Liverpool FC Forum

[CousinIT]

GH best was Sami, no doubt and his worse I'd say was Diouf. The money we paid for him and then we didn'teven get half of that back.

Rafa best is Alonso. Worse could be anyone of about 6. But I'm going for Morientes. For his reputation,he was awful.

[Dundalk]

Nobody has given little Luis a shout for best signing. He has scored some very important goals

[CardinalRed]

Gerard - Sami = YES!   Diouf = NO!

Rafa - Xabi = YES!    Pellegrino = NO!

As for the nearly men, Rafa can't be blamed to be honest for Morientes, he came here as the proven article and for whatever reason didn't hit it off, it's difficult for a boss to predict that... Kromkamp was a strange one, a Dutchman who get's homesick when it's quicker to fly home than it is to drive to London? Can't weigh that one up and probably the coaching staff couldn't either.....!


                                                               

[madred]

Im really at a loss to choose Houllier's worst signing. Diao, Cheyrou, Diomede, Diouf, Meijer. Better leave Big Eric out really as the lads a hero still. I'd have to give it to Cheyrou for being so highly rated but failing to deliver.

His best signing was Sami no doubts.

Rafa's worst signing was probably Josemi as Pellegrino was signed to bring a boost to the squad at the time in the dressing rooms.

Rafa's best was Alonso by a mile.

[alessandromagno]

Houllier's career breaks into 2 parts. In the first part he brought some great servants to the club (all of whom are well known) and in the second part of his time as manager he delivered turkey after turkey (all of whom are equally well known). The jury is still out on lots of Rafa's signings, though Alonso, Garcia, and Momo are undoubtedly stars.

[account deleted by request]

Houllier's career breaks into 2 parts. In the first part he brought some great servants to the club (all of whom are well known) and in the second part of his time as manager he delivered turkey after turkey (all of whom are equally well known). The jury is still out on lots of Rafa's signings, though Alonso, Garcia, and Momo are undoubtedly stars.

I cant say I agree with you there mate, Houllier started his Liverpool buying career with some right turkeys. Its just that some of his later buys made his first ones seem better!

Jean Michel Ferri   Istanbulspor   £1,500,000   28.11.1998 
Frode Kippe   Lillestrøm   £700,000   06.01.1999 
Rigobert Song   Salernitana   £2,600,000   26.01.1999 
Djimi Traore   Laval   £550,000   18.02.1999 
Sami Hyypia   Willem II   £2,500,000   19.05.1999 
Vladimir Smicer   Lens   £3,750,000   24.05.1999 
Titi Camara   Marseille   £2,600,000   01.06.1999 
Stephane Henchoz   Blackburn   £3,500,000   02.06.1999 
Sander Westerveld   Vitesse Arnhem   £4,000,000   15.06.1999 
Erik Meijer   Leverkusen   Free   01.07.1999 
Dietmar Hamann   Newcastle   £8,000,000   22.07.1999 
Emile Heskey   Leicester   £11,000,000   10.03.2000 
Bernard Diomede   Auxerre   £3,000,000   07.06.2000 
Gary McAllister   Coventry   Free   01.07.2000 
Markus Babbel   Bayern Munich   Free   01.07.2000 
Pegguy Arphexad   Leicester   Free   01.07.2000 
Nick Barmby   Everton   £6,000,000   17.07.2000 
Christian Ziege   Middlesbrough   £5,500,000   25.08.2000 
Gregory Vignal   Montpellier   £500,000   22.09.2000 
Daniel Sjolund   West Ham   £1,000,000   28.11.2000 
Igor Biscan   Dynamo Zagreb   £5,500,000   07.12.2000 
Jari Litmanen   Barcelona   Free   04.01.2001 
John Arne Riise   Monaco   £4,000,000   20.06.2001 
Milan Baros   Banik Ostrava   £3,200,000   26.07.2001 
Chris Kirkland   Coventry   £6,000,000*   31.08.2001 
Jerzy Dudek   Feyenoord   £4,850,000   31.08.2001 
Nicolas Anelka   Paris St Germain   On Loan   20.12.2001 
Abel Xavier   Everton   £750,000   30.01.2002 
Bruno Cheyrou   Lille   £3,700,000   16.05.2002 
El Hadji Diouf   Lens   £10,000,000   01.06.2002 
Alou Diarra   Bayern Munich   Free   09.07.2002 
Patrice Luzi   Monaco   Free   29.07.2002 
Salif Diao   Sedan   £4,700,000   06.08.2002 
Steve Finnan   Fulham   £3,500,000   01.07.2003 
Anthony Le Tallec   Le Havre   £1,500,000*   01.07.2003 
Florent S Pongolle   Le Havre   £1,500,000*   01.07.2003 
Harry Kewell   Leeds United   £5,000,000   09.07.2003 
Carl Medjani   St Etienne   Free   08.08.2003 
Paul Jones   Southampton   On Loan   09.01.2004 
Djibril Cisse   Auxerre   £14,500,000*   01.07.2004

Houllier
Best signing Hyypia     Worst  Diao

Rafa
Best signing Sissoko   Worst  Pellegrino

[Leonmc0708]

Houllier: Best = Hyypia/Riise
         : Worst = Diouf

Rafa: Best = Gerrard (IMO is the BEST signing of our history!)
      : Worst = Morientes (Big Name, failed delivery. Even though I loved watching this guy, am still unsure as to what the he11 happened!!)

I always thought you where a bit stupid, but this confirms that you know zip, zilch, nil nada, nothing.

Gerrard was our best signing ever and Rafa signed him ! ! !

So quick to pull the trigger and have a go, so simple to read a post, Leon, have a look mate,  you're very dissapointing!

I am sorry but you cant possibly be trying to say that you meant resigned as he never left you idiot.

Admit your clueless and move on.

How can resigning Gerrard be someones best signing when he never left in the first place ?

[LFC #1]

I think your being a bit harsh Leon mate, I see where you are coming from but I know what he meant. Gerrard was off, eventually getting his head sorted out after Istanbul was like getting a new player, and no one can deny how good he was for us last season.

However that being said, I don't think Rafa had a huge influence on "re-signing" Gerrard - it was more Gerrard's own issues, his family and the persistence of Rick Parry IMO.

[Leonmc0708]

I think your being a bit harsh Leon mate, I see where you are coming from but I know what he meant. Gerrard was off, eventually getting his head sorted out after Istanbul was like getting a new player, and no one can deny how good he was for us last season.

However that being said, I don't think Rafa had a huge influence on "re-signing" Gerrard - it was more Gerrard's own issues, his family and the persistence of Rick Parry IMO.

Scott, you are everyones friend.

[LFC #1]

I think your being a bit harsh Leon mate, I see where you are coming from but I know what he meant. Gerrard was off, eventually getting his head sorted out after Istanbul was like getting a new player, and no one can deny how good he was for us last season.

However that being said, I don't think Rafa had a huge influence on "re-signing" Gerrard - it was more Gerrard's own issues, his family and the persistence of Rick Parry IMO.

Scott, you are everyones friend.

in that case he's a !

Nah seriously I'm just trying to be objective.

[CousinIT]

To offer a different perspective, I'll talk about the signings of each manager that other top clubs would kill for/poor clubs wouldn't touch with a barge pole:

Houllier

Other top teams would kill for Riise
As we know all to well, not one decent club is interested in Diao

Rafa

So many here...
Other top teams would kill for Alonso (with an honourable mention to Sissoko, Garcia and, soon, Kuyt)

Not even poor teams would offer money for Pellegrino after his displays in red

I have to disagree. Big teams wouldn't go after Riise. He hits a good shot every now and then but most of the time it ends up in rows L-Z, he has no pace, can't tackle and isn't particually good at defending and as for no one would spend money on Pelligrino may I remind youwe didnt pay any money for him. He was just cover so Sami could play the European matches.

[CousinIT]

Everyone has slagged GH's signings off at one point or another and those same people think Rafa is a genius but Rafa has made more ups than GH if you look at it. Some of Gerard's buy weren't 1st team players (Kippe and Ferri) but all most all of Rafa's are and Rafa's have been worse.

Good buys:
Alonso--world class can't say more
Momo--learns to pass a ball will be a legend at LFC
Crouch--does a good enough job and has been boss this season
Agger--outstanding

Average buys:
Kuyt--not seen enough of him yet
Reina--superb last year, dreadful this time round
Bellamy--same as Kuyt, not impressed so far
Gonzalez--looks lively when played
Garcia--give and take with him. Good one game poor for the next four
Carson--good buy for the future
Fowler--hasn't played enough under Rafa but when he has, has played well

Bad buys:
Morientes--useless
Josemi--what was the point?
Nunez--didn't do a thing right
Pennant--thinks he is world class (and isn't) just because he plays for Liverpool
Aurellio--the odd free kick to hit the target isn't good enough
Barragan--we'vesold him with the option of bringing him back. Why?
Zenden--an abosoloute joke
Kromkamp--another right back who isn't good enough

So despite Gerard making bad buys I believe his good buys outweigh Rafa's buy a country mile.

[Leonmc0708]

Everyone has slagged GH's signings off at one point or another and those same people think Rafa is a genius but Rafa has made more ups than GH if you look at it. Some of Gerard's buy weren't 1st team players (Kippe and Ferri) but all most all of Rafa's are and Rafa's have been worse.

Good buys:
Alonso--world class can't say more
Momo--learns to pass a ball will be a legend at LFC
Crouch--does a good enough job and has been boss this season
Agger--outstanding

Average buys:
Kuyt--not seen enough of him yet
Reina--superb last year, dreadful this time round
Bellamy--same as Kuyt, not impressed so far
Gonzalez--looks lively when played
Garcia--give and take with him. Good one game poor for the next four
Carson--good buy for the future
Fowler--hasn't played enough under Rafa but when he has, has played well

Bad buys:
Morientes--useless
Josemi--what was the point?
Nunez--didn't do a thing right
Pennant--thinks he is world class (and isn't) just because he plays for Liverpool
Aurellio--the odd free kick to hit the target isn't good enough
Barragan--we'vesold him with the option of bringing him back. Why?
Zenden--an abosoloute joke
Kromkamp--another right back who isn't good enough

So despite Gerard making bad buys I believe his good buys outweigh Rafa's buy a country mile.

Rafa's "bad Buys" are out the door faster than you can say Champions LEague and he did not persist wit hthe mistakes he made, unlike Houllier, which was a major fault of his.

Houllier never signed one player who went on to be worth more than we got him for.

For Diao read Sissoko

For Diouf read Crouch

For a brain visit www.ineedabrain.com

[CousinIT]

Everyone has slagged GH's signings off at one point or another and those same people think Rafa is a genius but Rafa has made more ups than GH if you look at it. Some of Gerard's buy weren't 1st team players (Kippe and Ferri) but all most all of Rafa's are and Rafa's have been worse.

Good buys:
Alonso--world class can't say more
Momo--learns to pass a ball will be a legend at LFC
Crouch--does a good enough job and has been boss this season
Agger--outstanding

Average buys:
Kuyt--not seen enough of him yet
Reina--superb last year, dreadful this time round
Bellamy--same as Kuyt, not impressed so far
Gonzalez--looks lively when played
Garcia--give and take with him. Good one game poor for the next four
Carson--good buy for the future
Fowler--hasn't played enough under Rafa but when he has, has played well

Bad buys:
Morientes--useless
Josemi--what was the point?
Nunez--didn't do a thing right
Pennant--thinks he is world class (and isn't) just because he plays for Liverpool
Aurellio--the odd free kick to hit the target isn't good enough
Barragan--we'vesold him with the option of bringing him back. Why?
Zenden--an abosoloute joke
Kromkamp--another right back who isn't good enough

So despite Gerard making bad buys I believe his good buys outweigh Rafa's buy a country mile.

Rafa's "bad Buys" are out the door faster than you can say Champions LEague and he did not persist wit hthe mistakes he made, unlike Houllier, which was a major fault of his.

Houllier never signed one player who went on to be worth more than we got him for.

For Diao read Sissoko

For Diouf read Crouch

For a brain visit www.ineedabrain.com

Didn't persist eh?

Zenden is still there
Nunez and Josemi were given a whole year
Morientes was useless from the word go yet still manged 18 months with us
Barragan can come back if we want him, but thats not persisting with him obviously

I'm not saying Gerard's signings were great but I am saying people need to realize that Rafa isn't as good as they make out he is. If he was he wouldn't buy these useless players in the 1st place.

[PabloAimar]

i was jus glancing throught the 'houllier' chapter in fowler's book again and it just reminded me wat a set of tits houllier n thomo were.

jean michel ferri - houllier's first signing for £2.5M - played 51mins for liverpool.
gregory vignal, remember him? haha - robbie says he was crying in front of everyone when he couldnt make his debut because of a cold! hahahahaha

rafa has bought some sh1t players, but he's gotten rid of them the first chance he got!

you also have to remember how smicer, biscan and traore seemed like world-class new signings as soon as benitez took over!

i think benitez is yet to make his 2nd best signing this season (after kuyt) ...i hope paul anderson gets some 1st team opportunities this season, he looks promising - more so than the likes of potter and welsh did.