Defiant Rafael Benitez has declared himself "completely calm" as he approaches Liverpool's crucial Champions League qualifier against Standard Liege.
But as Liverpool prepare to face the Belgian champions in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie, this could well be the calm before another Anfield storm.
Benitez is still privately furious that the club's American owners have all-but vetoed his £18million move for Gareth Barry.
When Benitez returns home from this match, and before the Barclays Premier League starts for his team on Saturday at Sunderland, Benitez will try again to resurrect the Barry deal.
By then Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill could have cup-tied Barry in Europe by playing him in the UEFA Cup against FH Hafnarfjardar from Iceland.
That should finish the deal for good, but Benitez is a stubborn man and anything is still possible.
Benitez refused to be drawn on the situation, or a host of possible deals he could be doing in the next fortnight before the transfer window shuts.
Asked whether he had made any contact with owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to discuss the current crisis, Benitez would only say: "I am not thinking about signing players at the moment, because they cannot play against Liege tomorrow. I am only concentrating on this game.
"And I have not needed to contact the owners because they cannot help with the preparation for this match. I prefer not to say anything else."
His mood was remarkably serene considering the embarrassment of how the owners put the block on the Barry deal, and he said: "I was really calm last week, and I am concentrating on the game. We did not have big problems.
"I have not been distracted, I have been focusing on this game and getting to the Champions League group stages."
The bottom line is that if you are going to launch a war with your bosses again, you have to win in Europe.
Liverpool's financial position is worrying, and they need a run in the group stages desperately to bring in the guaranteed millions which the Champions League affords its clubs.
Benitez, aware of the financial implications for Rangers following their Champions League exit to FBK Kaunas last week, said: "I always have confidence in my players, but when you play against anyone in Europe you have to be very careful.
"We know Standard are a good team, especially at home.
"It is not just English clubs that should worry about making mistakes against smaller teams. Every club must be aware of the quality of your opponents.
"You must be really focused for every game, you cannot change things once you have made a mistake.
"My aim is to win here to make sure we progress. Since I have been at Liverpool we have always known how important it is to qualify for the group stages.
"We always have known. And we must make sure that we do qualify for the next stage.
"There is no more pressure than in previous seasons, we all know how important it is to get past this qualifying round.
"Everyone knows how important the Champions League is for us, we must play well.
"I am not thinking about signing players at the moment, because they cannot play against Liege tomorrow. I am only concentrating on this game."
Benitez has now been linked with Chelsea's Joe Cole plus young Polish right wing-back Jakub Blaszczykowski who plays for Borussia Dortmund.
He is clearly about to sell Steve Finnan after what is believed to have been a falling-out between the pair over claims that the Irishman has been offered to other clubs.
Finnan is not with the squad, but Xabi Alonso is in Belgium and despite suggestions he could still be sold - along with Andriy Voronin and Jermaine Pennant - Benitez confirmed he is prepared to cup-tie the Spaniard in Europe here.
The same would seemingly apply to Voronin and Pennant, both with the party.
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Comment 1 - 13 of 13
who cares if we cup tie alonso he is the don compared to barry............
KEEP ALONSO @#$% BARRY
i havent heard the news about joe cole but DAMNNNN i hope we get him he has class and would attract a few markers away from stevie n Fernando i really just wish the cheap americans would open their wallets up and splash the cash we apparently have it to build a new stadium forget that anfield is like fenway park wayyyy to much history there for it to be torn down perhaps make a few renovations and throw the rest of the money toward building a strong team to bring the title home to the kop which hasnt seen it in ages
go for jo cole
jo cole will be grat 4 liverpool go for it benitez
jo cole will be great for liverpool please go for it benitez
What we need is someone who can take a bl**dy corner!!! Our dead ball situations last year were woefull. All I can assume is Aurelio and Pennant must be brilliant in training, but jeez come match days they may as well just hand the ball to the first defender or the goalie, wether Barry is that man I don't know, you Villa boys will have to let us know how he did last year, but we ain't buying him for 18Mil and that's that.Lot's of kidology going on between both managers and the owners and the papers, but if Barry plays thursday the deal is definately off, but I reckon 15Mil and Finnan(like at the beginning of the saga) will probably end the deal next week!!!!
while i agree with most of what is written here to an extent i think that most people underestimate barry and how well he works with gerrard. they are good friends and would operate the midfield well together even if barry has to play on the left or gerrard on the right. I think its well worth selling pennant, finnan and maybe even kuyt and voronin now that we have so many capable youth strikers, eg, ngog, pacheo, nemeth, el zhar. There is so much depth now up front that we should lose some of it to gain more depth in the midfield with barry.
i'am a gunner fan and only team that i wuld like to see win champions league beside arsenal is liverpool.
but first kick those amerikan owners out!they belong in baseball and fusbal not soccer
If Benitez keeps on like this he will force Hicks & Gillett to take the only action left open to them - sack him! Not being Britiah by birth he has apparently never heard the warning about 'p*****g into the wind'.
I am no fan of the americans but this time i think they have got it right, 18 million for barry is too expensive. Also in the last 12 months they have backed benitez all the way ie torres, babel, mascherano , keane (25 + 12 + 18 + 18) that 73 million ish depending on which press you believe. The players for 2 million and 3 million are prospect for the future, have you seen the reserves or youth team play ? granted they wont all make it but we have more possibilities of players coming through now than we have had for years. The jury is well and truly out mr benitez you have the team, the squad anfd the backroom staff to finally compete for the biggest prize
bentiez signs too many unknowns for 3 million here and 2 million there,and eventually they all just fade out and end up sstuck in reserves,our half way round the world on loan,if he spent wisely and didnt waste so much money then i would understand his frustrations.he should get on with it and stop washing his dirty linen in public,that aint the liverpool way.if we are out the league race by xmas once again he must get sacked,he aint good enough
Not sure I agree. Football is a business and the hicks / gillett partnership have the right to spend money as they see fit. Liverpool do not have the same financial clout as Chelsea and Man Utd, so they have to spend wisely. Remember they have given the manager £20M for Keane. Who in their right mind spends 18M on a "holding" mid field player, Arsenal would not either. Liverpool have plenty of central midfield players. They need a right winger as Kuyt is being played out of position,and a left winger as Babbel is not good enough. They need to get Finnan, Pennant and Voronin off the wage bill before they acn afford another expensive star player.
when hicks and gillett took over they always promised funds if and when benitez asked ,that doesn't seem to be the truth,they are getting involved with team issues by saying the price for barry is inflated.we knew months ago what price o'neil wanted so why come out now with the inflated comment.just do us all a favour buy barry and get this saga finished
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