Players are unhappy with the "bad atmosphere" at Anfield...
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LIVERPOOL NEWS
Benitez faces crisis with dressing-room disharmony
Benitez has to contend with a "bad atmosphere" at Anfield
Rafael Benitez
is facing yet another internal crisis as ESPN Soccernet has learned that the players are unhappy with the "bad atmosphere" within the dressing room.
A backlash is to be expected following the club's exit from the Champions League, but it is far more disturbing to learn that the negative environment has existed for some time.
An agent of one of the Liverpool superstars was guarded about the players' state of mind but revealed that the atmosphere within the dressing room at Anfield has been an issue for some time.
"The atmosphere is really bad," he told ESPN Soccernet. "There are a lot of unhappy players around."
Asked if those players were seeking to move away, he replied: "I am sure that there will be some players who would like to move on now, that's for sure."
With the January transfer window opening in five weeks, this is the time when players will be thinking of instructing their agents to find them new clubs.
But moving in January is notoriously difficult and, while Benitez would dearly love to ditch some under-performers and bring in new talent, the whole of Europe is aware of the falling value of their players and the club's need to bring in cash before they can buy due to their financial position.
The whole pressure-cooker atmosphere is building up to such a degree that the Merseyside derby takes on a whole new perspective.
Not only do Liverpool need to win the derby to maintain their top-four hopes, but the scrutiny will be on how the players react. Benitez is sure to inform them that they will need to perform at their best to convince everyone that he has restored harmony within the camp.
Benitez has been given assurances about his future, and five months into a brand new five-year contract, naturally the current owners would be loath to ditch their manager, not least because of the expense involved.
But the cost of failing to qualify for the Champions League next season will put intolerable strain on the club's finances, restricting buying power and making it difficult to attract the world's best players.
The American owners are committed to finding a new investor willing to buy a 50% stake and to raise £100 million, but so far there are no takers. Any investor would become embroiled in the in-house political squabbling that has marred relationships in the boardroom ever since Gillett and Hicks fell out.
Relations between Gillett and Hicks have been repaired out of necessity and the urgent need to raise new capital, but the length of the truce remains to be seen.