Monday, November 26, 2007

Benitez Bidding To Save Reds Job

Rafa Benitez "hopes to stay" at Liverpool but reportedly may still lose his job despite trying to make peace with Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

The Liverpool Echo reports that Benitez is willing to make peace with Liverpool's American owners after repeatedly criticising their transfer policy over the weekend.

Benitez claimed that Hicks and Gillett didn't understand the European transfer system as he looks to add to his squad.

The owners refused to back Benitez in a statement issued on Sunday evening, leading to widespread reports that the Spaniard's sacking was a case of 'when' rather than 'if' on Monday morning.

However, the Echo reports that Benitez is 'ready to hold out an olive branch' to his superiors, but that may come too late to save his job.

The paper quotes a 'source close to Benitez' as saying: "Rafa loves it at Liverpool. He loves the people of the city, he loves the fans and he loves the club. All he wants is what's best for the fans - he gets frustrated when he feels he's not able to do that.

"But he is happy with Tom and George owning the club and he has enjoyed working with them since he came and he has no problem working with Rick (Parry) - all he wants is to be able to continue the job that he's started so he can continue improving the squad in a bid to deliver the title he knows Tom, George and Rick want just as badly as he does."

The source goes on to claim that the perceived reluctance of Liverpool to move on transfer targets has already cost the club at least one signing:

"The manager has got a few transfers that he wants to get done, one in January and two Bosmans in the summer but it looks like he is going to miss out on the first one now.

"That frustrated him because the first one was a centre half, a position he feels we really need back-up in. The frustration stems from the fact that communication has been so difficult with everyone being so far apart and in different time zones. But the fans should be reassured Rafa has no plans of walking away. He loves it here and his family are settled on Merseyside."

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