Liverpool F.c.

[StevieH]

reds, this is fantastic news. i'm going out to get drunk on this tonight. gillett to follow swiftly.

Tony Barrett

RICK Parry is set to leave Liverpool Football Club.

The ECHO understands Parry’s departure by mutual consent will be officially announced by Liverpool later today.

The long serving chief executive will not leave with immediate effect though with all parties in agreement that he will remain in position until the end of the current season.

Speculation will inevitably surface suggesting Parry has lost a power struggle with Reds boss Rafa Benitez but the ECHO understands the real reason for his power is an acknowledgement that his relationship with Tom Hicks is unworkable.

As yet, there are no indications about who will replace Parry when his time at the club comes to an end

[Devil]

reds, this is fantastic news. i'm going out to get drunk on this tonight. gillett to follow swiftly.

Tony Barrett

RICK Parry is set to leave Liverpool Football Club.

The ECHO understands Parry's departure by mutual consent will be officially announced by Liverpool later today.

The long serving chief executive will not leave with immediate effect though with all parties in agreement that he will remain in position until the end of the current season.

Speculation will inevitably surface suggesting Parry has lost a power struggle with Reds boss Rafa Benitez but the ECHO understands the real reason for his power is an acknowledgement that his relationship with Tom Hicks is unworkable.

As yet, there are no indications about who will replace Parry when his time at the club comes to an end

YES! thank you for the great news .... that will definitely lift the mood at the club without a doubt.

[StevieH]

confirmed that he goes in may dev. great step forward this, fuc_ker's been holding the club back for years. now to get rafa signed up.

[Jimjim]

With all the stick Rafa gets, he's great in Europe and this season has seen a definite improvement in the league. Everyone likes to talk like he's the worst manager in the world and yet Liverpool still stand second (with too many draws lately, yes). This is his team, now, with all the players he's brought in to the club. I think he's been a success so far. Liverpool fans, do you agree? How long should Liverpool give him to win the league before he's gone? Or would you like to see a new manager with more aggressive, attacking tactics hired?

[rixalex]

With all the stick Rafa gets, he's great in Europe and this season has seen a definite improvement in the league. Everyone likes to talk like he's the worst manager in the world and yet Liverpool still stand second (with too many draws lately, yes). This is his team, now, with all the players he's brought in to the club. I think he's been a success so far. Liverpool fans, do you agree? How long should Liverpool give him to win the league before he's gone? Or would you like to see a new manager with more aggressive, attacking tactics hired?

OK, i'll respect that you are only asking Liverpool fans for their opinion on Rafa by holding my tongue on that one - but i will make a comment with regards to your feelings that improvements have been made as born out by your second place in the table.

Do you not think that had Chelsea and Arsenal been playing anything like they have been for the last 3 or 4 seasons, that you'd be in exactly the same position as you have been every other year of Rafa's tenure - ie fighting it out for a place in the Champions League?

[Devil]

With all the stick Rafa gets, he's great in Europe and this season has seen a definite improvement in the league. Everyone likes to talk like he's the worst manager in the world and yet Liverpool still stand second (with too many draws lately, yes). This is his team, now, with all the players he's brought in to the club. I think he's been a success so far. Liverpool fans, do you agree? How long should Liverpool give him to win the league before he's gone? Or would you like to see a new manager with more aggressive, attacking tactics hired?

Get Raffa singed up for another 5 years now! In Raffa We Trust

[Devil]

Oh dear that's a proper Euro hangover.

Nobody turned up today and it hurts to say this but that's got to be the worst performance of the season by far.

Gerrard should not of started...he looks nowhere near match fit or even up for the game today.

[JacknDanny]

Oh dear that's a proper Euro hangover.

Nobody turned up today and it hurts to say this but that's got to be the worst performance of the season by far.

Gerrard should not of started...he looks nowhere near match fit or even up for the game today.

I agree about Gerard not being fit, but he still laid on 2 glorious opportunities that should have been taken.

What puzzles me is Babel.

In the off season many told me that this guy was going to be phenomenal. I know he hasnt been starting, but whenever he does play, he is pants

Well I guess you guys can concentrate on CL now Would have been nice to shove it up the rags . Such is life.

[redrus]

Oh dear that's a proper Euro hangover.

Nobody turned up today and it hurts to say this but that's got to be the worst performance of the season by far.

Gerrard should not of started...he looks nowhere near match fit or even up for the game today.

I agree about Gerard not being fit, but he still laid on 2 glorious opportunities that should have been taken.

What puzzles me is Babel.

In the off season many told me that this guy was going to be phenomenal. I know he hasnt been starting, but whenever he does play, he is pants

Well I guess you guys can concentrate on CL now Would have been nice to shove it up the rags . Such is life.

redrus

[Suaymai]

This season is driving me mad...grrrrr

[Seapok]

With all the stick Rafa gets, he's great in Europe and this season has seen a definite improvement in the league. Everyone likes to talk like he's the worst manager in the world and yet Liverpool still stand second (with too many draws lately, yes). This is his team, now, with all the players he's brought in to the club. I think he's been a success so far. Liverpool fans, do you agree? How long should Liverpool give him to win the league before he's gone? Or would you like to see a new manager with more aggressive, attacking tactics hired?

Get Raffa singed up for another 5 years now! In Raffa We Trust

Haha are you sure you want him for another 5 years? I doubt he will be there for 1 more year let alone 5 more.

[Devil]

With all the stick Rafa gets, he's great in Europe and this season has seen a definite improvement in the league. Everyone likes to talk like he's the worst manager in the world and yet Liverpool still stand second (with too many draws lately, yes). This is his team, now, with all the players he's brought in to the club. I think he's been a success so far. Liverpool fans, do you agree? How long should Liverpool give him to win the league before he's gone? Or would you like to see a new manager with more aggressive, attacking tactics hired?

Get Raffa singed up for another 5 years now! In Raffa We Trust

Haha are you sure you want him for another 5 years? I doubt he will be there for 1 more year let alone 5 more.

Yes sure now fu_ck off and look for a manager!

[bangkokboro]

I am sorry for your loss.

[Seapok]

With all the stick Rafa gets, he's great in Europe and this season has seen a definite improvement in the league. Everyone likes to talk like he's the worst manager in the world and yet Liverpool still stand second (with too many draws lately, yes). This is his team, now, with all the players he's brought in to the club. I think he's been a success so far. Liverpool fans, do you agree? How long should Liverpool give him to win the league before he's gone? Or would you like to see a new manager with more aggressive, attacking tactics hired?

Get Raffa singed up for another 5 years now! In Raffa We Trust

Haha are you sure you want him for another 5 years? I doubt he will be there for 1 more year let alone 5 more.

Yes sure now fu_ck off and look for a manager!

Calm down calm down, they don't do that don't they do!

[sanmiguel]

Liverpool have to many mediocre players to win the Premier League, they need some serious money to be able to compete with Manure, as do Chelsea, Arsenal and every other team.

[The Vulcan]

Having led United by eight points at the end of November, Liverpool have dropped 11 in their past seven league games and won only twice in nine matches in all domestic competition.

And that's the reality of it.

Oh well, on to next season eh?

[rixalex]

Liverpool have to many mediocre players to win the Premier League, they need some serious money to be able to compete with Manure, as do Chelsea, Arsenal and every other team.

Stop kidding yourself Liverpool doesn't have serious money. Not the most, but are you saying the only way you'll ever win the title is when you have the most money?

[StevieH]

Liverpool have to many mediocre players to win the Premier League, they need some serious money to be able to compete with Manure, as do Chelsea, Arsenal and every other team.

this is unfortunately true. we're not competing on an even financial footing with the likes of united, chelsea and even arsenal.

doesn't excuse the lack of heart and effort out there yesterday though.

[oldgit]

Liverpool have to many mediocre players to win the Premier League, they need some serious money to be able to compete with Manure, as do Chelsea, Arsenal and every other team.

this is unfortunately true. we're not competing on an even financial footing with the likes of united, chelsea and even arsenal.

doesn't excuse the lack of heart and effort out there yesterday though.

C'mon lads,you wouldn't have made these comments before the game against Boro,especially after that result at Real Madrid.Yes,you were woeful yesterday but,off days happen.Manure haven't had any YET.They're good but not as good as they think they are.

[rixalex]

off days happen.Manure haven't had any YET.

Not true. We've had quite a few off days actually, but managed to eek out points.

I'm sure in what remains of the season, we'll have a few more days when we don't play to our best, and perhaps on those occasions we won't get the run of the ball. The question for you guys though is will it come too late for you to do anything about it?

[StevieH]

Liverpool have to many mediocre players to win the Premier League, they need some serious money to be able to compete with Manure, as do Chelsea, Arsenal and every other team.

this is unfortunately true. we're not competing on an even financial footing with the likes of united, chelsea and even arsenal.

doesn't excuse the lack of heart and effort out there yesterday though.

C'mon lads,you wouldn't have made these comments before the game against Boro,especially after that result at Real Madrid.Yes,you were woeful yesterday but,off days happen.Manure haven't had any YET.They're good but not as good as they think they are.

united have had plenty of offdays this season but have sneaked 1-0 wins due to their having more matchwinners and more experience than we have. and i've been saying all season that we were probably in a false position when we were top, we just don't have the depth of squad to compete over a full season. it's why we're so good in europe, we're a match for anyone over two high-pressure legs, but over a 38-game season we aren't consistent enough. we're about 3 really top-class players short.

[rixalex]

Liverpool have to many mediocre players to win the Premier League, they need some serious money to be able to compete with Manure, as do Chelsea, Arsenal and every other team.

this is unfortunately true. we're not competing on an even financial footing with the likes of united, chelsea and even arsenal.

doesn't excuse the lack of heart and effort out there yesterday though.

C'mon lads,you wouldn't have made these comments before the game against Boro,especially after that result at Real Madrid.Yes,you were woeful yesterday but,off days happen.Manure haven't had any YET.They're good but not as good as they think they are.

united have had plenty of offdays this season but have sneaked 1-0 wins due to their having more matchwinners and more experience than we have. and i've been saying all season that we were probably in a false position when we were top, we just don't have the depth of squad to compete over a full season. it's why we're so good in europe, we're a match for anyone over two high-pressure legs, but over a 38-game season we aren't consistent enough. we're about 3 really top-class players short.

Agree with all of that - i would add though that there's also been a little bit of luck on our sides in some of the 1-0 wins - not always been about having the matchwinners, although that obviously helps a lot.

Where our opinions may differ is you seem to think that the reason you don't have enough top-class players is because of lack of funds, whereas i think it's because you've wasted too much money on average players who aren't worthy of the shirt - and of course messing about signing players to then sell them back to the club they came from a few months later doesn't help either.

[StevieH]

Liverpool have to many mediocre players to win the Premier League, they need some serious money to be able to compete with Manure, as do Chelsea, Arsenal and every other team.

this is unfortunately true. we're not competing on an even financial footing with the likes of united, chelsea and even arsenal.

doesn't excuse the lack of heart and effort out there yesterday though.

C'mon lads,you wouldn't have made these comments before the game against Boro,especially after that result at Real Madrid.Yes,you were woeful yesterday but,off days happen.Manure haven't had any YET.They're good but not as good as they think they are.

united have had plenty of offdays this season but have sneaked 1-0 wins due to their having more matchwinners and more experience than we have. and i've been saying all season that we were probably in a false position when we were top, we just don't have the depth of squad to compete over a full season. it's why we're so good in europe, we're a match for anyone over two high-pressure legs, but over a 38-game season we aren't consistent enough. we're about 3 really top-class players short.

Agree with all of that - i would add though that there's also been a little bit of luck on our sides in some of the 1-0 wins - not always been about having the matchwinners, although that obviously helps a lot.

Where our opinions may differ is you seem to think that the reason you don't have enough top-class players is because of lack of funds, whereas i think it's because you've wasted too much money on average players who aren't worthy of the shirt - and of course messing about signing players to then sell them back to the club they came from a few months later doesn't help either.

it probably sounds churlish, but 20m per summer isn't enough to play catch-up on united. we need three more players in the torres / gerrard bracket and we can't afford them. united can afford to gamble 17m each on anderson and nani and pretty much write off 19m on hargreaves - we can't afford that.

that's notwithstanding last summer's transfer activity which looks increasingly appalling by the day.

[rixalex]

that's notwithstanding last summer's transfer activity which looks increasingly appalling by the day.

Who takes the blame for that?

[StevieH]

that's notwithstanding last summer's transfer activity which looks increasingly appalling by the day.

Who takes the blame for that?

the manager and the chief executive. rafa was bang wrong when he targeted dossena and degen (although dossena was very highly-rated and endorsed by people like capello and lippi) while rick parry went over rafa's head and bought robbie keane before rafa's number one target, gareth barry.

[rixalex]

while rick parry went over rafa's head and bought robbie keane before rafa's number one target, gareth barry.

As far as Keane is concerned, although he might not have been Rafa's first choice, i'm sure he was still consulted and ultimately gave the nod that he was a player that he could use. So let's not completely absolve Rafa from the decision - after all, had Robbie been a success i'm sure Rafa would have taken the credit for bringing him in.

[sanmiguel]

In everyway that Man United is run it is light years ahead of Liverpools.

For the next 3-4 years i cant see any other team then ManU winning the league unless ManCity spend these 100s of millions or if Abramovich digs deeper then ever, Arsenal are closer to becoming average then being top.

For me Liverpool needed investment in a 80000 stadium 10 years ago when other clubs were doing this and to copy Manures marketing strategy. Liverpool are the only club in England that could potentially compete with ManU in the financial stakes without the need for a sugar daddy, but they just seem so far behind them to the point where it is going to need some Arabs oil money to get them to that level.

Though 2 Champs league finals isnt bad.

[Jimjim]

I for one would be glad to have some Middle East group with lots of oil money come in and take over. DIC was a chance not taken although I think they were more interested in buying and then selling a couple years later. The Kuwaitis seem a good chance which the club should take, but the dam_n American owners (one of them, anyway, can't remember which, the other is happy to sell I think) don't want to give up their little hobby which they couldn't even pay for with real money and still can't.

Any bets on when Liverpool will actually be able to win in Middlesbrough? Seven years seems long enough.

Edited March 1, 2009 by Jimjim

[Jimjim]

Liverpool have to many mediocre players to win the Premier League, they need some serious money to be able to compete with Manure, as do Chelsea, Arsenal and every other team.

Stop kidding yourself Liverpool doesn't have serious money.

That was exactly his point. Pay attention. He said "need" not "have."

[StevieH]

while rick parry went over rafa's head and bought robbie keane before rafa's number one target, gareth barry.

As far as Keane is concerned, although he might not have been Rafa's first choice, i'm sure he was still consulted and ultimately gave the nod that he was a player that he could use. So let's not completely absolve Rafa from the decision - after all, had Robbie been a success i'm sure Rafa would have taken the credit for bringing him in.

parry paid way over the odds for keane, more than rafa valued him at, while siding with gillett in telling rafa that barry wasn't worth 18m. the manager's not blameless but his number one priority was barry.

In everyway that Man United is run it is light years ahead of Liverpools.

For the next 3-4 years i cant see any other team then ManU winning the league unless ManCity spend these 100s of millions or if Abramovich digs deeper then ever, Arsenal are closer to becoming average then being top.

For me Liverpool needed investment in a 80000 stadium 10 years ago when other clubs were doing this and to copy Manures marketing strategy. Liverpool are the only club in England that could potentially compete with ManU in the financial stakes without the need for a sugar daddy, but they just seem so far behind them to the point where it is going to need some Arabs oil money to get them to that level.

Though 2 Champs league finals isnt bad.

dead right about the stadium. united make 3m GBP more every home match than we do. they made 90m more than us last season. we can't realistically be expected to compete with that.