Paul Tomkins take on all this:http://www.paultomkins.com/blog.html Handbags at Teatime, or Something More Sinister?
International breaks are clearly never the best of times for Rafa Benítez.
On this occasion his players all appear to have returned fit and well (physically, if not psychologically), but something potentially more injurious appears to have taken place behind the scenes.
I think we know from previous events that Rafa is prepared to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. The fallout with Pako Ayestaran started like this general disbelief amongst fans, followed by a realisation that Rafa really could be ruthless. An 11-year partnership apparently severed just like that although of course it was in truth a fairly long time coming, and even now we don't know all the facts behind it.
If the time for those two to split was right, it needed to happen. The same thing came about with Rafa's parting of the ways with Valencia. And now we have Rafa apparently falling out with Gillett and Hicks.
But it would be wrong to equate all these situations as being the same.
The same unease was felt after the Champions League Final, but it was quickly blown over and a successful summer's transfer dealing secured.
Of course, the more these kinds of supposed spats take place, the greater the chances of it becoming a permanent divide, but both parties clearly have the same aim: success for the team. Perhaps the dividing Atlantic Ocean isn't helping matters, but it was always maintained that Foster Gillett would act as the pair's envoy on Merseyside, while, as we've seen, telecommunications can still be had between all concerned.
I tend not to believe rumours within football, as there are always so many lies that pop up, but at the same time you can never be too quick to dismiss them. Some people with good connections within the club trust that something is awry (Tony Barrett's piece in the Echo today, Friday 23rd, was excellent), but equally, just because something is awry it doesn't mean a relationship has irrevocably broken down. Tensions are often part of business; they just can't be allowed to become divisive.
It's important at this stage not to take sides. While I naturally have more affection for Rafa than the two men who are less well-known to me, and see an established world-class manager in his fourth season as more crucial to our success than investors with no previous football experience, it's also true that the investment provided by Gillett and Hicks was needed.
Rafa himself wanted more money to spend, so someone had to find it from somewhere. Now he needs more money to spend, but again, that's understandable. He can't stop rebuilding now.
He's spent a reasonable amount, but compared with Chelsea and United he still has a relatively inexpensive squad, while Arsene Wenger is now benefiting from the kind of top-rate kids he snaffled while Gérard Houllier was still our manager; maybe in five years' time we'll be delighting over Bruna, Pacheco, Poure and co., but Rafa is under pressure to deliver now.
I'm not sure I agree with Rafa speaking out in the manner in which he has, but at the same time it's easy to understand the frustrations of any utterly manic-obsessive winner when trying to forge the circumstances he feels he needs to succeed.
In the nicest possible way, I think he's slightly insane. Geniuses tend to mentally torture themselves, and I get the impression Benítez will stop at nothing to get success on the pitch, and stop at nothing once he's got success on the pitch. His focus is 100%, and when it comes to being driven he is akin to a Ferrari.
It seems there was indeed a lot of tension following a conversation between Benítez and the Americans yesterday, but as the press conference followed straight from that reported phone call it seems emotions were always going to be running high just as they were post-Athens, which G&H were quick to point out in May. Perhaps that played a part.
(I know when I used to have arguments with my ex-wife over the bills, the last thing I would have been advised to do with my state of mind was talk to the press.)
I have been generally supportive of the Americans, whilst at the same time refusing to give them my full seal of approval simply because it takes time, and actions over words, to earn it.
I do think they've done most of what they promised fans, but the degrees to which they've done so can be argued over. And what they promised the manager in private, amongst other unknown conversations, is another matter.
They have not been 'free-spending', nor backed Rafa to the levels some might have expected, but they never had mega-riches like Abramovich, and always maintained they'd never spend 'like drunken sailors'. However, they have changed the situation from the point where David Moores was paying Dirk Kuyt's transfer fee out of his own pocket.
Half of the money spent this summer was recouped from sales, so it worked out at about £25m net spend; not a massive fortune, but more in net terms than Liverpool would spend most summers, and more than would have been spent without new owners.
But there were also new contracts to six key players, as well as Torres arriving on higher wages than probably everyone bar Gerrard so the wage bill rose significantly as a result. Annual wages per player runs into millions these days.
Money within football is rising because of the new TV deal, but if reports are to be believed, the cost of the stadium is rising even faster. While the stadium finance may stand separate from the transfer budget in some respects, the overall financial health of the club affects both. The new stadium is needed to compete long-term, but that leaves issues in the interim.
My greatest fear from any investor was interference in team matters. It is the great no-no in football, particularly in England. But at the same time, you cannot expect anyone who owns the club to agree to everything the manager wants. The owners have a right to control the budget, just not to start picking the team, and they've certainly not overstepped that particular mark.
The stakes are high. Rafa has his reputation on the line. The Americans have their money on the line, while also wanting to maintain their own reputations, within the world of sport, and more crucially, to the fans of Liverpool FC, who they need to win over.
Fans always turn on the moneymen first. While I don't agree with worshipping any investor or venerating them as saviours, they also don't deserve to be castigated; certainly not without any clear facts.
In some eyes the Americans are taking too much of a backseat by being so far away, yet in others they are interfering too much. It does seem very odd to leave discussing the winter transfer plans so close to the opening of the window, but at the same time, progress in the Champions League is an important issue. But a plan either way wouldn't hurt.
Losing Rafa now (and I'm not suggesting that it will happen, or is even remotely close to happening) would be terrible news, because he's only just getting the kind of team together he wanted. No person is bigger than the club, but this is his team. While a new man would inherit a very fine side, he'd want to make his own changes, that would lead to more expense.
While there's understandable cause for some discomfort amongst fans, as any disagreements played out in public are never enjoyable, as yet I've not seen anything to panic about.
Tension can exist, arguments can be had, without it leading to divorce. So long as the air gets cleared sooner rather than later, the club can continue to move forward.
© Paul Tomkins 2007
