'If Rafa can spend, Reds will take title'

[Marky]

Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy is a man who knows what it takes to win major silverware – and he firmly believes that if Rafa Benitez is successful in snatching his summer targets, then Kopites are in for a trophy-laden treat this season.


Failure to do that, though, will see Manchester United crowned champions again.

Kennedy - who will be in Northern Ireland this weekend as part of the Legends XI Tour which will see old favourites from the Reds and United battle it out across the province - has looked on in envy as Sir Alex Ferguson's men pocketed title after title, while the 1990 championship winning season drifts further and further into the past.

It is a frustration that has been felt by every Liverpool fan across the globe, but Kennedy feels Benitez is on the right track – albeit slowly.

And what could just tilt the balance in the favour of the Merseysiders, according to the man from the north east, who won five championships during his seven-year spell at Anfield, could be the close season potential signings fingered by Benitez.

The Gareth Barry transfer saga has rumbled on even more than the Ronaldo to Real Madrid circus, causing a rift between Liverpool and the England midfielder's club, Aston Villa.

Neither party can agree a fee for Barry and the deal is in danger of collapsing.

And Tottenham's Republic of Ireland international Robbie Keane has emerged as another target as Benitez aims to fill the void left by Peter Crouch's move to Portsmouth last week.

Both players can take Liverpool to glory, but without them, the 18 year wait for a Premier League title will have to go on for another season.

“I would be very disappointed if neither of them came about,” said Kennedy, who will team up with the likes of Steve McManaman, Jason McAteer and Bruce Grobelaar when the Legends XI tour kicks off against Bangor at Clandeboye Park on Sunday.

“I think both players would fit in perfectly at Anfield and I would be delighted to see them pulling on the red shirt. Barry has come on leaps and bounds over the past few seasons at Villa and has been deservedly rewarded with a place in the England team. He would be the perfect partner in my opinion for Gerrard and it has been seen already that they link up well together in internationals.

“I just hope that it happens soon because no one likes to see things like this go on and on, and it certainly isn't doing the player any good because he doesn't know where he is going to be playing his football next season.

“As for Robbie Keane – I think he is a tremendous player. He's got great pace and is a great finisher and I think he would provide the perfect link between Torres and the midfield.

“Those two players would be great buys but I think if Liverpool are to make a real challenge this season then they are going to be needed.

“I think Rafa is moving in the right direction but maybe not quickly enough in some peoples eyes and so I think he is going to have to win the league soon as 18 years is a long time to wait.

“I think they are still a little bit behind Man United, but with a couple of quality signings, like Keane and Barry then they could put them under real pressure and make another go of it in Europe as well.”

Of the players already there, key to that challenge will be Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

However, Kennedy believes it is time for the pressure to be lifted off the star duo.

“Torres in his first season was absolutely phenomenal – to score 33 goals in your first season away from home is amazing,” he added. “He linked up brilliantly with Ste

vie but there is a danger of the team becoming to reliant on those two. I think its time the rest of the players on the pitch and the squad in general raised their own game a little otherwise you are left looking to the two main men again.”

It will be another season of red rivalry between Liverpool and Man United, and that's something that Kennedy admits fails to diminish down the years. That's why he's looking forward to keeping it going over here in Northern Ireland over the next few weeks.

“All the boys are looking forward to it,” he said.

“We have just got back from a tour in Denmark and Norway and now we are having a bit of a rest before kicking off in Northern Ireland this weekend.

“It's great to be a part of and as a player or ex-player all you want to do is play football. And in doing that you want to do it against your main rivals. We are playing against a couple of Irish teams and then we'll take on the United boys and that is something we'll look forward to. Off the pitch we are good mates, but on it, we are rivals and we can't wait to play against them again.”

The Oceanico Legends XI week-long tour culminates with the Belfast Cup at the Oval on Saturday week.

At 11.30am United will take on Linfield and Glentoran face Liverpool at 12.45pm before the third/fourth place play-off, then final. Tickets can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets including the Oval.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premiership/if-rafa-can-spend-reds-will-take-title-13908976.html

[Mike]

We have a jigsaw puzzle, and we need the last few missing pieces, once we have them we will have the complete picture

[Shanks]

Both players can take Liverpool to glory, but without them, the 18 year wait for a Premier League title will have to go on for another season.

Load of bollox.

So basically if we sign Barry and Keane then we might be in with a shout but if we dont then we'll still be waiting.


FFS. Everyone on this forum could have written that piece.

Can't believe AK is throwing his hat into the ring on these two.

[Marky]

MARK LAWRENSON: Bringing in goal machine must be top of agenda
Jul 15 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

WITH a month to go until the new Premier League season ask yourself this: As it stands, have Liverpool for the players that can score the goals to give them the title?

Personally, I don’t think they have. My biggest bug-bear with Liverpool is that they need to realise it’s okay to lose some games as long as you’re trying to win them.

Put another way, the defence is fine, especially now Daniel Agger is back. So forget playing things safe because that’s where draws come from – and Liverpool had far too many of those last year.

They took only one point from almost a third of their games but draws mean nothing now. When it was two points for a win, a draw was half a win but now it’s a third, it’s worthless. Especially when Manchester United and Chelsea are winning so many week-in, week-out.

So my point is, who is going to make sure that if Liverpool go all out to win games that they will score the goals to ensure it happens?

Obvious answer is Fernando Torres.

But 33 goals wasn’t enough to sustain a challenge last year and the odds are he won’t score that many again this season. He needs help.

And what if he falls over at Sunderland on the opening day of the season and is out for months?

Now Peter Crouch has gone that currently leaves Andriy Voronin and Dirk Kuyt – and he can’t really be trusted to come in and bang the goals in as he’s been more used to a role wide on the right.

There is of course the possibility of Robbie Keane coming in but good player though he is, he’s more of a streaky scorer.

He’ll go on a run and get 10 in 10 but the that’s half his average season’s tally gone in one go.

He can’t guarantee the kind of regular goalscoring Torres was making a habit last season.

I have to admit that being negative this early on isn’t always wise – I’m sure Rafael Benitez does have some ideas up his sleeve for when the market speeds up.

The Spaniard David Silva would be an exciting addition and although that is unlikely to come off, at least some-one of that ilk would at least get Liverpool some way towards matching the top two in terms of firepower.

But at the moment I think it must be a worry for the Anfield faithful that there isn’t that kind of player they can pinpoint as being good enough to turn them into genuine contenders.

And with Javier Mascherano and Ryan Babel looking set for the Olympics it could be a very tricky start to the season if Benitez is unable to boost his forward line before the big kick-off.

It’s even got to the stage where I’m reading reports of Jermaine Pennant leaving for Blackburn and being concerned about losing him.

After all, he’s quick and creative and in terms of players who can operate in the vital wide areas he is an option.

And Benitez is going to have to gather an awful lot of those in the next month.

[El Jefecito]

MARK LAWRENSON: Bringing in goal machine must be top of agenda
Jul 15 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

WITH a month to go until the new Premier League season ask yourself this: As it stands, have Liverpool for the players that can score the goals to give them the title?

Personally, I don’t think they have. My biggest bug-bear with Liverpool is that they need to realise it’s okay to lose some games as long as you’re trying to win them.

Put another way, the defence is fine, especially now Daniel Agger is back. So forget playing things safe because that’s where draws come from – and Liverpool had far too many of those last year.

They took only one point from almost a third of their games but draws mean nothing now. When it was two points for a win, a draw was half a win but now it’s a third, it’s worthless. Especially when Manchester United and Chelsea are winning so many week-in, week-out.

So my point is, who is going to make sure that if Liverpool go all out to win games that they will score the goals to ensure it happens?

Obvious answer is Fernando Torres.

But 33 goals wasn’t enough to sustain a challenge last year and the odds are he won’t score that many again this season. He needs help.

And what if he falls over at Sunderland on the opening day of the season and is out for months?

Now Peter Crouch has gone that currently leaves Andriy Voronin and Dirk Kuyt – and he can’t really be trusted to come in and bang the goals in as he’s been more used to a role wide on the right.

There is of course the possibility of Robbie Keane coming in but good player though he is, he’s more of a streaky scorer.

He’ll go on a run and get 10 in 10 but the that’s half his average season’s tally gone in one go.

He can’t guarantee the kind of regular goalscoring Torres was making a habit last season.

I have to admit that being negative this early on isn’t always wise – I’m sure Rafael Benitez does have some ideas up his sleeve for when the market speeds up.

The Spaniard David Silva would be an exciting addition and although that is unlikely to come off, at least some-one of that ilk would at least get Liverpool some way towards matching the top two in terms of firepower.

But at the moment I think it must be a worry for the Anfield faithful that there isn’t that kind of player they can pinpoint as being good enough to turn them into genuine contenders.

And with Javier Mascherano and Ryan Babel looking set for the Olympics it could be a very tricky start to the season if Benitez is unable to boost his forward line before the big kick-off.

It’s even got to the stage where I’m reading reports of Jermaine Pennant leaving for Blackburn and being concerned about losing him.

After all, he’s quick and creative and in terms of players who can operate in the vital wide areas he is an option.

And Benitez is going to have to gather an awful lot of those in the next month.

Like Lawernson has a clue.

[slimbimjim]

Mark Lawrenson is a cock.

So basically with a cautious defence, which led to more draws, and Torres we didn't quite mount a challenge but with Agger back and more solid defense we now need a goal machine?

Surely it means we can now challenge?

[Marky]

Mark Lawrenson is a cock.

So basically with a cautious defence, which led to more draws, and Torres we didn't quite mount a challenge but with Agger back and more solid defense we now need a goal machine?

Surely it means we can now challenge?

I agree 100% with Lawro on this one, we need someone to take the burden of Gerrard and Torres in terms of creating and scoring goals. I hope this will come in the form of an Irish forward in the prime of his career.

I think alot of things will be expected of Babel next season also to relieve the pressure on Gerrard and Torres.

[redtitan]

We have a jigsaw puzzle, and we need the last few missing pieces, once we have them we will have the complete picture

i think we've been having a jigsaw since the 90's just cant seem to get the damn thing finished

[FatTony]

Like Lawernson has a clue.

He has some valid points in that article, just where are the goals coming from if anything happens to Torres? With both Mascher and Babel being in the Olympics what quality cover do we have? Both of these players have a significant affect on us as an attacking or defensive unit.

We don't have the quality in depth of the top 2 and Lawrenson is just stating fact.

Personally, I don't like the guy but he's spot on there.

[Exiled_red]

I don't think the problem is the number of goals we score, last season we scored more in all competitions than any other team, we scored more Premiership goals than Chelsea who were in the title race until the last day of the season. Obviously it would be nice to get more goals but what's important is winning the tight games

[Elvis]

If we score loads of goals but fail to score enough in tight games then that makes us sound like flat track bullies. We can put 6 past Derby but not score against Utd....I think that's what Lawro is getting at and why he is a little concerned about Keane being "streaky". We need real quality in front of goal when we play Yernited/Arse/Chavski and we need another consistent goal threat (like Torres) so that we don't draw five games in a row when he's off the boil or injured.

[Carras_Shin_Pads]

I'm a big fan of Lawro, even if eh does come out with some ****e! But they're both saying what we already know, we need more in attack, but it all comes back to money, which we dont have, so why do they feel that have to keep saying it?

[Nic83]

If we get keanery salted peanuts, reds will take the title