An article from the Daily Mail to piss you right off!

[The_weatherman]

It's not about choosing between Kuyt and Alves, it's a much broader trend than that.

Off the top of my head, since we apparently only needed a CB, RM and CF we have signed...

Aurelio
Agger
Paletta
Gonzalez
Bellamy
Pennant
Kuyt
Zenden
Fowler
Nabil El Zhar and a few other kids

Now I know we needed to pad the squad out a bit, but surely the first team is the top priority? Even the 'free' transfers cost money. Why have we been busy signing 4th choice players who barely ever play first team football, when only now have we got ourselves a RM player in Pennant, our consolation choice?

We are scrimping where it matters most to be able to afford things that are quite frankly less important. I think if Cisse hadn't been injured things may have been slightly different this summer, but I think it's clear we cannot afford to go on compromising the quality of our important signings to get slightly better backup players.

I think Bellamy is a good player and hope he stays with us - but was it better that we signed him when we could've had Alves instead of Pennant, still had Kuyt, and just kept Sinama? Would we have had such a poor start to the season yet again had we not been trying to bed in so many new players?

I too hope Bellamy stays and I think we are different team with him and Kuyt upfront and agree that Cisse´s injury cost us but I think Sinama will not cut it in the Premiership. I would have liked Alves instead of Pennant but I would not have wanted to go into this season with Kuyt, Crouch, Fowler and Sinama upfront. I also think Aurelio and Zenden were good back-ups since we have been unlucky with injuries. Paletta, I´m on the fence with him - not sure why Benitez paid 2m for him but I happy with Gonzalez for 1.5m and I was excited about him and still am. Next summer Rafa will surely have the opportunity to buy quality over quantity and I have said it before that I believe that´s what he´ll do, DIC money or no.

[Red_Polo]

Yes, I hope so mate. You would think with the numbers signed by Rafa now we wouldn't need to be signing any more squad players anyway. I hope we get a top quality winger and striker in the summer. Anything else is a bonus.

[Redspin]

Its clear Rafa wants to sign the likes of Walcott and Bale then.

Too many times we miss out on these kind of players. Hopefully the board old or new will allow us to go that little extra in securing young talent.

I've seen nothing of Walcott to show that we've missed out by not getting him. He was very poor the other night - the game just passed him by. Looks very lightweight indeed and at the stage not worth a fraction of the silly money Arsenal paid for him. Never seen Bale play

[kopdan]

Yeah he was poor

What I meant was though its clear had we had the money, Rafa was keen to bring him here. We missed out hence his outburst. Looks like it will happen with Bale / Richards too.

[Redspin]

No, but he does have a valid reason for comparing the performances of ourselves in the premiership against the likes of Bolton and Portsmouth, who've spent far less and, at the moment at least, seem to be challenging us for 3rd or 4th spot.

There is a long way to go yet, but we're not going to win the title and we're out of all domestic cups. This is not a great campaign so far and here we are in January, clutching at the champions league as the lone possibility of silverware this season.

Lets not all get the blinkers on here, a great deal of fans here seem to believe that club and manager are without criticism, something I just do not understand. Rafa's spending over the last 2 seasons is second only to Fergie and Jose, and as the league currently sits, we're sat in the league exactly where we should be with that rather crude reasoning, 3rd. We are however, sat too close to the likes of Bolton and Portsmouth, and too far away from the top two, but then we'll see where we are in May.

We all know that our away form this season is diabolical for a club of this stature, and we can argue amongst ourselves about the success of Rafa's transfers and rotation policy, but the simple fact of the matter is that this season, his tactics and his transfers have not delivered. As a consequence, the media will try and rip him to shreads, but for people too dismiss ANY criticism is just as poor an opinion as to ignore the successes that he has brought us.

But one might as well question Arsenal's performances against the likes of Bolton (1-3 away) and Porsmouth (2-2 at home). who Arsenal are currently struggling with in competition for 4th spot - never mind their shambolic performances away to Man City, West Ham and Fulham, poor sides all, who saw them off comfortably this season in the Premiership. People have short - and selective - memories.

[TheStig]

You would expect more from the Daily Mail.

You would? This is precisely what I expect from the Daily Mail. Utter bull****.

[calvoboy]

Funny, Mr Ladyman wrote an almost identical article slating Ferguson last season saying:

"Unable to see what is before him, Ferguson continues to talk of another great United dynasty. But it is not going to happen, Sir Alex. It really isn't. Late in the second half, he sat back in the visitors' dugout. Like his team, he looked bereft of ideas. Eyes vacant, he looked tired and he looked spent"

He's got a track record for ill-founded, doom-mongering stories. Just ignore the prat!

[Redspin]

But one might as well question Arsenal's performances against the likes of Bolton (1-3 away) and Porsmouth (2-2 at home). who Arsenal are currently struggling with in competition for 4th spot - never mind their shambolic performances away to Man City, West Ham and Fulham, poor sides all, who saw them off comfortably this season in the Premiership. People have short - and selective - memories.

I forget to mention their most recent lousy performance against a poor side - the 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United who had a CB in goal for half an hour

[FatTony]

But one might as well question Arsenal's performances against the likes of Bolton (1-3 away) and Porsmouth (2-2 at home). who Arsenal are currently struggling with in competition for 4th spot - never mind their shambolic performances away to Man City, West Ham and Fulham, poor sides all, who saw them off comfortably this season in the Premiership. People have short - and selective - memories.

Yes, Arsenal, a fine youth team, still in the CL, FA Cup, Carling Cup and competing with us for 3rd...and last years CL finalists.

Anyway, the article is about Liverpools season so far, not Arsenals.

[Red Chilli]

No one knows what our board have promised Rafa. If they have broken a promise then he is right to criticise the board.

Indeed, but if they haven't then he is out of order to criticise them in public.

I think there is a reason to why Rafa have said the things he said.

He want more money and he wants it now. My guess is that he want a player that is available now and not in the summer but we can't afford him.

All speculation on your part

[tomasjj]

Indeed, but if they haven't then he is out of order to criticise them in public.

unless.... it is all part of a PR tactic

[rushscored4]

What is supposed to "piss me right off"? Whilst there is a certain element of tabloid sensationalism in the article, most of what the journalist has written is pretty accurate. The sooner we accept that the problems we have are far more deep rooted than just needing to throw more money at new players the better...

[Bob]

What is supposed to "piss me right off"? Whilst there is a certain element of tabloid sensationalism in the article, most of what the journalist has written is pretty accurate. The sooner we accept that the problems we have are far more deep rooted than just needing to throw more money at new players the better...

[Shaggy]

So what are the so-called deep-rooted problems?

[Red Chilli]

So what are the so-called deep-rooted problems?

I'd say:

1) Coaching
2) Progression of the youth team

By coaching I mean we rarely improve players. A lot of players seem to tread water or go backwards when they sign for LFC. We lack the basic skills generally, passing springs to mind, long, short and crossing.
Set pieces tend to be bloody farce at LFC. In defence we look vulnerable at set-pieces and corners/free kicks are often wasted.
Some of the players seem to go missing against the more physical teams in the premiership.