Time To Cut The Owners Some Slack?

[DonaldDonaldson]

Bascombe certainly thinks so.

 

 

THEY love omens at Anfield, so here's one of the most obscure for the more romantic Liverpool fans.

 

The last time an Israeli scored a league hat-trick for the Reds, they won the title.

 

 

OK, it sits more comfortably at the top of the league for biggest straw clutcher of the season but Liverpool have been grabbing every positive on offer after their traumatic August.

 

 

It was Ronnie Rosenthal's blistering goalscoring run which secured the last league title for the Merseysiders in 1990. He is fondly recalled by the Kop for far more than his infamous miss at Villa Park a couple of years later.

 

 

Yossi Benayoun matched his compatriot's feat yesterday to emphatically brush aside Burnley.

 

 

Benayoun should have had four, Liverpool could have had seven. Even taking into account the opposition, they finally looked like the team of last season.

 

 

Most pleasing for their manager is they were able to batter the visitors without relying on the usual suspects of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

 

 

Yes, Gerrard was marvellous again in his third position in a fortnight. But the underrated Benayoun's renaissance in Liverpool red is a pertinent reminder to those on the fringes of the squad of the value of patience and hard work.

 

 

Ryan Babel, dumped after his recent outburst about not being rewarded for pitiful performances, should take note.

 

 

Benayoun was warming the bench a year ago, displaced by Albert Riera and Dirk Kuyt on the flanks. He was left pondering whether to join the expanding list of players who arrive and leave Anfield quicker than you can whisper Robbie Keane.

 

 

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez admitted the midfielder demanded reassurances about his future.

 

 

The Spaniard said: "I've spoken to a lot of players about how they must be ready. Yossi is one of those who always wants to play.

 

 

"I had to speak to him at one stage about the situation but he has a lot of experience and understands the best way to make an impact is on the pitch."

 

 

By the end of last season Benayoun was indispensable, his creative energy and goalscoring knack from midfield assisting the photo finish with United.

 

 

When you seem him on this form, you wonder why there's so much griping about the lack of funds for a wide man. Benayoun didn't come cheap at £6million but he is starting to prove one of Benitez's best pound-for- pound buys.

 

 

Gerrard was never far from the action, though. With Javier Mascherano still in Argentina due to a pelvis injury and also presumably traumatised after his country's results, Gerrard relished a return to central midfield.

 

 

Burnley's enterprising approach played straight into his hands. They had more than a touch of the kamikaze about them. Good on the eye but horribly naïve during their second-half disintegration.

 

 

Liverpool have been lambasted for conceding goals from set-pieces but the move to their crucial second on 41 minutes began with a Burnley corner.

 

 

From Pepe Reina's punch, Liverpool broke and effectively ended the contest.

 

 

Benayoun had earlier nutmegged Graham Alexander before delicately stroking home the first on 27 minutes.

 

 

His second was a tap-in after more Gerrard brilliance on 62 and he was allowed to claim a hat-trick with eight minutes left as Burnley stood still and waited in vain for a linesman's flag.

 

 

But for keeper Brian Jensen, Dirk Kuyt and Gerrard would have added to the four-goal tally.

 

 

Back to winning ways with an £80m sponsorship deal rubber-stamped, the River Mersey sits calmly for another week.

 

 

The latest panic is over and humble pie is being served again at Anfield. Until the next time the pastry chefs go on strike. That's how life is at Liverpool nowadays.

 

 

Defeats provoke demonstrations against the owners. A couple of wins later, the club is talking about league titles again. But even emphatic wins fail to erase reminders of the behind-the-scenes turmoil.

 

 

There was a banner about the club's owners, held aloft before kick-off, which lawyers will not allow to be printed.

 

 

Not long after Kuyt tapped in the second after Jensen's fumble, the first strains of 'Liverpool FC is in the wrong hands' were heard from The Kop.

 

 

On the day the club celebrated their admirable recession-busting shirt deal, however, you couldn't help wonder if it's time the Kop bosses deserve to be cut just the smallest length of slack.

 

 

Sure, Liverpool would be better off with more understanding owners than their absentee landlords.

 

 

Sure, the Yanks made absurd mistakes in the immediate aftermath of their purchase which deserved ridicule.

 

 

But the harsh economic reality now is they are stuck in an unhealthy alliance until someone with clout or substance wants to buy them out. A noble cause without a ready-made solution is simply a lost cause.

 

 

Such is the apathy of most football fans, the more winning momentum Liverpool gain, the less interested the majority of punters will be in protests any way.

 

 

Maybe Rafa doesn't mind the flak is still flying against his board. He probably missed the presence of Burnley's most famous celebrity fan, Alastair Campbell, so he could exchange tips.

 

 

Never mind Teflon Tony. Liverpool have Resilient Rafa.

 

 

Each setback is shrugged off as the inevitable consequence of American intervention.

 

 

Victories are hailed as a triumph of the stain-resistant Spanish manager's belligerence in the face of crippling internal restrictions.

 

 

Another win means the muck-raking stops for a week.

 

 

Imminent trips to West Ham and Chelsea may determine if, or when, it starts again.

 

 

 

More 'superb journalism' from the 'superb journalist'; steadily trying to worm his way into the yanks' favour and getting his usual Rafa digs in. :D

[Liverpool lad]

Already covered in another thread 'Worrying talk from Pepe', about 4 pages in;

 

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/ff-football-forum/83353-worrying-talk-pepe-4.html#post1895839

[05 Milan]

Bascombe can't win. Nor can any journalist following LFC who doesn't write he's employed by LFC..

[Juan Galonso]

Bascombe certainly thinks so.

 

 

 

 

More 'superb journalism' from the 'superb journalist'; steadily trying to worm his way into the yanks' favour and getting his usual Rafa digs in. :D

 

This from the one who constantly has digs at one of the biggest Liverpool legends ever in Jamie Carragher. Pot, kettle, etc.

[DonaldDonaldson]

Already covered in another thread 'Worrying talk from Pepe', about 4 pages in;

 

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/ff-football-forum/83353-worrying-talk-pepe-4.html#post1895839

 

Opps. I checked in the on-going 'latest from Bascombe thread' as I thought anything would have been posted there.

[DonaldDonaldson]

This from the one who constantly has digs at one of the biggest Liverpool legends ever in Jamie Carragher. Pot, kettle, etc.

 

As if.

[George Costanza]

This from the one who constantly has digs at one of the biggest Liverpool legends ever in Jamie Carragher. Pot, kettle, etc.

 

I find it difficult to stand up for Bascombe on this article. Its fucking crap imo

[Sinos]

I wonder how far his arse kissing will go to get an interview with those 2 cunts?

[BatChainPuller]

if it's time the Kop bosses deserve to be cut just the smallest length of slack.

 

That's totally inexcusable after the smash and grab job those cunts pulled off with the transfer dealings over the summer. Benayoun has an excellent game and somehow that redeems the yanks' appalling record of siphoning money from the club?

 

A noble cause without a ready-made solution is simply a lost cause.

 

Utter bollocks dressed as cod philosophy.

 

I don't know what it is that Rafa has done to Chris Bascombe, but he really is all twisted out of shape about him.

[philyhamann]

They deserve credit for bringing in a record new deal for us, thats about it.

[Count Morfeo]

That's totally inexcusable after the smash and grab job those cunts pulled off with the transfer dealings over the summer. Benayoun has an excellent game and somehow that redeems the yanks' appalling record of siphoning money from the club?

 

 

 

Utter bollocks dressed as cod philosophy.

 

I don't know what it is that Rafa has done to Chris Bascombe, but he really is all twisted out of shape about him.

 

The funny thing is, though, that Benitez himself was saying the same thing to Bascombe - that the owners, or rather Hicks, should be cut some slack -towards the end of their functional relationship.

 

The Count certainly doesn't believe the owenrs should be afforded anything, but it goes to show you how bad the previous regime was when these two clowns can oversee a sponsorship deal that puts our previous one in the shade.

 

ATK said it best; all of Liverpool's ills can be traced back to Moores.

[King Emlyn]

They deserve credit for bringing in a record new deal for us, thats about it.

Nah, all that record new deal will do will allow them to meet the interest payments they dumped on the club to allow them to "purchase the franchise"

[philyhamann]

Yeah, but at least we'll have money on transfers to spend maybe.

[Dirk]

Yeah, but at least we'll have money on transfers to spend maybe.

 

I doubt it. It probably means that their position as owners of the club is a lot more secure than it previously was. There's little evidence to suggest that they will use that money for sporting (on the pitch) investment - they see the point of owning us completey in terms of money, which is fine, but where it isn't fine is when they openly admit that being successful isn't a necessity because of "brand loyalty". Hats off to Tom and George for cementing their places, chapeau infuckingdeed.

[BatChainPuller]

The funny thing is, though, that Benitez himself was saying the same thing to Bascombe - that the owners, or rather Hicks, should be cut some slack -towards the end of their functional relationship.

 

The Count certainly doesn't believe the owenrs should be afforded anything, but it goes to show you how bad the previous regime was when these two clowns can oversee a sponsorship deal that puts our previous one in the shade.

 

ATK said it best; all of Liverpool's ills can be traced back to Moores.

 

 

But unless that money is invested back into the club it will be meaningless. The deal for Xabi should have been highly beneficial to the club - in practice we lost one of our best players in order to service the owners debt.

 

I totally agree that Moores and Parry were both venal and incompetent - a highly unattractive combination.

 

I just can't understand why anyone would be pleading the owners case so soon after they have siphoned off the money we needed to strengthen our squad when we're within touching distance of the major prize.

[philyhamann]

They will spend money, at least 15-20m that we're used to. They literally can not afford to do what they did this year and take a good chunk of the money to the point where we're almost in a profit. If we sold Torres or someone like that, or couldn't attract players then their business plan goes tits up.

 

Personally I hope we don't qualify for the Champions League, and SoS grow some fucking balls with a "With us or against us stance". Civil war on the terraces.

[Tom R]

I've defended Chris many times in the past, but this is seriously thin ice.

[philyhamann]

I've defended Chris many times in the past, but this is seriously thin ice.

 

I agree, its a shit attempt at a hatchet job and serves no one other than the Americans. Sadly, a lot of outsiders to SoS will see any protests as nothing more than a knee jerk reaction to defeat or bad times because of their lack of consistency.

 

While the points he makes are somewhat valid at a fundamental level, the way he has gone about it is typical red top shit. Its a shame he didn't wait it out cause it only took TB a year for The Times to have a job open up. I'm sure Bascome is a better journalist than he has been at NotW with shit like this.

[hold51]

I would cut them some slack if they were over a cliff hanging on to the rope!

[ritchie]

What a cunt

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I was with you until you said ' some'. You lost me after that.

[Anubis]

Cut them slack? Ok. What do you think - take it down one notch?

 

[Randy Marsh]

Shithouse article that. Liverpool fan my arse.

[JohnnyH]

The funny thing is, though, that Benitez himself was saying the same thing to Bascombe - that the owners, or rather Hicks, should be cut some slack -towards the end of their functional relationship.

 

The Count certainly doesn't believe the owenrs should be afforded anything, but it goes to show you how bad the previous regime was when these two clowns can oversee a sponsorship deal that puts our previous one in the shade.

 

ATK said it best; all of Liverpool's ills can be traced back to Moores.

 

Absolutely.

 

However, it's no surprise that they've done a good deal. They are proven business men so this is no surprise. All it does though is give them more money to pay off the £60m payments. WOnt mean fuck all for Rafas spending ability.

[George Costanza]

Moores is in the past. He was an incompetent fuckwit. The present and unfortunately future is the two yank bastards. Anyone even remotely sticking up for them isn;t a supporter in my view, they might as well join the two americans in robbing the club not just of money buts its pride, heritage, individuality and its soul.*

 

before anyone comes back, Rafa's also got to take a small margin of blame for that fact we've become a cirus and a media whore. None more though than G & H.