Rafa and players to blame - Gillett

[reds123]

George Gillett blames Rafael Benítez for Liverpool's poor start

• Gillet points to £128m investment in last 18 months
• American questions Benítez's scouting and recruitment

* Buzz up!
* Digg it

* guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 6 October 2009 01.58 BST
* Article history

Rafael Benitez

Rafael Benitez has rarely seen eye-to-eye with Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Photograph: Fabio Muzzi/AFP/Getty Images

Liverpool's co-owner George Gillett has defended his and Tom Hicks's reign at Liverpool and pointed the finger at the manager, Rafael Benítez, after a disappointing start to the season.

Liverpool's defeat at Chelsea on Sunday was their third in the Premier League this season and followed a 2-0 reverse at Fiorentina in the Champions League. Gillett pointed to the investment he and Hicks have made when saying the owners were not responsible for any shortcomings.

"We have invested more money than our competitors, in keeping with the history of the club," he is quoted as telling a representative of the fans' group Spirit of Shankly last week. "In the last 18 months, we have invested £128m on top of what has come in.

"That means it should be getting better. Now if it's not getting better, it's not Gillett and Hicks; it's the manager; it's the scouting. You have to make sure you balance out your analysis. There was plenty of money, so if you have any complaints, take a look at the ins and outs."

Gillett said the £30m from Xabi Alonso's sale to Real Madrid "went straight back" into Bénitez's kitty and added to funds of "£22-23m as part of our budgets".

The American also claimed that Liverpool are "in an extraordinarily good financial position. Far better than Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal."

Last 24 hours



Go to:

[Scratch]

Did Gillett say this, or was it Perslow who met the strange fellas from SOS??

[Darkon]

What does it say about a paper, when it uses quotes from a transcript out of memory from a far from objective fan group?

[red g]

I despair with the state of our national press.

Shocking

[Deano]

More or less word for word what lec posted yesterday

[The Birdman]

And now plastered all over Sky Sports news as well.
Well ****ing done SOS, because of you we now have more pressure and negativity towards the manager and players because don't SOS realise the deluded, senile Gillett will divert attention anywhere other than himself.

I think we should set up a boycott or denouncement of SOS, they are doing more harm than good at the moment but the arrogant ****ers are probably revilling in the attention.

[Tee]

I want the 2 liars out and if we have to drive them out in this fashion then so be it. Short term harm for long term gain is a sacrifice I am willing to pay.

[The Birdman]

I want the 2 liars out and if we have to drive them out in this fashion then so be it. Short term harm for long term gain is a sacrifice I am willing to pay.

In all seriousness what evidence is there that 'this fashion' is going anywhere near driving them out??
Do you not think they have heard and ignored fan criticism before??
I agree they have lied, I also think we have better players because of their increased borrowing which is a double edged sword, Moores lent the club money to buy Kuyt (so the story goes) so would we have signed Torres etc... with Moores at the helm I honestly don't know.

Would you prefer Torres in our team and more debt or less debt and Bellamy up front.

I don't see how more and more negative publicity is a good thing, they will leave when they find a suitable buyer, not a minute before.

[BobTheCharmer]

I want the 2 liars out and if we have to drive them out in this fashion then so be it. Short term harm for long term gain is a sacrifice I am willing to pay.

Gillett didn't tell Rafa to drop Benni against chelsea or not make changes to 69minutes. Sometimes I think its easy for Rafa and fans to hide behind those horrible american businessmen when things go wrong.

We're playing poorly away from home. Thats down to Rafa and the players.

[Tee]

In all seriousness what evidence is there that 'this fashion' is going anywhere near driving them out??
Do you not think they have heard and ignored fan criticism before??
I agree they have lied, I also think we have better players because of their increased borrowing which is a double edged sword, Moores lent the club money to buy Kuyt (so the story goes) so would we have signed Torres etc... with Moores at the helm I honestly don't know.

Would you prefer Torres in our team and more debt or less debt and Bellamy up front.

I don't see how more and more negative publicity is a good thing, they will leave when they find a suitable buyer, not a minute before.

Moores was selling the club so if they did not buy it DIC or whoever else would have. And those owners would have done the same thing, i.e. invest in the team and who knows maybe even stuck a ****ing shovel in the ground by now.

Like I said, if it meant that in the long term we would benefit (on and off the pitch) I would settle for a season or two of not doing so well in the league.

[BobTheCharmer]

Moores was selling the club so if they did not buy it DIC or whoever else would have. And those owners would have done the same thing, i.e. invest in the team and who knows maybe even stuck a ****ing shovel in the ground by now.

Like I said, if it meant that in the long term we would benefit (on and off the pitch) I would settle for a season or two of not doing so well in the league.

You say long term yet people moan that we signed an injuried player as replacement for Alonso even though in the long term he could turn out to be a great signing. Gillett seems to think we're financially in a better position than Utd, Arsenal & Chelsea and no one is coming out from other clubs to rubbish this claim. I say stick with Gillett.

[The Birdman]

[QUOTE=Tee;1435715]Moores was selling the club so if they did not buy it DIC or whoever else would have. And those owners would have done the same thing, i.e. invest in the team and who knows maybe even stuck a ****ing shovel in the ground by now.

Like I said, if it meant that in the long term we would benefit (on and off the pitch) I would settle for a season or two of not doing so well in the league.[/QUOT

I don't see how that helps?? a season or 2 not doing well means decreased revenue means H&G are more likely to sell off someone like Torres to make repayments means better players don't want to come because we're not challenging means in all likelyhood Rafa would go or be got rid of which leads to paying off his support staff which means less money for the new manager and means a massive rebuilding spell.

[Tee]

I don't see how that helps?? a season or 2 not doing well means decreased revenue means H&G are more likely to sell off someone like Torres to make repayments means better players don't want to come because we're not challenging means in all likelyhood Rafa would go or be got rid of which leads to paying off his support staff which means less money for the new manager and means a massive rebuilding spell.

With these 2 liars in charge we will start going backwards soon anyway. No stadium (this will never happen under these clowns, never), no significant transfer funds for Rafa (on the level he needs to compete with the other top clubs), a sell to buy policy. Any increases in revenue is only going to service our debts so the sooner they sell up the better.

Sure the methods of SOS might not be the best but right now I don't see anyone else doing anything about it so they have my support anyway.

[Reece]

Please refrain from personal abuse guys. And flyboy, how about contributing something other than Lucas or Rafa slagging for a change?

[Roboklopp]

Please refrain from personal abuse guys. And flyboy, how about contributing something other than Lucas or Rafa slagging for a change?

I know mate, I know. But it is all he ever says.