Transfer Dealings during the Rafalution

[mersey86]

I guess you could say poor transfers include:
Barragan, Nunez, Morientes, Bellamy, Paletta, Gonzales and a few others (but all in all we basically got what we paid for each of them).

Bellamy and Gonzalez have been defended elsewhere. Barragan should not be called a poor transfer either. Picked up cheaply he was breaking into the first team but got home-sick.
Nunez, Josemi, Kromkamp, Paletta were poor but hardly cost us any money when shipped out. Morientes is probably the worst but it was hardly on the Cisse/Diouf/Diao/Cheyrou scale.

[red g]

Bellamy and Gonzalez have been defended elsewhere. Barragan should not be called a poor transfer either. Picked up cheaply he was breaking into the first team but got home-sick.
Nunez, Josemi, Kromkamp, Paletta were poor but hardly cost us any money when shipped out. Morientes is probably the worst but it was hardly on the Cisse/Diouf/Diao/Cheyrou scale.

and to be fair on morientes to a man i dont think anyone thought he would flop.

the forums were ecstatic when he signed!

[JohnDoe]

Kromkamp- Cost us Josemi and sold for face value.

Nunez- Cost us nothing.

Barragan- Cost us almost nothing, didn't fail just wanted back home and helped bring Arbeloa here.

Paletta- Was exchanged for Insua, who looks like a great prospect.

We did not lose any money on these players.

If you think we'll get 10m for Sissoko you need psychiatric help.

I'll remember that.

[Darth Marty]

To say Morientes was a poor purchase is utter bollocks. I remember when we signed him it was all " amazing striker, best striker in europe, gonna be the answer to our prayers, defo 20 in the league" etc etc
That he didnt succeed is strange and completely (well, largely) nothing to do with Rafa. Its like saying if Eto'o became available and we signed him and he proved to be useless in this league, he was a bad signing, on the contrary, he would be a great signing who didnt work out. Like Morientes.

[dww]

To say Morientes was a poor purchase is utter bollocks. I remember when we signed him it was all " amazing striker, best striker in europe, gonna be the answer to our prayers, defo 20 in the league" etc etc
That he didnt succeed is strange and completely (well, largely) nothing to do with Rafa. Its like saying if Eto'o became available and we signed him and he proved to be useless in this league, he was a bad signing, on the contrary, he would be a great signing who didnt work out. Like Morientes.

Interesting point. I'm not sure I completely agree with it. It is certainly true that every signing is a gamble and in a cost/potential benefit analysis before he came Morientes looked like a good gamble. However the quality of a buy can only be measured in how well they do for us (and possibly how much we sell them for).

On those criteria Morientes was a poor but far from terrible buy IMO.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Like most good managers he's gotten most right, and a handful wrong.

But if we were to sell Kuyt I don't think we'd make a profit, perhaps even struggle to make our money back.

Then again we're not a selling club.

[red g]

Interesting point. I'm not sure I completely agree with it. It is certainly true that every signing is a gamble and in a cost/potential benefit analysis before he came Morientes looked like a good gamble. However the quality of a buy can only be measured in how well they do for us (and possibly how much we sell them for).

On those criteria Morientes was a poor but far from terrible buy IMO.

the point is in hindsight Morientes was a piss poor buy, but the fact is I dont think there is a person on the forum that would not have taken that 'gamble'

He was ready made for the premiership in my eyes. We have bought many players such as kuyt/torres/crouch where opinions have been widely different on Morientes everyone agreed that he was a great buy. but injuries also come into the equation as well.

the fact is though Morientes was probably rafa's worse purchase.

[red g]

Like most good managers he's gotten most right, and a handful wrong.

But if we were to sell Kuyt I don't think we'd make a profit, perhaps even struggle to make our money back.

Then again we're not a selling club.

depends if newcastle wanted him

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

To say Morientes was a poor purchase is utter bollocks. I remember when we signed him it was all " amazing striker, best striker in europe, gonna be the answer to our prayers, defo 20 in the league" etc etc
That he didnt succeed is strange and completely (well, largely) nothing to do with Rafa. Its like saying if Eto'o became available and we signed him and he proved to be useless in this league, he was a bad signing, on the contrary, he would be a great signing who didnt work out. Like Morientes.

There's no doubting Morientes's class, he just didn't adapt to the style of play in the Premiership.

Lets be fair though, any sensible manager would've bought him for £6m, the season before he was pretty much the best striker in Europe, top 5 at worst.

He was more effective in Europe for us. Still I think we should've kept him. I think Rafa gave up on him too early. He wasn't awful, just not as effective as expected. Does anyone think Kuyt has been an upgrade over him? I don't.

[Mattshark]

There's no doubting Morientes's class, he just didn't adapt to the style of play in the Premiership.

Lets be fair though, any sensible manager would've bought him for £6m, the season before he was pretty much the best striker in Europe, top 5 at worst.

He was more effective in Europe for us. Still I think we should've kept him. I think Rafa gave up on him too early. He wasn't awful, just not as effective as expected. Does anyone think Kuyt has been an upgrade over him? I don't.

I agree with you for the first part. However to be fair to Kuyt, he certainly has scored more than Morientes.

[Neil Young]

I think it was time for Morientes to leave when he did. I also think Kuyt has been more effective.

As has been said, he's scored more for a start.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I think it was time for Morientes to leave when he did. I also think Kuyt has been more effective.

As has been said, he's scored more for a start.

I don't think there's been much difference between the two myself.

Which disappoints me. I'd have rather Rafa give Morientes more time (another season), instead of signing Voronin and Kuyt, two sideways moves.

Still we Torres now, and soon Babel will be partnering him regularly.

That's progress.

[Guest]

I don't think there's been much difference between the two myself.

Which disappoints me. I'd have rather Rafa give Morientes more time (another season), instead of signing Voronin and Kuyt, two sideways moves.

You don't miss a dig, isn't it.

Kuyt and Voronin are both good signings. Don't look at them as individuals, but to what they offer the TEAM.

[carheex]

I agree with you for the first part. However to be fair to Kuyt, he certainly has scored more than Morientes.

He's got much better players around him though. Morientes had the pleasure of playing alongside many of Houllier's purchases!

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

You don't miss a dig, isn't it.

Kuyt and Voronin are both good signings. Don't look at them as individuals, but to what they offer the TEAM.

No more than Morientes did.

That was my point.

Fortunately Rafa's bought Torres and Babel.