Benitez Out?

[ryanmjo]

Board has offered him 3 million to walk away. Developing...

[Socrates]

Heard he was thinking of signing Santa Cruz so this makes sense...

[Dameerto]

I think there might be something in it - in a 'mutual agreement' kind of way - they can't afford to sack him outright, and he hasn't got the kind of money for signings that he wants...

[Beefymcfc]

Just heard this on the radio. Can't see him walking anywhere unless he has already been tapped from another club. Just goes to show how much they want rid of him, and probably Torres and Gerrard too, leaving whoever comes in (already tapped up as well) to 'Start Afresh'!

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Were's the info from lads?

[Dameerto]

Were's the info from lads?

"SSN understands..."

It's also just appeared on the Beeb's twitter page

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

Looks a goner.

BID FOR TORRES NOW!

[Bianchi on Ice]

Like an aged granny quietly moved to the old folks home to slowly vegetate, Liverpool look for a ditch to push Rafael into. The way they are going its the only money they'll be spending this summer. I used to respect Liverpool, but after this season they can struggle just as much as the scum.

[Beefymcfc]

That's what happens when your club is run by....

[Dameerto]

Just found this 'exclusive' from the Mirror too, attributed to a named reporter:

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Li ... 46441.html

EXCLUSIVE - Liverpool sack Rafa Benitez Published 20:50 02/06/10 By David Maddock

Rafa Benitez’s Anfield reign is over.

The decision was taken to sack the Liverpool manager tonight, after the club board came to the conclusion he had lost the dressing room.

Player power proved his downfall after several of the Reds’ biggest stars, including Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, made clear their loss of faith in the manager.

Some had even stated privately that they would leave if Benitez stayed.

Benitez, who is on holiday in Sardinia, was hanging on only to negotiate his payoff. He has a £16million clause in his contract that must be paid in full if he is dismissed, and the only detail left to be finalised late last night was just how much of that money he would receive.

The Spanish coach could walk straight into another job after his dismissal at Anfield, with Inter Milan keen to make him the replacement for treble-winning manager Jose Mourinho.

And Liverpool have already drawn up a short-list of possible replacements for Benitez, with the highly respected Roy Hodgson and Louis Van Gaal topping the candidates, along with Benfica manager Jorge Jesus, and - before he accepted the Italy job - Cesare Prandelli of Fiorentina.

Sammy Lee, the current assistant manager of the Reds, will step in as a caretaker in the short-term, until a replacement is announced, with the club hoping to find a successor in the next few weeks.

Benitez has presided over a disastrous season, losing 19 matches and seeing his side slip to seventh place in the table, which has caused major damage to the club’s precarious finances.

More seriously though, he lost the support of senior players at the club, with top stars like Torres, Gerrard, Carragher, Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun offering public displays of their lack of belief in the manager.

The board were left with the painful decision of choosing between Benitez and their world class players, and in the end they decided they simply couldn’t trust the manager to spend the money that would be raised by the sale of so many big names.

The five-man Liverpool board made the unanimous decision over the weekend, and they also have the backing of chairman Martin Broughton, who is thought to believe that the club can only move forward by bringing stability to the football side of the club.

Benitez has always been a highly skilled political operator, and his tenure in the final two years was punctuated by an increasingly fraught situation at Anfield, where he was fighting against his own board and his own team.

The directors have decided that situation can’t be allowed to go on any longer, and they will now move quickly to appoint a more statesmanlike manager who can work with colleagues.

The new boss WILL be given money to spend, with around £20million set aside for new players, with a guarantee, too, that any money from sales will be used solely for recruitment.

The likes of Albert Riera, Ryan Babel, Alberto Aquilani and Benayoun could all be sold to raise another £25m or so, and several fringe players will also be sacrificed, to generate a kitty that could be as much as £50m.

Talks will proceed swiftly over a replacement, with Hodgson’s calm approach sure to make him among the favourites, given the turmoil that has engulfed Liverpool in recent seasons.

Benitez has been exploring possible escape routes over the past six months, and he came close to joining Juventus at the end of the season, until the Italians got a new president who favoured a home-grown boss.

But Inter remains a strong possibility, especially given the news in the past two days that their first choice - Fabio Capello - looks likely to remain with England.

This week, the Milan club’s president Massimo Moratti confirmed he is an admirer of the Spaniard, when he said:

“Benitez is a man I’ve always considered very good, but for the moment he is engaged.”

The Reds boss still wants a pay off, and he was juggling those balls last night, as he prepared to accept a lower compensation figure to ensure he remains in the running for the Inter job.

Benitez though, has certain reservations about following Mourinho - one of his biggest enemies in football - but now that he can no longer remain with Liverpool he may feel he has no other choice but to take the poisoned chalice of following the special one.

Late last night, terms were still being discussed over the pay off, with Liverpool’s opening offer well short of the £16million figure the Spaniard wants, and until that money could be agreed, no announcement would be made.

[Exiled]

So is this the next entry into their illustrious history book? :D

I hope Sammy Lee will be their next manager.

[Manx Blue]

Well this means that they will be looking to hang onto Gerrard, Torres etc at all costs.

Who would take over..... I'm going toput a tenner on..

John Toshack

[Dameerto]

There's talk of a caretaker until the club finally gets sold, if they put Sammy Lee in charge I really hope we get an early fixture at Anfield

[Lee_Kinda]

Hughes next Liverpool manager.

Not itk, just made it up. But id probs put money on it.

[Manx Blue]

Liverpool have fuck all money, and Its unlikely Hughes would take the job. They are probably in worse nick that we were when he took over, both financially and prestige wise.

Due to a number of their players being Spanish speaking, it would surely either be Toshack or Rijkaaard. They are the only two managers with top notch experience and speak Spanish who are available at present that I can think of.

However!!!... Just remember a piece from AS this morning, saying Pellegrini had been offered jobs in England Italy & Turkey

[gillie]

They are not happy over on RAWK.

This.

I've said for months that Gerrard to Madrid was a done deal - looks like it's happening. With Rafa now also on his way you can bet Torres won't be far behind.

To everyone who has apologised for the Yanks from day one of their ownership. . You bunch of apathetic c*nts have helped a pair of Yankee thieves turn our club to dust.

See yers all in the Championship in a year or two.

[edge275]

Oh I've been waiting a long time for these beautiful moments, kopite fans distraught and their club falling to pieces. Here's a lovely comment from a kopite on my facebook.

" Roll on the good times for Liverpool, no money to spend, stars players considering there futures an soon to be managerless, all while the americans sit at home counting there money! Niceone David Moores for lining your own pockets and putting Liverpool rite in the shit!!!!!!"

Brings a tear to the eye...

[john@staustell]

So is this the next entry into their illustrious history book? :D

I hope Sammy Lee will be their next manager.

Me too. After all history is so important to them, and this guy played a very large part in their history. So he clearly deserves a second chance in management after the unmittigated disaster that was Bolton.

History is what counts. History, history, history....................................................................

[gillie]

The scouse fans are planning a demonstation at 6pm today outside the ground.They really do revell in self pity these twats.

[edge275]

So is this the next entry into their illustrious history book? :D

I hope Sammy Lee will be their next manager.

Me too. After all history is so important to them, and this guy played a very large part in their history. So he clearly deserves a second chance in management after the unmittigated disaster that was Bolton.

History is what counts. History, history, history....................................................................

The above sums them up like mad. it pisses me off when Im speaking to a Liverpool fan who's all up in my grill about their fucking history almost as if he had something to do with it!

"We won this, that and the other in the 70's!"

The cunt wasn't even born then!