Taken from The Times
GILLETT DENIES TALK OF CRISIS AT LIVERPOOL
Rafael BenĂtez, the Liverpool manager, has demanded actions rather than words from the new owners at Anfield, but with the clubâs summer being dominated by unrest behind the scenes rather than the top-class signings he was hoping for, their supporters may be partly reassured by yesterdayâs address from George Gillett Jr.
BenĂtez is known to have been disgruntled by the lack of progress in his search for reinforcements, particularly in view of Manchester Unitedâs projected ÂŁ55 million outlay on three new players. The Spaniard has expressed displeasure in conference calls with Rick Parry, the chief executive, and Gillett and Tom Hicks, the co-owners, whose working relationship is not running smoothly, but Gillett moved to defuse the crisis talk yesterday in characteristically colourful terms.
âI read that Rafa is throwing hand-grenades at us and making demands, that thereâs a tension or disagreement between him and the Gillett and Hicks families,â Gillett said. âNothing could be farther from the truth. As far back as February, Rafa laid out a programme for us. Each one of our sports businesses has a core concept. You canât just flop around looking at opportunities here and there, go left, go right. It has to be part of an integrated plan.
âWe have one at Liverpool, one we understand 100 per cent, believe in and support. The plan involves us spending money, but it will be part of a plan, not just spending like a drunken sailor.â
BenĂtez has come to accept that the Americansâ promise of support in the transfer market does not equate to the blank chequebook that he envisaged after his initial conversations. That feeling was reinforced at the weekend, when it emerged that a shopping list previously headed by Samuel Etoâo, the Barcelona forward, includes less inspiring names such as Diego ForlĂĄn, the Villarreal striker whose name was synonymous with profligacy during 2Âœ unsuccessful seasons with Manchester United.
Talks are continuing behind the scenes with a view to signing at least one top-class winger â possibly Mancini, of AS Roma, or Florent Malouda, of Lyons, although the latter is also courting interest from Arsenal and Chelsea â and a centre forward, but these talks have not always been harmonious.
While much has been made of tension between BenĂtez and Parry, particularly about the time of the Champions League final , there have also been disagreements between Gillett and Hicks over the money they should be making available to strengthen the squad.
It is increasingly clear to BenĂtez that his transfer kitty this summer will be more modest than he thought when he was making plans to sign Etoâo. He is also likely to have to look beyond his secondary targets â such as Carlos TĂ©vez, of West Ham United, Fernando Torres, of AtlĂ©tico Madrid, and David Villa, of Valencia â to a list that includes forwards such as David Trezeguet, of Juventus, Darren Bent, of Charlton Athletic, Diego Milito, of Real Zaragoza and ForlĂĄn. There is support within the club for a bid to resign Michael Owen from Newcastle United, but BenĂtez is cool on the matter.
Much will depend on the amount of funding BenĂtez is able to raise by selling players. Negotiations are continuing with Marseilles this week over a deal for Djibril CissĂ©, who spent last season on loan to the French club and is also attracting interest from Bolton Wanderers, while Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United have registered strong interest in Craig Bellamy.
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