Interesting article by Oliver Kay...especially the quotes from Raffa about players and not tying up deals fast enough. Looks like a clear dig at Parry and his negotiating "style" tbh. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle1837967.ece Apologies if it has already been posted. Benítez calls the shots with attack on Liverpool hierarchy Oliver Kay As flight BD7964 took off from Athens yesterday afternoon, the weary Liverpool players, coaches, officials and directors on board were told to expect turbulence. The warning proved well founded, as an uncomfortable journey over the Adriatic ensued, but the turbulence within Anfield threatens to escalate over the weeks and months ahead after Rafael BenÍtez laid bare his frustrations with the club?s hierarchy. Benítez talked of a summer of revolution on Merseyside and, as he began by ushering Craig Bellamy, Mark González and Boudewijn Zenden towards the exit, it was clear that the Liverpool manager intends to call the shots. There was withering criticism of Rick Parry, the chief executive, with whom a difficult working relationship will now be more strained than ever, and there was pressure applied on George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks, the club?s American owners, who were warned of the consequences of dithering in the transfer market. There is a time and a place for going public in such a manner and, showing a more acute sense of timing than José Mourinho did at Chelsea midway through this season, BenÍtez clearly felt that the morning after a 2-1 defeat by AC Milan in the Champions League final was it. While he did not mention Parry by name, they are understood to have clashed on several issues in recent months, ranging from pre-season preparations to the thornier subject of the club?s approach to transfer negotiations and, in the past days, the club?s travel arrangements in Athens, which he found unsatisfactory. Over recent weeks the manager has preferred to deal directly with the Americans and, with Gillett?s son, Foster, who is due to arrive on Merseyside in August in an unspecified executive role, these are uncomfortable times for Parry, who brought Benítez to Liverpool three years ago. ?I?m trying to send a message,? BenÍtez said. ?Everybody knows we need to improve, and right now. I say this because, after three years working hard, we haven?t progressed enough. I have confidence in the Americans because they say they will back me. But I want things happening now. There are two or three things, issues that we need to resolve now. I?m tired of talking. We talk and talk and never finish [deals]. I am worried about talking to players, for one month or even six months, and then losing them. I want things to be done. ?There are lots of things we can change. I was talking with the new owners. There are two departments: sporting and business departments. The football operation is something we can improve. We need to work hard to try and find the right players and prepare things for the future, talking about the reserve team. The business department, it?s clear that we can also change things. ?All these things together, we can get better. If we don?t change things right now, understand how crucial this moment is, we will waste one month, two months, miss out on one or two targets and then we will start having to sign third-choice players and we will have to be only contenders to be in the top four. Nothing else.? Benítez claimed that Liverpool were in a position to sign ?one or two top-class targets for ?15 million to 20 million [about £10 million to £14 million] right now?. The identity of the two players was not clear last night, but at least one of them is a winger and Daniel Alves, the Seville wing back, is thought to be out of the equation for now. Gabriel Milito, the Real Zaragoza defender, is a strong possibility, but not such an immediate priority as a wide player. Whoever is signed for the problem left-wing position ? filled for the last time on Wednesday by Zenden, whose contract will not be renewed ? they must make more impact than González, who is close to joining Real Betis for an undisclosed fee after failing to adapt to English football. Bellamy, too, will be allowed to go ? possibly to Aston Villa or Blackburn Rovers ? with Benítez hinting that the Wales forward had found it difficult to adjust to his rotation policy. With Bellamy and González having failed to get on the pitch as Liverpool chased the game in Athens, the writing on the wall could not have been clearer. Nor, for that matter, could Benítez?s message yesterday.
