29 Jul 2009

Debunking Liverpool FC myths: No 1 – Rick Parry signed Robbie Keane

In this new series, I’ll be taking a look at what I perceive to be some of the biggest myths circulating about Liverpool FC and attempting to set the record straight. I'll start with one of the most recent inaccuracies, namely the improbable notion that former Liverpool Chief Executive Rick Parry signed Robbie Keane.

This spurious myth has been growing in force since Keane left in January 2009, largely perpetuated by Rafael Benitez apologists (i.e The 'Rafa can do no wrong'/'In rafa I trust' brigades) who cannot bear the thought of their idol having to accept responsibility for his abject man-management of Keane, which ultimately led to the player’s inevitable failure at Anfield.

The notable thing here is how gullible Liverpool fans seem to be. Ideed, almost without exception, whenever I discuss the Keane transfer with fellow fans, the response is invariably among the following:

1. Rick Parry signed Keane, not Benitez
2. Benitez didn’t have full control of transfers at that time
3. Benitez didn’t even want Keane in the first place

Here is a small selection of comments from fans posting on this site illustrating the above views:

“Rafa never really wanted Keane in the first place because he knew that he would not it into his tactics. Remember that he wanted Gareth Barry and Parry never made it happen”

"Lets look at Robbie Keane situation, firstly it was claimed by some quarters that it wasnt Rafa's 1st choice; Rafa wanted Barry but was blocked by Parry”.

“Last summer Rafa was working under the control on transfers of Rick Parry”.

“Rick Parry pulling the purse strings. Rafa didnt have total control of signings at that stage, he did not want Robbie Keane remember ?!"


Let's at least try and be serious here: No top flight team allows a Chief Executive to sign a £20m player without any input from the Manager, and anyone who actually believes this needs to get their head examined.

I challenge anyone to find evidence of any top-flight club allowing a Chief Executive to unilaterally sign a player over a manager’s head. The very idea is too improbable for words, yet Liverpool fans lap it up and spout it as gospel without any kind of supporting evidence at all.

Let’s be clear about this: there is NO evidence at all ANYWHERE that Rick Parry signed Robbie Keane. There is, however, plenty of evidence that Benitez wanted to bring Keane to Anfield.

Exhibit A: Benitez's comments from the 10th July 2008 (Reported by 'The Times')

“Keane is also one of the names we are interested in, and we are still working on other possible situations. There has been some contact [over Keane] but we will have to see how things progress. Keane is clearly a player that has game intelligence and we are looking for players who can fit into our systems and improve the team.”

Exhibit B: Rafa’s comments from 28th July 2008 (reported on the official Liverpool FC site)

"We were looking for a player with game intelligence and good movement who could play alongside Torres. He can play with Torres up front and also on the right.

"We knew he was a Liverpool fan since forever. We knew that he was a very good signing in terms of the commitment, the quality and the intelligence of the player.

"He is a player who can give to us a lot of goals – normally he gets about 15 each year. We were looking for the workrate he can give to us, the game intelligence and also the goals”.


The praise for Keane didn’t stop there, with Benitez adding:

"He has experience in the Premier League and also all the reports of his personality and professionalism are fantastic. He can be a good example for the young players,"

"I feel like he has enough experience in the game and that he has a very good mentality. He is very hungry, so everything is positive."


Hmmm. This sounds suspiciously unlike someone who didn’t want to sign Keane. In fact, this is glowing praise for the player and the reasons advanced for signing him are typical of Benitez, i.e. Work rate, mentality, professionalism etc.

I'm sure though that some Liverpool fans will argue that it's all an act, and that inside, Benitez is seething about being forced to sign someone he didn't even want.

Exhibit C: Benitez’s press conference on July 29th, 2008

Here, Benitez again lays out in emphatic terms why he wanted Keane:



"He is one of the very, very good players you can see in the premier league. He’s a player that is settled down; Good professional, good mentality, so every manager would be really pleased to have Keane in his squad. We are really pleased the player is here”.

Benitez then outlines his specific role in the transfer:

“Rick did the deal with Mr Levy. My role was to bring the player here and now to prepare the player as good as I can. We knew that he was a good player for us, and we were trying to sign the player and now the player is here so we are really pleased.

“Robbie is very clever - our idea was to bring someone to play alongside Torres, Gerrard, Kuyt, Babel or someone...if you have better players, clever players, it’s easier for the manager”.

Exhibit D: Benitez’s press conference on February 3rd, 2009

When Keane left Liverpool, Benitez himself refuted the suggestion that the transfer was forced on him:



An example of the media response: In an article on the 26th January 2009, the Guardian’s Andy Hunter stated the following in his blog:

"The Liverpool manager wanted Keane in place only after Gareth Barry had been acquired from Aston Villa last summer, with Xabi Alonso sacrificed to raise the additional funds, only to be overruled by the club's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and the chief executive, Rick Parry".

Much like the fans, Hunter’s view is pure supposition; he advances no evidence for this conclusion. Why? Because there is no evidence! It’s not even a case of reading between the lines of the situation because there are no lines in which to read between.

Speculation is fine when there are credible grounds upon which to speculate, but in this case, how is it possible to even speculate that Rick Parry signed Keane?! There is not the slightest hint of evidence anywhere, and the very idea is simply lacking in a credibility.

Parry and the board may not have backed Benitez over the Keane transfer but a gargantuan leap in logic is required to go from that to arguing that Parry went over Benitez’s head. On the balance of probabilities, what is more likely?!

Benitez wanted Keane; Liverpool signed Keane on Benitez’s recommendation, albeit at an inflated price. End of story.

If there is any evidence to support the contention that Parry signed Keane, please post it below in the comments section. If not, this myth should be laid to rest permanently.

NB. I started the series with the Parry/Keane issue because the number of fans spouting the 'Parry signed Keane' nonsense seems to be growing exponentially.





101 comments:

  1. Why bother about this now. Rick parry was a disaster since the day he came in. Tell me one good thing he did for Liverpool and then your article can be counted more seriously.
    1. He was a Muppet on the marketing of LFC. See Ian ayre for how its done now.
    2. He flogged Owen for 8 mill.
    3. He didn't closed the deals on daniel alves, vidic, ...
    4. Sold the club to those smurfs from across the pond....
    5. We could have had this MANcity shopping spree. Now we can only watch.

    ..and you beat on about Robert David Keane. Keane cant even cut the cheese for the losers Spurs. Thats why they have 4 strikers and he'll be flogged to villa of all places. And you want to use him as a storyboard. Christ Almighty. This is the silly season truly. The summer hasn't done wonders for your insight.

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  2. I agree with you, but the question is why was the love affair so short lived, what went wrong in the dressing room, to make Rafa want to wash his hands of Rabbie Keane.??

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  3. We know you hate Benitez at this stage thats 3 articles now on Benitez in a few days over Alonso, wasted money and now Keane. Seriously, turn your hand to something else.

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  4. SNOOORE! neither Parry or Keane are here anymore. Move on.

    Not Benitez's fault that Keane couldnt understand what his role would be or the fact that he sulked when he was substiuted. If this was really his 'dream' move then why didnt he play like he meant it instead of looking like he had been hit in the face by a sack of stones every time he was left on the bench or subbed.

    Oh and by the way, we played much better without him in the squad or have you not noticed that?

    You obviously have your own agenda against the manager. Get over it. He knows alot more about football than you ever will and if Rafa thinks that selling keane was best for the club then i would rather follow him than our club, like you

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  5. Anfield Review - I do not hate Benitez - I only started the series with this particular issue because the Keane/Rick Parry thing has been discussed alot on this site in the last week.

    Anyway, any further comments you post that do not address the issues raised in the article will be deleted. if you don't like this site, don't post on it and don't waste your time.

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  6. I agree that the transfer must have been at Rafa's request. Also he realised that he had made a mistake and rectified it unlike a former manager who made mistakes and was too stubborn to consider offloading Diouf/Diao/Cheyrou etc etc.

    Getting back to transfers I'm sure we'd all rather have kept Crouch. He wanted more games. A system was developing (and you tell me the end of last season wasn't the best football and results since Barnes/Beardsley/Rush/Aldridge) and why would you ever consider playing Peter (as much as I for one like him as a player and a character)over Torres.

    He liked the look of Keane. He realised that he was mistaken when he saw him close up. End of.


    I have found this site by chance and read a couple of articles. It seems to me you have an agenda.

    I suggest you consider renaming this website Ihaterafa.com

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  7. I do agree and find it hard to believe that a football team would sign a player against the managers will (though it is supposed to happen) let alone spend £20M. But looking at the above evidence, A & B are the sort of things you would expect a manager to say - lets face it, Benitez would never sit there and claim he doesn't want a player regarless of what is going on, once a player is signed it is the managers job to support and get the best out of that player.

    As for 'Exhibit C' the evidence i.e the YouTube video - Benitez doesn't even answer the question on 1:40 when the jounralist says Keane was a signing that was forced on you - Benitez then speaks about how they discuss that Keane wasn't performing to his abilities and that Tottenham wanted to sign him so they sold him - which doesn't support your argument.

    This myth is not 'Debunked' in this post and it is left unknown exactly what went on. The one thing I am tired of hearing about was Benitez poor man management of Keane, Keane missed plenty of chances in front of goal to justify his exit - I would have liked him to be a success and on paper he was an excellent signing but for some reason (Robbie didn't score) it didn't work

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  9. I have never hidden the fact that I am not a fan of Benitez, so the revelation that I have an agenda is hardly revelatory. All fans have an agenda, so why is this surprising. For those who support Rafa, their agenda is 100% support. So what?!

    This article is purely about whether Rick Parry signed Robbie Keane; it is not about how, why or if Keane failed at Liverpool and who is to blame.

    So many fans are going on about how Parry signed Keane. Okay - I've made my case. Time for the fans who think that to PROVE IT instead of parroting the views of others.

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  10. You've missed out Benitez press conferences where he talked about how if the club was to sign a player it should be him to decide whether it is £20mill on one player or £20mill on other players and similar statements.

    It's clear Benitez wanted Keane, btu it's also clear that he would have no way paid the £20mill for him and that Barry was his number 1 target.

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  11. What people say in the media and what actually goes on can be, and usually is two VERY different things. Happens in football, politics, the banking industry etc. It is extremely niaive and factually incorrect to think and say otherwise.

    So what you rely on, your supposed 'evidence', is flawed. Quite frankly it is a poorly constructed argument.

    I don't know and neither do I care if Parry bought Keane. The point is, you like the rest of us, have little to go on. Thus any firm 'conclusions' you come to are open to critique. There is no "End of Story", I'm right, you're wrong etc. You simply do not have the full set of facts.

    And to criticise a Guardian journalist (of all of them)....journalists do pump a lot of air around no doubt but they also tend to break stories which turn out to be correct. Just because this story hasn't been confirmed by the parties involved, no one has actually come out to say it never happened. Unless I missed it of course in which case feel free to correct me.

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  12. Rafa had a role for Keane in the team but it was a team with Barry in, since Parry/Yanks wouldn't sanction the Barry deal, Rafa was left with a player he had to try & accomodate. So yes Keane was Rafas choice but it had to be in conjunction with Barry, without Barry, Keane ended up a square peg because of the system we had to continue playing.

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  13. What would you expect Benitez to say in public? You make pointless assumptions without any shred of evidence.

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  14. Geraint - the point is, on the balance of probabilities, based on the available evidence, what is more probable: Benitez wanted Keane and signed him, or Parry went over Benitez's head and signed the player?

    We can only work with the evidence that is available and then speculate based on that evidence. I have posted some of the evidence - not all. There are lots of other interviews with Benitez where he states he wants Keane, both pre-and post sale. For space reasons, I have only chosen a couple.

    Basically, I am arguing that there is no possible way to come to reach the conclusion that Parry signed Keane.

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  15. usual guff from the master of inanities Jaimmie Kanwar.

    if rafa benitez presented Jaimie with the Ark of the Covenant he would say 'what took you so long?'

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  16. rafa needed a striker to replace crouch. i'm guessing he said he'd be happy with keane but he made it clear barry was the priority signing. if he had control of the transfer budget he would've overspent on barry (like he has done this summer on johnson) and there would not have been any money to go after keane at spurs' asking price. it was rick parry's and/or the owners' decision to agree to pay the asking price for keane. to anyone who regularly watches or reads rafa's interviews this became increasingly clear at some point last season. but, here's a snippet from an article that supports this idea anyhow:

    The decision to buy the wandering Keane - he had played for five clubs by the age of 22 - at full price while baulking on the £18million wanted by Aston Villa for Gareth Barry still rankles with Benitez. When reminded he spent £20m on Keane, Benitez retorted: 'The club spent it.'

    -sam

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  17. I am perfectly aware that people say in public and private can be two separate things. However, how is this relevant? Are you suggesting that all of Rafa's praise for Keane was a lie? That he put on a show both before and after the purchase of Keane, and that he was actually seething inside? Come on, be serious.

    Whatever the dispute about valuation/the collapse of the Gareth Barry sale, it cannot be denied (in my opinion) that Benitez wanted to sign Keane and *did* sign Keane.

    As I said, we have to speculate on the available evidence, and I would argue that the available evidence suggests that Benitez did want Keane and was happy to sign him.

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  19. If someone can present *any* supporting evidence at all that indicates that Rick Parry signed Keane/had a major hand in signing Keane then I will gladly admit I am wrong.

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  20. Benitez wanted Barry as his first choice... When the Yanks and Parry did not want to spend so much money on the latter, Keane was proposed instead and Rafa did not have control over transfers at that time. Your exhibits are fine but you don't expect Rafa to come out in public after they signed Keane to say I did not want him, it's Parry who signed the guy :)

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  21. @Anon (3:14pm) - please provide supporting evidence for the following:

    "Benitez wanted Barry as his first choice... When the Yanks and Parry did not want to spend so much money on the latter, Keane was proposed instead and Rafa did not have control over transfers at that time."

    Do you have some inside information that none of us are privy too, or are you just regurgitating what you read in The Daily Mail?

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  22. I imagine Rafa wanted Barry. That move was not sanctioned. By Parry I presume. He then turned his attention to Keane who was available. Had a good look at him and decided he didn't have what it takes to perform at the very top level. So he got rid of him. Good management after a misguided investment. He made a mistake and rectified it immediately. Which is excellent from a managers point of view. Just remember Shevchenko at Chelsea. Reyes at Arsenal. The list is endless.

    I would like to know if the author has any good alternatives to Benitez? If you haven't got any solutions to your problem then you don't have any concept of what your asserting.

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  23. Not more than you have, except I don't make conclusions based on YouTube videos.

    N may I ask what is your supporting evidence for saying Parry did not sign Keane? Was it Benitez then who said ok let's sign Keane if we can't get Barry?

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  25. I'd have to agree that it was Benitez who signed Keane, and I'm still a little confused over what happened.
    What is true though, is that Keane's performances in the mighty red shirt were nothing less than awful. If it wasn't for a really bad Bolton side on boxing day, against whom he scored a brace, I would class it as disastorous. I've never seen anybody miss as many sitters as he did in such a short space of time.

    Let's concentrate on Keane's performance (or lack of it) for the club, rather than who was responsible for bringing him in the first place!!

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  27. Do you have a blog administrator working 24/7. Must be an expensive website to run, considering the amount of posts that need to be blocked on a constant basis. I guess you must have a huge sense of job satisfaction

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  28. @Anon - actually, once I enter the IP address into the comment moderation software, all future comments are automatically deleted bout 30 seconds after posting. So knock yourself out :-)

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  30. Constructive criticism is deleted in the same way.

    Then good old JK picks one or two comments and demands evidence to support them when the only 'evidence' he has is a few inconclusive press comments. Benitez wants the team to do well so he is unlikely to besmirch a player he has just signed in public.

    Everyone's opinion is equally valid unless it's Jk's in which case it's a little more equal.

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  31. ehhmm. Shevchenko?? without the approval of Mourinho??

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  32. Rafa wanted to sign Keane to fit into this formation:
    ................GK
    RB.......CB............CB........LB

    .............Macherano

    ....Gerrard.............Barry
    ...............Keane

    ...............Torres

    Without Barry, the formation is useless, as Alonso couldn't provide the width from the left. As we didn't sign Barry, Keane was useless, especially when we signed Riera, who was a much more dedicated attacking winger. People talk about what a disaster last summer was but we came second.

    In Rafa we trust x

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  33. Jaimie- Parry was responsible for negotiating the transfer fees and over the years we have been continually let down by Rick Parry on that front. Not turning up in Paris to speak to Malouda, failing to put the funding in place to sign Dani Alves for £9m only to then go and spend similar money on Jermaine Pennant. Clubs always always seem to do well out of Liverpool whether it comes to selling or buying. The only club I seem to remember doing us any favours is Leeds with Matteo and Fowler. I have no doubt that Benitez wanted Keane but £20M was a lot to pay for the player, what Benitez wanted really was to team up Keane with Gareth Barry- the understanding I have is that he agreed to spending the money on Keane on the proviso that he the money for Barry too- it was at that point that the owners stepped in and Parry was the liaison there. Keane may well have been a better acquisition had we been able to siugn Barry as well. I do agree that Benitez played a part in signing Keane- no manager will not meet a player before signing them and Benitiez seems to be very good at putting across his aims and ideas- look at Glen Johnson- fact of the matter is though is that Parry has a history of getting things wrong in transfer negotiations which is why he is no longer there which included paying over the odds for Keane. Benitez didnt negotiate that fee but I bet that had he been told it was Keane or Barry at the time, he would not have signed Keane for that amount of money.

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  34. Benitez does seem to have wanted Keane, I wouldn't dispute that.

    However, Keane failed at Liverpool. There is no real shame in that - it just is a fact of life. I watched nearly every game he played in a red shirt - and since I'm Irish and a Liverpool fan, I really wanted him to succeed. He didn't and he was very, very poor in the vast majority of games he played. That is the real issue.... he couldn't step up a level when required. In my view, he's one of those players with huge talent who is not fully in control of it. I felt sorry for him having such a short stay at Anfield. I don't think Rafa did Robbie many favours towards the end but he did himself absolutely none on the pitch.

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  35. @Anon: 3:35 - If Robbie Keane needs Gareth Barry to make him work, then something odd is afoot!!!

    Clutching at straws mate. I assume your still a teenager?

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  37. @Anonynous - 3.35pm. I totally agree that Parry has been a major hindrance over the years when it comes to negotiating transfers, but to go from that to legions of fans claiming that Parry actually signed Keane? That's a leap too far.

    And are we to believe that gareth Barry is somehow the magic key to bringing out the best in Keane, and that without Barry, Keane was somehow destined to failure? Surely no one really believes that...do they?

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  38. Steve - I only ever delete posts that contain insults. If people can't adhere to the comment policy then that's tough luck. if you want playground level sniping for the lowest common denominator, I suggest you head over to SixCrazyMinutes.com. Ask for Brendan. Tell him I sent you ;-)

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  39. @Anon - 3:36. I agree that Keane is partly to blame for his own downfall, and that is a shame. Benitez did him no favours though. If he'd shown him the kind of faith he shows Dirk Kuyt/didn't sub him everytime he scored/didn't sub/bench him in 28 of his 33 appearances, then I'm sure things would've been different for Keane.

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  40. Jaimie, can i ask what the your future myth busting articles will include?

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  41. I have a list of about 10 myths I want to tackle so far. I can't reveal them beforehand though. And the only one that involves Benitez is this one.

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  43. Jaimie- 3.46 comment- the fact that Keane was signed by Parry has only ever been a rumour in my eyes- I go to the game, I have a season ticket and people always say to me, 'rumour is, Parry signed Keane'. I have never heard anyone confirm it and in fact, I dont believe it, I believe that Parry fulfilled his role which was to negotiate fees, albeit a high one in this case. I also believe though that Benitez targeted Barry AND Keane. I dont agree that Keane was always doomed to failure- I think that he lacked the pace and stature to play in the way that we now play with Gerrard in behind Torres- not the skill though. Keane was a very skillful player. I think Keane's problems lay in the fact that Gerrard is so effective in the role behind Torres. We are set up to play that way with 4 in midfield of 2 holding players and 2 wide men. Its a protection to the back 4 that is offered with 2 full backs getting up in support. We dont play as effectively when we have Gerrard in midfield and play 2 up top as we havent had the partner to go with Fernando. This is one of the reasons why any forward player we bring in will not be an out and out striker in the way that Keane is. Had we still had Crouch, I believe Keane would have been effective for us as he would have played further forward and it will be interesting to see with Redknapp now whether Keane has more impact but I rather suspect Defoe will play there instead. Torres is a frontline striker though, not a support striker and I actually believe that he is so good at what he does that the only player who can have any kind of effect with him is a player of the highest calibre. There is a talent in top top players for picking out runs, speed, strength, skill and being able to read the game. Gerrard can do that, Villa can do that, I believe that someone like Silva could do that too but Torres can create so much on his own that he makes a 2nd striker look unnecessary which maybe explains why Keane looked a little lost- everything he usually does to create goals/score goals wasnt there at Liverpool because other players were already doing that job. Kuyt is learning his role, Riera finished the season strongly- we need to keep Masch and replace Alonso with a player of equal stature if we lose him. Wont be easy but I believe Rafa can do it. These calls though for Martinez from Bilbao- if we sign him, I dont see how Lucas will ever make it.

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  44. I'm glad there not all aimed at Benitez, it would be depressing.

    Keane:

    Parry had a hand in the affair but I agree that it was Rafa's choice. At least he got shot quickly for minimal loss, which takes balls, unlike some e.g. Fergie prolonged the agony for Veron for far too long, enjoyable as it was from my perspective.

    I thought Keane was a good signing until it became apparant that he couldnt score simple goals. My god that miss against West Brom:(

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  45. Anonymous-sam@3:11 made a good point which I feel has been missed.

    rafa wanted barry but was considered too expensive by the board/parry. rafa would have overpaid, as he has with johnson, to get the player he really wanted but the board didnt trust his judgement.

    they then sanctioned 20mill for keane which is way overpaying. When questioned on this amount rafa has been quoted as saying that the club spent that much not he.
    Not that he didnt want him but probably not at that price.

    Rafa, at the time, would only identify a target and parry would tie the deal up. So it would have been parry that "negotiated" the 20mill. I havent heard rafa say that he wanted keane at any price just that he is a good player etc.

    I would assume rafa only wanted a back up for gerrard and torres ( you have argued yourself we dont need an expensive forward sitting on the bench)and thought keane would fit the bill.

    But after spending 20 mill keane was expected by everyone, not involved with the club, to be playing week in week out. Everytime he was left out or subbed off rafa had to answer numerous questions.

    If he hadnt had such a huge price tag none of that would have happened - it didnt matter that he wasnt playing very well he cost 20mill. If voronin stays this season rafa wont have to field the same questions because he isnt expected to play, he didnt cost 20 mill.

    So I feel that rafa did want keane but then the club ( it is they that negotiated the deal) created a problem by spending so much on him. Couple this with the fact that they wouldnt spend 18mill on rafas 1st choice target , Barry, and you can see why he was a bit put out.

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  46. you keep bashing kuyt when he has more than proved his worth last season. rafa kept faith because kuyt gave him every reason to. He has now repaid that faith in spades.

    There was no more effective wide man in the whole of the league last year.

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  47. having discussed this topic with robbie keanes brother who plays with fettercairn utd who are a sunday league teamwhich robbie is life president he made it quite obvious it was rick parry who signed keane that is a fact pal

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  48. Great - Thanks for clearing that up :-)

    If you can get Robbie Keane's 'brother' to go on the record with this information then maybe I'll believe it.

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  49. Brando - I would definitely agree with your analysis. Parry can be blamed for overpaying on Keane but to say that he signed Keane is just, IMO, inaccurate. Rafa identified Keane as a potential signing; undoubtedly wanted him and played a huge part in the signing process, albeit at an inflated price.

    None of this excuses the poor treatment of Keane though.

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  50. I didnt say that parry had signed keane or that rafa didnt want him.

    Forget keanes transfer fee for a minute and consider why rafa wanted him. Like I said I think he wanted him as backup. He was never going to displace gerrard or torres.

    Ngog and probably voronin are going to fill that role this season. if they are in and out of the team, playing as sub and not playing week in week out no one will bat an eyelid. No one will feel they have been mistreated, as you insist keane was. They would just be doing their job of filling in.

    rafa couldnt use keane in the role he wanted him for because of the huge sum the club/parry had paid for him.

    Every press conference turned into the "robbie keane question time" because of his huge price tag - why did you sub him?, why isnt he playing?

    Keane then didnt deliver when he did get the chance which didnt help his cause.

    If he had really grabbed the bull by the horns( like bennyonions at the end of last season) there wouldnt have been such a problem.
    Instead he allowed his frustration to show several times when subbed off, shaking his head etc.

    he wasnt happy being a squad player - the role he was bought for. the issue was clouded by the fee the club payed.

    So rafa did all he could to rectify the situation by shipping him out whilst we could still get most of the money back.

    I fully beleive that we would have done much worse in the rest of the season if we had kept him and tried to accomodate him.

    he would have got more frustrated and we wouldnt have got anywhere near the money back that we did.

    I feel he was a victim of circumstances and that the club/parry are more to blame for his failure than rafa - simply because they paid way too much for what rafa saw as a squad player.

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  51. Brando - I see what you're saying, but how does the mere fact that Keane had an inflated price tag have any bearing on how Benitez used him in the team?

    Irrespective of the price, Benitez still had the chance to try and get the best out of Keane. An inflated price tag does not change the fact that benitez wanted Keane before a price was even agreed. In his many statements on the issue, Benitez frequently referred to Keane's 'game intelligence' and how clever a player he was.

    Does all this suddenly change because Liverpool paid over the odds? I would argue no.

    Benitez created the problem himself by even considering Keane in the first place. With the Gerrard/Torres partnership working and the preference for one up front, buying a player of Keane's stature - a first team player his entire career - was extremely ill advised.

    Furthermore, Benitez did not learn from hiw own experience; Crouch did not like sitting on the bench, and he ended up leaving. Why then go and buy another player who would obviously want to play all the time?! It makes no sense.

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  52. Jaimie

    You have stated that thre is no evidence that Parry signed Keane over Benitez's wishes. In attempting to debunk this "myth", you have provided absolutely zero evidence that he didn't.
    All you have done is use the same proofs as those who perpetuate the "myth" - personal interpretation of certain events and statements. You accuse others of "reading between the lines" and then proceed to do the same yourself.

    That's called hypocrisy.

    I'm Irish, and a major Robbie Keane fan. I was delighted when he signed for LFC, believing he had the quality to take us forward, and I was GUTTED when it didn't work out.

    But it's in the past now. It's only an issue here because you persist in using the "Keane affair" as a stick to beat Rafa Benitez in your desire to see him replaced by a man who has won nothing of any significance in football - and by significant, I mean what I like to call the "majors" of club football - Champions League, English, Italian and Spanish Leagues.

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  53. Murph - it is not hypocrisy in the slightest.

    I have presented evidence that allows us to credibly infer that Benitez:

    1. Wanted Robbie Keane before signing him
    2. Was happy to sign Keane
    3. Played a major role in bringing Keane to the club
    4. Had very specific ideas about how he would use Keane

    Improbable conspiracy theories aside, my 'personal interpretation' is objectively the only interpretation. Benitez's statements on the issue are unambiguously clear.

    Conversely, there is no evidence *whatsoever* to suggest that Rick Parry signed Robbie Keane. No statements. interviews etc. Nothing.

    I think setting the record straight *based on the available evidence* is important, as this - and many other myths about the club - serve no positive purpose.

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  54. Are you a Manc?

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  55. Gosh, I've never been accused of that before! How stunningly insightful of you. *applause*

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  56. Can someone please explain why we are talking about this??

    Why is this even relevant right now?

    Ed.

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  57. and I would argue that the price tag does make a difference. Rafa did have a clear idea how he wanted to use him and that was as a squad player. 20 mill was too much to pay for such a role. that was not his fault but the fault of the club/parry.

    It put too much pressure on keane and rafa - keane to perform and rafa to play him more often than he wanted to ( as well as having to defend each and every descision he made regarding keane)

    How did he not try and get the best out of him anyway? You say this because he subbed him and didnt play him every game?

    Rafa saw him as a squad player and gave him ample oppurtunity to prove himself in this role.

    Would you have said ngog or voronin had been mistreated if they had played as much as keane? I say no

    would you have critised them if they had played as bad as keane did? I say yes.

    Its all down to the size of the transfer fee.

    Rafa wanted someone with more experience than ngog to fill in for gerrard and torres. Keane had a good but not spectacular record so seemed to fit the bill.

    The only mistake rafa made was underestimating keanes desire to play for lfc.
    You would have thought he would have done everthing thing in his power to play for the team he supported as a boy, even if it meant warming the bench sometimes. He wasnt happy doing this. Coupled with his lack of form ( and attitude when being subbed) and rafa had no choice but to let him go.

    I feel the huge fee had a tremendus impact on the whole situation and that wasnt rafas fault.

    So parry didnt actually buy keane without rafas blessing but the club/parry complicated matters by paying way over the odds, whilst at the same time denying rafa the funds to buy barry.

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  58. @ed - its not relevant at all but jaimie likes to drag up anything to bash rafa.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Ah OK thanks anon...surely you have a response to this crazy suggestion JK?

    Ed.

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  60. Correcting inaccurate rumours is always relevant, especially when they are being proliferated on and offline at an alarming rate. As much as I'm glad Parry is gone, the contention that he went over Benitez's head and signed Keane by himself is just wrong. Isn't it better to try and get to the truth...?

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  61. Jaimie

    You keep asking for proof while providing none yourself.

    That's a good working definition of hypocrisy - as is your dismissal as those who disagree with you as cretins, given that, were I to suggest that you were a cretin for holding your opinions, my post would be deleted.

    The fact is that none of us KNOW the full story of Robbie Keane's time at LFC - even Robbie himself is unlikely to know everything. The only people who KNOW are Parry and Benitez, and as they aren't talking, anything else is, in the end, meaningless hot air.

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  62. Murph - just because you keep saying I haven't provided evidence doesn't make it so. I *did* provide evidence, but you refuse to accept that. Benitez saying he wanted Keane, took part in signing Keane and was very happy he signed is evidence of Benitez's intention and state of mind.

    If this was a court case and I had to prove *beyond a reasonable doubt* that Benitez signed Keane, the evidence I've advanced above would be 100% more persuasive and effective than the rumour and hearsay that constitutes the 'evidence' that Parry signed Keane.

    We can only work with the available evidence, and what is available is what I have posted above. And it is clearly pretty conclusive in many ways. Unless you're suggesting that Benitez's own words mean absolutely nothing...?

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  63. [Columbo]Just one more thing...[/Columbo] I never slag off people who disagree with me. Ever. An anonymous poster asked if I was a Manc. I responded by saying I was a Man Against Net Cretins (MANC). Big deal! This is very far from what you're suggesting, which is that I call people who disagree with my football views 'cretins'.

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  64. lets move on & discuss MJs doctor - at least that's recent tittle tattle....

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  65. It wasn't MJ's doctor that killed him; It was Benitez. I just can't understand how the DEA hasn't stormed his office at Anfield yet.

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  66. Your point that parry didnt sign him without rafas blessing is of course correct. But I really dont see how this is such a big problem.

    All youve proved with your videos is rafa wanted keane.
    You say rafa treated him badly but I have posted a more than reasonable explanation of events as I see them.

    So what exactly is the point of trying to get to the truth when nobody knows what the truth is ( other than rafa wanted him)? Especially when it is all ancient history and nobody really cares anymore.

    ( Ive also posted a response to your kuyt comment in the other thread)

    I bet I can guess some of the other myths you are going to "bust" ( cough)

    You will argue
    1. manu havent spent more than us.
    2. rafas team he inherited of off houllier wasnt crap
    3.rafa isnt a good manager
    4. gerrard isnt world class
    5. you cant compare fergies early years with rafas

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  67. Brando - I'll respond to your other points when I have more time, but for now I'll just say that you're wrong about the other myths I want to tackle, apart from one: Rafa's inherited team wasn't crap. I don't think it was.

    First, I wouldn't argue that Man U haven't spent more than us. What's the point? I don't care either way. I've already posted about Rafa and Fergies's early years. I wouldn't argue that Rafa isn't a good manager; he obviously is, and I don't dispute that. I just don't think he's the right long term option for Liverpool.

    As for Gerrard not being world class - I wouldn't label that as a myth because he is on the cusp of being world class. If Gerrard is a dominant force at the next world cup I think he could legitimately be labelled world class.

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  68. Jaimie - Didn't Birmingham sign a player named Benitez without the approval of McLeish? Didn't McLeish say that he would have to see him play in person first?

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  69. I was (half) joking with my list as I have seen your opinions on nearly all of them before ( and disagreed with all of them:)

    I even wrote the last comment ( 12:38 may 14th)as anon in your
    "Change the record, Tomkins. There's no credible comparison between Ferguson and Benitez’s early years" article.

    Still waiting for a reply on that one;)

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  70. @garvin - you are correct and sheva at chelsea.
    necastle with wise doing the buying for keegan aswell. This does go on.

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  71. First thing's first Parry was a muppet from the start - Chief exec of the Premier League when it first started - and leaked information to sky to take rights away from terrestrial TV - bent as a 2 bob note. As for your argument that no chief exec buys players without a manager's consent - hello? Newcastle and Wise spring to mind for a start! Laudrup @ chelsea etc etc! Parry wouldnt sanaction 18 mill for Barry as it wasn't good value yet he promptly spent 20 mill on Keane - doesn't sound like Benitez's doing to me somehow. ASH

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  72. somehow reading all the comments and info brought here i have to say Jaimie in a court of Law,your circmstantial evidence would lose to the evidence put forward in the comments.

    Posters have effectively shown that signings can indeed take place without the manager knowing a thing.

    As the previous poster just noted - it i indeed curious that Parry would veto the Barry move @ 18mil but sanction the Keane move @ 20mil even though its is clear that Rafa was more interested in barry than Keane.

    What manager would come out and say that he doesn't want the player they just signed. Very few if any. So all that talk about Rafa quotes and press conferences goes out the door.

    As usual u always seem to have a tough time making ur case against Rafa. And its incorrect to say that those that support Rafa agree with everything he has done. Quite the contrary. I for one dont agree completely with is handling of Babel, nor do i agree with his tactics in some games. But when u look at the BODY OF WORK, which is what we should be looking at here, the manager has done well for the ENTIRE CLUB. No doubt u'll keep firing away though

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  73. "Rafa wanted Keane"

    Prove it, please.

    Rafa comments about Keane after we signed him are irrelevant. What a hell whas he supposed to say? "Sorry Robbie I didnt want you. I wanted Barry, but Parry didnt allowe me to buy a player I wanted"? Rafa has had to find positives from the situation. Find me any evidence Rafa tried to buy Keane.

    The truth is Rafa didn't control transfers at that time. If think he did, please try to explain why he didnt buy Barry. He desperatly wanted Barry, didnt he?

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  74. Hahahaha very funny.

    Kanwar. I pity you lad. When you talked about Rafa waste 30million money on "wasteless player", they crucify you by saying you "don't have any proof" or "get your fact" right.

    Now you have proof about Rafa they said "who cares" let's move on...

    Come on you guys. Rafa did MADE THAT MISTAKE. Don't get me wrong, I swear I am and forever be Liverpudlians but like I said in my last comment, "fact is a fact"

    Good point Kanwar...respect

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  75. The recent negotiations over Rafas contract was because he didn't have the power over buying players. Rafa has consistently, publicly, criticized the club over how we negotiate and conduct transfers.



    The week after we sold Keane, here is, word for word, what Rafa said in press conferences :

    Press : Was Keane your signing ?
    Rafa : He is a good player

    Press : But you spent £20mill on him
    Rafa : The club spent £20mill on him. If a club spends £20mill it should be the manager who decides if it is £20mill on one player or £20mill on four players.

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  76. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  77. If things were the same as last summer, with Parry still in charge of transfers, we would have taken £18mill and a tube of smarties for Xabi back in May and missed out to Chelsea over Johnson, because we wouldn't have paid that much for a defender.

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  78. @wackozacko

    I'm very happy I made you laught. I like when people are happy.

    Now. Can you prove Rafa really rated Keane b e f o r e we signed him or not.

    I can easily find proofs Rafa wanted Barry. Can you find proofs he wanted Keane?

    A gaffer praising a player he already has in a team is not a proof the gaffer wanted to sign that player.

    It's a manager duty to boost up a player's confidence, and make player feel wanted. If Rafa wouldnt do that after Keane was signed I would accuse him of sabotaging our chances.

    This proofs you have is a regular manager's bull **** when manager tries to motivate a player.

    Enjoy your day and have LOL.

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  79. Samsamire - you are in denial ;-)

    In my article, I posted this quote from benitez:

    "We were looking for a player with game intelligence and good movement who could play alongside Torres. He can play with Torres up front and also on the right.

    "We knew he was a Liverpool fan since forever. We knew that he was a very good signing in terms of the commitment, the quality and the intelligence of the player".

    Benitez speaks in the past tense, i.e. he is talking about why he was interested in the player in the first place; his thought process when he was making up his mind to try and bring Keane to Liverpool.

    There are lots of other quotes from various sources on the net similar to the quotes I've posted. Look them up.

    Benitez wanted Keane; that is indisputable.

    If benitez *didn't* want Keane, prove it.

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  80. @Jamie Kanwar

    "you are in denial"

    Thank you for a free of charge psychological advise. That's very kind of you.

    "If benitez *didn't* want Keane, prove it."

    Onus probandi is lying on you not me. I dont belive there are any proofs unless someone recorded board talks. There are clues. You showed some - claiming they are proofs - and I question them. It's not my duty to proove - it's yours.

    I understand you have not a proof of Rafas vital interested in Keane before we signed him. In virtually any other case a major player buy for any team (Barca, Real, MU, Chelsea, whoever) I can find some clues a manager is interested (if he is of course). Check any this summer transfer and you will discover amazing regularity: managers do prise players before they sign. If they want them. This time it was different. Its a major clue for me.

    "In my article, I posted this quote from benitez:"

    OK. Lets assume it's a proof. Rafa would never said this if he wouldnt want Keane.

    I'm sure you can tell me what a good gaffa would say if he wouldn't like to buy a particular major player and the player was bought anyway. What would you expect a good gaffa to say? A manager who doesnt want to undermine a player's confidence and doesnt want to show his weakness?

    I tell you what I would say. Exactly the same as Rafa did. I would swallow the contempt and tried to change transfer system.

    But It would be a proof I wanted Keane.

    Tell me what exactly would you expect from Rafa if he didnt want Keane.

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  81. Samsamire - still in denial I see. Well, here is yet more proof that Benitez wanted Keane *before* signing him, as reported by 'The Times' om the 19th July 2008:

    "Keane is also one of the names we are interested in, and we are still working on other possible situations. There has been some contact [over Keane] but we will have to see how things progress.

    "Keane is clearly a player that has game intelligence and we are looking for players who can fit into our systems and improve the team.”

    Article from 'The Times'

    This is yet more unambiguous, irrefutable proof that Benitez wanted Keane before signing him.

    Or are you going to dispute this too? ;-)

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  82. "This is yet more unambiguous, irrefutable proof that Benitez wanted Keane before signing him. "

    Yes, this one is more like a proof.

    See Jaimie - if you try you can. The other staff you put in your article as "proofs" is useless, but this one is ok.

    Thank you.

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  83. somehow reading all the comments and info brought here i have to say Jaimie in a court of Law,your circmstantial evidence would lose to the evidence put forward in the comments.

    Posters have effectively shown that signings can indeed take place without the manager knowing a thing.

    As the previous poster just noted - it i indeed curious that Parry would veto the Barry move @ 18mil but sanction the Keane move @ 20mil even though its is clear that Rafa was more interested in barry than Keane.

    What manager would come out and say that he doesn't want the player they just signed. Very few if any. So all that talk about Rafa quotes and press conferences goes out the door.

    As usual u always seem to have a tough time making ur case against Rafa. And its incorrect to say that those that support Rafa agree with everything he has done. Quite the contrary. I for one dont agree completely with is handling of Babel, nor do i agree with his tactics in some games. But when u look at the BODY OF WORK, which is what we should be looking at here, the manager has done well for the ENTIRE CLUB. No doubt u'll keep firing away though

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  84. jaimie - Ive already asked what is the point of this article? Of course you are correct that rafa wanted keane but...

    But several newspapers at the time reported that rafa didnt want him. they probably reached this conclusion from the quote from rafa that jacksj1 posted above -

    Press : Was Keane your signing ?
    Rafa : He is a good player

    Press : But you spent £20mill on him
    Rafa : The club spent £20mill on him. If a club spends £20mill it should be the manager who decides if it is £20mill on one player or £20mill on four players.

    If you take the line "The club spent 20mill" then that can easily be interpreted as "I didnt buy him , the club did" or parry did.

    This was splashed across newspaper headlines and across the net so , naturally, a lot of people will believe that to be true. Where else are they supposed to get their information from? I am not saying I beleive all that shit but a lot of people take it as gospel.

    If you take the rest of the quote into consideration i beleive he was saying " I wanted the right to spend that 20 mill as I see fit, not all on a squad player" .

    This would tie in with the explanation of the situation as I have stated in my other comments above - yes he wanted him , as a squad player, but didnt really want to spend 20mill on him.

    All youve really proved is that rafa wanted keane and people believe what they read in the papers and on the net.

    I dont see how this is such a big issue and it certainly doesnt reflect badly on rafa. I also dont see why it is such a big "myth" that needed "busting", there was no conspiracy or anything just people believing what was written.

    If anything it just hilights why he wanted more control over how the available money should be spent.

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  85. sorry just to add to my last comment - you said in the original article that "...there are no lines in which to read between."

    well rafa saying "the club bought him" is certainly open to misinterpretation (sp?)

    look forward to your reply.

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  86. I think you miss the point with this post.

    You are obviously not going to find an official quote on the internet that backs up the Rick Parry overspent on Keane story.

    But this story did come from people inside the club and that is how it ended up in the newspapers.

    I know this because I am a journalist myself and I am friends with people that report on LFC.

    Obviously, Benitez wanted Keane in the first place, as the quotes you highlight illustrate.

    But it was up to Parry to negotiate the deal and the amount spent was much more than Benitez expected.

    When a journalist runs with a story like this you can't expect him to out his source.

    It just doesn't work like that.

    Take Alonso handing in a transfer request - so far there's no quotes to back it up - but it is widely accepted as being true.

    And as Alonso has not been talking to English journalists for some time it is not too difficult to work out the source.

    Cheers

    Please take a look at my sites: Well Red and LFCBet

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  87. I agree totally Jaimie. If Rafa had not have signed Keane he would have been on the next flight to Madrid. "I asked for a table and they brought me a lamp" - his reason for walking out on Valencia. Rafa is stubborn and would not have tolerated interference from Parry to the extent of signing players he didn't want himself. I believe the myth arose as Benitez signed Keane as a priority over Barry. Rafa would have liked Barry first (hence Xabi has just handed in a transfer requested as a result of last summers fiasco). What fails me is why having signed him he discarded Keane so quickly.

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  88. Robbo - thanks for your comments. I don't think I've missed the point at all; many people on this thread have tried to turn my argument into something it isn't, i.e. the overspending issue.

    The aim of my article was to debunk the following myths:

    a) Benitez didn't want Keane
    b) Keane was signed by Parry without Benitez's consent

    These myths are increasingly being adopted by Liverpool fans as fact.

    The overspending issue is completely separate to the above. I agree that Liverpool overpaid for Keane and that Parry is probably responsible . However, this does not in any way, shape or form mean that Parry signed Keane. The proven fact is, Benitez identified Keane as an option; pursued him; clearly wanted to sign him and was the driving force behind bringing him to the club.

    Parry didn't identify the player and try and lure him to the club; he just negotiated the price.

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  89. Garvin - you're kidding, right? Since when is an explicit, unambiguous statement leaving no room for misunderstanding 'circumstantial'?

    Before Keane signed, Rafa stated explicitly on a number of occasions that he was interested in the player? Was he just lying?! If so, for what possible reason?

    Benitez pursued Keane so aggressively that Liverpool had to pay Tottenham compensation! (in the form of a donation).

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  90. Further to that, the other aspect of the story was that Parry was said not to have fancied Barry but was a fan of Keane, so therefore played 'God' in effect with Benitez's transfer budget, blowing it on Keane so he couldn't get Barry.

    But, yes, on reflection, maybe you haven't missed the point, Jamie.

    Because there is absolutely no doubt at all that Benitez wanted to buy Keane.

    He just wanted Barry as well!

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  91. Brando - the point of the article is to refute the Parry/Keane myth, which is growing exponentially and becoming fact amongst some Liverpool fans. it might not matter to you but this kind of gross inaccuracy annoys the crap out of me (!) especially when it is accepted without question despite its obvious improbability.

    You state that "Several newspapers at the time reported that rafa didnt want him". Prove it. Find one article that reports this and post a link.

    Also, I think you'll find the quotes posted by jacks1 are fake. If they're not, please find the article/interview in which Benitez says those words and post the link.

    The only thing Benitez said about the fee was the following (in response to an observation that he was not utilising a £20m player enough:

    "The club spent £20m on him."

    This was reported in The Independent' on the 1 Feb 2009.

    I never suggested that any of this reflected badly on Rafa; it doesn't. What *does* reflect badly on him is disgraceful treatment of Keane once the transfer had gone through.

    The inflated fee had nothing to do with Keane's ability or Benitez's decision to substitute him/bench him in 28 of his 33 appearances. It had no bearing on Benitez dumping Keane on the bench after every game in which he scored.

    Benitez set Keane up to fail as part of his plan to oust Parry from the club. Since Parry sactioned the fee, he wanted Keane to fail so the failure reflected on Parry. That way, he could argue that Parry had wasted £20m of the club's money. of course, I can't prove that but I believe it 100%.

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  92. Mark - I agree with you. If Keane had been bought over Benitez's head he would've made a big deal out of it and we would definitely have known about it. I mean, it's not like he's hidden his feelings for the board in the past, is it ;-)

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  93. What I knew about the situation from work last summer: Keane was on a list of Rafa's potential transfer targets, but was behind Barry on that list. Rafa was very happy when he signed Keane (a Premier League proven striker with over 100 goals for Spurs, and not a bad player overnight), but if he had the choice of having Barry and not Keane or Keane and not Barry then he'd have gone for the former. Had Alonso gone to Juventus (he was hours away from doing so) then both Barry and Keane would have been signed. Preliminary negotiations had taken place with Keane for weeks before he actually signed (remember Spurs' tapping up claims?) but these were all aimed at making Keane ask for a move and lower his price (Alonso and Real anyone?), as Rafa still had the deal on the back-burner, focussing on Barry. In Rafa's ideal world he'd have sold Alonso and signed Barry and a striker, of which Keane was a choice. Once Rafa accepted there was no chance of getting the money for Barry (i.e. Martin O'Neill being a psycho) he asked for a little extra money for Keane. The club, i.e. the board and NOT JUST RICK PARRY, were happier to give the money for Keane than they were for Barry because they thought that the striking department was more important to improve, and rightly so. The club rubber-stamped it and everyone was happy. Until Keane played of course...

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  94. "The club spent £20m on him."
    jaimie - take your blinkers off for a second and read that quote again.

    doesnt that in some way imply that rafa didnt buy him?

    I am not saying that IS what he meant - Ive already stated you are correct in that rafa wanted him. I am just pointing out that is how some people could understand that statement.

    Surly you can see that some people might have interpreted it that way?

    Just found this article which proves my point.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1133129/Spurs-end-Keanes-Anfield-misery-Rafa-admits-I-didnt-signing.html;jsessionid=DE2BC101C9DAABA7D49C52999E3227BE

    The headline reads -
    "Spurs to end Keane's Anfield misery - I didn't even sanction the £20m transfer in the first place, admits angry Benitez"

    and in the body of the text - "Benitez indicated last night that he had not sanctioned paying £20m for Keane, insisting: 'The club spent it.'"

    so anybody reading that COULD think that rafa didnt buy him, the writer certainly spelt it out that way.

    I know its only the daily mail but I only spent 5 mins looking. Also the story would have been picked up by fan sites and blogs and printed as fact.

    Like I said I am not saying that is what happened ( rafa not sanctioning the deal)but just how easily a quote can be twisted and put out there.

    It didnt matter if jacks1 full quote was wrong the important bit , which has caused all the problem, was correct - "The club spent £20m on him."

    Re his "disgracefull treatment" of keane -

    You havent answered my earlier question of whether you would have felt ngog or voronin would have been mistreated if they had played as much as keane or been subbed a lot if they had played as badly as keane?

    I dont think you would ( you will probably just say "yes you would" to prove a childish point).
    They would have been just doing their job as a stand in striker for gerrard and torres.

    But because it was keane with his 20mill price tag this wasnt acceptable. He had to play and never (very rarely) be subbed.

    I have found this quote of rafa as reported by CHRIS BASCOMBE
    http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/151117/ROBBIE-KEANE-IS-AXED-Harry-Redknapp-to-make-new-move-for-dumped-Liverpool-ace.html

    "The club spent £20m on Keane. As soon as you sign the player, he is just another player. You don't think about the price. The only difference between the players is their salaries. On the pitch, they are the same."

    Again i know its not the most reliable source ( you could probably find video of rafa saying this but I cant be arsed to look:)

    So if it is correct rafa is saying - keane is just a normal squad player.

    Does bennyonions complain when he is taken off or left out?

    do they say it is a humiliating snub like they did with keane?

    No they dont because he didnt cost 20mill.

    (ok bennyonions had a little moan earlier but then pulled his socks up, got on with it and has been rewarded with a new contract.

    The same could have happened with keane. But he wasnt happy/ couldnt adapt to being subb/ed and showed his displeasure whenever his number was held up.)

    So , again, the fee had a huge impact. 20 mill on a squad player was way too much, that wasnt rafas fault. rafa tried to not let the 20mill price tag stand in the way ,and used him like he would have any other SQUAD player, and gets accused of mistreating him.

    Your notion that rafa used keane as some pawn in his bid to get rid of parry is even more ridiculous than parry buying keane against rafas wishes.

    You say "this kind of gross inaccuracy annoys the crap out of me" whist writing an even more way out theory without any shred of evidence anywhere.

    I know you admit you cant prove it but you believe it to be fact.

    Ive just explained how easy it is for wild theories to spread and here you are writing one of the wildest almost as fact.

    You talk of these myths that need busting whilst trying to start your own.

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  95. New season just round the corner.

    I hope we can "19" this year. Looking forward to it.

    Benitez is the best manager for Liverpool. I will bet all my money on Paddy (hehe) that Klinsmann will become the worst manager in the history of Liverpool if the yanks bring them in.

    @ Kanwar
    Spot on lad. I know you support Rafa as well, but when there's time to comment, you comment without being prejudice.

    I respect Rafa, always a coolheaded guy. But the "Keane Mystery" was a huge failure. Keane can only play with "Moan"rinho.

    You got the proof, you present the proof & that's makes a different between Editor & Sketchboys.hahaha

    "In Rafa I trust" & I will forever & ever. But if Man U become the first to hit 19 and become KING OF ENGLAND, I hope Rafa has a magic up his sleeves…& hope he stay to continue the fight

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  96. @wackozacko - sorry but you make no sense

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  97. @anon

    I make no sense? which country are you from? end of the world? a tiny island next to iceland?

    Man U already LEVELED our record. wake up you anon.

    This season is CRUCIAL for us. which team can emerge victorious and claim the title can BRAG for a YEAR! and I hope (i really hope) it's us.

    In Rafa We Trust. And I trust him that this year we will be champions! Not Carling, Not FA, Not CL, but BPL.

    I love Liverpool as the same as the millions (and millions) of the Fans in the world, but I'm not blinded by the fact that if this season FERGIE (F**K him) win the title again, we will have our rights...to brag...

    Or maybe you anon is a MAN U fan.

    Why I make no sense? or are you still living in Shankly or Paisley era?

    Better set your alarm clock lad...cause you are way behind fact...

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  98. jaimie - you asked me to post an article that proved that it was reported that rafa didnt want keane . Well I have above. I suppose that isnt proof enough though.

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  99. Both Shevchenko and Ballack were apparently bought above Jose Moaninhos head.

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  100. Jaimie,

    You may have presented "evidence" to suggest what you want it to be, but you still do not know for certain what actually happened, do you?

    Doesn't matter how many quotes or you tube videos you source, you was not there, therefore you can not make an informed choice that isnt going to be classed as reading between the lines, or second gussing of what someone might or might not be saying/thinking.

    Everything you come up with will be based on guess work from a broken puzzle.

    You cant claim to have "presented evidence that allows us to CREDIBLY infur that..."

    you have selected a small amount of what possible evidence could be used, and then proceeded to base your opinion on detective work and a serious lack of real information.

    Just feels like your dragging this tired story out for no other reason than to get people agreeing that Rafa is somehow at fault for what happened with Keane.

    When in reality he wasnt.
    <div>I have presented evidence that allows us to credibly infer that

    Read more: <span>http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2009/07/debunking-liverpool-fc-myths-no-1-rick.html#ixzz0V5uwNvZR</span>
    </div>

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  101. Sorry - WHO flogged Owen for £8m??? Parry? Don't make me laugh.
    And the Vidic deal? Ask Rafa (no friend of Parry's) about how much Vidic wanted to play for Liverpool.
    Ian Ayre's commercial nous has seen ordinary fans deprived of tickets so that the corporate side can be fed. If that's the 'commercialism' - the financial savvy -  you want at the FOOTBALL CLUB, then you are welcome to it. 

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