So, it's been an uneventful international break...

Update (11:25am ET Friday):



Deal was finally confirmed around 11am ET, but I had to wait for the official Liverpool FC statement. It's the most beautiful artwork I've ever seen in my life. As was watching Broughton and Henry make a statement on BBC News.

Finally. There will be time to hold the new owners feet to the fire, to make sure nothing like these past two years happen again. Hicks and Gillett initially made the right noises as well. But NESV has a far better resumé. And today is cause for celebration.

Preview for the Merseyside Derby up later this afternoon, after soaking in this wonderful, wonderful news.

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Update (4:30pm ET Thursday): Don't feel like starting a new post, but do feel as if I should keep this somewhat current. This'll be an exceptionally short round-up of today's shenanigans.

After appearances in court on both sides of the ocean, we're in a holding pattern for one more day. The day began back in the UK High Court, where the "home team" were again victorious, winning an anti-suit injunction. We then traveled to Texas, where the District Court Judge basically gave Hicks until 7am tomorrow (Dallas time) to pull £300m or so from his cavernous ass. I'm struggling for other reasons why the judge recused today's hearing at 2:30pm (again, Dallas time) if not to give Hicks one more night to wreak nonsense. Maybe because he's never had to read two UK High Court rulings before.

As in the previous updates, the Guardian live blog and the Dallas Observer paint as full as a picture as we're going to get until tomorrow morning. I don't see how Hicks could miraculously find funding overnight, nor do I see the Texas judge ignoring two High Court rulings from the country where the club's located, but who knows what could happen after what we've seen over the last 48 hours.

Being a Liverpool fan is never boring. Unless we're watching this season's team play, that is.
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Update (6:30pm ET): It ain't over until they're tarred, feathered, tied to a donkey, and ridden out of town.

Hicks has gotten a temporary restraining order preventing the sale to NESV in Dallas District Court.

• Here's the LFC.tv statement
• Here's the Dallas Observer story, with the full text of the TRO
• Here's another link to the Guardian's live blog, as in the earlier part of this post.
• And here's a link to my real-time Twitter comments over the past two hours, because I don't have the stomach to summarize them.

Long story short, Hicks was granted jurisdiction because RBS and NESV do business in Texas, as does Broughton in his capacity as British Airways chairman. Hicks may reside in Dallas, but the various Kop Holdings are incorporated in Delaware and the Cayman Islands.

It's not going away yet – as if it's be as easy as a single High Court case (silly us) – but I'm not giving up hope that we'll get resolution before this Texas hearing on October 25th – which is a cheeky delaying tactic – or that LFC can avoid administration to end this sad, sorry saga.

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I'm hesitant to post anything until tonight's board meeting, which will take place at 8pm UK time, but it feels wrong to let today's historic – and I don't use that word lightly – events go unmentioned for even a short while.

It actually appears Liverpool's long off-field nightmare is drawing to a close.

Not only did the UK High Court rule in favor of RBS/Broughton, Purslow and Ayre, but Justice Floyd imposed injunctions reconstituting the board and allowing the sale, refused to grant an appeal in his court, and ruled that Hicks and Gillett are liable for court costs. Here's the Guardian's live blog of today's proceedings. Here's Broughton's most-recent tight-lipped interview. All in all, both read as a complete and total win.

New owners aren't confirmed; the board has to reconvene to discuss proposals, which will most likely include Peter Lim, who publicly (and somewhat distastefully) upped his bid during the hearing yesterday, but John W Henry tweeted a celebratory message congratulating Broughton, Purslow, Ayre, RBS, and the fans soon after the verdict. While Hicks and Gillett can't appeal to the High Court, they still have the right to take a case to the Court of Appeal, but that restarts a whole new process, and while I'm clearly no legal expert, it appears that they'd only be able to claim compensatory damages, not prevent the imminent sale of the club because of the aforementioned injunctions (although a couple of lawyers quoted in the Guardian's live blog think it could lead to further delays). There's no explaining Tweedledee and Tweedledum's thought processes, but after today's firm smackdown, including somewhere between a quarter of a million and half a million pounds in court costs according to the Guardian, it'd make little sense. But much of the havoc they've wreaked makes little sense, and they stand to lose a hell of a lot more than £500,000 if the sale goes through as previously announced.

Today's events truly are cause for celebration. As many have delightfully pointed out on Twitter, it's especially karmic that Scousers and miners (well done, Chile) are celebrating on Maggie Thatcher's 85th birthday. But it's obviously not the end of the hard work that so many, such as Spirit of Shankly and Save Liverpool FC (among countless others), have put in. I'd still encourage people to join SoS; just because the tumors seem to be excised doesn't mean that the new owners/board/etc won't need to be held accountable. And, truth be told, they've haven't fully been excised yet, no matter how heartening today's affairs have been.

But it's nice, and somewhat unfamiliar, to have good news for a change. I'll echo John Henry in saying 'well done Broughton, Purslow, and Ayre,' and I'm even tempted to not include a sarcastic 'for once' or 'about time' (no such luck). Broughton especially appears to deserve a lot of credit for his maneuverings, and RBS played a blinder by appointing him. If this is seen to fruition, he'll go down in club history. Seriously. And deservedly.

Let's hope the good news keeps coming, and let's hope it starts translating to good news on the pitch. There is the small matter of the Merseyside Derby this Sunday.

Xenophobia... think less but see it grow

So, it's been an eventful 24 hours. For those living in a cave, a quick summary.

• The junta of Broughton, Purslow, and Ayre seized control of the website yesterday, putting out a hilarious statement after Hicks and Gillett attempted to sack Purslow and Ayre. Unsurprisingly, the offers that the three wanted to accept weren't big enough for George and Tommy. Maybe Broughton and Purslow weren't as evil as we thought, at least when it comes to off-the-pitch matters.
• Those three outvoted Hicks and Gillett, accepting the takeover proposal from New England Sports Ventures.
• There will be a legal challenge, but given the terms of Hicks and Gillett's most recent refinance, the UK board members are apparently on solid ground, and Broughton's already giving self-satisfied interviews. (LFC.tv Q&A, BBC News video)

Two American owners ran the club into the ground, and now we're getting an American consortium instead. Some understandably see it as out of the frying pan and into the fire, while others are simply happy that the long nightmare seems to be coming to a close. And as an American, it puts me in a strange place. It's not often I feel the need to (or want to, for that matter) defend my countrymen.

Surprisingly, Broughton summed it up well in his Sky Sports interview.

"First of all, there’s nothing wrong with being American. Ask Sunderland, Ellis Short is a great owner there. There’s nothing wrong with being American. Leverage is a problem in a football club."

Spirit of Shankly thankfully said similar:

"The identity and nationality of any owners of Liverpool Football Club is irrelevant. How they act as custodians is the most important thing and we have seen previously that initial announcements and promises made by new owners and the checks and due diligence made by those entrusted with that role on our behalf have all been left wanting."

'Once bitten, twice shy' is a good maxim. NESV will be held to their statements, and the fans are far more clued up than they were three years ago. But holding the prospective new owners' accountable cannot descend into out-and-out anti-Americanism, as is already happening in various corners of the internet. Thankfully, it's been a minority so far.

Didn't we blame xenophobia for some of Rafa's treatment by the British press? How is this different? Why is nationality important? In this case, past does not necessarily equal precedent, and Americans aren't all alike. Again, thankfully.

Deep-pocketed "philanthropists" weren't lining up to put in offers, whether from China, Hong Kong, or the Middle East. A similar situation to what Manchester City fell into was never on the cards or it would have manifested by now. And because of UEFA's impending financial fair play regulations, the days of free spending City and Chelsea are soon coming to a close.

Any new owners need to clear the debt and either build a new stadium or renovate Anfield. Broughton's already claiming that's been agreed. Because of commercial revenue, if the club's put on a solid financial footing, it can be run in the vein of Arsenal: making a small profit while reinvesting in the team as need be. That's the goal. Not being beholden to a Sheikh Mansour or Abramovich.

As I wrote in the comments yesterday, I'm not familiar with the intricacies of the Red Sox. Baseball is fucking boring. I've read opinions from a fair few Boston LFC fans that Henry/NESV are excellent owners (keeping an eye on LFC Boston's twitter account may not be a bad idea), and for balance, later today I hope to have a summary of Henry's tenure from a friend who's a Yankees fan that lived in Boston during the Red Sox's World Series seasons. But what I do know is that the ownership group provided a platform to "reverse the curse" (God, I hate that phrase) and walked a tightrope in renovating Fenway Park (a new stadium was even less feasible than on Merseyside because of sentimental attachments to that ballpark's history) while maximizing revenue.

No owner's coming in as a charity case. They will expect to make money off of Liverpool. That's football these days; sport is business. If the on-field product is good, something's done about the stadium, and Liverpool's debt is manageable, they'll make their profit and the club will be sustainable into the future. Whether that will actually be the case still remains to be seen.

By all means, be skeptical. But judge any new owners on their business plan, not their nationality. Anything else is irrational, reactionary, unfair, and unhelpful.

On "Destructive Summers"

If you follow me on Twitter (I'm sorry, I don't mean to plug it at every opportunity, it's just a medium I've increasingly used), you know I'm prone to infrequently reference indie rock music. Even if it seems to alienate people. Well, I've had The Hold Steady's song "Constructive Summer" in my head for some time now. The relevant line from the chorus, and the impetus for the title of this post, is "We're gonna build something this summer..."

By now, I'm sure you've seen Tom Hicks' quote from last January, most likely said to deflect attention from his son telling a supporter to "blow me, fuck face." It's how I planned on leading this post, but multiple websites beat me to the punch. Nevertheless, just in case, here it is again.

"January is a poor quality market. The summer window will be big."

Well, it's September 1. And the summer that was supposed to be "big" in terms of transfers has been anything but, at least in regards to incoming ones. As if that's any surprise.

In: Milan Jovanovic (free), Joe Cole (free), Jonjo Shelvey (£1.7m), Danny Wilson (£2m), Christian Poulsen (£4.5m), Brad Jones (£2.3m), Raul Meireles (£11.5m), Paul Konchesky (£3.5m + player exchange) = ~£25m

Out: Yossi Benayoun (£6m), Mikel San Jose (£2.6m), Albert Riera (£3.3m), Diego Cavalieri (£3m), Krisztian Nemeth (£1m), Javier Mascherano (£19.9m), Damien Plessis (undisclosed), Lauri Dalla Valle (player exchange), Alex Kacaniklic (player exchange), Alberto Aquilani (loan), Emiliano Insua (loan), Philipp Degen (loan), Nabil El Zhar (loan) = ~£37m

Fees, where available, are taken from the excellent LFC History – expect in the case of Mascherano. The BBC originally announced it as £17.25m, which is what the site has, but Barcelona's Director of Football announced the fee as €24m, approximately £19.9m. The Plessis transfer, completed after the English window closed, is listed as undisclosed, waiting for confirmation from Panathinaikos or "confirmation" from the media. We'll call it around £1m for now. I'm surprised that LFC History has the Konchesky deal as £3.5m plus the two youngsters; I've seen lower figures or simply player swaps rumored, but theirs are the numbers I'm using. And then there are the inevitable signing-on fees that free transfers often receive, which could be countered by the fact clubs often pay a loan fee, although I haven't seen that confirmed for any of Liverpool's deals this summer. So these figures are rough estimates, as per usual, but it gives us an approximation to work with. Clearly, I wish there was more transparency in the dealings, but I wish there was more transparency in a lot of things. It's in Liverpool's best interest, especially these days, to be as obtuse as possible. And since it probably reflects the club's current financial trapeze act, we can probably add another £8m to the "transfer" expenditures because of Benitez's £6m golden handshake and the £2m needed to pry Hodgson from Fulham.

Regardless, it's the fourth consecutive window where Liverpool's reaped a profit, and with eight players brought in while 13 left, a shallow squad's gotten even shallower. It's yet another symptom of Hicks and Gillett's malignant, debilitating reign.

Rushian, from RAWK, updated his post on homegrown players and Liverpool's 25-man squad, to be named later today – a clearer and more concise version of what I attempted to explain two weeks ago. And after this summer's wheelings and dealings, Liverpool won't be naming 25 to their squad. More research is needed, but I'd imagine there are few Premiership sides with that few senior players. I understand that some of the under-21 players will have a role to play this season – specifically Ngog, Pacheco, and Kelly – but it's still skating on very thin ice. If injuries strike anywhere near as badly as they did last season, Liverpool could be left stranded smack in the middle of shit creek.

After talking up the necessity of another striker, Hodgson's left empty-handed, reliant on Torres, Ngog, Babel, and potentially Kuyt, evidently waiting until the Mascherano money came through to find a warm body to fill an oft-discussed hole. But that never came to fruition (thankfully, if Carlton Cole – a more-experienced, more injury-prone, and much more expensive, version of Ngog – was the main target), which prompted outrage from all corners of the internet. Outrage is much-needed right now.

It's all further proof that no matter how much we wish differently, what occurs on the pitch is sadly a secondary concern. I'm sorry to continue beating that drum until the skin tears, but I don't see any other option.

Look, that Torres and Gerrard are still are the club is probably the best news we could have hoped for from this window. Meireles is a promising signing, as is Joe Cole (although from what little we've seen so far, I'd be happier if he weren't nailed-on to play behind the striker). Jovanovic is a versatile attacker, Shelvey and Wilson are clearly two for the future (and I'm desperate for signings not focused on the short-term). Both Poulsen and Konchesky can "do a job"; I've talked myself into Konchesky ideally being another Finnan mainly as a counter-reaction to "HE'S SHIT, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT" echoing around every forum. That I'd rather have Insua isn't Paul's fault, and Liverpool had been linked to loads worse.

But to pretend I'm not disappointed with the course of events over the past month would be disingenuous. Yet that's nothing new either. Make no mistake, Hodgson bears the blame for next to none of this. The enemies are Hicks and Gillett, and their self-styled director of football, Christian Purslow. I don't include Martin Broughton in that trio to complete a Four Horseman of the Apocalypse analogy in case he finally succeeds in finding new custodians. We were all disappointed when Kenny Huang publicly cooed then bailed, but it's worth noting that he's done similar in the past with the Cleveland Cavaliers. All quiet on the western front isn't necessarily a bad thing – I won't pretend I'm a natural optimist, but just because it's not being played out in the press doesn't mean nothing's happening behind the scenes. The crucial date seems to be early October, when RBS can call in Hicks and Gillett's mounting loans. The pace should pick up as that nears, and let's all join hands and pray no other bank will refinance for those snake-oil scoundrels.

I'm sick of suggesting diminished expectations and sounding pessimistic in every post, you're sick of reading it, but Cassandra's warnings seem prophetic once again. If Liverpool's still in this situation come January, or God forbid, a year's time... well, if you thought this summer was bad in regards to player exit rumors, you won't enjoy the next.

To come full circle with my marginally esoteric music references, the lead single and title track from the aforementioned Hold Steady album was "Stay Positive." And yes, "We gotta stay positive," especially when it comes to supporting the players on the pitch. But we also gotta stay realistic. And angry.

Word Salad

At Liverpool, colorless green ideas sleep furiously. Absolutely nothing makes sense anymore, and I can't help but believe that's the point.

Liverpool hasn't had a plan for a new manager since sacking Benitez, evidenced by the wildly widely disparate names discussed during the month that the position's been empty. But from their personal point of view, having no plan is Hicks and Gillett's best possible policy. It buys them more time to have no plan to sell the club, and it keeps the fans focused on more trivial matters. Sadly, in this case, the trivial matters are the manager who decides the team and tactics for the game that we're all here to watch, the man who will try to make our summer of discontent somehow glorious. But because we're big business, the football takes a back seat so our loving custodians can make a buck off our love of football, selling snake oil with a Liverpool logo. Round and round in circles we go and where we'll stop, nobody knows.

Make sense? Good. It shouldn't. That's exactly how it's supposed to be. We of the Internet are a minority when considering the millions upon millions of fans worldwide. And there's a minority in our minority with heads still in the sand. Ignorance gives our enemies a large range of probabilities, and it is worse still to be ignorant of our own ignorance. Get the word out any way possible, wherever you are. Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies, and then the club dies. Those trivial matters will truly be trivialities, no matter the future manager, if Liverpool continues on its winding, wayward path.

Picture the larger picture. Recognize what's nonsense and hold who's responsible accountable. Sleep furiously tonight, but be sure to dream in red.

EXCLUSIVE!!!!1! LFC MANAGER SEARCH PROCESS REVEALED

I hate this summer, these owners, and Purslow so much. This is why I keep doing World Cup match reviews, and why there have been few posts about Liverpool. Because there's been no news from Liverpool – just obfuscation, smokescreens, and unfulfilled promises.

It's Dalglish. No, it's Hodgson. No, it's Pelligrini. No, it's Hodgson. No, wait, we're after Rijkaard or Deschamps, we promise. Ugh.

Wake me up in August.

What does Benayoun's sale mean?

I see sacking Benitez isn't going to stop the exodus of players. Awesome. Like that ever was the case.

Yes, it's not official yet, but it's been mooted so long it's bound to happen. Benayoun's on his way to Chelsea, and all that's left is figuring how much more than £5m Liverpool will get. It certainly won't be double that, the supposed asking price. And I know it's shouting into the wind, but maybe let's not let Broughton take part in negotiations?

It'll be a shame to see Benayoun leave. It's even worse to see him on his way to Chelsea. The squad's already paper-thin. There's already a dearth of useful creative players who can change a game. And Yossi was unforgettably one of Liverpool's best two seasons ago – you know, when the team was good.

This is the new Anfield, the new Liverpool, under its two loving owners.

My sole consolation was the sale was evidently in the works before Benitez was fired. Maybe it's part of 'the plan' (not saying there is a plan, as going two weeks without Rafa's replacement suggests a lack of one). Maybe it's not the first trickle of the incredible awfulness that would be a fire sale of Liverpool's top players.

We honestly don't know the full extent of Liverpool's woes – just that we're woeful right now. My cynical suspicion is that the owners want to sell a bunch of big names this summer in an attempt to pay down the debt before selling the club, but my hope is that selling the main assets when you're trying to sell the club is stupidity beyond even Hicks and Gillett.

Regardless of the situation, it's still infuriating and was avoidable, and the owners still need to be held accountable more than ever – which is why I keep bringing up the likes of Spirit of Shankly. Supporters, no matter where they live, need to have some sort of representation in the fight to oust the cancerous owners. Spirit of Shankly seems the best hope of that by some distance.

In an ideal world, Liverpool would be able to keep Benayoun and add to the squad, and we'd have never heard the names of Thomas Hicks and George Gillett. Sadly, that's not reality. The reality is that Yossi Benayoun is 30 years old, and Liverpool paid £5m for him three years ago. While I wish moving from Liverpool to Chelsea weren't a step up, that's the situation we're in after this season. He'll probably get a nice pay raise, signing his last big contract. It's hard to begrudge that, and if he wants out, so be it. Liverpool's fairly compensated – or as fairly compensated as they're gonna be – and it's crucial that every player actually wants to be here, willing to fight for the shirt, with the situation the club's in. See: almost everything Pepe Reina says.

If selling him helps avoid selling the likes of Gerrard or Torres, it's for the "best." As key as Yossi's been in the past, he's still more expendable than others. Liverpool has Kuyt and Maxi on the right, Gerrard in the hole, and Benayoun's rarely been at his best on the left. There's also the chance Pacheco will get more opportunities – and I'm almost positive Dani counts as a homegrown player starting next season (having joined in July 2007).

And honestly, the real reality of the situation is that £6m, which is what the fee will probably end up being, only covers Liverpool's interest payments for 54 and a half days.

Again, thanks for everything, George and Tommy.

Getting Involved in America

Last week I wrote about feeling removed from the fight against the owners being based in America. And I've had little in the way of concrete suggestions besides boycotting official merchandise and joining Spirit of Shankly. McrRed also beat me to the punch of this post, adding a few excellent links and ideas in the comments of the "Who's Next" post below.

I'm not one for Facebook – I rarely use my personal account anymore, let alone ever set one up for this site – but if you are, there are some good ideas being bandied about over at North American Reds LFC Supporters Group. In addition, here's the concurrent RAWK thread. One idea I particularly like is a billboard in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and if it comes to be, I'll get a link up to the donations page (and chip in).

There are LFC supporter clubs based in most big US cities, but I know a fair few of us live in smaller places. That's where Facebook, RAWK, and the like come in. Even if you're sick of Facebook, like I am, there are tools to ensure we work together in constructive ways. And even though I'm a small voice and like to focus on analysis here, I still feel the need to put this blog into service sometimes.

Long story short, getting American reds together worked for ousting Steven Cohen, and it can help again here. If you're of the Facebook persuasion, join the group. Even if you aren't, check in every now and then, or at RAWK or the other various internet forums, and again, consider signing up for Spirit of Shankly. Soon enough, there should be enough members to form a US SoS branch.

No matter who the next manager ends up being, the focus will still need to be on ousting Hicks and Gillett.

On Americans and Liverpool FC

We don't choose where we're born. We do choose which clubs we support.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett, just by being born in America, have made it that much harder for Americans to follow a club they love. I've written before that I'm embarrassed to be from the same country as them. I continue to fear that Scousers (or Brits or Europeans) won't take me seriously because of my nationality, despite the fact I know there a fair few readers from across the pond.

This was brought into further focus thanks to today's protests. Sadly, I wasn't surprised to see American flags burned (it is a protest, after all), and I'm not surprised to see a vast number of American fans feeling angry and alienated by the action.

I truly hope that Liverpudlians don't put an entire country in the same basket as the cancers. They don't speak for us, and we're as angry at them as we can be. I understand it's much more personal for you; it's your city and your culture. That leads into the aforementioned feelings of 'it's not mine, it's yours' that linger in my paranoid mind when writing. But Americans can love this club too.

I also hope that American fans will realize that today's actions, as distasteful as they are to some, were taken because of the coincidence of where the owners were born. Were Hicks and Gillett from Country X (I feel bad assigning them to another nation) instead, Country X's flag probably would have been ablaze in front of the Shankly Gates. I only say 'probably' because I also worry about America's image as the world's bully, even if it's unfair at times. But symbolism is important, and flag burning is one hell of a symbol. It's why our own Supreme Court continues to classify the act as speech.

I recognize that one's politics – something I'm dreadfully loath to discuss with anyone, let alone on a soccer blog – also play into how each American perceives this. Personally – and I know it's stupid to alienate 50% of you but here goes anyway – I'm not that bothered. I'm almost inured to it, whether it's happening on our shores or that of some country we've infuriated.

But I also know many are massively offended by the act, and I don't begrudge them. I just want to add a word of caution before throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Sanity on all sides please, and I'm well aware that sounds strange coming from someone who's been insane since yesterday afternoon.

Please. The last thing we need right now is division amongst honest-to-goodness supporters. Everyone needs to be focused on removing Hicks and Gillett, and it's not because of their nationality.

Acta est Fabula, Plaudite!

Well, I hope you're all happy.

This isn't an obituary of Rafa's tenure, because I won't be able to do the man justice, and there will be enough of those anyway. But this rant might be an obituary for the club.

All the tactical nonsense, all the questions over whether Benitez was too conservative, or spent unwisely, or didn't hug the players enough, it's all insignificant. It's all insignificant because of the cancers who still own this club.

I'm sure some actually will be happy that Rafa's gone. I'm obviously not one of you. And given that there will be no long-term hire until the club is sold, I'll be stunned if any of the 'name' managers mooted would even interview, let alone accept this poisoned chalice. Dalglish as interim manager is the best possible situation, and seeing Kenny's legacy tarnished by the "custodians" is just as depressing as Benitez's exit.

Don't believe for one second that this is because of player power. That Torres or Gerrard or Carragher wanted Benitez gone. Each player's on record, multiple times, discussing how Benitez has improved their games – Torres especially. And even if it were true, you can't let the inmates run the asylum in the best of circumstances, but it's even dumber when there's a full-on riot in the yard.

Hicks and Gillett now hold every single card.

I'd bet any amount of money this leads to major players sales, which will pay down debt, so Hicks and Gillett will make a profit. Paying down the debt makes the club more attractive to vulture buyers, and it'll help ensure that Hicks and Gillett make a profit on this institution.

The club couldn't sell any player without Rafa's okay thanks to the contract signed last year. That barrier's gone. No more little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike. Be prepared for a tidal wave of excrement now that the dam's broken.

I am absolutely heartbroken on a personal and football level. Not for Rafa, who'll get a fantastic job somewhere (probably Inter), and not because he hasn't the third-highest winning percentage of any Liverpool manager this century (behind only Dalglish and Paisley). Not for me, whose predictions and analysis over the last few years has been proven wrong and meaningless. I am heartbroken over what's become of, and will continue to happen to, Liverpool FC. The most decorated club in English football. And it is only going to get worse.

I Hate Everything

Update 10:45am: Endgame. Official Statement from Liverpool FC on Benitez's exit. Eulogies to follow later. When I have some semblance of sanity.

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Just when I thought I could ignore malignant Liverpool "news." Ha. Not with these cancers in control.

Not long after 8pm British time, the Internet exploded.

Liverpool offer Rafael Benitez a way out of Anfield

The "relevant" part:

Liverpool have attempted to pave the way for Rafael Benitez’s departure by offering their manager a compromise deal to leave the club this summer.

In what amounts to a vote of no confidence in Benitez, the Liverpool board approved a proposal to the Spaniard which would see him depart Anfield with a lucrative pay off worth in the region of £3 million up front.

According to the terms of the five-year contract he signed in March 2009, Benitez is entitled to a £16 million severance package but given their current financial predicament there is no possibility of Liverpool being able to come up with that kind of money, regardless of their desire to bring about a change of manager.

As such, the club’s hierarchy is hoping that Benitez will stand aside without demanding the windfall that he would otherwise due or else they will have no option but to allow him to continue in the role he has been in since the summer of 2004 in the knowledge that he is no longer wanted/

And it's by Tony Barrett. Needless to say, my heart still hasn't slowed down, and I'm working on my noose knots.

My first thought was the usual Benitez defense, of which there are countless on this site. We can do the "he's underrated and unfairly criticized" or the "Liverpool will lose star players and everything built since 2005" arguments. But I'm sick of those, you're sick of those, and it'll accomplish even less than usual. Now's not the time to debate Rafa's managerial merits.

What I will repeat is this. I continue to believe that Rafa is the last line – the only line – of defense against the owners of this club. Purslow is the bank's yes man. Broughton is a Chelsea fan. The majority of the board is made up of Hicks' and Gillett's friends and families. If Rafa goes, then all those references to Leeds and Newcastle really could come true. Say goodbye to Torres, Gerrard, and Mascherano. Say goodbye to a worldwide scouting network that's brought the likes of Pacheco, Insua, etc. Say goodbye to stability, and any semblance of the Liverpool Way.

It's truly become Benitez versus the Tumors, and the owners know it. Which is why the story's come out like this. There are no quotes from Rafa or his agent, only reports of the Board's actions. And it's at 8pm, giving Benitez no time to respond but ensuring that the national media will have nothing but Rafa come morning. It is a power play. And it is yet another disgusting example of what Hicks and Gillett have done to this club.

Once again, we're airing our dirty laundry in public. Even if Benitez's isn't gone, this is the day Liverpool Way truly died. Shankly is rolling in his grave so hard the coffin might come out.

My only hope is that Benitez will tell to owners to sit and spin. He has no need to take £3m when owed £16m with years left on his contract. Hopefully he'll continue to be a bulwark against the criminal negligence of the custodians. But it doesn't look good. Fight. For the love of all that is holy, please Rafa, fight.

Being a sports fan creates such a feeling of impotence at times. It's especially hard when we're an ocean away. I know first-hand that Americans love this club and want to help. One of the few things we can do on this side of the pond is join with those who are doing something. Help Spirit of Shankly help us.

What’s Changed?

This season’s been utterly inexplicable. Confidence is smashed, the team is an utter shadow of itself, and everything seems to be imploding. So, naturally, I feel the need to explain it. Time to list every difference I can think of, as if that’ll help. I should have just titled this post “Blame Everybody.”

Xabi Alonso
The elephant in the room. Better players have left Liverpool at key times before. And while I’m hesitant to overemphasize Alonso’s importance (despite the effusive praise written throughout last season), maybe he’s more vital to the 4-2-3-1 than thought. Liverpool rarely used the formation during Xabi’s “bad seasons,” often playing with some combination of Kuyt, Bellamy, and Crouch (and then Torres if we’re counting ’07-08) up top. Now, the formation that saw Liverpool unbeaten in 13 of 14 to finish last season, putting 4 or more goals past Madrid, United, Villa, Blackburn, Chelsea, and Arsenal, looks wholly impotent. Benitez can hardly be blamed for Alonso wanting to leave, and got double what he would have taken for the player a season before, but Liverpool hasn’t compensated on the pitch.

Lucas
Alonso’s replacement with Aquilani out far longer than expected. I’ve defended and will probably continue to defend Lucas. He’s steadily improved and delivered impressive performances in a fair few matches. He shouldn’t be the scapegoat he is; he’s been one of the team’s most consistent players. But the team’s unarguably different when Lucas and Mascherano are in midfield. Even Lucas’ staunchest defenders (like me!) have to admit the duo’s nowhere near incisive enough. The three high-scoring victories – Stoke, Burnley, and Hull – came with Lucas and Gerrard in the middle.

Johnson
The “other” high profile signing. He started impressively, especially in attack, but is part of a backline that’s been unbalanced all season long. He was marginally at fault for three of the last four goals conceded, and hasn’t looked the same player since returning from injury, turning into an absolute defensive liability, which has also restricted his forays forward.

Insua
And the other backline change (aside from early-season CB injuries), getting more playing time than he otherwise would thanks to Aurelio’s inability to stay healthy. He can be a tidy defender, but has struggled with the pace of certain players and the height of others. He's only 20 years old. Like Johnson and Lucas, he’s nowhere near the sole or main reason for Liverpool’s problems, but yet another to add to the list.

Injuries
Blaming injuries is a weak excuse, but bear with me. The big gamble on Aquilani – which might have had something to do with a lack of funds – has completely failed. He was out far longer than expected, with Liverpool off the pace by the time he was “available,” and he even missed the last match after picking up a calf strain. But the entire side’s kept the trainers busy. Torres has started 15 of 26 games. Gerrard’s started 19, only 12 with Torres. Benayoun, Riera, Aurelio, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Babel, and Kelly have all missed significant games. But all teams have problems; United and Arsenal have had similarly difficult absences.

The Scousers’ form
Carra and Gerrard are often and rightfully described as Liverpool’s heartbeat. As they go, so goes the club. And neither’s had a season to write home about. Carra saw a lot of stick for the early defensive woes – often looking a step off the pace – although he’s also had some good games that also happened to be wins (United, for one). Meanwhile, Gerrard’s been the opposite of influential since returning from injury (noticing a trend?), unable to dictate proceedings from midfield or in attack, his the telepathic partnership with Torres failing to fire. It’s not like the two are the only senior players off the pace – Reina and arguably Torres (injured but has still scored 11 goals) are the only ones having decent seasons (along with Lucas and Ngog, who aren’t senior players) – but Gerrard and Carragher are beyond crucial.

Luck
The most intangible of my explanations, but still merits a mention. A clear penalty – an opportunity to equalize – denied in the first match. Players like Jerome and Belhadj scoring the goals of their careers. Two dubious red cards at Fulham – the same game where Kuyt’s work ethic was what set up Fulham’s winner. Late goals galore. The bloody beach ball! Karma must be a bitch.

Net spending
Ah, here’s where I can complain about off the pitch problems, specifically my lying, two-faced countrymen (*spit*).

Liverpool’s net spending under Benitez (numbers from lfchistory.net):

Summer 2004: £22.2m
January 2005: £7.3m
Summer 2005: £6.78m
January 2006: £6.05m
Summer 2006: £15.78m
January 2007: £1.3m
Summer 2007: £18.07m
January 2008: £17.06m
Summer 2008: £18.5m
January 2009: -£16m
Summer 2009: -£150,000

Numbers are fungible – a couple of undisclosed transfers in each direction, incentives, and the oft-disputed price for Torres, among other debatable points – but that would be a £16,150,000 “profit” over the last two windows after spending an average of almost £18m in the previous three windows. Oh, and there’s a pile of debt on the club (which is where that transfer profit went) and no new stadium anywhere on the horizon. And we expect Liverpool to keep pace with the likes of Chelsea and United, let alone City, Spurs, and Villa. Thanks, George and Tommy. I especially appreciate you making all Americans look bad. Please sell. Now. That’d be the biggest turning point possible.

---
This season has been a confluence of kicks to the crotch, to say the least. Shit rolls downhill, so on, so forth. It’s led to a team that’s definitively and deservedly mid-table so far.

But listing all the shortcomings and misfortunes is the easy part. The real question is how to fix it. Whatever the form, even after his team was out-fought by the Premiership’s bottom club, even with morale seemingly so low, Benitez deserves until the end of the season to rectify these problems – at least the ones he’s accountable for. Evident evolution over five seasons, two Champions League finals, including one night in Istanbul, and Liverpool’s best haul in the Premiership for more than 20 seasons last year have earned him that much. Benitez obviously has to bear some of the blame – players need to sort themselves out, but it’s the manager’s job to get the most out of them and put them in the best situation to win. Neither’s been accomplished recently.

If Liverpool’s still in this situation come May, the club has to look around for a top-class manager brave/dumb enough to try and put it right (there’s always a surplus of them…). And I can’t believe it’s come to the point where I’ve written that sentence.

Hicks and Gillett re-enter the conversation

Sigh. This'll be short.

BBC News et al are reporting that Hicks and Gillett's holding company lost £42m last year. Which is a big bloody number, and bound to cause a riot.

I would like to throw up a word of caution, and link to this thread on RAWK by ttnbd.

I've linked to ttnbd on financial matters before, and with good reason. He's far more thorough that what you'll find in the news reports. Unsurprisingly, it's not good news, but it's not as bad as it appears on first glance.

George and Tommy, sitting in a tree…

Gillett went on Canadian radio yesterday and gave a master’s course in corporate communication, saying little concrete (and absolutely nothing about the stadium) other than some talking points on how great the Liverpool fans are (heard that one before) and the “substantially improved” communication between the two owners, which certainly can’t be good for those of us who want both out of the club.

One of the biggest hopes during the DIC saga a few months back was that Gillett, on account of his silence, was looking to sell out. We read that he and Hicks weren’t getting along, it was Gillett/Parry v Hicks/Ayre, and George wanted to get away from Tommy Boy and recoup his investment because he didn’t have enough funds to take the club further (which was the reason Moores sold up).

After yesterday’s interview, that doesn’t seem to be the case at all. The co-owner did his best to say as little as possible, but reading between the lines, we’re stuck with them for the long haul.

And all the reassurances over focusing on the transfer window aren’t worth squat when you look at what’s been rumored in the press since the end of the season.

I know it’s only June and the window doesn’t open for another two weeks. But you’ve all seen the Liverpool transfer talk. While I highly, highly recommend taking said gossip with multiple grains of salt, there’s also a modicum of truth buried in there somewhere. Especially when we’ve seen the same narrative throughout all the dealings.

It certainly looks like Liverpool’s struggling for funds, to put it as tamely as possible. We’ve heard that Rafa needs to sell to buy, and Alonso, Crouch, Pennant, Carson and others have been rumored to leave, while Riise’s already gone for £4m. We’ve seen Liverpool bid for transfers with player-swaps instead of straight cash. We’ve seen three bids for Gareth Barry rejected as insufficient despite the player clearly wanting to leave. And we’ve seen the club linked with those who are arguably ‘squad players’ while the likes of Spurs are spending millions on players such as Modric and Dos Santos.

Yes, G&H getting along is probably better than them not speaking at all, as the club still has to operate. And yes, there’s a small possibility Liverpool will have more funds than we think, as happened with the purchases of Torres and Babel last summer and another £24m or so for Masch and Skrtel in January. But I’m obviously skeptical, even though Liverpool looks to have signed Andrea Dossena for £7m (talks have gone quiet, but he had his medical and went on honeymoon, and it seems a done deal), which would be another record fee for a defender.

But this is getting to be a farce. The only spade stuck in the ground at Stanley Park has been by the Spirit of Shankly organization, and Gillett flat out ignored a question about the new ground when it was brought up in the interview.

The two were brought in by Moores and Parry to take the club forward by building the new stadium and increasing the transfer budget. It’s still likely that the augmented spending last summer came from the Champions League run and upswing in television revenue, and other than that, they’ve fulfilled absolutely none of the promises spouted when they bought in, which was something like 16 months ago.

Liverpool continues to spend less than their rivals, take in less match-day revenue than their rivals, and the stadium still isn’t any nearer. But don’t worry, the owners are on speaking terms again!

Also, if I were Rick Parry, I wouldn’t take news of this détente well. Hicks has seemingly wanted him out for months now, and if Georgie’s back on Tommy’s side, Parry’s days have to be numbered.

Some choice quotes from my quick transcript:
“Absolutely right, it really is an amazing responsibility… we really hold these assets in trust for the fans, and we have an obligation to the fans and we feel that very strongly both in Montreal and in Liverpool.”

Q: “Have there been any developments since we last spoke.”
A: “No, nothing that either I would talk about or would be worth talking about. There has been… the communication between the Hicks and the Gilletts has been substantially improved and I believe that it will be for the benefit of the club.”

“Time is a healer and there were things that had happened previously the other way as well. It took a while for both of us I think to realize…I think that we both realized that perhaps we weren’t communicating very well...the huge responsibility we have to the fans and to do the right thing for the club. I believe that the Hicks’ are communicating better with us and we’re communicating better with them and that will be much better for the club.”

Q: “Has the for sale sign, for lack of a better phrase, been taken down”
A: “I’m not going to comment on anything specifically”

Q: “Are things still moving forward, in a theoretical sense, with the stadium?”
A: “In the sense that all of us are focused on the transfer window coming up and so forth. We want to be ready for that and we want to have adequate resources and good communication with Rafa and our hope is we’re making that kind of progress.”

Make it Stop part XVIII

It’s a pity that all the news until Sunday, and probably longer, is going to focus on Hicks et al. I wasn’t planning on saying much about Hicks’ interview, as there are far more websites that know far more than I do, and you’ve probably already visited them. I’d really prefer to write about the football.

But there was a very good comment added by Jeff to my last ‘make it stop’ post that I want to highlight.

I would rather someone else was owning the club but if it has to come down to Hicks or Gillette, I'm going with Hicks.

Hicks is a public relations nightmare, a loose cannon who says the wrong things at the wrong times. But generally those people don't double-talk. I may not like what Hicks says, but I think its genuine.

So I think Hicks is sincere when he says he wants to keep Rafa and get rid of Parry and for me, that is a good thing.

If it were me, I’d add a few “ifs” in there, because I truly don’t know if Hicks is sincere. I’m leaning in the same direction as Jeff, but after all the promises over the last year, any cynicism is merited and should be understandable.

And even if he is sincere, I still don’t think he’s acting in anything other than his own interests. Those interests should coincide with Liverpool's though; he needs the club to be successful and on a solid footing to make any return on his investment, let alone pay off his debt.

Plus, it’s even more of a touchstone as an American writing about another American (albeit a Texan) when Liverpool FC and the local supporters need to be the primary focus. However, I still think this is a valid point; there’s some cliché about the ‘devil you know’ that’s probably relevant. I do wish he'd keep his bloody mouth shut though.

But bear in mind, this comes down to whether or not there’s a choice besides Hicks or Gillett.

At the end of the day, my allegiances lie first and foremost to Liverpool FC and to Rafa Benitez in a close second. I never thought I’d say that if Benitez went, I’d seriously contemplate the amount of time, passion, etc I devote to Liverpool, but that’s where I am right now.

Unfortunately, Hicks seems to know this is the case for more than a few Liverpool fans, and is unabashedly trying to hitch his wagon to Rafa’s. Which has a strange way of encouraging me and making me nauseous at the same time.

I truly believe keeping Rafa Benitez is the most important thing for Liverpool, and I write that knowing the importance of the debt, the new stadium, and other financial concerns.

I’ll feel a lot better when Benitez makes a public statement on the matter, and reserve the right to change my opinions when he does. However, knowing Benitez, he’ll wait until the season’s over. The man has a bit more class than the rest of the actors in this farce.

“Make it Stop” part XIV

I know, I know, I promised to stop talking about Statler & Waldorf, DIC, or any of the travails surrounding the ownership of the club. So I’ll make this short.

Get fucked, Tom Hicks.

You are the only person who could turn Rick Parry into a saint. Sell out. Now.

Also, folks, put down the razor blades. This doesn't mean DIC is gone for good.

Your best place to keep with any and all “news” on this front would be the Liverpool Echo. Tony Barrett is a godsend.

Mascherano signs four-year deal

Finally.

This is outstanding news, news I’ve hoped to see for months now.

Liverpool now has 4 world-class players tied to long-term deals: Gerrard, Torres, Reina, and now Mascherano, and I do not use the term ‘world-class’ lightly. Mascherano is the best defensive midfielder around, period.

I’ve seen articles in the media and around the blogosphere claiming Mascherano makes Liverpool too defensive, or that Liverpool needs to focus on attackers and not holding midfielders, but to put it bluntly, that’s nonsense. Without Mascherano, many of the games Liverpool’s drawn this season would have been losses, and the situation surrounding the club would be far more severe.

The foundation is certainly there, and the squad isn’t far away from a title contender, no matter the results so far this season. I know that results haven’t backed that up far too often, but you can’t compare the squads between this season and last season, let alone between this season’s and the one Benitez inherited. There’s been more than enough analysis of why Liverpool’s struggled this season, but it hasn’t all, or even mostly, been because of personnel.

For all the complaints about the off-field turmoil (and I’m still furious over Hicks’ foolish remarks yesterday, the selfish blowhard), Liverpool’s spent big money on both Skrtel and Mascherano since the turmoil started.

I’ve long passed the point where I can tolerate Hicks, and I’ll admit it took me longer than others to reach that conclusion. But hopefully these signings demonstrate that the financial situation hasn’t handcuffed Liverpool to the degree we’ve feared.

Back with the Bolton preview shortly.

The deal is “done”

Naturally, a little more than 12 hours after I post something about my confusion over refinancing et al, they announce it’s completed. Unsurprisingly, Hicks has also released the new stadium designs at the same time. Yes, we’re all just blinded by shiny objects and forget what was bothering us before we saw them.

So what do Hicks and Gillett have to do besides actually build the stadium before I’ll have any faith at all in them (Gillett has been very noticeable in his absence from today’s events by the way)?

1) Sign Mascherano.
I’ve seen the talk about how he’ll be a “gift” to the Liverpool fans (how delightfully patronizing!). Just get it done. Now.

1a) Sign Benitez to a new deal.
Yeah, it probably wouldn’t be worth the paper it was written on and I know he’s still got a couple of years left on his current deal, but in signing it there would be a sign that Benitez feels he could continue in his position.

2) Either fire Rick Parry or tie Foster Gillett to his desk.
Preferably both if Gillett’s still insistent on having his son Tommy Boy stick it out, but here’s hoping Foster’s not happy on the Mersey. There cannot be a breakdown in communication between owners and manager again, and I blame Parry for much of it.

3) Use money from the refinancing to spend on players in the summer.
Again, I’m awful at finance, but according to Barrett (who also included the Masch “news”) £350m breaks down as follows: “£105m will be saddled on Liverpool, with £185m secured on Hicks and Gillett's holding company Kop Investment.” I don’t know where the remaining £60m is supposed to go (absorb the previous debt?), but I assume the £185m on Kop Investment is for the purchase of the club last year, so in a way they can say they bought the club without putting the debt on the club (which is exactly what Glazer did). Which would mean the £105m is for starting the stadium, operating costs, and more players. Please buy more players; this season’s proved the need for it.

4) Be fiscally smart enough to keep Liverpool from doing a Leeds.
Liverpool could be on very thin ice if they fail to make the Champions League or similarly struggle in the league. Revenue to keep up interest payments will be crucial. This is the price of doing business like this: failure could mean serious trouble. Hicks and Gillett have to be smart businessmen, or at least have some around, while providing and allowing for success on the field. Which means they’ll have to stay the hell out of on-field matters and give full reins to the manager.

5) Remember Shankly.
The great man would be spinning in his grave. “At a football club, there's a holy trinity - the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don't come into it. They are only there to sign the cheques.” Remember it. Put it on those office motivational posters and hang them around Melwood. Tattoo it on the faces of both Hicks and Gillett. Do not break this rule ever, EVER, again.

I am still utterly furious at the owners, for the fiasco in the media and the lies. I will never forgive Hicks for the Klinsmann news hitting the papers.

But I also remember Arsenal taking out multiple loans and refinancing them at least twice more during the building of the Emirates. And while United under Glazer as a comparison doesn’t warm my heart in the slightest, their success has proven that if the business is run right and coupled with success on the field, a borrowed takeover and debt repayments won’t sink the club. There are a lot of ifs, but at least there’s some precedence for this type of refinancing/building plan working.

It’s still a sad time for the club, and by no means are Liverpool and the fans out of the woods, but at least there’s the beginning of a possible light at the end of the tunnel.

What is going on here?

Alex Ferguson is defending Rafa Benitez. John Terry has called Carragher the best defender in the world.

There are still loads of contradictory rumors about Hicks, Gillett, DIC, the refinancing, etc (the RAWK thread is currently at 125 pages in a week, which has to be some sort of record), and I still have no idea what’s the truth and what’s being spun or created in the media.

They were supposed to announce a new refinancing deal today. But it’ll be by Monday for sure. DIC hasn’t made Hicks an offer, and he wouldn't sell anyway. DIC won’t make an offer if refinancing goes through. But there's speculation that DIC could be waiting for them to refinance so they can take over as the ‘good guys.’ Oh, and David Dein (?!?) is helping get the deal done. And Rick Parry could still be the one to save the club. At this point, I have trouble telling which way is up.

But it’s still embarrassingly going on. That there’s been little new “news” today might mean future developments might not be as public (please, please, please), but knowing this media and having seen past precedent during this fiasco makes me less than hopeful.

To be fair, Anfield Road has seemingly done an excellent job of trying to make sense of some of it, specifically the transfer expenditures, but that’s a task I’m not up for.

Needless to say, I have no idea what world I’ve been transported to or how to get back to the one I’m familiar with.

Preview of the Havant match, which I don’t think will be aired anywhere in the States (nor do I know if I’ll even be in town for it), sometime tomorrow.

Nota Bene on the 'era of bad feeling'

I know there’s still a lot of controversy and gossip over the owners: the situation with Benitez, refinancing the loan, the possible re-entrance of DIC into the picture, and revising the design/financing the stadium (and player upgrades). To be frank, not much Liverpool news has been of the positive sort of late, and it’s mainly been their fault (the media may not help matters, but it’s not as if that’s anything new).

But I’m going to try and write previews and reviews while ignoring (for lack of a better term) these things. Without doubt there are problems, but I’m still not sure the extent of them, and for example, I refuse to acknowledge Benitez is a dead man walking until I hear it from the man himself, whatever the pundits say (although I do think the linked article is also one of the best at summarizing why Benitez’ exit would be atrocious, even if it does reckon he will leave if G&H stay). Maybe I’m deluding myself, but for clarification, that’s where I’m at.

If something concrete comes along or certain things can’t be ignored (like the Hicks/Klinsmann debacle), I’ll assuredly have something to say. But for now, I am trying not to let these bad feelings permeate everything I write on this blog, especially if it’s about on-field matters.

Preview for Monday’s match up later tomorrow than usual, as it’ll probably (hopefully?) stay on top of the page until the post-match.

Tom Hicks makes my Monday fun

Hicks: We spoke with Klinsmann

Unacceptable.

I’ve been hesitant to pile onto the owners, partly because I hadn’t been convinced that all the fears were valid and partly because I want to see the Americans do well by Liverpool. Now there’s no way not to. This is utterly embarrassing to the club, and Benitez deserves far, far better.

It’s one thing to privately question the manager when results are as sub-par as they’ve been over the past month. I’m firmly not in the ‘Benitez out,’ camp, but after the last 4 underwhelming draws and ostensible lack of progress, I understand the concerns.

But I can’t fucking believe Hicks has come out with this statement now.

Yes, there have been rumors that Klinsmann was approached when he took the Bayern job, and people have been saying all along that if the owners/management would make statements supporting Benitez or clearing up the concerns, we’d all be better for it.

This wasn’t a statement that should have been made, and the fact that Gillett and Hicks were lining up Klinsmann is ludicrous in and of itself.

"In November, when it appeared we were in danger of not advancing in the Champions League, weren't playing well in our Premier League matches, and Rafa and we were having communication issues over the January transfer window, George and I met with Jurgen Klinsmann to learn as much as we could about English and European football," he explained.

What has Jurgen Klinsmann done to be linked with Liverpool? He has no experience managing at club level. He’s never managed in England. His sole managerial experience was taking the host nation to the semifinals of the previous World Cup; South Korea made the semis the year they hosted the tournament. And he lives in California, removed from the game on a day-to-day basis.

Also, Hicks does realize that in November, Liverpool was unbeaten in the league, which lasted until the Reading match on December 8th? November saw results like 8-0 Besiktas (November 6th), 3-0 Newcastle (November 24th) and 4-1 Porto (November 28th).

And I’ll say now as I said then: after Benitez’ success in the Champions League in his first three seasons, a failure to qualify from the group stage for the first time in 4 years would have been reason enough for his sacking? That’s sheer lunacy.

"He is a very impressive man. We attempted to negotiate an option, as an insurance policy, to have him become our manager in the event Rafa decided to leave our club for Real Madrid or other clubs that were rumoured in the UK press, or in case our communication spiralled out of control for some reason.”

More complete and utter trite. Benitez to Real Madrid is a non-starter, and has been for ages now. And even if, I still fail to see how Klinsi is a satisfactory insurance policy. Nor does the fact that Hicks frequently referred to Klinsmann as solely an “insurance policy” reassure me.

Plus, I was of the belief that Klinsmann, whatever his lack of experience, was a manager cut from the same cloth as Benitez. A devout believer in fitness and modern training methods, a desire to have 100% control from top to bottom, and a willingness to rotate to compensate for fitness and fatigue. If you’re firing Benitez, which I still can’t believe, I just can’t fathom hiring Klinsmann. That’s the main reason I’d been silent on those rumors until now. I was sure they were just rumors.

At least the statement pretends that Benitez has the full support of the owners now, finally, but after this, I don’t know what that’s worth.

But Benitez is still making signings, evidenced by £6.5m for Skrtel, and as of now, I reckon his position is safe. At the end of the season, we may bear witness to even more drama, but for now, the team has to focus on the field. And the players have to get behind Benitez, as they may well be playing for his job. No half-assing and heads dropping like we’ve seen during this recent sticky spell.

I sincerely hope Hicks is just trying to quash concerns instead of create more, and unfortunately, we’re still in a ‘wait and see’ mode, but the more Hicks speaks, the more detestable he looks.

This is a sad day for Liverpool FC.

More links:
Tom Hicks: We lined up Jurgen Klinsmann [Liverpool Echo]
Jurgen Klinsmann talks rock Benitez [Liverpool Echo]
Liverpool reveal Klinsmann talks [BBC]
RAWK thread