Liverpool FC Forum

heimdall wrote:

Sabre wrote:Checking the Spanish article, checking Igor's translation, and checking Sid Lowe's translation, I'd say that the most accurate one is the one that Igor has posted.

Hi Sabre, I'M BACK!!!   

Enjoy yourself!

stmichael wrote:I've seen the rumours have started again today regarding Rafa's demands about his control of the academy.

Personally I don't have a problem with that. The manager should have control over every aspect of the footballing side of the club imo. Every coach/player should be answerable to the manager.

Igor Zidane wrote:

s@int wrote:Sid Lowe The Guardian, Monday 16 February 2009

Rafael Benítez has urged Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to secure his future at the club by offering contracts to his backroom staff. He has also hinted that if a solution is not found to his own contract issues by the summer, then his position will become unsustainable.

Benítez has been reluctant to sign a new deal with the club despite being offered two extensions. Although a financial package has been virtually agreed, the Spaniard wants greater control over the running of the club, as well as the freedom to choose and pursue his own transfer targets, effectively bypassing the chief executive, Rick Parry, with whom his relationship has become strained. Reinforcing his position means tying his closest collaborators to a long-term project at Anfield.

"Anyone that has just a year left on his contract does not have anything at all and I have only got a year and a half left," Benítez warned. "When people, either within the club or from outside it, realise that the manager only has that much time left then he is dead. I've got 10 or 12 assistants whose contracts are up in June. How can a manager lead a project properly if the continuity of his staff is not secure for two or three years?"

Benítez denied, however, that he sought total control of transfer dealings during his contract negotiations. "I would like to clear one thing up: I never asked for complete control," he said. "I did, however, ask for the power to be able to make my own decisions and run the team the way I see fit. That is not the same thing."

The Liverpool coach also defended his success at Anfield as his team compete for a first league title in 19 years, while renewing his attack on Sir Alex Ferguson. Economic constraints, he insisted, make challenging Manchester United and Chelsea a virtually impossible task.

"Manchester United make €65m a year more than we do and buy three £20m players a season," he said. "Chelsea must have spent £500m in five years. We have built a team but economically we are way below them and yet we have still managed to compete. In the five years I have been here I have spent less than £40m on Torres and Keane. How are we supposed to compete with them?

"We have never lost the ability to control games; what has been letting us down lately is our failure to kill games off. Our biggest problem is the huge expectations that people have. People talk about the league and that we have been 19 years without winning it – but then the Champions League turns up and we have to go all out for that as well," Benítez continued.

"Since I arrived we have won four titles, played in seven finals and reached a Champions League semi-final. We are where we should be. The problem is the anxiety and the desire to win everything and that is not easy."

As for the United manager, Benítez was once again unequivocal in his assessment. "Alex Ferguson controls everything in England. The facts are the facts. They are indisputable. When he started talking about Liverpool, I had to respond."

Benítez has previously been linked with a return to Real Madrid, where he managed the junior teams in the 1990s, but he said: "If I say that Madrid would be the icing on the cake for my career people will say I want to leave Liverpool. The right thing to say and the truth is that I am not thinking about leaving and I hope to be here for a long time but of course Real Madrid would be the perfect ending to anyone's career. But my career is not at an end yet."
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I really wish he would stop going on about Real Madrid every time there is a problem, he is the LIVERPOOL manager.

Here's the original interview with AS . Typical british newspapers twisting what he said about madrid .



Madrid would be the icing on the cake, the climax on your career?

- If I say yes, some people will interpret it as me saying I want to go; if I say no it will seem like a snub to Madrid…The proper thing and the reality is to answer that I’m not thinking about leaving and I hope I can stay here for a long time. Would Madrid be the icing on the cake in the career of any manager? No doubt about it! Although that sounds like the final stages of someone’s profession and that isn’t my case.

s@int wrote:Sid Lowe The Guardian, Monday 16 February 2009

"Manchester United make €65m a year more than we do and buy three £20m players a season," he said. "Chelsea must have spent £500m in five years. We have built a team but economically we are way below them and yet we have still managed to compete. In the five years I have been here I have spent less than £40m on Torres and Keane. How are we supposed to compete with them?
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I really wish he would stop going on about Real Madrid every time there is a problem, he is the LIVERPOOL manager.

GYBS wrote:I would say bam in the first season Maureen was here he used the wide guys a hell of a lot and there football was good to see but for some reason he changed and they became a team that wore down others and just looked to get a goal and then shut up shop and get the one nil win under their belt . did that a lot in second season and was effective for them but so bloody dour to watch .

Ace Ventura wrote:

Igor Zidane wrote:

s@int wrote:Sid Lowe The Guardian, Monday 16 February 2009

Rafael Benítez has urged Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to secure his future at the club by offering contracts to his backroom staff. He has also hinted that if a solution is not found to his own contract issues by the summer, then his position will become unsustainable.

Benítez has been reluctant to sign a new deal with the club despite being offered two extensions. Although a financial package has been virtually agreed, the Spaniard wants greater control over the running of the club, as well as the freedom to choose and pursue his own transfer targets, effectively bypassing the chief executive, Rick Parry, with whom his relationship has become strained. Reinforcing his position means tying his closest collaborators to a long-term project at Anfield.

"Anyone that has just a year left on his contract does not have anything at all and I have only got a year and a half left," Benítez warned. "When people, either within the club or from outside it, realise that the manager only has that much time left then he is dead. I've got 10 or 12 assistants whose contracts are up in June. How can a manager lead a project properly if the continuity of his staff is not secure for two or three years?"

Benítez denied, however, that he sought total control of transfer dealings during his contract negotiations. "I would like to clear one thing up: I never asked for complete control," he said. "I did, however, ask for the power to be able to make my own decisions and run the team the way I see fit. That is not the same thing."

The Liverpool coach also defended his success at Anfield as his team compete for a first league title in 19 years, while renewing his attack on Sir Alex Ferguson. Economic constraints, he insisted, make challenging Manchester United and Chelsea a virtually impossible task.

"Manchester United make €65m a year more than we do and buy three £20m players a season," he said. "Chelsea must have spent £500m in five years. We have built a team but economically we are way below them and yet we have still managed to compete. In the five years I have been here I have spent less than £40m on Torres and Keane. How are we supposed to compete with them?

"We have never lost the ability to control games; what has been letting us down lately is our failure to kill games off. Our biggest problem is the huge expectations that people have. People talk about the league and that we have been 19 years without winning it – but then the Champions League turns up and we have to go all out for that as well," Benítez continued.

"Since I arrived we have won four titles, played in seven finals and reached a Champions League semi-final. We are where we should be. The problem is the anxiety and the desire to win everything and that is not easy."

As for the United manager, Benítez was once again unequivocal in his assessment. "Alex Ferguson controls everything in England. The facts are the facts. They are indisputable. When he started talking about Liverpool, I had to respond."

Benítez has previously been linked with a return to Real Madrid, where he managed the junior teams in the 1990s, but he said: "If I say that Madrid would be the icing on the cake for my career people will say I want to leave Liverpool. The right thing to say and the truth is that I am not thinking about leaving and I hope to be here for a long time but of course Real Madrid would be the perfect ending to anyone's career. But my career is not at an end yet."
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

I really wish he would stop going on about Real Madrid every time there is a problem, he is the LIVERPOOL manager.

Here's the original interview with AS . Typical british newspapers twisting what he said about madrid .



Madrid would be the icing on the cake, the climax on your career?

- If I say yes, some people will interpret it as me saying I want to go; if I say no it will seem like a snub to Madrid…The proper thing and the reality is to answer that I’m not thinking about leaving and I hope I can stay here for a long time. Would Madrid be the icing on the cake in the career of any manager? No doubt about it! Although that sounds like the final stages of someone’s profession and that isn’t my case.

Igor we all know that the media will twist the story to suit them, my problem is the part where he talks about the snub to madrid. Now i know he is a madrid man and all but all he should really care about is LFC.
It appears to me rather subtley he is trying to put pressure on the owners about his contract.

Owzat wrote:

GYBS wrote:I would say bam in the first season Maureen was here he used the wide guys a hell of a lot and there football was good to see but for some reason he changed and they became a team that wore down others and just looked to get a goal and then shut up shop and get the one nil win under their belt . did that a lot in second season and was effective for them but so bloody dour to watch .

Did you perchance watch the Milan derby on BBC3 last night......................?

Owzat wrote:

s@int wrote:Sid Lowe The Guardian, Monday 16 February 2009

"Manchester United make €65m a year more than we do and buy three £20m players a season," he said. "Chelsea must have spent £500m in five years. We have built a team but economically we are way below them and yet we have still managed to compete. In the five years I have been here I have spent less than £40m on Torres and Keane. How are we supposed to compete with them?
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

I really wish he would stop going on about Real Madrid every time there is a problem, he is the LIVERPOOL manager.

It's an interesting use of the phrase "we have still managed to compete". How exactly? By finishing below Chelsea and Man Utd? (often well below - and behind low budget Arsenal)

I read all too often how we're not in the same league financially, yet we outspend all but two (now probably three) clubs in the Premiership and finish above all but two/three clubs - isn't that punching our weight? We spent £40m in the summer, how much of that was wisely spent? It's not impossible to buy top players at good prices, you don't have to spend £20m-£30m per signing to land quality. If Rafa's such an f in genius, how come so many of his signings are poor and how come we draw against Stoke, Fulham, West Ham, Bitters, Hull, Wigan and other clubs in previous seasons some of whom can only dream of spending in one summer what we spend on one player (at times)

Have to laugh at the suggestion we "have built a team but economically" - Keane £20.3m, Torres £21m, Mascherano £18.6m, Babel £11.5m etc. If we are so economic then how come we spent £40m in the summer, only one of those players is considered a success (Riera) and one was such a flop he was sold back at a loss within six months?!?!?!?!?

How appropriate the guy's name is S.Lowe