Barclays Premier League Season 2009/2010

[Rappy Veteran]

Blackpool eh *shrugs*

[Kostaz]

How come no-one likes Blackpool ?

[Rappy Veteran]

How come no-one likes Blackpool ?

I won't say no one likes Blackpool just would of preferred Cardiff just my opinion really.

[Shibby]

I think Blackpool are more of a sea side club and despite being up north they come across as different.? Cardiff the club seem very welsh and that's all they care about, despite being a sea side city, its more about being welsh. ?Although Cardiff probably could sustain themselves better in the premier league than Blackpool.

The problem with Blackpool is they're going to probably end up signing the normal rounds of players on low pay and are the sort of players that go to the relegation candidates.?

As for David James and coaching badges, clubs have made dispensations in the past. ?I for one would prefer if James was still Goalkeeper and coach. ?He's still got at least another season of goal keeping in him! You may say he is injury prone now, but that's because we played things safe for the FA Cup,? ?we were down and out so why take any risk? ?Next season if still a keeper he would still play despite any sort of small injury. ? But being part time coach would be good for all of us.

I'd like to see someone like Gareth Southgate come in as manager, I don't think he's that bad. ?Although the problem will be the restrictions placed on him I.E purchasing is going to be tiny, if we can't afford contracts then we're not going to start altering the wage structure straight away - we'll probably only do it with players we've got now and trust like David James. ?Result wise I expect a tough start to the season, Paul Hart and Avram Grant struggled with results when we had performances put in. Problem is Gareth has only been manager at one club, but this season I think he was unfair to get sacked, I don't think Gordon Strachan is all that.

Then there is Eddie Howe from Bournemouth, had a fantastic season with very little resources, but going to Portsmouth would be a big risk, he could easily get sacked compared to Southgate. And would he want to leave Bournemouth? He might be thinking he is best of saying put and see how it goes in League One.

Tell you the truth, I think the most likely chance is Paul Groves being some sort of caretaker manager. ?I think he's been one of the brains behind performances and selecting good players at the start of the season with Paul Hart. ?Problem is if Paul Groves get sacked, the fans will be sad to see him go, bit like Paul Hart, nothing against them but getting sacked means him not likely being at the club again. ?

Unless we can get Tony Adams back, the sort of players we've got now aren't likely to stop playing like former players did *cough Distin, Kranjčar, Defoe cough*

[Kralik]

Blackpool's victory guarantees them the biggest windfall in global sport from the outcome of a single event: £95m, and possibly more.

They can afford a lot of good players now.. lets see who they go for.. the transfer window will heat up now :p

[Mike]

That ?95m is for the 1 year of PL football + the parachute payments should they get relegated so they won't really get that amount until a few years from now. Obviously if they stay up they'll get more.

[Y2Stu]

How come no-one likes Blackpool ?

Not me, i love them. I was even crying like a baby at Wembley

Premiership la la la... Premiership la la la

[Martyn]

Blackpool eh *shrugs*

I would rather have a English team in the English league than a Welsh team.

Cracking place for an away trip as well.

[Kralik]

The Glazer family have sent out a defiant message over their plans for Manchester United by declaring that they will resist any attempt to buy the club.

[Martyn]

Looks like Rafa is going... ?

[nothuman]

He's gone.

[Martyn]

Nothing is official yet - hence the question mark.

I'm praying that this is a load of crap.

If it is true that Rafa has gone then that's it for me.

LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB - ROTTEN TO THE CORE.

[Rappy Veteran]

oh shiii just seen that on BBC if true what a bunch of ******s :no:

[rajputwarrior]

Liverpool offer severance deal to boss Rafael Benitez

Benitez's Liverpool struggled for form during the 2009-10 season

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has been offered a severance deal to leave Anfield, BBC Sport understands.

Benitez led the club to Champions League glory in 2005 but could only guide the Reds to seventh place in the Premier League last season.

The 50-year-old has been linked with a move to Inter Milan, with the Italian giants looking for a coach following Jose Mourinho's move to Real Madrid.

Benitez's agent has said he will speak with the Spaniard on Thursday.

Agent Manuel Garcia Quilon said: "We don't know anything more than what's being said.

"We're not saying anything."

I know I'll miss Rafa - Finals, Spanish players, second place, facts, defensive midfielders, Torres, Gerrard being a legend, Reina

AJ_2094

Liverpool declined to comment on the rumours on Wednesday.

It is believed that it would cost the club about £16m to pay off Benitez, who joined Liverpool in June 2004.

But reports on Wednesday suggested the club was discussing a compromise compensation package worth £3m.

As well as the 2005 Champions League triumph, Benitez also steered Liverpool to the European Super Cup in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006.

They enjoyed an impressive Premier League campaign in 2008-09, finishing as runners-up, four points behind champions Manchester United having lost just two games all season.

But they were hugely inconsistent last season, losing 11 times in the league and exiting the Champions League in the group stages. They dropped into the Europa League and reached the semi-finals where they lost to Atletico Madrid.

Several of Benitez's first-team squad have recently been linked with summer moves, including captain Steven Gerrard, Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano and star forward Fernando Torres.

Benitez had suggested he would require in excess of £50m to put the club back in contention for the Champions League places, never mind the Premier League title.

Co-owner Tom Hicks recently said Benitez would have a "substantial" transfer budget this summer despite he and George Gillett trying to sell the club, a process which could take 18 months.

It has since been reported that the funds available to Benitez could be as little as £5m, before selling players.

Liverpool were put up for sale in April, with an asking price of between £600m and £800m, and Hicks had claimed there is a large number of "interested buyers".

Parent company Kop Holdings were £351m in the red last summer with annual loan repayments of £40m.

Speaking last week, Benitez told the Liverpool Echo: "I am very happy here in Liverpool. I have always been happy and I want to stay here for a long time - if it is possible."

i have no beef with this

[Martyn]

i have no beef with this

Why?

Could a different manager have done a better job with the resources at his disposal? It's doubtful.

The club was developing at a fast pace under Rafa before the arrival of the American's. Since Hicks and Gillett came to Anfield they have destroyed the 'Liverpool way' and caused turmoil both on and off the football pitch.

[Kralik]

^ thats why I pray that Kroenke doesn't take over Arsenal..

[Rappy Veteran]

just hearing Daglish/Rush would step if Rafa does go.

[red.]

He's gone then. :blink:

[nothuman]

It's official now. The next are Torres and Gerrard?

[Rappy Veteran]

crazy times! :alien:

[Martyn]

I feel sick.

[WelshBluebird]

I would rather have a English team in the English league than a Welsh team.

Why?

We've been in the English leagues longer than some of the english clubs.

In any case, its not the English league. Its the Premier League. The word English or England or anything to do with England is not part of its name.

[rajputwarrior]

MANAGER BENITEZ LEAVES LIVERPOOL AFTER SIX YEARS IN CHARGE

LIVERPOOL, England -- Manager Rafa Benitez left Liverpool Thursday after six years in charge, with the club saying it needed a fresh start.

The club issued a statement saying Benitez was leaving "by mutual consent."

"It is very sad for me to announce that I will no longer be manager of Liverpool FC," the 50-year-old Spaniard said in a statement released by the club. "I would like to thank all of the staff and players for their efforts."

He said he would always remember the support he received from the Liverpool fans.

"I'll always keep in my heart the good times I've had here, the strong and loyal support of the fans in the tough times and the love from Liverpool. I have no words to thank you enough for all these years and I am very proud to say that I was your manager.

"Thank you so much once more and always remember: You'll never walk alone."

Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton said that a poor team performance in the season just ended had meant Benitez had to go.

"Rafa will forever be part of Liverpool folklore after bringing home the Champions League following the epic final in Istanbul but after a disappointing season, both parties felt a fresh start would be best for all concerned."

The announcement came after the Spaniard had talks with the club and his agent to discuss a compensation deal worth three million pounds (C$4.6 million) for him to depart with immediate effect.

Benitez moved to Liverpool in 2004 after leading Valencia to two Spanish league titles and the UEFA Cup, and he had an amazing start at Anfield.

He led the team to a Champions League final triumph, the team beating AC Milan on penalties after being 3-0 down at halftime. The club won the FA Cup the following season and was runner-up to Milan in the 2007 Champions League final.

But Benitez was unable to guide the team to the league title. It last won that trophy in 1990 and, in the past few seasons, Manchester United tied its record 18 championship triumphs.

His departure means that he is looking for a new job and Liverpool is after a replacement.

After losing Mourinho to Real Madrid, newly crowned Champions League winner Inter Milan is looking for a coach. With Fabio Capello announcing he is staying on as England manager until 2012, Benitez appears to be Inter's leading target.

Among the names mentioned as a possible replacement for Benitez at Liverpool were Guus Hiddink, who is due to start work as coach of Turkey's national team in August, Martin Jol of Ajax and Fulham's Roy Hodgson, who took the modest west London club to the final of the Europa League this past season.

Avram Grant was another name being linked but the Israeli ruled himself out Thursday when he agreed a four-year deal to take over at West Ham.

Benitez's future has been the subject of much speculation in the past two seasons during a time of turmoil behind the scenes at Liverpool.

American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr., who bought Liverpool three years ago, have put the club up for sale after a public fallout over the running of the club. Liverpool is now heavily in debt and, for the first time since the 2003-04 season, will not be playing in the Champions League next term.

The lack of success this past season has also led to strong speculation that star players such as Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres could move to other clubs.

time for a fresh start, going to be hard being a liverpool fan in the next little while.

[Kralik]

No one will succeed unless they receive the financial backing.. which seems hard atm..

[Martyn]