Hicks Sky Sports Interview

[Tee]

We are becoming his favourite 'franchise'. Can't he just **** off.

[BFG]

Why is everyone so certain he won't be able to refinance the club?

I haven't read as much as most on the potential takeover because it's like watching paint dry and I know money's not exactly moving fluently at the moment but if our revenue easily covers the repayments I wouldn't be 100% sure he couldn't find someone to take out the RBS loan.

[red g]

We are becoming his favourite 'franchise'. Can't he just **** off.

swell

[red g]

If he gets approval for the ground, we win the champions league our stock will probably be pretty high, i reckon he may bail out then

[sambirken]

No point in that guy talking. Talks a load of ****

Hicks has done an interview with Sky Sports news, some of the major points are:-

1. Bla bla bla bla Rafa bla bla bla extension

2. bla bla fart Aggers contract

3. They will take their **** bla bla Parry's replacement, they want to get it wank, bla bla bla months.

4. Stadium bla bla bla, approval bla bla bla latest design, when credit markets "re-open" they will wank.

5. Stadium could **** 25% less bla bla bla.

6. Hoping to fart this year

7. Wants bla **** bla bla from Asia.

8. bla bla transfer budget for the summer (Rafa bla bla fart).

9. Thinks he will wank for the next 5 years - can't wank for Gillett.

Seriously though, he could have said that and it would mean exactly the same to me. nothing. always says what we want to hear. actions are the only thing i care about wit these guys

[Kenneth]

I don't think Hicks is as bad for the club as people make out. I expect they will manage to refinance and that Gillet will sell and leave. Just a guess.

[Roboklopp]

*Puts fingers in ears* La la la not listening la la la.

[Leyton388]

Got to say he seems to have learnt a thing or two over the past 2 years on how to talk to the media in england but he can still go IMO! If we are left with him it should only be as a minor share holder with no say! All i want is a steady ship and rafa signing his new deal is the start

[pondus]

According to .no he also said that Rafa will now have full control over the academy, and they know which areas in the team need strengthening, namely one more option for right wing, a striker and a right back. Rafa working on targets as I type

Edit: maybe not in this interview, but it was said somewhere :-)

[Shanks]

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has told BBC Sport he never doubted manager Rafa Benitez would sign a new contract.

Benitez ended speculation about his future by signing a new deal on Wednesday that keeps him at the club until 2014.

"I was never worried because I know Rafa really wanted to stay at Liverpool and we wanted him to stay," Hicks told 5 Live Sport.

"We agreed the economics some time ago and I'm glad we finally got it done."

There had been speculation as to whether Benitez would remain with the Reds after what was a protracted period of negotiations over the new contract.

One of the rumoured stumbling blocks holding up the deal was the suggestion that Benitez wanted greater control over the club's transfer dealings and was unhappy with the time chief executive Rick Parry took to conclude deals.

However, Hicks refuted the suggestions that the club's transfer dealings were a cause of concern for Benitez.

"Rafa was never wanting control of the transfer policy, he just wanted to make sure we had better decision-making capability and that we moved quicker than we had in the past," said Hicks.

I was never worried because I know Rafa really wanted to stay at Liverpool and we wanted him to stay


"Rafa will make the recommendations but in English football it's very important that the chief executive should make the financial decisions not the manager."

The club recently announced that Parry would be leaving his post at the end of the season and Hicks stated that finding the right man for the job was of paramount importance.

"Rick had been with us 12 years, his heart was in the right place and he done a good job but it was time for a change and we need to make sure we get the right chief executive.

"Were starting the search. [Co-owner George Gillett] interviewed some headhunting firms in London this week and I'm going to interview some as well.

With Benitez wanting and seemingly getting full control of all things football, the time for the manager to deliver is now

"We're going to take our time.

It's the most important decision we can take on behalf of the club.
In the meantime we have a great team"

Another issue that was rumoured to be holding up Benitez putting pen to paper was the fractured relationship between Hicks and his fellow owner George Gillett.

Hicks claims that any such problems between the two Americans has now been resolved and they are united in their forward-looking vision for the club.

"Me and George have been getting on well for some time.

I don't know how we got off course but it was stupid on both our parts and I think we've learnt that.

"We've been here for two years now and we've learnt so much about how the unique world of English football works and one of the thing we both feel is we need a proper board that sees over the day-to-day running of the club.


"We've brought in some good young players and you have to be able to develop your own young talent as well.

"To compete in the Premier League you need depth and we need to get stronger that way."

Hicks' reiterated the long-term aim of the club to build a new stadium and that once the global financial situation improves the club will press ahead with the project.

Whilst Benitez himself says he never considered leaving the club, he has suggested that he was concerned by the speculation regarding his future and length of time taken to conclude the deal.

"Because of the uncertainty it was a difficult time," he told the Liverpool Echo. "The conversations went on for a long time and because of that I was a bit worried.

"But it took a bit longer for everything to be concluded because there were certain issues that we needed to be clarified."

The Spaniard also praised the Liverpool fans and said that it was because of them that he signed his contract.

"My message to the fans is very clear - it is because of them that I am signing this contract. This is a fantastic club with fantastic fans - it is as simple as that."