Quote:
Originally Posted by real red
a) Rafa knows he has a future under Hicks. He knows he has no future under Gillett,
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Just to address this part.
Agreed, Rafa has a pretty bad relationship with GG. From what I've seen, GG was the prime mover in the Klinsman affair, and some of GG's comments since then ("Rafa deliberately sunk our League challenge during December" ???) almost defy belief (which is consistant with the fact that GG is a cunt).
Why does this make Rafa a Hicks supporter though? GG has almost completely withdrawn from squad affairs. Rafa has to deal with someone. I'm sure that Rafa is under no illusions. He knows that:
1) Hicks was a part of the Klinsman dealings
2) if Hicks gets total control of the club, he won't take kindly to criticism from employees
3) if Hicks get total control, he is not likely to give Rafa the kind of transfer budget which would enable Liverpool to be competitive in the long run, leading to an inevitable Rafa-Hicks conflict. In which case, see 2) above.
From what I can see, Rafa must surely know that the only way in which he can stay as Liverpool manager for the long term is for some financially secure owners to come in, and give him a competitive transfer budget.
All the signs point to Rafa, having initially blown the whistle, then felt that he had pushed things as far as he - the manager - was able to. At that point, it was a choice between one more push and he's out the door, or just battoning down the hatches, and salvaging this season.
So if he choose the latter, and declines to make any further initimidating remarks about the owners, how does this make him a part of the Hicks camp?
I just don't see the logic. Its more a case of stepping back from the front line, and safeguarding the clubs main interests (the team).
After all, if we really want Hicks and GG out at any cost, StevieG, Carra and Rafa could just decide to throw the semi final, and fuck up the remaining League games so we finish outside the CL places.
No more CL revenues next year, to fund loan repayments. If the owners asset strip the 1st team, then no CL revenues in 2010 either. No refinancing (reduced projected future revenues). Job done, they're out.
But I don't think anyone really wants that. The cure would be worse than the disease.