Kop that

[Guest lewis]

Kop that

Pair to cash in on Liverpool sale

 

By Chris Bascombe

TOM HICKS and George Gillett will share a £50m bonanza when Dubai International Capital finally buy Liverpool.

 

That's an astonishing £65,000 a day EACH for 12 months of turmoil on Merseyside.

 

TYKE THAT: LIVERPOOL 1 BARNSLEY 2

 

The Arabs are closing in on the deal which will end the Americans' reign.

 

Negotiations have reached a key stage, with Gillett now most likely to be first to end his association with the club.

 

Hicks remains the main obstacle as the Arab investment group seek a swift conclusion.

 

The club is now valued at around £400m, but £350m of this figure forms recently incurred debt.

 

That means if both Americans were to sell now, they'd share a £50m profit for a year of disarray.

 

Hicks has first option on Gillett's shares under the terms set when the duo joined forces in 2007.

 

The nightmare scenario for all parties has been for Hicks to take up this option and assume sole ownership.

 

However, with Liverpool still facing major financial concerns as they look to fund a £300m stadium on Stanley Park, even Hicks' hardline stance has softened in recent days.

[Guest Ant]

And so it begins...

[Chili Palmer]

I always liked that Bascombe guy...

[Keita]

love him or hate, Its Bascombe so its worth noting.

[alias75]

to be honest despite how bad this season has got id happily write it off today if it meant we got rid f G+H

 

whats happening with the ownership of the club is far more important than 1 poor season or a few poor results.

[MFletcher]

He claimed the club was going to be sold "by the end of the week" about a month and a half ago.

 

We'll see.

[Kuyt-fever]

Not.Sure.About.That,

[Guest Snorky]

He claimed the club was going to be sold "by the end of the week" about a month and a half ago.

 

We'll see.

 

And Rafa claimed he had a squad to compete for four trophies a few months ago as well.

[Jim D]

Scathing match report....

 

By CHRIS BASCOMBE at Anfield

 

RAFA BENITEZ has demanded revolution from the moment he arrived at Anfield.

 

Today, even his most loyal supporters cannot avoid the conclusion one of those changes is set to be in the manager's seat.

 

The Kop boss began the day saying he would know within five days if his team had "turned the corner".

 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE REACTION FROM THE GAME

After five minutes of Barnsley's epic win at Anfield yesterday, it was obvious Liverpool had hit another cul-de-sac.

 

Now Benitez finds himself in danger of being driven out of town as the Kop's fury was turned from the boardroom to the pitch.

 

The Spanish coach's persecution complex has been intensifying by the week, but he will struggle to find anyone to blame for this atrocity accept for his misfiring players and another baffling team selection.

 

It was a catastrophic decision, in fact inexcusable, to rest keeper Pepe Reina, even more so than skipper Steven Gerrard.

 

Reserve Charles Itandje isn't just an accident waiting to happen, he ought to be wearing an ambulance siren on his head.

 

He was hopeless against the minnows of Havant and Waterlooville in the last round — but this was an exhibition of uselessness barely witnessed in a Liverpool player.

 

He flapped at every cross and offered hardly any resistance when Stephen Foster equalised on 57 minutes and Brian Howard struck a famous winner for the visitors.

 

How this clown was ever allowed near a Liverpool shirt is a matter for Benitez to explain.

 

But having been caught in no-man's land for Foster's header, he was vulnerable against each Tykes attack in the closing minutes.

 

The French stopper was even fortunate to still be on the pitch after an ugly tackle on Kayode Odejayi. Ref Martin Atkinson, who waved away a stonewall penalty appeal for a foul by Sami Hyypia on match-winner Howard seconds before he struck, gave Barnsley nothing.

 

Contrast the shambles of Itandje with Barnsley hero Luke Steele.

 

Had the keepers swapped sides, this would have been a Kop rout.

 

A week ago, Steele was struggling to get a game for West Brom reserves.

 

But this was an afternoon he will never forget.

 

Alongside defensive titan Dennis Souza, he was inspirational, denying a late flurry from Anfield's strikers and paving the way for the injury-time winner from Howard that stunned, but didn't completely surprise, an increasingly hostile crowd.

 

Benitez pointed to the series of missed chances, as well as the Barnsley No1's display, as he insisted uncharitably his side deserved to win.

 

Most extraordinarily, he even defended the performance of his keeper.

 

Benitez said: "I'm frustrated because throughout the last month we have been saying the same thing.

 

"We had a lot of chances but their keeper was man of the match. We created a lot, so it's difficult to explain how we lost.

 

"We must be more ruthless. I don't regret changing the keeper. If we had taken our chances, it would be different. Their keeper was fantastic.

 

"They didn't have so many chances so I don't blame our keeper. I think we deserved to win."

 

Despite the bravado, the crescendo of boos at full-time showed eactly that the Anfield faithful are in no mood for excuses.

 

The FA Cup was supposed to be Liverpool's salvation in a miserable season.

 

There was little clue of the drama to follow when Dirk Kuyt ended a drought that lasted longer than a hosepipe ban to put Liverpool ahead on 32 minutes, converting Ryan Babel's cross.

 

In fact, for 45 minutes most of the passion, excitement, twists and turns were courtesy of the performance of Barnsley fanatic Harold ‘Dickie' Bird.

 

Cricket's most notorious umpire arrived late into the Anfield Directors' Box to watch his beloved Tykes.

 

And he endeavoured to kick every ball thereafter.

 

When the full-time whistle blew, only his excited fellow Yorkshiremen restrained him from jumping onto the pitch to join the celebrations.

 

Yes, Barnsley rode their luck at times. Who doesn't in cup football?

 

But as Liverpool's search for a winner became more frantic, so the threat of Barnsley's counter-attack increased.

 

It took Benitez 73 minutes to recognise what most Liverpool fans have known for the past seven years — without Gerrard, such miserable performances are always more likely.

 

After being rested for the visit of Inter Milan on Tuesday, he was summoned from the bench, but even he could not alter the mood.

 

Steele's heroics denied Crouch, Hyypia, Kuyt and Harry Kewell, as Liverpool twice hit the bar.

 

But Itandje's fumbling saves and erratic strolls from his line also kept the Kop nerves jangling.

 

Then Howard danced his way into the box in the third minute of added time to send 6,000 away fans into orbit.

 

Barnsley did not steal victory here. They richly deserved it.

 

Boss Simon Davey, in his first management position having previously been on the coaching staff at Preston, said: "It is very hard to put this into words. This is what dreams are made of.

 

"To bring my team to Anfield, and for them to score the winning goal with the last kick in injury-time is wonderful.

 

"I never played at a high level as a player and this is the height of my coaching career, so it's fair to say that it is the best moment of my football career."

 

Liverpool still have the Champions League to look forward to, and given their history in fighting back from positions of weakness, this may yet prove as bad a result for the Italians at it was for Benitez.

 

There is no doubt the siege mentality and culture of paranoia he is nurturing will head into overdrive over the next 72 hours as the debris of this defeat is assessed.

 

As ever, The Kop will rally around their team, but anything other than a similar response from his players on Tuesday will surely spell the end of his reign.

 

He added: "Everyone is disappointed, but we can't change it now. Just think about the next game."

 

Rafa has asked everyone and for everything to change at Liverpool.

 

Today, he should listen to those who have wanted the best for him since he arrived at Valencia, and take this advice.

 

It is time to look in the mirror.

[lawrie]

£50m profit is obscene, but if that's what it ends up as, its less than I was anticipating

[MFletcher]

And Rafa claimed he had a squad to compete for four trophies a few months ago as well.

 

Stop bringing your agenda into a completely different thread.

 

Do the rest of us a favour and change the record for at least one topic.

[MFletcher]

Bascombe's style of writing is turgid. He tries to be funny and ends up looking a c**k.

[Guest Snorky]

Stop bringing your agenda into a completely different thread.

 

Do the rest of us a favour and change the record for at least one topic.

 

So Rafa can tell porkies but Bascombe can't ?

[Kuyt-fever]

You can beat that Carra put in Itandje display , Chris would not have mentioned it.

[Guest josh96]

HOW can you ask that?" said an aghast David Moores. "Of course they're the right people for the club."

 

It was just six months ago that Liverpool's former chairman chastised the reporter who dared suggest Anfield's American dream was not what was presented in the brochure.

 

In the eyes of the Kop, George Gillett Jnr and Thomas O. Hicks were still friendly uncles rather than demons.

 

Moores, as sincere as they come but a reluctant participant in the cold-hearted business of football, dared not believe the sniping.

 

That was until last October, when he and chief executive Rick Parry were confronted with the uncomfortable truth about the Americans' intentions to break the promises which led to their takeover.

 

Moores' mood changed on hearing plans to saddle £600million worth of debts on Anfield.

 

His hopes of drifting quietly into semi-retirement were put on hold as he and Parry used what boardroom influence they had to block plans.

Duped

 

Legal advice was taken as every last detail of the contract which gave Gillett and Hicks power was re-read. Hicks and Gillett had vowed not to 'do a Glazer', but they had chosen their words carefully.

 

Not piling debt on the club to fund their purchase was not the same as saying they would never do so at a later date.

 

The so-called promises were not worth the paper they weren't written on and those closest to Moores felt he had been duped.

 

The plot to end the American revolution was under way. The Anfield civil war had begun — and the cavalry was arriving from the east.

 

Alerted to fresh financial concerns at Anfield, Dubai International Capital felt encouraged to return to the fray. The first tentative approaches were made in November.

 

DIC found the Americans, recognising the business of English football was more expensive than they thought, were willing to talk, initially with a view to selling a minority shareholding.

Worst

 

Gillett, who had bought Liverpool to pass on to his son Foster, was more sympathetic to the growing concerns of the old hierarchy, who pleaded with him to act in the broader interests of the club.

 

From the outset, when Hicks was arriving for games in his Liver Bird-crested cowboy boots, the old board feared the worst. They were comforted to know Gillett shared their concerns.

 

Hicks and Gillett were almost instantly at odds. Hicks insisted his own architects from Dallas re-design the planned £400m venue on Stanley Park, seemingly oblivious to the financial and planning consequences.

 

It seemed Gillett distrusted his partner's high-profile approach. But he was not shy to indulge in some PR of his own, pulling out some dollar bills on TV and saying Benitez could sign ‘Snoogy Doogy' if that was who he wanted.

 

A comment heard repeatedly during the course of the next few months made its debut: "This is not the Liverpool way."

 

Gillett and Hicks' relationship deteriorated as they clashed on the cost and structure of the stadium, and the level of debt.

Cheques

 

Cracks in their co-ownership were increasingly visible as they sat apart during their infrequent visits to Anfield and employed separate accountants to assess club finances.

 

The pair were united on one subject, however. Following his outburst in Athens after the 2007 Champions League Final and successive seasons when he had courted the attention of Real Madrid, they agreed Rafa Benitez's long-term future demanded re-assessment.

 

Benitez, who claimed he resisted the lure of the Bernabeu after being made promises of his own, was fuming that the public commitment of a greater transfer kitty was not matched by the cheques.

 

He had summer funds, but no more or less than Moores had provided, and felt it was still based on player sales and European winnings. He was desperate for the fans to know the truth, and when private briefings had no impact, he went public.

 

The result was a spree which brought Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel, Lucas Leiva and Yossi Benayoun to Anfield for combined fees of about £42m, although Benitez recouped plenty by selling Craig Bellamy and Luis Garcia.

 

When the Premier League challenge stuttered and the Champions League started badly, Hicks and Gillett sensed a chance to wield the axe.

Controversial

 

Benitez e-mailed his January transfer plans across the Atlantic and received the cold response he should ‘focus on coaching and training'. He believed the transfer embargo was because the Americans wanted him out. He was right.

 

The News of the World printed the story of the plot to sack Benitez on November 25, allowing him to galvanise the fans' support and expose the rift ripping through the heart of the club.

 

The Kop still stopped short of anti-American protests, but that soon changed (left) when Hicks admitted the plot to sack Benitez and replace him with Jurgen Klinsmann. Contempt for Hicks was at its peak and fans' protests intensified. In the meantime, Hicks' stadium plans had been redesigned to cut costs. The controversial refinancing package was also altered, reducing the level of debt against the club.

 

Significantly, Gillett remained silent, refusing to endorse the new stadium or £350m refinancing agreement. He wanted out and was already deep into negotiations with DIC.

Crisis

 

"It's now a question of when, not if DIC get in," club sources said.

 

By now, the public perception matched the reality. Liverpool were a club in crisis, deeply divided at every level.

 

Parry and Moores were desperate for DIC to secure a deal, even though they recognised their own futures were as uncertain as the manager's.

 

Troubling though the obstacles and delays were, they remained confident of a successful resolution.

 

By now, Benitez was relying more on political alliances than results to secure his position, as the latest title challenge ended prematurely. Initially, the feud with his bosses offered a shield against events on the pitch.

 

In recent weeks an unlikely bond has formed between Hicks and Benitez. The bust-up which prompted so much bad blood splattered across the back pages has been mended.

 

Whatever his future holds, Benitez will be thanked for his role in exposing the Americans.

 

He helped put the first nail in the coffin of their joint reign and will be loved for it by the Kop. However, when the ink has eventually dried on the imminent deal with DIC, which will remedy their serious error of 12 months ago, it is Moores and Parry who will have redeemed themselves as the men whose internal resistance truly saved the club from meltdown.

 

By Chris Bascombe

Edited February 17, 2008 by josh96

[Guest spk]

And Rafa claimed he had a squad to compete for four trophies a few months ago as well.

 

er,he does. that team today was more than enough to beat them. unfortunately his non-torres international strikers are this year a bag of s***.

 

kuyt was handy last year as was crouch but today has sealed their fates. f*** his goal, that didnt need two touches. and our back four without the younglins are a bag of s*** - esp carra and finnan

 

find a new bandwagon son

[Rahul]

Looking hopeful on the DIC front. Hopefully its done as soon as possible.

[Guz]

Looking hopeful on the DIC front. Hopefully its done as soon as possible.

 

Publically at least, the situation has been the same for the past few weeks. Everyone knows DIC are looking to swoop but no one has a clue how this will turn out.

 

Given the way the stadium and new loan package was announced a few weeks ago I can see this running till the summer.

[Guest Snorky]

er,he does. that team today was more than enough to beat them. unfortunately his non-torres international strikers are this year a bag of s***.

 

kuyt was handy last year as was crouch but today has sealed their fates. f*** his goal, that didnt need two touches. and our back four without the younglins are a bag of s*** - esp carra and finnan

 

find a new bandwagon son

 

OK Dad

[Michael]

That article posing as a match report by Bascombe reads like Beasley was breathing down his neck. Sod them. I would rather Rafa was here for a hundred years than one day of the NoTW influencing our club. Do we want to be managed by a proven genius who loves us or a Murdoch rag that would see us in the gutter?

[McBain]

Looking hopeful on the DIC front. Hopefully its done as soon as possible.

 

PC tomorrow

 

Dein spotted arriving at JLA with copy of Arabic for beginners

[David Hodgson]

Stop bringing your agenda into a completely different thread.

 

Do the rest of us a favour and change the record for at least one topic.

 

 

You're a fine one to talk.

[David Hodgson]

PC tomorrow

 

Dein spotted arriving at JLA with copy of Arabic for beginners

 

With Arsene Wenger carrying his bags.....

[David Hodgson]

That article posing as a match report by Bascombe reads like Beasley was breathing down his neck. Sod them. I would rather Rafa was here for a hundred years than one day of the NoTW influencing our club. Do we want to be managed by a proven genius who loves us or a Murdoch rag that would see us in the gutter?

 

I didn't realise that was the choice !! Defo the genius then.

 

However, that 'Murdoch rag' has more than played its part in exposing the shenanigans of G & H and in galvanising the protests against them (and in in favour of Rafa, it has to be said).

[MFletcher]

I didn't realise that was the choice !! Defo the genius then.

 

However, that 'Murdoch rag' has more than played its part in exposing the shenanigans of G & H and in galvanising the protests against them (and in in favour of Rafa, it has to be said).

 

Do you really think Bascombe was going to pass up the opportunity to get a few Liverpool exclusives? That's why they took him to the NOTW. It's not for his writing style, which reads like a fifteen year old trying to be funny - it's because he has contacts and they want to encourage more people from Liverpool to buy the newspaper.