Rafa: I'm a dead man walking
-
Rafa: dead man walking?
RAFA BENITEZ has sensationally admitted he EXPECTS to be sacked by Liverpool. And the Kop boss could get the elbow as soon as next month if Liverpool crash out of the Champions League.
The Spaniard is a dead man walking on Merseyside after American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks REFUSED to discuss a new contract for Benitez despite his pleas. And now the Kop boss is on yet another collision course with his bosses after again criticising Liverpool's lack of spending power.
A close friend of Benitez said: "There was no talk of a new contract when Rafa met with the owners last month. "He also knows there will be very little money for him this month to buy the centre-half that he believes he needs. "There is also the problem of Javier Mascherano. He will not sign because he does not know whether the manager is going to be there this season, let alone next.
"Manchester United and Arsenal are bringing in over £2million per home game, while Chelsea can turn to Roman Abramovich. Liverpool don't have the cash to live with them. "Rafa wants to stay but now he believes he will be sacked because the owners have not shown they will back him."
Benitez's current deal has another two years to run but the Spaniard already appears to be making plans to leave. He has been linked with the Bayern Munich job and sources in Spain claim Benitez's representatives have been sounded out by Real Madrid.
Defeat to Inter Milan next month would virtually seal Benitez's fate with the owners, especially after the Liverpool manager's latest dig. Rafa moaned: "We must do almost everything perfectly to compete with the likes of United. Over a season it is a massive difference in what we bring in compared to United.
"They can buy two top-class players with this money every year. How can you compete? With the Premier League, it is clear we are a little bit behind the others. If they continue spending it will be more difficult." For Hicks and Gillett, Benitez's bleating are growing harder to take and with the manager now admitting he expects the axe, they will find it even more simple to sack the Spaniard. -
JOSE WAITS AS BENITEZ PREPARES TO LEAVE
Rafa Benitez reportedly believes he will be sacked by Liverpool at the end of the season - and Jose Mourinho is poised to replace him at Anfield. While previous reports of Benitez's imminent demise have proved premature, the Sunday papers are united in their belief that the Spaniard is preparing to leave England after his spat with Liverpool's American owners proved terminal.
Martin O'Neill and Jurgen Klinsmann would most probably be installed as the favourites to move into the Anfield hot seat but, in an intriguing twist, The Observer leads with the claim that 'Jose Mourinho is growing increasingly restless in his search for a return to management and is monitoring the position of Rafa Benitez at Liverpool.'
Out of work since his dismissal by Chelski in September, Mourinho has apparently become disenchanted with his prospects of returning to management with either Barcelona, Real Madrid or AC Milan.
According to The Observer, 'There has been no approach to Mourinho by the Americans, but Hicks and Gillett are understood to be actively considering replacement managers and are well aware of the abilities of the Portuguese, who discussed becoming Liverpool manager before joining Chelsea in 2004. Asked last night to comment on the pair's interest in employing Mourinho, Hicks declined.
'Mourinho's family were keen to live in London again when he was considering becoming England coach, although they do not hold the same enthusiasm about the wetter, colder and (in their view) less cosmopolitan North-West. 'Liverpool is not the same as London,' said a friend. 'But Liverpool is a big club and Jose loves English football. For now we have to wait.'' -
he undertaker ar
-
i don`t love you~ like i did~ yesterday~~~
-
Benitez reiterates commitment to Liverpool job
Rafa Benitez has reiterated his desire to remain at Anfield following speculation surrounding his future as Liverpool boss.
The Reds manager's future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks and the FA Cup tie at Luton at the weekend was overshadowed by talk that Benitez would be sacked at the end of the season.
Chief executive Rick Parry is set to meet with the club's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett although he insists the talks will concern the revised stadium plans and not the Spaniard's future.
Now Benitez has pledged his allegiance to the Anfield club and insists he sees his future in the north-west.
He said: 'I don't know how many times I have to say I only see my future at Liverpool football club before certain people believe me, but I will say it again because it is really important that everyone understands this.
'I love the club, I love the fans, I love the city and I am very, very happy here.
'I do not see my future at Real Madrid or Inter Milan or anywhere else.
'I see my future at Liverpool and this is where I want to stay.
'I want to win trophies for my club, for our fans and for the people and I still believe we can do this.' -
where is our dmi
-
RAFA BENITEZÂ’S future is back in limbo
Once again, LiverpoolÂ’s manager has been refused a display of public support from the clubÂ’s owners.
Americans George Gillett and Tom Hicks held a board meeting with chief executive Rick Parry in New York yesterday over plans for the new Stanley Park stadium.
It was widely expected those talks would include discussions on the managerÂ’s position, after a dip in form, embarrassing public fall-out and mounting speculation Jurgen Klinsmann has been lined up as his replacement.
But the board emerged from the meeting to insist they had spoken only about proposals for the new ground — despite NINE hours of talks.
That cast another huge shadow over the Anfield chiefÂ’s future, with pressure now rising from all quarters for the Americans to come clean.
Hicks and Parry both insisted Benitez did not crop up. Yet while the new stadium plans need to be finalised, it is unbelievable to think that the managerÂ’s situation did not make the agenda.
The question just will not go away as to why there is an almost defiant stance in not giving Benitez the public backing which could end the speculation about him for at least a few months.
And there will be no clarity on the situation until the Americans finally break their silence and tell Reds fans what they want to know.
Hicks has denied suggestions he is about to offload some, or all, of the club to Irish businessman John Miskelly.
He said: “I had never heard of him until today. There is no truth in it.
RAFA BENITEZÂ’S future is back in limbo.
Once again, LiverpoolÂ’s manager has been refused a display of public support from the clubÂ’s owners.
Americans George Gillett and Tom Hicks held a board meeting with chief executive Rick Parry in New York yesterday over plans for the new Stanley Park stadium.
It was widely expected those talks would include discussions on the managerÂ’s position, after a dip in form, embarrassing public fall-out and mounting speculation Jurgen Klinsmann has been lined up as his replacement.
But the board emerged from the meeting to insist they had spoken only about proposals for the new ground — despite NINE hours of talks.
That cast another huge shadow over the Anfield chiefÂ’s future, with pressure now rising from all quarters for the Americans to come clean.
Hicks and Parry both insisted Benitez did not crop up. Yet while the new stadium plans need to be finalised, it is unbelievable to think that the managerÂ’s situation did not make the agenda.
The question just will not go away as to why there is an almost defiant stance in not giving Benitez the public backing which could end the speculation about him for at least a few months.
And there will be no clarity on the situation until the Americans finally break their silence and tell Reds fans what they want to know.
Hicks has denied suggestions he is about to offload some, or all, of the club to Irish businessman John Miskelly.
He said: “I had never heard of him until today. There is no truth in it. -
Originally posted by gigabyte14:where is our dmi
-
yes?Originally posted by gigabyte14:where is our dmi -
Benitez talk no problem for Carragher
Liverpool's Jamie Carragher is adamant the ongoing speculation surrounding the Anfield future of manager Rafael Benitez is not proving a distraction to either him or his team-mates.
And the local hero is equally convinced that Liverpool's American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett shouldn't have to answer repeated calls to give the Spanish boss a vote of confidence just to quieten down rumours of Benitez's imminent departure from Merseyside.
Liverpool may be one of English football's so-called 'Big Four' but they are currently fifth in the table, a huge 12 points behind leaders Arsenal, while in the FA Cup they face a third round replay after being held to a draw by cash-strapped League One strugglers Luton.
This has all stoked talk that Benitez could be on his way out of Liverpool but 29-year-old defender Carragher said: "The situation over the manager doesn't affect me, it doesn't affect the other players, we get paid to play football and that is what we have to do.
"Our objective is to improve on the way we have played in the last few weeks, we should not be getting involved in things like that off the field, we have got to look after ourselves," he also told Sky Sports on Thursday.
"We have to stick together. At the moment we are getting a lot of criticism from a lot of people, but we must rally round, get together, and prove a few things out on the pitch.
"The last few weeks have not gone as well as well all would have liked but the main thing is what goes on out on the pitch, not off it.
"We should do what we are paid to do. We should concentrate on that."
Benitez has recently denied in local Liverpool media he gave an off the record briefing where he anticipated being sacked, having had a very public falling out with Hicks and Gillett over transfer policy earlier in the season.
Carragher said too much was being read into the duo's failure to give Benitez a vote of confidence - which in English football, at least, usually heralds the sack.
"It's up to the owners what they say about the manager, it is nothing to do with me what goes on between the manager and the owners.
"A few months ago they said everything was fine, I don't think they should be coming out every few minutes answering speculation."