From the Guardian - Looks like Hicks is really digging his heels in with DIC
Football: Owners put Benítez's job on line | News | guardian.co.uk Football
Owners put Benítez's job on line
Andy Hunter
Monday February 18, 2008
Guardian
Liverpool are to review Rafael Benítez's position at the end of the season after their home defeat by Barnsley. The move comes despite previous assurances from their co-chairman Tom Hicks that the manager will fulfil the final 2˝ years of his Anfield contract.
Hicks last month assured Liverpool supporters that the Spaniard was safe until at least 2010 as he sought to repair damage caused by his approach to Jürgen Klinsmann. The embarrassing FA Cup exit, however, coupled with a 19-point gap between Liverpool and the Premier League leaders Arsenal, have raised further doubts over Benítez, and Hicks' vote of confidence will be reassessed. That will be the case whether Hicks and George Gillett are in control of Liverpool in May or Dubai International Capital has succeeded in its attempt to buy out the Americans.
Benítez retains the goodwill of the majority of Liverpool fans, approximately 700 of whom officially launched a Liverpool Supporters Union on Saturday with the immediate aim of pressuring the Americans to sell, but his stunning success in the 2005 Champions League is running out of credit at boardroom level. Liverpool face the Italian champions and Serie A leaders, Internazionale, in the competition tomorrow night and Benitez will require a third impressive European run in four seasons and a bare minimum fourth-place finish in the Premier League to allay his employers' reservations.
The Spaniard has taken Liverpool to two European Cup finals in his three full seasons at Anfield. Speaking after the FA Cup defeat he said he did not need to complete a hat-trick in Moscow to prove his managerial credentials and relieve the pressure mounting on his position.
"I can only think about winning the next game, that is all," insisted the Liverpool manager. "I don't know too many managers who win the Champions League every year. We need to improve the squad. It is a young squad with good players."
Benítez will not walk away from the job despite the off-field distractions and the fact his transfer budget will be restricted by the Americans' refinancing of repayments and the development of a new stadium. He said: "You cannot say, 'Oh, because I couldn't win this game I will stop training and working'. We need to prepare for the game against Inter Milan and against Middlesbrough. That's football."
The Liverpool manager also dismissed suggestions that, with his team booed off after the Barnsley defeat, dissent could rise among the club's support. "Everybody wants to win here, so the way to win is to keep working," he added. "If you say that the players were not working hard against Barnsley, I would say that's not true. The team was trying to win. Again, I could say the same things as I have said for the last month - you need to take your chances. The supporters could see the team against Barnsley and the chances we created."
Benitez will have the chance to salvage fourth place in the Premier League even if Liverpool exit the Champions League against Internazionale. The fractured business relationship between Hicks and Gillett has revived DIC's interest but created inertia over major decisions. The Americans are barely on speaking terms after disputes over the club's direction and, currently, whether to advance negotiations with DIC.
Gillett is understood to be receptive to the idea of a quick profit on his 12-month investment but Hicks is continuing to make exorbitant demands of the Dubai company, not only financial, and remains a major obstacle to any serious business discussions with DIC.
