Rafa under pressure?

[ronan]

well the internet finger is being hevily pointed at a certain noel white
who out of the 6 is the obvious one really.

[red g]

Some of those quotes sound more like posts on here over the last week than the words of a club director

pathetic is the only word!!

[Redspin]

http://18-5.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6...7/m/9421026512

todays mirror has quotes by a member of the board. it doesn't state who that member is though.

No - it alleges it has quotes from a member of the board. It's all hogwash

[G]

I dont think he is under pressure yet as its still early but if form dosen't improve by christmas,especially away he most definitely will be under pressure.The last thing we need is another manager outstaying his usefulness by 2 years. Thing is though,who replaces him? another new manager means another period of change and transistion and more time before we can challenge for the 19th.

[Morph]

Right which bellend is it:

N.White F.S.C.A,
T.D.Smith,
K.E.B.Clayton F.C.A,
J.Burns,
L. Wheatley,
J.Cresswell

Because i'm going to go round to his house and slap him with a wet kipper.

Seriously I can't believe that anyone on the board would be so stupid as to come out with comments like that (which makes me doubt the validity of the article allready), but if it is true then the silly ******* needs to be brought up before the board to explain his actions. Surely there's some kind of code of conduct that they should adhere to, which would involve not speaking to snidey journalists of **** rag newspapers.

I mean either: he's a tit, he didn't know who he was speaking to (which makes hima tit) or the storys a lie.

[Jayesh87]

Rafa knifed in the back

Oct 27 2006

By Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo


IT COMES as no surprise Rafa Benitez was today attacked by a 'nameless' member of Liverpool's board.

Several of the seven man committee have been faceless for so long, they've specialised in their anonymity.

Today, chairman David Moores must face up to the responsibility of flushing out the guilty colleague.

Liverpool fans will demand to know the identity of the man who's stabbing Benitez in the back, and Moores and chief executive Rick Parry must take immediate action, calling for his resignation with immediate effect.

It's inconceivable both Moores and Parry won't be equally disgusted by comments which, given the ongoing pressures on them, couldn't have been timed worse.

It was presumed Liverpool's defeat to Manchester United was the low point of the season.

Today's scandal comfortably eclipses this.

The Liverpool hierarchy is aware of the perilous position it's already in due to their ongoing pursuit of investment.

If the 'influential figure' had any guts at all, he'd put his name to the comments immediately and allow others to question him on views which are clearly at odds,not only with the majority of Liverpool supporters, but the rest of his board.

After everything Benitez has achieved at Anfield, the cowardly attack splashed on the back page of a national paper this morning summoned images of a WorldWar 1commander complaining the troops on the front line hadn't done enough to defeat the Germans by 1916.

At best it's irresponsible drivel, at worst it represents the ramblings of a man descending into lunacy.

There have long been suspicions that certain low profile members of the Anfield hierarchy have been on a mission of self-preservation for the past 16 years.

Their contribution is negligible, particularly in recent times when Moores and Parry have borne the brunt of the public pressure and criticism in attempting to safeguard the financial future of the club.

Others are spotted enjoying the European jollies which Benitez has provided since his arrival in 2004, but little else.

In today's article, the source suggests Benitez has enjoyed full financial backing to lead a title charge.

"The signings we made in the summer cost us a lot of money and they've not worked, it's the same old story," he says.

"We were happy to spend £9m on a centre-forward but we were told we should be spending £30m. You can't go out and get a Bentley all the time."

If Benitez was inclined to respond directly, he might point out the number of players he's been forced to shift in order to raise funds to strengthen his squad.

He might argue how if the likes of Salif Diao, Bruno Cheyrou, Anthony Le Tallec, Djibril Cisse, Neil Mellor, Florent Sinama-Pongolle, Chris Kirkland and Scott Carson weren't sent on loan, he'd neverhave had enough to bring in six new players.

He might argue that the £25m summer outlay was achieved through Champions League success in 2005, and qualification last year,the first of these recognised as a 'miraculous' success given his poor inheritance.

He might argue how he's the only Liverpool manager in history to win two major trophies in his first two seasons.

He might argue the board's responsibility is to support the manager by providing similar finances as other major clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, who are not only wealthier, but raise far more revenue from avenues such as shirt sponsorship deals.

And he may well ask what contribution the 'unnamed source' has made to raising any funds?

The greatest concern must be the effect such undermining comments have on Benitez.

This is a manager who rejected both his boyhood team Real Madrid and Inter Milan a few months ago, believing he had the full backing of his board and several seasons to bring the title to Merseyside.

Both Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier had five years to restore the fortunes of the club,and neither suffered the kind of insult from one of his own board Benitez must tolerate today.

If Moores and Parry don't act instantly, the long-term repercussion should not be underestimated.

Sunday's defeat at Old Trafford was deeplydisappointing to everyone,not least Benitez, but to attempt to shift the blame for the club's faltering start on him is shameful.

There are deep-rooted problems at Anfield, which everyone at Liverpool is fully aware of but prefer the fans not to consider.

Benitez has no control over the Liverpool Academy, which has produced just one first-team regular since the move to Kirkby in 1999.

Thesearch for investment has been a painful, and sometimes embarrassing process, and although Benitez's transfer kitty may compare favourably with teams with aspirations for UEFACup qualification, they're light years behind Chelsea and Manchester United.

All these matters are the board's, not the manager's, responsibility.

The unnamed source, so impatient for success, would be wise to remember his response to such accusations if shareholders decide an extraordinary general meeting is justified in the light of his comments.

LIVERPOOL'S BOARD

* David Moores, chairman

* Rick Parry, chief executive

* Noel White

* Terry Smith

* Les Wheatley

* Jules Burns

* John Cresswell

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0...name_page.html

:whatever:

[Morph]

Hope they flush the little **** out and send him packing, I bet they know who it allready.

[paulcooper4]

Its like having that ****house paul "guvnor" ince back at the club all over again. Whoever this coward is should be booted off the board immediately as the prick definitely does not realise the liverpool way. I hope rafa is in the boardroom right now knocking twelve kinds of ****e out of the faggot.

[Morph]

I hope rafa is in the boardroom right now knocking twelve kinds of ****e out of the faggot.

That would be good but I don't have Rafa down as a fighter, u reckon he swears in spanish or english now? Would be funny to see him giving both barrels in spanish.

I reckon they should just stick all the borad members in a room look it and have a fight to the death, whoever wins gets to be Parry's personal tie buyer.

[Jayesh87]

PARRY GIVES RAFA RINGING ENDORSEMENT
Paul Eaton 27 October 2006

Rick Parry today hailed the work of Rafael Benitez as Liverpool manager and declared: "We're clearly moving in the right direction."
The Reds' Chief Executive was speaking after negative comments attributed to a club director appeared in the national press this morning.

"We understand the expectations at Liverpool but we are clearly moving in the right direction under Rafael Benitez," Parry told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"We unquestionably have a better squad than we did last year so it is not about making judgments at this stage. There are no trophies handed out at the end of October, with the exception of the Community Shield which we have already won. You can only judge our performance over the course of a full season.

"We all knew there was a sizeable job to do when Rafa was appointed and that is why we have never laid down any timescales or imposed unrealistic pressures. What is important is continuous year on year improvement.

"The wins in Istanbul and Cardiff were great achievements which we celebrated together. Some of the early results in the league have not gone as well as we would have wanted which is why we have a collective responsibility to pull together and work even harder to improve things on the pitch."

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drill...61027-1141.htm

[paulcooper4]

Milkman, leave me a extra pint of sterry in the mornin kidder

[Morph]

pint of sterry

[Slim]

Great article by Bascombe - hits the nail right on the head.
Bet its Noel White, he seems like an idiot.

[friedk]

The Bascombe article is brilliant

[alunevans]

http://18-5.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6...7/m/9421026512

todays mirror has quotes by a member of the board. it doesn't state who that member is though.

It's possible that all this is invention.

If it's true though, the board member concerned should step down immediately in my view. What a twonk