by Silver » Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:25 am
Rafael Benitez has admitted he is already planning for next season and is ready to introduce more youngsters to the club.
Benitez is aware he may not have millions to spend in the transfer market this summer and so is looking at ways of strengthening the squad, starting with the reserve team.
He explained: "We need to change things and the first idea will be to change the structure of the reserve team.
"If you don't have a lot of money you need to have good young players for the future with quality in the reserve team and, although we do have good players there, we need more.
"We have used some of them in the Carling Cup but I want to be able to use reserve players in the Champions League. I want more English players because it would be easier for me.
"But when you go to buy an English player the price makes it forbidden - they are asking four million pounds for 15 year old players!
"We have a list of young English players but besides their names we have a price and that makes it difficult.
"If you go to look at young players in Argentina you can maybe sign three for every English one."
And the boss confirmed his summer plans won't change even if the Reds fail to qualify for the Champions League.
He said: "There is a lot of work to be done here and I will need to change things. Even if we don't qualify for the Champions League it will not change what I have to do.
"Finishing fourth was the minimum requirement when I came here and I remain positive that we can do that. But fourth place is still not good enough for Liverpool and next season I want to see my team with ambitions of winning trophies.
"I am not afraid of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal. They may be 30 points ahead of us now, but the difference over one game between us is not a big one.
"What we need to do is be more consistent. I want to be at the top and my challenge here is to win trophies. I am not here to finish fourth every season."
You Never Walk Aone
