Bascombe

[Guest Kenny]

anyone expecting something from him tonight/sunday? :whistle:

[Hermes]

Rafa to be sacked by the end of the week, by the end of the season, sometime never?

[sh#t waffle]

Fucking hell, that is strong stuff.

[Hermes]

If, maybe, perhaps.

[Guest Kenny]

swift conclusion, imminent. Is he still in the know?

[Ring of Fire]

Bolton v Liverpool, Sunday 1.30pm

HICKS IS KILLING KOP

 

By CHRIS BASCOMBE

 

TOM HICKS today stands accused of sucking the life out of Liverpool Football Club.

 

The Anfield co-chairman's refusal to step down threatens the heart and soul of a proud institution which has been decimated by his divisive, gruesome reign.

 

Hicks seems hell-bent on creating the ultimate terrifying scenario on Merseyside.

 

Click here to win Champions League tickets

 

He's ruling the club with outspoken arrogance, taking chilling financial risks to preserve his own position and making consistently ill-thought, off-the-cuff decisions on the future of boss Rafa Benitez.

 

The Texan seems to have no concept of the damage he's causing, and an utter disregard for the long-term repercussions of his callous resolve to stay at the helm. The fans want him out. Around 90 per cent of his employees want him out. The players want him out and his co-chairman wants out.

 

Liverpool is in the grip of mayhem at every level, fractured from the boardroom down, with some respected Anfield figures admitting they're in a state of depression as the nightmare continues.

 

"At the moment, the situation can only be described as catastrophic," a well-placed Anfield source admitted.

 

Hicks retained control of the club by plunging Liverpool into £350m debt. He still needs to raise £300m within the next three months to start work on a new stadium on Stanley Park on time.

Handsome

 

And if he wants to buy out his partner, George Gillett, he'd need to find a further £200m.

 

It's this final sum, and not the stadium money, which has become Hicks' main priority in recent weeks as he has tried to fight off Dubai International Capital's advances.

 

That's despite the fact he knows DIC have deep enough pockets to construct the stadium and rebuild the team without carrying a begging bowl to the world's banks every 18 months.

 

Instead of leaving with a handsome profit, Hicks has been seeking an alternative investor to join him at Liverpool.

 

The consequences of him buying out Gillett would be grave.

 

The Texan plans to remove members of the old-hierarchy with a ruthless cull to ensure all opposition to his chairmanship is eradicated.

 

Rick Parry and David Moores would be the first to go, cutting off DIC's path into the club.

Answer

 

If Gillett was to agree to sell to Hicks, Liverpool would face a prolonged era of debt-ridden uncertainty.

 

The club must pay £30m a year in interest alone, which means even winning the Champions League each season wouldn't cover the costs of their annual bank repayments.

 

Hicks has continuously refused to answer where summer transfer funds will come from, leading to the conclusion that high-profile signings will also be purchased through his bank loans.

 

That's the route Leeds fatefully took under the chairmanship of Peter Ridsdale.

 

Only a fans' protest and Champions League progress have saved Benitez but now Hicks has vowed to keep the manager for the remaining two years of his contract – providing he makes no further public criticism of his chairmanship.

 

In the meantime, the performances on the pitch have left more moderate Anfield fans believing a reasonable debate about the manager's future should take place.

Catalyst

 

But despite Hicks' short-term backing of the Spanish boss, there's been no suggestion he's willing to extend Benitez's contract, which in normal circumstances would be in the process of renewal in the summer.

 

Anf if Benitez does get the chop few of Europe's most sought after coaches would be tempted to move to Anfield given the current conditions.

 

As DIC become increasingly exasperated by Hicks' bullishness, the focus will now shift to Gillett.

 

He's remained silent since the rift between the co-chairmen was exposed and, unlike his partner, has done nothing to dampen speculation he wants out.

 

DIC hope Gillett will be the catalyst for Hicks' downfall.

 

While Hicks insists Gillett can't sell without his agreement, the same is also true in the other direction. If Gillett refuses to sell to Hicks, the stalemate will continue and the Texan's frustrations will grow.

 

The question now is how sincere is Gillett when he tells his allies at Anfield he cares about safeguarding Liverpool's future.

 

DIC have not gone away and have presumed from the outset Gillett will never sell to Hicks.

 

Distressed Liverpool supporters would feel more encouraged if they heard Gillett make such a vow public. Otherwise, The Kop's best hope is to arm itself with a crucifix and start praying.

 

CB's not so positive now either. I hate the fat cunt more than anyone or anything in my 33 years on this planet.

[Mr Piechnik]

Fucking hell, that is strong stuff.

 

Yep, that mispelling of the word 'and' halfway down is an outrage.

[sh#t waffle]

Yep, that mispelling of the word 'and' halfway down is an outrage.

 

You don't know what he means by anf?

 

*taps nose*

[Faustus]

Worrying read that.

[Libero]

Fucking hell that almost makes me want to cry.

 

Hicks could destroy this club with his arrogance.

[Hermes]

Never, in the annals of journalistic history has so much been written and so little said.

[Guest Kenny]

This is bizarre, bigger then any head fuck a bird has ever given me. Bascombe has gone from 2 weeks to this. but to be honest I could see this coming.

[sh#t waffle]

Never, in the annals of journalistic history has so much been written and so little said.

 

Your smug indifference to Bascombe seems, by your other posts, to have been caused predominantly by the fact that Bascombe said Rafa was to be sacked, and that it hasn't come to pass. Yet Hicks has said himself that not only was Klinsmann approached, but that Rafa would have been fired had we not made it past the Champions League group stages. I don't take Bascombe's word as gospel, but your absolute refusal to accept he knows anything about the inner workings of the club makes no sense.

[Ring of Fire]

Well if it's true that the players, board members, etc hate him as much as us it's time to make this known now. The stakes have been raised if he wants 100% control.

[billybonzo]

I think its obvious from that, that we are vey much on the edge of the Abyss, lets hope the pendulum swings to the east.

[Spooky]

Distressed Liverpool supporters would feel more encouraged if they heard Gillett make such a vow public. Otherwise, The Kop's best hope is to arm itself with a crucifix and start praying.

So what he's saying is that Hicks is a bloodsucking vampire? Sounds about right.

 

(But if everyone at Anfield carried crucifixes, would the Count still be able to go to the games?)

[Hermes]

Your smug indifference to Bascombe seems, by your other posts, to have been caused predominantly by the fact that Bascombe said Rafa was to be sacked, and that it hasn't come to pass. Yet Hicks has said himself that not only was Klinsmann approached, but that Rafa would have been fired had we not made it past the Champions League group stages. I don't take Bascombe's word as gospel, but your absolute refusal to accept he knows anything about the inner workings of the club makes no sense.

 

Last week he wrote that the players had no faith in Rafa, now its Hicks. Next week it will be the tea lady or the man on the turnstile.

[sh#t waffle]

Last week he wrote that the players had no faith in Rafa, now its Hicks. Next week it will be the tea lady or the man on the turnstile.

 

But certain players having issues with Rafa does not affect this story at all. We can have more than one issue at the club going on at the same time.

[Red Nick]

HICKS MUST DIE

[JMARKH]

This is depressing, it seems their is no light at the end of the tunnel.

[Hermes]

We can have more than one issue at the club going on at the same time.

 

 

Obviously so, according to Bascombe. There is no end to his shit stirring.

[Ring of Fire]

Anyone wishing they could turn the clock back to last Saturday evening in the Sandon armed with what we know now....

[JMARKH]

HICKS MUST DIE

 

At first it was just a thought in my head, but now its gaining momentum and I'm thinking like Travis Bickle would.

[billybonzo]

Red Nick is so right

[Spooky]

Anyone wishing they could turn the clock back to last Saturday evening in the Sandon armed with what we know now....

 

I think 'armed' is the word...(6)