Monday, November 26, 2007

Get Real Rafa

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is in a bit of an argument with the club's new owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks. The fight is over transfer funds, with Benitez insisting money be made available now to tie up any deals to be done in the January transfer window. The owners say nothing will be done until they come to England for the Liverpool-Manchester United match on December 16th. This isn't good enough for Benitez, who suggested that the owners don't understand the intricacies of the European transfer system. Maybe what they really don't understand is why Benitez, after spending over $100 million on players this past summer, is demanding new players after just six months. Or maybe they don't understand why the team is only in fifth place in the Premiership and hanging on by the thinnest of threads in the Champions League after spending all that cash in the summer. TWG isn't a huge fan of all the foreign ownership in the Premier League, but we agree with what Gillett and Hicks told their manager: you focus on coaching the players you have now, not what players you wish you had.

3 comments:

Sporting the Goods said...

This must be frustrating for the owners, especially Gillett who knows that he is the best a man can get. Right off the bat he knows he can't get "the best" to play on the team - since he already owns it, of course. Unless he becomes player/owner the team will struggle with this debate as long as the ownership remains only in this capacity.

Pete W. said...

too right ben- perhaps the team is regretting the decision not to sell to the schick family instead of gillett.

Gianfranco Zola said...

on a slightly more serious note...

don't be too quick to criticize benitez. he sees his squad in 5th place currently, with no runaway leader in the premiership. who wouldnt be looking to improve their side, when it seems the competition is leveling off? not to mention, liverpool has yet to concede a league match this year. if they could have managed on more goal in 3-4 of the 6 draws this year, liverpool is out in front of arsenal.

granted, he has an amazing side to coach right now, and certainly not even in my wilded imaginations could/should be out front, but i cant take anything away from the man for wanting to be sure to improve his side in the transfer window.

p.s. it wouldnt even surprise me that the reporting on this blew his reaction/expectations a little out of proportion.