No one on this forum could have done any better with the funds Rafa was handed

[Brownie]

There were a lot of people in the summer who were of the opinion that a striker was a priority because of Torres' injury record. I disagreed with that but in hindsight I was wrong.

 

Without Torres we look so, so poor up front.

 

Overall though, Rafa's biggest mistake in terms of transfers, has been his inability to sign enough quality for the wide positions. I like Benayoun but personally I think his best position is central. All of the other wide players Rafa has signed have been poor and we're paying for this at the moment, IMO.

 

Nunez

Garcia

Zenden

Gonzalez

Pennant

Kuyt

El Zhar

Leto

Babel

Riera

 

That's just a very, very poor list of players to have signed for the wide positions over a 5 year period (about £50M worth as well).

[rebel23]

We still need a left forward, and someone who can play in Dirk's stead.

 

we do but the priority has to be a senior striker, now is the problem. We knew we needed one in the summer: the yanks spent fuck all, they watched as Negredo went for £12m to Sevilla, they turned down Real's offer to include Higuian in the deal, we see Falcao join Porto for £5m. Now nothing has changed and it's highlighted even more, they're under pressure to act yet in January the options are far worse, so do we get someone for the sake of it or wait until next summer and take another gamble on Torres being fit? And then they will probably limit us further

 

A new manager is not going to change this reality, the Liverpool job is essentially impossible and I laugh at the fact that people think Mourinho or Capello would want this: only if they can sign top players would they agree and that is what Benitez wants to do anyway

[Brownie]

we do but the priority has to be a senior striker, now is the problem. We knew we needed one in the summer: the yanks spent fuck all, they watched as Negredo went for £12m to Sevilla, they turned down Real's offer to include Higuian in the deal, we see Falcao join Porto for £5m. Now nothing has changed and it's highlighted even more, they're under pressure to act yet in January the options are far worse, so do we get someone for the sake of it or wait until next summer and take another gamble on Torres being fit? And then they will probably limit us further

 

A new manager is not going to change this reality, the Liverpool job is essentially impossible and I laugh at the fact that people think Mourinho or Capello would want this: only if they can sign top players would they agree and that is what Benitez wants to do anyway

 

How do you know this?

[rebel23]

How do you know this?

 

it has been reported in the Spanish press that Real offered him to us in the Alonso deal but the owners needed the cash. Dumb move

[George Costanza]

There were a lot of people in the summer who were of the opinion that a striker was a priority because of Torres' injury record. I disagreed with that but in hindsight I was wrong.

 

Without Torres we look so, so poor up front.

 

Overall though, Rafa's biggest mistake in terms of transfers, has been his inability to sign enough quality for the wide positions. I like Benayoun but personally I think his best position is central. All of the other wide players Rafa has signed have been poor and we're paying for this at the moment, IMO.

 

Nunez

Garcia

Zenden

Gonzalez

Pennant

Kuyt

El Zhar

Leto

Babel

Riera

 

That's just a very, very poor list of players to have signed for the wide positions over a 5 year period (about £50M worth as well).

 

For the money we paid for Kuyt (2006), Babel (2007) and Pennant (2006) we could have bought Ribery in 2007.

[Section_31]

There were a lot of people in the summer who were of the opinion that a striker was a priority because of Torres' injury record. I disagreed with that but in hindsight I was wrong.

 

Without Torres we look so, so poor up front.

 

Overall though, Rafa's biggest mistake in terms of transfers, has been his inability to sign enough quality for the wide positions. I like Benayoun but personally I think his best position is central. All of the other wide players Rafa has signed have been poor and we're paying for this at the moment, IMO.

 

Nunez

Garcia

Zenden

Gonzalez

Pennant

Kuyt

El Zhar

Leto

Babel

Riera

 

That's just a very, very poor list of players to have signed for the wide positions over a 5 year period (about £50M worth as well).

 

Can't disagree with that.

 

To be honest, Rafa has always seemed kind of blase' when it comes to transfers, players and money IMO (exemplified by the Keane debacle). It's like his belief in the team ethos is so profound that he actually doesn't think a single good player can make too much of a positive impact or a bad one can cause much damage to his side.

[rebel23]

For the money we paid for Kuyt (2006), Babel (2007) and Pennant (2006) we could have bought Ribery in 2007.

 

and have no striker or right midfielder in 2006? the world doesn't stop for LFC, Benitez had to keep upgrading the squad, he doesn't get all his money in one go, in one pre-determined year

[Unrighteous]

it has been reported in the Spanish press that Real offered him to us in the Alonso deal but the owners needed the cash. Dumb move

 

Very dumb. We would have added a class player who can play off the left forward position.

 

 

(Or filling in for Torres as well)

[05 Milan]

For the money we paid for Kuyt (2006), Babel (2007) and Pennant (2006) we could have bought Ribery in 2007.

 

Yeah, that's a really constructive and fair way to look at things.

[DJLJ]

So in theory then if we sacked him today and he didn't get another job until the summer it would cost in the region of £5m instead of the media hyped £20-25m we hear about.

 

Or, if he decided not to take a job until his contract runs out, we would have to pay the "media hyped" 20 - 25 m. Noone can guarantee he will take a new job before his contract is up.

[Brownie]

it has been reported in the Spanish press that Real offered him to us in the Alonso deal but the owners needed the cash. Dumb move

 

It's been reported in the Spanish press that Rafa will be Real's new manager on about four different occasions.

 

Don't believe what you read.

 

The owners are a pair of cunts and there are plenty of other things you can use to criticise them and defend Rafa, but this isn't one of them.

[Royal Family]

they turned down Real's offer to include Higuian in the deal

 

I think you'll find it was rafa who turned down the swap deals - he was offered a number of players, including Negredo, and HE turned them down, stating on innumerable occasions that he only wanted a cash deal and wasn't going to get fobbed off with Real's outcasts. Presumably he thought that he'd have the whole of the money to spend, but as you say it's not wise in hindsight to have turned down higuain and negredo. But that was Rafa's decision - the owners were actually keen for him to accept swaps.

[Antynwa]

When you don't know who is at fault, best bets is just to get rid of them. I almost go to bed every night praying for Mourinho and a Dubai led consortium.

[Liverpool lad]

Fucking net spend

[Antynwa]

Net Spend, what sort of fucking argument is that anyway. Has it ever been used to defend a past manager? Or indeed any manager at another club.

[rebel23]

I think you'll find it was rafa who turned down the swap deals - he was offered a number of players, including Negredo, and HE turned them down, stating on innumerable occasions that he only wanted a cash deal and wasn't going to get fobbed off with Real's outcasts. Presumably he thought that he'd have the whole of the money to spend, but as you say it's not wise in hindsight to have turned down higuain and negredo. But that was Rafa's decision - the owners were actually keen for him to accept swaps.

 

I do not believe that for one second, no one knows what goes on but i'd guess a manager like Benitez is not happy just to have Torres as the senior fit striker, he's kept quiet because Purslow is lurking and it's plausible that the Americans needed the cash from Alonso to do the Aquilani deal and balance the books.

 

It's not a coincidence that the books were balanced or are you trying to say there was money that Benitez could have spent but chose not to? I highly doubt this

[Carra_is_legend]

I do not believe that for one second, no one knows what goes on but i'd guess a manager like Benitez is not happy just to have Torres as the senior fit striker, he's kept quiet because Purslow is lurking and it's plausible that the Americans needed the cash from Alonso to do the Aquilani deal and balance the books.

 

It's not a coincidence that the books were balanced or are you trying to say there was money that Benitez could have spent but chose not to? I highly doubt this

 

Without getting into the finance or balancing the books bit, I agree, I don't think Rafa will be happy to just have Torres as the only real striker on the books. However, I think he gambled on this (when he spends £17m on a right back, you can only assume not signing another striker is a gamble) because it worked last season after we sold Keane. This season, it has come to bite him in the arse as both Gerrard and Torres have got injured at the same time.

 

Having said that, Gerrard and Torres are not the only reason we have lost so many games in so short time (the defeat yesterday is solely down to the manager and no one else). There is something else going on in the camp and I don't know what it is.

[WaltonRed]

He's lost the players or is in the process of losing them.

 

Thats whats happened.

[rebel23]

Without getting into the finance or balancing the books bit, I agree, I don't think Rafa will be happy to just have Torres as the only real striker on the books. However, I think he gambled on this (when he spends £17m on a right back, you can only assume not signing another striker is a gamble) because it worked last season after we sold Keane. This season, it has come to bite him in the arse as both Gerrard and Torres have got injured at the same time.

 

Having said that, Gerrard and Torres are not the only reason we have lost so many games in so short time (the defeat yesterday is solely down to the manager and no one else). There is something else going on in the camp and I don't know what it is.

 

So you think there was 15-20m available and Benitez chose not to spend it. it's clear to me he brought Voronin back and kept him as a senior striker as he didnt think he could get another one.

 

I stand by the assertion that the Americans needed the books balanced, it coincided with the banks asking for money back. Benitez won't say anything because Purslow is at every press conference lurking as the enforcer of a brutal regime.

 

Let's see if they stump up in January or in the summer, we'll see soon enough but the Keane money definitely disappeared and we've had to balance books since then.

[Royal Family]

I do not believe that for one second, no one knows what goes on but i'd guess a manager like Benitez is not happy just to have Torres as the senior fit striker, he's kept quiet because Purslow is lurking and it's plausible that the Americans needed the cash from Alonso to do the Aquilani deal and balance the books.

 

It's not a coincidence that the books were balanced or are you trying to say there was money that Benitez could have spent but chose not to? I highly doubt this

 

Hi rebel: I'm saying that Rafa probably THOUGHT there would be money on offer at the start of the summer, and also thought he would get all the monies he raised from Alonso. Clearly circumstances changed over the summer, no doubt because of refinancing - but he is the one who turned down swap deals, not the americans, and on Negredo specifically commented to AS in June that he was a good player "but we have Torres and that makes it difficult for us to buy any striker". In other words, he was quite prepared to go into the season with ONLY Torres as a main striking option, which in my view is simply incredible - even more so given Torres's injury-record. RAFA is the one who made that choice to turn down Negredo, he decided his priorities. But I do agree that the financial situation changed from between May and August

[Liverpool lad]

Net Spend, what sort of fucking argument is that anyway. Has it ever been used to defend a past manager? Or indeed any manager at another club.

 

I am taking the piss Ant

[rebel23]

Hi rebel: I'm saying that Rafa probably THOUGHT there would be money on offer at the start of the summer, and also thought he would get all the monies he raised from Alonso. Clearly circumstances changed over the summer, no doubt because of refinancing - but he is the one who turned down swap deals, not the americans, and on Negredo specifically commented to AS in June that he was a good player "but we have Torres and that makes it difficult for us to buy any striker". In other words, he was quite prepared to go into the season with ONLY Torres as a main striking option, which in my view is simply incredible - even more so given Torres's injury-record. RAFA is the one who made that choice to turn down Negredo, he decided his priorities. But I do agree that the financial situation changed from between May and August

 

 

That is highly likely to be the diplomatic answer RF. I bet The Enforcer of the brutal regime has control over every interview he does or something like that, he certainly seems to make it his business to supervise press conferences on behalf of his masters

[Antynwa]

I am taking the piss Ant

 

I know you are, I took it one step further ;)

[vonk]

Why is there this constant argument about fucking players? If he'd spent another 20m on a player would we be top of the league right now? If Chelsea hadn't bought Zhirkov would they be 5th? It's a totally bullshit argument. There are great managers who, no matter what 11 members of their squad they put out, will get a performance from their team. All of the players that have played for us this season are good players. It's as simple as that the manager is not getting the best out of them. From owners to manager to players....we are underachieving. And one or two players are not going to change that. We bought the best striker in the world and how many trophies have we won as a result?

[rebel23]

Has anyone seen this from the rag writer?

 

Just to show you what we're up against

 

'RYAN BABEL will jet back home to Ajax in January if Liverpool get £6million for the striker.

 

He needs funds before sealing a new £90,000-a-week deal for keeper Pepe Reina.'

 

Now, I'm no fan of Babel but the concept of selling players to fund wage deals is fucking disgusting, we'll be left with NO squad and a bunch of fringe kids.

 

It's so ultimately self-defeating. We'll also leave us technically weaker because although Babel is shit he's still another body in an otherwise thin squad. Who's next to go?