Rafa Admits Debt Has Affected Our Title Hopes

Whopper.

We have neither the transfer budget nor the wage budget to compete with the rest.  The Americans debt has ruined the club.  Ironically, if Moores had stayed at the helm, the earnings Benitez has brought in from Champions League campaigns would have flowed back in to the team - not in to ridiculous debt.

So by his dealings we were deprived of the monies whereas he was well rewarded for his deceit.

Rafael Benítez admits debt has affected Liverpool's title hopes

Liverpool did not actually pay out £38.5m, however. Roma revealed on their website they received only a first instalment of £5m on the £18m transfer of Alberto Aquilani, and Glen Johnson's £17m arrival from Portsmouth comprised writing off monies owed by the Fratton Park club for Peter Crouch and a loan fee for Jermaine Pennant.

Asked if his net spend was nothing this summer, Benítez replied: "Yes."

Liverpool's managing director, Christian Purslow, has stated there was a net spend of £20m but that includes the new long-term contracts awarded to Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun and Daniel Agger.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/12/rafael-benitez-liverpool-finances

First off, I have to say what a dignified and diplomatic response from Rafa. I would hope those who haven't realised before now that, if nothing else, Rafa's fortitude and his love for our club epitomises 'the Liverpool way' and, for that alone, he must be respected. This interview highlights what those of us, who have taken time to understand, already knew.

The facts on last summer's spending, or lack there of, do raise a few questions too. If Purslow is a 'football man', as he'd like us all to believe and not H & G's public relations lackey; why was he, smugly, insistent that we had a net transfer spend of £20m? Upgrading existing contracts can not be considered 'transfers' - not to a 'football man' anyhow. Rafa's appraisal that we had a net spend of zero has to be closer to the mark.

To F**k with this new notion that extending contracts equals transfers - Their duplicity is further compounded when one considers that we 'made' £33.5m (gross) in actual, transfers. Our 'spend' therefore on real, physical, transfers was: minus £33.5m.

These cu*ts are morally bankrupt and should be called to book every step of the way. They have, to date, relied on the ill-informed, anti-Rafa brigade to provide a smoke screen that enables their rape of our club to go undetected. Yeah we all get frustrated with results and tactics from time to time and yeah we all like to vent but by calling for the head of a loyal, dignified and morally strong man we are playing into their hands in a big way.

Time to unite lads!

Excellent points and the most important one is the last.

It's a depressing state of affairs and I can't see things improving at all while the two rapists are in charge.

Benitez is telling the absolute truth. The figures back him up.

And we've kept up with the teams spending on average £15m+ on squad players? Benitez has been over achieving with regards to the tools he is supplied with at our club.

No pun intended.

"I think that we have to accept our situation and then try to do the best in the conditions that we have," Benítez said. "Can we improve with these conditions? I think so but it is a question of time."

thats what i love about Rafa^^^^ he's willing to fight for us, even when given a limited budget!

I really do wish I was Bill Gates, then I could provide us with some much-needed cash. First thing I would do after buying Liverpool is give Rafa my bank account details saying to him  'Spend what you like '.

Then I would put up lots of Hicks/Gillette shaped dart boards all around Anfield (just for a little pre-match entertainment).

And to think all this could have been avoided had they just accepted the DIC's takeover offer.

Or if Moores wasn't so f**king stupid!

He's not stupid just .....greedy

Rafael Benítez admits debt has affected Liverpool's title hopes

Liverpool did not actually pay out £38.5m, however. Roma revealed on their website they received only a first instalment of £5m on the £18m transfer of Alberto Aquilani, and Glen Johnson's £17m arrival from Portsmouth comprised writing off monies owed by the Fratton Park club for Peter Crouch and a loan fee for Jermaine Pennant.

Asked if his net spend was nothing this summer, Benítez replied: "Yes."

Liverpool's managing director, Christian Purslow, has stated there was a net spend of £20m but that includes the new long-term contracts awarded to Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun and Daniel Agger.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/12/rafael-benitez-liverpool-finances

First off, I have to say what a dignified and diplomatic response from Rafa. I would hope those who haven't realised before now that, if nothing else, Rafa's fortitude and his love for our club epitomises 'the Liverpool way' and, for that alone, he must be respected. This interview highlights what those of us, who have taken time to understand, already knew.

The facts on last summer's spending, or lack there of, do raise a few questions too. If Purslow is a 'football man', as he'd like us all to believe and not H & G's public relations lackey; why was he, smugly, insistent that we had a net transfer spend of £20m? Upgrading existing contracts can not be considered 'transfers' - not to a 'football man' anyhow. Rafa's appraisal that we had a net spend of zero has to be closer to the mark.

To f**k with this new notion that extending contracts equals transfers - Their duplicity is further compounded when one considers that we 'made' £33.5m (gross) in actual, transfers. Our 'spend' therefore on real, physical, transfers was: minus £33.5m.

These cu*ts are morally bankrupt and should be called to book every step of the way. They have, to date, relied on the ill-informed, anti-Rafa brigade to provide a smoke screen that enables their rape of our club to go undetected. Yeah we all get frustrated with results and tactics from time to time and yeah we all like to vent but by calling for the head of a loyal, dignified and morally strong man we are playing into their hands in a big way.

Time to unite lads!

For me post of the year mate.A true Redman.

Oh I see, so we're beaten by all clubs who have smaller debt because we have much more debt than they do, we cannot buy better players.
So our budget is not enough to beat teams like Sunderland, Fulham and Aston Villa because they have less debt and more money to purchase better players.
Okay, I'll believe this logic.

Why don't Rafa just say his players do not understand how to play his system instead of blaming our budget?

Budgets have nothing to do with individual results. Non-league sides can beat league sides, and so on. On any day, any team can get the better of another.

But they do have a lot to do with finishing positions in the league. Wage bills have even greater bearing.

We are now behind City and Spurs in terms of their spending. We are behind several clubs in terms of our wage bill.

I agree with most of the above regarding Rafa's dignified explanation of the clubs plight. Top man for that, but along with the limited finances, injuries and poor form, you might just add 'zonal marking' as another reason for our current demise. Credit where credits due, but nobody's perfect. 

One thing about that article, apart from the obvious financial nightmare we are in and our parasitic owners, is that it shows to me how much Rafa really loves this club and how committed he is to us.  We are so lucky to have him.  I can't imagine the likes of Maureen or ferguscum, for example, putting up with the hamstringing restrictions Rafa has to, and has agreed to for at least 5 more years.  They'd be off in a shot.

Rafa had a plan when he came here, and it very nearly came to fruition a year early last season.  That plan being the league title.  Amazingly, given the season we have had so far, we are still in with a distant shout for it.  The results so far this weekend have shown that anything is possible.

He's rebuilt the club in his vision from grass roots through to the first team.  Not only do we have several world class players in the first team, we have several outstanding prospects in the youth and reserves set ups for the future.  He's had to make do with some basement signings along the way, but overall I think he's got us on the right track.

I can't think of any other manager I'd want at the helm under these conditions.  Imagine what he would be able to do if he had proper support from the owners.

Wankers. Yanks out now 

Don't want excuses @ this time of the season. Wish he wouldn't talk about this stuff till may. Just get us rolling and lay a sound foundation for the next 5 months. I have faith in him but talking smack reeks of sour grapes. Keep the boys focussed!

Bottom line here is; If Rafa never had to balance the books to net spending of zero. He may well have offered Hyypia a 2 year deal in stead of getting kyriakos, he may well have asked arbs to stay and fight with Johnson for right back, and he might have been able to keep Xabi and buy Aquilani!

But no he had to sign all the players who wanted to stay on new contracts, eating into his transfer budget, then use the xabi money to help fund aquman and johnson.

And could not afford to offer hyypia a decent 2 year deal. I still think we have missed him the most!

For not recognising sarcasm, I got a neg. Thanks number7 for that! Well, I don't see any sarcasm in that. Rafa is doing his best despite not having the backing of those two idiots. So don't get me wrong if I totally didn't understand your sarcasm.