GWistooshort

I've seen Lucas to the right of Gerrard before & I expect he'll be there again whe Aquilani is fit

Just to add to the confusion the Independent says "It is understood that Gilllett's co-owner Tom Hicks was not aware of Prince Faisal's presence until after the game began, though he does not appear to be a likely major shareholder in the club and his invitation may be a part of Liverpool's attempt to secure a revenue stream through new football academy partners".

The Daily Mail Kop chaos! Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks won't budge over £200m-plus offer from Saudi by JOHN EDWARDS Last updated at 8:40 AM on 28th September 2009 Tom Hicks is set to step up his power battle with fellow Liverpool owner George Gillett by rejecting an initial investment proposal from a billionaire Saudi prince. Hicks is expected to turn down a £200m-plus offer to buy 50 per cent of the shares in the club from Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah, who sat beside Gillett at Anfield on Saturday to watch Liverpool's 6-1 thrashing of Hull. It is the latest twist in an unseemly scramble between Hicks and Gillett to find backers willing to make an offer the other cannot refuse. Hicks has been scouring the Middle East while Gillett thinks he has seized the initiative by courting Prince Faisal, who is the boss of investment company F6. The Prince told Al Riyadh newspaper: 'We're seeking to buy 50 per cent of the shares in the club, which is suffering debts of £245m. The transaction, on which a decision is close, will be worth between £200m and £350m.' But Liverpool insiders played down suggestions a deal may be imminent, while sources close to Hicks claimed he was not about to sell his stake, despite being aware of the Prince's Anfield visit. Prince Faisal was officially there to rubberstamp an initiative to build a Liverpool academy in his home country. He witnessed the depth of animosity towards Gillett and Hicks, as hundreds of fans demonstrated against them outside the main entrance before kick-off and many in the Kop unfurled banners calling for the pair to sell up. Prince Faisal will find Hicks in no mood to concede defeat to his fellow American. Relations have thawed after their fall-out and refusal to speak last year, but Hicks will dig his heels in over the value of his stake. It is understood he may be prepared to sell, but it would have to be significantly nearer the top end of the wide range mentioned yesterday. Gillett received a �360m windfall from the sale of his Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team, but Hicks has always seemed the more pro-active decision-maker after pushing through manager Rafa Benitez's contract extension and bringing in Christian Purslow as managing director for outgoing chief executive Rick Parry. He is expected to stand firm in the face of renewed pressure from Gillett to make way. A spokesman for the Prince's holding company, Fama, said: 'What I know is that the Prince attended the game and signed an agreement with Liverpool yesterday to build a sports academy in Saudi Arabia.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...ffer-Saudi.html

The Guardian Monday 28 September 2009 Liverpool play down talk of Saudi windfall • Billionaire prince was at Anfield as guest of Gillett for Hull game • 'Decision is close' over £350m investment for 50% stake Andy Hunter The Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett do not expect a major investment in the club from Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah, despite the Saudi's claims he is close to paying up to £350m for a 50% stake. Both Hicks and Gillett have been scouring the Middle East for potential investors for almost two years and, ahead of his arrival on Merseyside as a guest of Gillett for Saturday's game against Hull, Prince Faisal claimed he had emerged as the front-runner in that exhaustive search. "We are currently seeking to buy 50% of the shares in the club which is now suffering of debts worth £245m," said the prince, who is the chief executive of F6, a marketing and investment company in Saudi Arabia, and chairman of a holding company called Fama Group. "The transaction, upon which a decision is close to be reached, will be worth £200m to £350m." Sources close to the Liverpool owners, however, plus Anfield officials, insist the Saudi's interest amounts to no more than an agreement with Gillett to sponsor the club's intended youth academies in the Middle East. A spokesman for Fama confirmed that is the case. "What I know is that the prince attended the Liverpool game against Hull and signed yesterday an agreement with Liverpool to build a sport academy in Saudi Arabia," he said. Prince Faisal is the latest businessman to be linked with investing in Liverpool and, despite the doubts over his ability to purchase a 50% stake, his appearance this weekend has raised fresh questions over the relationship between Hicks and Gillett. The pair were reported to have repaired their fractured relationship prior to renegotiating a refinancing package with the Royal Bank of Scotland in July,a deal that will reduce the club's debt by £60m to £250m before July 2010. However, they are continuing to pursue their own plans for the future. Hicks has employed Merrill Lynch to entice a minority shareholder to Liverpool and values a 25% stake at £100m. Gillett has instructed Rothschild to pursue a similar goal. Neither Gillett or Hicks can sell their 50% stake without the permission of their business partner and sources close to Gillett believe the invitation to Prince Faisal was his way of showing new-found muscle at Anfield, given the recent £360m sale of his Montreal Canadiens franchise. It is believed Gillett's business connection with the prince also involves motor sports, with Gillett exploring the possibility to exporting his Nascar franchise to the Middle East. Hicks or Gillett would have to step aside for Prince Faisal to become a co-owner of Liverpool and, at present, both camps insist they have a long-term commitment at Anfield. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/se...llett-liverpool

The Daily Telegraph Liverpool buy-out reports dismissed by sources close to Tom Hicks Sources close to Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks have played down reports that Saudi prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdullah al-Saud is close to securing a 50 per cent stake in the club. By Rory Smith Published: 8:00AM BST 28 Sep 2009 The prince watched Liverpool's 6-1 win over Hull as a guest of Hicks's partner, George Gillett, and met the Colorado-based businessman and the club's managing director, Christian Purslow, after the game. While sources close to Gillett insisted the prince's visit was linked to a scheme to set up club-branded academies in the Middle East, the prince himself told Saudi television he was "close" to buying a stake worth "between 25 and 50 per cent" of the club. It was suggested that Gillett was courting the prince in an attempt to convince him to buy out Hicks's stake, but such a suggestion has been dismissed by several sources close to Hicks. Prince Faisal, the chief executive of the F6 Sports company which boasts a portfolio of investments in Saudi Arabia, has visited Anfield several times as a guest of Gillett and, while the co-owner's presence at a low-profile game is out of character, it is believed no investment is imminent. The two Americans have endured a difficult relationship since first buying Liverpool in 2007 and both have recently made overtures in the Middle East with a view to securing outside funding, Gillett through Rothschilds and Hicks through Merrill Lynch. Gillett is in the stronger financial position of the two, having sold the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey franchise this summer for £300 million, but Hicks is adamant he will not cede control of the club, despite continued unrest among the fans. It is believed he is prepared, though, to sell a quarter of the club to secure the funding required to restart building work on Liverpool's long-mooted new stadium on Stanley Park. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...-Tom-Hicks.html

& in today's Echo................ Could Saudi prince be answer to Liverpool FC's investment problems? Sep 28 2009 by Luke Traynor, Liverpool Echo Saudi cash claim as prince in town Page 1 LIVERPOOL FC co-owner George Gillett faced protests from angry fans as he made a rare trip to the city over the weekend. Supporters from Reds’ union Spirit of Shankly (SOS) gave the US businessman a hostile reception as he visited training ground Melwood, the LFC academy and Anfield. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-24795049/ Page 2 On Saturday Prince Faisal, flanked by bodyguards, was given a tour of Melwood and the academy facilities in Kirkby where he was greeted by demonstrating fans. One member of Spirit of Shankly asked to speak to Gillett about the club’s finances and was granted a one-on-one meeting with the American owner. SOS’s Paul Rice told the ECHO: “He came out with all the usual lines about why the stadium wasn’t being built yet because of the credit crunch. “He said again how Liverpool was in a better state than most of its rivals and the budget available to manager Rafa Benitez was acceptable. “Amazingly he said it wasn’t him who promised the ‘spade would be in the ground within 60 days’, when they discussed the stadium at that first press conference. “He said Hicks had said that. “If it’s correct that Rafa has just £20m to spend each year it was ironic to see Gillett jumping up and down after Torres scored his three goals. “Under that regime he wouldn’t be able to buy a player like him as he would simply cost too much.” Up to 200 supporters assembled around the directors entrance at the Main Stand on Saturday to protest. SOS also alleged that some fans were threatened with eviction from Anfield by stewards if anti-Gillett and Hicks banners were not taken down. A SOS spokesman said: “We will be seeking clarification on this matter.” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...252-24795049/2/

From today's Liverpool Echo................ Could Saudi prince be answer to Liverpool FC's investment problems? Sep 28 2009 by Luke Traynor, Liverpool Echo Saudi cash claim as prince in town LIVERPOOL FC co-owner George Gillett faced protests from angry fans as he made a rare trip to the city over the weekend. Supporters from Reds’ union Spirit of Shankly (SOS) gave the US businessman a hostile reception as he visited training ground Melwood, the LFC academy and Anfield. Gillett was at Anfield to watch the Reds 6-1 drubbing of Hull on Saturday. And he was accompanied by a Saudi billionaire. Prince Faisal bin Fahad Bin Abdullah al Saud, who owns Sports Investment company F6, was pictured sitting alongside Gillett in the directors’ box. Their appearance sparked reports the Prince and Liverpool were on the verge of a massive deal that could see the Saudi take control of up to 50% of club shares in return for investment ranging from £200m to £350m. But sources claimed talk of the wealthy Saudi ploughing cash into the Reds was not on the agenda. Instead it was suggested Gillett invited Faisal in a bid to rubberstamp plans to set up Liverpool FC academies in the Middle East. Anfield bosses stressed privately talk of high-level investment and selling of club shares was wide of the mark. According to Liverpool sources matters of sponsorship and global branding were uppermost in the businessmen’s minds. Asked directly about speculation involving possible Saudi investment, a spokesman for the owners declined to comment. Relations between co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett who have had several major fall-outs since they took over in February 2007, are said to be more cordial than they were 18 months ago. And sources insisted the meeting between Gillett and the Prince was arranged with Hicks’s backing. Over the weekend Saudi-based Al-Riyadh newspaper quoted Al Faisal as having said: “We are currently seeking to buy 50% of the shares in the club {Liverpool} which is now suffering debts worth £245m. “The transaction, upon which a decision is close to being reached, will be worth £200m to £350m.” On Saturday Prince Faisal, flanked by bodyguards, was given a tour of Melwood and the academy facilities in Kirkby where he was greeted by demonstrating fans. One member of Spirit of Shankly asked to speak to Gillett about the club’s finances and was granted a one-on-one meeting with the American owner. SOS’s Paul Rice told the ECHO: “He came out with all the usual lines about why the stadium wasn’t being built yet because of the credit crunch. “He said again how Liverpool was in a better state than most of its rivals and the budget available to manager Rafa Benitez was acceptable. “Amazingly he said it wasn’t him who promised the ‘spade would be in the ground within 60 days’, when they discussed the stadium at that first press conference. “He said Hicks had said that. “If it’s correct that Rafa has just £20m to spend each year it was ironic to see Gillett jumping up and down after Torres scored his three goals. “Under that regime he wouldn’t be able to buy a player like him as he would simply cost too much.” Up to 200 supporters assembled around the directors entrance at the Main Stand on Saturday to protest. SOS also alleged that some fans were threatened with eviction from Anfield by stewards if anti-Gillett and Hicks banners were not taken down. A SOS spokesman said: “We will be seeking clarification on this matter.” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-24795049/

Interesting comment from Fernando after the Hull match in relation to playing as a lone striker “I’m enjoying it this season because we’re more attack-minded,” said Torres. “We are playing more offensively at home, we’re playing with two strikers and we’re scoring more goals." http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...92534-24795149/

NOTW article

Click on the links for the post match interviews.................. Rafa (BBC) [2:15] Rafa (Sky) [2:08] Torres (BBC) [2:20] Hull manager Phil Brown (BBC) [2:51] Brown (Sky) [2:07] Paul Merson's comments (Sky) [3:23]

I thought in the current context of the discussion about transfer budgets, with the transfer window just gone, Purslow's £20m net comments, the leaked financial documents & the record shirt sponsorship deal, & ramping up action to get Hicks & Gillett out that speculation, whether true or not, that Rafa is unhappy & ready to battle with Hicks & Gillett was worth noting

Some more comments from Rafa discussing Aquilani's role in the team............ “Alberto is running again and when we travel to play Fiorentina in the Champions League this week he will stay behind to continue with his rehabilitation programme. “I know the fans are frustrated but we have signed a good player with talent and I never worried that we would have to wait for him to be fit. “Xabi was a player who received the ball and played long and short passes. Aquilani wants to play higher up the pitch than that. “He wants to be in the final third so that he can create chances. “In that respect, playing passes to give the strikers the chance to score, he is better than Alonso. “When he is fit the team will be more dangerous because he has the ability to find Torres and Gerrard with passes that will give them more chances to score. “He is ahead of schedule for his comeback, but we must be careful with him.” http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Rafa-...icle171823.html

why?

From the Sunday People.... 27 September 2009 Rafa Benitez demands funds for David Villa swoop Scott Piecha Rafa Benitez is ready to go to war with Liverpool's owners over releasing funds to buy David Villa. The Anfield boss has demanded money from their £80million sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank to be made available so he can afford £45m for Villa. Benitez would love to sign the Spanish striker in January but Valencia are unlikely to let their star man leave before next summer. A leaked document has shown that Benitez will have only £20m to spend each year on transfers and wage increases. Unhappy But the Spaniard is ready to battle American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett over the money, which he insists needs to be used to bag Villa. The striker is becoming increasingly unhappy in Spain after a summer move was again blocked. Valencia failed to qualify for the Champions League last season and if they miss out again this time Villa and other stars are sure to be sold. Benitez sees Villa as a missing link at Liverpool and is desperate to pair him with fellow Spaniard Fernando Torres. http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/tm_...-name_page.html

From the Sunday Mirror......... Liverpool in talks over £125m investment from Arab prince Published 23:00 26/09/09 By Simon Mullock Liverpool co-owner George Gillett was in talks on Saturday night about selling a 25 per cent stake in the Anfield club to an Arab prince in a deal worth £125million. Sunday Mirror Sport understands that Gillett has met with Prince Khalid al-Faisal and members of of the Saudi royal family about investment opportunities at Liverpool. Discussions initially began about various commercial projects but quickly progressed into talks aimed at bringing the prince in as a co-owner to work alongside Gillett and his fellow American Tom Hicks. Any share deal would require the blessing of Hicks before it could be rubber-stamped. And although Hicks is yet to meet personally with Prince Khalid, it is understood that the Texan is ready to welcome a new partner if the terms of the deal are right. Hicks and Gillett have been searching the Middle East for potential investors to ease the burden of the club’s £300m debts. Liverpool had a record turnover last year and have just announced football’s biggest shirt sponsorship deal, worth £20m-a-year with Standard Chartered Bank. But the club has been unable to finance the construction of a new 60,000-capacity stadium at Stanley Park because of the credit crunch. And manager Rafa Benitez has been told that he must work within a strict transfer budget of £20m-a-year. A Liverpool spokesman refused to comment on the new developments. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Liver...icle171959.html

Rafa commented on Torres' price again yesterday..... “If you think about the money we were spending on players we then decided to spend £20million on Torres - that was a massive figure for us”. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...00252-24788745/ Seems fairly categorical this time that the fee definitely was £20m

Thought he looked blonder than normal on MOTD

Click HERE to watch a clip from Rafa's pre-match interview

Update from Rafa on Aquilani........ Alberto Aquilani has today handed Rafael Benitez a major fitness boost by stepping up his rehabilitation from an ankle injury. The summer signing is now running at Melwood - though the boss is refusing to put a timetable on his return despite newspaper reports this morning suggesting he could make his debut in mid-October. Benitez told Liverpoolfc.tv: "He's going forward, progressing and today he started running. If that goes okay then everything will go a bit faster. "We have not set a target or any time, but he's doing well." http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090925-1307.htm “There has been a massive improvement and we’re really pleased with him,” Benitez said. “Clearly he is a player with quality we are desperate to see on the pitch but we won’t push him too much and we haven’t set a target. “He has to go one step at a time and we will see how he progresses. We knew he had the problem when he signed – but we knew we were signing a player for five years, not five weeks.” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...252-24784288/2/

This was in the Mirror last Saturday.................. Liverpool fans' fury at being moved to make way for sponsors' guests Published 23:00 19/09/09 By Derick Allsop The curse of the prawn sandwich has struck again – and left Liverpool fans choking with anger. Hundreds of Anfield season ticket holders turned up for the Champions League against Debreceni on Wednesday to find they had been moved to accommodate sponsors’ guests. Former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane was so incensed with corporate guests on one occasion, he dubbed them the “Prawn Sandwich Brigade”. Keith Ross, from Caernarvon, a season ticket holder in the Lower Centenary Stand, said: “I was given a seat in the corner at the Anfield Road end and couldn’t see a thing. Lots of us were moved and we were all unhappy. “There were a few angry scenes with the stewards. “It’s the first time I’ve been moved and I had no idea I’d end up there. “It was a restricted view and just not good enough. “What made it worse was that there were a lot of empty seats in the corporate area. “They were obviously more interested in the hospitality than the football. “I’ve been a season ticket holder for nine years. “I have two tickets that cost me £1,400-a-season. “I go to every match home and away and follow the club all around the world. “If this is what it’s going to be like from now on, I won’t be going to any more home games in the Champions League. In fact, I’m thinking of cancelling my season ticket for next season.” Liverpool, in common with all Champions League clubs, have to provide seating and hospitality lounges for sponsors and their guests. This season their demands have increased, forcing Liverpool to move 2,000 fans from their regular seats. A club spokesperson said: “It’s the first time Mr Ross has been allocated another seat because UEFA have extended the number of seats they require this season. “It’s a requirement of all clubs participating in the Champions League, as set out in the UEFA charter.” Liverpool officials admit they are unlikely to find a satisfactory solution until they have a new stadium. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Liver...icle164791.html

Papers this morning say the club is confident he should be ready for the Sunderland game on 17 Oct The Daily Telegraph Published: 7:00AM BST 25 Sep 2009 Liverpool's Alberto Aquilani aims for debut next month Liverpool are targeting their trip to Sunderland on Oct 17 as the game in which £20 million midfielder Alberto Aquilani will make his long-awaited debut. By Rory Smith The Italy international, who joined the club from Roma in August as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, is expected to have recovered from an ankle injury sustained in March. Liverpool have been determined not to rush his recuperation but the club's doctors are confident they have cured an underlying complaint which restricted Aquilani to just 21 appearances in all competitions in his last season in his homeland. Aquilani is likely to step up his training when his team-mates depart for international duty after Liverpool's visit to Chelsea and should be in contention for a place on the substitutes' bench when Rafael Benítez takes his team to the Stadium of Light two weeks later. Sources insist the player is confident he will make a full recovery, thanks to the efforts of Liverpool's medical staff, and he is described as being "very happy" at his new club. Under the draconian training regime of deposed manager Luciano Spalletti, Roma lost a succession of players to chronic injuries and Aquilani believes constant changes in his care regimen affected his recuperation. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...next-month.html

This is what Rafa has said when asked about Torres' price How much did he cost? Whenever we talk about the deal for Torres with Atlético Madrid we always include Luis GarcÍa in the price. The total cost of the operation is around £20 million. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle3648804.ece

Daily Telegraph Published: 1:47PM BST 23 Sep 2009 Liverpool owners considered 'eight per cent' ticket price rise Liverpool’s owners proposed increasing the club’s average ticket price by eight per cent to help ease the club's huge debt problems, according to a report. By Telegraph staff Liverpool owe around £290 million to their bankers, Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia, while Hicks and Gillett have proved deeply unpopular with supporters for their failure to clear the debt and begin work on a proposed new 72,000-seat stadium. However, the owners stopped short of raising ticket costs that could have proved incendiary during a recession, with the majority of Premier League clubs putting a freeze on season ticket prices. Rogan Taylor, director of the Football Industry Group at Liverpool University and a member of a supporter-led group trying to acquire the club, said: “It would have been a very unpopular move... It looks like they took some wise advice not to do it.” Gillett and Hicks also considered raising £100 million by selling equity in the club, according to documents prepared by the club’s bankers and obtained by Bloomberg News. A spokesman for Hicks and Gillett declined to comment but verified the documents which indicate that all but £5m of the £100m the club was trying to access would have gone toward reducing debt. Liverpool last week announced a record shirt sponsorship with the Standard Chartered bank, worth £20m a season for the next four years. That figure matches the money that would be made available to manager Rafael Benitez in the transfer market. The £20m “will grow together with increases in broadcast revenues,” the document said. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...price-rise.html

The Independent Thursday, 24 September 2009 Liverpool's £20m buying cap revealed in club report Benitez must work with limited transfer and wages budget for next five years By Ian Herbert, Deputy Football Correspondent Rafael Benitez's struggle to keep pace with the Premier League elite is revealed in documents which suggest Liverpool's net summer spending will be locked at £20m until 2014 – a figure which will also include wage increases accruing from contract renewals. The figures, which suggest the manager must continue to sell before he can buy, are contained in a prospectus published in March by investment banks Rothschild and Merrill Lynch to attract potential investors in the club. The prospectus, which provides a sense of how desperately Liverpool's owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett need new finance, reveal the Americans were considering increasing the average ticket price by eight per cent to help ease the club's debt problems. They were also seeking to raise £100m from investors and loans as pressure built to refinance a debt of £290m. Gillett and Hicks paid £50m four months later, in July, to get a year's extension to the debt facility they have used to purchase and run the club since their takeover in February 2007. This season they have secured a new £20m-a-year sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank, a major improvement on the previous £14.6m Carlsberg deal and hope to retain a role for Carlsberg, commercial director Ian Ayre revealed yesterday. Yet the underlying lack of finance for Benitez remains a problem. It might not be as dire a position for the club as suggested by the banner unveiled by Liverpool fans before the Carling Cup tie with Leeds at Elland Road on Tuesday – "We are the new Leeds," it read – but Benitez is clearly limited in his options in the transfer market. The section of the Rothschild/Merrill Lynch document relating to "player transfer payments" states: "Management believes that the normalised long-run level of new net player capital expenditure is £20m." The accompanying data suggests "long run" means the next five years. This figure "will grow together with increases in media broadcasting revenues," the bankers promise. Though revenues from British broadcasters are expected to drop, overseas rights should grow before 2014. This summer the £30m sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid helped offset the outlay on Glen Johnson and Alberto Aquilani. The need to generate cash to finance future purchases next summer may make it more difficult to resist selling Javier Mascherano. Meanwhile, the Liverpool managing director, Christian Purslow, indicated, in a recent meeting with the Spirit of Shankly supporters' organisation, the minutes of which are published on its website, that money spent on improved contracts for players is considered part of the transfer budget. Hicks and Gillett eventually decided against an increase in ticket price, which would have come as the majority of the 20 Premier League clubs decided to freeze or reduce prices of some tickets for this season. But other details of Hicks and Gillett's future commercial strategy for Liverpool, outlined in the document obtained by Bloomberg News, include plans to convert 1,000 regular seats at Anfield into corporate seats and the creation of Liverpool-branded academies. New secondary sponsors will be targeted and catering facilities improved to help realise ambitions to increase commercial revenue from £59m to £111.4m in the next five years – a lofty target. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...rt-1792189.html