Rick Parry, the Liverpool chief executive, will stand firm against Rafael Benitez amid the latest outbreak of internal warfare at Anfield in the belief that he has the support of co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett over the Gareth Barry saga.
Benitez has put Parry’s position in doubt by criticising the speed and tactics of the club’s pursuit of transfer targets. The Spaniard has also threatened to reopen the feud between Hicks and Gillett by saying that he had the support of “at least one of the owners”.
However, Benitez’s suggestion that Hicks would support the £18 million purchase of Barry will surely have been met with bewilderment by Parry. Liverpool issued a statement last week that was sanctioned by both Hicks and Gillett saying that the club regarded Villa’s valuation as too high.
Yet the issue has riled Benitez, who contradicted the club’s official stance after Saturday’s win at Sunderland.
“It isn’t a question of money,” Benitez said. “We have problems because we are not doing things that, in my opinion, we have to do in terms of signing players.”
When asked if the problem was with Parry, Benitez said: “The question is that we have to be quicker and I told them these things four years ago and I continue thinking the same.” Parry, though, believes he has been acting in line with the owners’ wishes over the Barry saga.
After the breakdown in the relationship between Hicks and Gillett last season, there has been regular contact during the summer between the chief executive and the American owners.
Earlier this year, Hicks called for Parry’s resignation but, while the chief executive’s relationship with Benitez only worsens, he maintains board support from Gillett and former chairman David Moores.
Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt has endorsed Benitez’s attempts to sign Barry.
“We do not know if he [Barry] is coming but he is definitely a really good player,” the Dutchman said.
“The manager does not discuss those things with me. He certainly does not look upset to me over it but was preparing us for a really important game and I think that we’re getting the results he wants.” Kuyt would be the last person to doubt Benitez’s judgment given the impact that Fernando Torres has had.
“Fernando is a top-quality player and for me he’s the best striker in the world,” Kuyt said. “If you’re speaking about a real striker, he’s the pinnacle.”
That Liverpool got their campaign off to a winning start was down to Torres who beat Craig Gordon with a 25-yard shot. “Off the pitch he is just a normal guy, just one of us, but on the pitch he’s different. He’s something special,” Kuyt added.
Benitez has put Parry’s position in doubt by criticising the speed and tactics of the club’s pursuit of transfer targets. The Spaniard has also threatened to reopen the feud between Hicks and Gillett by saying that he had the support of “at least one of the owners”.
However, Benitez’s suggestion that Hicks would support the £18 million purchase of Barry will surely have been met with bewilderment by Parry. Liverpool issued a statement last week that was sanctioned by both Hicks and Gillett saying that the club regarded Villa’s valuation as too high.
Yet the issue has riled Benitez, who contradicted the club’s official stance after Saturday’s win at Sunderland.
“It isn’t a question of money,” Benitez said. “We have problems because we are not doing things that, in my opinion, we have to do in terms of signing players.”
When asked if the problem was with Parry, Benitez said: “The question is that we have to be quicker and I told them these things four years ago and I continue thinking the same.” Parry, though, believes he has been acting in line with the owners’ wishes over the Barry saga.
After the breakdown in the relationship between Hicks and Gillett last season, there has been regular contact during the summer between the chief executive and the American owners.
Earlier this year, Hicks called for Parry’s resignation but, while the chief executive’s relationship with Benitez only worsens, he maintains board support from Gillett and former chairman David Moores.
Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt has endorsed Benitez’s attempts to sign Barry.
“We do not know if he [Barry] is coming but he is definitely a really good player,” the Dutchman said.
“The manager does not discuss those things with me. He certainly does not look upset to me over it but was preparing us for a really important game and I think that we’re getting the results he wants.” Kuyt would be the last person to doubt Benitez’s judgment given the impact that Fernando Torres has had.
“Fernando is a top-quality player and for me he’s the best striker in the world,” Kuyt said. “If you’re speaking about a real striker, he’s the pinnacle.”
That Liverpool got their campaign off to a winning start was down to Torres who beat Craig Gordon with a 25-yard shot. “Off the pitch he is just a normal guy, just one of us, but on the pitch he’s different. He’s something special,” Kuyt added.
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