14 Jan 2008

Liverpool FC hit by the 'Texas Hicks-Saw Massacre'

Consummate clowns Tom Hicks and George Gillette are turning Liverpool FC into the footballing equivalent a three-ring circus, and Hicks’ latest ill-advised public comments are yet more evidence that this particular Texas Cowboy has no idea what being the owner of Liverpool FC means.

In a completely unnecessary, undermining public interview, Hicks has revealed the worst kept secret in Liverpool’s recent history: Jurgen Klinnsman was approached to replace Rafa:

‘In November, when it appeared we were in danger of not advancing in the Champions League, weren't playing well in our Premier League matches, and Rafa and we were having communication issues over the January transfer window, George and I met with Jurgen Klinsmann to learn as much as we could about English and European football”

Indeed, yes. The obvious man to teach the Texas Cowboys about English football is someone who lives in California, has never managed a club team and has no contact whatsoever with the modern English game! Is this not the flimsiest, most tenuous reasoning imaginable?! Hicks continued:

"He is a very impressive man. We attempted to negotiate an option, as an insurance policy, to have him become our manager in the event Rafa decided to leave our club for Real Madrid or other clubs that were rumoured in the UK press, or in case our communication spiralled out of control for some reason”.

So – our illustrious owners allow the notoriously biased and sensationalist British press to dictate their major decisions?! Basically, they’re saying that The Sun said Real Madrid was interested in Rafa, so we decided to look for his replacement. Absolutely pathetic! If this is a snapshot of their business awareness and acumen, I genuinely fear for our club.

Of course, the reality is it’s just another excuse masking the reality: They wanted Klinnsman to replace Rafa. Hicks further added:

"Rafa has both of our support, and our communication has greatly improved”."Foster, Rick Parry and Rafa now have regular meetings at Melwood on Monday mornings. The two families always try to have a telephonic meeting on Monday afternoons, so we all are on the same page. We all want to win more games."

We all want to win more games? To coin a uniquely American phrase - no shit! If winning games is Hicks’ only criterion for success though, then Rafa might as well pack his bags right now.

Hicks’ simplistic attitude will be a problem for any Manager taking the hotseat – winning games is great but taking the long term view and considering the club’s progress in the proper context is more important. It can’t just be ‘We aint winnin’games so it’s ‘bout darn time for a new coach’.

Before Hicks arrived in a blaze of glory, the club had gone 115 years without the ignominy of internal strife being splashed across the media. There had never been a situation where the Chairman had criticised the Manager in public. The possibility of a Chairman engaging in public warfare with a Manager was an alien concept.

In just ten months associated with the club, Hicks has destroyed this long-standing harmony with key involvement in a very public spat and endless negative interviews splashed across the worldwide media.

Hicks has taken a Chainsaw to Liverpool’s exemplary media practices and turned the club into a laughing stock. As such, in my view, the Texan cowboy is not fit to run Liverpool FC; he is not deserving of the honour and privilege of owning the club and he is woefully bereft of the personal qualities needed to be an effective leader and ambassador.

Criticising the Manager and the team in public is a cardinal sin. Discussing potential Managerial changes in public is destabilizing. Hicks should have learned from his mistakes after the recent public debacle, but his latest comments prove that he has learned NOTHING.

Come back, DIC! Buy-out these clowns and give Rick Parry his marching orders whilst you’re at it, so we can all quote John McClane and shout 'Yippee-kai-ay...

You know the rest.


0 Comments:

Post a Comment