Rafa railroaded

[Guest TK-421]

sun is shining over anfield with oceanic blasting from the speakers insanity! love it. take me into insanity...oooh baby dream tripping x

 

Choon.

[BolshieBastard]

He needs to go. End of.

[zigackly]

I respect him for admitting he's made mistakes actually. It's very out of character though.

 

Has he left it too late to correct them this season? That's my biggest problem with him, I'm not at all convinced he learns from them.

[BolshieBastard]

I respect him for admitting he's made mistakes actually. It's very out of character though.

 

Has he left it too late to correct them this season? That's my biggest problem with him, I'm not at all convinced he learns from them.

 

He hasnt said what mistakes these were.

 

I'd respect him (yes I would!) if he said 'I dropped a bollock with keane. I dropped a massive bollock pissing hyppia off by not including him in my CL squad and making him feel wanted so he could end his career here instead of in Germany. I dropped a bigger bollock pissing alonso off when he wanted to attend the birth of his son. I then dropped an even bigger bollock by selling him and spunking another 20m of the club's money on a player who wasnt fit and now I've seen what he can do, dont fancy him one jot.'

 

I'd respect him enormously if he came out and said that. But he wont. Because he wont admit to the mistakes that should cost him his job.

 

So he should just shut the fuck up and say he'll walk away at the end of the season instead of holding out for a big fuck off payday which will screw the club even more.

[Lurtz]

Nice to see everyone's on their period on the FF as usual.

 

carry on.

[Anny Road]

Whats he going to say?

 

We will most likely finish without a trophy and 6th in the league.

He would only make himself look even more silly.

[JMARKH]

To say Ngog was amazing (twice) when he came on is a fucking insult, he's a striker, he's paid to put it in the net and he failed miserably when presented with 3 great opportunities yet the manager says he was amazing, praising the garbage.

[Antynwa]

Couldn't give a shit what he has to say, this season is an abortion and he can't do anything to rectify it.

[Arl arse]

He's made so many mistakes during his time here, not just this season. But he can be forgiven those. What cannot be forgiven is the same mistakes he continues to make over & over again.

It gets to the point where you can no longer write them off simply as 'mistakes' when you dont learn from previous experience, I call that incompetence.

[zigackly]

I'd respect him (yes I would!) if he said 'I dropped a bollock with keane. I dropped a massive bollock pissing hyppia off by not including him in my CL squad and making him feel wanted so he could end his career here instead of in Germany. I dropped a bigger bollock pissing alonso off when he wanted to attend the birth of his son. I then dropped an even bigger bollock by selling him and spunking another 20m of the club's money on a player who wasnt fit and now I've seen what he can do, dont fancy him one jot.'

 

No manager would emasculate himself in public like that, nor should they; it would make it impossible to do the job.

[Liam]

The only way to judge Rafa fairly now would be to see how he comes back next season. I dont think he has the support of his players though or enough funds to repair the damage he has helped engineer. Without both of those he is better off gone.

[StevieH]

'For six months I was really optimistic, especially with this group. The Rhone Group were one of the groups who were there, but they are not there now. I'm not happy with the situation but I will try and do my best.

 

'I don't think the players can do any more. They are all trying but if we don't have a new investor it will be difficult to go one step further.

 

'We have been for six years wheeling and dealing and keeping the club at a very good level, but it is very difficult to stay at the level that everyone is expecting.

 

'For six years in a row we were in the Champions League. That was unexpected and we brought big money into the club.

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1264296/Liverpool-boss-Rafa-Benitez-demands-cash-Fernando-Torres.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0kRxU94Kh

[zigackly]

'I don't think the players can do any more.'

 

Well I fucking do. That's why we're looking at sixth or seventh place, right there.

 

Reading that whole article again it sounds like one of those "exit strategies".

[Sarb24]

Poor rafa. I feel for him. Hope he now walks in the summer

[stringvest]

So how was he 'railroaded' again?

 

It was a mild railroading. I wasn't trying to be inflammatory. Just a little shunt.

[Red Phoenix]

Just listened to it, and it's good to actually feel some respect for him again after sunday really, as I've just been more lost than ever when trying to work him out since then. And yeah, he was surprisingly honest there. It's still depressing to think about us for too long at the moment, but if we put in a decent performance tomorrow maybe there'll be a hope of at least some light at the end of the tunnel.

[ali]

From The Times

April 8, 2010

Liverpool need cash to compete, says Rafael Benitez

 

Rafael Benitez questions whether Liverpool can legitimately compete with the other "big four" clubs if there is no significant investment in the playing staff

 

Tony Barrett

 

Rafael Benítez believes that he has taken Liverpool as far as he can unless the club’s long-running search for investment bears fruit. The Liverpool manager, laying bare his frustration at seeing the Rhône Group’s deadline for the club to accept its offer lapse on Monday, said that it had caused his optimism to turn to fears of stagnation.

 

Club officials insist that Rhône’s offer — £100 million for a 40 per cent stake, with the cash being used to reduce the club’s £237 million debt at the behest of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), the creditor — has not been withdrawn. However, it is understood that Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the Liverpool owners, were not enticed by a bid that would have left them as minority shareholders.

 

With no other offer on the table, Benítez has made it clear that Liverpool’s malaise could become entrenched if investment is not forthcoming, supporting the view of Fernando Torres, the forward, that cash must be found.

 

“Some players have been talking about what we need for the future and I agree with them,” Benítez said. “They are working very hard, you cannot expect more from them and I agree that if we want to take the step forward that we need to take, we will need money to compete with the top sides.

 

“I agree with Fernando on a lot of things. That it is a pity that after finishing with 86 points last year we couldn’t progress. I agree with him that we need to sign some players. We need to invest and then we can challenge in a better way. While we don’t have the investor, it will be difficult to go one step forward. We balanced the books this year and now we need to go forward on the pitch.

 

“For six months I was really optimistic, especially about the Rhône Group, because they were one of the groups who were there. But they are not there now. For months I have been waiting for new investors and trying to focus on football and I will try to do the same thing now because that is best for the team and the club.”

 

Last summer, Benítez spent about £36 million on Alberto Aquilani, Glen Johnson and Sotirios Kyrgiakos, but his outlay was at least matched by the income from sales, the most significant of which were Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa to Real Madridand others.

 

Furthermore, while Liverpool received a substantial downpayment for Alonso they paid only an initial £5 million on Aquilani with the remaining £12 million to follow in instalments, while Johnson’s £17 million fee was offset by the £10 million owed to the Anfield club by Portsmouth for the transfer of Peter Crouch in July 2008 and loan of Jermaine Pennant six months later.

 

Their spending power in the transfer market was restricted by the £30 million in interest they paid to the RBS as a result of the debts built up by Hicks and Gillett. The Americans have held talks with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, the City lawyers, as they continue their attempts to refinance those debts.

 

Liverpool will attempt to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit at Anfield as they aim to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League at Benfica’s expense tonight, but it is their problems off the pitch that dominate the agenda.

 

Europe was captivated by Barcelona’s performance against Arsenal on Tuesday and Benítez’s thoughts were dominated by the Catalan club’s superiority to his team. “Barcelona are a massive club with a massive stadium,” Benítez said. “They can spend big money in the transfer window and they have a lot of players coming from the system.

 

“That is the way to do things if you want to compete at the maximum level. We have to be positive and think that the investors will come. All I can do is focus on [tonight’s] game. I am not happy with the situation but I will try to do my best.”

 

Benítez’s outburst also appears to have been provoked by the outcry that followed his decision to replace Torres with David Ngog in Liverpool’s 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw with Birmingham City on Sunday. “Every manager makes mistakes,” Benítez said. “But you can see the difference — at some clubs you can make two or three mistakes of £15-20 million every year and nothing happens; here, because of the situation, you can make a substitution and we can be talking for one week about the end of the world.”

 

• Pepe Reina, the Liverpool goalkeeper, has signed a new six-year contract until 2016. Reina has been Liverpool’s best performer this season and Benítez had been keen to tie the Spaniard down to a new long-term deal.

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article7091063.ece

[George Costanza]

As depressing as it is, unless there is a major change in ownership/decision making then Rafa will be our manager next season. Gutted and depressed

[stringvest]

I think any prospective employers might be encouraged by the article. I'm not saying that Benitez is courting them on this occasion, before anyone starts - I think he's just articulating his frustration.

[Tom R]

"for six years we WERE in the champions league".

Already using past tense. Clearly suggests A) he's already surrendered on 4th, and b) he's off in the summer.

 

Half really bad and half really good. Much like his reign as manager.

 

Cheers for Big Ears. See ya.

[JohnnyH]

Or maybe using past tense because we were knocked out of the Champions League. Would sound odd to still use the present tense. Ferguson will have to use the past tense now also. But it's more fun to read shit loads into it instead, isn't it?

 

 

 

 

 

• Pepe Reina, the Liverpool goalkeeper, has signed a new six-year contract until 2016. Reina has been Liverpool’s best performer this season and Benítez had been keen to tie the Spaniard down to a new long-term deal.

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article7091063.ece

 

 

And the perfect end to a decent day.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

Or maybe using past tense because we were knocked out of the Champions League. Would sound odd to still use the present tense. Ferguson will have to use the past tense now also. But it's more fun to read shit loads into it instead, isn't it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the perfect end to a decent day.

 

 

Lets just hope we can take it into tommorow

[JohnnyH]

Yep. With all the injuries and the only real solution being a 3 man defensive line, I'm actually quite hopeful of a real attacking set up like Lille, Sunderland and Portsmouth. I think Bayern and Benfica are around the same level so it wont be easy.

[George Costanza]

a 3 man defence against Benifica would be suicidal.

[Red Nick]

I respect him for admitting he's made mistakes actually. It's very out of character though.

 

Has he left it too late to correct them this season? That's my biggest problem with him, I'm not at all convinced he learns from them.

 

 

I respect him for tthat as well especially considering his most blatant blunder was last Sunday.

 

Was he asked about his guarantee of 4th Place

 

Finally for new investment its a whole can of worms as the owners have the following excuses

 

Aquiliani

Johnson (mixed bag and cost us important goals)

Keane

Babel

Reira

 

 

-------------------

Bellamy

Crouch

Xabi