Scott | 2008-08-16 22:22:26
| Durban, South Africa | South Africa
If we lost Rafa now, which managers are available that are good enough to take over? Mourinho has gone to Inter, Klinsmann to Bayern, these were the 2 that we've been linked with recently. I'd say the only manager in the world fit enough for Liverpool who may be available would be the man that Chelsea should've gotten - Gus Hiddink.
How bad would this be though, bringing in a new manager at the worst possible time and not allowing him enough time to make the signings that he feels fit to play in his tactics and instead having to make do with the previous manager's signings. All this time it has been Ricky Parry and David Moores holding this club back. Should've gotten rid of the lot of them during the Houllier era.
WorriedLiverpoolFan | 2008-08-16 10:35:20
| Ghaxaq | Malta
I am worried, because yet again we are starting a season under a very dark cloud. We still have a lot of non-football related huge questions to answer. Is LFC going to change hands? Is LFC going to do a Leeds?
Yet again there is a gross lack of harmony off the field. LFC nowadays stands for Laughingstock Football Club. What really makes me go off is that we have a manager that managed to break Real Madrid's and Barcellona's hold on La Liga TWICE in just THREE years. He won it straight in the first year in charge! And then he resigned for arguments on who to buy! Does it ring a bell. He won the CL with us in the first year and he is yet again in the same situation, quarrelling on transfers. I am very worried yes. Can you blame me?
Ben | 2008-08-16 10:17:08
| Carmarthen | United Kingdom
This is really an eye opener, it is obvious that Rafa wants whats best for the club and i believe he is the man to do it. The press/ media are always targeting Benitez and i have always agreed with Hicks in the fact that Parry should get fired. Any real fan would know that we haven\'t been up to scratch for years and Houllier left our reserves in a mess. Since rafa, the club has improved, even if little by little from roots level to top level within the club. The fact that madrid want him should be enough. He\'s a top professional and the last thing we want is to upset the spanish contingent within our club. Wake up Liverpool supporters and make i petition or something.
barry or parry | 2008-08-16 09:30:04
| manc | United Kingdom
You'd think it would be easy to sign Barry. He says in April he wants to join Liverpool and we say in the same month we want to buy him, so over to you Rick to finalise the deal and sort out the paperwork.
Sadly, thie Barry saga has proven once again how ineffectual Parry is. Sure, he's a consumate politician, but in terms of getting things done he is not the man. How Parry has been given the tag of the 'architect of the Premier League' and all its subsequent success I'll never know. David Moores was sold a pup with Parry. He was not the architect, at best he is merely a poor project manager.
I don't blame Benitez for feeling frustrated.
danny pacheco's left nut | 2008-08-16 07:40:23
| Sydney | Australia
The trouble with the Yank owners is that are just going to find it impossible to own the club without thinking they are in charge. This is the way with football clubs – they (or the banks that leant them the money!) own the club, but Rafa should be left alone to run the squad it as he feels is best. RAFA IS THE BOSS.
There is nothing worse than having more than 1 person in charge – wrong decisions are made, or compromises are reached that fail to do one thing or the other. They should let Benitez do his job.
The other issue here is that whatever Barry’s value is perceived to be by other clubs, or journalists, in the wider market is of no relevance at all to what his true value would be to us. If Rafa thinks that Gareth coming would be the key signing for the squad to really genuinely challenge – then, if the funds are available as they seem to be - the owners (and their lap-dog chief executive) need to back his decision. That is their job – THAT SHOULD BE THEIR ONLY CONCERN.
RICK PARRY and DAVID MOORES the blame for all this strife lies cleary with you! The both of you have blood on your filthy hands. You have both lined your pockets with filthy lucre and have let this GREAT club down. You made a deal with the Devil and sold your SOULS to HICKS and GILLETTE and now this Esteemed club is laughing stock! do not worry though the sooner Parry QUITS and the UNDYNAMIC DUO sell up the quicker WE shall rise YNWA C'MON YE REDS!!!!! In Rafa we TRUST all others and that includes the incompetant BOARD are SHITE!!
In order for a team to be great there must be harmony from top to bottom. It does the players no good to have to endure all this uncertinty. Not to mention the manager who is constantly being sniped at and his every decision unduly scrutinized. Five years ago Rafa was the best thing since sliced bread, a man of the highest pedigree. today he is considered an also ran by this clubs fickle fans and an even more asanine British press. It took Manu 26 years to win the championship but that is forgotten. Arsenal have never for all their SEXY football ever won OL BIG EARS. It took Fergie 6 years before he won a major honor domestic or European. Benitez was in three within two, winning two. Leave the man alone and let him MANAGE the ******* team
2lo | 2008-08-16 05:27:16
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong
Hi Guillem,
Fan of your book & read your site everyday. Thanks for breaking this story. I believe that noone should be bigger than the club. However, I've lots of respect & affection towards Rafa. Not only you, but a number of respected writers wrote about his integrity & hard work as Liverpool's manager. I truly believe he deserves the fan's support.
I sometimes wonder why some fans think they can make team decisions better than Rafa. Also, if he's given the transfer budget, he should be free to spend it on anyone.
Guillem , May I ask what is your view towards Rafa's future at Liverpool?
najyasj | 2008-08-16 03:34:32
| londonpool | United Kingdom
Rafa's going to stay the course and bring title and champions league back to anfield/stanley park, I'm sure the yanks are playing silly buggers, but I reckon Barry will sign and with the youngsters Nemith, El Zhar to name a few and the squad we will have enough to compete with the contenders to challenge for all the trophies especially the big 2!
lfc.ynwa | 2008-08-16 02:54:53
| melborune | Australia
I would be severely upset if Rafa benitez Leaves, he is the Heart and soul of Liverpool FC, and his departure will be the biggest loss for us. Rick Parry, the Yanks... ALL OUT.
YNWA RAFA
BOJDE | 2008-08-16 02:49:24
| Dungannon | United Kingdom
As much as I respect you Guillem(a lot) did you really have to leak this 1 day before the season starts?
Or maybe Rafa asked you to?
So as to put pressure on the Yanks.
Cally | 2008-08-15 21:40:24
| Libpool | United Kingdom
Hey Guillem.
If Rafa is unhappy managing one of the biggest clubs in the world, he's free to leave. We wouldn't want him to think he's doing us a favour by staying.
I'm sure there's plenty of top managers out there who would jump at the opportunity to manage the club and recieved the type of funding he has.
Maybe that's why we've seen no improvment domestically, despite a lot of money spent, as he's just not happy here. He's better off jacking it in and waiting for his dream job at Madrid to come up again, which shouldn't be long.
If he thinks he's got it bad here, I can't wait to see how he gets on with their board.
Danny | 2008-08-15 21:34:59
| Dublin | Ireland
HI Guillem,I am a massive fan of Liverpool and I feel Rick Parry has been the weakest link at the club.How many times are all our transfer dealings dragged out to the point were Rafa has to feel like this.The sooner the better PARRY leaves he is the one disagreeing with Rafa's targets.He is the only one who can undermine the manager by telling the Americans that Barry is not worth 18 million how in fairness would the Americans value Barry?They would not.I think its time we as Liverpool supporters got the pest control out to get rid of the rat in our kitchen!!!PARRY OUT,PARRY OUT.It should not take a genius to realize this has to happen.
Peter | 2008-08-15 21:21:14
| Liverpool | United Kingdom
I respect Rafa and believe he is a world class manager who can win us the league. HOWEVER, having articles like this published (boss mates Rafa has it seems!) and doing interviews like the one today will not do him any good in regards to his job and popularity amongst us supporters.
So what he couldn't get Barry? If it was someone like Messi we were haggling over i'd understand but Barry isn't the man to lose your job over. Rafa hasn't been the same since Athens, it pains me to say it but if he really is thinking of leaving it may be best if he does, is his heart really at the club (you mentioned offers from Real made him "asses his future" so...)?
Manny | 2008-08-15 21:16:35
| Leeds | United Kingdom
This is really shocking. Best manager we had since Dalglish and he's consistently treated like garbage by the Yanks and by the inept Parry.
I totally disagree with signing Barry, but Rafa is the manager and if he thinks Barry will win us the 19th I am fully behind him regarding whether I agree or not.
Parry should do the decent thing and resign, and the Yanks should sell the club to ShareLiverpool. They have dragged this club trhough the mud for way too long now. Enough is enough!
Rodgers | 2008-08-15 21:06:42
| Wrexham
Rick Parry is a waste of space. He is also very lucky, as the man who wants him out, Tom Hicks, is more hated than him and so his position is safe. It's a wonder the PL took off when it did, although if Parry did have a big part to play it was probably due to launch in 1976! Poor Rafa and Poor Gary Barry. We need someone more dynamic if we are to challenge.
Ant1975 | 2008-08-15 21:01:06
| Liverpool | United Kingdom
Guillem,
Should you really have posted this as interesting as it is? theres enough instability at the club without this coming out.
But to be fair i would not have blamed him. He's had to work under unecessary pressure from the shambles that is the board - no one can expect him to work to the best of his ability if he doesnt have the backing or the stability of the club board.
