If Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez retained hope of being handed a fistful of dollars with which to tackle the January sales, news that the Reds' stadium plans have been downgraded will surely have forced him to think again.
A fragile peace at Anfield appears to have been cemented following clear-the-air talks between the Spaniard and American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks following Sunday's morale-sapping defeat to Manchester United.
The meeting brought to an end weeks of acrimony following Benitez's angry response to the news that his employers would not discuss next month's transfer activity until their visit to Merseyside.
Gillett has publicly backed his manager in the wake of the discussions - but if Benitez was hoping for the green light to once again splash the owners' cash when the transfer window reopens, the revelation that the futuristic plans for the new ground in Stanley Park have been redrawn for financial reasons is hardly likely to lift his spirits.
Liverpool's chief executive Rock Parry insists this was because of spiralling costs, not due to the 'credit crunch' in America, and he sought to reassure fans the club remain confident a new stadium will be delivered on time.
Parry said: 'We are now considering two schemes but the stadium will be a 70,000-seater.
'The new stadium will be a significant improvement on the original plans and a slightly downgraded version of the new ones.
'And it will be a massive improvement on where we were 12 months ago, if not quite as dramatic as the plans unveiled in the summer.
'The single-tier Kop remains fundamental to the design and we are not expecting any delays - it should be on schedule for 2011.'
Most at Anfield will be thinking in shorter terms following the 1-0 defeat to United which left the Reds 10 points off the title pace.
But Gillett insists that, in Benitez, he and Hicks have the right man to lead the club to glory.
Speaking at a meeting of the Liverpool Former Players' Association, Gillett told the Liverpool Echo: 'Rafa is the one we want as manager further on, and we have faith in him.
'I've been married over 40 years and have first-hand knowledge about how to solve an argument. We concentrated on getting an overview over the situation, and I felt we accomplished that.'
Of his and Hicks' recent spat with the Spaniard, Gillett added: 'This wasn't supposed to happen, but it has happened, and now the focus has to be on finding a common platform to continue our co-operation.'
