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Graeme Souness: Rafa Benitez Is Living On Past Glories At Liverpool
Reds' legend can see changes afoot at Anfield...
25-Nov-2009 2:37:40 PM
Liverpool legend Graeme Souness blames the American owners for the current problems at Anfield, but also insists that manager Rafa Benitez is relying on past glory to keep him in his job.
The former manager also believes that Fernando Torres will be sold should the Reds not manage to qualify for next season's Champions League.
"If you ask me about any managers, particularly Liverpool managers because I know how difficult that job is, I'm not going to tell you 'this one should go or that one should stay', but I think he's very fortunate that he's managing Liverpool," Souness told Sky Sports.
"At Liverpool you get more of a chance than any of the other big clubs out there. He's very lucky that he won that European Cup so early on in his reign.
"I think that's bought him a lot of time, and there's still a great deal of affection out there for him with the people in Liverpool.
"But if they lose to Everton on Sunday and I think that would be another hard blow for the red side of Liverpool to take.
"It's a hard business today managing at the highest level, but again I'm trying to look beyond personnel. I worked for them for a long, long time and some of the best days of my footballing career were at Liverpool, and I worry about the bigger picture.
"I'm not worrying about the present players, the present management, the present owners. They're only custodians.
"When you own a big football club, a club that's steeped in tradition, you're there to look after it and hopefully pass it on in better nick than when you got it.
"I don't think those two Americans will be doing that this time around. I think Liverpool's crying out for somebody from the Middle East to come with a big fat cheque that allows them to take care of the debt and allows them to move forward.
"As long as they've got that debt hanging round their neck they're going nowhere. They are going nowhere fast, and the big danger for me is that they drop out of the Champions League places this season now and they can no longer attract the best players.
"All of a sudden they're having to unload some of their biggest assets.
"If they're not in the Champions League next year I think that will cause Liverpool major problems.
"I would suggest that if that is the case then anything could happen in terms of people leaving Liverpool.
"And the biggest asset they've have is Torres.
"If you're not in the Champions League you're not going to attract the best players."
Zack Wilson, Goal.com UK
The former manager also believes that Fernando Torres will be sold should the Reds not manage to qualify for next season's Champions League.
"If you ask me about any managers, particularly Liverpool managers because I know how difficult that job is, I'm not going to tell you 'this one should go or that one should stay', but I think he's very fortunate that he's managing Liverpool," Souness told Sky Sports.
"At Liverpool you get more of a chance than any of the other big clubs out there. He's very lucky that he won that European Cup so early on in his reign.
"I think that's bought him a lot of time, and there's still a great deal of affection out there for him with the people in Liverpool.
"But if they lose to Everton on Sunday and I think that would be another hard blow for the red side of Liverpool to take.
"It's a hard business today managing at the highest level, but again I'm trying to look beyond personnel. I worked for them for a long, long time and some of the best days of my footballing career were at Liverpool, and I worry about the bigger picture.
"I'm not worrying about the present players, the present management, the present owners. They're only custodians.
"When you own a big football club, a club that's steeped in tradition, you're there to look after it and hopefully pass it on in better nick than when you got it.
"I don't think those two Americans will be doing that this time around. I think Liverpool's crying out for somebody from the Middle East to come with a big fat cheque that allows them to take care of the debt and allows them to move forward.
"As long as they've got that debt hanging round their neck they're going nowhere. They are going nowhere fast, and the big danger for me is that they drop out of the Champions League places this season now and they can no longer attract the best players.
"All of a sudden they're having to unload some of their biggest assets.
"If they're not in the Champions League next year I think that will cause Liverpool major problems.
"I would suggest that if that is the case then anything could happen in terms of people leaving Liverpool.
"And the biggest asset they've have is Torres.
"If you're not in the Champions League you're not going to attract the best players."
Zack Wilson, Goal.com UK
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