Purchase of Robbie Keane

[flyboy]

so was keanes acquisition rafa's idea or not....judging by the interview it doesnt seem like it. the last time i checked we dont have a technical director or is that incompetent **** parry masquerading as one....cant be the yanks cus they know fcuk all about the game.

[dww]

I think the situation is more complicated. I think Rafa had a set of transfers he wanted done including Keane and Barry in but that to some extent his wishlist was dependent on getting the right combination. In the end a compromise had to be reached due to the change in circumstances on the Barry deal. The change in targets seemed to occur over a very short period of time and I get the impression that Rafa's complaint is that he would like to be in the position to make these decisions in a more considered manor rather than a rush at the end of the transfer window.

[Tee]

IMO Rafa should not keep harping on, albeit indirectly, about the Barry transfer. I mean FFS Alonso has been our best player this season and I am sure the vast majority of Liverpool fans (who are, in Rafa's words, the best judges) are happy that Barry did not arrive.

[dww]

The point is not so much that the transfer broke down though but the way it did. Barry has also been excellent this season and would have altered the way the team was set up. No one can know how that would have worked out.

The point is to some degree whether Rafa may have altered his targets for a forward if he had known earlier what would happen. What seems clear is that whether it would or not Rafa is unhappy with the rapidity that he has to finalise his overall transfer plans.

[TheElephantMan]

The point is not so much that the transfer broke down though but the way it did. Barry has also been excellent this season and would have altered the way the team was set up. No one can know how that would have worked out.

The point is to some degree whether Rafa may have altered his targets for a forward if he had known earlier what would happen. What seems clear is that whether it would or not Rafa is unhappy with the rapidity that he has to finalise his overall transfer plans.

Gareth Barry might have been the player who helped turn the draws against the "lesser" teams into wins? I really can't understand why we paid what most people would regard over the odds for Keane, but wouldn't for GB? Like Rafa suggested - only he should decide the true value of a player to the team.

[Matt]

...would like to be in the position to make these decisions in a more considered manor

Wouldn't we all, but with being the housing markets the way they are at the moment...


Anyway since Rafa is prone to using the media to convey any issues that he doesn't seem to be able to resolve in a timely manner I can't see how a player he didn't want to sign would be at the club without anyone having heard of it.

If Keane had bagged 15 league goals I don't think we'd be hearing anything like the number of theories that are floating around at the moment.

[dww]

Wouldn't we all, but with being the housing markets the way they are at the moment...

Anyway since Rafa is prone to using the media to convey any issues that he doesn't seem to be able to resolve in a timely manner I can't see how a player he didn't want to sign would be at the club without anyone having heard of it.

If Keane had bagged 15 league goals I don't think we'd be hearing anything like the number of theories that are floating around at the moment.

Possibly but Rafa very obviously has a problem with how transfer business is conducted. I think all the individuals we have aquired are genuine targets but I'm not convinced that Riera - Keane was a firs choice combination. I happen to think that Keane has done okay but he hasn't excelled and I wonder whether it is because we rushed the choice of striker in light of the other squad changes. It is certainly a purely speculative point but Rafa is annoyed by something in the way our business is done and it is reasonable to ask what that is.

[DannyMan2006]

His first choice was clearly Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane.

The intention was to sell Xabi Alonso and buy Barry with the cash from that sale. This is as wll known as anything. The board blocked this from happening and I guess we are all happy about it due to Xabi's form.

In the end Keane came in as planned and Riera was brought in to compensate for the lack of a left sided player.

The reason Rafa is unhappy is that the board thought paying over the odds for Keane was acceptable, but that it was not acceptable to pay over the odds for Barry. How can they make this decision? Rafa is not saying he wants more money, he is saying that he should be the one allowed to say how it is spent. After all, he is the one judged on his signings and he is the one who will carry the can if Keane flops.

We all found it absurd whenRoman went over Mourinhos head and bought Shevchenko, saying it should be left to the manager to pick targets. Well that is what Rafa is asking for.

If LFC have £20m to spend it should be Rafa who gets to decide how every penny is spent. Parry can still negotiate, but if a club say they want X more million taking up more of the budget it should be for Rafa to decide if that is the correct course of action.

I can not see what all the fuss is.

[dww]

I'm not sure that Rafa should have 100% control in the way some suggest though. Every transfer is also part investment and if the board feel say a player is too old to pay big money for say (not saying this has happened) then they have a perfect right to say so and prevent certain transfers. However it has to be communicated early and the criteria made clear to the manager.

[Matt]

Possibly but Rafa very obviously has a problem with how transfer business is conducted. I think all the individuals we have aquired are genuine targets but I'm not convinced that Riera - Keane was a firs choice combination. I happen to think that Keane has done okay but he hasn't excelled and I wonder whether it is because we rushed the choice of striker in light of the other squad changes. It is certainly a purely speculative point but Rafa is annoyed by something in the way our business is done and it is reasonable to ask what that is.

Perhaps he's frustrated with the longevity of negotiations caused maybe by squabbling over an extra million here or there when an expensive target is being procured.

I doubt there were many fans who didn't think Barry would have been a Liverpool player this season but it turned into an endless saga over a few million.

Look down the other end of the East Lancs Road and you'll see a team who pays what they have to in order to get their man - £30m for a 17yr old Rooney was it? A similar figure for Ferdinand.

I understand the need to balance the books and that financially we cannot compete with Utd or Chelsea but if the money is available to acquire the manager's number one target then it's negligence by Parry or whoever if he fails to deliver that player.

If LFC have £20m to spend it should be Rafa who gets to decide how every penny is spent. Parry can still negotiate, but if a club say they want X more million taking up more of the budget it should be for Rafa to decide if that is the correct course of action.

.

Agree 100%

[Icon]

Regardless of who did what the lad should be starting!

£20million on a bench warmer - insane.

Makes me wonder what Rafa would do if he had full control TBH.
We all question his team selection and subs in games - should this line of thinking really extend to the purchases?

[Baldemort]

The whole Keane signing was a strange one. A striker that plays best in 442, when all last season we were doing just fine with 4231. So ok, he changes his plans and goes for 442, but then when Torres gets injured, Rafa realises Keane is ****e upfront alone, and doesn't quite know where else to play him, so he spends many a game in the bench while we go back to 4231 with Kuyt upfront.

The two worst aspects of his transfer were his fee which was ludicrous, and the fact that what we really needed was a top class right winger and a **** hot full back or two.

[G]

IMO Rafa should not keep harping on, albeit indirectly, about the Barry transfer. I mean FFS Alonso has been our best player this season and I am sure the vast majority of Liverpool fans (who are, in Rafa's words, the best judges) are happy that Barry did not arrive.

Rafa quite clearly stated at the time that Barry was not a direct replacement for Alonso therefore we must assume his purchase was to provide us with options on the left wing and at left back.Him not coming led to us buying Reira who luckily enough has been a good replacement.

It was just rumour as far as any of us know about Alonso being for sale anyway and without that whole saga who knows if Alonso would've played with the form he has.For me that possible sale was a major factor in giving Xabi the kick he needed to rediscover his first season form.

[DannyMan2006]

I'm not sure that Rafa should have 100% control in the way some suggest though. Every transfer is also part investment and if the board feel say a player is too old to pay big money for say (not saying this has happened) then they have a perfect right to say so and prevent certain transfers. However it has to be communicated early and the criteria made clear to the manager.

Rubbish. Rafa is given a budget. The players brought in are not decided by their potential increase in value, just value for money. If Rafa feels that a 35 year old is worth £15m then so be it.

After all, it is Rafas performances the previous year that judge the amount in the budget. If he thinks the 35 year old will win the trophies for LFC who is to say otherwise? No doubt if the player flopped his budget would be affected the following year due to poor performance.

A compromise I would suggest is this:

Give Rafa the control, but if a clause is inserted in his contract. The clause being that if we finsih out the top 4 the board can sack him and pay a nominal compensation package to Rafa. Basically, he can have the control but failure would result in a financial loss to him. If Rafa was confident of success using his methods then he should be willing to accept that.

[DannyMan2006]

Regardless of who did what the lad should be starting!

£20million on a bench warmer - insane.

Makes me wonder what Rafa would do if he had full control TBH.
We all question his team selection and subs in games - should this line of thinking really extend to the purchases?

Yes. And if the team fails as a result he gets the boot. A manager should stand and fall by his results.