Rafa to Juve link denied

[Buddha]

[quote author=Brendan link=topic=38644.msg1098792#msg1098792 date=1272972110]
[quote author=Buddha link=topic=38644.msg1098791#msg1098791 date=1272971966]

Rafa staying might at least be a sign that he's privy to new owners taking over and providing him with a sizeable transfer kitty.

[/quote]

Hasn't he been told that a few times now, only for nothing to materialise?

You can castigate Benitez for many, many things, but one can only sympathise with the amount of times the goalposts have moved, and investment promises broken.
[/quote]

True, but the situation seems different now. Either we're about to be taken over by some wealthy owners form the Middle East or the current board (not the yanks) will be more true to their word about short-term funds available (not likely to be more than 20m + sales).

He's not going to stay for a maybe, and like you say, no one can blame him for that.

 

[Squiggles]

As I've said previously, I could tolerate Rafa being here for another year if there was significant investment in the first team and they were the owners wishes. But Benitez would be a very lucky man if that were to play out.

 

[manwithnoname]

What Squiggles said

 

[the count]

[quote author=Buddha link=topic=38644.msg1098791#msg1098791 date=1272971966]
Rafa staying might at least be a sign that he's privy to new owners taking over and providing him with a sizeable transfer kitty.

He won't be staying if there's not money to spend, that's clear.
[/quote]

Or perhaps he is just smoothing the way with the fans for his departure to Juve.

Sad Spanish voice) I would like to stay and win the premiership with the club I love but the mean owners won't provide me with the means to do so, sniff(sad Spanish voice

 

[the count]

Benitez wants to stay, says agent

Rafael Benitez's agent claims the Liverpool boss has still not received any offers from Juventus or any other club and wants to stay at Anfield. Speculation in England and Italy has linked Benitez to a move to Turin and the 50-year-old is believed to be the number one candidate to succeed coach Alberto Zaccheroni this summer.
Benitez is also a reported target of Real Madrid, but his agent today insisted the Spaniard does not intend to leave Liverpool.

"We have not received any offers from any club," Manuel Garcia Quilon said. "Benitez's aim is to remain at Liverpool and try to help the team improve with new owners.

"He is under contract and his wish is to remain at Liverpool."

The Spaniard, who is under contract at Anfield until June 2014, has a meeting scheduled with new Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton this week to discuss the plans being put in place for next season.

Broughton, the chairman of British Airways, has been brought in by co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to oversee the sale of the club.

Last weekend's 2-0 home defeat to Chelsea ended Liverpool's hopes of playing in the Champions League next season.

Juve will also miss out on playing in Europe's elite club competition as they have no chance of finishing in the top four in Serie A.



http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soccer/2010/0504/1224269681314.html

I wonder if that is the key to whether Rafa chooses to stay or leave?

 

[Oncy]

[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=38644.msg1098823#msg1098823 date=1272973941]
As I've said previously, I could tolerate Rafa being here for another year if there was significant investment in the first team and they were the owners wishes. But Benitez would be a very lucky man if that were to play out.
[/quote]Ive been Rafa out for some time now, but if as you say the board wanted him to stay and were willing to invest heavily in him. And by heavily I mean these 4 or 5 top players then fine i'd give him another year.
For all my bitching and moaning, there really isn't any point in replacing rafa with an inferior manager if there isn't any investment in the squad.
We have got a good first team no doubt, but I dong think any coach, not even Sir Bob himself could make this squad last the course.

 

[manwithnoname]

Ive been Rafa out for some time now, but if as you say the board wanted him to stay and were willing to invest heavily in him. And by heavily I mean these 4 or 5 top players then fine i'd give him another year.
For all my bitching and moaning, there really isn't any point in replacing rafa with an inferior manager if there isn't any investment in the squad.
We have got a good first team no doubt, but I dong think any coach, not even Sir Bob himself could make this squad last the course.

We don't have a left-back, a left-sided attacker, or any strikers who aren't called Torres.

But the first point is valid. If we get some mega-rich new owners, it is quite likely they might not want immediate and painful upheaval, and give Benitez another season and £100m. And if he fails again; seeya.

Chelsea did it. City sort of did. New owners rarely bin the incumbent straight away.

 

[Holle]

[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=38644.msg1098890#msg1098890 date=1272979212]
[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=38644.msg1098823#msg1098823 date=1272973941]
As I've said previously, I could tolerate Rafa being here for another year if there was significant investment in the first team and they were the owners wishes. But Benitez would be a very lucky man if that were to play out.
[/quote]Ive been Rafa out for some time now, but if as you say the board wanted him to stay and were willing to invest heavily in him. And by heavily I mean these 4 or 5 top players then fine i'd give him another year.
For all my bitching and moaning, there really isn't any point in replacing rafa with an inferior manager if there isn't any investment in the squad.
We have got a good first team no doubt, but I dong think any coach, not even Sir Bob himself could make this squad last the course.
[/quote]

The problem is that I don't trust Rafa anymore regarding the transfer market. I'm not sure if he's able to address our needs.

 

[Halmeister]

[quote author=Doped White Mouse link=topic=38644.msg1098896#msg1098896 date=1272979498]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=38644.msg1098890#msg1098890 date=1272979212]
[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=38644.msg1098823#msg1098823 date=1272973941]
As I've said previously, I could tolerate Rafa being here for another year if there was significant investment in the first team and they were the owners wishes. But Benitez would be a very lucky man if that were to play out.
[/quote]Ive been Rafa out for some time now, but if as you say the board wanted him to stay and were willing to invest heavily in him. And by heavily I mean these 4 or 5 top players then fine i'd give him another year.
For all my bitching and moaning, there really isn't any point in replacing rafa with an inferior manager if there isn't any investment in the squad.
We have got a good first team no doubt, but I dong think any coach, not even Sir Bob himself could make this squad last the course.
[/quote]

The problem is that I don't trust Rafa anymore regarding the transfer market. I'm not sure if he's able to address our needs.
[/quote]

Exactly. If we gave him £100m I'd half expect him to go out and sign a couple of centre halfs, a few sub keepers and a defensive mid.

 

[etchy]

The key is when the ownership is gonna be settled. Hopefully, it'll be tied up quietly and efficiently before the World Cup.
I doubt we'll need massive funds like a 100mil even with a rich sugar daddy. 40 mil + whatever u get from player sales (Riera, Babel, etc) ought to be sufficient. I do support Rafa despite his doggy record in transfers for the past couple of seasons. Prudent to give a reasonable amount. If Rafa manages the team to challenge next season then give him more else look for another manager.

 

[TheBunnyman]

BBC...

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has cancelled two scheduled face-to-face meetings with the club's new chairman, Martin Broughton.

Benitez claimed on Monday that he was anxious to "meet with the chairman sooner rather than later".

But it is understood that he pulled out of talks with Broughton last week and another the week before.

A further meeting is scheduled for this week amid speculation about Benitez's future with the club.

Liverpool went out of the Europa League last week and have failed to qualify for next season's Champions League.

It is not clear why Benitez cancelled the meetings with Broughton, although the last two weeks have been affected by preparations for Liverpool's Europa League semi-final meetings with Atletico Madrid.

The first week in particular was heavily disrupted as Benitez's team were forced to make the long journey to the Spanish capital by road and rail after flights were grounded by ash from the Icelandic volcano.

But, even allowing for that, there is some surprise inside the Anfield boardroom at the timing of Benitez's call on Tuesday for an urgent meeting with Broughton to discuss the future.

606: DEBATE
With a net spend in the past two seasons of just over £2m, would any other manager have done better?

Bleeding Red

That plus the Spanish manager's request for assurances over his summer transfer kitty would seem to suggest that Benitez is stalling for time, with a possible £3.5m-a-year offer to quit Liverpool for Juventus thought to be on the table.

Benitez, who could receive somewhere between £10m and £15m in compensation were he to be sacked by Liverpool, was unavailable for comment but was quoted on Tuesday as saying: "I would like to meet with the chairman sooner rather than later to know his idea about the future.

"Still, we are working hard and planning for the future. Liverpool is a massive name in England and again in Europe. Everybody knows about the history of the club and the fans, so we can still attract players to improve the squad."

Liverpool have refused to comment on the cancelled meetings.

With the five-time European champions failing to qualify for the Champions League, attracting new players and keeping stars such as Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard will be much harder for Benitez.

The sale of the club, which is being conducted by British Airways chairman Broughton and investment bank Barclays Capital, could take months, meaning even more uncertainty over how much money will be available to strengthen Liverpool's squad during the close season.

 

[Whitey85]

So whats he fucking playing at?

I just want something to happen at the club. Everything on here today is depressing.

 

[Oncy]

Is anyone really suprised by these shenanigans. Rafa is a liar and a manipulator. He will use any underhanded tactics to shift any blame from his shoulders. He did it at Valencia and he does it constantly here.
Only a man with cojones of fucking steel could with straight face front up a press conference after the season HE has just served up and demand 'answers' from the club. He should stride in there cap in hand and quadruple team purslow, broughton and the yanks.
Once a lucky fucking chancer always.........

 

[Squiggles]

Hmm, I wonder how the BBC found this out.

I wonder if they're leaking information to defend themselves from Rafa's spin.

Whatever, though, it's all very depressing.

 

[Judge Jules]

If indeed they've "found" anything out. Who's to say this is any more reliable than so many other press reports flying around?

 

[Hansern]

The journalist claimed he had sources inside the club. Maybe someone is leaking stories to counter all the shite Rafa is speaking at the moment.

 

[keniget]

[quote author=Hansern link=topic=38644.msg1099018#msg1099018 date=1272993183]
The journalist claimed he had sources inside the club. Maybe someone is leaking stories to counter all the shite Rafa is speaking at the moment.
[/quote]

It's either that or Rafa cancelled because he was waiting to find out further details about Juve's interest.

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=KHL link=topic=38644.msg1083762#msg1083762 date=1270642149]
Thought I'd share a piece of info on Mourinho.

Yesterday Martin Laursen (the former Villa-player) said in the CSKA v Inter Champions League studio that he knew from a very reliable source, that Mourinho had already signed a pre-contract with Real Madrid. Making him their new manager in Summer apparently.

And that's why he's suddenly opted to play with three attacking-minded players at Inter instead of only one as has been the scenario for most part of the Season. He's getting used to the 'new system' already.

Laursen seemed very convincing but I'm a bit baffled as to why he should know this without anyone else doing so. But after all he did play for AC Milan for five years or so and he could obviously still have some interesting contacts down there.

Make of it what you want.
[/quote]
I'm still baffled, how could Martin Laursen bring this kind of info during a Live ChL-studio all the way back in april?

Cudos to him though. He knows stuff. Or at least he knows someone who knows stuff.

 

[Buddha]

Can you ask him what our transfer budget for the summer is?

 

[keniget]

Everyone knew Mourinho was going to Real in the summer. It was hardly top secret insider knowledge.

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=Buddha link=topic=38644.msg1109538#msg1109538 date=1274959700]
Can you ask him what our transfer budget for the summer is?
[/quote]
He wouldn't be to specific about it I'm affraid but he did reveal this sneak peak of our transfer kitty this Summer:

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=keniget link=topic=38644.msg1109560#msg1109560 date=1274964077]
Everyone knew Mourinho was going to Real in the summer. It was hardly top secret insider knowledge.
[/quote]
Hardly 'everyone' Keni.

As you can see for yourself in this thread a lot of posters didn't belive it at the time.

The medias hadn't picked up on it either at the time so how you could be so sure about is rather strange.

Unless of course you are confusing a hunch you've had with the plain facts.

Fact is: It was indeed 'top secret insider knowledge' after all.

 

[SaintGeorge67]

Surely you don't reveal 'top secret' information though?

 

[keniget]

Whatever you say...

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=SaintGeorge67 link=topic=38644.msg1109566#msg1109566 date=1274964956]
Surely you don't reveal 'top secret' information though?
[/quote]
Unless by mistake?

 

[Spionkop69]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=38644.msg1098958#msg1098958 date=1272983906]
BBC...

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has cancelled two scheduled face-to-face meetings with the club's new chairman, Martin Broughton.

Benitez claimed on Monday that he was anxious to "meet with the chairman sooner rather than later".

But it is understood that he pulled out of talks with Broughton last week and another the week before.

A further meeting is scheduled for this week amid speculation about Benitez's future with the club.

Liverpool went out of the Europa League last week and have failed to qualify for next season's Champions League.

It is not clear why Benitez cancelled the meetings with Broughton, although the last two weeks have been affected by preparations for Liverpool's Europa League semi-final meetings with Atletico Madrid.

The first week in particular was heavily disrupted as Benitez's team were forced to make the long journey to the Spanish capital by road and rail after flights were grounded by ash from the Icelandic volcano.

But, even allowing for that, there is some surprise inside the Anfield boardroom at the timing of Benitez's call on Tuesday for an urgent meeting with Broughton to discuss the future.

606: DEBATE
With a net spend in the past two seasons of just over £2m, would any other manager have done better?

Bleeding Red

That plus the Spanish manager's request for assurances over his summer transfer kitty would seem to suggest that Benitez is stalling for time, with a possible £3.5m-a-year offer to quit Liverpool for Juventus thought to be on the table.

Benitez, who could receive somewhere between £10m and £15m in compensation were he to be sacked by Liverpool, was unavailable for comment but was quoted on Tuesday as saying: "I would like to meet with the chairman sooner rather than later to know his idea about the future.

"Still, we are working hard and planning for the future. Liverpool is a massive name in England and again in Europe. Everybody knows about the history of the club and the fans, so we can still attract players to improve the squad."

Liverpool have refused to comment on the cancelled meetings.

With the five-time European champions failing to qualify for the Champions League, attracting new players and keeping stars such as Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard will be much harder for Benitez.

The sale of the club, which is being conducted by British Airways chairman Broughton and investment bank Barclays Capital, could take months, meaning even more uncertainty over how much money will be available to strengthen Liverpool's squad during the close season.

[/quote]

Err how old is that article?

 

[Spionkop69]

Whooshed myself there. What a twat...

 

[manwithnoname]

Loads of people said he was going to Madrid, and before that article was posted.