Liverpool FC Forum

by **account deleted by request** » Tue May 04, 2010 12:57 am

Should be all over by the time we play Hull whichever way it goes :-

Liverpool are bracing themselves for the prospect of Rafa Benitez walking out this week.

Benitez has been told by Juventus that he will have to free himself from Liverpool "within the next few days", if he wants to be their next manager.

The Spanish coach has been presented with the prospect of effectively quitting Anfield before the end of the week, after being warned by the Italian club that they are tiring of waiting for his decision over their managerial vacancy.

Juve have just appointed a new President - 34-year-old heir to the Fiat dynasty Andrea Agnelli - and he will bring in a new management structure at the club, which includes sporting director Beppe Marotta.

Benitez was the target of former President Jean-Claude Blanc, who remains as Chief Executive, and who still wants the Liverpool manager to be the next boss in Turin.

But Agnelli and Marotta are cooling on the idea, especially because the Spaniard has been stringing out his decision for so long.

Now they have told Benitez that unless he decides by the end of the week they will look elsewhere for a manager, with Agnelli known to favour the appointment of an Italian.

Juve have also told Benitez that he must persuade Liverpool to forgo any compensation for his services and secure his release immediately, otherwise they will switch their search to the current Fiorentina manager Cesare Prandelli, or Zenit boss Luciano Spalletti.

Ironically, Prandelli would become a target for Liverpool should Benitez leave, but that will have to happen within the next few days, with a source close to the Turin club explaining last night:

"The new president is less keen on Benitez, especially because he has strung the situation out for so long. He expects a decision this week so he can get on with planning for the future."

Benitez is planning showdown talks with new Anfield chairman Martin Broughton within the next 48 hours, and he will offer the Liverpool board a series of ultimatums as he looks to sort out his future.

He wants guarantees over spending, and also the right to use all funds he raises by selling any player he chooses - which would be a controversial move should he decide to cash in on the likes of Fernando Torres or skipper Steven Gerrard.

It is thought the Anfield boss will also look to have his power-base strengthened, after believing he has been undermined by recent appointments at the top of the club's hierarchy.

If he doesn't get what he wants, then he will tell Juventus by Friday that he is their man, and make plans to switch to Turin immediately after the final game of the season against Hull on Sunday.

by **account deleted by request** » Tue May 04, 2010 1:08 am

A good well balanced article from Rafa's old friend Mark :-

Liverpool Daily Post.co.uk -

Mark Lawrenson: Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool FC departure would just be natural progression

IF EVER there was a natural end to a management reign, Rafael Benitez has reached it with Liverpool.

It’s not about picking apart his record or blaming some of the decisions he has made during this harrowing campaign. It’s about looking at the overall position after six years and agreeing that the best thing to do is move on.

It seems that the manager has his exit strategy sorted already. He has refused to state any sort of long-term commitment to the job, he has made no secret of his dissatisfaction with the owners and the resulting obstacles he feels have been put in the way of him doing the job he wants to do at Anfield, and it appears that there’s a top job waiting for him if he wants it.

Surely it’s time to sit around a table, thrash out a deal with Juventus that’s financially acceptable to everyone, and move on.
The alternative? Benitez carries on as manager. And I don’t see how that can be the best way forward for the club.

He would basically have to rebuild a team yet again and would his heart really be in that? The longer the wait for the sort of investment he needs to bring Champions League football back to Anfield goes on, the longer Benitez would have to rely on players of the calibre of Babel, Kuyt, Ngog and Aquilani – and as has been proven this season, that’s just not adequate.

If Benitez feels dissatisfied with what he is working with it just increases the resentment and the disunity in the club. It can’t be allowed to linger on any more.

The debate about who would take over is one we ca explore at another day, but looking to the immediate short term, it’s time to pray tomorrow night.

If Tottenham beat Manchester City and take Liverpool’s place in the top four, then the job of trying to get the Anfield club back into the elite is still an appealing one for someone with fresh ideas and a new outlook.

But if it’s Manchester City who make it then the calibre of player they can attract to the Champions League with the spending power they have could take them away from Liverpool.

It’s a massively difficult task and not a journey I can see Benitez wanting to embark on.
He’s got too much baggage to ditch before he sets off.

What I would like to see is a clean break and a temporary role for Kenny Dalglish as the football figurehead while Benitez’s replacement is sought. At least that would instantly improve the image of the club and provide some stability in the short term.
But beyond that? Well, unlike Benitez, the uncertainty is going nowhere.

PS. I was at Anfield on Sunday and what I saw wasn’t a Liverpool team not trying or rolling over to allow Chelsea to win – it was a team that just wasn’t good enough.

by **aCe'** » Tue May 04, 2010 1:12 am

Reg wrote:From The Times May 4, 2010

Juventus target Rafael Benítez gives Liverpool ultimatum over futureTony Barrett

Rafael Benítez will tell Liverpool that only a cast-iron commitment allowing him to invest all of the proceeds from player sales this summer will tempt him to remain at Anfield.

Amid mounting concern that Fernando Torres will seek a move to a club with genuine prospects of challenging for domestic and European titles, Benítez is weighing up the offer to become Juventus coach.

The Liverpool manager has been given until Monday to accept an offer of a four-year, £16 million contract and he has consistently refused to rule himself out of the running for one of the leading jobs in Italian football. But should Martin Broughton, the Liverpool chairman, offer the manager a guarantee that revenue from player sales will not be diverted to service the club’s £237 million debt, Benítez could be swayed from bringing his six-year tenure at Anfield to an end.

Benítez is due to convene with Broughton for the first time this week in a meeting that is sure to involve a full and frank exchange of views. Liverpool officials remain unimpressed with Benítez’s flirtation with a rival club, while the Spaniard is unhappy that he has not been given any pledges after requesting clarity about his position and Liverpool’s transfer policy.

The situation regarding Torres is of particular concern, with Manchester City believed to be willing to pay about £70 million for the forward should he be willing to leave Liverpool. Senior Anfield figures insist that the 26-year-old is not for sale at any price, but Torres is deeply concerned by Liverpool’s deterioration over the past 12 months.

He could ask for a transfer and Benítez wants to ensure that he will be given the proceeds of a sale should his record signing depart. The Liverpool manager’s attempts to force the issue on transfer policy are born of his frustration at events last summer, having claimed that promises regarding available funding, made before he signed a new five-year contract last March, were not kept.

That charge is disputed by Anfield officials who insist the club spent about £18 million net, a figure that they claim was in keeping with the amount they had promised their manager.

This summer, Benítez’s transfer pot would not exceed £15 million unless it is enhanced by the proceeds of outgoing transfers. The problem for Benítez is that the club have decided that there will be no great attempts to convince him to stay.

Given the £16 million compensation package that would be due to him in the event of being dismissed, the offer from Juventus could suit all parties.

The uncertainty surrounding Benítez’s position is having an impact on the Liverpool squad with several players admitting that they are unclear about what the future holds.

As well as questions about Torres, there are doubts over whether Steven Gerrard will remain and Javier Mascherano has yet to sign the contract that has been verbally agreed. Yossi Benayoun has said he could depart, while Lucas Leiva has revealed how uncertainty is affecting the playing staff.

“It is difficult to speak about next season, as we don’t know what changes there will be with the players or the staff,” Benayoun said. “I don’t know whether I will be here or if I won’t. In a few weeks we will know better.”

Lucas said: “Everyone is aware of the doubts over Rafa’s future. But we do not know what is going to happen.”

ok a few things to comment on here...

- First of all, since when have Juventus been a 'rival' club ? or are they talking about someone else ?! ManCity perhaps ? BECAUSE ID LOVE IT... LOVE IT...if Rafa....

- Earth to Rafa... If losing Torres is a concern, then how about try to convince him to stay rather than try to make sure u get the money from his sale instead... ffs !

- 18mill net spent ? i suppose the only way that would be possible is if you include the new contracts given to players and signing on fees..etc But then again, im pretty sure some on here were saying that Aquilani cost 5mill and Johnson 12 or so... eh.. what do senior club officials know anyways..

- Mascherano... stop listening to Rafa and just sign that contract...

- Lucas... HE TALKS ! next quote i wanna hear from Lucas is " i enjoyed played for Liverpool.. Burnley are a great club and i have no doubt we can get promotion within the next 3 years" ..

by **account deleted by request** » Tue May 04, 2010 1:14 am

aCe' wrote:If losing Torres is a concern, then how about try to convince him to stay rather than try to make sure u get the money from his sale instead... ffs !

That was my first thought on reading it too mate

by **Reg** » Tue May 04, 2010 2:56 am

What a terrible situation we've found ourselves in - ripped apart at board level, the manager in tatters and the team in tatters. And no stadium. It cant get any worse surely??

As you say S@int its dificult to disagree with Lawro (first time I've paid any attention to him in years) but is it just because we're just so worn down by it all?

by **shabelle50** » Tue May 04, 2010 3:29 am

I think this is all a bit premature in all honesty. Benitez is talking about having discussions with Broughton to sort things out for the future but does that mean he's definitely leaving? I think it is more likely he will leave the club but I don't think it's by any means certain he will do. It seems to me that Benitez is afraid that if he walks to Turin next week after the Hull game he'll be blamed by the club and the fans for deserting a sinking ship rather than staying around to fight and turn it around. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the manager for another 12 months although I can't believe he'll stay if he gets the same budget that he had last summer.

by **bigmick** » Tue May 04, 2010 8:34 am

I don't think it will happen here and now, but all this "need more money", "need assurances", "need to hear the fans backing me more", just confirms for me that the sooner we are rid of the egomanic dictator which Benitez has become the better.

People with huge ego's who are actually really successful at what they do are difficult enough to stomach, but when you have somebody who carries on like Benitez does after his performance of the last six years, it's positively nausiating.

Once he's gone, we should never ever put ourselves in the same situation again. Coach drivers, academy workers, youth team coaches, scouts for local kids etc etc should be completely independent of any manager. NO manager should be given assurances that he is in total control of everything at the club, and EVERY manager should have his severence package linked in with the performance of the team. If you finish seventh in the league and bomb out of of all the cups, you should not be trying to squeeze 16 million quid out of the club.

Not only am I convinced we could do much better for a football manager, (and I absolutely include Roy Hodgson, Martin O Neill etc etc), I am more convinced than ever that Benitez has turned into an unpleasant individual. The players don't want to play for him (and haven't for some time), he tries to convince the ones he likes not to sign until he's sorted (he did it with Kuyt and I think he's now doing it with Masherano) and he manipulates the fans and the media entirely for his own ends.

"Loves the club"? Do me a favour. Rafa loves Rafa, and all his energies are directed towards saving his own skin and reputation.

by **lakes10** » Tue May 04, 2010 8:42 am

Emerald Red wrote:
lakes10 wrote:
s@int wrote:
lakes10 wrote:its a bloody joke mate.....funny that his agent has not been seen or heard of for 2 days.

the thing is if its just about money for next year then we might not know nothing about it, but it would seem strange to do so when theres still a game left to play.

We understand that even if Juventus fail to follow through with their move for Benitez that Liverpool will still negotiate Benitez’s exit from Anfield, reports suggest that he has lost the confidence of the main players including Gerrard and Fernando Torres and that the board are refusing to tell Benitez anything about next seasons plans including transfer budget.

-----------------------------------------------

I wonder what they will be talking about then mate

mate i posted before xmas that he had lost confidence of the Gerrard and Torres, there was reports of back stabbing and everything, i took loads of stick for posting on here.

Rafa lost the team a long time ago, as i have been saying i can not wait untill some of the player bring their new books out.

its been a game of chess for the club and Rafa, the firsts to show their hand gets done, Rafa has shown his had in the way of his agets talks with other clubs.

Lakes, go to the mirror in the bathroom, look in it long and hard, and hit yourself an almighty slap in the face for believing the sh*t papers print without scrutiny.

99.9% of the stuff i post or read is not in papers, i get it from friends that work in the news areas or business.

by **bunglemark2** » Tue May 04, 2010 9:15 am

s@int wrote:
aCe' wrote:If losing Torres is a concern, then how about try to convince him to stay rather than try to make sure u get the money from his sale instead... ffs !

That was my first thought on reading it too mate

Me too, mate...
I was only hoping to read that Lucas was threatening to leave as well

by **bunglemark2** » Tue May 04, 2010 9:18 am

lakes10 wrote:
Emerald Red wrote:
lakes10 wrote:
s@int wrote:
lakes10 wrote:its a bloody joke mate.....funny that his agent has not been seen or heard of for 2 days.

the thing is if its just about money for next year then we might not know nothing about it, but it would seem strange to do so when theres still a game left to play.

We understand that even if Juventus fail to follow through with their move for Benitez that Liverpool will still negotiate Benitez’s exit from Anfield, reports suggest that he has lost the confidence of the main players including Gerrard and Fernando Torres and that the board are refusing to tell Benitez anything about next seasons plans including transfer budget.

-----------------------------------------------

I wonder what they will be talking about then mate

mate i posted before xmas that he had lost confidence of the Gerrard and Torres, there was reports of back stabbing and everything, i took loads of stick for posting on here.

Rafa lost the team a long time ago, as i have been saying i can not wait untill some of the player bring their new books out.

its been a game of chess for the club and Rafa, the firsts to show their hand gets done, Rafa has shown his had in the way of his agets talks with other clubs.

Lakes, go to the mirror in the bathroom, look in it long and hard, and hit yourself an almighty slap in the face for believing the sh*t papers print without scrutiny.

99.9% of the stuff i post or read is not in papers, i get it from friends that work in the news areas or business.

I think that was the point of the post, Einstein...only you didn't see it...
:no

by **Sir Roger** » Tue May 04, 2010 9:28 am

bigmick wrote:I don't think it will happen here and now, but all this "need more money", "need assurances", "need to hear the fans backing me more", just confirms for me that the sooner we are rid of the egomanic dictator which Benitez has become the better.

People with huge ego's who are actually really successful at what they do are difficult enough to stomach, but when you have somebody who carries on like Benitez does after his performance of the last six years, it's positively nausiating.

Once he's gone, we should never ever put ourselves in the same situation again. Coach drivers, academy workers, youth team coaches, scouts for local kids etc etc should be completely independent of any manager. NO manager should be given assurances that he is in total control of everything at the club, and EVERY manager should have his severence package linked in with the performance of the team. If you finish seventh in the league and bomb out of of all the cups, you should not be trying to squeeze 16 million quid out of the club.

Not only am I convinced we could do much better for a football manager, (and I absolutely include Roy Hodgson, Martin O Neill etc etc), I am more convinced than ever that Benitez has turned into an unpleasant individual. The players don't want to play for him (and haven't for some time), he tries to convince the ones he likes not to sign until he's sorted (he did it with Kuyt and I think he's now doing it with Masherano) and he manipulates the fans and the media entirely for his own ends.

"Loves the club"? Do me a favour. Rafa loves Rafa, and all his energies are directed towards saving his own skin and reputation.

Harsh but true
He lost the dressing room a while back but everyone was too scared to admit it.

by **NeGrAmArOfOrEvEr** » Tue May 04, 2010 9:30 am

news about Rafa?

by **Benny The Noon** » Tue May 04, 2010 9:32 am

So he is asking that all money recouped from player sales be available for player purchases ? Does that seem too much to ask ?

by **lakes10** » Tue May 04, 2010 10:00 am

bunglemark2 wrote:
lakes10 wrote:
Emerald Red wrote:
lakes10 wrote:
s@int wrote:
lakes10 wrote:its a bloody joke mate.....funny that his agent has not been seen or heard of for 2 days.

the thing is if its just about money for next year then we might not know nothing about it, but it would seem strange to do so when theres still a game left to play.

We understand that even if Juventus fail to follow through with their move for Benitez that Liverpool will still negotiate Benitez’s exit from Anfield, reports suggest that he has lost the confidence of the main players including Gerrard and Fernando Torres and that the board are refusing to tell Benitez anything about next seasons plans including transfer budget.

-----------------------------------------------

I wonder what they will be talking about then mate

mate i posted before xmas that he had lost confidence of the Gerrard and Torres, there was reports of back stabbing and everything, i took loads of stick for posting on here.

Rafa lost the team a long time ago, as i have been saying i can not wait untill some of the player bring their new books out.

its been a game of chess for the club and Rafa, the firsts to show their hand gets done, Rafa has shown his had in the way of his agets talks with other clubs.

Lakes, go to the mirror in the bathroom, look in it long and hard, and hit yourself an almighty slap in the face for believing the sh*t papers print without scrutiny.

99.9% of the stuff i post or read is not in papers, i get it from friends that work in the news areas or business.

I think that was the point of the post, Einstein...only you didn't see it...

I dont say i am believing in what i am told i only post what i am told.

like that Torres will ask to leave if Rafa is still going to be our manager next year.........is it ture, we dont know but a lot ob talk has been going on about it for sometime.

by **maguskwt** » Tue May 04, 2010 10:01 am

Benny The Noon wrote:So he is asking that all money recouped from player sales be available for player purchases ? Does that seem too much to ask ?

Not at all... What some on here don't realise is that the club's team building policy has become from sell-to-buy to sell-and-balance-the-books-abit-and-buy... Ask mourinho if he wants to come and work under those conditions...

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