Liverpool facing turbulent times
By rush | May 1, 2008 | Ads: WOW Gold and MMO Game Store
” LONDON — Liverpool’s Champions League exit signalled the end of the most tumultuous season in the club’s history. Now, the gloves are off in the boardroom battle.
Manager Rafa Benitez talked after Wednesday’s semifinal defeat to Chelsea about signing new players in the off-season. The challenge will be getting the feuding owners to agree on anything.
Tom Hicks is confident of buying out George Gillett’s 50-per cent stake to gain full control of the club.
Hicks is trying to raise equity to complete a deal before the season resumes in August, an executive familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
But Gillett isn’t even on speaking terms with Hicks and has vowed never to sell to him. In turn, Hicks, who also owns the Texas Rangers, says he will veto Gillett selling to a Dubai consortium.
Gillett, who also owns the Montreal Canadiens, believes the consortium — led by the London-based Amanda Stavely — is a more suitable owner and an agreement has already been reached.
The feuding Americans are considering using a British parliamentary inquiry into soccer governance as a platform for more bloodletting.
Whoever is running Liverpool when the Premier League season resumes in August, it’s likely Benitez will be the one constant factor.
The various factions are fearful of angering fans by ditching the Spaniard, who won the Champions League in 2005 to revive memories of the club’s former domination in Europe’s elite cup competition.
But the Reds were beaten 3-2 at Chelsea for a 4-3 aggregate loss after twice ousting the west London club in the Champions League semifinals in the past three years.
The off-season will also see upheaval in the dressing room, with Peter Crouch, Harry Kewell and Jermaine Pennant among those unlikely to feature again as Benitez bids to deliver Liverpool’s first English league title since 1990.
“Clearly now we have to start thinking about the future,” Benitez said. “We must improve and we will add quality to the squad . . . we will be looking at the squad and preparing for next season. You can see we are closer to the top, but we still need three or four new players.
“We need to keep working, our scouting department is certainly doing that. We have two more games and will try to win them and then improve the squad for next season.”
Liverpool has already secured fourth spot in the Premier League standings, the final berth to advance to a qualifying round for next season’s Champions League.
The Reds players are frustrated at the failure to challenge the domestic domination of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
“Everyone at the club knows that we have to bridge that gap between ourselves and the leaders,” defender Jamie Carragher said. “It is something that we are going to have to think about now and aim to improve next season.
“In the league, people did expect us to be challenging. But this will still be one of our best seasons in terms of points gained, but there is no doubt about the character and belief in this side, and next season we want to be challenging United, Chelsea and Arsenal.”
They will need to banish memories of Liverpool’s first semifinal defeat in the European Cup since 1965.
“We have to look forward because we have to go into next season looking to improve again,” captain Steven Gerrard said. “Hopefully, we will go into next season with a stronger squad because that could make a big difference, particularly when we’re playing in games like last night’s.
“And if we can bottle the disappointment we’re feeling right now, it could be a big motivation for us.”"
Category: football-history |