Liverpool FC Forum

[Ciggy]

Rafael Benitez Q&A
Oliver Kay answers our questions on where this leaves a troubled club

Following last night's revelation that Rafael Benitez came close to resigning as Liverpool manager after feeling undermined by the Gareth Barry transfer saga, Oliver Kay answers Times Online's questions about what this means.

Q: So Rafa Benitez seems to be intent on starting the new season as he spent much of the last -- in dispute with the Liverpool hierarchy. Are you surprised?

A: No. In fact, I'm surprised it has taken this long for things to blow up again. Benitez was told at the end of last season that he was going to have to wheel and deal in the transfer market due to the financial position at the club, which wasn't what he wanted. He has got on with that relatively quietly. Gareth Barry has been his top priority all summer long and here we are on the first day of the new Premier League season and still no deal.

Q: How close do you think he came to resigning?

A: He considered it, which is alarming enough for Liverpool's supporters, who will be aware that he left Valencia for similar reasons in 2004. He is clearly extremely frustrated not only by the board's failure to sign Barry but by the way they undermined him, agreeing a deal with Aston Villa, only to veto it on the basis that they did not share his view on the value of the player.

Q: What is the crux of the matter?

A: Essentially that he feels he cannot work with the people. Specifically he has a big problem with Rick Parry, the chief executive. There have been tensions between the two men for a long time. Rafa has frequently hinted at those tensions and he laid them bare at yesterday's press conference, blaming Parry for the failure to sign Barry and, it seemed, the "failure" to sell Xabi Alonso, who is no longer the apple of his eye.

Q: Why has this come out now and not last week?

A: Simply because last weekend Benitez and his allies were keeping their thoughts to themselves. Now it has come out of the Benitez camp -- though not from the man himself -- that he considered resigning. I should point out that the story was broken last night by www.guillembalague.com . Guillem is the journalist who knows Rafa and his inner circle better than anyone. I had no doubt when I heard about this story that it was correct, as subsequent enquiries confirmed.

Q: Do you think Benitez will be worried that the story has come out now?

A: I'm told that he will look to play down the situation when he is interviewed at Sunderland this evening. But he is a real political animal these days. He will not be distressed that these stories have come out. He will probably welcome the pressure that the revelations put on Parry, who was urged to resign late last season by Tom Hicks, the co-owner. Knowing Benitez, he will hope and expect that Parry comes under more pressure now. It is not a pleasant situation.

Q: What is the likely outcome in all of this?

A: It is impossible to predict anything at Liverpool right now. There is huge distrust between the manager and the chief executive, between the two owners (Hicks and George Gillett Jr), between Hicks and Parry, between Gillett and Benitez. The supposed alliance between Hicks and Benitez is only a marriage of convenience to suit their agendas. Literally anything could happen. Parry will be feeling the heat more than anyone, particularly if the transfer window closes without a deal for Barry or an equivalent player who meets the manager's requirements.

Q: Finally, what is the latest with Hicks and Gillett?

A: I still expect them to sell up sooner rather than later. The takeover talk may have quietened down, but it is about to resurface. From what I am hearing, there are changes ahead, but it is far from clear what form they will take. Sorry if that sounds vague, but right now, with so many rumours flying around about possible investors (and some of the names are quite shocking), no one can say with the slightest certainty what will happen next.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol....054.ece

[Igor Zidane]

Latest from Ballague.

Response to Benitez quit report

Just after the story about Rafa Benitez thinking of quitting was published on our website on Friday evening, I got a call from the Spanish manager. It was a frank exchange of words and one thing became very clear: Rafa's commitment to Liverpool Football Club is absolute.

Rafa said “I am not thinking of leaving. My commitment with the club, the fans and the players is so big that just because I can be disappointed about different things, I won’t stop trying my best to achieve all of the targets that we have established as a team."

" My family and myself are very thankful to the club, the fans and the city and we will never give up fighting to get the best for Liverpool,” he added

From those words every one of you can come to their own conclusions. I think it is quite obvious that there are conflicts at the club and also that it was probably not good idea to come out with that kind of story just before the beginning of the season.

However, as I see it, that fact,coupled with Rafa’s words, does not change the content of what I wrote on Friday - and I stand by it completely.


It seems to me that there are two different forces working at the club that are sometimes pulling in different directions:  something that the owners choose to ignore.

It is only normal that the manager despairs some times and even thinks about quitting. In periods of bonanza (when the team wins titles or outside the transfer market periods) there exists a creative relationship between manager and key members of the board; but there are other times, like in recent weeks, where the tension grows and it appears as if they are working against each other.

There remain questions that need to be answered. If Rafa was happy to let Xabi Alonso go to Juventus, why hasn’t he gone? If Rafa wanted the arrival of Gareth Barry prior to Robbie Keane, why hasn’t he come - and how is it that it has taken months for Liverpool to tell Aston Villa that their valuation of the player is too high? Whatever the manager wants is not always what he gets. Is that good for the club?
http://www.guillembalague.com/interview_desp.php?id=19

[Number 9]

Latest from Ballague.

Response to Benitez quit report

Just after the story about Rafa Benitez thinking of quitting was published on our website on Friday evening, I got a call from the Spanish manager. It was a frank exchange of words and one thing became very clear: Rafa's commitment to Liverpool Football Club is absolute.

Rafa said “I am not thinking of leaving. My commitment with the club, the fans and the players is so big that just because I can be disappointed about different things, I won’t stop trying my best to achieve all of the targets that we have established as a team."

" My family and myself are very thankful to the club, the fans and the city and we will never give up fighting to get the best for Liverpool,” he added

From those words every one of you can come to their own conclusions. I think it is quite obvious that there are conflicts at the club and also that it was probably not good idea to come out with that kind of story just before the beginning of the season.

However, as I see it, that fact,coupled with Rafa’s words, does not change the content of what I wrote on Friday - and I stand by it completely.


It seems to me that there are two different forces working at the club that are sometimes pulling in different directions:  something that the owners choose to ignore.

It is only normal that the manager despairs some times and even thinks about quitting. In periods of bonanza (when the team wins titles or outside the transfer market periods) there exists a creative relationship between manager and key members of the board; but there are other times, like in recent weeks, where the tension grows and it appears as if they are working against each other.

There remain questions that need to be answered. If Rafa was happy to let Xabi Alonso go to Juventus, why hasn’t he gone? If Rafa wanted the arrival of Gareth Barry prior to Robbie Keane, why hasn’t he come - and how is it that it has taken months for Liverpool to tell Aston Villa that their valuation of the player is too high? Whatever the manager wants is not always what he gets. Is that good for the club?
http://www.guillembalague.com/interview_desp.php?id=19

As I said Ballague should have kept his Fu*king mouth shut!

[account deleted by request]

I don't think Rafa wanted Balague to keep his mouth shut Barry..... I think Rafa wanted it to come out, but now its out, he wants to reassure the fans and players etc that he is still comitted to Liverpool.

Sounds like Rafa would have accepted Juventus's bid for Alonso, but Parry thought he could get more money (or parry decided not to sell him?)

[Number 9]

I don't think Rafa wanted Balague to keep his mouth shut Barry..... I think Rafa wanted it to come out, but now its out, he wants to reassure the fans and players etc that he is still comitted to Liverpool.

Sounds like Rafa would have accepted Juventus's bid for Alonso, but Parry thought he could get more money (or parry decided not to sell him?)

I really dont know mate!
Fu'ck its done now,but the timing was bang out of order.
Hopefully the players can together today and give 100% for the manager and fans to show they are committed,put on a good confident display and thump Sunderland.Then tomorrow we can be in the papers for the reasons the club exists for...football and not an internal bit,chfest.
The bottom line is though we are stuck with Parry and the Yanks at least for the short term,the sooner the whole lot of them get together and find some common ground the better for LFC!
Then once things stabilise DIC come in and buy us! 
Yeah thats the way it will happen!

[LegBarnes]

Sounds to me as if it was up to Rafa........ Alonso would have been sold to Juventus for what we could get and Barry brought in..... maybe we would have still signed Keane....... maybe not?

Personally I can understand his frustration, if he thinks Barry would solve most of his problems but the negotiating is out of his hands, it must be annoying, especially when he has already said that he thinks Parry only pushes the deals that Parry thinks are good ones!

No it was Parry trying to sell Alonso to Arsenal. 

I couldnt wait for the season to start but in the back of my mind dreading it aswell not because of results but because I knew all this would kick off again.

In November we will have more , and in January with the re-financing more .

What have we done to deserve this hey?

Parry p1ss off and take Randolph & Mortimer with yer.

I swear parry is on a one man mission to fu.ck this club over.   

Maybe we should be chanting "GET PARRY OUT" then once he out of way might be easyer to get rid of thr nazi's.

[LegBarnes]

yeah crouch doesn't know where the goal is.



Oh hang on, wasn't he more prolific than the donkey we had to put on the right to try and make him look decent.   

I hear kuyt went to fantasy island and still didn't score and tattoo pulled more birds than him. 

No that was milky joe.



I hear he is a good finisher.

[112-1077774096]

come on barry, rafa gave the story to him and wanted it to break, why else would he discuss it with him, this latest twist is damage limitation from rafa once again making out the fans are important blah blah blah.

rafa if the club and the fans are so important to you then i suggest you get on with the football and leave the politics to others and stop petty hints at resigning because you didnt get your way over something. in case you forgot we are a football club

ffs this club becomes more like a soap opera every day, keep it inside the club eh guys, rafa stop throwing mud about others ethics etc while getting your journalist mate to rock the boat

[112-1077774096]

yeah crouch doesn't know where the goal is.



Oh hang on, wasn't he more prolific than the donkey we had to put on the right to try and make him look decent.   

I hear kuyt went to fantasy island and still didn't score and tattoo pulled more birds than him. 

No that was milky joe.



I hear he is a good finisher.

   wtf is milky joe?

[Number 9]

come on barry, rafa gave the story to him and wanted it to break, why else would he discuss it with him, this latest twist is damage limitation from rafa once again making out the fans are important blah blah blah.

rafa if the club and the fans are so important to you then i suggest you get on with the football and leave the politics to others and stop petty hints at resigning because you didnt get your way over something. in case you forgot we are a football club

ffs this club becomes more like a soap opera every day, keep it inside the club eh guys, rafa stop throwing mud about others ethics etc while getting your journalist mate to rock the boat

Peewee I just dont know what to think anymore!
Regardless of whether or not Rafa contacted Ballague and gave him the story and Ballague is lying that Rafa called him after it came out and all that,we will never know the truth!

The simple fact is it should not have at this stage and the club is all over the papers for the wrong reasons yet again when we needed it least!

[112-1077774096]

The simple fact is it should not have at this stage and the club is all over the papers for the wrong reasons yet again when we needed it least!

agree 100%



and barry, do you know who milky joe is   

[Number 9]

The simple fact is it should not have at this stage and the club is all over the papers for the wrong reasons yet again when we needed it least!

agree 100%



and barry, do you know who milky joe is   

Apparently a coconut on a stick....very strange!  

[112-1077774096]

The simple fact is it should not have at this stage and the club is all over the papers for the wrong reasons yet again when we needed it least!

agree 100%



and barry, do you know who milky joe is   

Apparently a coconut on a stick....very strange!  

he looks like peter crouch   

[Number 9]

The simple fact is it should not have at this stage and the club is all over the papers for the wrong reasons yet again when we needed it least!

agree 100%



and barry, do you know who milky joe is   

Apparently a coconut on a stick....very strange!  

he looks like peter crouch   

I googled "Milky Joe" and found this!!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk-2eWUblFo
WTF??

[zarababe]

Rafa's not going anywhere and confirms as much on the ifficial site :http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N160934080816-1322.htm



roll on the first game and win that title !