Author Topic: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway  (Read 8512 times)

Offline DonkeyWan

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Rafael Benítez given a temporary reprieve at Liverpool but loses star trio

• Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun ruled out through injury
• Spanish striker takes aim at owners for lack of investment

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jan/14/rafael-benitez-liverpool-job-safe

Andy Hunter

The Liverpool board still believe that the manager Rafael Benítez is the right man for Liverpool, for now.

Liverpool have not altered their view that Rafael Benítez is the man to revive their fortunes despite yesterday's dismal FA Cup defeat to Reading, but will review his position at the end of the season. The manager's task of delivering the top-four finish that would save his job was made more difficult when Steven Gerrard, Yossi Benayoun and Fernando Torres all returned to the treatment table, the latter with a withering attack on the club's owners.

Torres's absence for six weeks will be the most damaging blow to Benítez, whose long-term future at Anfield is in serious doubt after the Championship strugglers inflicted the latest humiliation in a season in which the club have suffered early exits from the Champions League, the Carling Cup and now the FA Cup, and failed to challenge for the league title.

Benítez's immediate future remains at Liverpool, however, with the club's hierarchy unwilling to change managers during a season and at a time of deep uncertainty over the club's finances. They are also aware of the cost of sacking the Spaniard and installing a replacement, less than a year after the manager signed a five and a half-year contract worth more than £4m a season.

Despite the mounting pressure and the constraints on transfer budgets, the Liverpool manager has no intention of quitting and sparing Tom Hicks and George Gillett, the club's co-owners, the compensation he would be owed for the remainder of his contract.
Benítez is entitled to a full payout if relieved of his duties, a sum the club cannot afford.

For now, Hicks and Gillett are anxious to present a show of stability as the club's managing director, Christian Purslow, continues to pursue investors willing to join a divided boardroom, reduce Liverpool's debt and enable work on the stalled stadium project to begin.

A new investor would have a say on Benítez's future while increasing Liverpool's ability to agree a severance package should the Spaniard fail to deliver on his guarantee of a top-four finish. The Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish would be in the frame for a sensational return as manager should the opportunity arise; the Scot has an ambassadorial role at Anfield.

The uncertainty over Liverpool's finances partly explains the club's determination to give Benítez the chance to revitalise a sorry campaign. The club have now told the manager he can spend the proceeds should Ryan Babel be sold this month, having initially insisted minimal funds would be available, and are closing in on a pre-contract agreement for the Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh. There has been no indication that significant funds will be released as a result of the news that Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun are facing six, two and four weeks out respectively with injuries sustained in the 2-1 FA Cup third-round replay defeat.

The loss of the trio is a serious setback and the timing is appalling for Benítez as he seeks a reaction to the Reading defeat, with a trip to Stoke City on Saturday and a rearranged home game against their close rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. Gerrard will be absent for a fortnight as a result of the hamstring strain that forced his withdrawal at half-time against Reading, Benayoun is out for three to four weeks with a broken rib and Torres is not expected back until late February having torn cartilage in his right knee.

The Spain striker will undergo surgery this week and has launched an outspoken attack on Hicks and Gillett, whom he blames for Liverpool's woes as a result of their failure to back Benítez with significant transfer funds following last season's runners-up finish.

Torres said: "It's frustrating. We finished second last season; this season should have been a turning point for us – the chance for us to do something great. Manchester United sold Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo, while Chelsea didn't sign anyone. But it hasn't been.

"It's now the owners' turn. They have to sign players so that this does not happen again. If we want to compete with United and Chelsea we need a much, much more complete squad. We need more genuinely first-class players and we can't let our best players leave."

Champions League qualification will have a greater bearing on Benítez's future but the Europa League now represents Liverpool's last realistic chance of silverware and Torres admits victory there is essential. The Liverpool striker added: "We didn't want to win the Europa League at the start of the season but it's a reality now. Now we have to win it. Anything less than winning the tournament would be terrible. If we do not win it then we have to say it's been a very, very, very bad season in Europe.

"We need to improve, to take responsibility and to get into the top four and win something. We have virtually no chance of winning the title now. Now we need to make the best of this situation."

This is Andy Hunter mind, that feller is a notorious dick.
Beatings will continue until morale improves...

Offline Alonso_The_Assassin

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2010, 10:55:58 pm »
Hunter's a cock smoker. More conjuring of tripe.

Offline exiledintheUSA

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2010, 10:59:56 pm »
All Andy Hunter stories should be banned. Piss poor journo with crap (no) sources or inside links. The man is a c o c k.
Been all over the world but Anfield is still my home.

Offline Umbarto

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2010, 11:15:34 pm »
Rafa is our man, the sooner everyone moves on and gets behind the team, the better.

Offline HiroProtagonist

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2010, 11:18:20 pm »
Rafa is our man, the sooner everyone moves on and gets behind the team, the better.

It would be a monumental fuck up (worse than the season so far, I'm talking we'll be the next Newcastle-style) if he were to leave or be sacked.

Offline Umbarto

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2010, 11:23:11 pm »
The very epitome of Epic Fail.

Offline lurganboy

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2010, 11:24:19 pm »
I am monumentually fucked up and pissed off with our form. However can I say I still can't see beyond Rafa. Although I am despairing with each passing game. The board/money situation is critical. But that is there at Old Trafford too. Why the total collapse at Anfield this season?

Still want Rafa to stay. But really upset generally.

Offline unusg

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2010, 11:39:45 pm »
Spot on Lurgan.

seriously who is out there who would:

a) represent an improvement on Rafa and
b) be prepared to take the job with such restrictions ?

The last 24 hours have been depressing and i suspect there may be more to come but the only thing we al should do is to shake ourselves down and sing for the team.

through the wind and rain people, through the wind and rain.

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2010, 11:41:06 pm »

The older fans would remember ... They have won 7 Premier League titles in the next 10 years, never finishing out of the top 2 ...
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Offline Samee

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2010, 11:42:27 pm »
It would be a monumental fuck up (worse than the season so far, I'm talking we'll be the next Newcastle-style) if he were to leave or be sacked.

+1
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Offline lukeb1981

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2010, 11:53:54 pm »
the scumbags running the club have not backed him in the transfer making ,they have no right to complain about our position or have the right to sack him, for fuck sake he is balancing the books for them and has to shop in the bargain basement

Offline Trada

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2010, 12:00:36 am »
It's a fucking load of bollocks it a win win for the vultures.

Sack Rafa and they cream themselves with excitement. Say they back him and it's dreaded vote of confidence.

They should go and feast on another dead corpse this one is alive and kicking and it will bite you fucking head off.

Mark my words it's 2005 all over again.
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Offline Mighty_Red

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2010, 12:06:14 am »
A dick he may be but I don't see a whole lot wrong with it. Obviously there's a lot of speculation but at least its not sensationalist.

The fact is that Rafa is in danger at the moment, and the only thing that can save him is if the players are still behind him and the board still think that he can turn this around. It has to be pointed out that if its the financial cost of getting rid is a factor, it is also a reason why we are in the position we are in. The line about reviewing things at the situation is a logical move, and allows action to be taken in a calm and controlled manner rather than a knee-jerk to a few bad results.

In the short term, it is up to Rafa to inspire the players, and the players to respond. The players who will start on Saturday are all talented internationals who should be playing far better than they are.
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Offline mazlo123

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2010, 12:19:59 am »
They should go and feast on another dead corpse this one is alive and kicking and it will bite you fucking head off.

:D New sig!
They should go and feast on another dead corpse this one is alive and kicking and it will bite you fucking head off.

Offline Strawberry Fields

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2010, 12:22:11 am »
Liverpool have not altered their view that Rafael Benítez is the man to revive their fortunes despite yesterday's dismal FA Cup defeat to Reading, but will review his position at the end of the season.
IF that's true, it's sounds fair enough. It gives Rafa the chance to turn things around while at the same time lets us know that any financial restrictions the club has won't deny the possibility of replacing the manager if necessary.
I don't know what the minimum requirement from Rafa (in order to keep his job) is, I'm assuming a top4 finish but for me at this moment in time it's simply to start playing well consistently (solid, controled, composed) like everyone knows we can.
I know it's also down to the players and I know it won't be easy (especially with the current injury list) but Rafa's a very good manager, a good enough manager to be able to reach that goal at least. I think if that won't happen there's a strong possibility he lost the dressing room, in which case, sadly it'll be best if he'd leave.

the scumbags running the club have not backed him in the transfer making ,they have no right to complain about our position or have the right to sack him, for fuck sake he is balancing the books for them and has to shop in the bargain basement
Com'on! even if you do believe what you just wrote, the first team isn't all that different from last season with the same fitness problems to Gerrard and Torres.
Lets say they can't complain about being dumped early from 3 competitions and our league position, they can't complain about our poor soulless displays either? or is it 100% the players' fault?

And 17m for a right-back and 20m for AS Roma's (injured) prince is hardly bargain basement.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2010, 12:35:16 am by Strawberry Fields »

Offline dodgiebloke

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #15 on: January 15, 2010, 12:36:56 am »
I do not want him gone.  But, who are the candidates chomping at the bit who want to get in bed with the two clowns? I can't think of anyone.

Offline vicgill

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Re: And now the dreaded vote of confidence: according to the Guardian anyway
« Reply #16 on: January 15, 2010, 09:40:13 am »
All Andy Hunter stories should be banned. Piss poor journo with crap (no) sources or inside links. The man is a c o c k.

Why should the Hunter stories be banned, I read worse shit on this site every day
« Last Edit: January 15, 2010, 10:05:47 am by vicgill »
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