Benitez gone by mid Jan

[jugularvein]

all goes to show how important it is to qualify for the next stage of the CL. and liverpool really should be with their resources...

 

[agricola]

Apparently Rafa wanted £4m to secure Kalhadze (sp?) from Milan as cover for centre back as Agger is still not fit. He's accepted that it's too late now and said he's going to crack on. (Too much time was lost in the summer on the assumption that he would get Heinze from Utd as defensive cover. Should have wined and dined Lucas Neil more). Rafa was also keen on two Bosmans last week. Basically looking to save the club money by acting in advance. He was petulent but wants the best for the club.

The Yanks told him to carry on coaching the players he already has (hence Rafa's tracksuit on Saturday) and they will talk money if CL qualification has been achieved by 16th Dec. They told him to shut it and want the best for their investment (and maybe the club). Hicks and Gillett have fallen out apparently and the additional cost of the stadium certainly hasn't helped.

The worst thing about it is that it was done in public. This sort of thing goes on all the time between managers and chairmen yet it's in the public domain when it's Liverpool. The geographical gap definitley doesn't help but I agree that the Yank's understanding of how soccerball actually works (and that there's two of them) is a problem too.

I would imagine a lot of people would be in for Kaladze at that price, so you can understand the urgency if thats what Benitez is going on about.

However, ironically his own success this season is probably counting against him - demands for reinforcements look stupid when you are unbeaten, and this criticism of the yanks is a bit uninformed imho, especially when the problems are more to do with the manager than a lack of investment, or even lacking players.

 

[cybershot]

i can see the owners' point of view.

along the lines of why don't we wait until we see what happens in the champions league and against the big four over the xmas period first before we start worrying about bringing other people in. benitez in my view shouldn't really have made it a public spat, he may get his way but not without causing damage... maybe he wants to leave?

Yeah, then you stand a really good chance of buying anyone good when you only start negotating with them 10 dats before the window opens.

These thing's take time to sort out! usually longer than 30 days.

 

[Kizmet]

That's not the point. The point is that we spent loads on a at team that's underperforming in the CL and only just performing in the league.

I can see both sides of the argument.. and my feeling is that Benitez should have kept his mouth shut and proved the management wrong.

I don't particularly care if we miss out on this target or that one... there are plenty of top players around.. and others who will become so.

I don't like rush buys in football.

 

[Descartes]

Don't forget Rafa has had a couple of offers, plus he could be up for the England job..

Any manager change would incur more costs as the incoming boss would want to change the team...

 

[Badgers]

I like Rafa

 

[cybershot]

Don't forget Rafa has had a couple of offers, plus he could be up for the England job..

Any manager change would incur more costs as the incoming boss would want to change the team...

Plus we'd probably lose Reina, Torres & Alonso straight away! Probably more.

 

[Larry O'Hara]

As an Evertonian, I want LFC to keep Benitez, and under no circumstances appoint Mourinho. That last prospect gives me nightmares!

 

[cybershot]

If Benitez is giving the owners hassle, the last man they would appoint is Mourinho.

They'd probably go for Steve Nicol

 

[sleaterkinney]

Benitez has splurged lots of their cash already?

Only £20 million net this summer which we had from the CL run anyway.

 

[twistedAM]

Only £20 million net this summer which we had from the CL run anyway.

You've still been soending more than Arsenal who have a shiny new stadium into the bargain.