DECEMBER 31
Parry pledges 'Pool will back Benitez

By Tom Adams - Setanta Sports

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has assured Rafa Benitez he will be backed financially by the club’s owners when
the January transfer window opens.

A well-publicised dispute between Benitez and co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett over the club’s transfer policy has been smoothed over at Anfield and the Spaniard is known to be keen to strengthen his squad.

A centre back remains a priority, with Benitez’s paucity of options demonstrated by the need to field Alvaro Arbeloa in a central role on Sunday as The Reds drew 0-0 at Manchester City.

Now Parry has underlined that Liverpool will be shunning a frugal approach as they look to keep their title challenge alive over the coming months.

"Money is always available if we need it,” Parry told the club’s official website.

"We're not going to give our plans away, but if we need to do something, we'll do it.

"We spent more money this summer than ever before. The whole business model for the Americans is based on success.

"There is no point investing in a new stadium and having a team that isn't successful – clearly I'm not going to quote figures but there hasn't been any change of budget."

Liverpool slipped 10 points behind leaders Arsenal after the weekend, albeit with a game in hand, and Parry has warned Benitez that the fans will expect the club to fight for the title until the end of the season.

However, he and the club’s owners are not setting a first league title since 1990 as a minimum target this season.

"Nobody is demanding we win The Premier League this year or any other year,” Parry added.

"But I think the supporters have an expectation that at least we are going to be in contention and there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

"We are still in contention without a doubt. If we can carry form into the New Year there's absolutely no reason why we can't compete.

"That's the goal for all of us. It's the goal for Rafa, for the supporters and it's a goal for the owners. It's absolutely a shared vision.

"We appointed Rafa because we wanted a manager with experience of winning a major championship. That's what we're aiming for.

"The recent meeting was extremely good. It was cordial and it was very, very positive.

"It gave us the chance to make sure everybody understands where everyone else is coming from. Now, we're just focused on the second half of the season."

DECEMBER 29
Hicks questions Benitez approach

Football 365

Liverpool owner Tom Hicks has accused Anfield manager Rafael Benitez of behaving petulantly in the recent dispute over transfer policy.

The American also fears the players were suffering from an inferiority complex in the recent defeat to Manchester United.

The comments, in an interview with American magazine Sports Illustrated, risk reviving the tension between Benitez and Hicks and his co-owner George Gillett.

Hicks, 61, revisited the row over transfers, which saw Benitez publicly accuse the American duo of failing to understand the European transfer market.

"We wanted to see what we could do with the players we had already bought," said Hicks. "We just wanted to see if the team was going to gel. Then he (Benitez) went to a press conference and kind of pouted and answered in the same way 20 times: 'I'm focusing on my team.'

"The media made up everything from that point forward. They made up that we were going to fire him, that I told him to shut up, that there was a battle between Benitez and the Americans. It's really funny to watch."

Hicks was dismayed at the players' attitude against United at Anfield when a 1-0 defeat left Liverpool way off the pace in the Premier League title race.

He said: "Our team played like they mentally didn't think they were good enough to win. They played tight."

DECEMBER 18
Rafa happy with Reds talks

Sky Sports

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has declared that his talks with owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks were 'very positive'.

Benitez held a summit with the American duo after Sunday's defeat to Manchester United to discuss the club's transfer plans.

The Spaniard's relationship with the club's owners had been under the microscope after a row over their understanding of the transfer window.

The club issued a statement on Sunday saying talks went well and Gillett gave his backing to Benitez.

Benitez insists everything has been cleared up and that the club can now move forward.

"We needed to clarify the situation and it was a very positive meeting," Benitez told the club's official website.

"The conversation was very fluid because we were face-to-face, whereas it is more difficult over the phone or by email. It was very positive."

When asked if the misunderstanding had been cleared up, Benitez replied: "Yes, I think so.

"My English isn't always the best but having the chance to talk to them slowly and with time allowed us to analyse the small problems and now we can move forward."

Benitez also believes it is too early to rule his side out of the title race after the defeat to United.

The Reds lie ten points behind leaders Arsenal and many pundits have suggested that they are already out of contention for the championship.

However, Benitez has refused to concede defeat and insists there is still a long way to go.

"It is too early for me," Benitez added. "We have one game in hand so the situation can improve and we're about to play four league games in a short time over Christmas.

"Let's just keep the confidence of the players high and see what the situation is at the end of the next month.

"It is not the best situation but we prefer just to think about each game."

DECEMBER 17
Gillett: Rafa's the best a man can get

By Tom Adams - Setanta Sports

Liverpool co-owner George Gillett has thrown his backing behind Rafa Benitez after clear-the-air talks between manager and club on Sunday.

The Spaniard met with Gillett, fellow owner Tom Hicks, Foster Gillett and Rick Parry after Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United to address the recent public fall-out that had seen speculation surround Benitez’s position.

The manager had questioned the American owners’ approach to transfer policy but the row now appears to have been dealt with and forgotten by Gillett, who has full confidence in the job Benitez is doing.

"This wasn't supposed to happen, but it has happened, and now the focus has to be on finding a common platform to continue our co-operation,” said Gillett in the Liverpool Echo.

"Rafa is the one we want as manager further on, and we have faith in him.

"I've been married over 40 years and have first-hand knowledge about how to solve an argument.

"We concentrated on getting an overview over the situation, and I felt we accomplished that."

However, Gillett is still unsure as to whether Liverpool will enter the transfer market in January, despite Benitez being known to be keen on recruiting a new defender.

"The transfer window opens soon and we might use the option that gives us, or we might not," Gillett added.

"Liverpool is a great club. We are well aware that we have something very valuable in our hands."

DECEMBER 13
Benitez says Liverpool's
spending below big clubs

By Mark Elkington - Reuters

Liverpool's net outlay on players is not as high as that spent by England's biggest clubs and as a result does not guarantee they can win the Premier League title, manager Rafael Benitez has said.

"There's a misunderstanding when people speak of the money Liverpool have spent, as between what we have spent and recovered we're at a similar level to those at the top, but not the biggest sides," Benitez told Thursday's sports daily AS.

"Manchester United have spent 70 million pounds (this year) when we have spent 40 something and recovered 26.

"Many people say we have to win the title because of the money we have spent but other teams such as United, Chelsea, Newcastle United or Aston Villa have also spent a lot of money.

"Arsenal have been spending a lot on young players for years and now are reaping the rewards," he added in the interview.

"All the top teams spend money but this does not guarantee the league title because Chelsea and United....are very big with a base created over a number of years."

Arsenal are currently top of the standings one point clear of champions Manchester United and three ahead of Chelsea with Liverpool a further four points adrift in fourth spot.

Benitez has been reported to have a strained relationship with the club's new American owners over future spending plans for the squad, but he sought to play it down ahead of a meeting with them later this week.

"At a personal level we have a good relationship. We have had some differences at a professional level but when we meet and talk it will be cleared up as a misunderstanding," he added.

"We all want the best for Liverpool so I am sure we will understand each other well. I am very happy at Liverpool and hope to be here for many more years."

Liverpool reached the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday with a 4-0 win at Olympique Marseille and host a Premier League clash with champions Manchester United on Sunday.

DECEMBER 1
Hicks: I'm not selling up

Sky Sports

Tom Hicks has stressed he is not looking to sell his stake in Liverpool and insists he is still 'enjoying' being an owner of the Premier League clubs.

Following the recent stand-off with manager Rafa Benitez, reports had claimed that Hicks, who co-owns the club with George Gillett, was looking to offload his shares.

But the American businessman has moved to refute the rumours and is 'disappointed and confused' by the suggestions he is looking for an escape route.

"I just want to clear up with you that I am not selling any of my shares to anybody," Hicks told the Liverpool Echo.

Rubbish
"I have no idea why anyone would think that. It was just rubbish.

"George and I have never been closer. We both were very disappointed and confused as to where that inaccurate information came from.

"Owning Liverpool has been great, we're still enjoying it."

The row between the American owners and Benitez regarded transfer policy at Anfield and led to huge support for the manager prior to Wednesday's UEFA Champions League tie with Porto.

Hicks admires the supporters' passion and is confident the issue regarding Benitez's transfer disgruntlement has 'settled back down'.

Misunderstanding
He added: "The fans are very passionate and that's what we love about them.

"It's been a big misunderstanding blown very much out of proportion. George and I are happy to see that it has settled back down.

"We've a big game on Sunday against Bolton, a big game against Marseille and a big game with our neighbours to the east (Manchester United) and the main thing is the team is playing better."

NOVEMBER 30
Rafa feud comes as no major shock

TEAMtalk

TEAMtalk says Rafa Benitez's feud with Liverpool's American owners should come as no surprise to the many students of literature on Merseyside.

After all, as George Bernard Shaw famously noted, the UK and the US are "two nations divided by a common language."

Throw Benitez's occasionally less-than-perfect grasp of the English language into the mix and all the ingredients are there for the hilarious transfer row which has dominated the headlines.

Hilarious for those on the outside looking in, that is, but not such a laughing matter in the red half of the city.

Benitez set the ball rolling with his press conference last Friday in which he showcased a new catchphrase in response to any question he did not feel like answering.

"I am focused on training and coaching my team," deadpanned the Spaniard.

Hardly 'Fast Show' material - although that programme hardly had any decent material either - and club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett certainly failed to see the funny side.

The American duo issued a statement which didn't need Douglas Adams' Babel Fish translator to be understood as "Stop asking for more money after scoring 10 goals in two games".

Back came Benitez in this game of verbal ping-pong with a claim that Hicks and Gillett "don't understand what the transfer window means in Europe".

"They need to understand how difficult it is to sign players. I was trying to explain, now we try to keep focus and win games.

"If they understand what the market means, they will understand we are trying to do the best for the club."

So 30-15 to Benitez, but Hicks was not about to crumble like Fern Britton's dietary resolve when faced with a tray of chocolate eclairs.

"George and I will be over in mid-December and that is the time to talk about other issues," he said.

"It is really time for Rafa to quit talking about new players and to coach the players we have."

30-30.

But Benitez had the trump card up his sleeve, the sleeve of his tracksuit that is.

Yes, in another of those "so daft you couldn't make it up" moments, an adopted Liverpudlian's choice of leisure-wear swung the pendulum back in his favour.

Speaking after the 3-0 win over Newcastle, captain Steven Gerrard noted: "The manager is usually in a suit, but he can keep wearing the tracksuit at away games if we keep getting the results like we did at Newcastle."

40-30, and it was game, set and match when more tracksuits were on display ahead of the Champions League game with over Porto as Liverpool fans demonstrated their support for Benitez before, during and after the 4-1 win.

"Rafa's going nowhere" chanted the fans and that looks like being the case after the former Valencia boss revealed talks with Hicks and Gillett could be brought forward.

Let's hope for his sake "going nowhere" does not preclude a trip to Marks & Spencer for some more suitable attire.

NOVEMBER 27
Why Reds must keep Rafa

By Ben Blackmore - Setanta Sports

Somehow, and by logic maybe only two loaded American businessmen understand, Rafa Benitez finds his position as Liverpool manager extremely precarious as we head into December.

Despite the fact Rafa's Reds have made their best Premier League start for years, co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are threatening to play the role of Ebineezer Scrooge as the festive period approaches.

When Kopites wrote their Christmas lists a month ago, the majority would have asked for three points at Derby on Boxing Day and maybe the capture of Lionel Messi in their Christmas stockings. Now they merely hope Benitez will still be manager.

Here are three reasons why:

Master tactician:

When Gerard Houllier named his final team-sheet at the end of the 2003/04 season, it listed the following back four: Steve Finnan, Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia, John Arne Riise.

I know what you might be thinking. Those players are all still major factors in Liverpool’s squad of today, so Benitez inherited his good defence.

Wrong.

Remember that bandwagon that the less-educated sports pundit likes to jump aboard? You know, the one about zonal marking? I believe it was Rafa who introduced that at Anfield.

Indeed it is Rafa’s Liverpool who have broken club records for clean sheets kept in a season.

When was the last time they conceded from a set piece using this ‘dodgy’ zonal marking system? Seven months ago – when already 2-0 down at Arsenal. Let that bandwagon role on.

Signings:

Supposedly the reason causing the current bad blood in the Anfield boardroom, Benitez wants his bosses to move now to secure cheap bargains. They are not responding, telling him he has had enough money.

One might argue that, after splashing out £40 million in the summer, Liverpool’s co-owners have a point. But then how many times has Benitez actually wasted the shiny gold of the Anfield coffers on big-money signings?

Fernando Morientes? (£6.3m) Who would have predicted such a class player would not adapt to life in England? As a counter, who would have predicted £7 million Peter Crouch would be a bigger success?

Craig Bellamy? (£6m) Whether he was Liverpool class is debatable but the Wales international played a big part in helping Liverpool to a Champions League final – plus they recouped their £6 million outlay.

Now look at the successes of Benitez's big money captures: Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina, Luis Garcia.

Dirk Kuyt , Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel are also fashioning growing reputations.

Should the co-owners bow to Benitez’s demands? What reason have they got not to trust his judgement?

Unrivalled success:

Fast forward on from Houllier’s last game to 5th April 2005, Juventus at home, Champions League quarter final first leg.

Still with a squad barely showing the mark of Benitez, the Spaniard managed to mastermind a 2-1 victory over one of European football’s giants.

Why is this so significant? How many other managers could have coached a team including, Djimi Traore, Igor Biscan, Antonio Nunez, Anthony Le Tallec and Milan Baros to such a triumph?

It was one of several glorious European nights that season for Liverpool, as Benitez guided The Reds to their first European Cup in 21 years.

Two years and an FA Cup triumph later, Liverpool would return to another Champions League final, this time only to be undone by the cruellest of deflections.

But can he do it in The Premier League? 13 games unbeaten this season would suggest yes.

Liverpool also tend to finish the season stronger than their closest rivals under Benitez, thanks to another myth surrounding the much-maligned rotation system.

Last season The Reds amassed 37 points after the turn of the year, more than any other side. (Chelsea 36, Manchester United 36,
Arsenal 32).

Bearing in mind Liverpool’s current game in hand over United, an identical run-in this season would see Benitez’s men finish second – a point behind The Gunners. An improved run-in sees the title return to Anfield.

Can he do it in The Premier League? I think so.

Do Kopites across the country agree? Let 45,000 of them give you a spine-tingling answer when they protest Benitez’s potential departure during Wednesday’s clash with Porto.

NOVEMBER 27
Reds must see sense over Rafa

TEAMtalk's James Marshment urges Liverpool to see sense over Rafa Benitez and not join the masses who are too hasty in axing their managers.

After players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba dominated the 2006-07 football season, it seems the managers are having their turn during the current campaign.

Jose Mourinho and Steve McClaren have created some of the year's biggest headlines by leaving two of the highest-profile and best-paid positions in English football and reports suggest another big casualty may be on the way.

After leading Liverpool to two Champions League finals in three years it seems ludicrous Rafael Benitez's Anfield future should now be in doubt but, where managers are concerned, nothing should be a surprise this season.

Bolton and Wigan have both parted company with coaches they appointed just months earlier and only last week Steve Bruce left a struggling side for one in an even worse position, stopping to argue over image rights on the way.

And on Monday, Derby "parted company" with Billy Davies, despite him leading the Rams into the promised land of the Premier League just six short months earlier.

Then, of course, there is the farce that was Martin Jol's sorry exit from Tottenham and the lower divisions have been just as fertile with Leicester rattling through team bosses at an alarming rate.

All have been remarkable tales in their own right and all eyes will certainly be on Anfield this week for more possible drama.

Liverpool face a crunch Champions League showdown with Porto on Wednesday when defeat is likely to end their chances of reaching the last 16.

That would almost certainly dent Benitez's January transfer kitty and given the frustrations the Spaniard has already voiced on that front, there may be only one way the resulting impasse between him and the club owners could be broken.

Benitez left Valencia partly due to a disagreement over transfer funding and perhaps he could walk away again with his work at Liverpool incomplete.

The picture is not entirely clear but what is apparent is that Benitez's relationship with the American tycoons who bought the club earlier in the year has deteriorated to some degree.

Tom Hicks' extraordinary statement that Benitez needed to "quit talking" about new players and concentrate on coaching was a rare example of Liverpool washing their dirty linen in public.

In that instant a man that has so far seemed to embrace all things Liverpool with warmth and love showed the hard-nosed business sense that his made him such a financial success.

Yet while Benitez might be sailing close to the wind with some of his comments, who is it that is really playing with fire?

Not only would losing Benitez cost the club a coach with one of the best track records in Europe, but their choice of replacement could pour oil on the flames.

Remember, the Reds remain unbeaten in the Premier League so far this season and performances such as the recent destructions of Besiktas and Newcastle prove just how far they have come under his tenure. True, home form needs to improve if the Reds are to mount a serious challenge for the title, but history suggests they improve after Christmas and a repeat performance could yet see the club end their barren 18-year wait for a league title - and how fitting that would be in the year the city is the European Capital of Culture.

But remove Benitez and I believe the Reds would be removing their best shot at title glory in years.

The rumour mill has it that Mourinho is top of potential successors. Perhaps some research into why the Portuguese left his previous job is required. And if Hicks and Gillett think that Mourinho is a Liverpool man in the very traditional sense, then some very serious questions need to be asked.

NOVEMBER 26
Rafa cannot win
war of words with owners

TEAMtalk

TEAMtalk explains the millions of reasons why Rafael Benitez is on dodgy ground in his most recent spat with Liverpool's American owners.

Actually, 122 million to be precise. That is the amount of sterling Benitez has spent since joining Liverpool in the summer of 2004.

By even money-mad football measures that is a vast sum.

Around £50million of that was made available to Benitez by owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett after last May's Champions League final defeat against AC Milan, half of which was spent on bringing Fernando Torres to Anfield.

The point is that Benitez can hardly complain that he has not been supported. He can hardly claim he has not been given the tools to do the job.

He can hardly complain his authority has been usurped the way Jose Mourinho felt his had at Chelsea.

Sure, it is easy to see why Benitez wants to ensure Argentina's on-loan Javier Mascherano remains at the club and why he wants the £17million that would cost to be pledged sooner rather than later.

Benitez fears a player he believes is crucial to Liverpool's immediate future might be spirited away by one of their competitors.

You can see, too, why Benitez, whose team face a crucial Champions League tie against Porto at Anfield on Wednesday, wants to sign £15million Argentina defender Ezequiel Garay.

But you can also see why Hicks and Gillett might want to say: 'Hold on'.

The proposed cost of building Liverpool's new ground has soared £150million to £400million.

That new 60,000 capacity stadium is the long-term future of Liverpool, just as the Emirates stadium was the vehicle which ensured Arsenal's ability to continue to mix it with Manchester United and Chelsea.

I do not recall Arsene Wenger posturing and demanding to spend countless millions when the transfer shackles were applied at Highbury.

By contrast I recall Wenger buying in to the dream that good housekeeping now would pay dividends down the line.

Of course, that takes a man of patience and intelligence, as well as a shrewd coach confident in his own ability to mould his players into a winning team.

The truth, however, is that on that score Benitez has failed to convince.

Why? Mainly because there is no pattern or purpose to his work.

Despite the 8-0 slaying of Besiktas in the Champions League and the 6-0 destruction of Derby in the Premier League this season and the latest 3-0 win at Newcastle on Saturday Benitez has been unable to deliver a sense of momentum.

He does not suggest he is building a dynasty, more that he stumbles from match to match not knowing his best side, alienating men such as Peter Crouch and Yossi Benayoun who never know whether they will be selected from one game to the next.

After three and a half years there is still no pattern or identity to Liverpool's team, even after two Champions League final appearances, including the triumph in Istanbul.

Where is the surge of belief? Where is the conviction that consistency can be found to add to their 18 league titles?

A draw away at Porto and defeat at home to Marseille has left their hopes in the Champions League hanging precariously.

They languish fifth in the Premier League despite being the only team, other than Arsenal, in any of the divisions to remain unbeaten in the league this season.

It is why Benitez plays a dangerous game when he dons tracksuit rather than lounge suit on the touchline and chides his employers in a press conference by responding to almost every question with: "As always, I am focused on coaching and training my team."

With the advent of powerful foreign owners steeped in the world of business, men who want a return on their investment, football managers can no longer demand huge cheques be written willy-nilly.

Where I do have sympathy for Benitez is in the fact that Hicks and Gillett have each been to only one Liverpool match this season, while the manager claims he has spoken to them just once in three months.

That does not suggest Liverpool is their number one priority, nor exudes the passion for sport they claimed when they took control at Anfield.

It also does not suggest Liverpool are any closer to regaining their position as Britain's elite football club.

NOVEMBER 26
Mark Lawrenson: Rafa Benitez
in precarious position

Liverpool Daily Post

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson believes current manager Rafael Benitez is in a “precarious position”
at Anfield.

The Spaniard has become embroiled in a face-off with club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett over their unwillingness to sanction transfer activity before they arrive on Merseyside for the clash with bitter rivals Manchester United on December 16.

After hinting at the row in his pre-match press conferences last week, Benitez confirmed that he was upset at the situation after Saturday’s win at Newcastle when he claimed the Americans “don’t understand” the need for quick action to avoid disappointment in the January transfer window.

In response, Hicks and Gillett issued a statement last night when they reiterated their determination to stand firm.

While Lawrenson - who played more than 250 games for the Reds in the 1980s - understands both sides of the debate, he believes Benitez’s position could come under threat if results over the next few weeks do not go his way.

With qualification for the lucrative knockout stages of the Champions League in jeopardy ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Porto, and Liverpool only fifth in the Barclays Premier League, Lawrenson believes the owners could be swayed by what happens on the pitch.

“If they did lose to Porto, and then Manchester United come and win at Anfield like they did last season, then all of a sudden they would look at the Premier League and think with all the money they spent in the summer they’re not getting a return,” he told BBC Radio Five Live.

“It’s a very precarious position at the moment.”

Lawrenson does not, however, think Benitez’s job is under immediate threat.

“I don’t think there’s a great problem, he’s trying to say ’look guys, you don’t really understand the situation here’, which is a difficult thing to say to the two owners,” he said.

“I think if they win on Wednesday it will all be well, but he’s saying you’re not here until the 16th of December, the Manchester United game, and he’s saying it’s too late, they need to get something in place. You can understand both sides of the situation.

“They’ve bought a club in England and they have to operate in such a way that they can get the best players.”

NOVEMBER 26
Transfer row behind a crisis

By Tony Barrett - Liverpool Echo

When Kahka Kaladze helped AC Milan topple Liverpool in last May's Champions League final, little did he know that six months later he could end up playing an unwitting role in Rafa Benitez's potential downfall.

The Georgian defender might have frustrated Benitez in Athens but to nothing like the same extent as the failure to sign him has infuriated the Liverpool boss in the last week.

Benitez wanted to snap Kaladze up to provide defensive cover for Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and Sami Hyypia but when Tom Hicks and George Gillett refused to even discuss potential transfers before December 16, the chance to sign him was lost and the Reds boss reacted angrily.

Having been ordered to concentrate on “coaching and training”, Benitez saw this as evidence that Liverpool’s American owners were not prepared to back him in the transfer market and, brimming with indignation, used a Melwood press conference to let the world know that all was not well at Anfield.

Despite being unceremoniously slapped down and told to “quit talking” by Dallas-based Tom Hicks following his outburst, Benitez refused to give any ground in the aftermath of Saturday’s resounding 3-0 win at Newcastle.

He claimed the Americans had not yet had time to develop an understanding of the intricacies of the transfer window – and that the club needed to conduct business as promptly as possible.

The battle lines had been drawn and there was precious little sign of either side backing down from the fight.

But today, the mood music coming from Benitez’s direction changed.

Gone today is the outspoken criticism of the club hierarchy and the seemingly kamikaze confrontational approach which had the bookmakers frantically cutting their odds on him being the next Premiership manager to be ousted.

Instead, the language has a more conciliatory tone as an olive branch is held out to Hicks and George Gillett and, by way of reciprocation, sources close to the Americans have dismissed talk that they have already decided to sack the manager at such a crucial stage of the season.

Whether this means Benitez will remain in position for too much longer is another matter entirely.

His recent outbursts have upset the Americans greatly and they came at a time when they were privately questioning his ability to lead Liverpool to the title.

Watching from afar, they have been disappointed by the way their most recent sporting acquisition has struggled in this season’s Champions League and the lead Arsenal have built up over them in the Premiership.

Even an unbeaten run in the league has failed to overly impress them, so Benitez was on the thinnest of ice when he decided to take them on over transfer strategy.

Today, that ice remains just as thin but at least Benitez has given himself a chance of not falling through it by making a tactical withdrawal from battle and intimating that he is now prepared to put his misgivings over the club’s transfer strategy to one side until that all-important meeting on December 16.

Although his future remains open to question, what seems apparent is Benitez’s commitment to the club and his desire for it to be successful.

As those closest to the manager have intimated, it is this hunger and desire to be the best that makes the Spaniard so frustrated when things do not go as he would expect them to.

With Daniel Agger currently injured and Sami Hyypia entering the twilight of his career, the proposed acquisition of 29-year-old Kaladze for a fee of around £4m was seen as crucial to his ongoing squad building.

But with transfer talk banned at Anfield until mid-December that deal died a lingering death last week and Benitez was left with nothing to console him but a swift return to the drawing board.

For a manager whose entire transfer philosophy is built on getting deals done quickly to save money, stopping latecomers from snaring his targets in the process, this was too much to bear, hence his coded attack on the club’s owners that he would now concentrate only on coaching as they had ordered him to.

But Benitez it seems recognises that, like politics, football is all about the art of the possible and the fact that the Americans are not going to change policy to suit him means, in the short term at least, he must either accept their authority and way of doing things – or face the sack.

He could carry on fighting what is a losing battle with a pair of all powerful, American multi-millionaires – or keep his head down until they finally reveal their hand in a couple of weeks time.

The fact that he now seems to have taken the latter course suggests his desire to remain at a club he loves is stronger than any selfish hunger for battle.

Significantly, Benitez will also be aware that he has the backing of the club’s fans, as evidenced by the continued chanting of his name at Newcastle on Saturday and the outpouring of support on internet forums in the wake of a report that his time as Liverpool manager is about to come to an abrupt and undignified end.

But the inescapable fact is it could all be too little too late and the man who has taken Liverpool to two European Cup finals in three years – winning one in the most spectacular fashion possible and narrowly losing the other – with FA Cup glory sandwiched in between, could soon be looking for another job.

The statement released by Tom Hicks yesterday afternoon stopped a long way short of saying Benitez has the backing of the club’s owners and there has been no official public denial from either co-owner that the Spaniard is heading for the Anfield exit door.

Unbeaten in the Premiership, with their Champions League fate still in their own hands and a squad of players which is the envy of most clubs in Europe, it says everything about how badly the relationship between Benitez and the American owners has broken down that they could even consider giving him the sack.

Whether the fans will accept this situation is another matter entirely.

Their devotion to Benitez and his love for them means they share a strong bond and it is entirely possible there will be a show of support for the Spaniard at the crunch game with Porto at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Most supporters simply cannot understand how the manager who delivered Liverpool’s fifth European Cup just two seasons ago and took them to the brink of another one last May can now be fighting for his managerial life, especially when there have been no real indications of malaise since then.

At St James’ Park on Saturday, the fans chanted the manager’s name time and time again.

So, as understandably affronted as they are, if Tom Hicks and George Gillett are about to load the gun that will ultimately fire Rafa Benitez, it looks like they may have to take on the Anfield crowd first.

As so many have found to their cost on a European night, that is easier said than done.

NOVEMBER 26
Benitez ready to offer olive
branch to Liverpool FC owners

By Tony Barrett - Liverpool Daily Post

Rafa Benitez is ready to hold out an olive branch to Liverpool’s owners – but his gesture of reconciliation may have come too late to save his job.

Though sources close to Tom Hicks and George Gillett insist no decision has been made to sack Benitez, the Americans have refused to deny speculation it is only a matter of time before the manager is forced out.

Despite the pressure , Benitez is still planning for the future and remains hopeful of landing the league title he knows Liverpool.

A source close to Benitez said: “Rafa loves it at Liverpool. He loves the people of the city, he loves the fans and he loves the club. All he wants is what’s best for the fans - he gets frustrated when he feels he’s not able to do that.

“But he is happy with Tom and George owning the club and he has enjoyed working with them since he came and he has no problem working with Rick (Parry) – all he wants is to be able to continue the job that he’s started so he can continue improving the squad in a bid to deliver the title he knows Tom, George and Rick want just as badly as he does.

“The manager has got a few transfers that he wants to get done, one in January and two Bosmans in the summer but it looks like he is going to miss out on the first one now.

“That frustrated him because the first one was a centre half, a position he feels we really need back-up in. The frustration stems from the fact that communication has been so difficult with everyone being so far apart and in different time zones. But the fans should be reassured Rafa has no plans of walking away. He loves it here and his family are settled on Merseyside.

“He always describes his children as ‘Scousers’ and that makes him really proud. And the fact that the fans have backed him so much only makes him want success even more for them. Even when he guided Valencia to their first Spanish league title in 31 years their fans did not sing his name but the Liverpool fans sing it every single game.

“Rafa only wants to work for Liverpool. It wasn’t that long ago that Rafa was thanking Tom, George and Rick for the work that they had done to bring Fernando Torres to Liverpool. He is still grateful for that and hopes that there has been no lasting damage done.”

“He is hoping this situation can be resolved.In a statementHicks and Gillett said: “Despite speculation in Sunday’s newspapers, there is nothing new to say. We had a good win yesterday and we have got some very important games coming up. “Both of us, together with chief executive Rick Parry, plan to meet with Rafa when we come over mid-December to make decisions on the team’s requirements at that time.”

NOVEMBER 25
Liverpool FC owners react
to 'Rafa to be sacked' claims

Liverpool Daily Post

Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have reacted to reports suggesting manager Rafael Benitez is facing
the sack.

The Americans insist they expect to hold a scheduled meeting in mid-December with the present manager to discuss potential transfer deals for the January window.

However the statement stops short of categorically dismissing the speculation, which has been prompoted by a series of disagreements between the owners and Benitez over future transfers.

Benitez has been critical of the new owners' understanding of the workings of the European transfer market.

The statement, released last night, reads:

"Despite speculation in today's newspapers, there is nothing new to say.

"We had a good win yesterday and have got some very important games coming up starting with Porto on Wednesday, followed by Bolton and Reading, before Marseille and Manchester United in a few weeks.

"Both of us, together with Chief Executive Rick Parry, plan to meet with Rafa when we come over mid December to make decisions on the team's requirements at that time."

The behind the scenes disputes were brought sharply into the public domain when Benitez held a bizarre press conference ahead of the Newcastle match in which he repeatedly answered that he was concentrating on coaching the team in reply to a succession of questions.

Benitez showed no sign of backing down after the 3-0 win over Newcastle.

He said: "It's clear Mr Hicks wants the best for the club. So do I,"

"We have been here for a long time and we know what the passion of football means and what the transfer market in Europe means.

"It's not a draft system. We have free players available now. I'm not talking about players that cost money.

"We need to talk to the agents now, if not we will lose targets. In the summer, the players will be more expensive. I have not been talking about spending but doing the opposite. We have brought money back. We brought in £26m this year and you can see the value of the squad.

"We had a meeting on the day of the Arsenal game which was really positive. After this, something changed.

"They told me to be focused on coaching and training because Rick Parry will be looking after signing players."

Benitez is determined to stay put, and added: "I have passion for this club. The fans who were with me in Istanbul know what it means to me."

NOVEMBER 23
Benitez playing dangerous game

By Phil McNulty - BBC Sport

Rafael Benitez's relationship with Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks has been strained before - now it is close to breaking point.

Benitez delivered an extraordinary, exasperated performance at his media briefing before Liverpool's visit to Newcastle on Saturday.

He responded to questioning on a variety of topics by repeating that he was "focused on training and coaching my team" no fewer than 25 times.

Benitez was so agitated that he was even happy to link himself with the newly-vacated England job - a sure sign of any man's discontent.

So what is the truth behind the apparent breakdown in relations between Benitez and Anfield's American owners?

My understanding is that Hicks and Gillett were furious with Benitez's outburst, which they regard as unwarranted and undeserved.

And, contrary to reports, his incendiary reaction was not a response to a telephone call with the Americans shortly before the press conference.

Benitez has been told within the last three weeks that no transfer business - in or out - or any potential funding, will be discussed until Hicks and Gillett return to Merseyside from America in mid-December.

He has clearly stewed on this information and the lid came off at Liverpool's Melwood training headquarters in almost surreal circumstances.

Hicks and Gillett were similarly infuriated and mystified when Benitez, in an apparent fit of pique, launched an attack on them in the wake of the Champions League final defeat against AC Milan in Athens in May.

I believe that was forgiven, if not exactly forgotten, and even Thursday's outburst has not put his job in immediate jeopardy.

But if it was designed to shake the Americans off course from their original strategy of formulating all their transfer plans in December, it has backfired.

Benitez's very public show of petulance will not persuade Hicks or Gillett to shift their stance one inch.

There will be no discussions until mid-December whether Benitez likes it or not.

If that has made him question his position, so be it.

The ball is now firmly back in his court, but he can be in no doubt that he has not pleased his employers and they are sure to take a dim view if he delivers any more public criticism.

Hicks and Gillett believe they gave Benitez everything he wanted in the transfer market in the summer, even though it was a stretch on their planned transfer budget.

They feel the arrival of Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel demonstrated their commitment.

This is a point for debate among Liverpool supporters, with some suggesting he recouped plenty back from sales, but this is the view across the Atlantic.

Benitez has since come up with a number of transfer targets that he wishes to pursue and has expressed fears to the Anfield hierarchy that he could miss out.

Hicks and Gillett want to sit down in December and formulate a clear plan. There will be no scatter-gun spending.

Rather than back down in the face of increasing and regular pressure from Benitez, I am told his latest broadside left the American pair almost having to be scraped off the ceiling in rage.

Their message to Benitez was to stay silent and get on with the business of coaching and winning games between now and December - then they will talk business.

They feel their request that Benitez waits until December to discuss matters further is perfectly reasonable - a view clearly not shared by their manager.

Benitez is no stranger to the politicking of football. He had similar problems at Valencia over transfer targets.

But I understand the Americans will not be budged, leaving Benitez to either bite his tongue and wait or continue to publicly berate the club's owners.

If he fails to take the hint, it may well be that Benitez might pursue his ambitions elsewhere.

Benitez, despite his benign public image, is a ruthless, single-minded, sore loser - no problem with that.

He also remains a highly-popular figure with Liverpool fans, although that might alter if they fail to reach the Champions League knockout phase.

But Hicks and Gillett feel they have played fair with Benitez, a feeling not reciprocated by the Spanish manager.

Benitez may have the last word, but a major diplomatic incident has been sparked by his criticism and he needs results more than ever as Liverpool enter a crucial phase of their campaign.

NOVEMBER 23
Hicks tells Benitez:
Quit talking and coach the players

By Tony Barrett - Liverpool Echo

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks today ordered Rafa Benitez to “quit talking about new players and coach the players
we have”.

In an angry rebuke to the Reds boss who launched a cryptic attack on the club owners yesterday, Hicks made it clear the club will not even consider any demands from Benitez until mid-December at the earliest.

At yesterday’s weekly Melwood press conference, Benitez admitted he was frustrated with life at Anfield and continually told reporters that he wished only to concentrate on coaching and training his team.

His repeated comments have been taken as a thinly veiled attack on Hicks and George Gillett – who recently told Benitez to forget about transfers for the time being and to focus only on the players he already has at his disposal.

In an exclusive interview with the ECHO today, Dallas-based Hicks responded to Benitez’s comments by defending the level of financial support he has afforded the manager and insisting the time has come for the Spaniard to do his talking on the pitch.

He said: “After the Champions League final in Athens, Rafa made certain demands of us and we responded to those demands in the summer.

“We brought in some good players and spent more money than has ever been spent before at this club.

“We now have some crucial games coming up in the Premier League and the Champions League and we want to see if we can win these games with the players we have.

“This was the message we gave to Rafa recently and I think during the international break he must have grown a bit frustrated about this.

“We told him to concentrate on the games coming up and nothing else and I guess he didn’t like that.

“But, for the time being, we just need to be focused on what happens on the pitch.

“George and I will be over in mid-December and that is the time to talk about other issues. It is really time for Rafa to quit talking about new players and to coach the players we have.”

Sources close to the Americans admit they are concerned with the present climate but hope to see harmony in relations restored quickly.

NOVEMBER 23
Liverpool in crisis

By David Maddock - Daily Mirror

The civil war that has suddenly gripped Liverpool could determine whether they can ever rejoin the elite of English football, or be condemned to yet more years in the Premier League wilderness.

Manager Rafa Benitez launched an extraordinary offensive yesterday with what he sees as a ultimatum to the club's American owners that they can only interpret as back me or sack me.

In response, George Gillett and Tom Hicks offered a considered and cutting response, apparently designed to call the bluff of the manager who often reacts in an impulsive way to any perceived problems.

Benitez has become increasingly angry in recent weeks over what he believed was a complete lack of communication from the Americans.

He argued that since buying the club they had put their energies into other projects, left Liverpool on a back burner, and wondered whether the pair were working together as a team.

Both men have each been to only one game this season, and Benitez claims he has spoken to them just once in three months, while also exchanging the odd email.

Gillett's son Foster, installed at Anfield as a go-between, has flown back to the States for an extended period.

In particular, Benitez wants the £17million deal for Javier Mascherano wrapped up, after agreeing terms over both contract and fee. The Americans though, have delayed, insisting they have first option on the Argentina midfielder and that there is no need to rush.

Benitez also tried to negotiate deals to bring in two highly-rated young Brazilians, and wants funds to back a major offensive to sign £15m Argentina defender Ezequiel Garay.

All three proposals were met with indifference by a board increasingly sceptical about his constant pursuit of untried South Americans, believing it to be a high-risk strategy that could cost the club millions.

Benitez wants to move quickly, with Juventus interested in Mascherano, and Manchester United in Garay, who, along with the Brazilians, is also wanted by Real Madrid.

His frustration has grown to such a level Bayern Munich and Fenerbache made inquiries after word leaked out at Anfield of his discomfort.

That did nothing for relations between the manager and owners sides, with the Americans beginning to believe they may be better off without someone prone to such emotional outbursts.

There is still anger within the boardroom over Benitez's personal attack on Gillett, Hicks and chief executive Rick Parry over a lack of support after the Champions League Final.

Gillett and Hicks responded by making £50m available for transfers, and believe the manager now has a squad strong enough for a serious assault on the title.

However, the the situation came to head yesterday when Benitez was told by the Americans to wait until they arrive in England on December 16, and until then to concentrate on getting the best out of a squad that has cost so much.

That enraged the Spanish, who immediately marched into a press conference conducted in a remarkable manner.

Virtually every question was answered with the same response: "As always, I am focused on coaching and training my team." He repeated the sentence - clearly meant as a response to the demands of the Americans and probably borrowing from a phrase they used - more than 25 times.

Their reaction was swift and significant. They issued a statement that robustly defended their position and also explained what had been happening behind the scenes.

"We made a significant investment in the playing squad during the summer and desperately want this team to succeed," it read. "There are some very important games coming up in the next couple of weeks and all of us need to focus on winning those games and getting the best out of the players we already have.

"We will leave any talk of buying or selling players until we come across to Liverpool in December and sit down with the manager then."

The question for Benitez is whether he can remain in charge until then. The owners have called his bluff, and he must mull over his position after being so publicly chastised.

He would receive a huge payoff - thought to be up to £6m - if sacked, even if he finds another job, but will forfeit that amount if he quits.

He has been bluntly told he has had significant backing and will have to earn further support through results on the field, which have been less than impressive despite major investment.

The ball in now in his court, but the US tycoons are hard-nosed businessmen and Benitez has suddenly found himself on extremely treacherous ground, that could conceivably lead to his departure.

NOVEMBER 23
Rafa Benitez’s transfer history

Liverpool Echo

IN
Josemi £2m
Antonio Nunez £2m
Xabi Alonso £10.7m
Luis Garcia £6m
Mauricio Pellegrino Free
Fernando Morientes £6.5m
Scott Carson £750,000
Antonio Baragan Compensation fee
Jose Reina £6m
Mohammed Sissoko £5.6m
Boudewijn Zenden Free
Peter Crouch £7m
Jack Hobbs £750,000
Godwin Anti Free
Miquel Roque Free
Jan Kromkamp Swop for Josemi
Paul Anderson Swop for John Welsh
Daniel Agger £5.8m
Craig Bellamy £6m
Gabriel Paletta £2m
Mark Gonzalez £4.5m
Fabio Aurelio Free
Jermaine Pennant £6.7m
Dirk Kuyt £9m
Alvaro Arbeloa £2.64m
Andriy Voronin Free
Lucas Leiva £6m
Sebastien Leto £1.5m
Fernando Torres £20m
Yossi Benayoun £5m
Ryan Babel £11m
Charles Itandje Free
---------
£127.44m

OUT
Danny Murphy £2.5m
Michael Owen £8m
Vladimir Smicer Free
El Hadji Diouf Undisclosed fee
Mauricio Pellegrino Free
Alou Diarra £2m
Gregory Vignal Free
Jon Otsemobor Free
Milan Baros £6.5m
Josemi Swop for Jan Kromkamp
John Welsh Swop for Paul Anderson
Fernando Morientes £3m
Dietmar Hamann Free
Bruno Cheyrou Free
Djimi Traore £2m
Neil Mellor Free
Jan Kromkamp £1.5m
Darren Potter £200,000
Steve Warnock £2.5m
Salif Diao Free
Luis Garcia £4m
Mark Gonzalez £3.5m
Djibril Cisse £8m
Craig Bellamy £7.5m
Jerzy Dudek Free
---------
£51.2m

NOVEMBER 22
Talk of discontent at Liverpool grows

Ireland.com

Speculation about growing discontent between Liverpool's joint owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and manager Rafael Benitez has intensified after a bizarre day on Merseyside.

In his weekly press conference to preview Saturday's trip to Newcastle, Benitez was strangely reticent in his response to any questions not about their Barclays Premier League match.

But he did, rather oddly, suggest he could one day take over as England manager.

A few hours later co-chairman Hicks and Gillett issued a statement in which they highlighted the financial backing they had given the manager but also stressed they would be meeting Benitez next month before further transfer activity would be considered.

"We made a significant investment in the playing squad during the summer and desperately want this team to succeed," said the statement.

"There are some very important games coming up in the next couple of weeks and all of us need to focus on winning those games and getting the best out of the players we already have at the club.

"We will leave any talk of buying or selling players until we come across to Liverpool in December and sit down with the manager then."

Benitez is keen bolster his squad in January with his side delicately poised in fifth, six points adrift of unbeaten leaders Arsenal.

There is money coming in to the club as Scott Carson seems destined to make his loan at Aston Villa permanent in a deal potentially worth £10million in total — a British transfer record for a goalkeeper.

However, Benitez wants to tie up a long-term deal to keep Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano at the club and that will not come cheap.

It was apparent all was not well with the Spaniard when he arrived for his press briefing at the club's Melwood training ground.

A stock response to any question he did not want to answer was to repeat, on numerous occasions: "I am focused on training and coaching my team."

His demeanour was one of a man with issues, although he did not elaborate on a week he described as "not the best".

The Spaniard, however, did offer up the prospect of him potentially taking over the England job at some point.

"In the future you never know," said Benitez.

"It can happen. You never know what can happen. If I can improve my English."

Those comments suggested the former Valencia boss had already considered life away from Anfield — which was at odds with some of his comments last week when he spoke about his admiration for the longevity Sir Alex Ferguson has enjoyed at arch-rivals Manchester United.

OCTOBER 5
Kennedy: Time for Rafa to deliver

TEAMtalk

Alan Kennedy believes Rafael Benitez could be on his way out of Anfield if Liverpool fail to win the Premier League in
the next two years.

Although Benitez has led Liverpool to two Champions League finals in three years, winning the competition in his first year in charge, he has been unable to halt the Reds' wait for another league title, with the 18-time champions having not won the league for 17 years.

Despite making a mixed start to the current campaign, with successive 0-0 draws against Birmingham and Portsmouth stalling their progress, Anfield legend Kennedy is confident Liverpool will be genuine title contenders this season.

The former Reds left-back, who scored the winning goal in the 1981 European Cup final, believes Benitez has assembled perhaps the most talented squad in the club's history.

But Kennedy has also joined the growing chorus of Liverpool followers showing dismay at Benitez's rotation policy.

Star signing Fernando Torres was left out of the starting line-up against Birmingham and Portsmouth, while Benitez made five changes for Wednesday's dismal Champions League defeat at home to Marseille.

And although Kennedy stands by Benitez, he believes the Spanish coach will have a case to answer to if his persistent changes fail to deliver the right results.

"I think they're there, I really do, but they have to go out to win every game," said Kennedy. "They have really got to go out there and aim to beat the team in front of them, whether it be in the Champions League or the Carling Cup.

"If Rafa wants to rotate and he feels he can get the best out of his players that way, I can't argue with that.

"What I can say is that results at the end of the season will determine whether he's doing the right thing.

"He's already left Torres out on a couple of occasions. If he feels the team can do without Torres, then all well and good.

"But I think we've seen how good Torres is, and if you ask the fans, the majority will say Torres is the number one striker."

Kennedy feels the Kop craves a championship success after watching bitter rivals Manchester United lift the title nine times since Liverpool's last league triumph.

The former England international knows what it takes to win the title having won five in his seven years at Anfield - and believes Benitez's men are now primed for league glory.

But if Liverpool's wait for the title continues in the next two years, Kennedy reckons the Spanish coach will be ready to admit defeat in his bid to bring the title back to Merseyside.

"I don't think Liverpool would get rid of him but by the end of next season, Rafa would have been there five years," he said.

"I wouldn't say it's now or never but in the next couple of seasons they have got to win the Premier League.

"He's made big strides, he really has, and people might say he's spent money, but Sir Alex Ferguson has done that as well and so have other clubs like Tottenham.

"Rafa strengthened in the areas we needed strengthening and he's built a squad that's based on ability. It's as good a squad as we've ever had and it's one that's good enough to win the Premier League."

Thor Zakariassen ©