Rafa explains why he is open to the idea of selling Alonso

[Parm]

This isn't a rumour, it's from one of the players and it will come out when Xabi leaves. Also all the papers are reporting that even if Rafa sells players and raised the funds for Barry, he won't be allowed to buy him for £18m as the "overpriced" element still stands. I agree.

whilst being a bit of a ****ty thing for rafa, i do agree, 18mill is far too much for barry. But then this has to be weighed in the light that if we do win the league with Barry then no one will ever bat an eyelid about his price. Same thing happened to the mancs with Carrick and Hargreaves overpriced for sure but with a couple of titles and a cl medal under their belts no one cares what they were bought for.

[Parm]

It is individual choice and no manager should be able to decide or make a vendetta because of it - for one it's illegal!

i recall Wes Brown having someone die in his family whilst mancs were in SA this summer, think he stayed for one match and then flew home. As you say it is the indviduals choice and the manager should respect that. Rafa couldnt possibly have expected Xabi to be 100% focused on the match if his GF was about to give birth. What if she had gone into labour early or problems arose? I know Rafa missed his own fathers funeral but that was his own choice and everyone respected that. It's not that hard for him to respect others choices. Xabi was caught between 2 stools and tried to please everyone and is now being punished for it.

[Kev_81]

They have always wanted him sacked but realised after the Bascombe article last winter that Rafa has the fans onside. Hicks then used Rafa to get more popularity and Rafa is now using him for money. If the fans were not so behind Rafa then he would be gone. This latest stuff has bought Hicks and Gillett together even more.

Echo today.

NEITHER Tom Hicks nor George Gillett have gone public on the ongoing Gareth Barry situation despite the continuing fallout.

But privately, Gillett is fuming that Rafa Benitez has chosen to make his displeasure public about Barry not being a Liverpool player.

If Gillett had his way i am certain Benitez would be out in a flash.

[Roboklopp]

This isn't a rumour, it's from one of the players and it will come out when Xabi leaves. Also all the papers are reporting that even if Rafa sells players and raised the funds for Barry, he won't be allowed to buy him for £18m as the "overpriced" element still stands. I agree.

Conclusive proof your lifelong goal is to be Judas Bascombe's teaboy.

[Roboklopp]

[QUOTE=El Jefecito;1133443]It as likely to be false as true though those stories right.

I like the way you post unsubstantiated rumours and then use that as a reason to lynch Rafa. Classy, real classy like.[/QUOTE]

Nail on head.

[badpiggy]

When a woman in is labour the only thing she wants (apparently) is her husband. The father of her child. She is suffering horribly for something they both created and he, if he were to miss the birth, would lose out on valuable bonding moments once his baby is first born.

You can't get back those first few seconds of life.

I don't actually believe it's true but, if Rafa DID kick off about this then he is a disgrace.

Would he have missed the birth of his own two children for football?
Some things are simply more important...birth and death being one of them. I know if my husband told me he was not going to be with me when I gave birth and left me in a foreign country in order to do so (she apparently gave birth in Liverpool) I would never, ever forgive him.

not slating rafa, but i wouldn't put it past him - by all acounts he's a workaholic. i think we find it hard to get past the idea that rafa is a nice guy. he's probably not. he's ruthless, demanding, egotistical and domineering. it's what has him where he is.

[Woobus]

he's ruthless, demanding, egotistical and domineering. it's what has him where he is.

Completely agree, its what you have to be to be top in anywhere in live. Everyother manager is the same as long as the top players.

[el matador]

if all of this is due to some grudge rafa has against xabi then its moronic.

if rafa genuinely believes that barry will be a massive improvement on xabi fine, but if its personal then its out of order.

[El Jefecito]

Rumour or fact I don't know but this comes from a player at the club: Rafa was pissed off cos Xabi refused to travel to Milan on the week his wife was to give birth despite reassurances from Rafa that he could travel back if she went into Labour. (This is a digrace on Rafa's part). Secondly, Xabi put out an article on the official site praising Pako and said all the players will miss him. Rafa hated this and reprimanded him.

Latest Rumour also from a player: Some players pissed off at the treatment of Xabi.

This isn't a rumour, it's from one of the players and it will come out when Xabi leaves. Also all the papers are reporting that even if Rafa sells players and raised the funds for Barry, he won't be allowed to buy him for £18m as the "overpriced" element still stands. I agree.

Come on mate, which one is it? Because from where I'm standing this looks like pure WUMmery.

[Shaggy]

When a woman in is labour the only thing she wants (apparently) is her husband. The father of her child. She is suffering horribly for something they both created and he, if he were to miss the birth, would lose out on valuable bonding moments once his baby is first born.

You can't get back those first few seconds of life.

I don't actually believe it's true but, if Rafa DID kick off about this then he is a disgrace.

Would he have missed the birth of his own two children for football?

Some things are simply more important...birth and death being one of them. I know if my husband told me he was not going to be with me when I gave birth and left me in a foreign country in order to do so (she apparently gave birth in Liverpool) I would never, ever forgive him.

I totally agree but the number of people in high places in professional sport who expect players to miss these events is amazing. Steve Harmison received endless flak from gob****es like Ian Botham for flying home from New Zealand to witness the birth of his child. Beefy said something like "he's got to prove he wants to play for England, he's under contract. This is professional sport at the highest level and if he doesn't want to be involved then he should just say so - you can't pick and choose when you want to be play. I know it's the birth of his kid but some things have to take priority..."

What. The. ****??????

If this stuff is true and Rafa has been of a similar opinion then he should be ashamed.

[Vermilion]

Hate this ****, a player said this or that, Rafa did this because Xabi did that..............****in propaganda.

[Shaggy]

Remember Rafa missed the funeral of his own father to stay with us in Tokyo...

I think that says a lot.

[El Jefecito]

I totally agree but the number of people in high places in professional sport who expect players to miss these events is amazing. Steve Harmison received endless flak from gob****es like Ian Botham for flying home from New Zealand to witness the birth of his child. Beefy said something like "he's got to prove he wants to play for England, he's under contract. This is professional sport at the highest level and if he doesn't want to be involved then he should just say so - you can't pick and choose when you want to be play. I know it's the birth of his kid but some things have to take priority..."

What. The. ****??????

If this stuff is true and Rafa has been of a similar opinion then he should be ashamed.

What if it isn't and this was all made up by internet kids?

[Shaggy]

What if it isn't and this was all made up by internet kids?

Er....

[Johnny]

I`ve got a headache.