Topic: Hicks - "We lined up Klinsmann"

[Life]

This sounds a little better...

Oh just a little?
This stuff goes on ALL the time. 
Players are tapped up.  Managers are sounded out (Rafa himself around April 04...lest ye forget).
The only difference here is him going public.

[FranklyRed]

.. you could see it also like that Hicks wants to save some $$$

because as Rafa decides to leave himself G+H spare themselves quite some $$$ then when they have to fire him!

... but could a takeover from DIC save Rafa's future at Liverpool??? In the press Mourinho is lined up but that is already squashed by his agent and do not think it is a reality either...

WORST is now.. that we as supporters cannot expect an improvement in play or results as players and manager will be even more down now...  also looking at Hyypia's interview where he admits that they are really suffering from all press, saga, etc.
....  what we already knew really...

For the benefit of Liverpool FC ... my opinion is that a takeover by DIC is the best solution now... as those 2 American clowns cannot do any good anymore for the fans for quite a while!

[jaykl]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/7187086.stm

[BHB]

perhaps the RTK can organise somethign for tomorrow night?

It's being discussed.

[Sissoko78]

Just the direct quotes make for interesting reading:

“In November, when it appeared we were in danger of not advancing in the Champions League, weren’t playing well in our Premier League matches, and Rafa and we were having communication issues over the January transfer window, George and I met with Jurgen Klinsmann to learn as much as we could about English and European football.

“He is a very impressive man. We attempted to negotiate an option, as an insurance policy, to have him become our manager in the event Rafa decided to leave our club for Real Madrid or other clubs that were rumoured in the UK press, or in case our communication spiralled out of control for some reason.”

“After George and I had our long and productive meeting with Rafa following the Man United match, we put all of our issues behind us and received Rafa's commitment that he wanted to stay with Liverpool.

“We never reached agreement on an option with Jurgen, and we are both pleased for him that he has a great opportunity to return to Germany and coach a great club team.

“Rafa has both of our support, and our communication has greatly improved.

“Foster, Rick Parry and Rafa now have regular meetings at Melwood on Monday mornings.

“The two families always try to have a telephonic meeting on Monday afternoons, so we all are on the same page. We all want to win more games.”

At least he has actually expressed his support for Rafa.

[Walter Sobchak]

sounds a bit better now we know this all happened in the height of the fall out but why on earth did he have to reveal all this now if it happened nearly 3 months ago!!

the fella is either completely clueless or he's just trying to let rafa and all of us know who's in charge

[leccyred]

Honestly cannot believe what I've just read. I have never, in all my years of supporting this club and watching football in general, seen an owner come out and say they approached another manager as a 'contingency plan' while still having another man in charge.

Absolutely shocking.

How can anybody be this stupid? The honest answer is that I don't think they can. The simple truth is that Hicks is doing his best to make Rafa's position untenable. I've said before that these two clueless fucks don't want to SACK Rafa, they want him to walk. That way they think they will save face with the fans. This is just another step along that road.

And of course these past few weeks there have been plenty of so called fans sending them the message that, in their childish impatience,  it would be acceptable to them if Rafa was to walk. They might be clueless about football but they aren;t clueless about customers and they will have correctly read that the loyalty towards the manager, that has been a hallmark of Liverpool Football Club for decades has been holed beneath the waterline by impatience on the part of some fans. Like Sami said, reading some of the threads around the place we ARE becoming like Newcastle. Stupid they aren't and they will have spent their time in charge so far weighing up the solidarity of the fans, which it has to be said is not great at the moment. Spread the net to include customers and they will have correctly identified that a substantial number if asked in a few seasons time would answer "Rafa who?" provided they were sitting in a nice new stadium.

If it wouldn't draw the wrong sort of attention and make us look like pricks then I'd like to see some G+H OUT banners, but sadly I think it'll make us look like a League Two side if we start doing that.

Or like Newcastle.

Clearly though, this situation is getting worse by the day. It's now definite in my eyes that the day we sold the club to these two idiots was the 2nd worse day in the club's history.

It was certainly a black day in the history of the club. Still so many welcomed it. There were loads who were rubbing their hands at the big investment, at the new stadium, at all the so far empty promises.

[StormyDog]

We know he sounded out Klinsman.  He knows we know.  He's explained his reasoning.  His explanation pretty much tallies with what we though before he confirmed it.
Ergo.  This is nothing new.

No, we now KNOW that Hicks and/or Gillett believe that someone of the level and experience of  Klinsman is qualified and right to take over at Liverpool.

That scares me.

[Joe_Singh]

What staggers me is that surely part of Coco's job is to advise the yanks what goes in football and what doesn't. Surely he should have advised Tom Hicks not to go public with this after what happened at Spurs.

Yet again he has fucked up. I think he's just a yes man.

[AdoptedScouse]

It's being discussed.

top stuff

[Sissoko78]

This is fucking unbelieveable but i think the article has calmed me down. we know now why the links with klinsmann, but im worried the media will as per usual blow it out of porportation.

More importantly, we now know the timing of the Klinsmann link. 

That means H&G and Rafa may have genuinely made their peace, and the press may merely be running off sources who aren't the full bottle on the issue.

[AdoptedScouse]

Straight to the point, i like it

it did make me giggle

[macmanamanaman]

This is fucking unbelieveable but i think the article has calmed me down. we know now why the links with klinsmann, but im worried the media will as per usual blow it out of porportation.

Yeah. Same here.

The whole thing seems to have occured in November, at the peak (hopefully!) of the storm.

It seems Rafa might have at least till the end of the season.

By then, any number of  things could happen: We could win or reach the final of one or more cups, we could go on a good run in the league, DIC could buy a stake , etc.

Optimism is returning.

[filopastry]

Look mate, fuck off. Houllier had more time, more money, and less success than Rafa. Compared to Rafa, Houllier's treatment was like fucking royalty, while Rafa has been repeatedly shat on. You don't agree with Rafa's methods, fine. But you seem to be thrilled by the fact that Rafa might walk, rather than pissed off like the rest of us at the disrespectful way Hicks thinks its fine to run this club.

Get your fucking priorities sorted mate.

The board also did nothing to undermine Houllier in public even when a decision had correctly been made to replace him.

In this case they're trying to get rid of a manager for non footballing reasons, and have happily been undermining him ever since the initial disagreement.

So, yes as you say its just a bit different

[AdoptedScouse]

More importantly, we know the timing of the Klinsmann link. 

That means H&G and Rafa may have genuinely made their peace, and the press may merely be running off sources who aren't the full bottle on the issue.

Its very very possible that these comments are only now being used against rafa, these could have been said weeks ago. Who knows?

[Life]

You happy with the current situation then? Not alarmed at all? Quite happy with how everything is panning out this season? Do you think owners admitting going behind the manager's back is a really healthy and stable way of running a football club?

I suggest you go upstairs and put a dress on like the rest of us, there are times when it is right to panic..

Happy with the current situation?  No.
Happy with how things are panning out this season?  No.
Do I think Hicks blabbing this in public is good?  No.

That doesn't mean it's time to panic like little children because of this statement.

Do any of you think that Rafa DIDN'T know all this anyway?

Jesus..."club sounded out other managers after problems with current manager" - shocker that eh?  It would have been more surprising if they hadn't.

[cruyff73]

Fuck off now you yank twats

Seconded!

[jaykl]

someone tell me why he couldnt just have said "after the meeting all was sorted and he has our full support" blah blah blah.

Why the fuck bring up Klinsmann. If he thought this would end speculation in the press he's a bigger fuckin tit than i thought.

[Liverbird 2010]

Insurance my fuckin arse you lying pair of ruthless bastards do you thjink that we are that stupid?

[Joe_Singh]

Just the direct quotes make for interesting reading:

“In November, when it appeared we were in danger of not advancing in the Champions League, weren’t playing well in our Premier League matches, and Rafa and we were having communication issues over the January transfer window, George and I met with Jurgen Klinsmann to learn as much as we could about English and European football.

“He is a very impressive man. We attempted to negotiate an option, as an insurance policy, to have him become our manager in the event Rafa decided to leave our club for Real Madrid or other clubs that were rumoured in the UK press, or in case our communication spiralled out of control for some reason.”

“After George and I had our long and productive meeting with Rafa following the Man United match, we put all of our issues behind us and received Rafa's commitment that he wanted to stay with Liverpool.

“We never reached agreement on an option with Jurgen, and we are both pleased for him that he has a great opportunity to return to Germany and coach a great club team.

“Rafa has both of our support, and our communication has greatly improved.

“Foster, Rick Parry and Rafa now have regular meetings at Melwood on Monday mornings.

“The two families always try to have a telephonic meeting on Monday afternoons, so we all are on the same page. We all want to win more games.”

At least he has actually expressed his support for Rafa.

Makes me fill just a bit better.

[thredworm]

Anyway its reached the stage now where we should be doing anything we can to get these c*nts out before they do anymore damage.

THIS is how serious it is. Filo has called the owners 'c*nts'. I have fond memories from the .tv messageboards of Filo being the calming, soothing voice of reason. Like Gandalf he was! But when I see this mild-mannered fella calling the owners 'c*nts' I know it's reached boiling point. And I agree entirely.

[RedBoywonder]

Gob smacked by the arrogance of the twats, they just love to twist the knife in these two, don't they!

To us and Rafa!

Our club is run by Idiots!

[sattapaartridge]

yep. time is right to worry.

its football. nothing like this has ever happened to us before, so soon after a take over. when you win a european cup, a FA cup and almost a 2nd european cup, you should at least have time to win it again. Gillette and Hicks have no right to change the management after just 8 months in charge (or however long it has been)

these two are supposed to be billionnaires. why not just use your own money? its the safest way to trade. of course if they have any liquid assets.

i think it is time for a protest!

[lfctitch]

It's being discussed.

Fantastic news!!!

[vanoord]

It's about time that the club issued a statement about this mess. As we're getting is comments to the press and it's doing nothing but harm.

Something along the lines of "We want Rafa to see out his current contract and we intend to offer him an extended contract in the next couple of months. We realise that Rome wasn't built in a day and we believe that Rafa is the best man to build a team which will remain at the top of English football for years to come."

[Fat Scouser]

Somebody just started another thread suggesting we start a petition to let G&H know how we feel. The mods deleted it. Fair enough. But how are we supposed to let these two American gentlemen know we are pretty miffed with their shenanigans. All ideas gratefully accepted.

[GBF]

To be fair it was before they had the "talk".  Now the media is just reporting something that happened before and has been "resolve". 

[Something Else]

sky are playing it down more than on here......

never thought i would say that

[StuH]

Just saw it on BBC... now we're fucked.

[Sissoko78]

Its very very possible that these comments are only now being used against rafa, these could have been said weeks ago. Who knows?

Also true

[¡Basta Ya!]

Makes me fill just a bit better.

Same here, in regards to Rafa.

What doesn't feel better is that they've spoken to another manager about Rafa's job. Maybe it makes sense to have someone ready to take over, maybe that's the right thing to do.

Why Klinsmann was ever in the race, I'll never know.

[Johnnyboy1973]

At least he has actually expressed his support for Rafa.

Until we get another couple of poor results and Allardyce could be in the frame.

This is no way to run a club.

[jaykl]

Happy with the current situation?  No.
Happy with how things are panning out this season?  No.
Do I think Hicks blabbing this in public is good?  No.

That doesn't mean it's time to panic like little children because of this statement.

Do any of you think that Rafa DIDN'T know all this anyway?

Jesus..."club sounded out other managers after problems with current manager" - shocker that eh?  It would have been more surprising if they hadn't.

mate your missing the fuckin point. Since when do fuckin owners admit in the press that they approached another manager when their current manager is still fuckin in charge??

And fuck off with your "...time to panic like little children" comment. Patronising c*nt.

[gnaume]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11660_3046199,00.html

[¡Basta Ya!]

sky are playing it down more than on here......

never thought i would say that

Maybe it's just a sensible thing for them to have done.

[Valore]

THIS is how serious it is. Filo has called the owners 'c*nts'. I have fond memories from the .tv messageboards of Filo being the calming, soothing voice of reason. Like Gandalf he was! But when I see this mild-mannered fella calling the owners 'c*nts' I know it's reached boiling point. And I agree entirely.

Obviously missed the part where Gandalf goes nuts later on

[Walter Sobchak]

thinking about it id be surprised if rafa didnt know all this already to be honest

[Tommy316]

Fucking pair of twats! I swear to god they won't know what's hit them if they drive Benitez out of this club.

[sattapaartridge]

whats the source for the full quote transcript of Hicks' revelation?

because he did actually quote support for rafa....

[Sissoko78]

Until we get another couple of poor results and Allardyce could be in the frame.

This is no way to run a club.

Agreed, but it's better than it first appeared, i.e. details about Klinsmann with no clarification about support for Rafa.