Eurosport - Tue, 18 Aug 09:49:00 2009
Has Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez made a mess of the summer transfer market by failing to replace Xabi Alonso and Sami Hyypia?
Liverpool lost 2-1 at Tottenham and the absence of Alonso was palpable.
The Reds struggled to retain the ball in midfield, with Javier Mascherano and Lucas more destructive than creative, and the slick, clever passing of Alonso was missed by Steven Gerrard in particular.
At the back Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel were forced to play despite not being 100 per cent and their lack of game time together was obvious when they failed to communicate when they clashed heads trying to clear the same ball and for their slack marking to allow Sebastien Bassong to score the winning goal.
Why did Benitez not question Alonso about his intentions at the start of the summer? He then could have arranged a cut-price deal for Gareth Barry and used the £18 million change to fund bids for (the crocked) Alberto Aquilani, a defender such as Michael Turner or even a young striker like Alvaro Negredo.
What do you think? Has Rafa messed it up, can he find anyone before the transfer window shuts or will the current squad come good?
Have your say here or on our message boards!
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Comment 145 - 164 of 164
@##$% american sell the club to dic
im behind rafa too sort it out i just want the americans gone, they are runining LFC.
we will win nowt wiv the americans in charge coz they hav put us in all this debt that they cant pay back and are not even giving rafa any finacial backing or anything.
well it simply looks like he did wihout any argument but I`m sure he knows wath hes doing . We might have los against Spurs even tough last season we noly lost 2/38 and we already lost 1/1 ......................I`m still 100% behind Rafa
I HAVE GOT SEVERAL QUES TO ASK
1 IS LIVERPOOL GOING TO BUY DAVID VILLA2 the fuc@#$g owners bought the loan to buy liverool or to help build a new stadium?
3 and if they bought lfc for loan y did we sell it to them?
4 y cant we sue them or lets say launch a case against them for breaking the promises to rafa and telling that no part of loan repayment will be made out of lfc budget
5 Y CANT WE HAVE OWNERS LIKE THAT OF MAN CITY
Simple
He did
im a liverpool fan and rafa sold some world class players like finnen and crouch and he is not a good manager they will get rid of him
David S, iamtopgearstig and other colleagues read this: "The figures have changed since Rafa signed his contract. He has sold several players and raised a lot of money, but is not being allowed to spend it." I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN NOW UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS SAYING ABOUT RAFA LIMITED MEANS TO BUY FIRST GRADE PLAYERS.I CANT REMEMBER ALL YOUR NAMES BUT HOPE YOU READ THIS AND SAY SOMETHING.pLEASE GO TO RECENT NEWS
David S, iamtopgearstig and other colleagues read this: "The figures have changed since Rafa signed his contract. He has sold several players and raised a lot of money, but is not being allowed to spend it." I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN NOW UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS SAYING ABOUT RAFA LIMITED MEANS TO BUY FIRST GRADE PLAYERS.I CANT REMEMBER ALL YOUR NAMEs BUT HOPE YOU READ THIS AND SAY SOMETHING.
@#$% up big time. You cannot win the Prem with just 2 play makers even if they are Gerrard and Torres. Very little support, and where the hell are your youth team.
Of course he did. You don't send one of your best midfield player and not replace him with another. This is outrageous and he should admit that Gerrard and Torres can't do it alone. Tevez, Diego, Eto', just to name a few were on the market for grabs...C'mon how can we keep up with Chelsea or Arsenal...SOmething needs to be done fast.
I can't understand Benitez, if he had concentrated on his team last season we would have walked it! He had Keane and Torres sitting on the bench at Stoke. he blew it then! He seems to want to prove a point, he should just try to win each game with his strongest team!
He has bought a player who cannot play for at least six weeks and states that we got him cut price because he is injured! We have sold Alonso. Mascherano doesn't want to be there, we have the likes of Veronin on the bench and 'duck-eggs' like Lucas, Ngog and Riera hailed by Rafa as great players! I doubt if Ngog who was in the reserves at Paris Saint Germain (1 goal in 18 first team games) and Riera (Didn't make the grade at Man City) will help turn the tide at Anfield!
I find the loyalty of the fans amazing, last season we saw both Chelsea and Man Utd fans booing their teams off, while thousands walk in support of a man, who (in the middle of the best season in years) leaves Robbie Keane (a life long liverpool fan) on the bench, suffering all the humiliation that the press could serve him. His excuse being that he didn't buy the player! Look at some of the dross he has bought, who are quite happy to sit laughing on the bench while they are taking a fortune from the club!
Rafa wants to stare at those who sing his name week in week out and repay them with players that excite and produce the goods, Robbie Keane(given a chance) for one!
Alonso gone, Keane gone, Crouch gone but don't worry, Torres has signed for another year and we've still got Veronin! Our worries are over!
well said jimmy bee
Michael... I got news for you. the whole visa thing is just an excuse. The
truth is he really wants to go play at barca with his best mate messi because they
are a bigger team. he grew up dreaming of paying for barca the same way Ronaldo dreamed of playing for madrid. thats the truth, and if barca continue to want him its certain that he will sooner or later go. thats a fact. as rafa would say. neither him or alonso are loyal to liverpool. English tyeams should realise spanish and south american palyers have great desire to play for english clubs. we should concentrate on developing talent in this country and bringing in players that can show loyalty. think about it..Alonso, Masc, Tevez Ronaldo. NO LOYALTY....
MUFC FOR LIFE
FARK THE YANKS. GET THEIR SMelly farkin butts out of anfield ... to dirty and too greedy...
micheal it was masheranos agent that came out with the story i know the visa problems with his wife but that is not the whole story while you are entitled to your opinion i am entitled to mine bottom line is rafa blew it alonso was a great player and loyal to the club whereas massheranos comments on wanting to leave were not
143 Michael... Which Quality player???? How about Arshavin who put 4past liverpool last season. Cesc Fabregas, Rosisky, Van Persie to name a few im not an Arsenal fan but anyone at liverpool and Arsenal would rate the above mentioned over Lucas, Babbel, N'Gog, Voronin, Ayala any day of the week. And what arsenal fans were asking for Arsene Wengers head, I have never read or spoke to an Arsenal fan who has had a bad word against AW, Their Fans realise that without him they would have a huge stadium but no CL football and they know he has done an absolutally fantastic job keeping them a top four club despite having very little funds. also look at the way they duffed Everton at the weekend who finished 6th last season 2places behind them yet lpool were completly out played by spurs a team that finished below everton in7th and 5places behind lpool, dont try to tell me that rafa is in the same league as SAF or AW the premierships most sucessful managers.
iamtopgearstig: You are right he misused money to buy Lucas, Ngog.I agree but this goes to every manager even SAF.Ferguson bought Berbatuv,recently Owen, etc too, and hear what ManU fans are saying of Berba likewise other managers make mistakes in buying players.Sometimes buying a player is a gamble.
Friend do YOU KNOW THAT MOST LIVERPOOL FANS QUERRIED RAFA FOR BUYING TORRES AND EVEN REIRA? Sometimes we have to gamble dear.
Please be patient soon glory will come our way and you will start cherishing Rafa just as you did last year.He laughs!!!!!
I think it is too early to judge. The replacement for Alonso hasn't played yet, also Gerrard and Torres were not in the fit form. either.
david s: Hahahahahaha friend. Mascherano had not problem with Mighty Red nor Rafa. Maschy problems were with the English immigration officers who are refusing to grant his wife a staying VISA. OK David? Please David get things right before you talk. Now I think the wife's VISA has been granted and there you are Maschy is quiet
#137& 128 both MICHEAL. even an outsider like myself knows Alonso wanted to go after the way he was treated by Rafa, He tried his best to get rid of Alonso so he could fund a bid for Gareth Barry before the 08/09 season but it never happened this obviously did nothing for Alonsos moral yet he still he preformed to the highest of standards last season, Would you want to stay in a job where one minute your manager is trying to get rid of you then the next saying he doesn't want you to go sorry but i doubt it, Rafa made his bed as far as alonso was concerned. As for blaming the yanks for only giving Rafa 1.5million well i dont think anyone should blame them cus' they have given rafa money on demand most seasons since they came and he has squandered most of it on the likes of Lucas, Voronin, N'Gog, etc so why should the yanks give him more money when he hasn't prooved he can do anything substancial with money he has had in previous seasons. David O'leary of leeds is the obvious comparrison and look what happened to them once they lost CL football.
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