Rafael Benitez has pledged...........

[WhiskeyJar]

........to chase 'the best of British' as he looks to bolster his squad this summer.

 

The boss has already snapped up England youth international Jonjo Shelvey from Charlton, while promising homegrown talents such as Raheem Sterling have joined the Academy in recent months.

 

It is a trend Benitez is keen to continue in the future.

 

He said: "It is something that we have always tried to do. We tried to sign Gareth Barry, we did the same with Glen Johnson. That was always the idea.

 

"We have tried to bring in British players with the right mentality and the passion for the club.

 

"We want them to know what it means to play for Liverpool Football Club."

 

Shelvey cost the Reds £1.7m, though this could increase depending on domestic and international appearances.

 

The 18-year-old arrived at Melwood last week to meet his new teammates and get used to the surroundings ahead of next season, when he is likely to be thrust straight into the first-team squad.

 

Benitez added: "Shelvey is an addition like that (British and with the right mentality). We are trying to do what is best for the club. We have a long-term plan in place and we try to follow that."

 

Meanwhile, the gaffer remains confident of the quality within his current crop of players.

 

"This team has good players and we have a good team," he said. "We just had too many problems, too many injuries. We also had some difficulty dealing with expectation that everyone was thinking about us at the beginning of the season."

 

 

Rafa eyes 'best of British' - Liverpool FC

[Antynwa]

Didn't he say this a while back?

[Tom R]

Shelvey wasn't even his signing.

[zigackly]

Has he guaranteed it?

 

And please shut up about Gareth fucking Barry. It's salt in the wound.

[Tom R]

"This team has good players and we have a good team," he said. "We just had too many problems, too many injuries. We also had some difficulty dealing with expectation that everyone was thinking about us at the beginning of the season."

 

So now Liverpool Football Club having expectations and aspirations of success is a "difficulty" is it??

 

What a fucking gobshite.

[OnizukaEikichi]

yeah Barry for Alonso. Fuck that shit.

[Tom R]

we'll be a team of Dirk's and Lucas's in no time if this tit remains manager for another season.

 

Anyone even remotely decent at football will be off before you can say "I'm not playing for this prick any more".

[Glen C]

Shelvey wasn't even his signing.

 

Why do you say that?

[Original202]

I'm pretty sure everyone expected to finish higher than 7th. Not that much to ask is it?

 

Probably not too much to expect to get past the 3rd round of the FA Cup and out of a weak Champions League group too (I suppose we did get out of it, just the wrong way).

 

And I'm sure Shelvey is a good prospect, but I'm fed up of hearing about players with the right mentality and passion. I'd rather players had technical ability and we can worry about their mentality later. You can't ever teach Dirk Kuyt to control the ball like Messi or finish like Torres, but you can drum the right mentality into anyone.

[Tom R]

Why do you say that?

 

Because Kenny Dalglish signed him.

[Fowlers God]

I'm pretty sure everyone expected to finish higher than 7th. Not that much to ask is it?

 

Probably not too much to expect to get past the 3rd round of the FA Cup and out of a weak Champions League group too (I suppose we did get out of it, just the wrong way).

 

And I'm sure Shelvey is a good prospect, but I'm fed up of hearing about players with the right mentality and passion. I'd rather players had technical ability and we can worry about their mentality later. You can't ever teach Dirk Kuyt to control the ball like Messi or finish like Torres, but you can drum the right mentality into anyone.

 

Spot on post. I am dreaming that Shelvy can be an fresh insperation though!!!

[Guest LFD]

Well get J. Cole on a free, SWP - while his value is low, maybe Carlton Cole?! and upgrade Lucas with Scott Parker.

 

Not sure any English left backs would be worth getting.

[Guest TK-421]

we'll be a team of Dirk's and Lucas's in no time if this tit remains manager for another season.

 

Anyone even remotely decent at football will be off before you can say "I'm not playing for this prick any more".

 

I hope so, mate.

 

No need for the "tit" and other insults, bang out of order that is. I think you should stop it.

[Guest LFD]

I'm pretty sure everyone expected to finish higher than 7th. Not that much to ask is it?

 

I thought we'd come 2nd, behind Chelsea.

 

I don't think it was unrealistic to think that, we just underachieved - massively!

[Glen C]

Because Kenny Dalglish signed him.

 

Im sure rafa had to agree to him coming, it wouldn't have been done behind his back. King kenny may hae scouted him and recommended him to rafa, but rafa would have the final say.

[JohnnyH]

Why do you say that?

 

Don't worry, If Shelvey doesn't turn out good enough, he'll be a Rafa signing again quick enough.

[dirty_sanchez]

"This team has good players and we have a good team," he said. "We just had too many problems, too many injuries. We also had some difficulty dealing with expectation that everyone was thinking about us at the beginning of the season."

 

So now Liverpool Football Club having expectations and aspirations of success is a "difficulty" is it??

 

What a fucking gobshite.

 

So you don't think the fans expectations are overly high given that there are at least 7 or 8 clubs in the league with better financial resources than us?

[stringvest]

we'll be a team of Dirk's and Lucas's in no time if this tit remains manager for another season.

 

 

We could guarantee 15th place.

[Guest TK-421]

We could guarantee 15th place.

 

You haven't got a clue.

[keysaint]

These were comments he made in the atletico press conference. just been dug up again.

[Tom R]

whenever they were said, they're complete bollocks.

For a change.

 

The man's a joke. he should walk away. But he doesn't give a fuck about anything but his ludicrous pay-off for failure, so he won't.

 

And he is a prick. So i'll call him on if I want to.

You'd be pretty hard pushed to find many people he's worked with who'd disagree with that.

Have you ever known one man to piss off so many people in so places at so many levels of the game over such a long period of time?

 

It's not a coincidence. It's because he's a prick.

[Tom R]

So you don't think the fans expectations are overly high given that there are at least 7 or 8 clubs in the league with better financial resources than us?

 

£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

 

Fuck off.

[Tom R]

Don't worry, If Shelvey doesn't turn out good enough, he'll be a Rafa signing again quick enough.

 

No he won't.

 

You're just being a dick.

[zigackly]

So you don't think the fans expectations are overly high given that there are at least 7 or 8 clubs in the league with better financial resources than us?

 

No, last summer was the first summer the manager was not backed in the market and we dropped from 2nd place to 7th. We all saw the way we played on the pitch last season. If you honestly think that was caused by finances then you have a right to hold that opinion, but I am not going to hold back from telling you it stinks.

 

As we go through more transfer windows without investing in the team then our expectations should lower of course; for instance next season I think we will be battling for fourth spot not looking to challenge for the league as we should have been and were at the outset of last season.

 

But applied to last season, a purely financial analysis is a shithouse excuse and I expect much better from a manager who was talking about challenging for the title at the start of the season and guaranteed a top four finish partway through it.

 

He's trying to move the goalposts after losing the game. This kind of bullshit will lose him even more respect from the fans, his peers, and any players reading his comments, either the ones playing for us already or anyone we might look to sign.

[Guest TK-421]

Have you ever known one man to piss off so many people in so places at so many levels of the game over such a long period of time?

 

It's not a coincidence. It's because he's a prick.

 

Stop turning it into a Mourinho thread.