Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks's admission that he spoke to Jurgen Klinsmann about becoming the team manager is an amazing story. I haven't got a clue why he has come out and said this; maybe the story was going to come out and he thought he'd be better off making a statement first. Could Rafa Benitez be about to say goodbye to the Liverpool fans? Whichever way you look at it though, these events cannot do anything but undermine manager Rafael Benitez. His position is not untenable, but for one of the owners to come out and publicly say he had talks with the man who was heavily linked with Benitez's job - well, it puts even more pressure on the Spaniard. Benitez is saying nothing, which I think is the most sensible thing to do. But if there is tension between him and the owners, this is only going to heighten it. I think that is the biggest thing for me. If it adds to that tension then that will eventually start to affect the team on the pitch, that's an absolute certainty. Players aren't really interested in new stadiums and things like that, it doesn't affect them. But when something affects the manager who is picking the team and influencing their careers, you can bet it will start to have an impact on them. Liverpool are obviously struggling at the minute. They have had four draws on the trot, they are 12 points adrift of Manchester United and Arsenal in the Premier League, and I think this is the last thing they need. It has definitely come at a bad time. There's never a great time for stories like this to come out, but it's far better if you are flying. They are off the pace and it will be interesting to see how this one pans out. Liverpool are 12 points adrift and this will not help Insurance policy or whatever Hicks wants to call it - and we have to take him at his word because he is apparently a man of great integrity - the fact is he met Klinsmann and offered him the job if Benitez went, which is remarkable. I think that in the Premier League, every manager apart from Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are two games away from the sack, so things might not have changed much from that point of view.
Seems like a pretty decent view of things from Hansen, nothing too over the top, and focusing on the core problem, those comments only undermine Rafa which in turn undermines the team. J.
A sensible article from Hansen. He mentions that Hicks is a man with a lot of integrity and is well respected in the US and seems to be calling a spade a spade with his revelation. I can only assume that all this went on while Rafa was throwing a hissy fit and taking swipes at them in the media as the timeline seems to fit. The yanks may have read that as Rafa looking to get out of the club as they are not used to employees of theirs openly attackign them and so they needed an 'insurance plan' in case a) he did walk or b) he kept it up and they sacked him, then when Rafa calmed down and took it all back and openly stated his commitment to LFC that Klinnsman vanished from the picture. Im not saying what they did was right, and going public about it certainly was a piss poor decision by Hicks, the timing of which suggests there is more going on behind the scenes than we know, but at least they had the foresite to avoid a Newcastle situation of anyone with any sense running in the opposite direction of the club.
Men of integrity dont act like this. But a reasonable article by Hansen, I have no time for the americans and I hope they leave. If it means barren times for the club, then fine at least the club will be ours again instead of a "franchise" thats rapidly becoming the laughing stock of the premiership