anybody read the Daily Post this morning?

[Molby]

or Kev, DH and a few others, but now the local paper

 

"RAFAEL BENITEZ will seek reassurances from the Liverpool board that they will provide the financial backing to help realise his aim of bringing the Premiership title to Anfield.

It emerged over the weekend both Real Madrid and Inter Milan have set their sights on attempting to lure the sought-after Spaniard away from the European Champions.

Benitez has made no secret of his desire to manage at the Bernabeu at some point in his managerial career, while Inter are prepared to double his salary as they strive to end their own championship drought having not won Serie A since 1989.

Benitez isn't interested in improving his own contract and insists he is happy at Anfield. Instead, he wants his own commitment to Liverpool to be matched by that of the club's board.

 

Both Real and Inter would hand Benitez a huge transfer kitty and, while he doesn't expect Liverpool to bankroll his spending plans to such a degree, it is believed the Spaniard is seeking at least £25million to spend this summer.

Having ended a 21-year wait for European Cup success, Benitez stated at last month's AGM that his target now is for Liverpool to win the championship for the first time since 1990.

Benitez has splashed out almost £25m since the victory in Istanbul - recouping £6.5m through the sale of Milan Baros - and believes only spending the same again this summer can close the gap to Chelsea.

With question marks still hanging over the development of a new Anfield and having thus far failed to attract substantial outside investment, Liverpool are reticent to gamble on the transfer market with so many off-field matters yet undecided.

However, it appears they risk losing their manager should they not have improved financial backing in place by the end of the season."

 

 

make no mistake, there is a world of difference between tabloid mischief and local press

 

if you want to do something useful for LFC, get yer head out your a*** and start lobbying Pinky and Perky, rather than posting about how everything is fine and 'Rafa would be mad to go'

 

and anyone who suggests this should be put in the thread about Rafa to Real is iether a part timer or a bit of a t*** (in my humble opinion)

Edited March 6, 2006 by Molby

[johngibo YPC]

tenner says this gets closed/merged

[Maldini]

I think it's lazy journalism TBH. A kind of rethread of the Echo's own story on Saturday. They printed a milder version which was picked up by the nationals and exxagerated and now the Post are printing their own version of this exxagerated story.

 

The board have given Rafa a lot of money over the last 18 months, from what he himself has said most of the time it's been his decision not to spend it.

[Mike]

there oviously a great deal of truth in the matter

[anny road]

or Kev, DH and a few others, but now the local paper

 

"RAFAEL BENITEZ will seek reassurances from the Liverpool board that they will provide the financial backing to help realise his aim of bringing the Premiership title to Anfield.

It emerged over the weekend both Real Madrid and Inter Milan have set their sights on attempting to lure the sought-after Spaniard away from the European Champions.

Benitez has made no secret of his desire to manage at the Bernabeu at some point in his managerial career, while Inter are prepared to double his salary as they strive to end their own championship drought having not won Serie A since 1989.

Benitez isn't interested in improving his own contract and insists he is happy at Anfield. Instead, he wants his own commitment to Liverpool to be matched by that of the club's board.

 

Both Real and Inter would hand Benitez a huge transfer kitty and, while he doesn't expect Liverpool to bankroll his spending plans to such a degree, it is believed the Spaniard is seeking at least £25million to spend this summer.

Having ended a 21-year wait for European Cup success, Benitez stated at last month's AGM that his target now is for Liverpool to win the championship for the first time since 1990.

Benitez has splashed out almost £25m since the victory in Istanbul - recouping £6.5m through the sale of Milan Baros - and believes only spending the same again this summer can close the gap to Chelsea.

With question marks still hanging over the development of a new Anfield and having thus far failed to attract substantial outside investment, Liverpool are reticent to gamble on the transfer market with so many off-field matters yet undecided.

However, it appears they risk losing their manager should they not have improved financial backing in place by the end of the season."

make no mistake, there is a world of difference between tabloid mischief and local press

 

if you want to do something useful for LFC, get yer head out your a*** and start lobbying Pinky and Perky, rather than posting about how everything is fine and 'Rafa would be mad to go'

 

and anyone who suggests this should be put in the thread about Rafa to Real is iether a part timer or a bit of a t*** (in my humble opinion)

 

 

as i have frequently said I can see that Rafa would use the press as leaverage for more money....no doubts...........

 

I dont know what the situation is with regard to investment but I am damn well sure that Parry is aware that unless we have money to spend then he RISKS losing Rafa to Madrid.....

 

I think Rafa will be given significant funds....one way or another

[Falconhoof]

Its a weird one this.

All along Rafa has said he wants time to build a squad, he's never once said he needs loads more cash. If its to compete with Chelsea then there'll never be enough money to go head to head with them for players. So I just don't get it, why are these stories coming out now.

[cymrococh]

if you want to do something useful for LFC, get yer head out your a*** and start lobbying Pinky and Perky,

Physician, heal thyself.

[smicer07]

If Rafa wants to go, he'll go. Nobody is bigger than the club.

[Lee W]

as i have frequently said I can see that Rafa would use the press as leaverage for more money....no doubts...........

 

 

 

 

Not personal here but here but he shouldn't bloody well have to though after winning the European Cup last season.

 

F'ckin Gerrard all over again ffs...

 

I still want to know why there wasn't an utter rebuke from either Rafa or the club on this latest round of nonsense.

[Bootle Buck]

Rafa has been given quite a bit of money already and his signings have been hit and miss. I do think he needs to sign two more top quality players. However, they almost have to be certainties to make a difference and can't be risks. We obviously need a proven goalscorer who has done so over a number of seasons. I think a top class wide player who is capable of getting to the byline and providing pin point crosses is much needed. Hopefully either of these two can take a good free kick too.

Edited March 6, 2006 by Bootle Buck

[The Hitman]

The bottom line is,Rafa will need money to build a championship winning squad.

He will need less than most other managers would in this situation,but he does need a substantial amount of money to try and break Chelsea's stranglehold.

We cannot challenge Chelsea unless we have a decent amount to spend,that is clear.

[anny road]

Not personal here but here but he shouldn't bloody well have to though after winning the European Cup last season.

 

F'ckin Gerrard all over again ffs...

 

I still want to know why there wasn't an utter rebuke from either Rafa or the club on this latest round of nonsense.

 

 

because the club never speculate on press s****

 

and thats all this is...

 

as far as I am aware Madrid have not approached Liverpool........and Rafa'a agent says he has not been approached

 

Why would LIverpool or Rafa comment.? If they did it would fuel it even more

 

And as for the first bit.....he has spent £25m....it is a significant sum, he would have spent even more had Owen and Simao come off...If think it is future funds and not previous funds that are the agenda

[The Hitman]

And as for the first bit.....he has spent £25m....it is a significant sum, he would have spent even more had Owen and Simao come off...If think it is future funds and not previous funds that are the agenda

Of course,he's spent a fair amount already.

Alonso and Garcia didn't come cheap.

How much was Xabi,just over £10m?

[Gomez]

If we have the money, I'm sure Rafa will be given it. If we haven't, he won't.

 

s'not rocket surgery.

 

Alternatively, we are loaded bur Rick Parry keeps blowing the transfer budget on holidays in Barbados and bad ties.

[Molby]

Its a weird one this.

All along Rafa has said he wants time to build a squad, he's never once said he needs loads more cash. If its to compete with Chelsea then there'll never be enough money to go head to head with them for players. So I just don't get it, why are these stories coming out now.

it could be that the local press are getting info on meetings that have took place between Rafa and the board, however informal they may have been

 

I have said for some time now that I fear sooner rather than later, Rafa will ask the legitimate question: "how much can I be guaranteed to spend on players?"

 

the fact that he hasn't made this public nor voiced anything other than content in the public domain is testament to him and how he conducts himself but alters nothing in terms of what's really going on

[Lee W]

because the club never speculate on press s****

 

and thats all this is...

 

as far as I am aware Madrid have not approached Liverpool........and Rafa'a agent says he has not been approached

 

Why would LIverpool or Rafa comment.? If they did it would fuel it even more

 

And as for the first bit.....he has spent £25m....it is a significant sum, he would have spent even more had Owen and Simao come off...If think it is future funds and not previous funds that are the agenda

 

They do - only when it's convenient though.

Anyway, (for example) why did he say that we couldn't afford Owen and (or Simao) now there is concern about future funds, surely the two are a hand-in-hand investment ?

 

Too much contadiction going on here, and anyone that is not worried about losing Benitez needs their head testing given what the possibilities are should the unthinkable happen.

[Guest Kev]

Oops I nearly put something down then. I totally forgot that I have banned myself from posting such tripe.

[Bailo]

Surely Rafa will have known what we had before signing on here?

 

So either a) he's got it and wants more now or b) he's been lied to about how much he really had.

 

If a) what's changed from his denials that we needed loads of money? Has "realism" set in, has he changed his mind on a few players he has and now thinks they need replacing also?

 

If b) there's 2 simple solutions - he either gets the money or doesn't.

 

I do find it odd these stories pop up after bad results and the potential for a bad result on Wednesday.

[Molby]

I think it's lazy journalism TBH. A kind of rethread of the Echo's own story on Saturday. They printed a milder version which was picked up by the nationals and exxagerated and now the Post are printing their own version of this exxagerated story.

 

The board have given Rafa a lot of money over the last 18 months, from what he himself has said most of the time it's been his decision not to spend it.

It's different with the locals; yes there is still lazy journalism but it's adviseable to at least take their reports seriously

 

as for the money spent or not spent so far, and as an example - Rafa would not spend £12m on Simao if it eats up too much of his budget, which means the problem is that the size of the budget is what makes players inaccessible, not the individual transfer fees themselves

[Bailo]

Oops I nearly put something down then. I totally forgot that I have banned myself from posting such tripe.

 

C'mon Kev, get it off your chest. You'll feel SO much better, honest!

 

as for the money spent or not spent so far, and as an example - Rafa would not spend £12m on Simao if it eats up too much of his budget, which means the problem is that the size of the budget is what makes players inaccessible, not the individual transfer fees themselves

Though he definitely said Simao was overpriced at £12m. Maybe he's covering for lack of funds, maybe he honestly think's its too much. I'd like to see his philosophy on player's worth tested if he had Abramovitch-style money behind him!

[anny road]

They do - only when it's convenient though.

Anyway, (for example) why did he say that we couldn't afford Owen and (or Simao) now there is concern about future funds, surely the two are a hand-in-hand investment ?

 

Too much contadiction going on here, and anyone that is not worried about losing Benitez needs their head testing given what the possibilities are should the unthinkable happen.

 

 

thjey never said they couldnt afford Simao///they said they were not going to pay the money benfica asked for..remember a fee was agreed which they then upped at the last minute

 

you are twisting what actually happened

 

The club do not speculate on gossip...

[Molby]

Surely Rafa will have known what we had before signing on here?

 

So either a) he's got it and wants more now or b) he's been lied to about how much he really had.

 

If a) what's changed from his denials that we needed loads of money? Has "realism" set in, has he changed his mind on a few players he has and now thinks they need replacing also?

 

If b) there's 2 simple solutions - he either gets the money or doesn't.

 

I do find it odd these stories pop up after bad results and the potential for a bad result on Wednesday.

The Daily Post (Evertonians within, and there are many, notwithstanding) as an organisation, wants us to win

 

Rafa was probably told about future investment coming in and if you were in his position you might think "if a club like Liverpool wants to get investment in, what would stop them/why wouldn't it happen?" so now, no investment and no prospect of it, he may be thinking "those two may never get investment in, let's crystallise things a bit"

 

 

C'mon Kev, get it off your chest. You'll feel SO much better, honest!

Though he definitely said Simao was overpriced at £12m. Maybe he's covering for lack of funds, maybe he honestly think's its too much. I'd like to see his philosophy on player's worth tested if he had Abramovitch-style money behind him!

he's probably right but if he had tons of money then he wouldn't be too bothered and would be signing Ronaldinho as we speak, contrary to the occasional folk wisdom you sometimes read on here

 

If Rafa wants to go, he'll go. Nobody is bigger than the club.

I think Parry is looking for a new press secretary - maybe you should apply

[Lee W]

 

The club do not speculate on gossip...

 

Exactly - They never denied being ready to sign Robbie Fowler and always stated their interest in Michael Owen and never denied a word of the summer speculation. :ThommosNose:

 

The club, like any other club, see fit to comment when it suits them.

[anny road]

Exactly - They never denied being ready to sign Robbie Fowler and always stated their interest in Michael Owen and never denied a word of the summer speculation. :ThommosNose:

 

The club, like any other club, see fit to comment when it suits them.

 

 

Parry's answer about Fowler was deliberatley misleading....Something like "Talks havnt taken place"

 

However, that still doesnt explain why u think they said they couldnt afford Simao

[bazz]

The media now seem to be drumming up crap about Benitez maybe going to Madrid because the board isn't giving him money to invest in players and some fans seem to be doing the same.

 

Here is a simple list of the player Rafa has been "allowed" sign - Ive included Cisse as "maybe" his deal could have been scuppered by Rafa, but he chose not to:

 

Reina 6Million

Sissoko 5.5million

Alonso 10.75million

Garcia 6million

Crouch 7million

Cisse 14million

Josemi 2million

Nunez free(ish)

Gonzalez 2million

Krompkamp free

Agger 5.8million

Carson 1million

Zenden Free

Barragan Undisclosed

Morientes 6.3m

Fowler Free

Paletta 2million

 

I count a total of 68.35 million sterling - which is equal to 99.7million Euros - so lets round it up for the newspapers:

100million EUROS!!

 

So Rafa Benitez arrived in June 2004, it is now March 2006 - so in 20months of Managing Liverpool, Benitez has spent 68million/100million Euros

 

 

......so the board isn't backing Benitez?

 

Any, ANY manager that gets to spend a budget of 68million sterling to spend in his first 20 months in a job, would be delighted!

 

He has/and is being given the tools to do the job and people should start getting off the board's back!