Transfer Kitty??

[bertie]

Would not surprise me if if the mancs make a couple major signings in the last week of the transfer window. For now they will just fool us into thinking their buisness is over.

Who's to say we're not playing exactly the same game?

[-V-]

Lads I'm sorry to burst the bubble of doom & gloom on here but Xabi only left last week. The whole re-financing thing happened 3 weeks ago. Therefore I believe that there is not a chance in hell that Rafa would let Xabi leave unless he KNEW he would get the money to spend. ALL OF IT!

This, IMO, is simply Rafa feeding the media so that the clubs we're negotiating with get the message that we're skint. I actually go along with the earlier post that says he has around 20m to spend & I firmly believe it will be spent in the next few weeks. He's biding his time.

Yeah im hoping thats the case

[Baracus]

Let's be fair now, we've all hoped for the best for Liverpool and Rafa from all dodgy rumours about the Americans for the last 2 years regarding investment, stadium and how much money rafa's got to spend. No matter how dismissive and optimistic we can be on these rumours, they usual end up being very close to the truth with these two.

[Craig_H]

We were meant to have bid £25m for Tevez, werent we? If that was true, then we've got money.

Unless of course, the yanks gave it to RBS.

[Exiled_red]

Let's be fair now, we've all hoped for the best for Liverpool and Rafa from all dodgy rumours about the Americans for the last 2 years regarding investment, stadium and how much money rafa's got to spend. No matter how dismissive and optimistic we can be on these rumours, they usual end up being very close to the truth with these two.

If we were on a limited transfer budget because of the cost of a new stadium I could accept that, but it seems that we're on a limited transfer budget because of H&G's refinancing deal (expenses associated with them buying the club)

[Redspin]

Don't get me wrong, I am actually quite certain we will make two more signings. I just think we could have brought in some real extra quality, which we will not do.

So, on the one hand, with absolutely no evidence whatsoever, you're "quite certain" we'll make two signings while, on the other hand you are equally certain we won't bring in anyone of "real extra quality". It would've been quicker to say "to be honest I haven't got a clue what's going to happen"

[Redspin]

I think it was obvious to most that we needed to improve in the attacking third, either out wide, or with another striker.

So we can improve on last season's attacking record and catch up in scoring with....er....who exactly?

[Redspin]

It's about the distribution of goals though. We need either a/ one of those players to step up to consistently turn 0-0's into 1-0's or b/ to add someone who can. I guess it is possible that the addition of Aquilani and/or Johnson might benefit some of them in the same way that getting in Riera helped Kuyt and Alonso be more effective last year.

At the minute though there are a number of forwards on that list who you wouldn't be confident of getting 10 goals a season if played up front consistently and don't offer a threat if played elsewhere either.

Your last comment doesn't really mean much when you examine our opponents' scoring records. While we had three players who scored 12 or more league goals, no other club had more than 2 players who even got 10 or more league goals

[Craig_H]

So we can improve on last season's attacking record and catch up in scoring with....er....who exactly?

When the league title is handed out to the highest goalscorers, then you'll have a point.

Nobody said we needed to improve on last season's attacking record.

Did they?

[The_weatherman]

Would not surprise me if if the mancs make a couple major signings in the last week of the transfer window. For now they will just fool us into thinking their buisness is over.

If our owners had to take some money off the transfer budget I think it is likely that the Glazers have to as well, or at least want to. We can only judge what is in front of us so on that basis we have a similiar chance as United and Chelsea.

[BobTheCharmer]

Good post but this is a classic everyone else is up **** creek and we are great post though isn't it?

no mate, I've never been rafa's biggest fan and actually wanted him out a while back, but I honestly feel we can do it this year. I think we'll be stronger than last year and though we may well lose more than 2 we'll turn some of the draws into wins.

By November I may have changed my mind and the depression of another fruitless title charge may be reality but until then I'm feeling confident for the first time in years.

[carheex]

This is so ****ing frustrating. Every year we are missing something. This year, we seem to be so close yet through one circumsatance ir another have to sell one of our best players. His replacement may or may not turn out better in the long run, but we'll have to wait for him to be fit & then bed in.

Our weaknesses largely have not been addressed & whilst there is a prime oportunity to capitalise on Scum being weakened, we seem powerless to add that much needed extra player or 2. Every year our key player Gerrard gets older & we do next to nothing to provide that last missing piece of the jigsaw.

No matter who we buy, there is always going to be a player or 2 that could be improved upon on, so from that perspective the jigsaw will never be complete. Hope that makes you feel better.

[Roboklopp]

No matter who we buy, there is always going to be a player or 2 that could be improved upon on, so from that perspective the jigsaw will never be complete. Hope that makes you feel better.

You know fully what I mean, stop being so facile.

[Vermilion]

h: Already posted elsewhere.

[kingfunk]

Liverpool should beware of calling Rafael Benitez's bluff over transfer policy

By David Maddock

Last modified 10:57 11/08/09


If there is a common theme throughout the managerial career of Rafael Benitez, then it is the fact that he is a man of principle.

At Real Madrid, a club he loves and that is in his blood, he was doing the youth team job of his dreams, but walked out rather than select the president of the club's son who he considered not good enough.

At Extramadura, despite winning a miraculous promotion to La Liga, he again quit after being crossed by the president of the club.

At Valencia, after winning two league titles against all odds, he walked out after promises were broken over transfer policy.

Why mention all this? Well, when the Liverpool manager was negotiating his current contract in April, a deal that will apparently keep him at Anfield for five more years, one of the main points of negotiation was over future transfer funds.

Benitez knows he has a squad that is close to being champions, and recognises that he requires perhaps just two more top class players to take the final step. He also recognises those players will cost massive money to improve on what he already has.

Hence his negotiations in April, when he secured promises from Liverpool's American owners that funds would be made available to build the squad of his desires to seriously challenge the Manchester United-Chelsea dominance at the top of the Premier League.

The details of those negotiations are unclear, but it was widely assumed that he would be given at least £20million to spend this summer on top of ANY money he raised himself through sales. Other reports suggested he would be given £40million plus sales.

With less than a week to go before the start of the new season, he has been given precisely NOTHING to spend, above and beyond the money he has raised.

To spell the maths out for Liverpool fans puzzled at this statement, the sales of Xabi Alonso, Sebastien Leto, Alvaro Arbeloa, Jack Hobbs and Paul Anderson have generated something in the region of £40million.

In response, he has paid out around £32million to bring in Glen Johnson and Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani, leaving a PROFIT of around £8million, perhaps more.

Unless you sell Cristiano Ronaldo for £70million, it is hard to make a profit in the transfer market and retain a squad good enough to win the title - especially if you were just short of that mark the season before.

Benitez knows this, and as already suggested, he really is a man of principle. He will be seething inside that his best chance of winning the title at Anfield is apparently being scuppered by owners who have gone back on their word, and are trading long-term title prospects for short-term balance sheet concerns.

A word of warning to Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Benitez walked out of Valencia - a club that had won two titles and a UEFA Cup and were amongst the favourites to lift the Champions League - because he "asked for a table and they brought me a lampshade".

So far this summer, the owners haven't even turned that lamp on at Anfield.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/david-maddock/Liverpool-should-beware-of-calling-Rafael-Benitez-s-bluff-over-transfer-policy-article109173.html