Parry and Benitez hold clear the air talks

[Shaggy]

Aug 21 2008 by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

RAFA BENITEZ and Rick Parry have held clear the air talks in a bid to draw a line under the fallout from the Gareth Barry saga.

The Liverpool manager met his chief executive at Anfield in a meeting which was described as “positive” by both parties.

Their working relationship has come under intense strain over the last week as the chances of the Reds doing a deal with Aston Villa for Barry have receded considerably.

Benitez remains deeply frustrated over the club’s inability to secure one of his main targets for the summer and over the weekend his exasperation saw him question the speed at which Liverpool do deals, a jibe which many believed was aimed at Parry.

But he has since learned that the failure to sign Barry was not Parry’s responsibility and has now accepted that the decision not to pursue the deal at Villa’s £18m asking price was down to the club’s hierarchy as a whole. American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett had decreed that the 27-year-old does not meet their value expectations.

There were fears within the corridors of power at Anfield that the relationship between Parry and Benitez was beyond repair but cordiality has now been restored and the duo are working together to try and ensure the additions Benitez wants to make to his squad are in place before the transfer window closes on September 1st.

Benitez told the ECHO: “Clear the air talks have taken place.

“It was a positive discussion and we will now move forward together.“

Parry added: “I can confirm that we had a friendly and positive meeting and we’re moving forward.”

The Reds boss will not completely give up hope of signing Barry until the window closes and Villa manager Martin O’Neill has admitted the future of his club captain is still to be resolved.

But unless there is a dramatic change of heart by Hicks and Gillett - or Xabi Alonso is sold for a considerable fee - it remains highly unlikely Liverpool will meet Villa’s asking price.

O’Neill, though, has still not closed the door on the possibility of a deal being done.

He said: “We want him to stay I think that’s obvious.

“I think the fans want him to stay and for the length of time it has gone on it is hard to pre-empt anything. At this minute it’s not completely resolved.”

Liverpool, though, are currently focusing their attentions on bringing in a left-sided midfielder with both Albert Riera and Stewart Downing mooted.

Alonso, meanwhile, continued his positive start to the season with a double strike in Spain’s 3-0 win over Denmark last night.

Robbie Keane also got his name on the score sheet as the Republic of Ireland drew 1-1 with Norway.

[donpisci]

Good. We can put it all behind us now....until January.

[Rashid]

I think it doesn't address two issues.

1. That Parry isn't good enough as a transfer negotiator or quick enough to get our top targets (unless he wants to e.g. Keane).

2. Rafa needs to understand that the club has many employees and needs a balancing act financially so allowing him to have Alonso, Lucas, Plessis, Spearing, Gerrard and Mascherano PLUS Barry is not viable and he needs to not get worked up when he doesn't get his way. That said the club should have told him no back in April not now.

[Snigger]

Parry should **** off - What is the point of a CEO who is not empowered to make executive decisions - how much time was wasted on the Barry saga?

Hicks and Gillette should **** off too but if they don't they should sack Parry if they don't trust him to make the right decisions with the finances and stop making us the laughing stock of the footballing world - cunts.

[Roboklopp]

So it's the Wanks' fault then. What a surpise. Burn them.

[Roboklopp]

[QUOTE=Rashid;1135450]I think it doesn't address two issues.

1. That Parry isn't good enough as a transfer negotiator or quick enough to get our top targets (unless he wants to e.g. Keane).

2. Rafa needs to understand that the club has many employees and needs a balancing act financially so allowing him to have Alonso, Lucas, Plessis, Spearing, Gerrard and Mascherano PLUS Barry is not viable and he needs to not get worked up when he doesn't get his way. That said the club should have told him no back in April not now.[/QUOTE]

That bit is hardly a footnote tho, is it? It has coloured his actions all summer. I would say tho, we seem to lack viable 2nd choices often.

[BFG]

That bit is hardly a footnote tho, is it? It has coloured his actions all summer. I would say tho, we seem to lack viable 2nd choices often.

That could be because they've all gone to other clubs while we take 3 months to tell Rafa he can't have his first choice.

[Scratch]

That could be because they've all gone to other clubs while we take 3 months to tell Rafa he can't have his first choice.

Problem there tho is that during that time, it did look likely that Alonso would be sold, and the Barry purchase was, in my opinion, not going to happen unless Alonso went first, otherwise we'd be looking at a surplus of players...Rafa knew this, hence his attempts to get Alonso of the books.

[Sarb]

Wonder if Rafa still likes Hicks?

[BFG]

Problem there tho is that during that time, it did look likely that Alonso would be sold, and the Barry purchase was, in my opinion, not going to happen unless Alonso went first, otherwise we'd be looking at a surplus of players...Rafa knew this, hence his attempts to get Alonso of the books.

True, but Rafa has said that one of the owners has confirmed there is enough money to do the Barry deal but they won't.

Now when you consider that the price now is no higher than when we went for him in June (or whenever it was) why has it taken so long to say "we won't pay that, move on" or why didn't we realise far sooner that Villa wouldn't budge on the price and walk away if the owners/ Parry think that they know better than Rafa about a players value?

[donpisci]

They really don't seem to understand how the transfer markets work- Rafa needs to be told straight away if his targets are viable or not.

[Parm]

[QUOTE=PC Plod;1135456]

I think it doesn't address two issues.

1. That Parry isn't good enough as a transfer negotiator or quick enough to get our top targets (unless he wants to e.g. Keane).

2. Rafa needs to understand that the club has many employees and needs a balancing act financially so allowing him to have Alonso, Lucas, Plessis, Spearing, Gerrard and Mascherano PLUS Barry is not viable and he needs to not get worked up when he doesn't get his way. That said the club should have told him no back in April not now.[/QUOTE]

That bit is hardly a footnote tho, is it? It has coloured his actions all summer. I would say tho, we seem to lack viable 2nd choices often.

And viable 3rd choices

[Scratch]

True, but Rafa has said that one of the owners has confirmed there is enough money to do the Barry deal but they won't.

Now when you consider that the price now is no higher than when we went for him in June (or whenever it was) why has it taken so long to say "we won't pay that, move on" or why didn't we realise far sooner that Villa wouldn't budge on the price and walk away if the owners/ Parry think that they know better than Rafa about a players value?

Who knows...maybe it was done to let Barry know that we we're still loitering, or to try and force Barry into demanding the move, it's all games really when it comes down to it. Also, we may have had the money originally, but by then buying Keane, maybe it became a case of sell before you buy?

[BFG]

Who knows...maybe it was done to let Barry know that we we're still loitering, or to try and force Barry into demanding the move, it's all games really when it comes down to it. Also, we may have had the money originally, but by then buying Keane, maybe it became a case of sell before you buy?

Yeah it's all down to what you believe I suppose but Rafa said that the money was there quite recently, way after we signed Keane but said it "wasn't a question of money."

I blame the internet, without it I wouldn't have a clue any of this **** was going on.

[Imy]

£18m for Barry is over priced, the yanks are right