Extraordinary Swindle

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He looks good in Scotland and crap at international level - nothing to suggest he's good enough for Liverpool.

I agree with you on both points. People go on about the signs being there with the drawn six games, it's not like Benitez sent the team out to defend in those games. Chelsea H 1-1 - The first of the 6 games was the debacle where the referee robbed us of the 3 points. Portsmouth A 0-0 - The strikers couldn't hit the target and Reina saved a penalty, we should have lost the game. Birmingham City H 0-0 - Played against 11 men behind the ball. Couldn't break them down. * Agger & Alonso out through injury. Tottenham Hotspur H 2-2 - We could have scored 5. Both goals conceded were from long balls over the top that beat our slow defense. * Agger & Alonso out through injury. Arsenal H 1-1 - If Crouch could hit the target he would have had a hat-trick in the second half. * Alonso & Torres return from injury. * Agger out through injury. Torres injured and replaced at half time. Blackburn Rovers A 0-0 - The team did everything except stick the ball in the back of the net. * Agger, Alonso & Torres out through injury. I don't think Benitez can be faulted for those results. There aren't the required number of quality players there to consistently punish teams during periods of dominance and the injury to Agger has certainly upset the team defensively. Torres brought pace as well as a goal threat to the front line and the likes of his goal against Chelsea is the kind of threat that the team has been missing since the departure of Owen. If there was a similar calibre player in a wide area then the team would go up another level.

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Hicks has the money, Gillett does not. It's a 50-50 partnership, if Gillett doesn't put money in to the club then neither does Hicks. That's where the problem has stemmed from originally I think. Hicks has been throwing his weight around because he has the financial muscle, Gillett is unable to do jack because he doesn't have the funds. In any other business Gillett would have had to reduce his share of the ownership in order for the business to move forward but from what I've read it's in the contracts that Hicks cannot buy out Gillett.

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Kahnee - The nice people at HorseDeathWatch.com were wondering if you have any tips for their Death List.

Yeah Pat Dolan now works for Setanta. He's a former player and has been manager of two of the biggest League of Ireland sides St. Pat's and more recently Cork City. He's not afraid to speak his mind and sees the bigger picture so he has great time for Benitez and Liverpool.

Gillett couldn't get the money to finance the deal to buy the club so he involved Hicks. Hicks is a billionaire, the banks knew he was good for the money. Moores and Parry were happy to sell to "Sports" people.

That's quite an assumption to make. Meanwhile back in this universe, G&H clearly don't have the same ambition as Benitez for Liverpool FC. What makes you think they will want to replace him with an equally ambitious manager? When the take over was taking place there was an alleged "war chest" of £50-60M set aside for purchasing players according to the new owners. The cracks in their relationship with Benitez appeared when he asked for the money to buy the players needed to put Liverpool back in contention - "Use the players you have" was Hicks' solution. Any new manager is going to want to strengthen the squad in order to challenge for the league title and then it's back to the current situation.

Six points dropped. Since when is it a requirement to have a 100% record in the league going in to December in order to challenge for the league title?

This is Rafa Benitez we're talking about, not fecking Graeme Souness. The man will deliver the league if he is given the opportunity and backing to do so. G&H have talked the talk and want rid of Benitez basically because he has asked them to cough up the money for transfers that was promised.

Prior to all the shyte kicking off we were 6 points off the top of the league. We've only been out of the running due to the poor run of league form recently.

"Thomas O: RAFA NEVER WALKS ALONE"

I think it's no coincidence that dumb@ss presenters like Peter Collins and Daire Moloney are more frequently presenting the programmes. Also coincidently the head of RTE Sports has changed.

What happens if G&H don't get the money they need?

"NO CONFIDENCE IN G&H"

Benitez said in an interview that things changed after the Arsenal game in October. Then: October 28, 2007: Liverpool 1 - 1 Arsenal October 31, 2007: Liverpool 2 - 1 Cardiff City November 03, 2007: Blackburn 0 - 0 Liverpool November 06, 2007: Liverpool 8 - 0 Besiktas November 09, 2007: SkySports.com: Rafa wants Masch stay November 10, 2007: Liverpool 2 - 0 Fulham November 11, 2007: SkySports.com: Mascherano plea for deal November 13, 2007: Parry: We're all working together November 17, 2007: Times Online: Bayern’s show of interest leaves Rafael Benitez holding stronger hand - Oliver Kay November 20, 2007: Telegraph: Benitez spurns Bayern Munich to chase title Times Online: Rafael Benitez in for long haul at Liverpool after Bayern snub - Oliver Kay Rafa Rubbishes Bayern Talk November 22nd, 2007: Owners statement November 24, 2007: Newcastle 0 - 3 Liverpool November 25, 2007: SkySports.com: Benitez - Something changed Owners statement November 26, 2007: Reds owners restate stance November 27, 2007: SkySports.com: Rafa coy on exit rumours November 28, 2007: Liverpool 4 - 1 FC Porto November 30, 2007: Parry Rubbishes Hicks Report December 02, 2007: Liverpool 4 - 0 Bolton Wanderers December 05 - 2007: Daily Mail: Liverpool deny Capello links Now: January 12, 2008: Daily Mail: Klinsmann was offered Benitez's job January 14, 2008: HICKS: WE SPOKE WITH KLINSMANN Hicks is a liar - The teams form in November was almost perfect apart from the draw against Blackburn. Also Benitez moved quickly to end any speculation about him leaving the club. Personally I suspect that the link with Bayern was leaked to the media to undermine Benitez at the time. It's a bit of a coincidence that Hicks talks to Klinsmann when there is speculation about Klinsmann going to Bayern and next thing Benitez is linked to Bayern.

Yes - that's the way the loans have been structured since Rafa became involved in that side of the club's business.

I know and he signed a big contract in the summer.

He's the player I wanted to replace Luis Garcia.

Fantasy football signings: Philipp Lahm - left back - Bayern Munich Daniel Alves - right back - Sevilla David Silva - left midfield - Valencia Starting 11: Reina Alves - Agger - Carragher - Lahm Gerrard - Alonso - Mascherano - Silva Torres - Babel Lahm and Alves are two of the most mobile fullbacks around and could provide the attacking width required and what we experienced when we had the likes of Markus Babel some years ago. Lahm also has a whicked right foot and can cut inside to fire off long range efforts on goal. Silva isn't an out and out winger more of an intelligent attacking left midfielder who can also play off of a front man like Torres. Babel up front - his most effective position when in the Dutch under age team and where his future at Liverpool lies.