It depends on what Liverpool do in the window. I'm not expecting any sort of significant investment but I am expecting a few players of worthwhile stature to be arriving. Perhaps I'm being very naive. Whilst they are capable of getting a result at Anfield, I by no means fear them (Arsenal) and I don't think the team should either.
** Official ** Summer 2010 Transfer Thread - Signings, Sightings and Rumor's in Here
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It depends on what Liverpool do in the window. I'm not expecting any sort of significant investment but I am expecting a few players of worthwhile stature to be arriving. Perhaps I'm being very naive. Whilst they are capable of getting a result at Anfield, I by no means fear them (Arsenal) and I don't think the team should either.
Arsenal will have to be wary of the wounded animal though, Liverpool have their backs against the wall, and the situation is far from ideal, but adversity like that can unite a team and make them play above themselves. Won't be too many fellow gooners relishing a trip to Anfield on the opening day of the season...
Gossip persists about Torres' departure, how much do you reckon the board would allow Hodgson to spend if they made say £40-50 mil from Chelsea? 20 million?
Gossip persists about Torres' departure, how much do you reckon the board would allow Hodgson to spend if they made say £40-50 mil from Chelsea? 20 million?
I can't see Torres going but the money we'd get to actually spend could really be anything. I used the ratio of '3 in, 2 out' because it was similar to the £30m we sold Alonso for, buying Aquilani as his replacement for £20m.
The people running Liverpool at the moment (i.e clowns) have interesting ways of seeing that the transfer budget gets spent in various ways, which includes contract renewal costs among other things.
So the story goes that we always spend what we take in with transfers and that there's been investment added on top of that. When you look at the cold hard facts and figures regarding the last couple of summers, this falls on its face. It's depressing that we can't even spend what we take in through selling players but that's life at the club for now.
I'm not actually expecting us to sign any players of "stature", I'm expecting us to sign some average premiership standard players, squad players rather than first team class players.
I suppose a lot of that will come down to personal opinion on individual players but I have a feeling we'll do okay in the summer. There's a lot of doom and gloom surrounding the club at the moment but I'm not really sure Hodgson would have left his comfy Fulham retreat without the promise of some cash backing. There's always a chance he was promised the world before he got here and there's now nothing in the pot but I just have a positive feeling about that for now.
I'm not expecting us to sign any world beaters or players you could put in the overly used 'world class' bracket but a few solid signings and we could do alright. We also have players at the club who have underperformed during Benitez's tenure, with Ryan Babel perhaps being the greatest example of that. If Hodgson could squeeze better performances out of these kinds of players then we may not be in bad shape for the upcoming season. You only have to look at what he did with Bobby Zamora as a benchmark for what can be achieved.
Benitez's man management has been relatively cold in its style - it's frozen (pardon the pun) out the likes of Benayoun, Alonso, Babel and Riera to the point where they've either left or made very negative statements in the press, which has a knock on effect on the club.
It'll be interesting to see what Roy's man management will do to players like that. Of course the fear with warmer man management is that the manager becomes 'Uncle Roy' like Roy Evans did - and the players run the show.
It's ultimately about striking a balance between the two. I think the players started to run the show even with Benitez's colder approach and the only ones complaining about his departure are the ones looking for an escape out this summer again (i.e Mascherano).
I'd really rather we sold Babel, I frankly dont want him at the team at all and we could probably pocket 10 mil for him. We'll see how it goes, but as I say , I am expecting some solid run of the mill signings to try and bring some stability and squad foundation and a finish in the top 6. I'm not expecting big signings nor a smooth successful season.
There's no doubt that Roy will get the best out of the same players that underperformed last season. There was clearly some disharmony between/amongst the squad towards each other or Benitez, though you can only speculate as to what that was specifically. Very few players performed with distinction, Johnson and Reina were good, Mascherano looked solid, and Lucas looked much improved. So yes, in a perverse way that's a positive, in that there is better to come from the squad.
I just hope for Liverpool's sake that it is Hodgson and not Martin Broughton who has control of the transfer policy, because a firesale on your best players, with no buyer and future investment on the horizon could mean it's Evans' reign all over again.
I just hope for Liverpool's sake that it is Hodgson and not Martin Broughton who has control of the transfer policy, because a firesale on your best players, with no buyer and future investment on the horizon could mean it's Evans' reign all over again.
The danger with selling Babel is that any creativity from the squad is almost gone entirely. Riera is likely to be on his way at some point, following his sinking ship comments and then you're left with very little inventiveness in the team.
If you could sell Babel and use a portion of the money (because let's face it, it won't be all of it) to pay for Joe Cole's contract then I wouldn't be so against the idea. I just think we're fast becoming in need of creative players and they typically tend to carry heavier price tags due to doors those kinds of players can unlock on the field.
I still think a few solid signings and we could be okay. When I say solid I'm thinking more Scott Parker than Paul Scharner though. Perhaps that's the weak link of my optimism.
Wooo hang on!
Is this the Riera that I pointed out was rubbish and was told he was as good if not better than Ronaldo?
He's not turned his back on you has he?
This is old news, Gimp.
Really old news.Who the hell told you he was as good as Ronaldo?
This is old news, Gimp.
Who the hell told you he was as good as Ronaldo?
There was a fair few iirc, the usual suspects that think that if Liverpool sign a player he is the best in the world.
I just like to point out when I'm right
He was **** at City and because he had one good season in Spain he's the best thing since sliced bread, the same was said of Aquilani, saviour of the Pool!
I just like to point out when I'm right
Couldn't have guessed.
Then again I remember when United fans said Luke Chadwick was David Beckham's replacement. I have to say I wasn't that pleased when we signed Riera. He was fairly average at City (as you so pleasantly put) and I don't even think he had 'a good season' in La Liga. To be fair to Aquilani he does look a better calibre of player but Benitez was terrified of using him.
Couldn't have guessed.
I have to say I wasn't that pleased when we signed Riera. He was fairly average at City (as you so pleasantly put) and I don't even think he had 'a good season' in La Liga. To be fair to Aquilani he does look a better calibre of player but Benitez was terrified of using him.
Yes but did MU fans try and convince you he was the one to fill Beckhams shoes, I doubt it, maybe to replace him in the position
Reira was touted by many on here as "the answer to all of our problems, we're only lacking on the left wing and now we have him we will win the league"
Aquilani is a decent enough player but he's a luxury player in the fact that he never tracks back ala Alonso.
Yes but did MU fans try and convince you he was the one to fill Beckhams shoes, I doubt it, maybe to replace him in the position
No but I did once get a lecture off a Man United fan on how Kleberson was the first name on the Brazil team sheet.
I'm not surprised that some people were gloating about Riera's signing, you tend to get fans who get a little overexcited on every single player that signs for them. Although I do hope the Ronaldo comparison was an exaggeration on your part.
As for Aquilani, you'll be surprised to find that I would disagree with you. I think Alonso and Aquilani are players who sit on opposite ends of a midfield diamond. Benitez seemed keen on signing players who are creative in an attacking midfield position and putting them in defensive midfield - presumably for their ability to then pick a pass from deep, in the change of possession.
I would have to say that neither Lucas or Aquilani have worked out as signings yet and both look more comfortable in an attacking element. I think Lucas Leiva is out of his depth even for his more suited attacking role but I'll leave that conversation for another day.
In all I think Benitez has left a very unbalanced squad and I'm looking forward to getting some of that squad balance back, even if the players that help provide it aren't going to cost £20m+ each.
Fiorentina have completed the signing of Artur Boruc from Celtic
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8812754.stm
This presumably frees up Sébastien Frey for a move elsewhere...please god let it be Arsenal! Please please please pretty please. Go on Arsene, I can't go on with Almunia/Flappyanski any longer
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8812754.stm
This presumably frees up Sébastien Frey for a move elsewhere...please god let it be Arsenal! Please please please pretty please. Go on Arsene, I can't go on with Almunia/Flappyanski any longer
No but I did once get a lecture off a Man United fan on how Kleberson was the first name on the Brazil team sheet.
I'm not surprised that some people were gloating about Riera's signing, you tend to get fans who get a little overexcited on every single player that signs for them. Although I do hope the Ronaldo comparison was an exaggeration on your part.
As for Aquilani, you'll be surprised to find that I would disagree with you. I think Alonso and Aquilani are players who sit on opposite ends of a midfield diamond. Benitez seemed keen on signing players who are creative in an attacking midfield position and putting them in defensive midfield - presumably for their ability to then pick a pass from deep, in the change of possession.
Yup there was a few posts actually that described him as being on a par with Ronaldo, one even suggested he was a better left wonger than Ronaldo and therefore was better!
You can disagree with me all you like, it was you who said he was bought as a replacement for Alonso.
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