Rick Parry and Rafa Benitez hold clear the air talks
RAFA BENITEZ and Rick Parry have held clear the air talks in a bid to draw a line under the fallout from the Gareth Barry saga.
The Liverpool manager met his chief executive at Anfield in a meeting which was described as “positive” by both parties.
Their working relationship has come under intense strain over the last week as the chances of the Reds doing a deal with Aston Villa for Barry have receded considerably.
Benitez remains deeply frustrated over the club’s inability to secure one of his main targets for the summer and over the weekend his exasperation saw him question the speed at which Liverpool do deals, a jibe which many believed was aimed at Parry.
But he has since learned that the failure to sign Barry was not Parry’s responsibility and has now accepted that the decision not to pursue the deal at Villa’s £18m asking price was down to the club’s hierarchy as a whole. American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett had decreed that the 27-year-old does not meet their value expectations.
There were fears within the corridors of power at Anfield that the relationship between Parry and Benitez was beyond repair but cordiality has now been restored and the duo are working together to try and ensure the additions Benitez wants to make to his squad are in place before the transfer window closes on September 1st.
Benitez told the ECHO: “Clear the air talks have taken place.
“It was a positive discussion and we will now move forward together.“
Parry added: “I can confirm that we had a friendly and positive meeting and we’re moving forward.”
The Reds boss will not completely give up hope of signing Barry until the window closes and Villa manager Martin O’Neill has admitted the future of his club captain is still to be resolved.
But unless there is a dramatic change of heart by Hicks and Gillett - or Xabi Alonso is sold for a considerable fee - it remains highly unlikely Liverpool will meet Villa’s asking price.
O’Neill, though, has still not closed the door on the possibility of a deal being done.
He said: “We want him to stay I think that’s obvious.
“I think the fans want him to stay and for the length of time it has gone on it is hard to pre-empt anything. At this minute it’s not completely resolved.”
Liverpool, though, are currently focusing their attentions on bringing in a left-sided midfielder with both Albert Riera and Stewart Downing mooted.
Alonso, meanwhile, continued his positive start to the season with a double strike in Spain’s 3-0 win over Denmark last night.
Robbie Keane also got his name on the score sheet as the Republic of Ireland drew 1-1 with Norway.
rafa同佩利有個meeting
之後就話係positive and friendy...
咁具體內容係乜呢?
不過如果冰釋前嫌, 都係百利而無一害既
rafa仍未放棄買巴利
奧尼爾亦open the door
但而家問題係兩位老闆唔肯俾錢喇... |
發表於 2008-8-22 09:58 AM
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