Liverpool FC Forum

[The Ace1983]

I look forward to waking up in the summer. I go downstairs, get some breakie and plonk myself infront of Skysports news to hear whats going on. I watch away to my hearts content at who's coming in, going out, saying this, paying that and holidaying where. Rumours and speculation that are actually grounded in even the smallest details are better than ones that come from "a bloke in the pub who knows this geezer who's mate met Jamie Carraghers dad and he said..." but who am I to talk as everyone on this site, including me is guilty of rumour-mongering, but so what, it's only to be expected.

However, some days this morning ritual is not always a fantastic experiance, when the first thing you see is the headline "Gerrard Leaving". But on other days you get headlines like "Gerrard Staying" and you end up with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. It's great. Especially as this summer, it appears that Liverpool manage to work there way into every single story. It's also uplifting to see our names with the top players and competing with @rsen-hole and Chel$ki for exciting talent like Jack Hobbs and established stars like SWP, Juaquin and a few others.

Over the last couple of days a number of stories from Sissoko to Figo have been pouring out of the tv but one that cought my eye (or was it my ear    ) was the one regarding Benitez's intentions for the rest of his budget. It was saidd that he was looking to sign 3 new players before the start of the season. That's 3. So my brain immediatly started trying to work out who. Well, We know about Figo. We've heard stories of meatings in Holland with Kuijt (or kuyt or kuyet or whatever) and we know bids have been rejected for Peter Crouch (why don't we have any little pictures of smiley faces killing themselves or throwing up?). Reports all summer have suggested the signing of Milito from Spain and for even longer we've been romancing the unsettled Mathew Upson. So surely we're looking at at least one defender, one striker and then someone else, because we either know it's Figo or we have too many midfielders. First of all, let me sum up in words or phrases (or smileys) my opinions of these players.

Crouch:    "Dear god, NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Kuijt: Could be good, could be bad, 50/50, I really don't know
Upson:  and he's english too
Milito: Cautious optomism. He's an Argentine international, but so was Pellegrino
Figo: Lot's of money, big risk, but could be brilliant

So who would I go for (I hear you type)? well, we defo need a new defender, but I'd like two so I'd take both Milito and Upson, we need a bit more by the way of a strike force and I think you all know how I feel about Crouch so I'd have Kuijt. Figo is (or was) a fantastic player, but at 32 and at £2m+ could turn into another Patrick Kluivert. Really I don't know, and I don't think anyone does. I know that it no longer looks like we'll be getting SWP or Raul or even Owen, but you have to walk before you can run and our squad will be very strong and fit for the 70+ games that we could end up being involved in. It looks like a case of "maybe next year" for the real stars (or is that Real stars?). We'll do better and climb the steps and eventually, we'll see that EPL trophy at Anfield.

Oh, and by the way, the really good news is, that it looks like we'll be getting rid of Diao as he may well feck off to Scumderland, so as we wave out Houllier's attrocities, we can welcome in Benitez's Gladiators. Olla!

VIVA LOS RAFA-LUTION!!! VIVA LOS PODEROSO ROJOS!!!!

[stmichael]

Slowly but surely the Rafa-lution is picking up pace this summer. Though there have not been the so-called 'big names' a lot of people were hoping for, the players signed look to be good, solid players and there is an excellent mix of mainly young and the odd older face.

The purchase of Bolo Zenden on a free is a highly astute piece of business - at 29 he is in his prime years, a Dutch international and, importantly, has four seasons of Premiership experience.

Looking slightly further ahead, the impending purchase of Luis Figo is another excellent addition. He may be 18 months past his very best, but there can be no doubt that the brilliance is still there, and with a new lease of life, this may just be the career swan-song he was looking for - remember Gary McAllister?

At 18, Antonio Barragan, the youngster from Sevilla, is undoubtedly one for the future - little can be said currently, though hopefully Rafa will continue with his policy of blooding youngsters early, as opposed to the old regime where young foreign players were bought and then never played for the club.

Mohammed Sissoko is only 20 years old - he has the advantage of two years' playing experience in the best league in the world under his belt, and more particularly, the first of those under the stewardship of Benitez. Having seen him play in three different positions so far as I can remember - including right-back against Real Madrid to counter the threat of Roberto Carlos and Zinedine Zidane - he looks assured and confident. Spitting image of Djimi Traore until they enter the football pitch.

Mark Gonzales is a 20-year-old Chilean international with pace that would put Msrs. Cisse and Henry on their toes. In Rafa's words he is the "best player in Chile". I'm not sure how good that is on a world stage, but this could turn out to be yet another shrewd piece of business.

Jose 'Pep' Reina is another relative youngster at 22 - he was coveted by many clubs last season and was voted as second-best 'keeper in the Primera Liga behind Iker Casillas. Unfortunately, many fans' lasting memory of him is a howler of a game he had towards the end of last season against Barcelona - but rest assured, he is a top-notch goalkeeper with all the right attributes who will only get better and better.

Finally (so far) Jack Hobbs is on trial with a view to a permanent move from Lincoln City. At 16 years old and with only six minutes of first-team action behind him, the young central defender certainly has it all to prove, but he must be showing something good for both Arsenal and Liverpool to come knocking.

In most people's minds the squad still needs at least one more centre-back, an attacking midfielder and possibly a striker.

Gabriel Milito of Real Zaragoza has long been linked with Liverpool, and there has been news of a possible move for William Gallas. Pablo Aimar was linked earlier in the season - what I would give to have him in the team. And is it not just simply because of the way that he looks that Peter Crouch gets so much stick? If he was 5'10 and scored 20 goals for a relegated team, everyone would be saying what a good buy it could be. What does it matter if most of his goals are headers? How often do teams, losing in the last few minutes of a game, tend to launch long balls into the box in the hope of getting a lucky break? I by no means think he would start most games, but he is an option, and an option that many teams find difficult to defend against. People crow about Andy Johnson because he is small and scores goals - though from memory at least ten of his goals last season came from penalties.

So all round, I feel excellent buys thus far from Rafa Benitez - at a cost of only circa £15milliom. Maybe he is still waiting to buy that world-class player some want so much, or maybe, as at Valencia, he is more content with a squad of hard-working, industrious and talented players rather than, as the modern phrase dictates, 'Galacticos'.

Let's hope it works.

[The Ace1983]

I agree with you on most points StMike, but my dislike of Crouch is not due to the fact that I am a sizeist. I simply don't think he is a striker worth paying £8m for. For one thing, due to Houllier's regime we lost our great ability on the wing and even with Rafa's gameplans and the new boys, I wonder how many crosses will come in. I also have the feeling that he could be another Kevin Philips who had a couple of good seasons and then vanishes ino mediocrity. If he does come in, I'd love to be proved wrong, but I think that Liverpool are above players like Crouch (although not literally of course as we would need a step ladder for that). Morientes and Cisse are top draw and if Baros can learn to look up more, he'll do nicely as well. Mellor and Sinema are still around and Le Tallec and, ugh, Kewell can also fill in. I'd like another good striker but at this rate Kuijt and Crouch may end up with identical price tags. But whatever Benitez does, i'll give him the benefit of the doubt.