Liverpool-Kop

Amazing England hammer Slovenia in one of the World Cup's greatest ever performances!

2010-06-23T17:42:00.017+01:00

In one of the most brilliant performances in the history of the World Cup, England's array of world class players easily dispatched Slovenia (population 2m) with a breathtaking masterclass of awe-inspiring attacking football, the quality of which surpassed even the magnificent World Cup-winning Brazil team of 1970. After such a mind-blowing, spectacular result, England must now be odds-on favourites to dominate the tournament and bring home the World Cup.

After two truly abject performances (admittedly against Algeria and the USA, two recognised giants of the international game), England had a point to prove, and prove it they did! Despite Slovenia's status as one of the toughest, skillful teams in world football, they were easily brushed aside by the staggering genius of Steven Gerrard, the imcomparable skill of Wayne Rooney, and the unmatched passing range of Frank Lampard.

Gerrard's prophecy that Rooney could 'make the world cup his own...like Pele and Maradona' started to come true as the Manchester United player dominated the game with an array of mind-boggling skills that Pele and Maradona could only dream about when they were in their prime.

Just consider the the magnitude of the achievement: England have beaten the amazing, previously unbeatable SLOVENIA, the smallest nation at the World Cup! Hard to believe, isn't it? How many teams can lay claim to such an achievement? And to finish 2nd in what is clearly a group of death is just...well, words fail me.

It is obvious that England are now the clear favourites to win the tournament. Forget the likes of Brazil, Argentina and Spain - England are in a different league, and with the world’s greatest players in Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry and Cole, it's theirs to lose.

After the game, Steven Gerrard - the most inspirational England captain in the history of the national team - summed up the mood in the England camp:

"We're not getting carried away, but we fear no one. Why should we? This is England. Beating Slovenia is a magic achievement, and the tournament is ours to lose now. The whole team is floating on air at the moment - Wazza was our Pele today, John was our Beckenbauer, and Frank was our Zidane, and as the tournament progresses, you will see our players surpass the greats of yesteryear and show that we are the greatest players ever to wear the England shirt".

Frank Lampard added:

"Stevie is the star of the World Cup so far; no one can touch him. He's world class, and you saw that today as he dominated the game like no player has ever dominated a game before. I was just privileged to be on the same pitch as him to be honest".

John Terry continued:

"The lads have had a really tough time being pampered over the last week. It has been unbearable - I mean, having so many lackys at our beck and call just gets tiring after a while. We just wanted to get out there and show the world how good we are. I don't think people really appreciate how hard it is to beat Slovenia 1-0. How many teams manage to score a goal against them? The fact that we scored proves that we're the best team in the tournament by far. We deserve this trophy, and we will win it. Football's coming home".

All across England, drunken fans were 'celebrating' in the streets, barely able to conceal their joy at the sheer enormity of England's achievement. The mood of the fans was matched by the British press, who lauded the Three Lions with typically understated headlines such as:

"England on the verge of winning the World Cup!" The Mirror

"Brilliant England show the world how football SHOULD be played!" The Daily Star

"Forget Argentina and Brazil - England are the true stars of the World Cup!" The Daily Mail

Prime Minister David Cameron called a halt to Parliamentary business for the day and decreed that the 23rd of June would henceforth become a national holiday to commemorate England's unforgettable achievement. Wiping tears of joy from his eyes, a clearly awed Mr Cameron observed:

"I can honestly say, without hyperbole, that England put in the finest performance I have ever witnessed by any football team anywhere. Today is a proud day for England".

RAFA BENITEZ: What was his best ever Liverpool XI?

2010-06-09T19:13:00.011+01:00

Taking into account all players bought and sold over the last 6 years, what was former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez's best ever XI?

My best Benitez XI:

Formation - 442

--------------------- Reina

Finnan ---- Carragher --- Hyypa ----- Riise

Garcia ------ Alonso ---- Gerrard ---- Benayoun

------------- Crouch ----- Torres

Subs: Agger, Bellamy, Kuyt, Hamann, Fowler, Skrtel, Pacheco, Aquilani

I don't think Gerard Houllier's back-four was improved upon during Benitez's reign. Carra/Hyppia is an untouchable partnership; Riise was far more consistent and *fitter* than the likes of Aurelio and Dossena, and I'd take Finnan over Johnson any day of the week.

I hate the modern footballing concept of having one dedicated holding midfielder (or in Benitez's case, two). I'd rather have the creativity and unpredictability of Garcia and Benayoun than the physicality and stamina of Kuyt and Mascherano, two players who epitomised Benitez's cautious, defensive-minded approach.

Torres is a no-brainer, but Crouch has to be there too. He was fantastic for Liverpool, and I have no doubt that if Crouch-Torres had been given a chance (i.e. a run of games over a season), it would've been wildly successful.

What's your best Benitez XI?

Care about the future of LFC? Throw your support behind 'ShareLiverpoolFC'

2010-06-09T01:00:00.000+01:00

In its bid to make Liverpool FC the first Premier League club in the UK to be purchased by its own fans, the board of ShareLiverpoolFC has confirmed that it has managed to raise the funds required to underwrite the costs of organising and delivering a full share issue.

This is great news, and ShareLiverpoolFC's approach is infinitely preferable to the negative, confrontational and divisive approach of 'Spirit of Shankly'.

From the ShareLiverpool FC site:

It will require large numbers of LFC fans to buy a share for the plan to succeed, but set against the fact there are more than 4 million LFC fans in UK & Ireland alone, and uncounted millions more abroad, it is an achievable goal. If the sum raised is insufficient to take a majority stake in the Club, the board would seek to partner a suitable majority owner by purchasing a minority share which cannot be diluted by further share issues, with Club board representation and pre-emption rights. If in the end, ShareLFC is unsuccessful, the cash will be returned in full to everyone who put money in.

ShareLiverpoolFC Board member, John Aldridge said: “I’m delighted ShareLiverpoolFC is now able to push on and issue the share offer. We’ll need a tremendous response from the fans but I think millions of them are desperately worried about the current situation both on and off the field. At last, they’ve got a chance to actually to do something about it. Our fans have brought us ‘back from the dead’ in matches many times before: think only of the ‘miracle’ of Istanbul. They can do it again – this time at the heart of the Club itself.”

Long-time ShareLiverpoolFC supporter, John Barnes, said: “It’s excellent news to hear fans will get the opportunity to pool their money and buy a stake in the Club, whether it’s a majority stake or just a significant piece of the action, all under stringent financial regulation. No one who has ever played for Liverpool can be in any doubt that these fans are the football club: the unique, core ‘brand’, as they call it these days, of LFC. If they are it, why shouldn’t they own it too?”

Sign me up! I believe in this project 100%, and I will definitely be buying my share when the time comes. I would urge all Liverpool fans to do the same.

Note to SOS: This is how you run a fan-led campaign to change things at the club. No flag-burning; no embarrassing chants at parties; no xenophobic approach to the club's owners - just an intelligent, viable plan and the conviction and perserverance to make a difference in the right way, i.e. The Liverpool Way.

To understand more about how ShareLiverpoolFC works, please take a minute to read through the following information:

Executive Summary

Detailed Proposal

Who is Involved?

Frequently Asked Questions (Financing the stadium/generating transfer funds etc

LFC season ticket price rise: What's the big deal? Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal + Spurs are still more expensive

2010-06-08T15:35:00.008+01:00

Liverpool FC has raised season ticket prices by 7%. Predictably, The Daily Mail (and other press vultures) have seized the opportunity to put a negative spin on the situation. Some fans will also (inevitably) use the news as yet another stick with which to beat the Owners. Seriously though, what's the big deal?

Liverpool's new season ticket prices range from £680-£785 for adults. How does that compare to other top-tier UK clubs?

Chelsea: £550 to £1,210
Man United: £513 to £931.
Arsenal: £855 to £1,825
Spurs: £650 to £1,175

Liverpool's top season ticket price is much lower than the top price of any of the other elite clubs in the Premier League, and the lowest prices also compares favourably.

Do Liverpool FC not have a commercial duty to remain competitive? The price rise is justifiable and fair, especially in comparison with other teams in the Premier League.

Clearly, it is Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs fans who are at most risk of being ripped off when it comes to season tickets, not Liverpool fans

'Empire of the Kop' posts baseless 'story' about Dalglish + Purslow

2010-06-08T02:54:00.012+01:00

According to alleged Liverpool website 'Empire of the Kop', Kenny Dalglish has just been 'turned down' for the manager's job, and lo and behold, the evil mastermind behind this treacherous decision is the scheming, machiavellian agent of destruction, Christian Purslow. How convenient! The latest senior figure at Anfield to be the target of a baseless fan-led smear campaign just happens to diss a club legend. I'm sorry, but this is just utter lies, and a blatant attempt to whip up more anti-Purslow sentiment.

According to EOTK:

"From what I heard, Kenny went up to Christian Purslow and told him that he felt that he was the best person qualified for the job. Purslow turned Kenny down and instead informed him that they were going to offer the position to Hodgson instead".

Right. Clearly, Dalglish 'went up' to Purslow in a crowded room and got his point across with a microphone just to ensure that everyone could hear what he was saying. If such a meeting was to take place, it would've been done behind closed doors. EOTK then went into full anti-Purslow mode with the following spurious lies:

It is really puzzling why Purslow and the gang would chose Hodgson over Dalglish...Without a doubt Kenny is devastated by the news, he has given most of his life to the club he loved. It is shameful that they turn down like this and I will not be surprised if he resigns from the club following this.

Gosh, that all sounds really tragic, doesn't it? Dalglish is 'devastated' by Purslow's 'shameful' decision, and now he's set to resign from the club.

This is precisely the kind of misinformation I've been highlighting over the last month. EOTK's post is a deliberate attempt to increase fan-hatred against Purslow. Anyone with the slightest intelligence can see the straight through this agenda-driven nonsense.

This is how it goes though; fans will read that and five seconds later they'll spreading it around as if it was fact. *typical ignorant fan response* = 'God, did you hear about Purslow dissing Dalglish. If he leaves, we're f**ked. What a C*nt" (or variations thereof, repeated ad infinitum).

Fans complain about the media slagging off Liverpool but it is, regrettably, alleged Liverpool fans (via sites like EOTK) that do the most damage.

EDIT 1: I should have known: this garbage originally came from RAWK, and was reposted (i.e. stolen) by Empire of the Kop. It really is the blindly ignorant leading the blind.

If you want to witness how some fans are completely devoid of any ability to think for themselves, just read this thread: RAWK thread. Everyone just blindly accepting it; no one with the critical faculty to *question* the information. And why? They're all so desperate for anything that will support their agenda that the truth doesn't actually matter.

EDIT 2. Just because Dalglish might be interested in the job doesn't change the act that the story was baseless. As the article shows, the aspect of the EOTK article I was attacking was the idea that Dalglish had been turned down by Purslow, and was consequently devastated and on the verge of resigning. And as you can see from the comments below, I even noted the fact that Dalglish might be interested in the job. That's not even news - of course he moght be interested; but there's a big difference between that and trying to turn Purslow into a figure of hate by saying he's callously snubbed Dalglish and caused him to want to resign.

In any event, there are no quotes from the man himself, just media speculation based on what alleged 'friends of Dalglish' have said. Hardly reliable or persuasive.

The 'spade in the ground' myth: PROOF that Hicks + Gillett did not lie about the stadium

2010-06-07T14:50:00.013+01:00

When it comes to over-used, inaccurate Liverpool fan clichés, the ‘spade in the ground’ argument against Tom Hicks and George Gillett is the worst. You can guarantee that during any discussion of the Owners, someone will say ‘but they promised a spade in the ground in 60 days!’ Apparently, the fact that the stadium was not started in that timeframe means H+G are liars, and forever deserving of criticism and ridicule. The truth is, neither Hicks nor Gillett lied about the stadium, and I will explain why.

George Gillett made the following comment in February 2007:

"The first spade will start going into the ground on that [stadium] project by March [2007]."

Despite the way the rabid anti-Owner brigade portray it, the 'Spade in the ground' comment was not an absolute promise. It was a sincere and honest statement of intent. Why would it not be? What possible motivation was there to lie? What did the Owners have to gain from lying?

At the time Gillett made the comment, a stadium plan (led by Rick Parry) was already in place, and the ‘spade in the ground’ comment was made in the belief that the existing plan was ready to go.

However, the architects brought in to examine the plans discovered that stadium design was already obsolete. As such, it had to be redesigned, and that meant restarting the complex redesign/approval process.

Here is an email I received from Tom Hicks last year explaining this:

If H+G are guilty of anything, it is misplaced optimism, and failing to thoroughly check the existing stadium plans before making the ‘spade in the ground’ statement. Factor into that the recession and turmoil in the financial markets, and it becomes very clear why the stadium has been delayed.

In the meantime, the club has continued extensive work behind the scenes on the new stadium, and over 50m has been spent on the complex design and planning process. Why would all this money be spent if the Owners had no intention of making the new stadium a reality? The club accounts verify the progress of the stadium over the years, and here are snippets from the accounts to illustrate this:

2007
2008
2009

So – there are very clear and legitimate reasons why the stadium has not been started yet. However, despite these reasons, fans (spurred on by the deliberate misinformation campaign in the media) are hell-bent on twisting the truth and ignoring the facts. Quite incredulously, that includes denying the impact of the worldwide credit crunch (!), which according to some fans, should have made no difference to the building of the stadium (!).

For obvious reasons, it would have been madness to start building a stadium during a recession. And if the building work had been started (and the club began hemorrhaging money as a result), fans would be castigating H+G for such a reckless act.

What is the big deal anyway? H+G were perhaps a little optimistic with their original estimate but why should they be labelled 'Liars' for ever more as a result of that? The insane zeal to hanging onto *anything* that might place the Owners in a bad light is really something to behold.

Yes, Gillett got confused when later asked about the stadium - he denied making the 'spade in the ground comment'. So what? That doesn't change the fact that what he originally said was declared in good faith. Gillett was being 'interviewed' by a confrontational SOS member - is it not possible he just misremembered? Why would he deliberately lie about something that could be verified in 5 seconds flat?

As a comparison: A few months ago, Rafa Benitez publicly guaranteed that Liverpool would finish in 4th place. That didn’t happen. Should we now label him a liar for the next three years?! No. At the Benitez made that statement, I’m sure he had an honest personal belief that it could be achieved. Same goes for H+G and the stadium.

In any event, the timeframe was clearly unrealistic anyway: show me one club that has announced and started the stadium building process in 60 days. It has never been done. As a comparison, consider Arsenal's new stadium.

* The new stadium announcement was made in 1999
* The projected completion date was 2003.
* Arsenal missed the deadline by THREE YEARS.

Does that mean Arsenal fans were lied to?

NO.

H+G have been at the club for a little over 3 years; Arsenal's stadium took 7 years to complete.

H+G did NOT lie about the stadium. The only lies about the stadium come from fans and the media. Designing, planning and building a stadium is a very complex process; it takes time, money and the mutual agreement of lots of competing stakeholders.

The worst thing is the fans who robotically repeat the ‘spade in the ground’ accusation without having any knowledge of the context or history behind the comment. As long as it’s something to throw at the owners, it’s mission accomplished, it seems. The details and the truth don’t seem to matter.

As I’ve outlined above, there are legitimate, unambiguous reasons why the stadium didn’t go ahead. Endlessly moaning about the 'spade in the ground’ comment is like grown adults complaining to their parents that they were lied to about the existence of Santa Claus.

No doubt, I will be accused of being a 'Yank stooge' or whatever. The intelligent, non-brainwashed fans out there will see that I am - as always - concerned only with fairness and the truth.

As I have stated over and over again, I want Hicks and Gillett to leave the club like everyone else, but I will not be part of campaign that seeks to achieve that goal with lies, deception, misinformation and deliberate twisting of the facts.

Attack the Owners with facts and evidence, not lies. Don't just perpetuate a lie because it fits in with your overall negative view of the Owners.

As fans, we should be better than this, shouldn't we?

Mascherano on Benitez: Truer words were never spoken...

2010-06-07T03:24:00.005+01:00

Javier Mascherano has made a brazen ‘come and get me’ plea to former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, who seems to be on the verge of taking over at Inter Milan. One particularly illuminating comment stands out amid the Argentinean’s glowing eulogy.

“With Benítez at Liverpool I experienced three incredible years. His football is my football.”

Of course it is! Mascherano is the living embodiment of Benitez’s footballing philosophy: defensive caution above all else. And no wonder Mascherano loved it under Benitez; the whole team was geared towards the style of football he enjoys the most.

This is precisely why Benitez, Mascherano and Italian football are a match made in heaven. Cautious, defensive-minded manager + ultra-defensive midfielder + defensive league = the perfect combination.

I’ve argued for the last two years that Mascherano should be sold to the highest bidder. He is eminently replaceable, and – in my view – not really integral to Liverpool’s success on the field. Take last season, for example: his alleged defensive genius didn’t stop the club losing 19 games, did it?

Mascherano’s heart is elsewhere. He wanted to move to Barcelona last year, and when that fell through, Benitez revealed that he was ‘disappointed’ to be staying at Anfield.

"We told Javier he was so important for us and we wanted to keep him. We were not talking about any price. He was a bit disappointed as it was a fantastic opportunity with a big club”.

That was the final straw for me. If a player is disappointed to be playing for Liverpool (which, last time I checked IS a big club), then he should be shown the door at the earliest opportunity, not paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to stick it out.

Last season, I offered 13 reasons why the club should sell Mascherano. His latest comments just underline my belief that he needs to go.

Benitez's football may be Mascherano's football, but as last season showed, it definitely is NOT the kind of football expected of, or wanted at, Liverpool FC.

The future is BRIGHT for Liverpool FC. Ignore the 'Doom and Gloom' agenda

2010-06-06T15:54:00.010+01:00

According to the relentlessly depressive doom and gloom brigade, no decent manager will want the Liverpool job vacated by Rafa Benitez. Liverpool FC is (apparently) a ‘poisoned chalice’; a footballing ‘Chernobyl’ that has been irradiated by the nuclear impact of Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Any fair-mined person can see it’s all baseless, overwrought misinformation, spread (mainly) by fans pushing the Anti-H+G agenda. Despite the ridiculous hyperbole, the Liverpool job remains one of the most cherished and attractive in football.

In my view, there is absolutely no persuasive argument to suggest that the Liverpool manager’s job is no longer attractive. There is no evidence to back-up such a contention either. With their short-term outlook, a section of fans and the media are wrapped up in misguided tunnel vision when it comes to the state of the club.

What is needed here is a long-term outlook. Yes, the club is in debt, but as I’ve proved in previous articles, it’s nowhere near as bad as the anti-H+G cult make out. Focusing on the here and now is fine to an extent, but at some point, you have to try and see the path ahead, and look to the future in a rational manner.

The Hicks and Gillett era is a necessary evil. By the time they leave, the club will have been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age. Crucially, it will be on a superb commercial footing, which is an essential part of the club’s future growth and prosperity.

Yes, H+G have made mistakes, but whether people like it or not, they have done good things for the club too. Amongst other things, record turnover for two years running is ample proof of that.

This is what prospective managers see when they look at LFC. They see a club on the rocky road to recovery; they see a club with immense potential just waiting to be fulfilled; they see a sleeping giant stirring and ready to wake up.

Prospective managers are not hamstrung by the powerful emotions that cloud the judgment of many Liverpool fans. They can see how H+G are a necessary evil; they can see how the club is on the path to the Promised Land. They can also accept that it won’t all be plain sailing.

Frankly, it’s a gigantic insult to the club to suggest that no manager would want to come in and take the reins. In my view, the opposite is true. Guus Hiddink’s agent summed it up recently when he responded to speculation re the possibility of Hiddink taking the Liverpool job:

“He [Hiddink] respects Liverpool as a legendary club with a great future ahead”

The key phrase here is ‘Great future ahead’.

It is true: LFC *does* have a great future ahead, which is why the manager’s job is still hugely attractive to top managers across the globe. The likes of Hiddink and Rijkaard have turned down the job because they are already contracted to other clubs, not because of some trepidation over taking on the role.

I would urge fans to start taking a long-term view. Sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better. Under Benitez, things did get worse, and the club’s debt problems have been exaggerated beyond all recognition as a result of misguided loyalty to the former manager, and irrational hatred towards certain members of the club’s hierarchy.

I personally have never felt this confident about the future of Liverpool FC. The club is currently nearing the end of a long process of rebuilding, a process that started with Gerard Houllier, NOT Rafa Benitez.

Both Houllier and Benitez played their part in moving the club forward, and as I mentioned earlier on, the same goes for Hicks and Gillett. The aforementioned all had/have their flaws - and there has been collateral damage along the way - however, when all is said and done, the club *has* moved forward in the last 12 years, and that is the most important thing.

Houllier

* Professionalised the club on and off the field after the ‘Spice Boys’ era.
* Restoeed discipline, pride and a sense of dignity.
* Put Liverpool back on the path to European respectability.

Benitez

* Built on Houllier’s work, and made Liverpool a European force once again
* Firmly restored Liverpool's European reputation.
* With the odd exception, established Liverpool as a top-4 team

Hicks + Gillett

* Improved the commercial side of the club.
* Brought Kenny Dalglish back to Anfield.
* Made shrewd senior appointments that have benefited/will continue to benefit the club.
* Laid the groundwork for the new stadium.

Houllier’s time passed. He did his job in moving the club forward and the time came for him to move on. The same happened with Benitez – he reached a point where he could no longer move things forward. He made his contribution, and the time came for him to move on too.

Under Moores, the business and commercial potential of the club was not being realised. Hicks and Gillett are, first and foremost, businessmen, something that jars with many fans, who demand that anyone associated with the club has an 'emotional connection'.

H+G have laid the groundwork for future commercial success, but they too must now move on, and with the club up for sale, that is precisely what they plan to do.

It’s now time for another manager to come in and make their contribution to moving the club forward. In the short-term, that contribution will be maximizing the potential of the current squad; re-establishing Liverpool in the top 4, and taking the club back into the CL.

I truly believe that this will only take one season. The impact of the right manager cannot be underestimated – just look at Harry Redknapp at Spurs. Before he arrived, Spurs were flirting with the relegation zone; a year later, they’ve taken Liverpool’s place in the Champions League.

There’s no point obsessing over the current financial situation. It will play itself out, and everything will resolve itself in time. Liverpool will not wither and die; the club will not end up like Leeds (!); the team will not slip into mid-table obscurity.

I know it’s hard to see right now, but the future is bright. To see this, you just have to stop buying into the agenda-driven doomsday scenario, and ignore the sensationalized media reports. Stick to and demand facts; ignore emotive generalization; question everything; always look for the agenda in everything you read/hear about LFC.

Doom sells – stop being a consumer.

SOS-led Liverpool 'fans' burning the US flag outside Anfield = An utter embarrasment

2010-06-04T01:11:00.009+01:00

A new LFC low was reached last night as a small minority of rabid Liverpool 'fans' burned the American flag outside Anfield. Led like sheep by the divisive, agenda-driven extremists of 'Spirit of Shankly', a series of flags were burned in an embarrassing display of misguided loyalty (to Rafa Benitez) and irrational hatred towards the club's owners.

What a fantastic advert for Liverpool fans. What next, an assassination attempt on Hicks and/or Gillett?! Spirit of Shankly and the brainwashed fanatics who blindly follow them are increasingly turning Liverpool fans - and the club - into a laughing stock.

In my view, Liverpool fans everywhere should condemn this cheap, classless, childish stunt. Fans should also continue to shun Spirit of Shankly, who keep fanning the flames of discontent with their incessant misinformation/smear campaign against the club, its owners and anyone in the hierarchy who doesn't share their agenda.

With help from its supporters in the media (like Paul Tomkins and Tony Barrett) SOS is hell-bent on manufacturing a Liverpool FC 'doomsday scenario' in an attempt to convince fans that the club is on the verge of the apocalypse. They don't care how much damage they need to do to achieve that, or how badly their 'efforts' reflect on the club. SOS also don't care how the reputation of Liverpool fans is being irreparably tarnished.

SOS and its supporters care only about one thing: removing Hicks and Gillett, and if that means trashing the good name of the club in the process, they will do it without hesitation.

In my experience, Liverpool-based superfans (many of whom hang out on 'Red and White Kop - the home of LFC extremism, where this protest was planned) generally believe that anyone who doesn't live within a mile of Anfield is not a real fan. I have no doubt these superfans were the orchestrators of the protest, and they proved once again that they don't give a damn about the worldwide fanbase.

The burning of the US flag outside Anfield is the antithesis of everything the club stands for. Not only was it a gigantic insult to all American Liverpool fans, it was a slap in the face to ALL non-UK fans, and a slight upon the superb achievements of players and staff of many nationalities who helped build Liverpool's success over the years.

I don't know about anyone else, but images of narrow-minded Liverpool 'fans' behaving in a disgracefully xenophobic manner doesn't make me feel proud; or empowered.

It makes me feel ashamed.

And every fan who cares about the club above any individual should also feel ashamed, and condemn this pitiful display of undignified extremism.

EDIT: SOS claim that they had nothing to do with the protest. Right. Just like they had nothing to do with the Munich chants at their end of season party last year.

The fact is, SOS peddled their xenophobic 'Yanks Out' campaign for ages before being forced (by this site and many outraged *sensible* fans) to scrap it.

You reap what you sow: SOS created the anti-American hatred against the Owners that inexorably led to last night's action. They may or may not not have been the main organisers of the protest, but they are clearly still responsible.

CLUB STATEMENT: Liverpool FC officially confirms the departure of Rafa Benitez

2010-06-03T17:04:00.004+01:00

Liverpool has released an official statement confirming the departure of Rafa Benitez:

The Statement

"Liverpool FC today confirmed that Rafael Benitez is to leave the club by mutual consent. Mr Benitez relinquishes his position as team manager after six years and the Board of Directors would like to place on record their grateful thanks for his services and wish him all the best in his future career.

"The Board has now asked Managing Director Christian Purslow, with the assistance of Club Ambassador Kenny Dalglish, to begin a formal search to identify and assess potential candidates for the managerial position. No timescale has been placed on the process and Liverpool FC will make no further statement until a new manager is appointed.

LFC Chairman Martin Broughton said:

"Rafa will forever be part of Liverpool folklore after bringing home the Champions League following the epic final in Istanbul but after a disappointing season both parties felt a fresh start would be best for all concerned.'

Rafael Benitez said:

"It is very sad for me to announce that I will no longer be manager of Liverpool FC. I would like to thank all of the staff and players for their efforts. I'll always keep in my heart the good times I've had here, the strong and loyal support of the fans in the tough times and the love from Liverpool. I have no words to thank you enough for all these years and I am very proud to say that I was your manager. Thank you so much once more and always remember: You'll never walk alone."