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<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width=487 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=487 bgColor=#e5e5e5 colSpan=2 height=48><SPAN class=headline>PARRY ON TAKEOVER, TRANSFERS AND TROPHIES </SPAN>
<SPAN class=small>Jimmy Rice 15 January 2007 </SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=130 bgColor=#ffffff height=90>
</TD><TD class=med vAlign=center width=357>An announcement about the takeover of Liverpool Football Club is imminent according to Rick Parry. Speaking to BBC Five Live at the weekend, the LFC chief executive explained what it could mean for the future of the club. </TD></TR><TR><TD class=med vAlign=top width=487 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2>Parry also spoke about Real Madrid's approach for Rafa Benitez last summer and revealed there might be more new faces at Melwood before the transfer window closes at the end of January.
Here's the interview in full:
What's your reaction to the six-goal defeat to Arsenal last week?
It was obviously disappointing to lose both of the cup games to Arsenal because at the end of the day what we want at Liverpool is silverware. But it happened and the most important thing was to pick ourselves up and get back to winning ways in the league, which we did very successfully on Saturday. The week has ended well. It was also very gratifying that the youth team beat Chelsea 2-0, so the first steps to retain the Youth Cup are going well.
Would you have hoped for a stronger team last Tuesday, bearing in mind that competition represented a realistic chance of silverware?
You have to remember that we had a very good Christmas, getting nine points out of 12, but four games in 10 days takes its toll. We've still got a lot to play for in the league plus a mouth-watering tie against Barcelona. It's always been very clear since the day we appointed Rafa, and in fact even before we appointed him, that he would use his whole squad. He has done that every year. We've had criticism before, no doubt we'll have it again. In his first season we lost 2-0 to Burnley and there was a lot of discontent but of course we went on to win the Champions League, which more than made up for it. At the end of the day Rafa never picks a team to lose a game; he always picks a team which he believes in the circumstances can win, that's what we're here for. We love to win trophies but it doesn't always work and you just have to pick yourself up.
As well as being chief executive, you're a big Liverpool fan. Do you ever look at the team on a day like last Tuesday with a fan's hat on and think, I wish it was stronger?
Not really. It hurts when we lose – it hurts us as much as any fan. We've done well in the past with weaker teams in the cup competitions. Also, this year in the Carling Cup we've lost players to injury: we lost Momo Sissoko long-term and now Luis Garcia, who's going to be out for the rest of the season.
What do you make of the suggestion that Liverpool can learn from Arsenal in terms of buying young players?
I think Rafa is impatient for success, as we all are, and at the end of the day we have spent, by any analysis, a lot of money on players. You can't do everything simultaneously – if the priority is first-team players and you have a fixed budget, then clearly the young players have to wait. I think what Rafa also said very explicitly this week is that Arsenal have been doing this for 10 years. We're two years into a project, so we have a long way to go. Arsene Wenger has been buying good young players for a long time and is starting to see the fruits of
<SPAN class=small>Jimmy Rice 15 January 2007 </SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=130 bgColor=#ffffff height=90>
</TD><TD class=med vAlign=center width=357>An announcement about the takeover of Liverpool Football Club is imminent according to Rick Parry. Speaking to BBC Five Live at the weekend, the LFC chief executive explained what it could mean for the future of the club. </TD></TR><TR><TD class=med vAlign=top width=487 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2>Parry also spoke about Real Madrid's approach for Rafa Benitez last summer and revealed there might be more new faces at Melwood before the transfer window closes at the end of January. Here's the interview in full:
What's your reaction to the six-goal defeat to Arsenal last week?
It was obviously disappointing to lose both of the cup games to Arsenal because at the end of the day what we want at Liverpool is silverware. But it happened and the most important thing was to pick ourselves up and get back to winning ways in the league, which we did very successfully on Saturday. The week has ended well. It was also very gratifying that the youth team beat Chelsea 2-0, so the first steps to retain the Youth Cup are going well.
Would you have hoped for a stronger team last Tuesday, bearing in mind that competition represented a realistic chance of silverware?
You have to remember that we had a very good Christmas, getting nine points out of 12, but four games in 10 days takes its toll. We've still got a lot to play for in the league plus a mouth-watering tie against Barcelona. It's always been very clear since the day we appointed Rafa, and in fact even before we appointed him, that he would use his whole squad. He has done that every year. We've had criticism before, no doubt we'll have it again. In his first season we lost 2-0 to Burnley and there was a lot of discontent but of course we went on to win the Champions League, which more than made up for it. At the end of the day Rafa never picks a team to lose a game; he always picks a team which he believes in the circumstances can win, that's what we're here for. We love to win trophies but it doesn't always work and you just have to pick yourself up.
As well as being chief executive, you're a big Liverpool fan. Do you ever look at the team on a day like last Tuesday with a fan's hat on and think, I wish it was stronger?
Not really. It hurts when we lose – it hurts us as much as any fan. We've done well in the past with weaker teams in the cup competitions. Also, this year in the Carling Cup we've lost players to injury: we lost Momo Sissoko long-term and now Luis Garcia, who's going to be out for the rest of the season.
What do you make of the suggestion that Liverpool can learn from Arsenal in terms of buying young players?
I think Rafa is impatient for success, as we all are, and at the end of the day we have spent, by any analysis, a lot of money on players. You can't do everything simultaneously – if the priority is first-team players and you have a fixed budget, then clearly the young players have to wait. I think what Rafa also said very explicitly this week is that Arsenal have been doing this for 10 years. We're two years into a project, so we have a long way to go. Arsene Wenger has been buying good young players for a long time and is starting to see the fruits of