The time for talking is over. Rafael Benitez is demanding
Liverpool's new owners urgently fulfill a promise to back their
manager in the transfer market.
George Gillett and Tom Hicks have played an astute public
relations game since their buyout of the Anfield outfit in
February. The American duo made all the right noises about
restoring Liverpool to the pinnacle of the English game.
Benitez has accepted the pledges at face value. But in the
aftermath of last night's Champions League final defeat to AC
Milan, the Spaniard has laid bare the stark reality of the
situation Liverpool find themselves in.
And if Gillett and Hicks are really intent on ensuring the
Merseyside giants' league title drought does not extend beyond 18
years, Benitez wants money and he needs it now.
"Sometimes, when you are in another country or another
continent, you don't know how important this time is," Benitez
said. "The owners have said they will back me and we are really
excited about the future. But it is OK to talk, we need to change
things now.
"The top sides have been spending $50 million or more over the
last five or 10 years. Manchester United just won the league and
finished 21 points in front of us. They are paying $20 million for
a new midfield player in Owen Hargreaves. We have been spending $9
million on a striker. That is a big difference."
Gillett and Hicks do not have to look back too far to work out
what is likely to happen if Benitez does not get his way.
The 47-year-old may appear jovial and relaxed but underneath the
pleasant exterior beats the heart of an ultra-ambitious man who
quit Valencia for Liverpool three years ago because the Spanish
outfit refused to meet his demands and has already rejected
overtures from his beloved Real Madrid on three separate
occasions.
On his arrival at Anfield, Benitez famously declared he asked
the Valencia board for a coffee table and was given a table lamp
instead. And he has still not forgotten.
"We won the league with Valencia for the first time in 31
years," he recalled. "Afterwards, everyone said 'fantastic, we are
so good we do not need to spend any money'. The following season we
finished fifth.
"With Liverpool, we have won the FA Cup, the Super Cup, the
Community Shield and the Champions League and reached another
final. But if we do not spend money now, we will continue to lose
games because we do not have enough quality and eventually finish
20 points behind United, Chelsea and Arsenal."
With Bolo Zenden, Mark Gonzalez and - possibly - Craig Bellamy
among those on their way out, the decks are being cleared for a
huge influx of new players. The number of potential signings is
wide-ranging. The defense and midfield will be tinkered with, while
at least two new strikers can be expected given Liverpool's
season-long difficulties in front of goal, which proved so costly
in the Olympic Stadium.
David Villa, Samuel Eto'o, Darren Bent and Carlos Tevez could
all appear on Benitez's radar. Clearly though, business needs to be
done swiftly if the Spaniard's demands are to be satisfied and
Gillett and Hicks are to ensure Liverpool's magnificent new stadium
in Stanley Park is not to become a huge white elephant by the time
it opens in 2009.
"I can't say exactly how many players I want, it depends on the
market," Benitez said. "Also, there might be someone we don't
really want to sell who we get a fantastic bid for which makes us
look at the situation again. But we need to look at two or three
things, that is very obvious to everyone. We have some targets but
we must move quickly because if we end up with our second or third
choices, we cannot be contenders.
"The new owners know what my ideas are and they know what is
required. They are businessmen. It is clear when you spend money on
a stadium, you need to keep the team in the top four and try to be
contenders every season before 2009. They want to see their stadium
full of supporters. And the supporters know the club needs to
progress. If we do the right things, they will be there."
(China Daily via Ticker May 25, 2007)