Di Matteo sacked

[Penfold]

Wouldn't it be great if Rafa was like a cheat manager on FM, he starts bidding £40 mil for Downing, £60 mil for Carrol etc or offering Mata in a swap deal for Cole

[Walton Park]

I have heard it from someone who got it directly from Rafa Benitez, and I know for a fact he is in contact with him, someone else who knows one of Rafa's legal representatives, and just yesterday a third person confirmed to me that they had heard exactly the same story via Martin Broughton, so it's as much truth as you are going to get on what happened without having been in the room yourself.

 

Rafa's sacking was nothing to do with footballing matters and everything to do with political manouevring.

 

Unfortunately for him he gave an ultimatum to a man who was never going to take such a thing lightly, especially knowing that Rafa had already got rid of the previous man in the job.

 

Well if Benitez told this person directly it must be true then eh. Have you not though that the likes of Tony Evans, Tomkins and other ghost writers for Benitez are getting fed info from the guy to raise his profile and put the side of the story he wants people to here.

. Rafa gives them his time and some info, become friends , he helps them and they help him so they are basically feeding off each others gravy train.

 

Some of the stuff he must tell them I am sure is true and I am also certain he will only tell them things that arent. Its called playing politics.

[Major Tom]

Also I reckon the ole cunt knows full well deep down he would never have beaten us to the tile in 08/09 without the refs handing them about 9 points on a plate that year.

 

 

Argh!

[Manny]

I have heard it from someone who got it directly from Rafa Benitez, and I know for a fact he is in contact with him, someone else who knows one of Rafa's legal representatives, and just yesterday a third person confirmed to me that they had heard exactly the same story via Martin Broughton, so it's as much truth as you are going to get on what happened without having been in the room yourself.

 

Rafa's sacking was nothing to do with footballing matters and everything to do with political manouevring.

 

Unfortunately for him he gave an ultimatum to a man who was never going to take such a thing lightly, especially knowing that Rafa had already got rid of the previous man in the job.

 

It's missing the point for me by saying that Broughton "fired the wrong guy." I don't want the manager to be issuing ultimatums like that, whether it's in the interests of the club or not. Yeah, Purslow was shite. But who's to say that the next guy would have been - and if he wasn't, would he get on with Rafa or would another ultimatum be offered? It's divisive and - while I do think he was as much a product of his circumstances/working conditions - football clubs need to have some sort of semblance of unity. Generally I'm a fan of Rafa in that there were more positives than negatives with the guy - but as you say: you live by the sword, you die by the sword.

 

As for him going to Chelsea? I'm not going to have a go. He needs a job like anyone and his profile has slipped somewhat over the last couple of years: he's gone . 6 months with an undoubtedly talented Chelsea squad could win him a trophy and put him back on the radar - I still see him ending up at Real Madrid at some point. I'll always wish him well with his career - as a 27 year old Liverpool fan I've never had a better football experience than that night in Istanbul, but I hope his next top job is in spite of his record at Chelsea rather than because of it, because I'm fucked if I wish them cunts well.

[JMARKH]

Good luck to Rafa is what I say, he annoyed us during the end of his tenure and even when we were going for the title as he was negative until United over took us and it was only when we took a more positive approach and beat them 4 - 1 that we had a great end to the season but it was just too little too late.

 

If he had released the shackles earlier instead of playing politics with the Robbie Keane thing then I think we would of won the title no problem, that said it shows what kind of football he can get a side to play as from about March 08/09 onwards it was some of the best stuff I have seen in a long time, 5 -0 Villa, 4 past United & Madrid, even going out to Chelsea at Stamford bridge we scored 4, it makes me think we could of done more had he had not taken his eye off the ball in certain aspects. Losing Alonso the season after was a hammer blow and I felt the time was right for him to move on.

 

I think he was correct in what he did against Ferguson and I hope he highlights the referee bias again as I see that prick has already a pop, probably as he knows Rafa won't bow down like other managers.

 

His rawk fans are embarrassing as are other fans who have digs at any other Liverpool manager that isn't him so that is why people have a pop at them.

 

If not us then I hope Man City win the league as that would annoy United more but if it means Chelsea winning it to stop whiskey beak then good luck to Rafa.

[zigackly]

Well if Benitez told this person directly it must be true then eh. Have you not though that the likes of Tony Evans, Tomkins and other ghost writers for Benitez are getting fed info from the guy to raise his profile and put the side of the story he wants people to here.

 

If that was the case then what's Broughton's angle in telling the same tale? I think when something is corroborated from both sides like that, you either accept it as truth or accept that you're a bit paranoid.

[G Richards]

Ferguson plays the press like a violin. He knows there is some sympathy for Di Matteo so he is briefing the press to say that Rafa is lucky in the hope that it starts Rafa off on the wrong foot. Hopefully Rafa will give it loads back. I'd love to see Rafa say Fergie is lucky too... having fought and lost to previous share holders over a horse... yet lucky to still retain his job etc.

 

The Rafa ship has sailed for Liverpool, and I am 100% behind Brendan Rodgers. But since we are not fighting for the title this season I hope Rafa gives Ferguson plenty of problems, on and off the pitch.

[ngogswilly]

Ferguson plays the press like a violin. He knows there is some sympathy for Di Matteo so he is briefing the press to say that Rafa is lucky in the hope that it starts Rafa off on the wrong foot. Hopefully Rafa will give it loads back. I'd love to see Rafa say Fergie is lucky too... having fought and lost to previous share holders over a horse... yet lucky to still retain his job etc.

 

The Rafa ship has sailed for Liverpool, and I am 100% behind Brendan Rodgers. But since we are not fighting for the title this season I hope Rafa gives Ferguson plenty of problems, on and off the pitch.

 

For me it isn't even a Rafa thing when it comes to Ferguson.

 

It could be a drunk off the street for all I care.

 

I just love to see people publicly and loudly flag up the fact that the ole tramp and his piece of shit club get away with just about everything possible on an almost weekendly basis.

 

Its something that has led to the point we're at with English football were United just seem to do as they please and everyone laughs about it. Its basically because nobody will speak up.

 

I very much doubt Rafa will be as blatant about it this time, but if Fergie keeps poking him I'm sure he'll fire in a few digs which will be hard to ignore.

[xerxes]

For your information though, he made an ultimatum to Martin Broughton that either he or Purslow should be sacked, and Broughton took him at his word. Essentially he politicked himself out of a job.

 

Exactly as I understood it.

 

That era requires reassessment. Rafa's willingness to help out G&H by signing a five year contract morphing into trench warfare in a matter of weeks continues to mystify. He knew who he was getting into bed with. Why Purslow, who wasn't going to be around post takeover, and Benitez, who ostensibly wanted to be, didn't just keep their heads down and do their jobs is the other great puzzle. And then there is the man in the shadows, KK.

 

Broughton was quoted as saying that Rafa's departure was the most clear cut example of self constructive dismissal he had ever come across.

[ngogswilly]

Broughton was quoted as saying that Rafa's departure was the most clear cut example of self constructive dismissal he had ever come across.

 

Don't want to go down the road we've all been down a million times but I always thought that to be bullshit.

 

Rafa, no offence to the man, was just too fucking stubborn and wanted everything his own way. Thats all that happened.

[fin-bat]

Exactly as I understood it.

 

That era requires reassessment. Rafa's willingness to help out G&H by signing a five year contract morphing into trench warfare in a matter of weeks continues to mystify. He knew who he was getting into bed with. Why Purslow, who wasn't going to be around post takeover, and Benitez, who ostensibly wanted to be, didn't just keep their heads down and do their jobs is the other great puzzle. And then there is the man in the shadows, KK.

 

Priest on a mountain of sugar...

[xerxes]

Don't want to go down the road we've all been down a million times but I always thought that to be bullshit.

 

Rafa, no offence to the man, was just too fucking stubborn and wanted everything his own way. Thats all that happened.

 

It probably amounts to one and the same.

 

How Rafa is going to get on with Michael Emanalo at Chelsea should be interesting.

[Whelan]

I couldn't give a fuck!

[Guest davelfc]

[piscinin]

If that was the case then what's Broughton's angle in telling the same tale? I think when something is corroborated from both sides like that, you either accept it as truth or accept that you're a bit paranoid.

 

So let's have a few details. What was the nature of this ultimatum? A simple "sack me or him"? A "you can't let him buy joe cole, only one person can make footballing decisions. Choose."

 

Very different scenarios. One is politicking. The other quitting before you are on a hiding to nothing.

[Biscao]

Mouinho having a laugh.

 

[Trumo]

...Why Purslow, who wasn't going to be around post takeover, and Benitez, who ostensibly wanted to be, didn't just keep their heads down and do their jobs is the other great puzzle...

 

Is what it comes down to for me. I said as much in another thread recently.

 

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/3388184-post61.html

 

Where do I stand with regards to Rafa?

 

I need to make the same point I made about Kenny in the 'New manager, new expectations' thread. With Kenny, I would have liked to have seen him given this season at least, to show that last season was an aberration. So many unusual things happened last season, what with Suarez's ban, the number of time we hit the woodwork and the number of missed penalties and clear-cut chances. There was certainly enough shown by Kenny and his staff to suggest it's something that may not be a chronic problem.

 

How does that link with Rafa? Well, the 2009/10 season was an aberration, which subsequent decisions have turned into the beginnings of a downward spiral. For that, some blame Rafa for turning us into what we are today. Quite a few of those also like to suggest that the few seasons of upward progress prior to summer 2009 were in spite of rather than because of him. The truth is, his input was significant in both instances.

 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I know the then-board had their reasons for wanting Rafa out. We know that he is a prickly character at times and that he has a stubborn streak, but I certainly don't buy into the idea that his continued presence could derail the sale process that Broughton was overseeing. Any new buyer would have been chosen because they had at least some management savvy, so they could deal with any disruptive influences themselves. Since we had no buyers in place in May/June 2010, it made little sense to get rid so desperately and expensively. It made even less sense when you consider the board had nobody in the pipeline. They hadn't sounded anybody out.

 

It made less sense still when that very board was both fractured and temporary. Temporary or not, I understand that the club still needs to be run and decisions still need to be made and carried out. That's normal. The manner in which it was done is not, and I said as much about how Kenny was relieved of his duties by FSG.

 

For my part, in the summer of 2010 I would have gathered all parties (board, management and players) together and said that Rafa would carry on into the following season, during which the sale of the club was expected to be concluded. The future of the manager would depend not only on results, but on whether the new owners wanted to carry on with him. The reason I say I'd have gathered everybody was to make it clear in no uncertain terms that the divisiveness HAD to be put to one side, given the off-field situation.

 

The then-board, from what we can gather, did nothing of the sort and instead pushed for change while unprepared. Not only unprepared, but inexperienced. Rafa had been at the club before Hicks & Gillett strolled through the front door, and neither Purslow nor Ayre had been with the club long. Broughton had been there for a matter of months, on a part-time basis and with a specific remit to sell the club. There was no experience as to how to go about making footballing decisions. Purslow and Ayre made plenty of noises about an exhaustive search, but I firmly believe they bowed to media talk when making their decision. Not only that, but they agreed to a long-term contract with Hodgson when everybody within the club was aware that ownership change was in the pipeline. They shat themselves.

 

On this very forum that summer, I said I'd have preferred Kenny over Hodgson, and that was only after the club had sacked Rafa and were looking for a replacement. The reasons for choosing Kenny have been done to death by loads of us on here since that summer so there's no point going over them again. I also realise that if my earlier suggestion for summer 2010 had come to fruition, Kenny might never have been given the chance to manage the club again.

 

For the record, if Rafa had continued for another season, I don't think we'd have seen a sudden reversal of fortune on the pitch. It might have been a bit better than 2009/10, but unlike Kenny last year, Rafa wasn't contending with strange happenings on the pitch and ridiculous ill-fortune, unless you count that bloody beachball up at Sunderland! We would still have missed out on a top 4 spot I reckon, but we'd have shown a bit more consistency overall compared to 2009/10.

 

If the new owners then decided in summer 2011 to change the management team, you'd have had a lot more people agreeing that it was time for a change. There would be fewer people pining for Rafa now. Much of that is down to a sense of unfinished business, which has been further fuelled by Rafa's comments since then and his continued presence on Merseyside.

 

Perhaps there would be fewer people dishing out abuse to the current incumbent too, who knows. What I know for sure is that Roy Hodgson would never have got near this club. He is the only one that has talked the fans down, talked the club down, spoken unfathomable shit to the media without prompting, and had an approach that relied on the opposition side having a stinker in order to get a result. All the other managers have at least tried a progressive approach to getting the team functioning effectively.

 

Even if results aren't great, I'm prepared to give a Liverpool manager time if he adopts a progressive approach that shows a team prepared to take the initiative, because I believe he has a better chance of being successful with it. Of course, he has to deliver consistent results at some point, but then any manager of this club will be fully aware of that.

[Guest San Don]

This thread should be renamed 'Benitez employed!'

 

Don't understand all the divisive stuff myself. What's done is done. Wish the man all the best but not the club he's at.

 

That's it all.

[xerxes]

So let's have a few details. What was the nature of this ultimatum? A simple "sack me or him"? A "you can't let him buy joe cole, only one person can make footballing decisions. Choose."

 

Very different scenarios. One is politicking. The other quitting before you are on a hiding to nothing.

 

 

Rafa’s severance payment means he won’t talk, and there is nothing in it for Broughton and Purslow, so the evidence is largely circumstantial, anecdotal and hearsay. In short everyone can believe what they want to believe.

 

Rafa knew who he was doing a deal with prior to signing a new five year contract with G&H so why the wobbly so soon after? If it was a matter of principle he could have resigned, but didn’t. It seems that Purslow became increasingly exasperated with a Rafa intoxicated by popular support, and Rafa became increasingly exasperated with a Purslow keen to flex his muscles as MD, but with no football knowledge or judgement. KK’s close relationship with Purslow will have increased his concern/paranoia.

 

But once again I ask why Purslow, who was out as soon as the takeover happened, would not just have ridden the waves? And why Rafa, who knew that Purslow’s tenure was temporary, didn’t do the same is baffling. Rafa going made Purslow’s job more difficult, not easier. Rafa didn’t want to go. The only conclusion is that it was personal between the two of them, and Rafa’s power-play predictably failed.

 

Rafa lost the job he wanted, and Purslow was so discredited that his prescient judgement on NESV was lost. A shame all round.

[zigackly]

So let's have a few details. What was the nature of this ultimatum? A simple "sack me or him"? A "you can't let him buy joe cole, only one person can make footballing decisions. Choose."

 

Very different scenarios. One is politicking. The other quitting before you are on a hiding to nothing.

 

He told him that either Purslow had to go or he did. He apparently said he had evidence that Purslow had told a mistruth about him, and was 100% convinced that Broughton would sack Purslow. Broughton took the attitude that he had got already rid of Parry and was too divisive, so he decided it was Rafa who had to go. That's it. It was fuck all to do with Joe Cole, don't know where you got that from. Cole was contacted after Rafa had gone.

[xerxes]

He told him that either Purslow had to go or he did. He apparently said he had evidence that Purslow had told a mistruth about him, and was 100% convinced that Broughton would sack Purslow. Broughton took the attitude that he had got already rid of Parry and was too divisive, so he decided it was Rafa who had to go. That's it. It was fuck all to do with Joe Cole, don't know where you got that from. Cole was contacted after Rafa had gone.

 

It is ironic that Rafa here, and Mourinho at Chelsea, both believed that the level of fan support they enjoyed made them untouchable............oops.

[stringvest]

It is ironic that Rafa here, and Mourinho at Chelsea, both believed that the level of fan support they enjoyed made them untouchable............oops.

 

In a wider context, it's a salutary lesson for everyone. The unfortunate thing is, some never learn it.

[Trumo]

There is another aspect as to why Broughton would have sided with Purlsow. When he was appointed chairman, Broughton became one of 5 people with a vote in the boardroom. The others were Gillett, Hicks, Ayre and significantly, Purslow. If he had fired Purslow for whatever reason, he'd have had to ratify it with the rest of the board, and getting a replacement in would have proved tricky when the thinking was that he had to maintain a 3-versus-2 in his favour, in the event of a potential sale of the club. He was already aware that G&H were against his presence and only acquiesced to demands by RBS because they had no refinancing in place. G&H would undoubtedly have tried to bring in somebody sympathetic to them - one that would have tipped the 3-versus-2 in their favour when it came to a deciding vote. I believe this to be the case because of the stunt they later pulled when they 'fired' Purslow and Ayre.

[zigackly]

Not sure that works Trumo, because Broughton had the power to appoint people to the board and Gillett and Hicks signed theirs away. That's why they could not actually fire Purslow and Aye and the sale went through if you recall. Also this was long before the court battles and they did not know at that time that Broughton, Purslow and Ayre would later sell the club from under them.

[Torvald Utne]

For your information though, he made an ultimatum to Martin Broughton that either he or Purslow should be sacked, and Broughton took him at his word. Essentially he politicked himself out of a job.

 

I thought Broughton was a smarter businessman than that?

 

So Broughton had the option of simply saying "I'm not sacking Purslow" to which Rafa's next move would have had to have been to resign and get nothing but instead he chose the option of sacking Rafa and paying off his contract?

 

Seems a bit negligent.