Kuyt a done deal

[rnm]

G_ who helped you with that photoshop, you might have the wit but i doubt the talent

[kurtangle01]

so has he signed yet? no news is good news i suppose.

[Peter Delvechio]

Is it?

[kurtangle01]

Is it?

don't know, just trying to hold on to the hope that he'll sign this week!

[Chris]

Probably wont hear anything official until late next week I reckon (If he is signing that is). Theres ****ty Internationals next week and he'll be meeting up with the Dutch squad on Monday.

[kurtangle01]

Probably wont hear anything official until late next week I reckon (If he is signing that is). Theres ****ty Internationals next week and he'll be meeting up with the Dutch squad on Monday.

hopefully things will hot up this week and he'll be an LFC player in time to face sheffield united next saturday.

[G_Man]

G_ who helped you with that photoshop, you might have the wit but i doubt the talent

Did it myself ACT-UALLY!

My first effort and my first "photobucket" thing. I was quite chuffed for my first go.

[Lecter]

Was just about to say the same thing. I'm sure they don't update it at weekends.

Football Echo articles are never added to the Echo website

The only info that the website adds to their website on Mondays is the back page of Saturdays Daily Post and Echo

Anyway heres the Football Echo article in full

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.

[Gavzie]

..so I have been told tonight. We've already agreed personal terms, and will meet Feyenoord's asking price tomorrow (€15 Million).

Good old Dirk told the Barcodes and Atletico Madrid to **** off.

Also, apparently we're about to sign another South American centre-half called Muñoz (17 year old). Dunno where from or anything else about him, but apparently the coaching staff are very excited about the lad.

Fantastic, I really hope this is the real deal. I am a big fan of the Kuytster. He and Bellers are the way forward. Fingers crossed

[Tom]

Yes *Sparks* have flown - and the town planners desperately need to extend the size of the city, if this doesn't come off.

[sLiDeR]

Any more info from yer guy tom on Kuyt???

Sorry but just back from me honeymoon & havent caught up as yet!!

[Shaggy]

Yes *Sparks* have flown - and the town planners desperately need to extend the size of the city, if this doesn't come off.

[Tom]

Shags nothing has changed from what I told you the other day, I just wanted to compare my riddle to what Chris had written . Don't worry.

[Tom]

BTW mate, as promised I'll send you some more late for being good
unconnected this, but very interesting....

[sLiDeR]

Sunday Mirror reporting deal is off!