Liverpool FC Forum

by **redmikey** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:19 pm

NANNY RED wrote:The yanks need to watch this short video from some of our great players of the past paying tribute to us . Take note Messers Hicks and Gillete we are the one that matter, we are the ones who will be putting money in your pocket

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/videos-....9847737

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/videos-....0184065

the yanks need to get santa sports and watch lfc v bolton 02/03 to see the progress we have made under rafa

salfi dioa at cb :no

by **big al** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 12:16 am

You know I think that we are not playing to are full potential the yanks are right. I'd like to see some more touch downs, are wide recievers are not making enough diagonal runs and the offensive line is a little bit light weight.

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 11:39 pm

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 11:45 pm

From The TimesDecember 8, 2007

Boardroom troubles are nothing new for Rafael Benitez as crisis talks approach

Oliver Kay
As Rafael BenÍtez prepares for a defining week in his career as Liverpool manager, it comes as a surprise to discover that he has been relaxing by watching videos of people impersonating him on YouTube. Of one mimic’s repertoire, he claimed that he “could recognise José Mourinho but couldn’t recognise myself”, but, he added with a chortle, “it was funny”.

That BenÍtez can raise a laugh is encouraging at a time when he knows that others, notably Liverpool’s American owners, have been forming a less than favourable impression of him. His position at Anfield remains parlous in the long term after a series of disagreements with Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr and he is well aware that his future could hinge not only on results over the next eight days - away to Reading this evening and Marseilles in the Champions League on Tuesday and at home to Manchester United a week tomorrow – but also on his long-overdue peace summit with Hicks and Gillett when they arrive on Merseyside next weekend.

The word from within Anfield is that victories in Liverpool’s past five matches have had little effect on BenÍtez’s job prospects, which are more likely to be determined by relations at boardroom level than out on the pitch. He must find harmony with the owners if he is to have any hope of staying in charge of the club next season and, to that end, he has tried this week to build up an understanding with Gillett’s son, Foster, the unofficial “go-between”, whose absence from his Merseyside office for much of last month was a significant factor in the breakdown in communications.

“Me and Foster have talked,” BenÍtez said. “We have spoken about everything, about how we know that we have a different idea than we had before, how the team is now playing well, all of those things. We know there was a misunderstanding, but now we need to wait until December 16 and talk with Tom Hicks and George Gillett.”

It is not an unfamiliar situation for the Liverpool manager, whose final season at Valencia was played out against a backdrop of political turmoil as he repeatedly clashed with the club’s sporting director, Jesus GarcÍa Pitarch. That did not stop Valencia winning the Spanish league title and the Uefa Cup, though, and the parallels have crossed BenÍtez’s mind as he enters a week that will help to shape Liverpool’s ambitions in the Barclays Premier League and in Europe.

Not that you will hear BenÍtez making any bold predictions about what his team can achieve either in the Champions League – in which they must beat Marseilles at the Stade Vélodrome to guarantee their progress to the knockout stages – or in the Premier League where they lie fourth in the table, seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal but with a match in hand. The other lesson that the Valencia experience taught him was that championship races are not always won by the team who are quickest out of the blocks or the team who win most plaudits for their style of football. Sometimes it pays to keep a low profile.

“For me, it is too soon to talk about whether we are in a fantastic position or not,” BenÍtez said. “I want to talk about that maybe at the end of the February. It is too early now. Having had this experience in Valencia, the only thing we can do in this situation is to try to keep calm and send the same messages. As I always say, the right thing is to go one step at a time. You must have confidence in your squad and your players and I am sure that if we can keep close to the top of the table, then the second half of the season will be much better for us.”

Such deliberate understatements will appeal to those impersonators on the internet, but, for BenÍtez, the most pressing need is to make a positive and lasting impression on his American employers, Hicks and Gillett – not only on the pitch but in the boardroom.

by **The Manhattan Project** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:47 am

s@int wrote:

ALL HAIL HICKS AND GILLETT!!!!

by **112-1077774096** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:43 am

Torres 2007 wrote:I think that Rafa is brilliant in his job, and Gillette and hicks, ar brilliant in their business knowhow, and coming into LFC incurring a huge 80m debt, arranging finance for the new stadium, and giving Rafa funds.

I think you all need to be more grateful to the new owners.

I just wish Rafa , would stop coming out in public with comments derogatory to the new owners.

whatever the issue, keep it behind closed doors.

It will cost him his job.

you talk sense young jedi, rafa is not indispensable

by **account deleted by request** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:31 am

peewee wrote:
Torres 2007 wrote:I think that Rafa is brilliant in his job, and Gillette and hicks, ar brilliant in their business knowhow, and coming into LFC incurring a huge 80m debt, arranging finance for the new stadium, and giving Rafa funds.

I think you all need to be more grateful to the new owners.

I just wish Rafa , would stop coming out in public with comments derogatory to the new owners.

whatever the issue, keep it behind closed doors.

It will cost him his job.

you talk sense young jedi, rafa is not indispensable

Neither is Torres mate but if we are going to have a chance of winning something THIS YEAR we had better hope they both stay.

Some people seem to think its an act of treachery to criticise LFC, the manager, the owners or the players. I don't! I believe in honesty, but some of the criticism seems to be a little over the top at the moment.

by **account deleted by request** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 6:49 am

Tom and DIC show if Liverpool go out
22:02pm 8th December 2007

Despite the tough talk coming out of Texas, Liverpool's long-term ownership remains in doubt and much could still rest on Tuesday's Champions League showdown in Marseille.

Tom Hicks, friend of George Bush and a man you just know Bill Shankly would have loved to work for, has rubbished suggestions that a breakdown in his relationships with co-owner George Gillett and manager Rafa Benitez led him to make it known in the City he would consider selling up.

Dubai International Capital, the state-sponsored investment company dramatically beaten to the Liverpool deal by Hicks and Gillett in February, would like the opportunity to show that they would have been the better choice all along.

For now, DIC are likely to maintain a dignified silence, but having conducted an investigation into who leaked sensitive documents which derailed their initial bid, they have watched events at Anfield with mixed feelings of frustration and vindication.

The £1 billion valuation Hicks has placed on a club he and Gillett bought for under £220 million is ridiculous, but if a more sensible price were set, a renewed DIC bid, led by Liverpool fan Sameer al-Ansari, would be a distinct possibility.

by **Ciggy** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 8:47 am

Last night the game kept going off on Sentanta with the rain so I put it on the dutch channel.

At half time the two fellas where talking and said its to late for Benitez the yanks want shut and want to bring Mourhino in and that Rafa will be sacked next sunday.

Now everyone will say why am I believing this? well I havent read one single thing about Rafa getting sacked here in the newspapers and these two men are not the type to lie to be controvercial.

by **kazza** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:07 am

Ciggy wrote:Last night the game kept going off on Sentanta with the rain so I put it on the dutch channel.

At half time the two fellas where talking and said its to late for Benitez the yanks want shut and want to bring Mourhino in and that Rafa will be sacked next sunday.

Now everyone will say why am I believing this? well I havent read one single thing about Rafa getting sacked here in the newspapers and these two men are not the type to lie to be controvercial.

It may not be a lie, they may just be idiots.

by **Ciggy** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:14 am

Gillett and Rafa Benitez to meet in France
By Ben Lyttleton

George Gillett is expected to fly in to witness Liverpool's night of European destiny in Marseille on Tuesday.

Match report: Reading heap pressure on Benitez

The Anfield club's co-owner has made a surprise decision to be at the Stade Velodrome to see for himself whether Liverpool can pull off the great escape and reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Gillett and Tom Hicks were not expected on this side of the Atlantic until later in the week for their much-heralded meeting with manager Rafael Benitez, after the fall-out over the new American owners' transfer policy. The pair were due to be on Merseyside at the weekend for the Premier League clash with Manchester United, but Gillett will now have the chance for a low-key chat with Benitez in France first.

Gillett will hope to witness Liverpool's third successive group win, which will ensure a remarkable qualification for the knock-out stages few expected after the Reds' dreadful start to the campaign.

by **account deleted by request** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:28 pm

I have heard that Rafa is still on his way out, win or lose against Marseille

The only difference being either he goes early or in the summer.

This follows on from the other story I heard about what started the bust up. Mascherano........ When we first signed Mascherano on loan, Rafa negotiated the deal, Parry noticed that the contract was illegal and reported it to the F.A. and to H&G. H&G worried that if Parry had not sorted things out they could have been in trouble, confirmed that Parry would do ALL future negotiations.

Just before the CL Final Rafa wanted to sign a top player who was available (Eto'o?) Parry never informed H&G thinking there would be plenty of time after later. Rafa thinking it was H&G causing the delay blew up and actually offered to quit. H&G explained that they had received no communication about the transfer and said they would bring Foster over to "aid communication". Rafa and Parry were barely speaking at this point.

Foster left England leaving Parry again in charge of negotiations. Rafa wanted to sort out Mascherano's contract and sort out a few deals. Mascherano' agent didn't want to negotiate with Parry after all the trouble Parry had caused him, so Rafa did the negotiating and a deal was agreed. Parry reported to H&G that he was concerned about the deal after all the trouble narrowly avoided last time. H&G repeated that in the absence of Foster all deals must be done by Parry, and that the Mascherano deal was off.

Rafa accuses Parry of only pushing for the deals Parry wanted and that we were losing players because of it. H&G say that no deals will be made until they come over and talk and that Rafa should concentrate on coaching. Rafa explodes again and says by the time they come over it will be too late. H&G reply that it MAY BE TOO LATE ALREADY! A big argument between Rafa and Parry then takes place just before Parry leaves the country.(not sure where?)

Rafa decides with nothing to lose he will go public. When Parry returns he has the famous 2 hour meeting with Rafa, where Rafa explains why he went public with the arguement. Parry says he is sure that H&G didn't mean they intended to sack Rafa, but were meaning that there may be no transfer funds available. This is the so called misunderstanding that occurred.

Either way, Rafa has supposedly burnt his boats with H&G and win or lose he's being replaced.

by **Ciggy** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:59 pm

s@int wrote:I have heard that Rafa is still on his way out, win or lose against Marseille The only difference being either he goes early or in the summer.

Its not going away is it Saint

theres to much being said about from people in the know to know its not made up rubbish bullshit thats why I said in the other topic you find yourself praying for him not to fuck up and make it easier for the Yanks.

I just wish they would sell us for a profet to DIC I really do I also think they have bitten off more than they can chew and are baulking at the costs of the new stadium + players.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:04 pm

If the yanks sack Rafa, I think I'll be giving the game a wide berth for a while.

It's not the Liverpool way.

by **hishhish** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:57 pm

Lando, I find your comments (in this particular situation), my sentiments exactly. I really had hoped for a strong word of support for Rafa, but nothing doing. If I was in Rafa's situation, I am not sure I would be happy to stay either.

Liverpool FC Forum

TAKEOVER COMPLETE - H & G Finally Jibbed!

Who is online