Posted:
Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:10 amby kazza
Every summer I feel this will be our year, this time we will do it. This is the first time ever as a Liverpool supporter that I am not optamistic about our chances next year. Hope I am wrong.
We have become a shambles!
Posted:
Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:33 pmby RED BEERGOGGLES
Courtesy of The Liverpool Echo
MELWOOD is set for a major overhaul with key members of Rafa Benitez’s backroom staff set to join him at Inter – as Spain bide their time over Fernando Torres’ return from injury.
First team coach Mauricio Pellegrino, goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero and fitness coach Paco de Miguel are likely to link up with Benitez at the San Siro where he is expected to be unveiled as the new Inter manager.
Former Valencia technical director Amedeo Carboni – an Italian who played under Benitez at the Mestalla – is also expected to be added to his backroom staff.
Benitez appointed Pellegrino, Valero and de Miguel during his six year reign as Liverpool boss and is thought to be eager to continue working with the trio in Serie A.
Liverpool have confirmed that no approach has yet been made for any of the coaching staff, who are still under contract to the Anfield club.
If, as expected, that happens once Benitez is confirmed as Jose Mourinho’s successor, Liverpool could demand compensation for any members of the club’s backroom team looking to join the former Reds boss in Italy.
An exodus of staff from Melwood will mean the new Liverpool manager having several key positions to fill immediately.
Benitez parted company with Liverpool by mutual consent last Thursday after a disappointing season in which his team lost 19 games and he failed to guide the club back into the Champions League
The Spaniard agreed to waive a potential £16m pay-off and instead accepted a severance fee in the region of £6m after the club’s board agreed to offer him a way out of Anfield.
That effectively acted as a vote of no confidence in Benitez, who now tops Inter’s wish-list following Mourinho’s departure to Real Madrid last month.
Last night Inter president Massimo Moratti indicated a deal is immanent to make the Italian speaking Benitez the club’s new head coach on a proposed three-year contract worth 5million euros a year.
Moratti said: “The deal is more or less done. We decisively targeted Benitez from the beginning.”
Meanwhile, Vicente del Bosque will make a decision later today as to whether Fernando Torres will feature in Spain’s final World Cup warm-up game against Poland tonight.
The Spain manager says he will not rush Torres back despite the Liverpool striker being the only member of Del Bosque’s 23-man squad not to figure in either of last week’s friendly wins over Saudi Arabia and South Korea.
Torres was plagued by injuries last season and missed the end of the Reds campaign after undergoing surgery in April to repair damaged cartilage in his right knee.
That ruled him out for six weeks. Del Bosque is happy with the player’s progress but will not take any unnecessary risks ahead of Spain’s opening group game against Switzerland a week on Thursday.
Said Del Bosque: “His recovery is within the time-frames predicted by the doctors, and between us we will assess if he should play (against Poland) or wait. We will see after the final training session.”
There will be only be silence inside an empty Anfield soon ...........well that and the tea lady ...........
Posted:
Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:43 pmby Reg
Sacked on thursday because he was so bad and employed 5 days later with a 50% pay rise by the european champions.
At least someone knows his worth.
Hodgsen? No offence to him personally but Roy Hodgsen? And the funny thing was people here last season were actually saying things would get better as long as Rafa left. This is a joke of a situation.
