How have United managed to pull away?

[Exiled_red]

I think that one of the problems with us and not alot of people like to admit this, is that if our best players (Torres and Gerrard) have an off day no-one else steps up to the plate particularly in an attacking sense.

The likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd have played badly and got a 1-0 win or a win by one goal with a goal from player you wouldn't normally associate with scoring goals regularly. I couple of years ago the number of John Terry goals that won chelsea matches or Arsenal with goals from Gallas or Toure etc I can't really remember many games were we won with goals coming from anyone but the obvious players

[DomL]

In Rafa's second season many players had hit their prime and their form was outstanding.

Now many players have had their age catch up with them, players have rested on their laurels in terms of becoming better players, the prem has moved in terms of ablity and pace, ManU have through money been able to keep pace with this tramsformation.

Arsenal have allways looked at a player with pace and technique so they have handled the change well, we are now becoming a younger quicker team, but with Rafa's methods of wanting a balance between defence and attack getting thoughs players and getting the system right is hard.

We have finally found the system and currently have a solid base of young quick players, Torres, Babel, Skrtel, Reina, Masch and Lucas if we can now add to that with pace and technique and well as fitness i terms of keeping that starting 11 all the way through.

We will look a very good football team as well as playing like a very good football team.

Also if our youth system starts to bare fruit then like ManU and Arsenal are substituions will also be better as we have better attacking player coming through.

Money has allways been our problem hopefully this could be all right even with Hicks in the frame and we can have a summer of first choice young expressive talent.

Instead of players of the age of twenty eight and on a free.

[fred_plasticine]

we played some dull football 2006 but hell we were compact and solid and oozed the confidence that we wouldn't concede a single goal. our defence and overall defending has been world class, end of. attack this season and defence from then and we'd be challenging alright. carra's lack of form and agger's long term injury as well as not bringing in a decent left back have been major factors in this. maybe even pako leaving but that's only guesswork isn't it.

[Sarb]

They have spent millions and millions every summer. Add that to the fact that they are quite lucky in some games then you've got your answer

It's funny how Sky etc do these stats on how many points we would have if we didn't play Torres and Gerrard. Why don't they do the same with Mancs and Ronaldo. They would be nowhere near the top without him

******s.

[Rashid]

They have spent millions and millions every summer.

So you haven't bothered reading the original post?

[The Glove]

They have spent millions and millions every summer. Add that to the fact that they are quite lucky in some games then you've got your answer

It's funny how Sky etc do these stats on how many points we would have if we didn't play Torres and Gerrard. Why don't they do the same with Mancs and Ronaldo. They would be nowhere near the top without him

******s.

Also about the money, Rafa gets his money in dribs and drabs, they spend theirs in big **** off chunks.

[bigfooty]

We had a very solid unit at the end of the 2005-2006 seasons. Pepe, Finnan, Carra, Sami, Riise, Gerrard (on the right), Momo, Xabi, Kewell, Crouch and one other was a very hard team to beat in most matches and capable of getting goals despite lacking a prolific striker.

The summer of 2006 was where we got things wrong, the buys we made weren't good enough and the balance of the side was lost due to Kewell's absence. We fielded almost 10 different players in the LM position last season and for me that encapsulates the problems we have. This season it's been up front, Torres has performed admirably but we've gone with over a dozen different striking permutations during the campaign which is nothing short of bonkers.

[Sarb]

So you haven't bothered reading the original post?

Just read the title. Luck and money plays a big part.

Personally I dont think at the moment Rafa can win the title unless he changes a few ideas on selection, rotation etc.

Looking at net spend is totally flawed however. The first time Rafa spent big money on a player look who he got and his impact. Torres.

Mancs, £18m on Carrick, same on Hargreaves, £20m on Veron, more on Nistelrooy, that bracket on Nani

How many £18m+ players have Liverpool bought over the years? Not many. And that plays a big part

[Alan Key]

Just read the title. Luck and money plays a big part.

Personally I dont think at the moment Rafa can win the title unless he changes a few ideas on selection, rotation etc.

Looking at net spend is totally flawed however. The first time Rafa spent big money on a player look who he got and his impact. Torres.

Mancs, £18m on Carrick, same on Hargreaves, £20m on Veron, more on Nistelrooy, that bracket on Nani

How many £18m+ players have Liverpool bought over the years? Not many. And that plays a big part

Wasn't it proven our net spend in the least 5 years or so is the same if not greater than theirs?

Some people need to accept they are actually quite good, then maybe, just maybe, we can start aiming to better them. If we think it's just luck, then we should just keep the same squad, wait for the luck to even itself out and see where that gets us.

[The Glove]

They can afford to spend in big chunks, we havent. Rafa has been given the oney in dribs and drabs, Alex can just spunk it all in one go. The only times we have had big money (same as Utd) to spend we have bought Mascher and Torres.

[Sarb]

Wasn't it proven our net spend in the least 5 years or so is the same if not greater than theirs?

Some people need to accept they are actually quite good, then maybe, just maybe, we can start aiming to better them. If we think it's just luck, then we should just keep the same squad, wait for the luck to even itself out and see where that gets us.

Never said it's all luck

But there is a big difference between say Man U spending £40m odd on two players in the Summer and Liverpool spending £40m odd on say 4 or 5 players

Can't just look at net spend. Got to see the calibre of players being signed...and Fergie is spending big money on each signing. We aren't

If we bought 2 £15m odd wingers another £10m+ striker and another £10m + midfielder...we'd be a lot closer to them. But we haven't done so we aren't

[Sarb]

Rafa's big money signings

Alonso - Hit
Torres - ****ing legend
Babel - Going to be a bit
Mascher - ****ing General

A few more big signings we'll do a lot better

[Rashid]

The point is we should have kept Houlliers squad players and not spent so much money selling ****e only to bring in players not significantly better. Rafa has been totally hit and miss in the transfer market in his obsession with quantity over quality.

If he hadn't done that we would not have fallen away and we could have replaced the ****e slowly but we did the opposite.

[pezzzer]

fergie gets who he wants regardless of price, simple.

the mancs have the biggest war chest in world football and spend it year in year out, adding quality to quality to quality.

until we do the same we cant really compare im afraid

[Rashid]

fergie gets who he wants regardless of price, simple.

the mancs have the biggest war chest in world football and spend it year in year out, adding quality to quality to quality.

until we do the same we cant really compare im afraid

FACT: we have spent more NET than them in the last 4 years.
FACT: we have spent more NET and GROSS than them in the last 18 months.

When do we stop going on about their youth players of 15 years ago and the signings they made last century?

Get a grip, we are miles behind because of our transfer policy under Rafa.