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.
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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.