Liverpool FC Forum

by **adayinthelife** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 4:27 pm

What Benitez had to say at the AGM

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Although I've been in Liverpool now for nearly six months, this is my first opportunity to speak to the shareholders. To start with, I want to thank you for the way you have made me, my family and staff feel so welcome since we arrived in England.

"Liverpool is one of the great names of European football and I saw how special Anfield was during my visits here with Valencia. But to actually stand on the touchline as Liverpool manager and hear the fans behind your team is a fantastic experience. I'm proud and privileged to be working here and want to say a few words on why I came to Liverpool and my plans for the future.

"I enjoyed some great successes with Valencia over the past three years and have many happy memories. But Liverpool is a huge club with fantastic support and I was excited by the challenge of bringing back honours to Anfield. I was aware of the reputation of the club, but that was an inspiration, not a burden to me.
Great things have been achieved here in the past and I'm hungry to repeat that in the future. I feel confident we can, because the stable structure of the club allows me to focus on football.

"When I was first able to sit down with David Moores and Rick Parry to discuss the job, I understood these were responsible people undertaking a serious project. We spoke honestly about the size of the challenge we faced and the resources at our disposal. Both the strength of the squad and the financial realities we would be operating under.

"But what has struck me as a Spanish manager operating in England is how everyone at the club respects you and supports you. They always want the best for you and the team. The kind of people I am now working with at Liverpool - from the Chairman and Board of Directors down - give me total confidence in this new project I have undertaken.This club exists to win trophies. It's what the great managers here have done before me and I'm determined to do the same. The target is obviously the Premier League title, but I am not going to make promises about timescales.

"My idea is to prepare the squad to win trophies and play good football. That means instilling a winning mentality. That will be the foundation stone for the future progress we make. It is easy when you win, but we need to be as strong when we lose. We are fighting against clubs with greater resources than us, so we need everyone - the Board, the staff, the players and the supporters to be fighting together.

"Our target is always to win the next game and worry about the League table at the end of the season. We know what we have to do and how we intend to do it and I am confident we will achieve success.

"But success does not just come from spending huge amounts of money. Hard work, proper planning and good coaching are very important. The players need to understand that they must always play as a team for the good of the team.

"We also need to ensure that good young players are being developed and brought through the ranks and I'm pleased so many of them have had the chance to show what they can do in the Carling Cup this season. I was proud of them last night at Spurs. We will continue to work closely with Steve Heighway and his staff at the Academy to make sure the young players have the best possible chance to succeed.

"Always we want to do things in the right way. The performance against Arsenal in the first half was a reference point and the atmosphere in the ground incredible. When you do things right, then everyone connected to the club - those who work here and the supporters everywhere are happy.

"I understand the level of expectation here and fully accept it. I wouldn't want it any other way, which is why I am here for the long term. It will take time and patience will be needed, but I believe we have already made progress this season. However, our work has only just begun.

"Thank you for your support."

The man oozes class and I can't believe with Benitez in charge the club cannot find enough investment so we can build our own stadium.

by **Igor Zidane** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 4:51 pm

the man just makes you feel so confident about the future under him.I just hope we get the funding sorted out. I think this fella can achieve great things with our club.He just needs the backing of everyone concerned, be it moores,morgan bloody mr and mrs dairylea or the friggin saudi's.I honestly don't care,i want this generation of supporters to see what i've seen and to feel what i felt when we won everthing.I'm not talking about the fair weather fans i want my stadium to be full to bursting again with supporters who are proud and exited about watching our team.I miss the atmosphere,i miss the passion and most of all i miss yhe pride and the glory.

by **Redrider** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:09 pm

Good speech, there is no doubt Rafa is a class act.
Moores and Parry need congratulating for biting the bullet, sacking Houllier and relacing him with Benitez !
My feeling is that he will be as influential on the club as Shankly, totally different personalities etc. but also a different age with new and demandiing pressures arising from player power and TV mpney etc that demand a new approach. Rafa appears to have the qualities to cope with the demands of the current football scene, combined with a passion that both ignites and earns respect from players.
A great catch for the club and respect for Moores and Parry on this one !!

by **LFC #1** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 11:48 pm

adayinthelife wrote:
Lee J wrote:ground share my ar$e. It'll never happen.

Morgan cannot afford to put up enough for our own new stadium so with him in charge it will be a groundshare.

not if the majority of fans and the rest of the board oppose it, which is the case.

Liverpool FC Forum

Rick parry agm talk - Intresting read......

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