By Michael Owen
It’s been a testing season for Liverpool, both on and off the pitch. Whilst the squads failings have been the centre of attention the fans resilient support of Rafael Benitez has often been commented on by outsiders looking in – but has the Kop’s faith in the Spaniard disappeared?
New Sponsors for Liverpool next season and possibly a new manager, too.
If those inside Anfield were polled following Liverpool’s defeat at the hands of Chelsea on Sunday then I’m almost sure that those who want Benitez to stay and those who want him to go would be close to equal, though some supporters reasons for wanting to keep the Liverpool manager may be questionable.
A question that has often been asked by those stood in the stands week after week is who would replace him? A club in such financial turmoil wouldn’t attract a world-class manager, even with a history as illustrious as Liverpool’s. This is the main reason many Reds have backed the current Liverpool manager, a true sign of the sorry state of affairs at Anfield.
The former Valencia man has often been quoted as saying his main reason for staying at Anfield was the fans, a refreshing change from many modern-day managers, some might say a prime example of the Liverpool Way. But with so many of the clubs supporters turning on Benitez this season is there any justifiable reason for the Spaniard to stay at Anfield?
A four-year contract is something which Benitez could certainly hold onto. The deal ensured Benitez had full-control over transfers, a scrap of freedom for a Liverpool manager who has spent the last three-years acting not only as Liverpool’s manager but their accountant, selling players in order to buy and help service interest payments.
Supposedly, though, this week has seen that freedom taken away from the Kop boss, with Chief Executive Christian Purslow reported to have contacted Real Madrid, requesting to speak to Rafael Van Der Vaart about a move to Merseyside before consulting Benitez about bringing the player to Anfield, clearly breaching the term which ensured Rafa signed a new deal with the club.
Benitez certainly doesn’t need to stay at Anfield, in fact every season he stays under the current ownership he is further harming his career. The downfall of this club, despite what the mainstream media may say, is by large the fault of Tom Hicks and George Gillett. If Benitez had half the budget of the top clubs there’s a chance he would succeed, but the Reds league position this season fits in with their spending over the last three-years, and it’s only going to get worse unless new buyers are found
Maybe then he knows, as many of us do, that without him this club may collapse. Those who don’t like Benitez often argue that this isn’t ‘Rafa FC’ and ‘there will always be a Liverpool Football Club’ and I have to agree. The only problem is that without proper management through this financial turmoil the Liverpool Football Club of the future may be unrecognisable in comparison to the club we’re used to, and the Spanish Boss’ departure may speed up this process.
One things for certain, if the defeat to Chelsea was Rafa’s last game in charge at Anfield then it’s only the start of the clubs problems. At boardroom level the club are far from thinking about the long-term. With the owners looking to sell and senior officials sole responsibility being to make that happen as quickly as possible.
This won’t be a time when the top-dog’s at L.F.C want to bring in a high-paid manager on a long-term deal, as it may put off potential investors. What’s more likely is the introduction of a temporary manger who can be brought in on the cheap, simply to ‘make do’ until the time is right.
Then again, ‘making do’ has been what Liverpool Football Club have had to do throughout the current owners tenure at the club and in the future the next few weeks at Liverpool Football Club may just be seen as another nail in the coffin of what we know to be L.F.C.
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