Question for those who dont want rafa gone...

[Craig_H]

You make a big point that we havn`t improved on our 4th position since rafa arrived.It`s because Munure/Chelski have spent Tens of millions more than us on players Rafa wanted but was outbid for while Arsenil have reaped Wengers 10 yr academy project and spent millions.

Rafa's spent £150m mate, that's enough to take a 4th placed team and turn them into a title-challenging side. Houllier's squad was good enough to finish fourth.

Two £15m players per year for 3 years = 6 world class players by now.

We have 2.

And one of them was already there.

[fah-q]

Agree slightly but you are overlooking Pepe and Agger.

[AFII]

So that we're not all just sat here speculating, can you just provide us with cold hard numbers for, say, the last 3 years?

LFC......

2005-06.....£12.78m
2006-07.....£11m
2007-08.....£21m

In net spent. In total....£44.78m spent net the last three years.

Everton....

Yakubu....£12m
Johnson...£8m
Cahill.......£5m
Lescott....£5m
Baines.....£4m
Van der Meyde...£5m
Arteta.....£6m

They have sold a few players during the same time but not anyone for any big money.

[Craig_H]

LFC......

2005-06.....£12.78m
2006-07.....£11m
2007-08.....£21m

In net spent. In total....£44.78m spent net the last three years.

Everton....

Yakubu....£12m
Johnson...£8m
Cahill.......£5m
Lescott....£5m
Baines.....£4m
Van der Meyde...£5m
Arteta.....£6m

They have sold a few players during the same time but not anyone for any big money.

Considering you've not posted ANY of their recouped money (and they have recouped some), you'd have to forgive me for not etching those numbers into stone.

[Johnny]

Rafa's spent £150m mate, that's enough to take a 4th placed team and turn them into a title-challenging side. Houllier's squad was good enough to finish fourth.

In the last 4 yrs Fergie did`nt need to revamp most of his team so spent his 150 million or more on 6 players.chelsea bought every football whore and spent 300 million and Wenger reaped the benifits of a 10 yr youth policy while spending 100 mill.

[Craig_H]

Here's a few for you AFII...


James McFadden £4.75m
James Beattie £4m
Gary Naysmith £1m
Simon Davies £3m
Kevin Kilbane £2m
Marcus Bent £2m
Per Koldrup £5m
Thomas Graveson £2.5m

That's a total of £25m in sales, all within the last three years...

So taking the purchases you've listed and deducting the £25m in sales, i make that about £20m net spend they've had in that time.

We had £21m in just one year...

[Craig_H]

In the last 4 yrs Fergie did`nt need to revamp most of his team so spent his 150 million or more on 6 players.chelsea bought every football whore and spent 300 million and Wenger reaped the benifits of a 10 yr youth policy while spending 100 mill.

But we already had the 4th best team...

Why did a 'revamp' need to happen? Why not just add top quality?

[AFII]

Here's a few for you AFII...


James McFadden £4.75m
James Beattie £4m
Gary Naysmith £1m
Simon Davies £3m
Kevin Kilbane £2m
Marcus Bent £2m
Per Koldrup £5m
Thomas Graveson £2.5m

That's a total of £25m in sales, all within the last three years...

Well, I forgot Beattie, Howard, Ferrari and Kroldrup on my list. So they have spent something like £30m-£35m net.

[Craig_H]

Your list of purchases totals about £45m. My list of sales - £25m. So a net spend, over 3 years, of about £20m.

Less than ours for just this season...

[calvoboy]

I appreciate that you've made a genuine post there and simply expressed your honest opinion

You know, with regards to the 'sorting the ownership' and then perhaps giving him another year to see what happens, i almost (and in fact, do) agree. But...(there had to be one ) there are two problems i have with that...

1) even before the ownership issues, he was rotating in the same silly manner as now, and making baffling decisions, substitutions, playing players out of their most comfortable positions etc. So even once ownership is sorted and he's given proper backing (if it happens), i just dont see why he'd suddenly change the methodology he's always used. If he hasnt changed it after 3.5 years of it not working (in the PL), why is he suddenly going to go back on his deepest held philosophies and change his mind? I cant see it mate.

2) as i've said, IMO JM would win the title for us. Trouble is, rarely will he be available and out of work. And once he's in work, he'll be at one of the world's top clubs and would be very difficult to prise away. Given that i think he's the man who'd win the league for us and he's available now, i wouldnt want to miss out on getting him now, as it'd probably be our only realistic chance.

On 1) I suppose that's my fear.

On 2) I have been wondering recently why he has been so quiet lately, and how his agent said at the time of the England snub that he had already agreed to be a top club's manager next season. Given that England is the only country where he was banned from managing this season, it makes me wonder who he has agreed to join. Has the deal already been done (after Klinsmann knocked Hicks and Gillett back?) or does the timeline not fit with that scenario?

Much as I hated him while he was at Chelsea, I can't think of a better qualified candidate if Rafa were to go. Experience in the Premiership, a winning record, success wherever he's been...I feel dirty for even thinking it though.

[Craig_H]

I'm still convinced he'll be coming to us. If it isnt us though, it'll be Milan apparently.

[Dhav]

Your list of purchases totals about £45m. My list of sales - £25m. So a net spend, over 3 years, of about £20m.

Less than ours for just this season...

out net spend this season is somewhere between £12-£15m. I imagine that's less than Everton's, but I'm merely guessing.

[Dhav]

I'm still convinced he'll be coming to us. If it isnt us though, it'll be Milan apparently.

You mean Mourinho? No chance in hell, IMO.

[Red Chilli]

out net spend this season is somewhere between £12-£15m. I imagine that's less than Everton's, but I'm merely guessing.

Net spend is a total red herring. Of course we'll recoup more than Everton, our players are better than theirs. If you want to compare us and Everton in the transfer market you have to look at the calibre of players that we're competing for. In that respect, they're a world away from us

[Craig_H]

out net spend this season is somewhere between £12-£15m. I imagine that's less than Everton's, but I'm merely guessing.

AFII has it listed at £21m.

We spent about £40m and brought in under £20m i think, so he's pretty much right.