dunno how true is this article:
Extracted from News of the World
RAFA BENITEZ will be sacked following his latest tirade against
Liverpool owner Tom Hicks.
And former Kop hate-figure Jose Mourinho is the shock front runner
to replace him.
Liverpool's American owners were already preparing to ditch the
Spanish boss (left) after tiring of the constant behind-the-scenes
bickering but this week's developments have sealed his fate.
It's now a matter of when not if the Spanish boss leaves Anfield
and that's expected to be sooner rather than later.
Despite his epic Anfield bust-ups while at Stamford Bridge,
Mourinho tops a wanted list already being assembled by the
owners.
An approach will be made once Benitez's departure is
confirmed.
The Portuguese boss may have his enemies on Merseyside, but he's
recognised as one of the best and most sought after coaches in
Europe.
Benitez showed no sign of ducking a fight with his hierarchy
following yesterday's 3-0 win over Newcastle, despite knowing his
job was on the line.
"It's clear Mr Hicks wants the best for the club. So do I," he
said.
"We have been here for a long time and we know what the passion of
football means and what the transfer market in Europe means.
"It's not a draft system. We have free players available now. I'm
not talking about players that cost money.
"We need to talk to the agents now, if not we will lose targets. In
the summer, the players will be more expensive. I have not been
talking about spending but doing the opposite. We have brought
money back. We brought in £26m this year and you can see the value
of the squad.
"We had a meeting on the day of the Arsenal game which was really
positive. After this, something changed."
They told me to be focused on coaching and training because Rick
Parry will be looking after signing players."
Swing
Benitez won't walk away, adding: "I have passion for this club. The
fans who were with me in Istanbul know what it means to me."
With no resignation on the horizon, Hicks (left) and Gillett are
now ready to swing their axe regardless of Liverpool's league
placing or Champions League progress.
