Rafa Benitez issues Liverpool FC warning

[Redlife]

How can you say that when he has spent £70m in 2007?

Was that not an exceptional close season of spending?


Can those other three clubs not spend that and more every year without worry?

[saj]

Rafa's right. Fergie, Scholari, and now Hughes (before they sack him in about 6 months or less) have the funds to sign whoever they want. Money's not a concern. £20m-30m? Not a big deal.


Rafa spends £19m on a player, and that's the budget decimated. (If money wasn't an issue, excuses wouldn't have been created to prevent the signing of Barry, for example.)


How do you compete against clubs with those resources? It's tough.


(As for Wenger, come on, they won't win the league. Arsenal will play nice football for a bit and that'll be that.)

You spend what money you have wisely, promote continuity and promote from the reserves.

With reference to the latter, most of us don't know which reserves are good enough - we watch the reserves on the LFC Channel and see some talented players but we dont know how good they are compared to the players in the first team squad.

With reference to my first point - yes I know not every signing will be a success but Rafa really hasn't spent his money wisely, in particular when it has come to strikers and wingers. Torres has been our only success in this department. Babel should/could be a success but Rafa has tried to change his game too much and IMO, I get the feeling Rafa will give him less game time this year

[ronniedrew]

How can you say that when he has spent £70m in 2007?

yeah, but he didnt have 70m to spend on 1 or 2 players,

we needed loads, so he had to get a winger for 7m, he couldnt afford to get anybody he wanted.

people can talk about 100m or 200 m, i hate laying figures like that out on the table because they dont nearly tell the truth about the situation. the facts are that any clubs spending is over a period of time when they need to aquire several players within a specific budget.

Maybe he would buy one or 2 players that he really wanted and others that came into his price bracket , pennant etc. Would he have bought pennant if he had unlimited cash, i dont think so. if rafa had 200m to spend in one season, things would be a lot different.

[gerbin11]

How can you say that when he has spent £70m in 2007?

I presume your including Mascherano and Skrtle in that sum, who were bought in 2008.

With that statement are you suggesting he should have bought better players than Torres, Babble, Macherano and Skrtle?

[Rashid]

yeah, but he didnt have 70m to spend on 1 or 2 players,

we needed loads.

We have never needed loads, he chooses to buy loads and later has to sell most of them on as they aren't good enough. Who's fault is that?

[Johnny]

How can you say that when he has spent £70m in 2007?

His 1st and only season he has done this.
Chelsea spent much more when Roman arrived.
Fergie spunked 18 mil on Nani,Anderson,Hargreaves and Carrick.30 million on Berba(Not as good as T.orres)He`s been able to get the players he wants no questions asked,same as Chelsea.
Rafa had his hands tied until the Yanks arrived.
Only in the last two seasons has Rafa has actually got the players he wanted.Masch,Torres and Keane,Skrtl and Babel.
Before that we missed out on Quaresma,Simoa,Alves,Joaquin and a host of others because Parry/Moores squabbled over a few million.

All you do find every little thing you can to criticize Rafa while ignoring the fact that most of the players you don`t rate where bought under a budget.

You either ignore posts which prove you wrong or excuse your posts by talking about "Net spend" or "Alehouse football" blah blah blah.


Change the record mate,it`s getting incredibly tiresome.

[sean_lfc]

Constructive criticism?
On goes the PC quick check on the BBC gossip column, has anything new been mentioned about LFC. Quick glimpse at teh Lawro column to have a laugh about how many times he mentions width and how he has managed to, yet again, manage a sly dig at our team. Then on to est to see how many time have posters made comments about ‘spent the most money of the top 4’ ‘not moved on since Houllier, this is the season he has to prove himself’ ‘Why buy Benny and Pennant when we could have put the two transfers together and bought a decent winger’
I spend my time when watching our team on TV bemoaning the biased sensationalist pundits who relish the prospect of Liverpool failing. They criticise every misplaced pass or every defensive error that leads to an attempt by the opposing team.
Time and time again it is crtitism, now this I don’t really mind. Discourse and argument are creative, they bring about ideas and possible solutions ( why don’t we try this formation, why not play a different player in a different position etc). Nothing but destructive criticism brings about stalemate, the clue is in the title, destruction ( Sack Rafa)

1999/2000
1. Man Utd 91 pts.......24 points off the top and 2 pts ahead of 4th
2. Arsenal 73 pts
3. Leeds 69 pts
4. Liverpool 67 pts
5. Chelsea 65 pts

2000/2001
1. Man Utd 80 pts
2. Arsenal 70 pts .....11 pts off the league only 3 points ahead of 5th and
3. Liverpool 69 pts ......5th place was Ipswich
4. Leeds 68 pts
5. Ipswich 66 pts

2001/2002
1. Arsenal 87 pts
2. Liverpool 80 pts ......As far as the premier League goes Houlliers best season
3. Man Utd 77 pts ......2nd place only 7 pts off the lead and a massive 14 points
4. Newcastle 71 pts ......above 5th
5. Leeds 66 pts

2002/2003
1. Man Utd 83 pts
2. Arsenal 78 pts .......19 pts off the top and oh we were 5th but only 3 points
3. Newcastle 69 pts .......off 4th
4. Chelsea 67 pts
5. Liverpool 64 pts

2003/2004
1. Arsenal 90 pts
2. Chelsea 79 pts ........30 pts off the top and 4 pts ahead of 5th place
3. Man Utd 76 pts .......this was the year that, points wise we were
4. Liverpool 60 pts .......actually closer to relegation than to the top!
5. Newcastle 56 pts

2004/2005
1. Chelsea 95 pts
2. Arsenal 83 pts .......37 pints off the top and in 5th 3 pts off 4th
3. Man Utd 77 pts
4. Everton 61 pts
5. Liverpool 58 pts

2005/2006
1. Chelsea 91 pts
2. Man Utd 83 pts ...... 9 pts off the top and a substantial 17 pts off 5th
3. Liverpool 82 pts
4. Arsenal 67 pts
5. Spurs 65 pts

2006/2007
1. Man Utd 89 pts
2. Chelsea 83 pts ......21 pts off the top and 8 pts off 5th place
3. Liverpool 68 pts
4. Arsenal 68 pts
5. Spurs 60 pts

2007/2008
1. Man Utd 87 pts
2. Chelsea 85 pts .....11 pts off the top but 11 pts off 5th place
3. Arsenal 83 pts
4. Liverpool 76pts
5. Everton 65 pts

Win %
Benitez 56.07
Houllier 51.47
Only
Dalglish 60.91
Paisley 57.38
Are better in modern day management at LFC

A few statistics for those who say we are in the same position as under Houllier. From these you can make your own mind up.

I haven’t mentioned any of the trophies we’ve won since all that people want is the league.

You have proven my point. Those gloom and doom merchants will say we haven't advanced, yet those who think constructively will suggest that since Benitez has come to our club the quality of the opposition has increased. Even those at mid table and below have had more money to spend form the additional television money. This has improved the overall quality of the league. Take into consideration the increase in the quality of the other top four teams and the now fresh injection of capital at Man City and you could say that if we hadn't improved we could be in the same position as Spurs over the last two years. I would suggest that as we have been slightly more consistant in the last three seasons and that we have stayed with those above us that had quality to start with and have only needed to add to that quality with the odd couple of £20m to £30m players each year, we have advanced.

It is only natural that we should want only the best from our team. It is only natural to be unhappy when we see what our rivals are capable of. What we must remain is realistic. It is easy to say we should not have bought these two players when we could have bought that one player. This is way to simplistic an approach. We do not see our players day in day out. We see them 90 minutes a week.

Brilliant stuff that

[gerbin11]

Thanks, but unfortunately its is not brilliant, just a balanced and thought out argument, something certain members should thin about.

[ronniedrew]

We have never needed loads, he chooses to buy loads and later has to sell most of them on as they aren't good enough. Who's fault is that?

never needed loads, are you having a laugh? you can try and back up an argument whichever way you like but spouting ****e wont help.

we needed a full squad rebuild, djmi traore a european cup winner says it all. how many players are left since houlliers time, very little

he sells them on again because he needs better, they did a job at the time, but we are progressing, we have the best squad we have had in years

the facts are now, we have a quality spine to the team, as good as any, and with proper spending power , i.e. not being priced out of deals for wingers etc , we will be very close.

[Johnny]

We have never needed loads, he chooses to buy loads and later has to sell most of them on as they aren't good enough. Who's fault is that?

We`ve always needed loads because we`ve bought loads at bargain basement prices in the hope that they`d rise to a level expected.Very few 6 million pound players can play at a level expected by fans like you and the pressure gets to them and they ultimatly fail.
Pennant,Bellamy,Morientes and Crouch spring to mind as players bought cheap with great potential who ultimately fail with the weight of Fans expectations on their shoulders.

Everyone of those players was considered good enough by most fans.It`s not Rafa`s fault he was forced to shop in the bargain basement in the 1st place.

[FatTony]

We`ve always needed loads because we`ve bought loads at bargain basement prices in the hope that they`d rise to a level expected.Very few 6 million pound players can play at a level expected by fans like you and the pressure gets to them and they ultimatly fail.
Pennant,Bellamy,Morientes and Crouch spring to mind as players bought cheap with great potential who ultimately fail with the weight of Fans expectations on their shoulders.

Everyone of those players was considered good enough by most fans.It`s not Rafa`s fault he was forced to shop in the bargain basement in the 1st place.

We don't exactly shop in the bargain basement, (that must sound terrible to the fans of other teams who have real financial constraints ) but yes, of course Rafa hasn't been able to buy the best. I do however think that he hasn't got the balance right at times, in the sense that I do think he's perhaps bought too many mediocre players at times when it would've been better to spend that £20m on one.

[Johnny]

We don't exactly shop in the bargain basement, (that must sound terrible to the fans of other teams who have real financial constraints ) but yes, of course Rafa hasn't been able to buy the best. I do however think that he hasn't got the balance right at times, in the sense that I do think he's perhaps bought too many mediocre players at times when it would've been better to spend that £20m on one.

Trying to plug three or four holes with one big bung would have meant losing out on CL places for the last few yrs possibly.He`s spent big when given the money(By the Yanks).Torres,Keane and Mascher etc.

[FatTony]

Trying to plug three or four holes with one big bung would have meant losing out on CL places for the last few yrs possibly.He`s spent big when given the money(By the Yanks).Torres,Keane and Mascher etc.

I don't mean that he should never have brought in loads of players, I just mean at times he's done this when he didn't really need too. Our squad is huge.

It seems to me that the Chavs and Mancs get their squad players from europe, very cheaply, youngsters we don't know about. If they're short due to injuries, they step up. Its not so much of a problem because of the quality around them. The transfers they make tend to be big as they spend only on the players that they think will really add something to the starting 11.

Rafa's starting to now do this and I hope it continues. I really don't think we now need to bring in anymore average players to plug holes, so it'll be interesting to see what he does from now on.

[Woobus]

We don't exactly shop in the bargain basement, (that must sound terrible to the fans of other teams who have real financial constraints ) but yes, of course Rafa hasn't been able to buy the best. I do however think that he hasn't got the balance right at times, in the sense that I do think he's perhaps bought too many mediocre players at times when it would've been better to spend that £20m on one.

To get that 20 million he would have to sell 3 or 4 players which would leave the squad a bit thin, maybe when some of the kids are up to the correct level he will be able to do that.

[Rashid]

never needed loads, are you having a laugh? you can try and back up an argument whichever way you like but spouting ****e wont help.

we needed a full squad rebuild, djmi traore a european cup winner says it all. how many players are left since houlliers time, very little.

Say in the past two years he has had HIS team, and the previous two years he had mainly HOULLIER'S team...

Which team won more trophies?

By that token I'd say that he could have kept some of them as squad players and improved the first team without having to buy 50 players, of which only about 40 have turned out Liverpool class.