Archangel

Things wouldn't improve under DIC in fact we'd probably become just another trophy acquisition for them. The owners need to be focused on this club and give its manager the support and direction he needs. To date there seems to have been alot of talk but little focus from the Americans and certain issues have been left to fester. I'll stick with Gillette and Hicks, I think they've been out of their depth but its early days for them to be fair and if they can crack the communication issues our longer term prospects are better with them

I'm afraid I've lost faith and lost patience in Benitez. He should go at the end of the season unless there's a massive improvement in performance to justify another year. This club should not be out of contention for the title at this time of the season and thats the bottom line.

Nationality is an issue. The business model the club will be operating under will be one influenced by the owners who have only the experience of running american sporting franchises to fall back on and if referring to them as the Americans is offensive, you and I obviously live in very different worlds

I have to say the bigger picture is beginning to seem a little less big all of a sudden Perhaps this is not so much a demonstration of a complete and utter lack of ambition/spine but more a kind of temporary realignment of strategic priorities I dont know if anyones noticed yet but the quality of leadership we seem to be experiencing from the very top does appear to make Peter Ridsdale's tenure at Leeds look almost competent

If they sacked Benitez and replaced him with Klinsmann I'd be utterley heatbroken. Unlike some others I cant dismiss these reports out of hand. This pair are certainly capable of anything True or not I've lost what little respect I had for the Americans I'm beginning to feel they are out of their depth here

Maybe but again the timing of what he has said is what is more significant

Absolutely right, the timing of the statement in view of whats gone on leaves little doubt. I'm a bit worried that he's forcing the issue too early

Hindsights a wonderful thing though I thought the same, Spurs have a good squad (had)a decent manager and some quality strikers thought they'd kick on this season, on the other hand, Arsenal lost Henry had a poor season last year, who knows on another day it could have been the case As it is Arsenal have their tails up and Spurs are so crap

Confidence helps

Thanks for the constructive response and the points are valid but they must be expressed in a positive framework otherwise the message gets drowned out by the lunatics. From my experience and perspective I believe we stand more chance of persuading the Americans to stay with Benitez by postive demonstrations of loyalty, than by conducting an openly aggressive campaign against their ownership. Regretfully the bitter conflict with the Glazers wasnt that successfull was it, in fact it led to a faction breaking away.

I'm behind the support for Benitez but using that to launch an attack on the owners is not only futile but counter productive and childish. You wont win, you'll create further division and recrimination and you'll damage the long term interests of the club This is beginning to get out of hand and fans need to start to think about the bigger picture. This is not to suggest any abandonment of support for the beleaguered manager but starting a campaign against Gillette and Hicks will damage the club for years to come There needs to be a third way

by the way, the protest/support is a good one if it doesn't move the yanks it will move the spaniard and thats the way it should be

Maybe i can help Its called timing They are waiting for Rafa to fail before they sack him, makes it easier for them or so i believe

You forget, we are dealing with ego's here

I think there is a form of denial here The focus maybe on the Bascombe article which went further than anything else suggested so far but the plain fact of the matter is that Benitez held a most extraordinary press conferance repeating the same phrase 25 times over and was clearly in a most extraordinary mood To take the view that everythings a complete exaggeration and that bascombes a helpless egit is a position which flies in the face of reality. There is a paranoia about the role of the press which for me has never really been justified. They may sensationalise the news but there are two points to bear in mind 1. The article was not vague or open to interpretation, it was most definitely unequivical almost to the point that could suggest that bascombe had been unofficially briefed. If he's that wrong it sure is going to be the shortest career in journalism and would bascombe risk that and the consequent fall out from fellow supporters if it was completely made up 2. Given the nature of the speculation, ie that the Manager of the club was going to be sacked sooner rather than later and that the owners saw fit to reply to it. The fact that the reply was so lame a support for the manager is significant in its own right To rubbish bascombe, to infer that its all part of a NOTW conspiracy does not appear to me to hold much water I think there is a dangerous game of threat and counter threat being played out and just to deny the seriousness of the issue now has no integrity

Forgive me for this and for adding fuel to the fire but their statement doesn't exactly rubbish Bascombe's article ie that Benitez' time as manager is drawing to a close. You might have expected some form of support in these circumstances if support was there

Rafa walking out before an important Champion s league tie? absolute tripe suprised the site ran the story

Rafa walking out before an important Champion s league tie? absolute tripe suprised the site ran the story

I'm really gutted. Cant say anymore really just really really flat and resentful about it all

As he has expressed his interest, Capello has to be the man A clever, highly successful and experienced coach at the top level who doesn't give a f*** who he upsets The FA should get h........ oh dear oh well platty it is then

The Lampard/Gerard debate is obsessional and disguises the real problem which is that neither has really a footballers brain. Gerrard might have but tends to switch it off under pressure and goes chasing the game like a demented dog with a bell attached to his b******s. He needs to forget the hype and the glory and concentrate on doing the simple things well. When you have his talent the rest will follow. Statistics are interesting but only as a point of historical reference. I believe the two can play together as an effective partnership and there must be a manager out there who can find a way

Actually i think you're wrong there, I dont think the americans are going to soften at all. At best their may be some fence mending but it'll come from Gillett if it does that's for sure The problem is, in part, cultural. Hicks is just very direct

care to expand on that .....actually dont bother one letter and two asterisks is obviously the limit of your intelligence

Didn't take long did it. The yanks want a yes man

McLarens failure is more of a failure of the system than of mclaren we're stuck to 442 why? we love the long balls why? we cant keep possesion why? we bottle it under pressure why? These are not mclarens faults except for his inability to deal with them and in fairness, better coaches than him have failed the same in the past we dont learn - the fa and a paranoid invasive sensationalist press have as much responsibility for this debacle