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Fresh approach for Kuyt imminent - Bascombe

WeAreTheBest

By WeAreTheBest,
in FF - Football Forum

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Lecter Rookie

Lecter

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There was a whole one pager in the Pink echo on the subject, seems to be a done deal from the way he was talking, like he can't even be arsed going into detail anymore!

 

 

Football Echo - Saturday, August 12, 2006

 

By Chris Bascombe

 

THE FINAL PIECE TO AN AGE OLD PUZZLE

Striker can complete the jigsaw

 

England’s national jigsaw championships took place in Surrey just a few weeks ago, fortunately, Liverpool weren’t’ represented. As anyone who’s followed the club for the last 16 years will tell you, the club struggles so often assembling “the last piece” they’re still in the process of completing a puzzle they started in 1990. By the end of the week Rafa Benitez should be unveiling the latest missing segment. When Dirk Kuyt arrives, which thankfully looks increasingly inevitable, major business will be concluded for another summer and the first serious assessments of the new Liverpool can proceed. Benitez has argued with some justification he doesn’t possess the financial might of Chelsea, but other than Jose Mourinho, nobody does. Relatively speaking the purchase of Kuyt for £10m will demonstrate once more that although the Reds desperately need more capital, any accusations they fail to back their managers in the transfer market are grossly unfair.

 

Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier all broke the club’s transfer record, in some cases more than once. Benitez hasn’t yet eclipsed the £14m wasted on Djibril Cisse on one player, but after the latest round of spending no-one will be able to take future hints of poverty seriously. Proving Kuyt arrives, and that’s the key here, Liverpool will have signed six players for a combined cost well in excess of £25m. That’s a ball park figure because some of the fees remain undisclosed. It’s emerged Fabio Aurelio, for example, wasn’t a free transfer from Valencia after all. The Brazilian signed a pre-contract with a Uruguayan club last January, so Liverpool had to pay the South Americans to bring him in. it can also be argued a portion of the fees can be accounted for through player sales. But in the closed season, only Fernando Morientes’ departure brought any reasonable return. When any investment in the squad is compared to Chelsea, clearly Liverpool look like poorer cousins. You can take a figure of £25 m and bend it to suit whatever argument you feel like depending on whether Liverpool have won or lost their last match. Compared to the rest of the Premiership (aside from Chelsea, the ludicrous Newcastle who spend money that’s not their own and Portsmouth and their “mystery” backers) the Red are hardly misers. And if the vast investment in transfers since 1990 proves anything, it’s not how much you spend that matters most, it’s what you spend it on.

 

Take a poll of the greatest signing the club has made in that time, and if the £2.5m for Sami Hyppia isn’t at the top, you’ve been asking the wrong people. Liverpool’s board will hope they haven’t any black cheques to hand the manager this summer has a positive effect. Benitez has stated regularly how his scouts have to work harder and take more care because mistakes can’t be afforded. The luxury of wasting £14m on a striker who is clearly not good enough will never be granted in the current regime and who’s going to argue? At times this summer it’s been easy to identify moments of mil discord, mainly when Benitez’s frustration with the lack of a conclusion with both the Alves and Kuyt deals lingered.

 

Tension between the managers demands and the boardroom’s enforced pragmatism are hardly new. Since the days of Bill Shankly, the Anfield board has been handed a wish list at the end of every May, only to send it back with crosses through one or two names beyond the club’s resources. As another round of Shankly books are testifying, the legendary Scot offered and retracted his resignation on an annual basis when deals weren’t agreed for his number one targets. The echoes from history are eerie when analysing the relationship between Benitez and his board. Political contests are a deeply absorbing aspect of the game, and the current Liverpool boss has an expertise when it comes to battles of will.

 

Of course, unlike Shankly, there’s never been anything so dramatic as a threat to walk from Benitez - even if the Real Madrid saga last spring was a bit close for comfort - but the age old problem of what a manager wants and what he can actually afford is as significant now as it’s ever been.

 

Kuyt’s signature should ensure both the manager and board feel hugely satisfied with their summer’s business. Benitez began the pre-season hoping for at least seven new faces, and Kuyt would make six. If Jerzy Dudek leaves the club, or Scott Carson is sent on loan, a new keeper may yet be added. Of those top of the “wish-list” only Daniel Alves escaped Benitez’s grasp and he’s young enough to arrive at a later date. Early indications suggest Jermaine Pennant will prove a hugely encouraging compromise anyway.

 

So smiling faces and pats on the back all round if Kuyt holds aloft his red jersey over the next few days. Now let’s hope that jigsaw is finally complete.

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Sangria Veteran

Sangria

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If it is Kromkamp it would make us short of cover for Finnan and that would be a worry.

All will be revealed soon but I still think we will see Kuyt here before the window closes. I also think we need him - or another - as Robbie and Bellamy are both suspect to a lay off through injury.

Happy to see Pongo go to be honest he lost my respect and support after his stupid statements.

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Brownie Grand Master

Brownie

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If it is Kromkamp, and we don't have a RB lined up then that would be risky I reckon.

 

In the interviews we've heard from Rafa and Parry over the last few weeks, they have continually said about new players, 'yes we're still looking for one or two players'.

 

Usually I wouldn't take it at face value, but it might be the case that we'll sign someone on loan to cover Finnan as well as buying Kuyt.

 

Time will tell.

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Red Sun Rising Community Regular

Red Sun Rising

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As done as it can be without actually being done..............

 

Feyenoord clear the way for Kuyt to join Liverpool

 

The Holland forward looks set to join the Merseysiders if a transfer fee can be agreed with Dutch club

 

Dominic Fifield

Wednesday August 16, 2006

The Guardian

 

Dirk Kuyt is edging closer to joining Liverpool after reaching agreement with the Dutch club Feyenoord that he will be permitted to leave Rotterdam for Anfield once a fee has been thrashed out between the clubs.

 

Reports in Holland last night suggested the striker had already met the Merseysiders' manager, Rafael Benítez, to discuss the transfer though negotiations between the two clubs are understood to be ongoing. Funds are relatively tight at Anfield and, while Liverpool could offer Feyenoord a deal worth up to £10m for the international, they would look to stagger payments over the course of his contract.

 

Any lingering hopes Newcastle may have had of luring the 26-year-old to St James' Park appear to have been dashed with Kuyt telling the Feyenoord hierarchy he is only prepared to move to Liverpool. A desire to play in the Champions League was paramount in his thinking - the 2005 winners hold a slender advantage going into next week's second leg of their qualifying tie against Maccabi Haifa - with Benítez's interest in the former Utrecht forward long-standing.

 

The player's stance has denied the Dutch club the auction they hoped to instigate for their prize asset's signature, with the coach Erwin Koeman torn between his desire to raise as much money via a sale and resigned to the reality that the club will hardly benefit from retaining a player who is anxious to leave. The striker is currently in Ireland preparing for this evening's friendly against the Republic at Lansdowne Road and is hopeful his future will be resolved imminently.

 

While Kuyt's impact at the recent World Cup finals was a disappointment, the forward failing to score in any of his three appearances, he has proved himself one of the most prolific forwards on the continent in recent seasons. He scored 22 times last season and boasts 71 in 101 league games since moving to De Kuip three years ago.

 

Kuyt had hoped to move to the Premiership last summer but was persuaded to wait another season, not least by the Dutch coach Marco van Basten, with Feyenoord agreeing to review his situation after the World Cup. He was duly allowed extra time to consider his options before returning to pre-season training last month and, despite being handed the club captaincy and enjoying cult status among the Feyenoord fans, he has now set his heart upon the switch to Merseyside.

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Sangria Veteran

Sangria

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Carra can play right back as we have 9658425 centre backs but it'd have to be a short term solution as Carra rules at centre half.

 

Yeah I know YKI but as you say Carra rules at centre half. Barragan might have made the step up but probably would not have been ready and he is off anyroads.

We would need to sign cover I think as we would not be in a good position if Finnan got injured.

 

Pongo would be the obvious one as he would be a luxury if Kuyt signed.

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spider-neil Mentor

spider-neil

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Yeah I know YKI but as you say Carra rules at centre half. Barragan might have made the step up but probably would not have been ready and he is off anyroads.

We would need to sign cover I think as we would not be in a good position if Finnan got injured.

 

Pongo would be the obvious one as he would be a luxury if Kuyt signed.

 

he's the only striker with pace apart from bellemy on the books.

no neck is quite injury prone leaving us with no pace through the middle should sinema get loaned out/sold.

 

daft comments aside I wont be too disappointed if fsp is retained for one more season.

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