Marko121

I've said for ages it's a smokescreen, they want the world to think they want to sell, hence the appointment of Broughton. They put a big price up, if someone is stupid enough to pay we will go. If not, we will asset strip, get more refinance and hang on

Did Purslow once say to SOS that there is a 3-4 year refinance package in place should they pay the debt down by £100m? Well, IMO this is what they are now doing ie make everyone think we are selling, sack Rafa, sell some players, pay down debt, hang on to club. Then when the stadium is built sell it for shed loads more

Too many people have very short memories. Let's see how they feel with a yes man in charge next season. Yes Rafa did have faults but there are at least 3 people who should have gone way before him.

Isn't it widely accepted that Rafa had complete control on transfers? This is something the anti-rafa brigade regularly used as a stick to beat him with. Surely that would also mean he could veto sales. I'm of the belief that the stories of them staying if he went are properganda from our lovely CEO ( only my opinion ) There has been counter stories that the dressing room was much like any other

Liverpool Echo - Liverpool FC - News - Liverpool FC braced for more departures - Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano set to follow Rafael Benitez sorry if posted earlier/elsewhere - just hope people who wanted Rafa out are happy that the one man that can veto sales has now gone

Liverpool Echo - Liverpool FC - News - Liverpool FC braced for more departures - Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano set to follow Rafael Benitez sorry if posted earlier/elsewhere - just hope people who wanted Rafa out are happy that the one man that can veto sales has now gone

Look at the bigger picture - dickhead

Webchat with Tony Barrett at 2.30pm today TheGame - Times Online - WBLG: Liverpool webchat with Tony Barrett: is Benitez on the way out?

Rafa exit not a consequence of player power 03/06/2010 Now it has become clear that the club no longer want Rafa Benitez at Anfield, there are a couple of issues that need clearing up... Rafa decided last week to move the situation forward when he told me – for an article published in The Daily Mirror – that he wanted to stay. He put forward his reasons for lowering expectations and defended his good record at the club. However, the warning was there; that he would stay, “if he`s allowed”. He hasn`t been allowed, and the club feels the situation has stagnated. Rafa told me he would love to stay but there were many obstacles. I have the impression that he had a clear idea that not everybody at the club backed him and many were happy to leave him out there in the firing line to take the blame for a disappointing and frustrating season – instead of them admitting that the team`s results were the consequence of a club that had the financial resources to enter the race in a family hatchback - but wanted the results of a Ferrari - But Rafa was NOT talking about the players at the club. So, is player power behind all of this, as many are reporting? I think it is more a case of club power: people within the club hierarchy have decided there is no point in keeping the manager and he is the easy option to take the blame. The reports of a complete breakdown in his relationship with key players are false. For example, Rafa called Steven Gerrard on the player`s birthday last Sunday and the pair chatted for 20 minutes. If Gerrard is seriously thinking about a move it is not because of Rafa, but because there have been so many promises unfulfilled by the people running the club and the Liverpool captain may feel that he must go elsewhere in order to compete for titles. For an elite player, like Gerrard, titles define a career and he has given most of his professional life to Liverpool – understandably he is thinking about a move because the club is not moving in the right direction. Gerrard has four offers from English clubs and there have been conversations with Real Madrid. Mourinho would love to work with either Lampard or Gerrard and if Mourinho convinces the Real Madrid president to fund a move, then an offer will be made for one of them. Gerrard has not conspired against Rafa even though it is quite likely that the long relationship between them had become professional. I have said before that, in my opinion, the intensive methods of Rafa, means that his squads need to be recycled regularly - every 2-3 years - for their full potential to be realised. But reports of the distance between Rafa and his players have been grossly exaggerated – granted, he is not their best friend either, but that was not the ultimate reason for his departure. When Ryan Babel suffered an injury scare last week that threatened his place in the Dutch World Cup squad, Rafa was on the phone to him immediately to give him support. It is true that certain players who do not feature regularly for the first team are not all entirely happy – but that is normal under any manager at any club – and it requires a huge leap of imagination to say that unhappiness brings conspiracies against the manager. The impression I am getting from key players is that they hate the idea of people thinking it was a player power versus Benitez – rather a frustration at a 7th placed finish and 4 years without a trophy and the growing sense that unless there are changes – at all levels – little will change. My own view is that, in hindsight, if Benitez had focused all of his resources on winning the Premier League instead of trying to challenge for the cup competitions as well, maybe his story at Liverpool would have been different: delivering a league title at Anfield given the circumstances and resources of the club at the moment would have given him a huge amount of credit with the club, fans and media. However, as he admitted to me in his last interview as Liverpool manager, during his six years at Liverpool, Manchester have United averaged 83 points a season, Chelsea 77.8 and Arsenal 77 - and in two of those seasons Liverpool have broken their all time record points tally - 82 points in 2006 and 86 in 2009. Yet even that appears to have not been enough. So what`s next? Reaching a severance agreement will not be easy. Rafa will remain in holiday in Sardinia while the lawyers do the talking - and the £3 million being offered might not be enough… Benitez` best option was Juventus: he did consider it, but was never entirely convinced because he felt there was a chance to stay and finish the job at Anfield. Inter Milan is the most likely option, but taking on the job of managing a club with an ageing squad that has just won everything is not a challenge many would relish. Guillem Balague Football Website | Rafa exit not a consequence of player power

Rafa exit not a consequence of player power 03/06/2010 Now it has become clear that the club no longer want Rafa Benitez at Anfield, there are a couple of issues that need clearing up... Rafa decided last week to move the situation forward when he told me – for an article published in The Daily Mirror – that he wanted to stay. He put forward his reasons for lowering expectations and defended his good record at the club. However, the warning was there; that he would stay, “if he`s allowed”. He hasn`t been allowed, and the club feels the situation has stagnated. Rafa told me he would love to stay but there were many obstacles. I have the impression that he had a clear idea that not everybody at the club backed him and many were happy to leave him out there in the firing line to take the blame for a disappointing and frustrating season – instead of them admitting that the team`s results were the consequence of a club that had the financial resources to enter the race in a family hatchback - but wanted the results of a Ferrari - But Rafa was NOT talking about the players at the club. So, is player power behind all of this, as many are reporting? I think it is more a case of club power: people within the club hierarchy have decided there is no point in keeping the manager and he is the easy option to take the blame. The reports of a complete breakdown in his relationship with key players are false. For example, Rafa called Steven Gerrard on the player`s birthday last Sunday and the pair chatted for 20 minutes. If Gerrard is seriously thinking about a move it is not because of Rafa, but because there have been so many promises unfulfilled by the people running the club and the Liverpool captain may feel that he must go elsewhere in order to compete for titles. For an elite player, like Gerrard, titles define a career and he has given most of his professional life to Liverpool – understandably he is thinking about a move because the club is not moving in the right direction. Gerrard has four offers from English clubs and there have been conversations with Real Madrid. Mourinho would love to work with either Lampard or Gerrard and if Mourinho convinces the Real Madrid president to fund a move, then an offer will be made for one of them. Gerrard has not conspired against Rafa even though it is quite likely that the long relationship between them had become professional. I have said before that, in my opinion, the intensive methods of Rafa, means that his squads need to be recycled regularly - every 2-3 years - for their full potential to be realised. But reports of the distance between Rafa and his players have been grossly exaggerated – granted, he is not their best friend either, but that was not the ultimate reason for his departure. When Ryan Babel suffered an injury scare last week that threatened his place in the Dutch World Cup squad, Rafa was on the phone to him immediately to give him support. It is true that certain players who do not feature regularly for the first team are not all entirely happy – but that is normal under any manager at any club – and it requires a huge leap of imagination to say that unhappiness brings conspiracies against the manager. The impression I am getting from key players is that they hate the idea of people thinking it was a player power versus Benitez – rather a frustration at a 7th placed finish and 4 years without a trophy and the growing sense that unless there are changes – at all levels – little will change. My own view is that, in hindsight, if Benitez had focused all of his resources on winning the Premier League instead of trying to challenge for the cup competitions as well, maybe his story at Liverpool would have been different: delivering a league title at Anfield given the circumstances and resources of the club at the moment would have given him a huge amount of credit with the club, fans and media. However, as he admitted to me in his last interview as Liverpool manager, during his six years at Liverpool, Manchester have United averaged 83 points a season, Chelsea 77.8 and Arsenal 77 - and in two of those seasons Liverpool have broken their all time record points tally - 82 points in 2006 and 86 in 2009. Yet even that appears to have not been enough. So what`s next? Reaching a severance agreement will not be easy. Rafa will remain in holiday in Sardinia while the lawyers do the talking - and the £3 million being offered might not be enough… Benitez` best option was Juventus: he did consider it, but was never entirely convinced because he felt there was a chance to stay and finish the job at Anfield. Inter Milan is the most likely option, but taking on the job of managing a club with an ageing squad that has just won everything is not a challenge many would relish. http://www.guillembalague.com/blog_desp.php?titulo=Rafa+exit+not+a+consequence+of+player+power&id=455

I still dont think there is a serious sale process - but we will see when they are still here in 2 years - no decent players - but the debt has been mysteriously paid down

To be fair - i've said for a long time that i dont think they are seriously trying to sell - this is just another part of that

Too right - or Bryan Robson. When will we wake up to whats happening - this is another step to them hanging on

The yanks are loving this - they can now sell our best players, nobody to stop them and they will spin that they wanted to go. Pay down the debt - keep the club

But does it focus the ire on the stooges?? - a lot of people will think twice before protesting because Kenny is there

as much as i believe the yanks etc will want Dalglish to take the job ( no compo and all that ) I do think Kenny is being used and has an awful lot to lose.

See - the yanks plan is working already. Split the fans, not easy to protest against Kenny. They will now operate behind the sheild

If Kenny takes takes it i can only see a yank ploy to split the fans - if things start to go wrong nobody will protest as he is held is such high esteem. They played a blinder by getting him in ( as it appeased the fans and allowed them a bit of room ) if they make him Manager ( interim or otherwise ) it can only help them as some fans will see things as rosy again. I think Kenny has an alful lot to lose if he takes it ( and i doubt he will )

A sale that could take how long?? i'm not convinced they are actually going to sell. They now have rid of every dissenting voice. Kenny wouldnt touch it - he's too happy on the golf course these days

Here is thae yank spin already

Full control of what ?? a 0 transfer fund - i hate the sky generation

This is correct - very sad day for our club - no dissenting voice against owners, chairman ( thats a laugh ) and a slimy CEO. We will see the true meaning of up shit creek when they get their own man in.

This club is a shambles and has sunk to a new low ( if true ) We are getting rid of a man who is wanted by the European Champions ( again if true ) people are happy and we will end up with god knows what quality of Manager. Anyone who thinks we will be sold soon needs to wake up also

I take your point but we can offer: a club up for sale ( alledgedly ) owner who are split a CEO who is in it for his own gain no transfer money now a squad that needs strengthening 2 best players may be off no transfer money for the next few years no new stadium rivals strengthening with players you can only dream of no CL football Any good manager will have other options not just Liverpool - so again why come here. All the above may change - but if Rafa goes the above is what the new man will walk in to.

I fail to see why any Manager of note would entertain us at the minute.