Yes, I am a sceptic, and I shall tell you why.
Firstly, look at the trail of events here and whats panned out.
1. rafa was moaning plenty about lack of funds to buy players
2. rumours that owners are preparing to get rid of him
3. admission from the owners they had klinsman lined up for the job
4. backlash from liverpool fans, criticising owners and backing rafa
5. suddenly, rafa gets a five year 20 million sweetheart deal, making him the highest paid manager in england.
6. mysteriously, even though rafa has no apparent cash to splash he stays relatively quiet about the owners.
Ive been around a long while and long enough to see whats going on here. The yanks are paying this guy more money than the likes of red nose gets paid, and he has won 11 titles and god knows what else. Just think about how ridiculous that is on its own. You see the philosophy of big business is that you pay the top dog plenty, then you have him eating out of your dish like a lap dog. You pay him to screw everyone else, in this case it is you and me, the fans.
Some of you assume that you have to spend big to win the trophies, but just remember, only one team wins the league. Only one team wins the champions league. We won the champions league without spending big in 2005. The point is if you get a manager who is good enough to keep you in europe, and finish high in the league, without spending big, then you are probably just as well off as a club who spend 200 million and win just one trophy. They might not even win any!
In my company they do exactly the same thing, pay the ceo a million in bonus's to cut the jobs down in every department, and force you to work harder than ever. They save more than the million they give him, by getting him to be the front man and take the heat by screwing 4,000 other poor bas**rds. He doesnt mind because he is getting paid far more than hes worth for the job.
You talk about Rafa loving the club, and how thank god he is so loyal to us. Rafa is playing the game, if you paid me 20 million I would say I love whoever you want me to love. 20 million to mime a few words of a song, and make a few press conferences confirming how I love the club.
"I love the f***in 20 million" thats what hes loving.
Finally, look at the big clubs
chelsea.........have an owner who has dug into his own pocket to win a few trophies. he hasnt made any profit, he is just a gay fellow who had a few billion and was prepared to pay out a few hundred million to say he had won something. Lucky them because they have a sugar daddy who doesnt mind not making a profit if his dick looks bigger.
man utd.....despite winning everything consistently for the past 17 years they are in record debt. Solid proof that winning trophies does not pay off the debt for all those players bought. Luckily for them they bought a player for 12 million and sold him for 80 million. How many times are you gonna get that lucky?
man city............another billionaire who is happy to lose a few hundred million to win something. Probably a short guy with short mans disease. Once he wins a trophy and feels like his dick has grown an inch he will probably f**k off and leave them in debt. These arseholes get driven around western countries by chauffers signalling with a point of the finger which mansions they are buying. Thats where they make their money, not out of football clubs. Its a big ego trip.
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Wow you really are f**king clueless. From points 3 and 4 to 5 there is only the small matter of about two and a half years. Also point 6 - he was hardly quiet from Athens onwards when he got onto what the sneaky fuckers were up to. Let's face it, if it wasn't for Rafa and that press conference before the Newcastle game when he wore a trackie and club coat, the fans wouldn't have been non the wiser at what them pair of cu*ts were doing to our club.
You mention big clubs - since when the f**k have Man City been a big club - they might have billions, but have won f**k all for the past 30 years, let them win a few trophies first FFS!! Been listening to Sky Sports a bit too much me thinks
On the point of Man U, unlike us they have every cash generating scheme going, a ground that can hold 75,000 because they put it all in place in the 90s - unlike us - the only reason they are in debt is because of a gobs***e yank owner.
Then you have the f**king nerve to compare Rafa to Ferguson, who you can bet earns more than Rafa, has spent a lot longer at Man U, probably why he has won more, I see you don't slag Souness or Evans for doing f**k-all for Liverpool's continuing agonising wait for number 19.
In short I think you're not a true red - and that's from a season ticket of 20 years and been going the game since I was 5 years old. In fact amongst all that bullshit I'm surprised you didn't mention the words waiter, Spanish and fat.
In fact I'd say you weren't sceptic, more of a septic tank!
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You started off with an insult, and ended your rant with another one. You should be mindful of the fact that this forum is a place for fans to come and express opinions without being subjected to personal attacks from other forum members. This shows a complete lack of maturity and says much about your true character.
Secondly, your post fails to provide any material even fit for debate. In late 2007 Rafa publicly criticised the owners transfer policy, and that was his right, as he had become frustrated at their reluctance to provide him with funds to buy the players he needed.
In january 2008 the admission came that the owners had spoken to Klinsman about replacing Rafa, if he walked.
“we attempted to negotiate an option as an insurance policy……if rafa left for real madrid or other clubs rumoured”….Hicks told the Liverpool Echo
Hicks was alluding to the criticism of Hicks and Gillett by Benitez over their transfer policy which angered the American duo and put the Spaniard’s position in jeopardy.
Then in march 2009
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has finally ended speculation over his future, signing a four-year contract extension worth around £20 million that will keep him at Anfield until 2014.
After months of tortured negotiations that have seen the contract redrafted at least eight times, Benitez and the American co-owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, finally agreed terms yesterday afternoon.
Benitez has repeatedly used the contract negotiations to enhance his position at Anfield. He has often raised the stakes, twice publicly rejecting contract offers on the eve of crucial league matches since January.
He has also quibbled over detail, demanding that the contract be paid in euros, then sterling, and seeking a clause that allows him to leave if the club is sold and he does not like the new owners.
Please explain to me how you arrive at the idea that there was two and a half years between the owners admitting they had spoken to Klinsman as an insurance policy, (jan 2008) and Rafa signing the contract. (march 2009) (which by the way had to be redrafted no less than 8 times)
This timeline completely supports my theory, that to stop Rafa from openly talking about lack of funds for new players the owners offered him a massive monetary deal with all sorts of added clauses to ensure his long term security. The deal was that we will pay you more than the club can afford, we will give you a clause to walk if we sell, we will give you whatever you want, but we wont give you money to buy players. You, in return will not speak publicly and berate us over the lack of transfer funds.
Your comments about Man Utd only support the view that I expressed.
The fact that even though they make an additional 50 million per year from having a 76,000 seater stadium…. than what we make, and even though they have in your words ‘every cash generating scheme going’ and even though they have won the league 11 times in 18 yrs, plus numerous other titles, they are still struggling with debt.
Why? Because no matter how much success you have on the field, spending ridiculous amounts on player purchases and wages are gonna send you broke in the end. Man Utd have in truth got temporarily out of jail with the 80 million from the Ronaldo sale, and look how reluctant the owners are to spend it.
In conclusion, there are only two ways a club can be successful, both on the pitch and finacially in this day and age of ridiculous player costs.
1. Get a sugar daddy, like Chelsea or man City who are prepared to lose their own money in exchange for an ego trip
or
2. Find a manager who is capable of recruiting and developing players in a manner that builds on field success without huge spending.
Arsenal are probably the closest to achieving this, because they do have a manager who is capable of spotting decent talent, and converting it into an attractive style of football. He tends to have the knack of selling players for a good profit, thus keeping the club financially viable. His lack of silverware in recent years frustrates the Arsenal faithful, although on a shoe string budget he has kept them in Europe.
Man Utd..... A positive for them is the service they get from players such as Scholes, Giggs, Neville, Brown, Evans, Fletcher and O'Shea, players who have initially cost them nothing to purchase. We only have Carragher and Gerrard who fit into this category. Ferguson does have the ability to develop youngsters. A 68 million profit from the sale of Ronaldo also helps.
Everton..... Moyes has done a terrific job without any money, the year he finished 4th was an amazing achievement, and he seems to have the knack of revitalising the team every year.
Aston Villa..... Again, a good manager who has produced a team who play a good brand of football, without the cash to splash.
Fulham......probably the most remarkable achievement, absolutely no money and a manager who has been able to get a poor bunch of players playing some good football.
Liverpool......... A manager who is not capable of taking this club any further.
Consistently bad tactics, overly defensive, mindboggling substitutions that have cost us points time and time again.
A poor record in the transfer market, apart from a few gems such as Torres, Mascherano, and Alonso, this has been outweighed by all his bad buys.
Man management skills non existant, losing Alonso was the final straw for me, and just quietly I think we have been close to losing Mascherano a couple of times, no thanks to Benitez.
I dont believe rafa has the attributes to qualify for category 2, and thats why I will be glad when he is gone.
i wont resort to insults as you have done Stuey, just facts and opinions, of which you seem completely incapable of producing.
IRWD
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