Liverpool FC Forum

[bigmick]

By CHRIS BASCOMBE, 28/02/2009

DIRK KUYT has revealed he was told to put contract talks on hold until AFTER Rafa Benitez’s future is resolved.

The Dutchman says the request came from Benitez himself, who is embroiled in epic talks with Liverpool’s American owners.


There were suggestions Kuyt had been frustrated by the lack of movement from the club and some even claimed he would not sign unless Rafa remains as manager.


But Kuyt dismissed those rumours, making it clear he will willingly open negotiations when the club approach him.


Contract
The attacker explained: “Rafa told me he wanted to give me a new contract but he wanted to sort out his own contract first and then we’ll see what’s happening.


“I’ve just been trying to focus on the games and not worry too much. Because I’m happy at Liverpool and I enjoy it, I want to stay. I don’t know if my future is linked to the manager, because that depends on what the club wants.


“If the club want to give me a new contract, I’m more than happy to talk about it.


“I’ve never been thinking about whether the manager would go or not. Of course, you want to know who the manager is but I’ve said I want to stay at Liverpool.”

[Cool Hand Luke]

wat endz u reping

[Dundalk]

wat endz u reping

   

[Number 9]

The smoking gun..holy sweet suffering fu'ck!

"Rafa told me he wanted to give me a new contract but he wanted to sort out his own contract first and then we’ll see what’s happening".

Now to me that seems like the manager saying to a player,I dont know where my future lies until its sorted,so it would be false of me to guarantee your future here because i may not be here!

So its turned into a smoking gun and Rafa is not letting Kuyt sign a contract because IF he leaves he will get him cheaper!
You should get a job at a tabloid paper Mick!

[account deleted by request]

Absolutely disgraceful IMO. A manager is supposed to represent the best interests of the club, not to serve his own ends. If Kuyt, Agger, Arbeloa, Insua, Hyypia etc etc leave for next to nothing (they will all be in there last year within months)who will take the blame ..... ?

[bigmick]

If we assume the quotes are correct and that Kuyt didn't misunderstand Rafa, or mishear him, or he didn't just make it up, what can we conclude?

Firstly it appears from the quote that as far as kuyt is concerned he wants to sign a new contract as he likes playing for Liverpool, which is cool. Given we paid 10 million quid for him, and given he obviously carries some transfer value, the fact he wants to sign a new contract apparently regardless of who is the manager is a real bonus. If we don't sign him, he walks on a free i think it's at the ned of next season. As we all know, you only do that with players who you can't get a fee for. Kuyt, regardless of what anybody thinks of him, isn't one of those.

So why would Rafa tell him to wait? Is it because he isn't sure he's staying, and isn't sure if the new manager will want Kuyt? Could it just be that Rafa is telling him, in the best interests of the club obviously, that he can't have a new contract until rafa's is sorted, because he doesn't want to over burden the club with slaaries for players the new manager might not want?

Or, could it be perhaps that Rafa likes Kuyt, and would possibly consider signing him at his new club, were he to leave? Perhaps the fee would be less if Kuyt had one year on his contract as opposed to a new one?

It's an interesting situation, particularly given we are about to give unprecedented power to the manager, over all transfers and presumeably contract negotiations as well. Is it significant, or a storm in a tea cup do people think?

[account deleted by request]

The smoking gun..holy sweet suffering fu'ck!

"Rafa told me he wanted to give me a new contract but he wanted to sort out his own contract first and then we’ll see what’s happening".

Now to me that seems like the manager saying to a player,I dont know where my future lies until its sorted,so it would be false of me to guarantee your future here because i may not be here!

So its turned into a smoking gun and Rafa is not letting Kuyt sign a contract because IF he leaves he will get him cheaper!
You should get a job at a tabloid paper Mick!

A managers job is to represent the best interests of Liverpool football club.

So you think its better that players don't sign a new contract and all leave for next to nothing if the club can't agree a new deal with Rafa ? Bollox Barry. They will all be in their last year shortly and we all know what that means...... either you pay a lot more out for them to sign or they find another club which will....... and we get next to nothing for them.

To tell players NOT TO SIGN a new contract is disgraceful.

[Dundalk]

Aurelio seems to think everything with Rafa is just normal




Aurelio said: “Rafa is acting normally to us. He doesn’t appear to be stressful or worrying about any situation. He hasn’t changed since Valencia. He is always the same at training. He is doing here what he did in Valencia. You can see he is becoming more successful each year.


“He works a lot on the mentality of the group and how we play together as a team. He has won Champions League, he is closer to the top of the Premier League and we can see he is doing a very good job.

“You can see the character the team has. It comes from him. There is a situation with the club about his new contract that we don’t know about, but we hope it is nothing important and he can stay with us.

“All the speculation is not good for him or the club because we know we have to focus on our job, playing games and winning trophies. Everything else can make you lose focus, so it is important to have the situation cleared up.

“After the Real Madrid game, he told us we could celebrate for five minutes, then we had to concentrate on the next game.”

[bigmick]

wat endz u reping

It's finally got the better of me, I've a feeling I'm not going to like the answer but what does this mean?

[Cool Hand Luke]

A player like Kuyt should not be signing a long term contract if it looks as though there is a 50% chance Rafa won’t be here next season. The same people that think that giving Rafa a 4 year contract would be a mistake want Kuyt to sign a 4 year contract?

A new contract would probably mean more wages meaning it will be harder for a new manager to sell him. The right thing to do is to wait until May.

[Cool Hand Luke]

wat endz u reping

It's finally got the better of me, I've a feeling I'm not going to like the answer but what does this mean?

The words of a legend.

[JC_81]

“After the Real Madrid game, he told us we could celebrate for five minutes, then we had to concentrate on the next game.”

That clearly worked.

[bigmick]

Can't say I agree Luke. I'm not saying we should be rushing into signing up players on long term contracts, far from it. Those with risidual transfer value though ought to considered as a matter of urgency. To ask a player to delay his own contract negotiations until the manager has sorted his own is a fairly unique situation from my memory.

[Reg]

Who gives a toss?

[bigmick]

Who gives a toss?

  Fair enough question Reg I suppose. I probably do as I posted up the thread, I reckon S@int does, but you're probably right we're likely to be the only ones