Liverpool FC Forum

[tonyeh]

...or maybe there's another reason...maybe he just isn't THAT good a manager.

[red_guy]

Fowler: End may be in sight for Rafa

By Matt Somerford, Press Association

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

   

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler believes the time may be right for Reds boss Rafael Benitez to leave the club.

The future of Benitez has been the subject of much speculation in recent months following a below-par campaign that saw the Reds finish seventh in the Barclays Premier League and miss out on a Champions League place.

With owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks also now searching for a new buyer there is much uncertainty surrounding the club and Fowler - who was brought back to Anfield by Benitez four years ago - thinks the time may be right for him to move on.

"With Rafa, what you see is what you get. I think he's quite shrewd and keeps everything to himself," Fowler said.

"I was always grateful to him for bringing me back, so I always have a bit of a soft spot for him, but at the end of the day it's a big club and no one is bigger than the club.

"First and foremost we want to be winning trophies and to be the top dogs. It's a tricky situation. I don't want to be sat here saying he has got to go, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

"I just want Liverpool to do well, whether it's Rafa there or someone else there I don't really mind. First and foremost Liverpool is Liverpool and I think we deserve to be top of the table every year.

"Whoever is in charge has a big job on their hands."

[teamleader1]

...or maybe there's another reason...maybe he just isn't THAT good a manager.

Yep!
I agree with that 

[lakes10]

well you all be happy to know that from today i will not be getting much news from friends at the bbc, one is off to SA to cover the world cup another one is being moved to the Politics area.

Still will be getting some info from the news hubs lol but as you might understand they been a bit over run in the last few days.

[andy_g]

well you all be happy to know that from today i will not be getting much news from friends at the bbc, one is off to SA to cover the world cup another one is being moved to the Politics area.

Still will be getting some info from the news hubs lol but as you might understand they been a bit over run in the last few days.

oh, well. i guess we can always just go to tribal football and get the rumours 5 minutes after you do. 

[lakes10]

well you all be happy to know that from today i will not be getting much news from friends at the bbc, one is off to SA to cover the world cup another one is being moved to the Politics area.

Still will be getting some info from the news hubs lol but as you might understand they been a bit over run in the last few days.

oh, well. i guess we can always just go to tribal football and get the rumours 5 minutes after you do. 

I knew it will make some happy.

[parchpea]

So I guess what happended is that Benitez was initially backed to the tune of £150m but his recruits proved so inept he had to flog half of them to bring cash in to buy more players and try again. Unfortunately these lads also proved a dissapointment and we went along the manic sell and buy route until hey presto the cash ran out leaving us with all the rubbish he no longer has the backing to replace. Now hes calling for more money and support which we just dont have and frankly how many chances do you give this fella. You can bring up the numbers and look at youtube videos with music all day long to dress it up but bottom line is Benitez has done a poor job and its just deluded to imagine otherwise. If we had the finance to get shut he would have been gone long ago but our miserable situation allows him to hang around stinking the place out. Judging by the way its shaping up another dire season under his stewardship beckons for us all.

[neil]

christ I hope not.

[tubby]

So I guess what happended is that Benitez was initially backed to the tune of £150m but his recruits proved so inept he had to flog half of them to bring cash in to buy more players and try again. Unfortunately these lads also proved a dissapointment and we went along the manic sell and buy route until hey presto the cash ran out leaving us with all the rubbish he no longer has the backing to replace. Now hes calling for more money and support which we just dont have and frankly how many chances do you give this fella. You can bring up the numbers and look at youtube videos with music all day long to dress it up but bottom line is Benitez has done a poor job and its just deluded to imagine otherwise. If we had the finance to get shut he would have been gone long ago but our miserable situation allows him to hang around stinking the place out. Judging by the way its shaping up another dire season under his stewardship beckons for us all.

Backed to the tune of 150Mil in 1 go as say Mourinho was? Or backed to the tune of 150miL over x years with a net spend of something like 25mil a season? There is a big difference. You cannot look at the overall figure and come out with that sort of comment. When Fergie was trying to get over Dalglish his net spend was more than his for around 5 years. Now it's even harder and the figures are larger so don't come out with that holier than though he spent this argument.

[account deleted by request]

Hicks-Gillett rift at Liverpool ‘had roots in differences over Benitez’By Nick Harris

12 May 2010

As the Spirit of Shankly group of Liverpool fans confirmed today that they will meet with Premier League officials on Friday to discuss ownership and governance issues at their club, sportingintelligence can reveal the historic rift between Tom Hicks and George Gillett was fueled by their contrasting views on Rafa Benitez.

Sources with intimate knowledge of the Hicks-Gillett relationship during the Americans’ time at Anfield tell us it was Hicks who “made all the running” in sounding out Jurgen Klinsmann as an “insurance policy” management option at the end of 2007.

After the Klinsmann talks were made public in January 2008 – when it became evident the owners had doubted Benitez – Hicks fell firmly into the pro-Rafa camp. Our sources add it was also Hicks who was the driving force in giving Benitez a five-year deal last year.

Gillett, on the other hand, although supportive of the Spaniard, felt Benitez worked best under the supervision of a “moderating” executive, specifically the former chief executive, Rick Parry.

Parry left in the summer of last year, after it became clear that, according to one source, “it was obviously going to be a dysfunctional situation going forward.” Hicks was aligned to Benitez, who had been given more powers in his new deal, while Gillett was aligned to Parry, who Gillett believed “kept Rafa in control”. Except Benitez didn’t want to be kept in control, and would not be.

Fast-forward one extremely disappointing season, and Hicks and Gillett are much closer now in mindset. The club is up for sale and Barclays Capital are actively talking to potential bidders, one of whom we reported on earlier this week.

The Americans still privately insist the club is in great financial shape, despite losses for the parent company of £55m last year, mainly due to interest payments of £40m on debt. They are also prepared to inject more money for transfers this summer “for one last time”, a source says.

The rationale is that they need an asset in good shape to make it attractive for a decent bid, but the Americans harbour “grave doubts” that Benitez should be the man to spend the money to keep the asset in good shape.

Figures acquired from inside the club by sportingintelligence show Benitez has spent more than £244m on transfers in the past four years. Hicks and Gillett do not trust Benitez to spend any more of their money.

They will not sack him because his £16m pay-off is too expensive, and thus hope he leaves of his own volition. If he doesn’t leave – for Juventus or elsewhere – then they will only spend in the summer if the club’s chairman, Martin Broughton, oversees any deals.

Benitez wants cash and the freedom to spend it. All this is understood to have been part of a series of recent discussions (to be continued) between Benitez and Broughton.


LINK

[andy_g]

kind of makes sense really. these two might be chancers but they certainly haven't got rich by being stupid. they'll be aware that letting the likes of torres and gerrard leave, and having the squad generally weak isn't going to attract many buyers. its like tarting up your house a bit before the estate agent sends round people to have a look. the foundations might be crumbling but at least you'll have the garden looking nice.

[NANNY RED]

Anyone who missed the Rafa interview on Sunday its on here and theres some good debates going on with callers , good listen this ,even if i say so myself,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer....05_2010

[Roger Red Hat]

well O'neil is staying at villa so thats scuppered a few rumours on here lol, Mouriniho off to real madrid and rafa off to inter milan apparently lol.

leaves us with roy hodgson then.

[tonyeh]

Well, considering Fulham buggered it tonight, it couuld happen.

The choice between Benitez and Hodgson................fuckin hell.

Best prepare for another shite season next year so.

[Sir Roger]

Well, considering Fulham buggered it tonight, it couuld happen.

The choice between Benitez and Hodgson................fuckin hell.

Best prepare for another shite season next year so.

In all seriousness
Do you not agree that Hodgsons attitude and approach to football this season has been miles ahead of Rafa?
They gave us a drubbing and lost in a final that we were supposed to pi'ss.
With Zamora as their best player...