by the KopTalk editor in Madrid
Kenny Dalglish is the 3/1 favourite to replace Rafa Benitez if he leaves Anfield before the weekend.
Betting has been suspended on the possibility of the boss leaving with William Hill thinking it's more than just a rumour.
Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams said: "The level of interest on Rafa getting the sack is unprecedented with over 300 calls logged today alone.
"We would be very surprised if Rafa is still the Liverpool boss by midnight on Sunday."
KOPTALK though wouldn't be surprised. In fact we're putting money on Rafa to be at Anfield come Monday morning.
Bookies rarely get things wrong but when it comes to the comings and goings of managers, when they suspend betting, they are often wrong.
Suspicious rumours started circulating last night claiming that the boss has walked out of the team hotel in Madrid. However we saw the boss at the Ritz Hotel, Madrid looking as cool as a cucumber before he settled down for the night.
This morning he took charge of training as normal, had lunch with the rest of the coaching staff and the players and then held a scheduled meeting with them to discuss tonight's match.
While the UK is in a frenzy over the situation, the Spanish media haven't really touched on it at all which suggests this has been instigated back home in England.
Let's look at the facts.
Rafa Benitez has refused to sign a contract at this time. Not because of personal financial gain but because he wants to try and sort out the shambles at Anfield that he's had to work under. Whether you support him or not, nobody can deny that he's doing what he thinks is best for the club. Anyone that can't see that needs their head testing.
Inside Anfield there are different camps, all of whom manipulate the media when it suits them, Rafa included. But when Rafa does it, it's usually to get a message out to the fans. When the others do it it's usually for personal gain.
You have Gillett & Parry vs Hicks & Benitez, plus other minor combinations behind the scenes. While Hicks publicly backs Rafa, he's [oops] that he's refusing to sign a contract. Here you have a man of great power and money unable to click his fingers to get something done. If this was baseball or ice hockey, Rafa would almost likely have been pushed by now.
There are a lot of personalities involved and there are hundreds of millions of US Dollars at stake. Sources in Dallas have personally told me that the boss has 21 days to sign his contract or they will start looking for a replacement. But neither them or Benitez want that.
Who can blame the manager for not wanting to extend his current stay under the current shower of [oops], Parry included. Nice guy, means well, but he's as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.
The in house fighting is responsible for all of this. Naturally the owners are responsible for most of it but even before they came in, the club was stale throughout. The problem is they haven't changed it. Hicks wanted to fire Parry, Gillett didn't. Rafa's been [oops] around by Parry on numerous matters and so on and with both owners refusing to see eye-to-eye, the place is run as an absolute joke.
How the boss has managed to sustain 2nd place in the league is beyond me. Remember when we used to challenge for 4th? That's why I cannot judge him until he's given the full backing that he deserves.
Could Rafa leave? Of course he could, truth be told the owners don't deserve him and neither do some of the back-stabbing fans who don't know what the word 'support' means.
I'm not pro-Rafa. He confuses me at times but I support him 100%. While I'm no expert, I do believe that I'm a realistic and I try to be as fair as possible. But if I had it my way, I'd be offering him a 10-year contract.
I remain hopeful that things will be ironed out but I don't believe any of the rumours today. What I do believe is that they won't help our preparations. Time after time something likes this crops up before a major game.
Never say never in football, but for now I would urge fans, if possible, to relax and concentrate on tonight's match.
