Rafael Benítez on the brink of leaving Liverpool over Anfield rift

[RedKnight]

I did open my eyes. Then I looked at the bigger picture and realised all this pathetic squabling over the manager is wrong, when we should be focusing all our efforts onto the owners. Yes Rafa should take some of the blame but bitching about Rafa isn't going to help. If we directed the same amount of effort we do in slagging Rafa off to help rid the club of the owners, I doubt they would still be here.

 

Rafa Benitez isn't entirely innocent in the huge fuck up that has been our season yet he said it himself, he thought he had more money to buy players. We also know that a lot of our money vanished and we have to wonder why. Focus on the real enemy to the club, not the one that is easiest to slate.

 

Is Rafa the real enemy of the club? No. Is Rafa the one who has bored us to death with his tactics? Yes. However, what is more important; the survival of the club, or a few results? Some people may think the two of these are connected, but we should prioritise all our efforts onto the biggest cancer on the club. Not until the two Americans are out of the club and we have owners who are willing to back the manager should the future of the manager be questioned.

 

I have opened my eyes.

 

Have you?

 

So let me get this right, we shouldn't worry about Benitez for the moment because we have shit owners and they should be our only worry?

[RedKnight]

You're waisting your time mate, really.

 

Best to just call him a cunt, it's easier that way

 

Ho! Did I call Benitez a cunt? Or ant type of name?

[Joe Le Taxi]

So let me get this right, we shouldn't worry about Benitez for the moment because we have shit owners and they should be our only worry?

 

No I didn't say that. I said that we should prioritise. Owners out before the manager.

[RedKnight]

No I didn't say that. I said that we should prioritise. Owners out before the manager.

 

So we finish 7th, and next year let's say 9th and we still have the same owners. Manager not a problem?

[Joe Le Taxi]

So we finish 7th, and next year let's say 9th and we still have the same owners. Manager not a problem?

 

If it was as black and white as that then yes, there would be a problem. However, shouldn't the pre-season be taken into account?

 

What if the owners tightened the funds so the manager had less to spend and was forced to sell to buy? What if current players wanted to leave?

 

It is easy to dream up an imaginary conclusion, such as us finishing 9th but wouldn't a lot of other decisions have to be taken into account?

[Randy Marsh]

Ho! Did I call Benitez a cunt? Or ant type of name?

 

I wasn't talking about you in particular mate. Just a general forum observation.

[Dougie Do'ins]

If it was as black and white as that then yes, there would be a problem. However, shouldn't the pre-season be taken into account?

 

What if the owners tightened the funds so the manager had less to spend and was forced to sell to buy? What if current players wanted to leave?

 

It is easy to dream up an imaginary conclusion, such as us finishing 9th but wouldn't a lot of other decisions have to be taken into account?

Lewis, do you not think there's a chance some players will decide to go if Rafa stays ?

[Juan Galonso]

Sick of Balague and his fucking spin. Used to really respect him.

 

How would he know what the majority of fans think, then in the next sentence state fans are growing impatient.

 

Like he would know.

 

We look as though we may finish outside the top 6 Guillem, it wasn't so long back you were telling us that was the least we could expect.

[RedKnight]

If it was as black and white as that then yes, there would be a problem. However, shouldn't the pre-season be taken into account?

 

What if the owners tightened the funds so the manager had less to spend and was forced to sell to buy? What if current players wanted to leave?

 

It is easy to dream up an imaginary conclusion, such as us finishing 9th but wouldn't a lot of other decisions have to be taken into account?

 

Sell to buy? Fine by me, there's plenty of shite that he's brought in that should be moved on before he gets to spend any more cash. If current players want to leave it will only be as a result of this ghastly season.

 

Is Benitez going to recover this situation? For me there's no chance.

[Joe Le Taxi]

Lewis' date=' do you not think there's a chance some players will decide to go if Rafa stays ?[/quote']

 

I have no idea on that as I don't know which players are against Rafa in the dressing room. The only stuff I hear about that is rumours on here which are usually false.

 

Yes, some may be unhappy if he stays but I do feel that the general feeling of the squad is that they support the manager. Apart from Riera though!

 

Anyway, that wasn't the point of my post, that was just an example given and that example could be wrong as you said. I was pointing out that these 'fantasies' such as RK's about us finishing 9th are poorly thought out, hence why I said about it not being black or white.

[redsfan]

Lewis' date=' do you not think there's a chance some players will decide to go if Rafa stays ?[/quote']

 

Dont want to side with anyone but you make an extremely valid point there. This has the possibility of being a lose lose situation, Benitez goes, possibility Mascherano goes and maybe lucas and Kuyt if he stays there is a possibility (a strong one as been told) that Gerrard would go.

 

You can't win but what you have to do is whatever decision is made, is done for the good of the club, there is no guarantees in football as there is no guarantee that if Rafa goes we get new owners in in the summer with a quality new manager at the helm, but it would be a start in my opinion.

 

Generally speaking the club needs a new direction all together. Benitez took us somewhere and got us places but we need a new sense of direction. And the time could be right this summer. We know the owners will go, cant see how Hicks and Gillett will not go because of Hicks comments are the strongest yet in that article posted before in that he has had enough of sports now.

 

So we have to make a jump do we get rid of the owners but have a manager that ends up buying players that are shite and we play like we are now or do you get rid of the manager and end up with current owners possibly into the start of next season. There is no right answer but one way or another either both will go or one before the other at some stage.

[Cunny]

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Juventus target Rafael Benítez gives Liverpool ultimatum over future

 

Tony Barrett

 

Rafael Benítez will tell Liverpool that only a cast-iron commitment allowing him to invest all of the proceeds from player sales this summer will tempt him to remain at Anfield.

 

Amid mounting concern that Fernando Torres will seek a move to a new club with genuine prospects of challenging for domestic and European titles, Benítez is weighing up the offer to become Juventus coach.

 

The Liverpool manager has been given until Monday to accept an offer of a four-year, £16 million contract and he has consistently refused to rule himself out of the running for one of the leading jobs in Italian football. But should Martin Broughton, the Liverpool chairman, offer him a guarantee that revenue from player sales will not be diverted to service the club’s £237 million debt, Benítez could be swayed from bringing his six-year tenure at Anfield to an end.

 

Benítez is due to convene with Broughton for the first time this week in a meeting that is sure to involve a full and frank exchange of views. Liverpool officials remain unimpressed with Benítez’s flirtation with a rival club, while the Spaniard is unhappy that he has not been given any pledges after requesting clarity about his position and Liverpool’s transfer policy.

 

The situation regarding Torres is of particular concern, with Manchester City believed to be willing to pay in the region of £70 million for the forward should he indicate a willingness to leave Liverpool. Senior Anfield figures insist that the 26-year-old is not for sale at any price, but Torres is deeply concerned by Liverpool’s deterioration over the past 12 months.

 

He could force the issue by asking for a transfer and Benítez wants to ensure that he will be given the proceeds of a sale should his record signing depart.

 

The Liverpool manager’s attempts to force the issue on transfer policy are born of his frustration at events last summer, having claimed that promises regarding available funding, made before he signed a new five-year contract last March, were not kept. That charge is disputed by Anfield officials who insist the club spent about £18 million net, a figure that they claim was in keeping with the amount they had promised their manager.

 

This summer, Benítez’s transfer pot would not exceed £15 million unless it is enhanced by the proceeds of outgoing transfers. The problem for Benítez is that the club have decided that there will be no great attempts to convince him to stay. Given the £16 million compensation package that would be due to him in the event of being dismissed, the offer from Juventus could suit all parties.

 

The uncertainty surrounding Benítez’s position is having an impact on the Liverpool squad with several players admitting that they are unclear about what the future holds and whether Benítez and a number of the club’s top stars will be at Anfield next season.

 

As well as questions about Torres, there are doubts over whether Steven Gerrard will remain and Javier Mascherano has yet to sign the contract that has been verbally agreed. Yossi Benayoun has said he could depart, while Lucas Leiva has revealed how uncertainty is affecting the playing staff.

 

“It is difficult to speak about next season, as we don’t know what changes there will be with the players or the staff,” Benayoun said. “I don’t know whether I will be here or if I won’t. In a few weeks we will know better.”

 

Lucas said: “Everyone is aware of the doubts over Rafa’s future. But we do not know what is going to happen.”

 

Liverpool are bracing themselves for the prospect of Rafa Benitez walking out this week.

 

Benitez has been told by Juventus that he will have to free himself from Liverpool "within the next few days", if he wants to be their next manager.

 

The Spanish coach has been presented with the prospect of effectively quitting Anfield before the end of the week, after being warned by the Italian club that they are tiring of waiting for his decision over their managerial vacancy.

 

Juve have just appointed a new President - 34-year-old heir to the Fiat dynasty Andrea Agnelli - and he will bring in a new management structure at the club, which includes sporting director Beppe Marotta.

Click here to find out more!

 

Benitez was the target of former President Jean-Claude Blanc, who remains as Chief Executive, and who still wants the Liverpool manager to be the next boss in Turin.

 

But Agnelli and Marotta are cooling on the idea, especially because the Spaniard has been stringing out his decision for so long.

 

Now they have told Benitez that unless he decides by the end of the week they will look elsewhere for a manager, with Agnelli known to favour the appointment of an Italian.

 

Juve have also told Benitez that he must persuade Liverpool to forgo any compensation for his services and secure his release immediately, otherwise they will switch their search to the current Fiorentina manager Cesare Prandelli, or Zenit boss Luciano Spalletti.

 

Ironically, Prandelli would become a target for Liverpool should Benitez leave, but that will have to happen within the next few days, with a source close to the Turin club explaining last night:

 

"The new president is less keen on Benitez, especially because he has strung the situation out for so long. He expects a decision this week so he can get on with planning for the future."

 

Benitez is planning showdown talks with new Anfield chairman Martin Broughton within the next 48 hours, and he will offer the Liverpool board a series of ultimatums as he looks to sort out his future.

 

He wants guarantees over spending, and also the right to use all funds he raises by selling any player he chooses - which would be a controversial move should be decide to cash in on the likes of Fernando Torres or skipper Steven Gerrard.

 

It is thought the Anfield boss will also look to have his power-base strengthened, after believing he has been undermined by recent appointments at the top of the club's hierarchy.

 

If he doesn't get what he wants, then he will tell Juventus by Friday that he is their man, and make plans to switch to Turin immediately after the final game of the season against Hull on Sunday.

 

http://www.mirrorfoo...icle414597.html

 

Liverpool are preparing for a fight to keep star striker Fernando Torres as he considers his Anfield future.

 

The Spanish international has been unhappy for some time with what he sees as a lack of investment in the team, and he wants to know that the proposed takeover will happen soon, and bring in the necessary funds for rebuilding.

 

La Liga giants Barcelona have been monitoring his situation, and would be prepared to offer huge sums for his services, as they look to make a splash under a new president to be appointed this summer.

 

Manchester City and Chelsea have also made discreet enquiries that have not yet been rebuffed by the player's advisors as he waits for reassurance from the Anfield board.

 

Sources close to Torres suggest that he is no longer an admirer of Rafa Benitez, and would be more likely to give Liverpool another 12 months should the manager leave, to give them time to get new owners and new investment in place. The same applies to Steven Gerrard, who would be more likely to commit if there is a change of management.

 

Torres has warned the club that he wants to see real signs of progress if he is to commit his long-term future to Anfield.

 

But it is not a given and the Anfield board will have to demonstrate to their striker that the takeover is getting closer.

 

http://www.mirrorfoo...icle414601.html

[StevieH]

Liverpool Daily Post.co.uk - Liverpool FC - Liverpool FC News - Mark Lawrenson: Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool FC departure would just be natural progression

 

IF EVER there was a natural end to a management reign, Rafael Benitez has reached it with Liverpool.

 

It’s not about picking apart his record or blaming some of the decisions he has made during this harrowing campaign. It’s about looking at the overall position after six years and agreeing that the best thing to do is move on.

 

It seems that the manager has his exit strategy sorted already. He has refused to state any sort of long-term commitment to the job, he has made no secret of his dissatisfaction with the owners and the resulting obstacles he feels have been put in the way of him doing the job he wants to do at Anfield, and it appears that there’s a top job waiting for him if he wants it.

 

Surely it’s time to sit around a table, thrash out a deal with Juventus that’s financially acceptable to everyone, and move on.

The alternative? Benitez carries on as manager. And I don’t see how that can be the best way forward for the club.

 

He would basically have to rebuild a team yet again and would his heart really be in that? The longer the wait for the sort of investment he needs to bring Champions League football back to Anfield goes on, the longer Benitez would have to rely on players of the calibre of Babel, Kuyt, Ngog and Aquilani – and as has been proven this season, that’s just not adequate.

 

If Benitez feels dissatisfied with what he is working with it just increases the resentment and the disunity in the club. It can’t be allowed to linger on any more.

 

The debate about who would take over is one we ca explore at another day, but looking to the immediate short term, it’s time to pray tomorrow night.

 

If Tottenham beat Manchester City and take Liverpool’s place in the top four, then the job of trying to get the Anfield club back into the elite is still an appealing one for someone with fresh ideas and a new outlook.

 

But if it’s Manchester City who make it then the calibre of player they can attract to the Champions League with the spending power they have could take them away from Liverpool.

 

It’s a massively difficult task and not a journey I can see Benitez wanting to embark on.

He’s got too much baggage to ditch before he sets off.

 

What I would like to see is a clean break and a temporary role for Kenny Dalglish as the football figurehead while Benitez’s replacement is sought. At least that would instantly improve the image of the club and provide some stability in the short term.

But beyond that? Well, unlike Benitez, the uncertainty is going nowhere.

 

PS. I was at Anfield on Sunday and what I saw wasn’t a Liverpool team not trying or rolling over to allow Chelsea to win – it was a team that just wasn’t good enough.

[goatboy59]

Cue "dat fugging Purslow's a cunt, lid" posts on the rattle.

[Coro]

Sell to buy? Fine by me, there's plenty of shite that he's brought in that should be moved on before he gets to spend any more cash. If current players want to leave it will only be as a result of this ghastly season.

 

Is Benitez going to recover this situation? For me there's no chance.

 

It's not even sell to buy at this club now.

 

It's sell to refinance loans.

 

Torres is concerned at the sides deterioration apparently and he has been quoted speaking out against the owners saying the team badly needs investment.

 

If he leaves this summer it will be because of the clubs financial situation.

[Coro]

Cue "dat fugging Purslow's a cunt, lid" posts on the rattle.

 

You should go and tell them.

[StevieH]

Sportsmail assesses the five critical questions surrounding the future of Liverpool | Mail Online

 

 

The ownership issue has to be resolved first, but Roy Hodgson, Jose Mourinho and Jorge Jesus are likely targets. Hodgson's heroics at Fulham have been noted and he would be interested in the job. Mourinho was Benitez's main rival for the job six years ago, but is more likely to be bound for Real Madrid. Jesus, a huge success at Benfica, has only 12 months left on his contract and has been learning English for the past two years.

 

 

 

 

Wanted men: Jose Mourinho and Roy Hodgson have been linked with the job

 

 

What are Liverpool's chances of landing a top-class manager without rich new owners taking over the club?

 

They will be severely diminished, that's for sure. Mourinho is a great admirer of Anfield's history and tradition but is unlikely to choose a club riven by turmoil and shackled by financial hardship when the Bernabeu is beckoning. It may not deter Hodgson, though, who has an eye on being England's next coach but is ready, first, for one more big challenge at club level.

 

How close are the club to finding new buyers? Who are the interested parties and what will they have to pay the American owners?

 

The Rhone Group, a US fund management firm worth billions, have been sent packing after offering £110million for a 40 per cent stake, but managing director Christian Purslow insists interested parties are still being assessed. Former British Airways boss Martin Broughton has been brought in by Tom Hicks and George Gillett to hasten a sale, and overtures from China, India and the Middle East are evidently under scrutiny. Hicks wants £800m but will have to settle for nearer £500m.

 

Enlarge

 

 

 

If the club fail to find a buyer this summer, how much would the new manager have to spend in the transfer market?

 

At the moment, the word is that about £18m would be available, plus anything generated by sales. Given the way Liverpool finished the season and might have blown a Europa League place, let alone one in the Champions League, had their slide gone on much longer, that may seem a little inadequate. Stand by for a concerted effort to offload fringe players to raise extra funds.

 

 

Priceless: but Liverpool would consider a mega-money offer for Fernando Torres

 

What fee would persuade Liverpool to sell Fernando Torres to Manchester City, assuming City reach the Champions League next season?

 

There is no amount, in the eyes of many a Liverpool follower, and it is easy to see why, when you consider Torres' impact when fully fit. He is priceless, in full flow, but the awful dilemma of whether to cash in may have to be addressed. It is difficult to imagine the Spain striker leaving for anything less than £70m, but would he go to City? He is reluctant to join another English club, and his Atletico background rules out Real Madrid. Could Barcelona afford that much?

[goatboy59]

You should go and tell them.

Yeah, that'll work.

[Coro]

Yeah, that'll work.

 

Why not?

[RedKnight]

I have no idea on that as I don't know which players are against Rafa in the dressing room. The only stuff I hear about that is rumours on here which are usually false.

 

Yes, some may be unhappy if he stays but I do feel that the general feeling of the squad is that they support the manager. Apart from Riera though!

 

Anyway, that wasn't the point of my post, that was just an example given and that example could be wrong as you said. I was pointing out that these 'fantasies' such as RK's about us finishing 9th are poorly thought out, hence why I said about it not being black or white.

 

First of all, it's not a fantasy. A fantasy would suggest I want it to happen. Second of all, explain to me how the idea of us falling further behind under the current regime is 'poorly thought out'?

[Joe Le Taxi]

Sell to buy? Fine by me, there's plenty of shite that he's brought in that should be moved on before he gets to spend any more cash. If current players want to leave it will only be as a result of this ghastly season.

 

Is Benitez going to recover this situation? For me there's no chance.

 

Which clubs, in living memory have built a title challenge on selling players to buy others? That 'shite' would have to be replaced unless you want us to have a paper thin squad, and then we would need more money to buy top players. Going by that, we would most likely hit a dead end in our quest to win the league.

 

As I said before, some may want to leave, others may want to stay for the club, it's fans and for Rafa. I don't and I would be very suprised if you do know what is going through the minds of the players.

 

It isn't just Benitez's fault we are in the position we are in. Back to my original post, there are other factors, such as him having his money taken away. And I seriously doubt that in our current situation, another manager could step in and win the league with our squad and next to no money. Yes, in a fantasy world, we could afford Mourinho and give him loads of money but snap back to reality here, do we look an attractive club for Mourinho to go to? Would he leave Inter Milan, where he is in the Champions League final to a club where he would have to take a pay cut and with no Champions League football? We are a poisoned chalice and putting all the blame at Rafa's feet is unfair. Rafa has been unfortunate to have owners who don't care about the club and who lack the ambition he has.

 

I cannot stress how important this is but we as fans need to prioritise! Look at the bigger picture here and look who is causing the club the most pain. Rafa is an easier target for abuse but he isn't the biggest problem the club face. I don't expect to convince you to change your stance on Rafa but you aren't stupid RK but just think about what we could achieve if the manager was given money to spend, without worrying about selling players to increase his buying power.

[RedKnight]

It's not even sell to buy at this club now.

 

It's sell to refinance loans.

 

Torres is concerned at the sides deterioration apparently and he has been quoted speaking out against the owners saying the team badly needs investment.

 

If he leaves this summer it will be because of the clubs financial situation.

 

So he loves the club, the fans and the city but he won't hang around if he can't have another £40 million to spend this summer. He should be begging us to keep him around after this car crash of a season.

[Coro]

They will be severely diminished, that's for sure. Mourinho is a great admirer of Anfield's history and tradition but is unlikely to choose a club riven by turmoil and shackled by financial hardship when the Bernabeu is beckoning.

 

Not even the magician that is Mourinho believes he can fix us in our current state but Benitez, it is expected of him.

[Coro]

So he loves the club, the fans and the city but he won't hang around if he can't have another £40 million to spend this summer. He should be begging us to keep him around after this car crash of a season.

 

If he doesn't think his project cannot be backed and if he feels his project was undermined last summer then surely it is common sense for anyone in that position to be considering their options.

 

Mourinho wont touch us with a big shitty stick until he knows there will be funds to back his ideas.

[Red Nick]

BTW

 

Anyone who wants or thinks Roy Hodgson would make a good LFC is completely off there rocker.

 

Only need to see what happened at Blackburn

 

He would have a very good first season and that would be that another manager who doesnt have what it takes to bring the title to LFC