Liverpool FC Forum

[account deleted by request]

It was Rick Parry that got Gerrard to stay last season not Benitez or Gerrard would have gone the way of M.Owen. I Think Benitez is great manager but I still think if he had tried Owen would be at Anfield now.

[Lando_Griffin]

Well when Rafa first joined us, it was written somewhere that he never allows himself to be seen as a friend by the players. Something about he keeps a professional distance from them, thereby reducing the effect of favouritism/sentiment.

It also stated that this method was totally different to Houllier who, and I paraphrase, "allowed personal feelings to cloud his judgement of certain players" (Owen, Gerrard, etc).

Rafa is a very clever man. He knows that by keeping players at arms length, he will always be able to make the best decisions for the club.

Liverpool FC are lucky to have him. Not many people would be THAT committed to the cause.

[account deleted by request]

The only comment I heard reportedly by Benitez was...." ok Gerrards gone lets go shopping". I cant believe he said that myself but......

[account deleted by request]

I dont want you getting wrong idea I think Benitez is a great manager.

[Lando_Griffin]

The only comment I heard reportedly by Benitez was...." ok Gerrards gone lets go shopping". I cant believe he said that myself but......

Why not?

It's not like he's his son or something.

[A.B.]

It was Rick Parry that got Gerrard to stay last season not Benitez or Gerrard would have gone the way of M.Owen. I Think Benitez is great manager but I still think if he had tried Owen would be at Anfield now.

Owen made his mind up long before Rafa signed for this club. It was Owen that said that he would sign a new deal a year before Rafa's arrival but never did. It was Owen that packed his bags as soon as Madrid came running because he didn't think the club was capable of winning something [i.e. Champions League].

Benitez is the one who wanted to sign Owen in January but it didn't happen because of OWEN. Not because of Benitez.

Please get your facts straightened out before you decide to blame Benitez for something that was clearly not his doing.

The only comment I heard reportedly by Benitez was...." ok Gerrards gone lets go shopping". I cant believe he said that myself but......

Reported by who? This is the first time I've heard of this.

It was Rick Parry that got Gerrard to stay last season not Benitez or Gerrard would have gone the way of M.Owen.

And you know this how? Were you a fly in the room when the three met in the summer or do you have ''connections'' that have led you to this information? I'd say neither. I think you that the reason you think that Parry (out of all people) got Gerrard to stay because he came on Sky Sports and said that Gerrard has changed his mind.

Gerrard already made his mind up, he decided to leave. It was after he talked to his friends and family that he decided to stay the day after he announced that he was leaving. It wasn't Parry by any means that got him to stay.

[account deleted by request]

Benitez is the one who wanted to sign Owen in January but it didn't happen because of OWEN. Not because of Benitez.

Real Madrid have already been quoted as saying Liverpool showed no real interest in signing Owen!
As for the other quote Rick Parry said he had been up all night and on the phone talking to Gerrard. Where was Benitez? IN BED?

[babu]

Ok i agree that this deserves at least some debate, but quite clearly s@int is on a wind-up, and loving it.

That last quote from rafa is proof enough for me. As well he is also trying to increase his post count by posting multi one-line post.

Sad Manc

[A.B.]

Real Madrid have already been quoted as saying Liverpool showed no real interest in signing Owen!

Is this the same Real Madrid that stated that they had no interest in David Beckham and Michael Owen but signed them anyways?

If Liverpool had no interest in signing Michael Owen then why did Owen meet with Benitez and Parry? They're all good chaps so they wanted to drink some tea no

Owen himself stated that Liverpool wanted to sign him but he was afraid that a fee between Liverpool and Madrid could not be made so he jumped to Newcastle. Why? Because he was afraid for his World Cup spot, that's why.

Benitez expressed interest in Owen in January. He wouldn't had expressed that interest had he disliked him or chased him away the year before.

As for the other quote Rick Parry said he had been up all night and on the phone talking to Gerrard. Where was Benitez? IN BED?

Where is that quote comming from? For all I know you could be pulling this out of your ar$e. Provide a source for your claims. Parry trying to keep a player at the club is part of his job, that's what he's paid to do.

Benitez wanted Gerrard to stay [what manager wouldn't want a world class player to stay] but Gerrard felt that the club couldn't match his ambition. I bet he's glad that he stayed now eh?

[Espionage]

I think that Rafa likes Gerrard alot, but Gerrard is not bigger than Liverpool, and Rafa knows this. We have Sissoko and Alonso to fill in the centre of the park and with the money he would bring Rafa could go on a spending spree.  Its a gamble, becasue who knows if we will bring in something better with that money, Rafa will not do this unless he has to.  Anyway i am not sure if public congratulations is the only form of encouragment that players get, so how do we know what their relationship is like?

This is not a stupid thread, you can agree or disagree with s@int, he makes a clear arguement (which is based almost entirely on speculation) and now this thread is drawing more attention than it deserves, taking attention off other more interesting topics. Wouldnt it be great if egos stayed out of it, then this thread would have died and gone, its not a great thread but its not terrible (it doesnt deserve 5 pages!!!). I hate it when people jump to conclusions, s@int never once said that Rafa hated Gerrard, he said  "it would be a shame if they are not getting along as they are both important, discuss..."

[account deleted by request]

sorry babu didnt know I wasnt supposed to do that . Please put it down to my ignorance ok. I am not on a wind up I thought it was a question worth asking perhaps I was wrong but I thought this was a place to express opinions not just to fall in line with everyone else. By the way I am not a sad MANC ok.

[Lando_Griffin]

Benitez is the one who wanted to sign Owen in January but it didn't happen because of OWEN. Not because of Benitez.

Real Madrid have already been quoted as saying Liverpool showed no real interest in signing Owen!
As for the other quote Rick Parry said he had been up all night and on the phone talking to Gerrard. Where was Benitez? IN BED?

Grow up, punk.

So Rafa should sit up all night doing Parry's job for him aswell then?

Gimp. 

[A.B.]

I think that Rafa likes Gerrard alot, but Gerrard is not bigger than Liverpool, and Rafa knows this. We have Sissoko and Alonso to fill in the centre of the park and with the money he would bring Rafa could go on a spending spree.  Its a gamble, becasue who knows if we will bring in something better with that money, Rafa will not do this unless he has to.  Anyway i am not sure if public congratulations is the only form of encouragment that players get, so how do we know what their relationship is like?

This is not a stupid thread, you can agree or disagree with s@int, he makes a clear arguement (which is based almost entirely on speculation) and now this thread is drawing more attention than it deserves, taking attention off other more interesting topics. Wouldnt it be great if egos stayed out of it, then this thread would have died and gone, its not a great thread but its not terrible (it doesnt deserve 5 pages!!!). I hate it when people jump to conclusions, s@int never once said that Rafa hated Gerrard, he said  "it would be a shame if they are not getting along as they are both important, discuss..."

He has never really backed up his statement on the manner. All he's said is that Benitez wasn't licking Gerrard's after the game and therefore he must not like Gerrard.

What kind of logic is that? Do we know what the hell goes on behind close doors, do we know what each players relationship is between them and the manager? No.

This kind of nonsense speculation is how newspaper rags get their stories from.

[Espionage]

I agree it is pretty sh!t speculation, then we should let the thread die for being sh!t.
Stop posting here because its not an interesting topic and it will never be proven or disproven.
Everyone makes a mediocre thread everyone once in a while, just the new guys are not given the benefit of the doubt i think.

[account deleted by request]

I will let this thread go now its obvious it was a bad thread and I agree it didnt warrent this amount of attention. You obviously have a problem with this post so its perhaps better to let it die. I thought it was a topic worthy of some thought but it seems I would be better off sticking to safer topics such as the latest transfer cr*p or who would I sign if i was as rich as Abramovich lol.