Rafa: My Time's Up

[Tilla]

FEAR: Benitez believes his Anfield reign will end


Sunday January 6,2008

By John Richardson


LIVERPOOL boss Rafa Benitez has told friends he believes his Anfield reign will end in the summer.

The Spaniard feels he will pay the price for Liverpool’s continual failure to win their first league title since 1990.

Relations between Benitez and American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are strained, with Hicks in particular still smarting from criticism from his manager over a perceived lack of understanding about the transfer market.

Hicks fired back in an American magazine interview by saying he had been worried at the lack of self-belief in the Liverpool players in last month’s home defeat against Manchester United.

A summit meeting thrashed out some of the differences – but it’s an uneasy peace, with Benitez continually frustrated.

He fears losing midfielder Javier Mascherano because the Anfield owners want to wait until summer to finalise a £17million deal. And Benitez knows that Gillett and Hicks have been working on a short list of new managers.

As reported in Sunday Express Sport, the Americans have former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann, ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and current Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill in their sights.

But Benitez has been given the go-ahead to sign Slovakian centre-back Martin Skrtel from Zenit St Petersburg for £4M.

Sunday Express

[HL]

A coaches' life is not a glamorous one.

A coaches' shelf-life is as short as unpasteurized milk.

Look at BIG Sam. A legend at Bolton and chopped liver at New Castle...
Tottenham just fired--and hired a new coach. Same with Birmingham City

Rene Simoes is not immune--irrespective of his past success in Jamaica.

Woooops me feget, Burrell did fire Simoes. He is merely recycled material.

I guess my point is: " a coach suit-case must always be packed--and i'm car tank fulla gass".

[Tilla]

Woooops me feget, Burrell did fire Simoes. He is merely recycled material.

Is this true? I know Simoes left on his own accord, citing that he did not need our money. I thought the Captain was trying to keep him at that time. If you ask me, I think Rene saw the axe coming and decided to leave before it actually dropped. After World Cup 98, even Simoes could have seen that his performance was not up to par. The best thing for him to have done then was to leave before he was relieved of his duties.

[OJ]

tink big sam needs time. Newcastle is where they should be in the standings based on personnel. They need time

[Assasin]

I think so but will they give it to him?

In the January window it will force Newcastle to panic buy every defender they can which is not good.

[Gamma]

big same did not creat an overnight miracle with bolton!

he got them up to the premiership and despite being favouritesfor relegation the first 2 or 3 years bolton became a fixture in the epl....that is in danger now!

[OJ]

if you look at newcastle they are where they have alway been a 12 place team with a massive club but the reality is they made some mistake with personnel and it will take time to sort out. People forget it took years to build Manu to what it is. It always bugs me when pool and newcastle people talk as if they have a right to win anything. I think if any FANS should be impatient is should be spurs and Stoke and Forest and those clubs who had a tradition of winning. Newcastle at the end of the day will be a top 10 team no more. There is only 1 arsenal!