From Times OnlineAugust 16, 2008
Rafael Benitez Q&A
Oliver Kay answers our questions on where this leaves a troubled club
Following last night's revelation that Rafael Benitez came close to resigning as Liverpool manager after feeling undermined by the Gareth Barry transfer saga, Oliver Kay answers Times Online's questions about what this means.
Q: So Rafa Benitez seems to be intent on starting the new season as he spent much of the last -- in dispute with the Liverpool hierarchy. Are you surprised?
A: No. In fact, I'm surprised it has taken this long for things to blow up again. Benitez was told at the end of last season that he was going to have to wheel and deal in the transfer market due to the financial position at the club, which wasn't what he wanted. He has got on with that relatively quietly. Gareth Barry has been his top priority all summer long and here we are on the first day of the new Premier League season and still no deal.
Q: How close do you think he came to resigning?
A: He considered it, which is alarming enough for Liverpool's supporters, who will be aware that he left Valencia for similar reasons in 2004. He is clearly extremely frustrated not only by the board's failure to sign Barry but by the way they undermined him, agreeing a deal with Aston Villa, only to veto it on the basis that they did not share his view on the value of the player.
Q: What is the crux of the matter?
A: Essentially that he feels he cannot work with the people. Specifically he has a big problem with Rick Parry, the chief executive. There have been tensions between the two men for a long time. Rafa has frequently hinted at those tensions and he laid them bare at yesterday's press conference, blaming Parry for the failure to sign Barry and, it seemed, the "failure" to sell Xabi Alonso, who is no longer the apple of his eye.
Q: Why has this come out now and not last week?
A: Simply because last weekend Benitez and his allies were keeping their thoughts to themselves. Now it has come out of the Benitez camp -- though not from the man himself -- that he considered resigning. I should point out that the story was broken last night by www.guillembalague.com . Guillem is the journalist who knows Rafa and his inner circle better than anyone. I had no doubt when I heard about this story that it was correct, as subsequent enquiries confirmed.
Q: Do you think Benitez will be worried that the story has come out now?
A: I'm told that he will look to play down the situation when he is interviewed at Sunderland this evening. But he is a real political animal these days. He will not be distressed that these stories have come out. He will probably welcome the pressure that the revelations put on Parry, who was urged to resign late last season by Tom Hicks, the co-owner. Knowing Benitez, he will hope and expect that Parry comes under more pressure now. It is not a pleasant situation.
Q: What is the likely outcome in all of this?
A: It is impossible to predict anything at Liverpool right now. There is huge distrust between the manager and the chief executive, between the two owners (Hicks and George Gillett Jr), between Hicks and Parry, between Gillett and Benitez. The supposed alliance between Hicks and Benitez is only a marriage of convenience to suit their agendas. Literally anything could happen. Parry will be feeling the heat more than anyone, particularly if the transfer window closes without a deal for Barry or an equivalent player who meets the manager's requirements.
Q: Finally, what is the latest with Hicks and Gillett?
A: I still expect them to sell up sooner rather than later. The takeover talk may have quietened down, but it is about to resurface. From what I am hearing, there are changes ahead, but it is far from clear what form they will take. Sorry if that sounds vague, but right now, with so many rumours flying around about possible investors (and some of the names are quite shocking), no one can say with the slightest certainty what will happen next.
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