Rafa: Dead Man Walking?

THERE was a time when Liverpool FC washed its laundry in private. Now, the club's bosses do it in the most public way imaginable.

It's difficult to choose the worst culprit out of Hicks, Gillett and Benitez. The Yanks probably edge it.

Revelations that Hicks tapped up Jurgen Klinsmann as a possible replacement for Rafa in November will further distance him and co-owner Gillett from the fans who generally still have faith in the tempermental, stubborn Spaniard.

Insurance policy? Just in case Rafa leaves. Don't treat us like fools.

Gillett, the arguably less volatile half of the Waldorf and Stadler routine (or perhaps I should compare them to those two boyish buffoons from Trading Places), is equally culpable for going along with the scam.

Perhaps that's how they do business in America. The problem is, it's not the Liverpool FC way to show the world you've got dirty underwear, lads.

The decision by Hicks to go public about the Klinsmann plan can only have been designed to further unsettle Benitez in the hope that he quits or does something (more likely says something) so it is easier to sack him. A dirty trick which piles the pressure on the Liverpool manager.

How the players feel as they watch this playground shoving we may never know. Some will be angry, some may be starting to doubt their manager's abilities, others will be merely distracted and perplexed.

Rafa's reputation is also badly self-tarnished. He let himself, the club and the fans down with his remarkable, petulant outburst during the infamous November press conference in which he effectively sacked himself.

Can you blame the owners for being angry? Rafa's a great manager, but at times a stupid, proud man. Any fan would have advised him to shut up and get on with the football, ironically pretty much what his bosses told him to do.

Since then his mind has clearly been elsewhere (probably Madrid but not St James Park) and the team is drifting into the also-rans league.

Of course, most fans are generally forgiving of Benitez because of Istanbul 2005. He could sleep with our wives and we'd forgive him, as long as he signed the DVD on the way out.

When David Moores & Co were in charge, a few quiet words in the corridor would have kept the lid on things. But, Rafa is now on the verge on being regarded as a commercial liability, regardless of his football expertise, and he must know that the owners will always hold the stronger hand.

Benitez can embarrass Hicks and Gillett, but he can never beat them.

Fans are beginning to feel weary of these three key players. The fans who pour millions into the club through tickets sales and merchandise deserve better. The promise of spring may lead to a yearning for a fresh start all round.

Just months after looking within a whisker of being able to compete for the Premier League crown, Liverpool is now facing a troubled few weeks on and off the pitch.

Benitez has been described as a 'dead man walking.' That's true. Even another Champions League trophy probably cannot save him. The arrival of the Premier League trophy to Anfield in May is his only hope. The bookies will tell you what a long shot that is, unless the team can string together up to ten back-to-back wins.

Will he fall on his sword? Unlikely. Will he hang on to be sacked as his team's trophy options are finally extinguished? Probably. That's certainly Hicks and Gillett's strategy for now.

In the long-term, meanwhile, the distant owners will enjoy his discomfort and be frantic in their negotiations to sell on the club to the highest bidder - with or without a new stadium. Take the cash and dash, boys.

The latest chapter in the club's history could be written sooner than we all thought. Not as many pages. Oh, and no happy ending...

• Post to:
•  del.icio.us
•  Digg
•  Newsvine
•  Nowpublic
•  Reddit