Can't say I'm suprised about this to be honest. Seems to me that Rafa wants to stay, because he wants to at least win the League here and prove he is one of the very, very best in Europe.
However he has his issues within the club and the running of it. It's clear that Rafa has no time for Parry, which isn't really suprising seens nobody involved with the club at all levels, really does.
That's not to see that a CEO is not a nessesity. It is. Rafa, although clearly a very intelligent and clued up man, could not possibly be asked to run the finacial side of the club to the extent a CEO would, and should focus entirely on the progression, both tactically and in terms of personel, on his squad, and the influx of young players that he wants bought to the club and eased into the first team squad. That's Rafa's job, to train, teach, manage and progress the football side of things at this club, and that is what he should focus on. I agree with te above where G&H give Rafa a transfer budget, let him decide how to use it, and pass it onto Rick to go and get the deals done. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be happening.
As for Robbie Keane, well that may well have weakend Rafa's hand, but it's important to remember that Rafa's number one target was Gareth Barry, to form a 3 man midfield consisiting of Gerrard, Mascha, and Gareth (providing both width, creativity, balance and stability), with Keane and Kuyt playing off of Torres. Of course this could/would have been switched and moulded to each games requirements, but that's the option he wanted in the main.
However this was scuppered for multiple reasons. Parry was shite at negotiating, H&G wouldn't push to £18m (which you can't call unfair, that's a lot of money with Keanes £20m price tag on top) and this left Rafa with a player who didn't fit into his system as he would have had we signed Barry. I think Gareth Barrys left foot and versatility had a lot to do with Benitez persuing him, and there aren't really many players like Gareth around. So with Keane left as a square peg for a pentagon shaped hole, suddenly we have a £20m striker who doesn't look like he's got much of a chance.
Yes, as I say, that will weaken Rafa's hand. But Rafa has the old trick up his sleave, the black magic, us. He knows it, and although he respects it, he uses it to his advantage. And why shouldn't he? Both Rafa and ourselves want the same things in general for this football club, but unfortunately people like Parry are holding us back, mainly through idiocy raher than ill feeling.
Rafa has played a clever game here, getting this in the open. I know the old "dirty linnin" blah blah, but I think that ship has fucking sailed people. Now it's time to do what's best for Liverpool Football Club, and if that means going public with Parry's shit, then so be it, I'm afraid.
