Liverpool FC Forum

stmichael wrote:djimi traore has been at this club for SEVEN YEARS. he's the longest serving player who we actually brought. i'm sorry but that's frightening. 

We have had him longer then Sami, that is amazing

I think Josemi was a great signing , as his arrival seems to have been the  perfect motivation for Finnian   

Nunez was unfortunate but we were truly shafted over that little deal and i dont we had much choice in the matter

JBG wrote:It has dawned on me that we no longer have dead wood in our squad, or at least in comparison to the Gerard Houllier days.

Houllier had plenty of players rotting in the reserves. He had guys signed for decent money who barely played a dozen times for Liverpool. Bernard Diomonde is the prime example. He cost in excess of £2million and would have been on reasonable wages. How many starts did that guy have?

Houllier also had the likes of Biscan and Cheyrou. Both cost big-ish money, both were bloody awful, and for long periods of time they rotted away in the reserves.

When Rafa took over, he shipped many of them out. Those that remained - Smicer and Biscan amongst others - were given a decent chance by Rafa.

Now, 18 months since he has taken the hot seat, Rafa has trimmed away most of the fat from the squad. Its true that there are some players who don't get as many opportunities as others: Jerzy Dudek seems to have been marginalised, and Neil Mellor looks like he'll be sold as soon as Rafa gets a good offer in for him.

However, while there are plenty of squad players who don't get as many starts as they would wish, Rafa hasn't forgotten them. Florent Sinama Pongolle might not feature for a month, but could get called at any time. Sinama is still on the fringes, but he knows that under Rafa, he will get a few opportunities.

The same goes for Steven Warnock and even Darren Potter.

Rafa appears to be very much of the attitude that he'll use all of the players in the squad in some shape or form, and if he doesn't want the player he'll simply sell him. Under the previous regime a player could become marginalised, forgotten about.

Rafa also seems to be able to spot his own mistakes in relation to transfers and sort the situation quickly. Nunez was a mistake, so Rafa sold him. No messing, no fuss. The same will also probably go for Josemi. Under the previous regime Nunez would rot in the reserves and leave on a free transfer in a couple of years time, bitter, forgotten, a waste of time to both player and club.

All of this inclusiveness is good for the club. The fans complain less and less of expensive wasters rotting in the reserves. The club manages to get some sort of return even from players who have disappointed. There are fewer forgotten men moping about Melwood, fracturing the squad. The more even bit part players get a few starts and sub appearances here and there, the more they will train harder in an attempt to break into the team. They know that the door isn't shut.

This is one of the main improvements under the Rafa regime, and something which needs to be appreciated more.

I hadnt really thought about it until i read this thread JBG.

But you are spot on...Rafa has got rid of so many fringe players that were on decent wages and not in his plans, and replaced them with some potentially brilliant players for the future.

That sort of work goes unnoticed by people outside the club, and many fans, but he has done a super job in that respect as well.

  To Rafa

stmichael wrote:djimi traore has been at this club for SEVEN YEARS. he's the longest serving player who we actually brought. i'm sorry but that's frightening. 

neil wrote:

stmichael wrote:djimi traore has been at this club for SEVEN YEARS. he's the longest serving player who we actually brought. i'm sorry but that's frightening. 

when did we sign Hamman?