Liverpool FC

[sovietsong]

link

fyp

[Scottish Dave]

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/david-maddock/David-Maddock-column-Why-Liverpool-chairman-Martin-Broughton-not-Roy-Hodgson-now-has-the-biggest-say-in-Anfield-s-future-as-he-seeks-a-buyer-for-Tom-Hicks-and-George-Gillett-article517841.html

clearly no need to read the article, just read the link!

[kinboshi]

The other – and perhaps most significant in terms of the future of Liverpool Football Club – was almost a throwaway line from chairman Martin Broughton, who was wheeled in to handle what was clearly felt to be a sensitive press conference.

When questioned on persistent rumours about an impending takeover, he insisted that, contrary to the myth an announcement would be made on July 17, nothing was imminent.

But he reiterated the idea that he and his fellow board members now had jurisdiction over any sale, leaving American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett on the outside of the process, looking in.

In the desperate conflict that has developed in trying to rid Liverpool of their disastrous ownership regime, that is just about the best news supporters could have received in recent weeks. If it proves to be true.


Sweet.

[kinboshi]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=807063&sec=transfers&cc=5739

[maldini32]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=807063&sec=transfers&cc=5739

tbf in spain even the shitters have fairly big buy out clauses. You never played Footy manager kin?

But Yeah if Penant is sold for £21m or more i will give up playing football.

[kinboshi]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=807063&sec=transfers&cc=5739

tbf in spain even the shitters have fairly big buy out clauses. You never played Footy manager kin?

But Yeah if Penant is sold for £21m or more i will give up playing football.

It's the bit where he says he's not for sale, when obviously if someone offered £20M for him they'd have their arm bitten off.

[Murph1984]

Quite an interview...

FURIOUS Yossi Benayoun today accuses Rafa Benitez of making his life a misery at Liverpool.

In an exclusive News of the World interview, the Israeli midfielder blasts Benitez for forcing out of Anfield and insists the Spaniard:


*NEVER treated him with any respect.


*DESTROYED his confidence.


*TRIED to break him.


*ORDERED him to find another club.


Manager Benitez left Liverpool at the end of the season after a disastrous trophyless campaign which ended with the Reds failing to even qualify for the Champions League.


And Benayoun, 30, reveals the truth about his volatile relationship with the man who has now replaced Jose Mourinho as boss of European Cup winners Inter Milan.


"Everyone asks me why I left Liverpool," said Benayoun, who joined Premier League champions Chelsea in a £5.5million move earlier this month.


"There is only one reason - Rafa Benitez.


"I agreed to join Chelsea before Roy Hodgson was appointed Liverpool's new manager.


"It's a dream for me such a fantastic club have given me this opportunity.


"But I want Liverpool fans to know the truth and for them to know I made up my mind to leave a long time ago because of Benitez.


"He never treated me with the respect I deserved. If I played well, I never felt he gave me credit.


"When I scored, I still expected to be out of the team the next game.


"And when the fans wanted me to play, Benitez told me he couldn't understand why."

Benayoun, who scored nine goals for Liverpool last season, added: "There are many examples of him treating me badly.


"On two occasions early last season, against Fulham and Lyon, the fans booed when I was subbed.


"They thought I was playing well but Benitez told me he was surprised the fans booed because I was not good enough.


"It was as if the fans' reaction worked against me. The situation got worse afterwards.


"He told me I was a better player as a substitute instead of starting in the team.


"Then, when we played Birmingham after I hadn't started a game for a month, he didn't tell me I was starting until two hours before the game.


"He tried to destroy my confidence. You can't treat a player like this and expect him to be happy.


"I felt so unhappy but, out of respect to the club, I never spoke out. The players and the people at the top of the club knew how I felt.


"I don't want to speak on behalf of other players at Liverpool, but people know what happened to Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso.


"It was the same for me. Benitez tried to break me like he broke Riera.


"I was sure he wanted me to attack him in the Press during the season so he could turn the fans against me, so I kept quiet.


"I felt he was waiting for me to make a mistake so he could use it against me.


"On the day before the final game of last season at Hull, Benitez pulled me to one side after training and said: 'You will not be in the squad for this game. Thank you for your three years of service, now you can call your agent to do a deal with another club.'


"That's when Chelsea made an offer and the deal was done before Benitez left."




BENAYOUN: Signing on at ChelseaBut Benayoun admits his relationship with Benitez deteriorated on the FIRST day of last season.


"The previous season when we finished second in the Premier League, I was happy with my performance in the final months but I was not sure if the manager thought I was a good player," he added.


"I told Benitez I would go if he wanted, but he told me I was important and he would give me a new contract, which I signed.


"But then for the first game of the new season I wasn't in the team again. The manager ignored me when I wanted to know why.


"After he ignored me for a long time, he needed me for Europe when Ryan Babel was suspended.


"I said: 'You need me now and I will always do my best.'


"I scored against Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-final. It was a really emotional moment for me. The fans could see what it meant to me.


"I couldn't say at the time, but I knew this was my last season at Liverpool and I wanted a special end.


"I thought: 'No matter how the manager is treating me, I'm showing the fans the club is in my heart.'


"I knew I had to get away from Benitez. A lot of people at Liverpool treated me well and asked me to stay, but I could not turn down such a massive club as Chelsea.


"I could not risk waiting to see if Benitez kept his job.


"The club said they understood why I was unhappy and promised they'd let me leave in the summer if an offer came while Benitez was manager.


"It is good for Liverpool Benitez has gone, but it was too late for me.


"I know everyone working there will be a lot happier and I believe Roy Hodgson is a good choice.


"It was a privilege for me to play for such a great club in front of great fans. I thought I would be staying for a lot longer."


Benayoun realises he faces as tough a time forcing his way into the Chelsea side.

He said: "I'm not stupid. I know Chelsea have many great players and it will be hard to play in the team every week.


"But what's important for me is I know I will be treated with respect.


"Carlo Ancelotti is a fantastic manager and he knows how to treat players."

[kinboshi]

So he waited for Rafa to leave the club, and then moves to chelsea to get away from Rafa?

[boldie]

So he waited for Rafa to leave the club, and then moves to chelsea to get away from Rafa?

He does say he had decided to go to Chelsea, effectively the deal was done, before Rafa got the boot.


I am a bit surprised at the style of management of some of the club managers in the EPL. Whenever the managers are asked a question about a player and they answer with "I haven't spoken to the player yet but will do so sometime this week" it strikes me as odd.

Hiddink speaks to his players whenever he can almost on a daily bases, it's the normal way of working in Holland...they are your guys and you should speak to them. Not everything needs to be done through layers of agents and assistant managers..

[The Baron]

First and foremost it's the S*n's sister paper and Chris Bascombe. Nuff said.

Secondly, I look at the list who have hammered Rafa, (Pennant, Voronin, Riera, Benayoun) Vs those with praise for the guy for improving them as players (Gerrard, Torres, Carragher, Mascherano, Agger, Reina) and it's obvious the best players were happy and some squad players weren't - expected really.

What it does confirm though is that the time to change manager was correct. When a guy who was as universally liked and respected like Benayoun, praised many times by Rafa himself for being the "glue" in the dressing room since Zenden left, who doesn't do a Riera or Babel Twittergate and bites his tongue for the good of the club speaks out like this, you do have to wonder if more senior players have been keeping quiet the same way. Even Torres has now said Rafa's dismissal was "best for everyone". If I remember rightly Rafa even said after Twittergate "Babel needs to look at Benyoun, he doesn't play every week but never moans about it" etc etc.

I think Balague hits the nail on the head with Rafa. His management style is so "tough love" even after you've had a great game that only he very strongest mental players can play under him for a sustained period of time. Players like Gerrard and Carragher have said in their books they've never had a "well done" from Rafa but players of that ilk don't need an arm around their shoulder most weeks.

[77dave]

Looks like Insua and El Zhar will be following Benny out the door

Really gonna need a good LB coming in, shame we couldnt keep Aurellio

[Murph1984]

First and foremost it's the S*n's sister paper and Chris Bascombe. Nuff said.

Secondly, I look at the list who have hammered Rafa, (Pennant, Voronin, Riera, Benayoun) Vs those with praise for the guy for improving them as players (Gerrard, Torres, Carragher, Mascherano, Agger, Reina) and it's obvious the best players were happy and some squad players weren't - expected really.

What it does confirm though is that the time to change manager was correct. When a guy who was as universally liked and respected like Benayoun, praised many times by Rafa himself for being the "glue" in the dressing room since Zenden left, who doesn't do a Riera or Babel Twittergate and bites his tongue for the good of the club speaks out like this, you do have to wonder if more senior players have been keeping quiet the same way. Even Torres has now said Rafa's dismissal was "best for everyone". If I remember rightly Rafa even said after Twittergate "Babel needs to look at Benyoun, he doesn't play every week but never moans about it" etc etc.

I think Balague hits the nail on the head with Rafa. His management style is so "tough love" even after you've had a great game that only he very strongest mental players can play under him for a sustained period of time. Players like Gerrard and Carragher have said in their books they've never had a "well done" from Rafa but players of that ilk don't need an arm around their shoulder most weeks.

Agree with most of that.

The likes of Babel(should he stay) could be given a new lease of life under Hodgson,might finally show the talent everybody knows he has.

[The Baron]

Looks like Insua and El Zhar will be following Benny out the door

Really gonna need a good LB coming in, shame we couldnt keep Aurellio

Agree Dave but he was never fit. The cycle would be injured, fringes, find form for 5 games, 2/3 good performances and look really decent, injured again.

[The Baron]

First and foremost it's the S*n's sister paper and Chris Bascombe. Nuff said.

Secondly, I look at the list who have hammered Rafa, (Pennant, Voronin, Riera, Benayoun) Vs those with praise for the guy for improving them as players (Gerrard, Torres, Carragher, Mascherano, Agger, Reina) and it's obvious the best players were happy and some squad players weren't - expected really.

What it does confirm though is that the time to change manager was correct. When a guy who was as universally liked and respected like Benayoun, praised many times by Rafa himself for being the "glue" in the dressing room since Zenden left, who doesn't do a Riera or Babel Twittergate and bites his tongue for the good of the club speaks out like this, you do have to wonder if more senior players have been keeping quiet the same way. Even Torres has now said Rafa's dismissal was "best for everyone". If I remember rightly Rafa even said after Twittergate "Babel needs to look at Benyoun, he doesn't play every week but never moans about it" etc etc.

I think Balague hits the nail on the head with Rafa. His management style is so "tough love" even after you've had a great game that only he very strongest mental players can play under him for a sustained period of time. Players like Gerrard and Carragher have said in their books they've never had a "well done" from Rafa but players of that ilk don't need an arm around their shoulder most weeks.

Agree with most of that.

The likes of Babel(should he stay) could be given a new lease of life under Hodgson,might finally show the talent everybody knows he has.

Hope so! The one thing Hodgson does very well is man management and getting the best out of the players he has.

[maldini32]

Agger at left back would be a gazillion times better than insua.