Liverpool Music - Ok Of Topic but WTF

Like music? You might enjoy these videos of a Liverpool band called Juke ( they used to play a lot on the continent) Includes videos of them at a jazz festival and playing with screaming jay hawkins.

Juke-videos

Liverpools owners may let Rafa and fans down

The have been reports tonight that Rafael Benítez now has details of his budget and suggestions that the budget is disappointing.
After the Champions League final Rafa complained about a lack of urgency over signing new players and getting his core squad players to commit to new contracts. It sounds as if we might be in for another Rafa explosion.

It seems he was told by the new owners that they won't add extra funds of their own to the transfer kitty. Rafa's budget will need to come from selling players, money from the Champions League, from ticket sales and the standard budget sources.

Last week Carragher, Gerrard, Alonso and Reina signed four and five year deals, and they all spoke positively spoke of their belief that the club was moving forward.

Rafa wants action on the budget front though and he has always made this clear. Now it looks as if Rafa will have to sell before he can buy.

The new owners appeared to have given very clear signals that more money would be available but now there are suggestions that the new owners are saying in private that Rafa is happy with the news he has no money to spend. That is very very hard to believe.

There are reports that Rafa has steam coming out of his ears and that all is not well inside Anfield. It will be interesting to see what excuse that the new owners will give if these stories are true.

The new owners have spoken about "teamwork and communication " but it sounds as if communication is exactly what is not happening.

Liverpool fans expect that there will be investment in the squad during each transfer window to ensure we keep up with our rivals. To start with this needs an extra injection of cash, but it sounds as if this is exactly what will not now happen. It really is time for the new owners to put up or shut up.

Hicks hits out at Uefa

Uefa president Michel Platini will present a report today to UK Sports Minister Richard Caborn in Brussels. It seems that the report will be critical of Liverpool fans and refer to 25 "incidents" involving Liverpool supporters over the last four years.

But Liverpool's new owner Tom Hicks has said that Uefa spokesman William Gaillard "doesn't know what he's talking about" and refutes any suggestion that Liverpool's fans are the worst-behaved in Europe.

Criticism has been levelled at the behaviour of Liverpool fans in Athens during the Champions League final in May. Fans who had forged tickets or no tickets were able to gain access to the stadium at the expense of fans with genuine tickets.

But Hicks claims this problem should sit at Uefa's door.

Hicks told Sky Sports News: "I thought the guy from Uefa was a clown for saying that. Uefa did not handle this right at all. To give 17,000 tickets to the two teams, particularly knowing Liverpool are going to bring 40,000 fans, is insane. It's a classic case of a bureaucrat trying to take the pressure off himself. They didn't handle it right, they didn't have proper ticketing procedures and unfortunately there were counterfeit tickets. There were fans who paid their hard-earned money to get their tickets and they get to the stadium and are told there is no more room. Are they [the fans] mad [angry]? Sure they're mad."

Hicks has also spoken about the finished design for Liverpool's new stadium.

"The design is now final, it's spectacular and I can't wait for everybody to see it, I think our fans will love it, it's very creative architecture, very contemporary but also unique to Liverpool.
It is all centred around the Kop. It will be the symphony stage that plays to the symphony hall."