We don't like you....

Last updated : 24 January 2009 By Les Roberts

First off, Gillet, Hicks and now this alleged middle Eastern buyout.

With the cries of 'USA' that heralded the arrival of Liverpool's new American owners - well if it's good enough for Man United - a long distant memory we will probably be greeted by several thousand Keffiyeh-clad Kopites celebrating the 'impending' arrival of an Ayatollah to go with their Rafatollah.

But what exactly have they got to moan about where Gillet and Hicks are concerned?

It's almost two years since the two American businessmen took over at Liverpool and Kopites would have you believe that they done nothing but bleed the club dry for their own personal gains and have not in any way contributed to moving the club forward.

But let's look at the figures...since taking over at the tin mine Gillett and Hicks have sanctioned £91,900,000 worth of transfers including the record-breaking £26.5 paid for Fernando Torres, the £20.3 million splashed out on Robbie Keane, the £18.6 million paid for Mashcerano after more rule-bending from the Reds!

That's not to mention the £11.5 spent on Ryan Babel, the £8 million and the £6 million spunked on Dossena and Lucas Leiva respectively.

And before anyone can shout 'Net Spend!', the leader of the Rafalution has only actually re-couped £47,450,000 during the same period.

So, in reality, the purse strings at Anfield have not been tightened at all, quite the opposite, but most Kopites will point to the fact that the money doesn't belong to Gillett and Hicks but I'm afraid that most businesses work through securing loans against assets and such like!

But they'll have no such worries when Kuwaiti Al-Kharafi start emptying their considerable coffers into the club so they'll have to find something else to moan about then.

Which won't be a problem for Benitez as this fella could spoil for a fight in an empty room.

The angry little fat man that sits in the dug-out, pissing bricks permitting, appears to be attacking anyone that'll listen and is making himself look even more foolish with every bit of bile he spouts.

His ill-timed blast at Alex Ferguson was far too try-hard in it's execution and the Manchester United manager totally undermined him with nothing more than a passing comment in the post-match interview after they'd beaten Chelsea 3-0.

And is anyone really bothered what the Man United manager has to say anymore?

Everyone is wise to his mind games now and he's just becoming something of an inoffensive national institution, a football equivalent of the Queen Mum, rest her soul.

Anyway, back to Benitez, who actually appears to be morphing into the devil from Tenacious D's Tribute video with every passing press conference.

He's done nothing but pick fights with the club's owners since they took control and this has now degenerated into a 'contract wrangle'.

Obviously, he's happy with the terms, more evidence that the Americans aren't too tight with the money, even if it isn't theirs, it's control on transfers that he wants.

This allegedly centres around the non-signing of Gareth Barry in the summer and the signing of Robbie Keane, a player he celarly doesn't like at all!

The boards position was that they weren't prepared to spend close to £20 million on a player in his late-twenties to be accomodated in a midfield that already boasted Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso etc.

But they were prepared to strengthen the foward line with a £20 million player in his late twenties but that was probably because all the goals last season were coming from Torres and no other striker.

Which, on the face of it seems pretty frugal...and Kopites were even hailing Keane as that 'final piece in the jigsaw' the 'new Kenny' and they even gave him the number seven shirt...it's a shame he's proving to be the new Nigel Clough really!

And, if they're honest - which they rarely are, Kopites would have to admit that it looks for all the world that Benitez is trying to talk himself out of a job.

He thinks he's untouchable but the facts are that in five years he's spent millions upon millions and has won two cups both via penalty shoot outs.

Houllier was considered a failure after far more tangible success!

Then there's the ground move, another bugbear that has landed on the dorstep of Stantler and Waldorf...sorry Gillett and Hicks.

The two Americans came in with grand designs and great ideas and the new Anfield design was being compared with the Guggenheim for it's aesthetics.

But constuction costs rocketed, the credit crunch kicked in and the wheels came off!

After seeing the King's Dock go up in smoke for the sake of £20 million, our club being whored out to neighbouring boroughs and our beloved red cousins being given Stanley Park to develop on after we were told a few years previous that we couldn't, I would tell the moaning gets to just accept it and get on with it.

Stop trying to play catch-up with Man United, they've been immensly lucky in the timing of their recent success and the fact that their ground is surronded by lots of vacant land, Liverpool have not had that luck.

A team has had more luck than Liverpool for once, they need to get over it!

So for all their 'problems', Liverpool are still the most successful club in England, are second in the league, still in the Champions League, still in the FA Cup (not for long!) and still have the capacity to spend tens of millions on squad players, never mind their 'flagship' signings!

And still they moan!

And if it doesn't work out with the Americans then there's a rich Arab waiting in the wings!

How many chances can one club have?!

And this article may seem as try hard as Benitez's gripe list, and borne out of jealousy, but it isn't, it's borne of pure exasperation with the idiots!

They've had it their way for the last forty years and still they moan and kick and scream like spoilt brats!

In short, they get right on my tits!

Kopites, we don't like you, we don't sympathise!