I know a guy who works at the Daily Star offices who is well used to hearing their reporters shout around the office for someone to make up a quote to suit their story angle, which they then attribute to "an inside source" - I take anything written like that with a hefty pinch of salt.
I think the important point relating to the Independent article is that it is clearly a story written as though
the journalist has inside information and this is intended to give it credibility.
He is using the current climate of instability at the club, (which is naturally leading to speculation about
the managers future), as a means of creating a story that could, if events turned in a certain direction,
show him to be an insider worth listening to.
Sadly for Sam Wallace, any person reading that and not attempting to read between the lines or draw
false conclusions from it can see that his 'information' is not supported by any facts.
Quotes like 'Senior figures at Liverpool have indicated' is typical of someone who is trying to make
out they have inside knowledge but probably have not. Indeed even if Senior figures had 'indicated' something who is to say that Wallace did not misinterpret this 'indication'.
Its a bit like saying 'I understand it to be the case'. On the other hand 'I may have misunderstood'.
Or 'It is possible that ..' when indeed anything is possible.
The absence of any actual quotes makes it vague enough to cover him legally and he is not sticking
his neck out so much to be seen as someone peddling false information or attempting an unsupported
'world exclusive'.
If anything actually does coincidently emerge along the lines of his story he looks like he is a sound ITK.
Either way he gets a story and can stand by it.
Its bullet proof bollox journalism and the broadsheets are masters as it as much as the tabloids. They just use bigger words.
If you examine the article it is actually self contradicting. He says :
'Benitez was in a much stronger position in March last year when he signed his existing deal at Liverpool – a four-year extension to 2014. With the club's American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks desperate to keep some semblance of stability to attract potential buyers, Benitez was regarded as untouchable 11 months ago.'
That statement is utterly ludicrous.
Hicks and Gillett are now actively trying to sell the club as a matter of urgency when actually last March they were not, at least publicly.
Also, in March Benitez could have been sacked without almost any compensation. Now he will get in the region of 15 million pounds compensation if sacked.
The reality is he can do what he likes :
- he can stay if the situation suits whatever that may be e.g. new owners, new cash, happy in the city etc
- he can go if a better option comes in be it Juventus, Madrid or whoever.
- he gets compensation is a new owner comes in and sacks him because he is rich.
People get frustrated at Rafa for saying nothing but he doesnt need to say anything. The situation is quite clear. Until we get new owners this sort of rubbish will continue to be printed.
