lfc The Official Liverpool FC Thread

[Dejan Savicevic]

some joke ting how u gonna have a nigga who idolised henery and f*cked up the u21 championships and turn him into a guy who acts like a broad on twitter? Rafa a prick. f*ck Liverpool.

[jcee]

Murphy - Rafa should go

Former Reds star feels current regime must be replaced

Murphy - Rafa should go

Danny Murphy feels Liverpool have gone backwards under Rafa Benitez since he left the club in 2004.

The experienced midfielder, who is now on the books of Fulham, believes the time has come for sweeping changes to be made at Anfield if they are to set out on the road to recovery.

The 32-year-old playmaker is of the opinion that in order for progress to be made, Benitez needs to be shown the door and a new manager brought in to help steady the ship.

With pressure mounting on the Spaniard with each passing game, it may only be a matter of time before Murphy's beliefs are shared by the Liverpool board.

A disastrous 2009/10 has underlined just how far away the club are from being regular contenders for major trophies, and much of the blame for their ongoing failings has been laid at Benitez's door.

"If you ask me has the time for Liverpool come to look for a new manager then I have to say 'yes'," Murphy told the News of the World.

"That is not me slating the guy because he forced me out when I didn't want to leave the club in the first place. Neither am I saying he is a bad manager. But over the last year or so the club have not moved forwards, in fact they are going backwards.

Mistakes

"I will always be a fan. I keep in touch with a lot of people close to the club and many think the time has come for a new manager. I agree providing that process doesn't cripple the club financially in terms of pay-offs."

He added: "Liverpool's problems at the moment are not just about some of the bad buys they have made for a lot of money over the last few years, but also the mistakes they've made in letting players go.

"I am not thinking of an obvious one like (Xabi) Alonso, but why on earth did Benitez sell players like Peter Crouch and Craig Bellamy when they are so reliant on Fernando Torres?

"It goes without saying the team have ended up relying too much on Torres, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

"Over the past two years Benitez has made too many bad decisions. History says he has won the Champions League and the FA Cup for Liverpool, although even then people can argue about the merit of those wins.

"What I do know is that after being there for this length of time the debate should no longer be about Liverpool qualifying for the Champions League or where they finish in the league but actually winning the title. And that's not going to happen again this season. So something has to change.

"People go on about how well Liverpool did last season by finishing runners up? So what? We finished second under Gerard Houllier with 80 odd points. Our team also won three big trophies in one season. So things haven't really got much better. If anything they have got worse."

The legend has spoken

[MEIRELES.]

Juventus Offer Rafa Benitez €3m Net Salary To Leave Liverpool - Report

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez remains a target for Juventus, who are prepared to offer the Spaniard a €3 million (£2.6m) annual salary in order to tempt him to Italy, according to a report from The Independent.

Benitez reportedly earns £4.6m a year gross at Anfield, but Juve apparently feel that they can use the Italian tax system to their advantage and pay the tax on Benitez's proposed salary themselves.

That would mean that the Spaniard's net earnings would be higher than they are at Liverpool.

One potential stumbling block to any deal reportedly remains the high number of coaching staff Benitez might want to take with him to Juve.

However, the Serie A side are believed to have been assured that Benitez would only want to bring two of his sizeable Anfield staff with him in the shape of Mauricio Pellegrino and his goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero.

He would also apparently accept an Italian assistant manager, a matter of principle to the club.

Benitez's agent has not distanced his client from the speculation, which is viewed in some quarters as a means by which the Spaniard can reinforce his position at Anfield, where his future as Liverpool boss is likely to be reviewed in the summer.

PLEASE go to Juve

Sissoko wants you

And you can take your long lost son Lucas along with you as well

[MEIRELES.]

BREAKING NEWS: Meeting Between Juventus & Rafa Benitez's Lawyers - Juve Want Spaniard To Take Over Immediately

According to Sky Sport Italia, a meeting has taken place between Juventus and the legal team of Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez in Milan, with the Bianconeri pushing for a deal that will see the Spaniard take over in Turin immediately.

Reports have been rife in the press all week that tonight's Coppa Italia game against Inter will be the last on the bench for coach Ciro Ferrara, who will then move upstairs into a director role.

A whole host of names have been linked as Ferrara's successor, including Giovanni Trapattoni, Guus Hiddink, Alberto Zaccheroni and Claudio Gentile. The latter duo were believed to be the favourites, with speculation that one would take over on a short term contract until the end of the season when a big name would be appointed on a permanent basis.

One of these big names was Rafa Benitez, who had emerged over the last few days as the favourite for the permanent position.

However, Sky Sport Italia are now claiming that a meeting has taken place in Milan between Juventus and the Benitez legal team, with the Old Lady hoping to entice the Spaniard to Turin immediately.

These reports have not been confirmed officially by either club, but there have been widespread reports today that Juventus president Jean-Claude Blanc flew to England to discuss this move.

More should become clear in the coming hours, but the fact that Benitez has a contract until 2014 and Liverpool are on the verge of economic collapse may mean that the Merseysiders will be happy to release the ex-Valencia man and not have to pay him compensation.

:o :o

[The Infamous]

murks are you a retard or suttin

what positive would there be to sackin rafa mid season?

[Mr Q]

Kyriagos has been immense! That is all.

[The Infamous]

Yep reminds me of Sami

His clearance against bolton is really smart defending

[Trim]

http://www.footylounge.com/films//milankakabaros/javier-mascherano-v-bolton-30012010-video_aee612e6e.html

was sick on saturday

[Younger]

Milan Jovanović signs a pre-contract...

Joins on a 3 year deal in the summer...

Whats he like really? Aint seen much TBH

[The Infamous]

Meant to be versatile can play unfront and on the left

Quite pacey etc

Sounds like another player with no quile but with just pure industry

[yadunknojz09]

Rafa brought him.

Hes sh*t.

[MEIRELES.]

Liverpool emerged as a takeover target for the seventh-richest man in the world last night as the pressure mounted on Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr to cut a deal to sell Anfield.

Mukesh Ambani, the wealthiest man in India, is one of two tycoons from the sub-continent competing to buy a stake in the Merseyside club.

The Sahara Group’s chairman, Subrata Roy, and Ambani’s Reliance Industries have each tendered similar bids to pay off Liverpool’s £237 million debt in return for a 51 per cent stake in the club.

Christian Purslow, the Liverpool chief executive, last night denied any knowledge of either bid, but The Times understands that approaches began as early as November and that some preliminary talks have taken place. Each deal requires that the present owners make a commitment to take no dividends or expenses out of Anfield for three years to allow the club to resume a secure financial basis. One of the potential owners has also indicated a willingness to allow supporters to take a 10 per cent stake in Liverpool.

When questioned on possible interest in Liverpool, Reliance Industries today issued a public denial, while a spokesman for Sahara, Abhijit Sarkar, said: "We are presently not in a position to comment."

A source close to Hicks and Gillett said that the duo would reject on principle any bid that left them with less than 50 per cent of the club’s shares unless it involved either of them selling out entirely. A sale of more than half of the total stake would mean they would lose control of the club.

It is understood that Liverpool’s banker, the state-backed Royal Bank of Scotland, is pressing Hicks and Gillett to cut their asking price.

The bank declined to comment last night, but a source close to RBS said that there has been plenty of interest in Liverpool from investors. However, the source added, the owners are blocking all deals on the table because they refuse to budge on price.

The source said the bank’s stipulation that the pair must pay off £100 million of the debt and inject tens of millions of pounds into the club was intended to push them into an agreement with a new investor that would permanently stabilise Liverpool’s finances.

A number of other potential bidders include a Saudi Arabian consortium and a United States-based buyer, who is prepared to pay the £100 million required by the lenders in exchange for 40 per cent of the club.

Roy, whose interest appears more serious, has been linked with ownership of one of the next IPL franchises, possibly to be based in the north Indian city of Lucknow, where the Sahara Group, of which he is chairman, is based.

Roy, 62, founded the company, which deals in property, media and tourism, in 1978. Its four-year sponsorship deal with the India cricket team, worth £55 million, expires this year and Roy could be looking for a new project. Sahara was linked with shirt sponsorship of Manchester United last February, a deal that fell through.

Ambani, 52, is said to be worth $19.5 billion (about £12.5 billion) — more than the combined worth of Sheikh Mansour and Roman Abramovich — from his investment in Reliance Industries, a petrochemicals giant, according to Forbes business magazine.

His father, Dhirubhai, turned a small textiles company into one of Asia’s largest conglomerates, but after Ambani Sr’s death in 2002, Mukesh and his younger brother, Anil, had a bitter feud over the company’s direction, eventually splitting the assets.

Mukesh Ambani is already a big player in sport. In 2008 he created the Mumbai Indians, one of the eight teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), having paid £70 million to buy the franchise. Anil Ambani has been linked with a bid for one of two new franchises in the IPL that will be put up for auction at the end of the month, with a starting price of £140 million.

Gillett and Hicks took over at Anfield three years ago in a leveraged buyout costing nearly £300 million, including £70 million for a stadium that remains unbuilt. Despite promises to the contrary, they loaded the debt on to the club via a £350 million loan with RBS and have struggled to service the debt since the credit crunch began 18 months ago.

Before the economic climate changed for the worse, the American duo turned down an offer from Dubai worth almost £500 million — a deal that would have allowed each of the owners to walk away with a clear profit in the region of £125 million.

The Americans are unpopular with the supporters and the hostility at Anfield has increased as it has become clear that there is no money available to strengthen the team.

Purslow, whose background is in private equity, joined the club last summer with a brief to bring in investment but, despite repeated briefings that an influx of cash in close at hand, there has been little to suggest investors are keen to take a minority stake in the club.

While these latest offers will almost certainly be rejected, it marks the beginning of a period of jockeying for position in the ownership battle. It is a battle that, ultimately, RBS may have to resolve.

Its a decent/good look.

[Younger]

Liverpool have signed Miloš Krasić for £12million

Sick f*ck*ng signing if true...

[Goddaz]

Liverpool have signed Miloš Krasić for £12million

Sick f*ck*ng signing if true...

Done know!

[Lenny]

Where did you get 12 million from

swear you lot are broke

[The Infamous]

bruv has it been confirmed on lfctv?

if not im sceptical same way they said we signed Chamakh now he is signed for arsenal

Murks is gonna die

i dont like the talk of benayoun leaving though

[MEIRELES.]

Told man from DAY about Krasic

If that is true I will cry of joy

Guy is a legend.

/

Milan Jovanovic Over The Moon With Liverpool Move

Serbian international Milan Jovanovic initially appeared to be on his way to Serie A giants Milan, then Valencia seemed to be his next destination, but the Standard Liege forward has now agreed terms with Liverpool instead.

The player's agent Zoran Stojadinovic revealed on Monday that the Merseysiders have beaten a number of clubs to seal a deal for Jovanovic, who will join in the summer on a free transfer, and the forward has now confirmed the move.

"We have reached an agreement for three years, with the option to extend with another season. I have yet to undergo a medical exam, but that shouldn't be a problem," said Jovanovic to Sporza.

"I don't have any physical problems and I'm feeling perfectly fit. I opted to sign for Liverpool because they're one of the biggest teams around in Europe. They're definitely among the 10 biggest sides.

"I'm absolutely delighted that the deal is completed. From now on, I can focus on Standard Liege again. I want to leave the club in a good way."

Nice free signing.

[Younger]

Its a deal worth £12 million which includes signing on fee, wages n what not.

Good buy, perhaps a little too late?

[Trim]

We won't get him

I'd love us to but being realistic its just paper talk because of the link between Jovanovic and Krasic e.g. past teams and they know eachother well, think they may have the same agent aswell.

[MetaFives]

Seriously, I can't get over Gerrard yesterday.

Clearly diving 3 times:

1.) Resulted in Clichy being booked even though he didn't touch him.

2.) Could have resulted in a penalty.

3.) Resulted in a free kick and could have resulted in a pen/free kick just outside the asrea.

Bendtner dived once yes but there was contact a few seconds after he dived and he was booked.

Is he doing anything he can now to get decisions and why didn't he booked once?

[Younger]

Crucial we beat City next week...

Hoping we play a team like this against Unirea...

Reina

Kelly Skrtel Greek Aurellio

Degen Lucas Gerrard Reira

Ngog Babel

Pacheco needs to be on the bench and IF we are winning in second half hopefully he can get a run out...

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

LOL @ Pool thinking theyre getting Krasic though

[Mr Q]

[menace-II-society]

aparrently torres could be back for the city game

[The Infamous]

I would just not play Torres for the rest of the season. Let him go world cup then he can start playing again next season

f*ck this everyweek new injury sh*t