Liverpool FC Forum

by **red37** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:58 pm

Reds assistant boss set to quit Anfield

Aug 31 2007 EXCLUSIVE
by Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo

LIVERPOOL Assistant Manager Pako Ayesteran is set to leave Anfield after a series of disagreements with manager Rafa Benitez.

The Anfield No. 2 is understood to have left club on immediate leave after matters between the two men came to a head yesterday afternoon.

It is understood tensions between the pair - who have been close colleagues for the last decade - have been brewing for several months.

Matters finally reached a critical point at the Melwood training ground yesterday when it's understood Ayesteran indicated he was longer interested in working for Liverpool.

It is understood he will officially leave the club shortly once administrative issues around his contract are resolved.

A series of disagreements are believed to have contributed to the break-up of the partnership.

Ayesteran has had full control over the training and preparation of the squad and there were alterations made during pre-season which led to the disagreements.

It is not believed Ayesteran has an alternative offer under consideration.

However, he was linked with Athletic Bilbao during the summer and Liverpool supporters will be hoping rumours of interest from Manchester United and Chelsea in Ayesteran's services are no more than speculation.

Benitez will now have to begin the process of replacing a man credited with much of the background work behind a successful rebuilding of Liverpool.

Ayesteran is know for his skills in technical and physical areas, including fitness techniques and sports science.

The back room staff which Benitez brought with him when he arrived from Valencia three years ago has now effectively broken up, with former coach Paco Herrera and goalkeeping coach Jose Ochotorena also recent departures for entirely different, amicable reasons.

'kin ell Rafa - get it shaved off!

by **roberto green** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:07 pm

f*uckin hell it doesnt sound too good, i will truly p*ssed off if the mancs got him after the heinze ordeal this could really dent our title charge!!!! :help

by **AB's Red Army** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:15 pm

Bascombe says that this has been going for months. I think the fact that Rafa changed training methods as he mentioned in the summer, was the boiling point between the two.

Also Pako said that he didn't believe we could challenge for the title, where as Benitez does. Perhaps Rafa doesn't want a negative influence?

Let's try to keep calm here lads.

by **Bad Bob** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:16 pm

Jaysus! Never figured Pako and Rafa would fall out. If Bascombe's writing it, though, it's almost certainly true. No idea what this will mean for the club long term but it's a worrying turn of events.

by **red37** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:17 pm

McAllister. Thats who is tailor made for this club. Whether or not he has the good grace to actually take the position....or is infact able/willing to, for obvious reasons. But he is my pick.

Sad news for Pako. And a major blow to a cracking start.

by **Ciggy** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:23 pm

Heard they had a barny yesterday didnt believe it, this is bad feckin news indeed.
Just when things where going so well

by **stmichael** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:25 pm

red37 wrote:McAllister. Thats who is tailor made for this club. Whether or not he has the good grace to actually take the position....or is infact able/willing to, for obvious reasons. But he is my pick.

I'd love to see that but does he really have the necessary coaching experience to take the job?

He's already turned it down once in the past.

by **Sabre** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:26 pm

Before summer I knew and I wrote here that Pako wanted to start his own career thanks to a close friend of him, but, I never was told that there were any kind of personal troubles with Rafa, so that bit has been a total surprise.

Gutted if true.

by **Reg** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:31 pm

Rafa is coming into his own, maybe he was the one that felt Paco wasnt upto the job so it may be a positive move in the end.
Note when Stevie Heighway left the academy we thought that was negative which hasn´t been the case.

That said, we clearly have a huge debt to Paco for getting us back up to the point where we are today.

by **red37** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:33 pm

stmichael wrote:
red37 wrote:McAllister. Thats who is tailor made for this club. Whether or not he has the good grace to actually take the position....or is infact able/willing to, for obvious reasons. But he is my pick.

I'd love to see that but does he really have the necessary coaching experience to take the job?

He's already turned it down once in the past.

He's young enough, he's fit enough, he IS inexperienced - yet that might actually be a positive (in a strange kind of way) regards Rafa and his methods. He humbly declined last time due to the circumstances in his personal life. Rightly so: the time for his family was the priority.

But, all the boxes are ticked for me...the fella is Modest, Humble, Doesn't go round calling anyone, he has played here and experienced all that this club is about. He's been round the block in playing terms..Plus he is respected by virtually all the footballing fraternity. And, from all that i gather...the fans. Why not i say. He's got nothing at all to lose. Look at the prestige a job like this offers.
Course, if Rafa has a replacement lined up then....

by **Elchris** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:37 pm

Gutted , hope we find a top class replacement soon .... someone like him leaving will have itz impact and i hope it wont affect our players that much..

by **Sabre** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:43 pm

Reg wrote:Rafa is coming into his own, maybe he was the one that felt Paco wasnt upto the job so it may be a positive move in the end.
Note when Stevie Heighway left the academy we thought that was negative which hasn´t been the case.

That said, we clearly have a huge debt to Paco for getting us back up to the point where we are today.

It would be a bit worrying though, that both Herrera, Heighway and Aiestaran are tired of how things are done by Rafa though, because it would be the second time the "goodbye" hasn't been smooth but with quarrels.

I believe that what Bascombe says is true for a number of reasons. The mentioned change of plans is very anti Pako-ish, who is known from his times as student in the coach school to be a coach that makes the players work as dogs. Pako's training sessions were known not only in his professional but lower categories as "super hard", and a sudden change of plans to milder preseasons without his approval might be the kind of thing that annoys him.

Sad news anyhow. About the substitute, you know better than me english coaches.

by **stmichael** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:47 pm

Is Rafa going to do more coaching etc and get someone else in to do the more administrationy bits or is he just going to replace pako straight swap with someone else? I don't like this talk of a restructure just when things are going well. I have spent the summer slagging off teams with Directors of Football and all that. i hope we don't go down that road.

by **Reg** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:50 pm

Sorry folks but Gary Mac is a super lad but he is not going to be the one to carry us to a sustained period of domestic and european domination. Somewhat similar to those would wanted Thommo to be the replacement manager after Houllier........

by **kunilson** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:53 pm

pako has been instrumental in our revival, and will be missed...

its worrying that he and rafa have decided to part ways in this manner after so long working together.....in a selfish way, i hope this doesn't mess with rafa's head too much and effect the club in any way like that.

but apart from that i hope pako finds what he is looking for, as long as its not in this country! YNWA u bald genius, and good luck.

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