GWistooshort

I know it's the Daily Mail, but it has a quote from the Juve president................... Rafa Benitez faces decision time as Juventus fly in to lure him away from Liverpool By John Edwards 27 April 2010 Juventus president Jean-Claude Blanc is prepared to fly to Liverpool this week to try and force Rafa Benitez’s hand over accepting his offer of a four-year contract worth £16million. Blanc is still hopeful of installing Benitez as manager by the end of the season. And he wants face-to-face talks after already discussing terms and transfer budgets with his agent Manuel Garcia Quilon. He will first seek official permission from Liverpool and will be bound by any ruling from Benitez on whether a visit would have a disruptive effect on preparations for Thursday’s Europa League semi-final return leg with Atletico Madrid and Sunday’s key Barclays Premier League home encounter against Chelsea. Either way, he has made it clear he wants an answer from Benitez in the next week or so after drawing up a £4m-ayear contract and pledging transfer funds thought to be around £70m. With Alberto Zaccheroni’s caretaker role about to end, following the sacking of Ciro Ferrara earlier this season, Juve want to make an apppointment as quickly as possible and have earmarked Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc, the former Manchester United centre-back, as next in line, should Benitez decide against a move to Turin. Juve chief Blanc is renowned for keeping his plans under wraps but admitted: ‘We may be able to say something about the identity of our new manager in the next couple of weeks. I certainly hope that is the case.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1269044/Rafa-Benitez-faces-decision-time-Juventus-fly-lure-away-Liverpool.html

Article on th stadium by Bascombe in today's NOTW.................. LIVERPOOL STADIUM PLANS IN JEOPARDY Stanley Park project could be ditched By Chris Bascombe, 24/04/2010 LIVERPOOL risk seeing their plans for a new stadium on Stanley Park ditched for good. In another dire twist for Kop fans wondering whether the £400m arena will ever be built, it's emerged the American owners still haven't secured the 999-year lease required to build on the historic site. Without the lease, which costs £300,000 a year, Liverpool can't begin construction. The local council expected the lease to be purchased TWO YEARS ago. The club now has until September 2011 to restart the project before planning permission runs out. Co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr said the project was 'shelved' last season due to the credit crunch. If they're forced to re-apply for planning permission in 17 months' time, it will be another lengthy and costly process with no guarantee of success. Further delays are anticipated because new Kop chairman Martin Broughton last week stated if finance is ever secured the building work would be going back out to tender. Previously, Liverpool's owners had an agreement with constructors Laing O'Rourke, who've now been told to re-apply for the contract. In a move which further underlines there is no immediate prospect of leaving Anfield, the club will oversee a facelift of their own stadium this summer. They're splashing out an estimated £500,000 on the renovation of existing executive boxes to improve their corporate facilities. Council officials are understood to be 'extremely frustrated and anxious' that Liverpool are ploughing resources into improving their current home whilst the delays on the new arena continue. A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said: "The main issue for us is about work on the stadium which will start the regeneration of the whole Anfield area." http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/793538/LIVERPOOL-STADIUM-PLANS-IN-JEOPARDY.html

Quotes from Torres in the NOTW today................. "The Premier League is such a tough competition and I have always admired this championship and the players who are here. "This is my third season and I'm still amazed to see Gerrard, Rooney and Lampard, players who have been here a long time, still playing at such a high level and with such impressive rhythm because the English league really wears down a player. "I just can't imagine what state I'll be in within five or six years if I continue to play here - it could easily give me problems when I stop playing. The physical level is superior to all other countries." "The difference between him [Rafa] and my other managers is that when I was at Atletico I was always over-protected. "They didn't ask so much of me." "Here, Rafa demands a lot and I have to live up to expectations. Some players need to be spoilt and other players like me need to always be pushed, and to have more asked of us. "If I score twice in a game I want to hear that I played badly to help me do even better next time. "Rafa is ruthless and sometimes it is tiring but he knows the right way to deal with me. "I have put in a lot of effort but you always need someone who brings the best out in you, someone who is very demanding. "If Rafa had not been here I would never have come. He has taught me a lot and he has helped me go beyond my limits and to be the player I am today." http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/football/793710/TORRES-DROPS-HINT-ABOUT-PREMIER-LEAGUE.html

Quotes from Aquilani's agent saying his doesn't expect Aquilani to leave in the summer........... http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_6110847,00.html & from Rangers' mnager Walter Smith denying speculation that we may sign Danny Wilson loan him back to Rangers next season............... http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_6111693,00.html

Some more detail from the Guardian........... "Torres is known to be questioning his future at Anfield because of the way the club have regressed this season.....Asked if City had an advantage over Torres's other suitors, Mancini replied. "Probably." For a manager to be so open about his interest in a player is unusual but the Italian was speaking in the knowledge that Torres is open-minded to the idea. When City looked into his potential availability last summer the message from Torres's representatives was that the Spain international was not interested. That, however, changed to a "maybe" when the same calls were made in January and senior officials from Eastlands have been back in touch over the past fortnight." http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/22/man-city-50m-bid-torres

Rafa's response................... Times 23 April 2010 Furious Liverpool warn Manchester City off bid for Fernando Torres Tony Barrett, Madrid & James Ducker, Northern Football Correspondent Liverpool have reacted furiously to Manchester City making their interest in Fernando Torres public after Roberto Mancini revealed his desire to sign the forward. The City manager’s declaration was given short shrift by Rafael Benítez, who has made it clear to his opposite number at the City of Manchester Stadium that Torres, who is less than 12 months into a four-year contract worth in the region of £110,000 per week, is not for sale. Liverpool were left deeply irritated by Mancini’s statement that Torres is top of his summer wish list, particularly because it came on a day when they were preparing for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Atlético Madrid. Liverpool will have to overturn a 1-0 deficit if they are to qualify for the inaugural final of the competition, Diego Forlán, the former Manchester United player, scoring the only goal at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. Yossi Benayoun had an attempt ruled out for offside, although replays suggested that the midfield player was onside when the ball was played through to him. However, Liverpool generally struggled to create chances without an injured Torres. Benítez outlined the reasons why Torres was not available for transfer, emphasising the 26-year-old’s commitment to Liverpool and his contractual obligations. Having made their interest known, however, it is unlikely that City will give up on the prospect of signing the Spain forward. Mancini remains hopeful of snaring his No 1 target, with an opening bid of about £60 million being prepared, provided that he can offer Torres Champions League football next season. “We are a top team and I think all the top teams are interested in Torres, but sometimes it depends on the player because they want to play in the Champions League and if we don’t get into the fourth position, it will be difficult [to sign him],” Mancini said. “All the top players want to play in the Champions League. “But I want to win the Premier League, this is my desire even ahead of the Champions League, and I want players to understand that Manchester City are an important project for the future and that they can come here not only if we get fourth position.” “For me, he [Torres] is, with Carlos [Tévez], Rooney, Messi, Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo, the best in Europe. I have read that Liverpool have to sell one or two players but I don’t know what their situation is exactly.” City are hoping to cash in on the uncertainty surrounding Liverpool’s financial situation with the club being up for sale and the search for investment having been unsuccessful. Torres has made clear the need for Liverpool to recruit three to four top-class players if they are to challenge for the Barclays Premier League title and Liverpool fans fear that unless his ambitions are matched, he could leave. Benítez, however, is not interested in selling Torres, who joined the Anfield club in a £20.2 million move from Atlético in July 2007. The manager is looking towards building a titlechallenging team around the forward, not enter into a deal that would mean him leaving to join a rival club aiming to usurp Liverpool’s place in the hierarchy of English football. “We have said repeatedly that Fernando is not for sale and he still has three years of his contract remaining,” Benítez said. “So how can they sign a player who does not wish to leave?” Mancini also hinted at the possibility of a bid for Ángel Di María, the Benfica and Argentina winger, a move that would almost certainly herald the end of Robinho’s City career. “It’s the same situation as Torres,” he said. “Di María is a good player and in the future we’ll see.” City are understood to have been given encouragement through intermediaries that Torres could be prepared to leave, although they are believed to have concerns that their interest could be exploited to help to broker a lucrative move elsewhere or force Liverpool into instigating the kind of spending spree that Torres is hoping for. They are also eager to avoid a repeat of the situation they faced with Samuel Eto’o last summer. The Cameroon striker indicated his desire to move to Manchester, only for City to pull out of a prospective deal amid doubts about the sincerity of his intentions. Eto’o later joined Inter Milan from Barcelona as part of a swap deal with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Asked if he thought Liverpool would sell Torres, Mancini said, “I don’t know this”, but the Italian believes that the club’s vast resources could “probably” work in their favour and did little to dampen the belief, as reported in The Times this week, that City’s spending this summer could come to rival Real Madrid’s £216 million outlay during the previous close season. “I think we must buy a top player,” he said. “We must make sure we don’t spend too much on normal players, but if there is the possibility to spend the money on top players, young players who can help us build a future, I think it is OK [to spend big]. “I don’t like to waste money because I have respect for the club and the owners, but if we need a player [we will spend]. If we want to win the Premier League ahead of Chelsea and Manchester United, I think we must sign some important players. “Every year the club has improved and we want to do the same again. Sometimes you don’t have to buy 15 players and you can buy three or four important players. Next season we want to play to win the Premier League.” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article7105758.ece

Small snippet from the Times this morning........... "Broughton said Hicks and Gillett were ready to put the stadium construction out to tender, a process that could go ahead despite the club being for sale." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article7100856.ece

From today's Times............. JUVE CONFIDENT OF LANDING BENITEZ Juventus are increasingly hopeful that Rafa Benitez will leave Liverpool to become their new coach, regardless of whether the Anfield club qualify for the Champions League or are sold to new investors. The Serie A club have agreed in principle a four-year contract, promising Benitez up to £175m for new players. Juve are prepared to put some of that fund — which will partly come from selling naming rights to their new stadium — towards bids for Liverpool’s Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano. Sources say that the only issue of substance left to clarify is the scale of any compensation payment to Liverpool for Benitez, who is contracted to the Merseysiders for another four seasons. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article7101083.ece

Gillett remains in the race at NASCAR Apr 17 2010 Liverpool Echo Add a commentRecommend AFTER being forced to sell his majority share in the Montreal Canadiens last summer – pocketing a tidy £230million profit in the process – George Gillett’s NASCAR team is not in trouble. Richard Petty Motorsports has been in default on a loan in the region of $90 million since February. The next bit will sound familiar to Liverpool fans. Gillett is looking to restructure the loan, which was issued by a syndicate of financial institutions led by none other than American investment bank Wachovia. That’s the same Wachovia who, combined with the Royal Bank of Scotland, Gillett and Hicks, in the name of Liverpool FC, owe £237million. However, when Gillett bought the team in summer 2007 he ensured any collateral set against the loan would be assets of the debtor. In other words the loan does not have any recourse back to Gillett’s personal fortune but instead the race team. The best the Wachovia led syndicate could hope for is to seize the team’s assets such as the garage and cars. They can’t touch Gillett though. It is not dissimilar to the arrangement Gillett and Hicks have masterminded at Anfield. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/04/17/gillett-remains-in-the-race-at-nascar-100252-26259926/

Brian Reade reckons anyone believing Hicks & Gilette's reign is over is mistaken. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-reade/Brian-Reade-column-Inflated-Liverpool-price-means-we-won-t-be-rid-of-Tom-Hicks-and-George-Gillett-any-time-soon-article394551.html Pessimists 2 Optimists 1

From today's Mirror.................... Consortium claims Gillett scuppered £420m Liverpool takeover six weeks ago By David Anderson The Middle East consortium bidding to buy Liverpool last night claimed George Gillett reneged on a £420million takeover after a deal was agreed. The group, backed by one of the UAE’s ruling royal families, says Gillett’s partner Tom Hicks was ready to green-light the proposal until Gillett scuppered the ­agreement. Gillett and Hicks yesterday put Liverpool up for sale. And the Americans deny claims by the group – fronted by former Syria international Yahya Kirdi – that they nearly did a deal six weeks ago. Former Celtic captain Andy Lynch, who is the go-between for the consortium and the club, claims Kirdi and his backers remain interested. “It was all done and dusted until that late swing in events,” said Lynch. “Recent events, which have seen Liverpool put on the open market, prove they need new ­investment. “And there do not appear to be any other bidders bar ourselves. I’m ready to go at the drop of a hat.” Hicks and Gillett, who have plunged the Reds £237m in debt, dispute Lynch’s claims and say they are selling up because Liverpool need new owners to take them to the “next level”. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Middle-East-consortium-bidding-to-buy-Liverpool-claims-George-Gillett-scuppered-a-420million-takeover-six-weeks-ago-after-a-deal-had-already-been-agreed-Exclusive-article394915.html

More from Broughton............. “Whoever comes in has to be the right owner and the board will ensure that we make the right decision,” he said. “We will make it very clear what the buyer needs to do from the point of view of the supporters, and Tom Hicks and George Gillett will make clear to us what they are looking for in terms of price. “We will look at every offer that comes in for the club. We are ruling nothing out, but when you look at what we have said we want from a buyer it is very different [from someone with a 100 per cent leveraged bid]. That sort of bid is not going to be particularly attractive and we would need to be persuaded that it was in the best interests of the club. “Some debt is inevitable, given the plans for a new stadium, and it would be foolish to run a club like Liverpool with no debt. You would be mismanaging the balance sheet, but there is a major difference between some debt and 100 per cent debt.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/7599275/Liverpools-new-owners-will-not-saddle-club-with-debt-says-Martin-Broughton.html “RBS have been willing to give me and Barclays Capital the time we need to do a proper process,” he said. “It [the bank’s continued support] is also recognition that bringing me in means it [a sale] is going to happen.” Broughton tried to allay supporters’ fears that Hicks and Gillett were not sincere about selling the club. “They are committed to a sale at a reasonable price, although I am not going to define what a reasonable price is,” he said. “I would not have come in if they weren’t serious." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article7100315.ece

Interesting web chat with the Echo's head of sport John Thompson - he's much more positive than Tony Barratt is http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/04/16/liverpool-fc-for-sale-live-web-chat-with-john-thompson-at-noon-100252-26256571/

In his BBC interview Broughton says he expects that the winning bidder will put in "a substantial amount of equity" & that "you wouldn't want a 100% debt" (ie what Hicks & Gilette have done) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8625687.stm

Update added to that BBC blog posted earlier today about Goldman Sachs Update 1600 BST: Interesting this - the American news agency Associated Press filed a report which says the Goldman Sachs proposal - outlined in my blog - involved the owners of two US sports teams. The report doesn't name the owners involved but does report that the plan included Goldman Sachs taking a share in the club. It adds that the consortium was made up of other British and American banks as well as an Asian real estate developer. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/davidbond/2010/04/revealed_how_goldman_sachs_dre.html

From the BBC website............. Liverpool ownership enters crucial phase Post categories: Football Dan Roan | 14:05 UK time, Friday, 9 April 2010 Liverpool will be relieved that their Europa League campaign continues after their impressive quarter-final victory over Benfica. But perhaps more significant than the result was the presence at Anfield of co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, seen together at the stadium for the first time in almost six months. The Americans were not just in town for the match. They have also been conducting important negotiations over the club's future. It has even been reported that several leading business figures, including British Airways chairman Martin Broughton, have been approached about taking on the role of independent chairman to enhance the club's attraction to potential investors. Broughton has previously chaired the British Horseracing Board, but given the problems BA are currently facing - and the fact he is a passionate, lifelong Chelsea fan - it is unclear whether he would want the role. One City insider told me: "An appointment like this would be purely cosmetic. Broughton is a serious business heavyweight but it will not help Liverpool find new money. Their problems remain, and the owners are playing a dangerous game with time running out." Four days ago, Hicks and Gillett rejected a £100m offer for a 40% stake in the club by the Rhone Group, to the dismay of manager Rafa Benitez, who had even gone to the trouble of meeting with the investment group's representatives himself. The deal would have drastically reduced Liverpool's £237m debt burden, kept their principal creditor RBS happy, and made funds available for summer transfer activity. Liverpool fans are eager for the Americans to end their time at Anfield But most importantly, by paying down debt, the deal would have improved the club's credit rating, making it easier for managing director Christian Purslow, who has been searching for new investment into the club for months, to complete his other main objective, securing more finance for a long-awaited - and desperately-needed - new stadium. The problem was that the Rhone Group's package would have reduced the stakes of both Hicks and Gillett to just 30% each in return for nothing. That, for them, was not good enough. In essence, the deal failed because the owners' valuation of the club is much higher than the Rhone Group's. Interestingly, well-placed sources close to the New York-based company insist the deal is now dead and no longer on the table, while the club suggests privately that it may still be alive and simply the beginning of a process of bargaining. Whether this particular deal can be resurrected is highly unlikely, but the fact the club's owners turned it down could mean one of two things. Firstly, they are confident of securing a better offer. Club sources are hopeful the Rhone Group's foray could tempt others to come forward, too, and other potential investors are simply waiting to see if Liverpool manage to qualify for the riches of the Champions League next season, something which would obviously affect the club's value. If they fail to finish in the top four, I am told the club will seriously struggle to afford the current interest repayments on its debt. Bear in mind that holding company Kop Football made a loss of £42.6m in the year to July 2008, £36.5m of which was interest payments on the £350m loan. Alternatively, it may be that the club is under less pressure to find new investment than previously thought. Liverpool's current lending arrangement with RBS comes to an end in late June. The bank has requested that the current debt of £237m is reduced by £100m by then, hence Rhone Group's offer. If fresh investment cannot be found, the bank has a choice. It can either extend the loan regardless and offer a fresh deal. Or it can play tough, taking matters into its own hands and finding a buyer themselves. RBS are keen to emphasise that they have a long-term relationship with the club, want to provide support and act in Liverpool's interests. The tone is conciliatory and suggests that another refinancing deal is again possible, even without new investment. Liverpool were in a similar position to this last year. With time apparently running out, their auditors, KPMG, warned that failure to refinance a £350m loan would threaten the club's ability to operate as a going concern. On that occasion, a fresh package was agreed after the owners stumped up £60m of their own money. What happens next is ultimately down to whether the bank, 70% owned by us the taxpayers and with a ghastly £6.2bn operating loss last year, is willing to accommodate Liverpool - and its debt - yet further. UPDATE 1630 BST: One well-placed source close to RBS has told me the matter could come to a head within the next week and has suggested that Hicks and Gillett have begun talks with a brand new US investment bank in a desperate bid to find a solution. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/danroan/2010/04/liverpool_ownership_enters_cru.html

The Guardian reckons David Villa is available for £35-40m & has spoken to Fernando about Liverpool, but has "accepted they would not be able to afford him". http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/09/manchester-united-david-villa

Daily Mirror 8/04/10 Dutch wonderkid admits it would be a 'dream' to join Liverpool By John Cross Feyenoord wonderkid Georginio Wijnaldum has admitted it would be a "dream" to move to Liverpool. Dutch midfielder Wijnaldum, 19, has caught the eye of Liverpool's scouts this season with Feyenoord demanding around £5million. Wijnaldum said: "It's my dream to play in a big league and England would be the perfect choice. To follow in the footsteps of Dirk Kuyt would be sensational. He triumphed at Feyenoord and has had great success at Liverpool." Wijnaldum has played 28 games for Feyenoord this season, scoring three goals and is being tipped as a future star of Dutch football. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Liverpool-move-would-be-a-dream-admits-Dutch-wonderkid-Georginio-Wijnaldum-article384179.html

The BBC website says "Liverpool have stepped up their interest in signing Rangers' young defender, Danny Wilson" & "have followed up their initial enquiry" & that "it would take somewhere in the region of £3m plus add-ons" to sign him. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/8603459.stm

Sunday Telegraph 4 Apr 2010 Rhone Group press Liverpool for answer to £110 million investment offer By Rory Smith The deadline set by the Rhone Group for Liverpool to accept a £110 million offer to take a 40 per cent stake in the Anfield club expires on Monday, with the only concrete proposal received by current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett in their search for fresh investment likely to be effectively rejected. In the balance: Liverpool's future, both on and off the pitch, will be settled in the next three months Photo: REUTERS Rhone became the first suitor to show their hand when the New York-based fund management firm, run by billionaires Robert Agostinelli and Steven Langman, presented their offer to Liverpool in the early hours of March 13. It is believed they informed the club they expected to discover whether their bid had been successful by April 5. There has been no further contact between the parties and Telegraph Sport understands that Rhone are not prepared to extend that deadline. Though it is believed Rhone's offer met Liverpool's valuation, it is thought the level of control they hoped to acquire for their stake as well as the nature of their investment has proved a stumbling block. Hicks is believed to be particularly resistant to seeing his stake being decreased. Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, had met with representatives of the group to discuss their plans for the club and it is believed he had kept senior players, including Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres – who has been unequivocal in his demands for Liverpool's owners to back Benítez in the transfer market this summer – abridged of developments. That Rhone's deadline – barring an unexpected and unlikely turnaround in the next 24 hours – will pass with no progress made will no doubt come as a blow to those attracted by the group's promise of a £25 million infusion of funds for transfers, but it is far from the only cause for concern for a club whose immediate future remains clouded. On the pitch, Liverpool know they must beat Birmingham at St Andrews on Sunday to maintain the pressure on Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League. Off it, sadly, matters are far more complicated. The Royal Bank of Scotland, Liverpool's bankers, have informed Hicks and Gillett that they must reduce their £237 million debt burden by £100 million by July if they are to be granted a deal to refinance their loans. Christian Purslow, Liverpool's managing director and the man charged with securing a cash infusion to reduce the debt, has consistently identified Easter as the time by which he "hoped" to have a deal agreed with an outside investor to bring an end to the stagnancy induced at Anfield by the current, unpopular regime and to enable work to begin again on the long-awaited new stadium on Stanley Park. Though sources at the club insist that was more guideline than deadline, that the holiday period will pass with Liverpool no closer to securing their financial future will hardly inspire confidence for Benítez's squad or the club's fans. Sources at Anfield, though, remain confident of attracting the required investment "in good time" for the club's loans to be refinanced. As many as "six or seven" serious investors were believed to be looking at matching or bettering Rhone's offer three weeks ago and noises emanating from the club suggest that as many as two of those are expected to materialise into firm proposals. What is not in doubt, though, is that Liverpool are reaching their end game. In the next three months, Hicks and Gillett's tenure will almost certainly reach an end, at least in its present form. More straightforwardly, defeat at Birminghamon Sunday and against Benfica in the Europa League second leg on Thursday, and much the same may be said of Benítez. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/7550028/Rhone-Group-press-Liverpool-for-answer-to-110-million-investment-offer.html

Further comments from Albert............ Daily Mirror Riera explains Benitez criticism Pa Sports Liverpool winger Albert Riera has attempted to play down comments made in the Spanish media in which heavily criticised Reds manager Rafael Benitez. The Spain international has been disciplined by Benitez and told not to return to the club's Melwood training ground until Monday after claiming in a radio interview in his homeland that Liverpool was a "sinking ship". Riera, who has been largely frozen out of the Liverpool first team this season, also insisted Benitez's dialogue with his players is "practically nil". But he told Spain's Cadena Ser radio station in quotes reported by the Daily Telegraph: " "I do not want to make trouble with the manager. I am not interested in making Rafa my enemy in the slightest, quite the opposite, but ultimately it is about playing, and if I am not, we have to talk about why not. We have not had any talk about why it is." He added: "I played all of last year, and sometimes if I did not play so well in one game, I would still play the next week. But this season I have not played at all. "When that starts happening, you have to assume it is something personal, rather than professional. "I believe in these situations it is better to talk about it and try to fix it, or at least make sure everyone knows where they stand. I have no problem talking to people. "I am delighted to play for Liverpool and if I was playing, I would love to stay, because it is a brilliant place to play football. "But if I am not playing I have no chance of going to the World Cup, so I am trying to solve the problem so I at least have a small chance." Benitez will be keen to draw a line under the matter on Monday, with a fine the very least Riera can expect, although the Reds boss was remaining tight-lipped over the controversy after Thursday night's win over Lille. "The timing was not the best for the team and we will deal with this internally," was all Benitez would say on the matter. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Riera-explains-Benitez-criticism-article360211.html

The Times March 19, 2010 Rafael Benítez banishes vocal Albert Riera Tony Barrett Albert Riera has been suspended and put up for sale by Liverpool after his criticism of Rafael Benítez. The winger was dropped from the Liverpool squad for last night’s Europa League game at home to Lille and told not to return to training until Monday, meaning that he will also miss the Barclays Premier League match away to Manchester United on Sunday. Riera could leave Anfield in weeks, with an immediate move to CSKA Moscow or Spartak Moscow, who are tracking the 27-year-old, a distinct possibility. The transfer window in Russia has been extended until April 8. Riera, who joined Liverpool from Espanyol in September 2008 for £8 million, has had a fraught relationship with Benítez for several months and his frustrations came to a head on Wednesday. He gave an interview to Radio Marca in which he accused the Liverpool manager of giving him the silent treatment, claimed that he was being left out of the team for personal reasons and stated that Benítez’s brand of football is not good enough to earn him the Real Madrid job. The Spain winger’s withering attack on his manager has also earned him a club fine of two weeks’ wages, but, more significantly, it has signalled the imminent end of his Anfield career, especially if either of the Moscow clubs are willing to match Liverpool’s £8 million valuation. Riera has been a bit-part figure in Benítez’s squad this season, with a combination of injury problems and poor form costing him a regular starting place. The fact that his outburst came on the eve of last night’s crucial Europa League match meant that Benítez felt he had no choice but to omit him from his plans for the game. It is not the first time that the pair have been at loggerheads, nor is it the first time that Riera has been fined for his behaviour. This season he was reprimanded after a training-ground altercation with a promising reserve-team player in which Riera reacted violently to the teenager. The incident incensed Benítez and convinced him that he would have no choice but to sell the Majorca-born winger at the end of this campaign. His departure date is now likely to have been brought forward and will be confirmed if either of the Moscow clubs are willing to match Liverpool’s £8 million valuation of a player who, until of late, has been a regular in the Spain squad. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article7067817.ece

Perhaps if we can't have Snoogy Doogy we could have P Diddy? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8574824.stm

The same journo has written another article on Rhone which repeats much of what we've already read, but there are a few interesting points: "But if Rhone Group does turn out to be the majority shareholder at Liverpool, don't expect the imprimatur of the two partners to be all over the club. Rhone's investors are looking at Liverpool as "just another business deal", according to one source familiar with the outfit." "It is likely that Hicks and Gillett would have to agree to be sleeping partners" "The Independent also understands that Agostinelli and Langman would not be seeking active involvement in the running of the club, as the current American incumbents have." "The future of the club is in the hands of Purslow, whom RBS see as the individual to deliver back some of the money they are owed." "Though there are no other new prospective partners at the table, there is a belief at the club and apparently RBS too that Rhone might flush out interest from some of the other interested parties" "RBS's lack of anxiety about the repayment dates for the £100m it has asked Purslow to secure points to a feeling from the bankers' perspective that Rhone Group could be a force for the good, if no other buyers materialise." http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/friends-of-world-leaders-with-a-plan-for-anfield-1923027.html

The Independent March 18, 2010 Hicks and Gillett given three weeks to accept £100m deal By Ian Herbert New York hedge fund imposes deadline on offer for 40 per cent stake in Liverpool Liverpool's American owners are under more financial pressure to settle their debts than has previously been thought, with the New York-based company bidding to take control of the club imposing a three-week deadline to take or leave their offer. The Rhone Group's proposed £100m investment for a 40 per cent share would enable the Liverpool chief executive, Christian Purslow, to deliver the entire sum to the Royal Bank of Scotland, the club's bankers, to pay down £100m of debt as the bank has demanded. But the time pressures the club currently faces are also compounded by the fact that Liverpool appear to have just 20 days to deliver some of that £100m figure to the bank. The presumption has always been that the deadline is July, by which time the club's current debt facility expires and must be renegotiated. Liverpool's predicament appears to leave Rhone Group's partners Steve Langman and Robert Agostinelli in a strong position to take over a controlling stake - despite having offered a price which values the club at a half of the £500m Tom Hicks and George Gillett rejected from Dubai International Capital two years ago. There are currently no other prospective buyers lined up for Liverpool. One source close to the process has said the half-dozen other potential investors the Anfield club seem confident of securing will not be new prospects but those whose previous bids have come to nothing. Liverpool indicated last night that there was no precise deadline date for repaying the £100m and that there is some degree of leeway. The ultimate sanction would be RBS taking over, although that is highly unlikely as RBS is a state-owned bank. Running a Premier League club is not high on the agenda of a bank which announced a £2.6bn operating loss for the last financial year. But the endgame for Hicks and Gillett is certainly far closer than has been appreciated. A 20-day target from today would make the 6 April the deadline for the repayment of some of the money - the start of the new financial year and the day after Easter Monday. Purslow has been saying for several weeks that he wanted his pursuit of new finance wrapped up by "Easter". RBS does not appear to be anxious about the precise repayment date for the £100m it has demanded, though that may in part be a result of the confidence which the Rhone Group has created. But the pressing deadlines have created additional pressure for Liverpool and another consideration is the club's tortuous struggle to qualify for next season's Champions League. Non-qualification would create a hole in next season's budget and would make Hicks and Gillett's position at Anfield less tenable. One source with insider knowledge of Liverpool's search for new investors told Sporting Intelligence website that several investors are delaying offers while they wait to see if non-qualification drives down the price. "Qualification is not necessarily the best outcome for would-be investors," the source said. Rhone is aware of this, though its belief that its own offer of £110m-£115m can come to fruition is also based on the strong relationship formed with Purslow over weeks of negotiations leading up to the bid which was tabled at midnight last Friday. The mystery surrounding the prospective investors led the Spirit of Shankly supporters' group yesterday to call on Purslow to explain "who exactly are these investors." Langman and Agostinelli are certainly not the "billionaires" they have been widely described as over the past five days, but multi-millionaires who would not be paying their own money to take over the club but investing the funds put into their hands for management. Though the clock is ticking down on the Americans, RBS is understood to believe that a deal to deliver the club into new hands will be concluded quickly - possibly within two weeks - and that Rhone Group's interest has the potential to persuade other prospective buyers who have dragged their feet to make themselves known. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/hicks-and-gillett-given-three-weeks-to-accept-163100m-deal-1923028.html