** storm.

[Roboklopp]

Is it any wonder DIC backed off for the moment, knowing it'd come to a state like this? They wouldnt want their name associated with this debacle.

[Jennings]

Did nobody else notice the Irony in this.They are all in the press at the moment,including Moores and Parry.

There was even more irony when the Sky interviewer said to Rafa, "What can YOU do to keep this matter private?".

Clearly the answer is "I can help achieve that, by not answering your question!".

[dom9]

Hicks tried to show fans that Rafa was on his side....

Now Rafa has flipped and demanded answers from him....

Hicks has well and trly shot himself in the foot*


















*Again

[Guest]

Thing is. Hicks & his son have had conversation via emails with some fans and it seems the issue that Parry had with a lot of these fans came to their attention. They're simply taking advantage of it.

[friedk]

Hicks is a ****ing idiot. Even if he wanted Parry out, to go about it the way he has and resurrecting the pathetic Klinsmann saga, all done at a time when we should be celebrating a great win against Arsenal and remembering the 96, is unforgivable.

[dww]

Surely Rafa wouldn't fall for Hick's bull****!? We need Parry to stay so that the boardroom doesn't fall into the hands of the Texan Twunt (tm). That's clearly what this is all about, control of the decision making process at Anfield and for that reason alone Parry must stay (for the time being).

I think Rafa wants to be able to run a team. I don't think he sees the same problems with Hicks that some here do. He clearly just wants a structure around him with people he can trust and with the finances to progress the team. If he feels Parry interferes with that then he is bound to want him out.

I'm not sure we can expect Rafa to try and be everything to all men. He can and clearly is fighting for what he sees as the best for the team on the pitch (it is fair to assume he believes that he is the best person to run that). Not sure what he is expected to do about the ownership struggle. He is a lot closer to many of the facts than we are and he appears to have greater faith in Hicks than most do here.

The Mail article offers no evidence and until this mud slinging press conference occurs I think we have to hold our horses. It is clear that joint ownership, like joint managers before it simply hasn't worked. It is far from clear to me where exactly the blame lies.

Don't get me wrong I'm not happy with either of them but I remain unconvinced that there is some vastly superior alternative. Or that DIC realistically have any chance of buying the club. As such I just want everything to calm down and get back to being about playing and winning football matches.

[badpiggy]

Hicks is a ****ing idiot. Even if he wanted Parry out, to go about it the way he has and resurrecting the pathetic Klinsmann saga, all done at a time when we should be celebrating a great win against Arsenal and remembering the 96, is unforgivable.

bottom line as far as i'm concerned. this ****in around publicly could make first-choice transfer targets think twice about coming here.

[Skillz]

This is ****ing madness. I am starting to think Hicks might be trying to drag the club through enough mud to make DIC come in and pay whatever it takes to get him out. Having said that I am also concerned that DIC haven't come out and confirmed if successful they would support and keep Rafa.

I wonder if DIC have lined up Jose (or someone else) and want Rafa gone before they buy? None of GG, Parry, moores have come out in support of Rafa since the Klinnsman story broke initially.

All they need to do is give Rafa a contract extension and I expect Rafa to demand one now. If he doesn't get it then he will walk and get his payout because any court would give it to him after the way he has been treated.

[Red_hot]

I think Rafa wants to be able to run a team. I don't think he sees the same problems with Hicks that some here do. He clearly just wants a structure around him with people he can trust and with the finances to progress the team. If he feels Parry interferes with that then he is bound to want him out.

I'm not sure we can expect Rafa to try and be everything to all men. He can and clearly is fighting for what he sees as the best for the team on the pitch (it is fair to assume he believes that he is the best person to run that). Not sure what he is expected to do about the ownership struggle. He is a lot closer to many of the facts than we are and he appears to have greater faith in Hicks than most do here.

The Mail article offers no evidence and until this mud slinging press conference occurs I think we have to hold our horses. It is clear that joint ownership, like joint managers before it simply hasn't worked. It is far from clear to me where exactly the blame lies.

Don't get me wrong I'm not happy with either of them but I remain unconvinced that there is some vastly superior alternative. Or that DIC realistically have any chance of buying the club. As such I just want everything to calm down and get back to being about playing and winning football matches.

The voice of reason as always!

[CJ]

I think Rafa wants to be able to run a team. I don't think he sees the same problems with Hicks that some here do. He clearly just wants a structure around him with people he can trust and with the finances to progress the team. If he feels Parry interferes with that then he is bound to want him out.

I'm not sure we can expect Rafa to try and be everything to all men. He can and clearly is fighting for what he sees as the best for the team on the pitch (it is fair to assume he believes that he is the best person to run that). Not sure what he is expected to do about the ownership struggle. He is a lot closer to many of the facts than we are and he appears to have greater faith in Hicks than most do here.

The Mail article offers no evidence and until this mud slinging press conference occurs I think we have to hold our horses. It is clear that joint ownership, like joint managers before it simply hasn't worked. It is far from clear to me where exactly the blame lies.

Don't get me wrong I'm not happy with either of them but I remain unconvinced that there is some vastly superior alternative. Or that DIC realistically have any chance of buying the club. As such I just want everything to calm down and get back to being about playing and winning football matches.

a very well made post

[Skillz]

I think Rafa wants to be able to run a team. I don't think he sees the same problems with Hicks that some here do. He clearly just wants a structure around him with people he can trust and with the finances to progress the team. If he feels Parry interferes with that then he is bound to want him out.

I'm not sure we can expect Rafa to try and be everything to all men. He can and clearly is fighting for what he sees as the best for the team on the pitch (it is fair to assume he believes that he is the best person to run that). Not sure what he is expected to do about the ownership struggle. He is a lot closer to many of the facts than we are and he appears to have greater faith in Hicks than most do here.
The Mail article offers no evidence and until this mud slinging press conference occurs I think we have to hold our horses. It is clear that joint ownership, like joint managers before it simply hasn't worked. It is far from clear to me where exactly the blame lies.

Don't get me wrong I'm not happy with either of them but I remain unconvinced that there is some vastly superior alternative. Or that DIC realistically have any chance of buying the club. As such I just want everything to calm down and get back to being about playing and winning football matches.

I believe he is talking to Hicks because it became clear that GG was going to sell, so from that point on Rafa dealt with TH as he was the only one with an interest in the club going forward.

Rafa is on a mission to take us back to the top and to do that he needs to have dialogue with whoever is making the decisions. Direct dialogue cos if it has to go through RP, strangely, problems arise.

Good post again DWW

[fred_plasticine]

I think Rafa wants to be able to run a team. I don't think he sees the same problems with Hicks that some here do. He clearly just wants a structure around him with people he can trust and with the finances to progress the team. If he feels Parry interferes with that then he is bound to want him out.

I'm not sure we can expect Rafa to try and be everything to all men. He can and clearly is fighting for what he sees as the best for the team on the pitch (it is fair to assume he believes that he is the best person to run that). Not sure what he is expected to do about the ownership struggle. He is a lot closer to many of the facts than we are and he appears to have greater faith in Hicks than most do here.

The Mail article offers no evidence and until this mud slinging press conference occurs I think we have to hold our horses. It is clear that joint ownership, like joint managers before it simply hasn't worked. It is far from clear to me where exactly the blame lies.

Don't get me wrong I'm not happy with either of them but I remain unconvinced that there is some vastly superior alternative. Or that DIC realistically have any chance of buying the club. As such I just want everything to calm down and get back to being about playing and winning football matches.

[Kev_81]

The Independent

By Ian Herbert and Jon Culley
Monday, 14 April 2008

Rafael Benitez yesterday demanded a meeting with the warring factions at Anfield and may find his future at the club untenable if he does not find the reassurances he is seeking, as acrimony between the owners continues to escalate.

Benitez feels his position at the club is being seriously undermined by the increasingly public battles and was distressed to learn, via emailed statements issued by the club's owner Tom Hicks on Saturday, that the chief executive, Rick Parry, was present at a meeting in California before Christmas at which Hicks and his co-owner George Gillett approached Jürgen Klinsmann about taking his job.

"It was a surprise to me to read about some meetings," Benitez said. "I need to talk to the board to clarify the situation. I want to do that as soon as possible, within hours maybe. I want to clarify everything. I was surprised with some meetings with another manager. I was surprised by the people who were at the meeting. It is not the first time I heard about the meeting but about the people who were at the meeting. My position is being undermined."

Hicks' revelation about the meeting with Klinsmann will place further pressure on Benitez's already difficult relationship with Parry. The Spaniard was indignant to be told earlier this season that Parry – and not he – is the Americans' point of contact when it comes to transfer policy. But Benitez was careful not to side with one or other of the parties when he spoke after the win over Blackburn, which cements fourth place. "I don't want to speak to one specific owner," he said. "I want to speak to all of them. They were all in a meeting together and I want to know something more. I want to speak to all the owners, preferably all at the same time."

Hicks' revelation about Parry's involvement in the Klinsmann meeting came when he hit back at the weekend at Parry's suggestion that his calls for the Liverpool chief executive to quit had been "offensive." Hicks said: "I didn't hear Rick Parry say it was offensive when George gave his radio interview [in Canada, earlier this month] telling the world our relationship had become unbearable. When the Klinsmann story broke, I didn't hear Rick Parry or George Gillett say they were the ones who set up the Klinsmann meeting."

Gillett, Hicks said, had known Klinsmann from a meeting at Vail, the US ski resort. "Rick, George and Foster [Gillett's son] had participated with Tom Jnr [Hicks' son] and me in the meeting," he said. "Rick allowed all the controversy to build without taking any responsibility."

Parry, who says Hicks has turned the season at Anfield into a "nightmare", reacted indignantly to Hicks, explaining he had attended the Klinsmann meeting on the orders of Hicks and Gillett. "I stand by my track record in English football and as chief executive of Liverpool," he said.

But the latest of a number of statements from Hicks leaves the club's ownership wrangle as far away from solution as ever and jeopardise Benitez's preparations for next season to the extent that he may be wondering whether his future at the club is viable

Gillett will push for independent arbitration over the sale of his Liverpool shares to draw a line under the strife which is threatening the club's preparations for next season. Gillett has discussed the idea with his associates, though Hicks' latest outburst against Parry, which leaves the different factions at the clubs more polarised than ever, provides little hope of a prompt resolution.

Hicks, who let it be known last week that he had written to Parry asking him to tender his resignation, elaborated on his criticism of the former Premier League chief executive, blaming him for the club's failure to win a league championship under his tenure and accused him of "arrogance".

Hicks said: "Our commercial revenues have not kept up with other top clubs during that time, which has made it very difficult to compete for the Premier League," Hicks said. "After watching him operate, I came to the conclusion it was time to ask him to resign, due to his inability to manage an organisation, his seemingly arrogant attitude to our supporters and his lack of communication with Rafa [Benitez]."

Parry told The Independent on Friday that the club's preparations for next season, including the drawing up of transfer targets, needed to begin by next month, or June at the latest, and Hicks agreed yesterday that transfer preparations needed to begin by next month. Dubai International Capital remains close to Gillett and there is a belief from the Arab consortium that a deal may be secured to buy Gillett's 50 per cent share in the company, despite Hicks' insistence that he will not sell.