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The tensions at Liverpool between manager Rafael Benitez, the American owners and the fans are important for the future of a major club, but they also raise broader issues. A large body of fans staged a protest match to show their solidarity with Benitez before the Porto game, but how far can fans influence the decisions of owners who want to see a return on their investment? The position at Liverpool is complicated by the fact that the relationship between co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett is running far from smoothly and the club was obliged to put out a statement on Friday denying that Tom Hicks was preparing to sell his 50 per cent stake in the club. The pair are close to confirming a £500m refinancing package, but that will take the club hundreds of millions of pounds into debt. Benitez, meanwhile, has been given no reassurance about his future, although he has tried to be more diplomatic after his complaints about the board's perceived unwillingness to support him in the transfer market. For their part, the owners were baffled why Benitez could spend £26m on a player and then not use him in every match.
Benitez has had to accept that he will have less money to spend than he had hoped during the January transfer window - assuming that he is still in charge - and has agreed to what he regards as a dilution of his role by leaving all transfer negotiations to chief executive Rick Parry. The Spainard believes that, under these conditions, he will effectively be reduced to the role of head coach rather than manager, albeit not officially, but he will accept that if it helps to secure his position for the remainder of the season, even if a parting of the ways looks inevitable in the long term. Les Lawson, the secretary of Liverpool Supporters' Club, commented, 'Hicks and Gillett don't know what they're taking on if they take on Liverpool supporters.' No one should underestimate their passion and dedication, but it will be interesting to see how far they can influence the decisions of absent owners.
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