Topic: Rafa knocks back contract

[lfcmaster]

 i made a post a year ago or maybe more
and said that the owners, parry, and rafa could all go
i still think that could happen

i would trace all the problems back to the end of the 2007 euro cup final
rafa's rant about transfers must happen quickly etc

a new owner might decide to start with a blank sheet of paper

[steveeastend]

i made a post a year ago or maybe more
and said that the owners, parry, and rafa could all go
i still think that could happen

i would trace all the problems back to the end of the 2007 euro cup final
rafa's rant about transfers must happen quickly etc

a new owner might decide to start with a blank sheet of paper

you are a brave man. What do you think how many opportunities owner-wise or manager-wise are left on this level? You really have to see this big chance to make it worse with the "new boys"..

Wait for Manu after Ferguson. Newcastle? Chelsea? City?

[lfcmaster]

you are a brave man. What do you think how many opportunities owner-wise or manager-wise are left on this level? You really have to see this big chance to make it worse with the "new boys"..

Wait for Manu after Ferguson. Newcastle? Chelsea? City?

there are always people out there interested in buying liverpool fc
our next manager could already be at the club

[steveeastend]

I don't really know his actual role as described by the club, but negotiations tend to include how much we pay for that player and his wages and such. Take Keane for example, there is no way we should have paid 20 million for a player that is openly a Liverpool supporter and has waited all his life to play for us. That's ridiculous, a better negotiator would have prolly got Robbie for around 12-15m which is a fair price. Tottenham robbed us blind when they sold keane to us and that's Parry's doing. I think what Rafa wants is to essentially be the negotiator in our transfer matters. He wants to go sit down with the Player/club/ and agent and sell them on Liverpool FC, the price we pay for said player, and why the wages are fair. Many people claim that meeting Rafa is an experience for them which they don't forget. The same people also wish they never met Parry.

I don't think Rafa is foolish enough to think he's going to get a blank check every transfer window when Parry is gone, I think he just wants the ability to do his best with the money the owners give him and not worry about Parry's opinion. 

Great post.

[steveeastend]

there are always people out there interested in buying liverpool fc
our next manager could already be at the club

It´s just that I cannot believe there are too many with the best intention.. and for manager... I really don´t think that there´s a better one to get. Look at Chelsea. On the paper Scolari looked as an improvement. But...

[Walking Through A Storm]

there are always people out there interested in buying liverpool fc
our next manager could already be at the club

Yep, Rick Parry to lead us to the title.

Seriously, I think his role in this is the real sticking point. If Gedo's right about him sticking his nose into transfers then the c*nt needs to binned sharper than Pennant. If not... Well the incompetant twat can go anyway.

Big question really is what that snake in the grass Gillett thinks about this situation, I get the impression Hicks is pretty desperate to keep fans on side.

[Gedo]

I don't really know his actual role as described by the club, but negotiations tend to include how much we pay for that player and his wages and such. Take Keane for example, there is no way we should have paid 20 million for a player that is openly a Liverpool supporter and has waited all his life to play for us. That's ridiculous, a better negotiator would have prolly got Robbie for around 12-15m which is a fair price. Tottenham robbed us blind when they sold keane to us and that's Parry's doing. I think what Rafa wants is to essentially be the negotiator in our transfer matters. He wants to go sit down with the Player/club/ and agent and sell them on Liverpool FC, the price we pay for said player, and why the wages are fair. Many people claim that meeting Rafa is an experience for them which they don't forget. The same people also wish they never met Parry.

I don't think Rafa is foolish enough to think he's going to get a blank check every transfer window when Parry is gone, I think he just wants the ability to do his best with the money the owners give him and not worry about Parry's opinion. 

That's why we "Mugged" Aleti for Torres,Benitez done 90 per cent of the deal, with Parry concluding the deal which was virtually "unfuckable" when he got is Mits on it!!

[Pooch]

I don't really know his actual role as described by the club, but negotiations tend to include how much we pay for that player and his wages and such. Take Keane for example, there is no way we should have paid 20 million for a player that is openly a Liverpool supporter and has waited all his life to play for us. That's ridiculous, a better negotiator would have prolly got Robbie for around 12-15m which is a fair price. Tottenham robbed us blind when they sold keane to us and that's Parry's doing. I think what Rafa wants is to essentially be the negotiator in our transfer matters. He wants to go sit down with the Player/club/ and agent and sell them on Liverpool FC, the price we pay for said player, and why the wages are fair. Many people claim that meeting Rafa is an experience for them which they don't forget. The same people also wish they never met Parry.

I don't think Rafa is foolish enough to think he's going to get a blank check every transfer window when Parry is gone, I think he just wants the ability to do his best with the money the owners give him and not worry about Parry's opinion.

Brilliantly put

[Kyle Soprano]

Think we should just wait until we get more news before we start jumpin the gun. I still fully believe Rafa is the man for the job and is right to want control of all things football level. I really hope this gets sorted out with Rafa signing a new five year deal if he goes were back at square 1.

[Bronx Red]

Reading threads the like of this often make me wonder how a lot of you people make it in the real world 

[xerxes1]

Real Madrid? That's the equivalent of the mancs signing Carra.

IF Carra was a Manc, and Liverpool was in spain, you would be right....................

[fowlermagic]

Rafa needs more control.

The main thing irking him is the Academy setup, Piet Hamberg was brought in, but apparently he does not get on well with the other youth coaches. Rafa want's control over the academy so he can decide what youngsters are bought in, as of now he has no say in what youngsters are signed, only a say in whether or not they can be moved into the reserves.

SA and AW have complete control of their transfers. Peter Hill-Wood has mentioned many a time that Arsenal have £30m to spend on whoever Wenger chooses but Arsene chooses not to spend. SA identifies his target - budget allowing and Gill goes off and does whatever possible to get that player.

Rafa on the other hand tells Parry who he wants, for e.g. Dani Alves, we have a budget of £15m. Rafa of course would push to make sure that he could get Alves at whatever cost upto £15m. Parry on the other hand thinks we could save some money here and keep a bit of our budget, we'll only bid £7m. Seville wanted £12m, the most Parry wants to pay is £10m despite the fact we have a budget of £15m and this is the only signing Rafa wants. Another example has to be Cristiano Ronaldo, Liverpool baulked at the £7.5m quoted price after scouting him for months, Gill heads out to Portugal on the instruction of SA who having seen Ronaldo playing at firsthand in a friendly a week or two previously and pays £12m, what Sporting wanted, and get's the player. (Obviously we hate the c*nt, I'm sure it would be different if he played for us though and we would have loved the fact he got Rooney sent off)

See the difference? SA and AW have total control over their budgets and their academies, they don't have a Director of Football at their club. Whilst here Rafa has an idiot who thinks he's a DoF as well.

All very relevant stuff considering most if not all of the above ocured prior to the new owners and even while GH was still in charge. In terms of the academy tell me ho wmany youngsters have come from Spain / Latin countires in recent seasons. Like wise with the senior squad...that should tell you how much control Rafa has.

I believe this is personal as Rafa wants Parry out and has for quite a while. He cannot say we are unable to get the players he wants now as only Barry has slipped through the net in the past two years. He even can now afford....he thinks anyway...to leave 60m worth of talent on the bench. Nothing againts the man but in terms of his little games with our club and the way he relases tid bits to the press galls me some what. Still think he is the only guy we should have in charge but jesus I struggle to see what he has to gain from releasing this news to the press or becoming Hicks best buddy. Sometimes they are all as bad as the next guy. Rafa - you have a lot more class than this so cmon man.

[lfcmaster]

Yep, Rick Parry to lead us to the title.

Seriously, I think his role in this is the real sticking point. If Gedo's right about him sticking his nose into transfers then the c*nt needs to binned sharper than Pennant. If not... Well the incompetant twat can go anyway.

Big question really is what that snake in the grass Gillett thinks about this situation, I get the impression Hicks is pretty desperate to keep fans on side.

part of the politics has always been parry and gillete v hicks and rafa
i am fed up of all the politics
thats why i have said that a new owner might decide to start with a clean slate

[Alan_X]

 i made a post a year ago or maybe more
and said that the owners, parry, and rafa could all go
i still think that could happen

i would trace all the problems back to the end of the 2007 euro cup final
rafa's rant about transfers must happen quickly etc

a new owner might decide to start with a blank sheet of paper

Seriously, there's no such thing in football. A "blank sheet of paper" would mean new manager, new squad, new staff throughout the club and ignoring our history and the fans. As we stand going into the weekend, we are still top of the league (likely to be second going into the Everton game) with our best chance of a crack at the title for years and a squad who totally buy into the Rafa way of doing things. 

Would most fans be happy to start with a new manager and a new "five-year-plan", a clear out of Rafa's players and a fight with a couple if Manchester clubs for the best players around the world (City with pots of cash and United able to pick out a £30million player every year or so to top up the squad).

Rafa's "rant" as spot on and until we deal with those issues as a club we'll keep having these issues.

Question... was buying Ron Yeats a Shankly decision? I don't care where the money came from, but as far as I'm aware, the decision to buy Yeats and a host of other players was ultimately Shankly's... and later Bob Paisley's... Forget the details - a manager needs to be in control of the budget he has to buy players to fit the way he plays... that's his fucking job.

A football team isn't an assembly line, where one widget assembler can be replaced by another. Footballers are al slightly different. Maybe it's all the fantasy football shite and computer games where all players are "attacking midfielders" or "defensive midfielders" or "left backs" "right backs" etc ad in fi-fucking-nitum. A Manager might see something he likes in a player that he thinks will give him an edge. he may get it completely fucking wrong, but buying a player is not subject to any kind of bean counting exercise or any attempt to try and apply a bunch of statistics that are as much to do with the players around him and the manager, the team, the climate, the happiness of his wife and kids and a host of other factors.

If Rafa feels he needs this - give it to him and sack him if he fucks up.


Simple reallly....

[And Could He Play]

That's what I thought, be nice to hear why he comes out with that shite though.

Fuck off, i'm allowed an opinion and my opinion is that this will be Rafa's last season with Liverpool, today just adds strength to it.

[royhendo]

What 'exactly'is Parry's role when it comes to transfers? Handling the negotiations sure, but what else does he have final say over? Who we sign and how much we pay for them?

It looks like he has his fingers in all the footballing pies to be honest mate - he's the one who allegedly pursued the signing of Aaron Ramsay, he presides over the Academy's recruitment and scouting (all this business with Adjarevic and Eccleston has its root in this apparently), he second guesses decisions made on first team matters (the list is long and distinguished isn't it?), he plays around with fees previously agreed when dealing with players to try and do a bit of ducking and diving, a bit of bobbing and weaving, but a fair percentage of the time this seems to either:

• drive the fee up as the selling club outmanoevres him
• sees other clubs nik in and steal the player by moving quicker and at the right price (often, it seems, not too far beyond what he was originally asked to do the business for), or
• sees the selling club dig their heels in and a war of attrition develop, again with escalating prices.
• reduce the time we have to make alternative plans (so we end up making almost panic signings of third choice players)

This to say nothing of actually overruling certain decisions on players (presumably calling the manager's judgement directly into question despite the fact he has what - an accountancy degree?).

The problems we've had with certain players (most notably Pennant at the moment), the persistent 'problems' we've had with certain aspects of the side/squad, the allegation that Rafa has far too high a 'player turnover' with massive amounts of buying and selling... these things would arguably not have been the case had Rafa had the kind of control he's asking for in these contract negotiations.

He's regularly sewn up deals directly with players who respect his reputation and the allure of the club, only to hand the deal over to Parry, and see things grind to a halt. Off the top of my head I can think of several players who, if signed, would have meant there was no need to make top line signings this summer, because we'd be focussing on improving our back-up and strength in depth. Left back? Heinze (although it arguably would never have happened)/Kaladze. Centre half? Vidic/Heinze/Garay. Left wing? Simao/Malouda/Carvalho. Right back/midfield/wing? Daniel Alves. That's just a few.

Then of course we have the repeated Gerrard sagas...

All this of course is to say nothing of his performance at the stuff that's his 'knitting' - the business side and the financial side (and lest we forget, the pursuit of potential new custodian side, the stadium project planning side, and so forth). But Rafa's not suggesting Rick cede control of that side of things - just that he leaves the football to the football people. (So Tony Evans was saying today anyway.)[/list][/list]

[Alan_X]

I don't really know his actual role as described by the club, but negotiations tend to include how much we pay for that player and his wages and such. Take Keane for example, there is no way we should have paid 20 million for a player that is openly a Liverpool supporter and has waited all his life to play for us. That's ridiculous, a better negotiator would have prolly got Robbie for around 12-15m which is a fair price. 

What has on earth has Keane's support for Liverpool got to do with the price Spurs wanted for him? 

[simmo]

Yes, within a budget set out by new owners hopefully, some money that has not been borrowed.

But all clubs bar Chelsea used borrowed money to finance transfers, in businees you never use your own money you always use somebody elses it's a golden rule, what the Americans are doing is what the Glazers and every other club does.

[wetherby]

You forgot Lucas

Where does Crouch fit?

Not having a pop at you Gedo, but this is a total oversimplification, and it's the one the media trot out all the time (and that's true of all managers, to be honest, rather than just Rafa). You can't just label someone a dud in hindsight, because you have to look at the context of the deal and where the club is at the time. Take Pennant and Crouch, £6.7m and £7m each. In hindsight, you can say they weren't good enough and had to be shipped out. But Rafa, like most coaches, is not able to go out and do a City and splash shitloads on the world's best players. He has to buy in the market to build the club up gradually. He only had a certain amount of money and a certain type of players, so he came up with a way of taking the club up to the next level.

To me, in the market, that's what Rafa's really good at. Yes, he buys some players who are quite fleeting and yes, he's brought some shockers in (mainly on frees, to be fair). But what he does well is spend the money he has on players who will make us a bit better, then he moves them on, often at a profit, when he needs better quality players. So Cisse becomes Morientes, Morientes (because he never really worked out) becomes Crouch and Crouch becomes Torres. So Crouch wasn't a dud, he was a cog. Same with Pennant, or even someone like Voronin. They are used while they are useful, to give us one type of option or one thing that takes us onto that next level. You can't just walk in and buy 11 players who will win you the title. That's how he's working it, so to label one player a dud is to miss the point. The club wouldn't be where we are today without 99 per cent of those players, regardless of how well they did while they were here. They slotted into a masterplan, played their part and were deemed either good enough to continue or not.

In terms of his overall control, to be honest it strikes me he probably has as much as most managers do. Lots of them leave the financial side and valuations to the chief execs, it's just that theirs aren't as incompetent as ours. This is more because Rafa has spotted a chance, possibly in conjunction with Hicks, to lever Parry out.

[Alan_X]

Not having a pop at you Gedo, but this is a total oversimplification, and it's the one the media trot out all the time (and that's true of all managers, to be honest, rather than just Rafa). You can't just label someone a dud in hindsight, because you have to look at the context of the deal and where the club is at the time. Take Pennant and Crouch, £6.7m and £7m each. In hindsight, you can say they weren't good enough and had to be shipped out. But Rafa, like most coaches, is not able to go out and do a City and splash shitloads on the world's best players. He has to buy in the market to build the club up gradually. He only had a certain amount of money and a certain type of players, so he came up with a way of taking the club up to the next level.

To me, in the market, that's what Rafa's really good at. Yes, he buys some players who are quite fleeting and yes, he's brought some shockers in (mainly on frees, to be fair). But what he does well is spend the money he has on players who will make us a bit better, then he moves them on, often at a profit, when he needs better quality players. So Cisse becomes Morientes, Morientes (because he never really worked out) becomes Crouch and Crouch becomes Torres. So Crouch wasn't a dud, he was a cog. Same with Pennant, or even someone like Voronin. They are used while they are useful, to give us one type of option or one thing that takes us onto that next level. You can't just walk in and buy 11 players who will win you the title. That's how he's working it, so to label one player a dud is to miss the point. The club wouldn't be where we are today without 99 per cent of those players, regardless of how well they did while they were here. They slotted into a masterplan, played their part and were deemed either good enough to continue or not.

In terms of his overall control, to be honest it strikes me he probably has as much as most managers do. Lots of them leave the financial side and valuations to the chief execs, it's just that theirs aren't as incompetent as ours. This is more because Rafa has spotted a chance, possibly in conjunction with Hicks, to lever Parry out.

Good post and pretty much my take on it...

[RAFA - 6 - 19]

But all clubs bar Chelsea used borrowed money to finance transfers, in businees you never use your own money you always use somebody elses it's a golden rule, what the Americans are doing is what the Glazers and every other club does.

However United have a structure in which to service their debts as do other clubs, we do not

[simmo]

I personally think this contract stalemate could work in our favour, hopefully it will run until the season has finished and then we can sit down and take stock of the situation. I personally am not a fan of Benitez and I think come the summer five seasons is ample time to deliver the league I definitely dont want our fingers burn after the mistakes we made with the last regime of extending a managers contract only to be forced to pay out a massive compensation package to get shut of him and his sidekick. Just dont see how it makes much sense that there is a likelyhood that we could end up trophyless for our third consecutive season and i just dont think it's wise to give a manager more power within the club when we should be looking at maybe decreasing his power for the last remaining 18 months of his contract. If Benitez delivers the league title then great in the Summer we can sit down and give him whatever contract he wants in length, salary and also increase his power within the club that for me is the most sensible way to deal with the current problem.

[LF]

what a great time to have all of this come out. we don't need this sort of thing being made public at this time. Work it out b/w yourselves Rafa. We can't influence anything. Up to you and the owners.

[xerxes1]

I also agree with Wetherby.

This is really all about working relationships and trust.Does Rafa really want to be involved in currency hedging and pension plan discussions on player contracts? I dont think so.

Wenger trusted David Dein, and the Geriatric Scot trusts Gill and maurice watkins to do the deals ( as MON does with Lerner). IF rafa was confident that pary could do the biz he would be more than happy, but he is not, nor is Hicks.

As for the youth set ups i heard MON comment that he was not involved at all at Villa or Celtic - other than to be happy with the judgement of those in charge. If the rumours about parrys involvement in the youth set up are true there is further evidence of a " smoking gun".

[SallyCinnamon]

I personally think this contract stalemate could work in our favour, hopefully it will run until the season has finished and then we can sit down and take stock of the situation. I personally am not a fan of Benitez and I think come the summer five seasons is ample time to deliver the league I definitely dont want our fingers burn after the mistakes we made with the last regime of extending a managers contract only to be forced to pay out a massive compensation package to get shut of him and his sidekick. Just dont see how it makes much sense that there is a likelyhood that we could end up trophyless for our third consecutive season and i just dont think it's wise to give a manager more power within the club when we should be looking at maybe decreasing his power for the last remaining 18 months of his contract. If Benitez delivers the league title then great in the Summer we can sit down and give him whatever contract he wants in length, salary and also increase his power within the club that for me is the most sensible way to deal with the current problem.

Well the FANS who are not anti everything Rafa does expectations pre-season were that we challenged for the title this season and went all out for it next season..

Expectations lad and Rafa has preformed miracles at this club when you consider the shit state we were in when he came to us and the finacial constraints he has had to work under.

[RAFA - 6 - 19]

I personally think this contract stalemate could work in our favour, hopefully it will run until the season has finished and then we can sit down and take stock of the situation. I personally am not a fan of Benitez and I think come the summer five seasons is ample time to deliver the league I definitely dont want our fingers burn after the mistakes we made with the last regime of extending a managers contract only to be forced to pay out a massive compensation package to get shut of him and his sidekick. Just dont see how it makes much sense that there is a likelyhood that we could end up trophyless for our third consecutive season and i just dont think it's wise to give a manager more power within the club when we should be looking at maybe decreasing his power for the last remaining 18 months of his contract. If Benitez delivers the league title then great in the Summer we can sit down and give him whatever contract he wants in length, salary and also increase his power within the club that for me is the most sensible way to deal with the current problem.

by your logic you would have sacked shankly, ferguson  and probably wenger
go and have a look at the squad rafa inherited, have a look at what he and the others have spent, have a look at how long the managers of top clubs have been in charge and then compare rafa's record to them.

Not many in world football have done better than rafa in the last 7 or 8 years especially considering the resources available to rafa

losing benitez would be disastrous

[Art Vandelay]

The manager has suggested a different structure that would result in the appointment of a designated person to handle transfer and contract negotiations, acting on his recommendations, while leaving Parry to deal with broader issues. But his request has been rejected.

from
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article5533153.ece

[redprodigal]

Fuck off, i'm allowed an opinion and my opinion is that this will be Rafa's last season with Liverpool, today just adds strength to it.

No need for that. It was the way you stated it that looked like you actually knew what was going on. "This was always going to be his last season in charge" is a bit final isn't it? Like you knew it was going to happen and like it is definitely going to happen now.
If you think today's little spat over the contract means Rafa is finished then I reckon you're in for a big surprise.

[Uhoh AureliOs]

Not having a pop at you Gedo, but this is a total oversimplification, and it's the one the media trot out all the time (and that's true of all managers, to be honest, rather than just Rafa). You can't just label someone a dud in hindsight, because you have to look at the context of the deal and where the club is at the time. Take Pennant and Crouch, £6.7m and £7m each. In hindsight, you can say they weren't good enough and had to be shipped out. But Rafa, like most coaches, is not able to go out and do a City and splash shitloads on the world's best players. He has to buy in the market to build the club up gradually. He only had a certain amount of money and a certain type of players, so he came up with a way of taking the club up to the next level.

To me, in the market, that's what Rafa's really good at. Yes, he buys some players who are quite fleeting and yes, he's brought some shockers in (mainly on frees, to be fair). But what he does well is spend the money he has on players who will make us a bit better, then he moves them on, often at a profit, when he needs better quality players. So Cisse becomes Morientes, Morientes (because he never really worked out) becomes Crouch and Crouch becomes Torres. So Crouch wasn't a dud, he was a cog. Same with Pennant, or even someone like Voronin. They are used while they are useful, to give us one type of option or one thing that takes us onto that next level. You can't just walk in and buy 11 players who will win you the title. That's how he's working it, so to label one player a dud is to miss the point. The club wouldn't be where we are today without 99 per cent of those players, regardless of how well they did while they were here. They slotted into a masterplan, played their part and were deemed either good enough to continue or not.

In terms of his overall control, to be honest it strikes me he probably has as much as most managers do. Lots of them leave the financial side and valuations to the chief execs, it's just that theirs aren't as incompetent as ours. This is more because Rafa has spotted a chance, possibly in conjunction with Hicks, to lever Parry out.

Very good post - spot on. Value of players changes all the time and needs to be taken in context - reminds me of the underlying message of Paul Tomkins book Dynasty (good read by the way).

[royhendo]

from
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article5533153.ece

That's what Tony Evans was suggesting. If he's been rejected, who by? Flat out?

As Jimmy Cliff once said: "There are more questions than answers..."

[PassAndMove]

What a sad bunch some of you are. £5m a year and all he has to do is work with a boss and he says no? Fucking hell some of you are a disgrace to LFC.

[redprodigal]

What a sad bunch some of you are. £5m a year and all he has to do is work with a boss and he says no? Fucking hell some of you are a disgrace to LFC.

What???

[Stussy]

re: Real Madrid. Whatever politics are being played out here, I reckon Rafa knows they are like a fuss over pick and mix sweeties compared to the death fight in a snake of vipers that is life as a manager at the Santiago Bernebau, as todays events involving Calderon have shown.

I think he's demanding the tools he feels he needs to go forward in the next long stretch of his career with us. And that involves finishing once and for all the irritant and handicap that Rick Parry is to the fulfilment of his vision and potential.

[STORMTROOPER]

surely we can do better than having a sack of shit like parry negotiating and tieing up our transfers.  he has zero charm and the charisma of a lamp-post, i bet the opposition negotiators just plonk £2m extra on the transfer fee of the player we're trying to sign just for the dis-pleasure of having to sit in a room with parry for hours. 

[redprodigal]

from
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article5533153.ece

Thought I'd post it for the lazy twats on here 

January 17, 2009
Rafael Benítez engages in power struggle
Rafael Benitez has rejected a new contract at Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)
Oliver Kay, Football Correspondent

A power struggle threatens to undermine Liverpool's bid for a first league title since 1990, but Rafael Benítez is determined to ride out the latest political storm after it emerged last night that George Gillett Jr, the co-owner, is under renewed pressure to sell his 50 per cent stake in the club.

Benítez caused alarm among Liverpool supporters yesterday when he announced that he has rejected the offer of a new contract after the club refused to give him more control over transfer policy and the academy. As ever, the spectre of Real Madrid, long-time admirers of the Spaniard, looms in the background, but Benítez firmly intends to stay at Anfield for the long haul provided that his position is strengthened, something that may be facilitated by the expected departure of Gillett.

While Tom Hicks, who spoke out in support of Benítez yesterday, has been regarded as the more hostile of Liverpool's co-owners, much of the resistance to the manager's contract demands has come from Gillett. But Gillett's influence at Anfield is receding, with the difficult financial climate forcing him to invite offers for all, or at the very least a significant portion, of his 50 per cent stake in the club.

That would also raise doubts about the long-term future of Rick Parry, the chief executive, with whom Benítez and Hicks have a dysfunctional relationship.
Related Links

Hicks expressed sympathy yesterday over some of Benítez's frustrations and is confident that a deal will be agreed. He plans to address some of the manager's concerns when he makes a rare visit to Merseyside at the end of the month. Although the long-term situation at the club is clouded by uncertainty regarding who will buy Gillett's stake, Benítez has been reassured that Hicks is committed to resolving his future.

Some at Anfield were surprised by the timing of Benítez's announcement, with Liverpool in the thick of the Barclays Premier League title race and facing a Merseyside derby on Monday before meeting Everton again at Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round a week tomorrow. But Benítez, who has already agreed an improved pay package, was careful to tread a diplomatic line while making clear that the broader terms of the contract, which were sent to his agent, Manuel García Quilón, were unacceptable.

“The talks between my agent and the advisers of the owners have been very positive and friendly and our differences are about my responsibilities,” Benítez said. “The owners feel that the manager's decisions need to be subject to the chief executive, but I know that I am subject to results and to our fans and they are the best judges I will ever have.

“I have a lot of experience in football at different clubs and, if you do not have a technical director and you are the manager, you have to have control of the football decisions - but always within the confines of a budget which is controlled by the owners and the club. The only person who can decide the value of a player to his squad is the manager, because he knows what elements are needed to improve the squad.”

Benítez is determined to avoid a repeat of the situation in July, when his protracted pursuit of Gareth Barry, the Aston Villa midfield player, ended in humiliation, with the board vetoing an £18 million deal. The manager has suggested a different structure that would result in the appointment of a designated person to handle transfer and contract negotiations, acting on his recommendations, while leaving Parry to deal with broader issues. But his request has been rejected.

Gillett is known to have been disappointed by Benítez's decision to go public with what was regarded as a private matter, but Hicks said yesterday that he was supportive of the manager and would take it as a personal responsibility to secure his future beyond his existing contract, which expires at the end of next season. “We understand Rafa's frustration and we're committed to working with him and his advisers to find a solution here,” Hicks said.

[saintslfc13]

What has on earth has Keane's support for Liverpool got to do with the price Spurs wanted for him? 

You do realize that for most clubs when a player wants to leave, they tend to let him go right? Spurs were hardly going to have an unhappy Keane leading the line and soaking up wages when they could have a player who wants to play for  them do it for less

[Ronnie1932]

What a sad bunch some of you are. £5m a year and all he has to do is work with a boss and he says no? Fucking hell some of you are a disgrace to LFC.

WUM.

[TSC]

The one uncomfortable factor in all this is the niggling feeling that Rafa is doing Hicks bidding.  At the end of this I doubt both Rafa and Parry will be left standing.  One will go.

Apparently Parry & Moores veto stopped the owners lumping even more debt on the club some time ago.  This resulted in Hick's ridiculous attack on Parry which backfired somewhat as unknown to the ignoramous Hicks at the time he'd slipped even further down the 'hate list' than Parry in the eyes of Liverpool supporters.

Hicks obviously wants Parry out and his own man in.  Rafa wants Parry out.  Hence why Hicks was on sly tonight waxing lyrical how he and Rafa would sort it all out.

Nothing from Gillet.  But no secret he's no fan of Rafa (or Hicks), but instead seems to side with Parry.

Big question is, if Rafa gets his way, who replaces Parry?  If it is a man appointed by Hicks then Liverpool FC no longer will have a veto over whatever decision Hicks takes, and Moores becomes a mere voice in the wilderness.

Our esteemed owner will then have the freedom to do as he likes with this club.

[redrockydennis]

The one uncomfortable factor in all this is the niggling feeling that Rafa is doing Hicks bidding.  At the end of this I doubt both Rafa and Parry will be left standing.  One will go.

Apparently Parry & Moores veto stopped the owners lumping even more debt on the club some time ago.  This resulted in Hick's ridiculous attack on Parry which backfired somewhat as unknown to the ignoramous Hicks at the time he'd slipped even further down the 'hate list' than Parry in the eyes of Liverpool supporters.

Hicks obviously wants Parry out and his own man in.  Rafa wants Parry out.  Hence why Hicks was on sly tonight waxing lyrical how he and Rafa would sort it all out.

Nothing from Gillet.  But no secret he's no fan of Rafa (or Hicks), but instead seems to side with Parry.

Big question is, if Rafa gets his way, who replaces Parry?  If it is a man appointed by Hicks then Liverpool FC no longer will have a veto over whatever decision Hicks takes, and Moores becomes a mere voice in the wilderness.

Our esteemed owner will then have the freedom to do as he likes with this club.

two owners, and both pricks, rock and a hard place and all that

[redprodigal]

Just realised that in the piece below from the Times which will come out tomorrow morning, the part referring to Gillett being under renewed pressure to sell refers to news from tonight.
Anybody heard anything regarding this?

"A power struggle threatens to undermine Liverpool's bid for a first league title since 1990, but Rafael Benítez is determined to ride out the latest political storm after it emerged last night that George Gillett Jr, the co-owner, is under renewed pressure to sell his 50 per cent stake in the club".