Contract Thriller
Friday, January 16th, 2009
News is breaking that Rafa has declined the terms of his latest contract offer from the club. Here’s Tony Barrett’s piece on the Echo website:
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/01/16/no-deal-stunner-as-rafa-benitez-rejects-anfield-contract-offer-liverpool-fc-latest-100252-22708319/
Now… I can’t claim to have ever played poker to any kind of level (beyond squabbling for 2p pieces in the School common room), but anyone who’s played a high stakes game of this kind will be pulling their chair up for an interesting exchange of bluff, counter-bluff, and ongoing brinkmanship from one of the shrewdest political operators in the business.
Anyone who’s been in any doubt over Rafa’s motives in managing Liverpool Football Club should take note. It’s not the money that in question. It’s not the duration that’s in question. It’s the fact that an ambitious manager wants authority and empowerment to take decisive action when he needs to in the pursuit of his footballing vision.
It’s the long-term project that our manager cares about most, and it’s that more than anything else that we should count ourselves grateful for in a time when the motives and competence of other key stakeholders at the club have continually been called into question.
Rafa’s not scared of losing his job - he’s prepared to hold his ground and be brave to get what he needs, and by extension what we all need for this club in the long-term.

“Now there are two qualifiers at the start of the season. It’s crazy. This is not just a problem for Liverpool, but all the big clubs.