Liverpool FC Forum

[ivor_the_injun]

Rafa Benitez stunner - 'England job might tempt me'

Nov 22 2007 By Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

RAFA Benitez today sensationally refused to commit his future to Liverpool.

In an extraordinary Melwood press conference the Reds boss even allowed himself to be linked with the England manager's job, which was vacated earlier today by Steve McClaren.

The usually affable Benitez was clearly in a bad mood and chose his words carefully throughout the ten minute long press conference.

On several occasions he was asked the kind of questions which he usually answers without even thinking but instead of doing that he chose to brush them off with the same cryptic answer.

When asked about England's performance against Croatia, he responded: "I prefer to concentrate on training and coaching my team."

When asked about the threat Newcastle will pose to Liverpool on Saturday, he answered: "I am focusing on coaching and training my team."

He delivered the very same answer on at least ten more occasions.

One of the few questions Benitez was prepared to answer concerned the national team manager's job.

Asked if he would consider taking over from Steve McClaren if the job was offered to him, he said: "You never know what might happen, maybe."

Just last week, Benitez appeared to commit himself to a long term future with Liverpool when he talked of emulating the 21 years Sir Alex Ferguson has spent at Old Trafford.

But today's comments throw into doubt that previously held ambition and suggest all is far from well at Anfield.

The inference which could be taken from the press conference is that Benitez is not happy with the backing, or a perceived lack of it, he is receiving from the club's American owners.

The Reds boss gave this theory further credence when he admitted to being frustrated with life at Anfield but he would not expand on what he meant by this.

But by refusing to commit his future to the club and allowing himself to be linked with another job it appears he has basically delivered a "Back me or sack me" ultimatum to Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

[ivor_the_injun]

And now Gillett and Hicks have put a we-wouldn't-be-saying-this-if-we-weren't-worried statement...

From LFC.tv...

STATEMENT FROM HICKS AND GILLETT
Paul Eaton 22 November 2007

Liverpool co-Chairmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett have today released the following statement.

"We made a significant investment in the playing squad during the summer and desperately want this team to succeed.

"There are some very important games coming up in the next couple of weeks and all of us need to focus on winning those games and getting the best out of the players we already have at the club.

"We will leave any talk of buying or selling players until we come across to Liverpool in December and sit down with the Manager then."

[Igor Zidane]

Is this a wind up?

[SoppMeister]

This can't be good...

[dawson99]

lol..i think we'll be safe for a while. cant see rafa taking the england job, he wants to win things remember?

[SoppMeister]

Then why say it at all?

[redsince2001]

me thinks the american owners are pushing it !

[Sabre]

I just read the quotes, not the lines within the quotes, because I tend to find an excess of imagination in english journos.

It's a matter of not being disrespectful to England to say "You never know what might happen, maybe." Consider it a diplomatic answer, nothing else.

The real problem would exist if Rafa wanted money for a signing up of a CB (he wanted Heinze after all) and that money didn't reach.

BUt just reading the quotes, I'm not worried. The "clearly in bad mood" and all that body language bóllocks is an old story.

[redsince2001]

maybe you are rite sabre .............. lets concentrate on newcastle and  getting through to the champions leauge last 16 ....... 

[red37]

I agree Sabre - it was a diplomatic response.

A reply to a Freudian slip on behalf of the interviewer who said to Rafa - "As England manager (sorry) Liverpool manager..." to which Rafa clearly saw the mishap and laughed coyly..then, the journalist wouldn't let it lie seeing as how the topic is pertinent and all that..proceeded to ask a further two questions based on the very same simple error he had made when addressing Rafa as the 'National' coach.

Presumably Rafa was being his usual tactful self and like Sabre said...didn't want to show disrespect to what was at best a minor bloop by the questioner - at worst it was an admission that, one day he would be flattered to be considered for such a post. Don't see anything to be worried about.

As for G/H... well all they have said is fact. They invested significant funds to secure one or two targets. Some monies were recovered through sales..and they are coming over in December to speak with Benitez about further plans to take the club onwards and hopefully upwards. In other words...they will talk to the Organ grinder about their business and not the monkey - (media). Where is the controversy in ANY of the above?

[hello_red]

well what do you expect, fans, media and maybe even george and tom getting at him for months now. The guy would rather get on with the job of rebuilding the structure of Liverpool and the team. But there are certain fans wishing him gone. Im not surpised by that news conference, you would miss him if he went.

[ivor_the_injun]

I'm less concerned with the England link than I am with the Gillett/Hicks response. I don't think for a second that Rafa's after the England job, but I do have a bad feeling that there's some kind of behind-the-scenes disagreement, almost certainly about January transfer funds.

The response on LFC.tv is nothing remarkable in itself, but the way it's presented on the homepage...

"STATEMENT FROM HICKS AND GILLETT
Liverpool co-Chairmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett have today released the following statement..."

...coupled with the fact that it closely followed the news conference makes me think that something's up.

[Reg]

Why would any manager want the england job now they are out of the 2008 championship??

The only attraction for Rafa would be the biggest squad imaginable for him to play out his rotation theories...... 

[Leonmc0708]

Not fuc.king happy that teh Yanks are playing this out like this with official statements.

Rafa needs to sort his sh.it as well with that press conference bullsh.it.

THIS IS NOT THE LIVERPOOL WAY !!

Very worried.

[Sabre]

I'm less concerned with the England link than I am with the Gillett/Hicks response. I don't think for a second that Rafa's after the England job, but I do have a bad feeling that there's some kind of behind-the-scenes disagreement, almost certainly about January transfer funds.

The response on LFC.tv is nothing remarkable in itself, but the way it's presented on the homepage...

"STATEMENT FROM HICKS AND GILLETT
Liverpool co-Chairmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett have today released the following statement..."

...coupled with the fact that it closely followed the news conference makes me think that something's up.

Rafa has recently said how happy he is in with his supporters, stadium, and city.

We see an statement, and we inmediatly think there's a problem, but it hasn't necessarily be that way.

The Americans have said a thing that makes sense football wise, it's not a good thing for current squad players to hear dozens of rumours and signing ups, especially when we have important points this weeks. I suspect that Rafa has told them to say that, in fact.

Maybe it's just my happy clappy view about it, but I cannot see so far anything worrying...