yeah, even though i'm not a liverpool fan. joe cole would be the most suitable candidate to fill that void. but having been chelsea's player fo the season last season. and chris is wrong. he does get in the side cuz he played agenst pompey n scored, so it would need a very tempting offer for chelsea to part with cole. ur talkin the same price as keane. i'm not quite sure if the yanks wud stump up that kind of money again. and i think they will seriously lose patience with benitez if he doesn't come up with the results for title contenders this season. you have to admit that he spent a lot of money on these players and some of them have turned out to be very average players.

Forget selling outstanding Alonso.Forget buying Barry,Downing,Riera. none of them are in the same class as the most natually giffed player proven in the prem and at international, if Liverpool are serious about buying a left sided player there is only player who would just slot in the left. "Joe Cole" . he wont make the chavski team as they have 10 midfilders. Make the move Rafa, ask for the funds from the yanks to buiy Cole.

Liverpool 2-0 Middlesbrough
Torres'38th
(O.G)Downing'48th

in response to john walker. ashley young has three years left on his contract, and will sign a new one to make it four years soon. so i don't think m'on will elt him go for that price as he is too valuable for villa to actually let him go, and with the bad blood between liverpool and villa, that sort of deal won't happen at 15 million. as rafa has stupidly is do all his transfer business in PUBLIC, so other teams are more aware of how much money he is spending, and whenever he asks for a player he can't have, the team is more likely to put a silly price tag of over 15 million to scare him off. as u can see that spurs don't want berbatov to leave, they have slapped a high price tag on his head but luckily for utd they have that kind of money to spend. ie villa don't want barry to leave, so 18 million he is, if benitez is clever enough, i don't see villa getting into champions league, barry can buy his contract out next season. so u cud virtually have him on a free!! patience is virtue.plus i'm sick of all these narrow minded lfc fans going on about being champions its been nearly a decade or 2 since u won league title, when really liverpool have never won the PREMIERSHIP as only 4 teams have won it. Man utd, chelsea,arsenal and blackburn have won it. where you won the old division 1 where john barnes was ur top goalscorer last time you won it. and changing ur away shirt back to grey won't win u the title. the players u have now other than gerrard,.carragher and torres are in no comparison to those in the late 80s.robbie keane is not a 20 goal a season man.he will get you 15 at the most.

I'm a life long pool fan, but I must admit that rafa is a bit of a muppet at times (probably most). Can't believe he played Hypia at the weekend and left skrtel and agger on the bench!! My 11 month old son can move faster then hypia and my son can't even walk yet!!

has anyone 4got about ashley young we could probly sighn him 4 £15mil. hes twice the player downing is, he scores farmore and a higher % of his crosses fal to a teamm8.

the only thing is wrong with liv is the manager.....f@ck benitez....he really dont know how or which player to buy n sell.....

Liverpool has some nice young players coming through the reserve ranks. And I wonder if they'll make due with what they have when Babel, Lucas, and Maschaerano return from the Olympics and wait till the January window when some of these other clubs offer realisitc bid figures.

Lol Downing could be available for a more realistic £12million.

I think if Boro where to sell Downing it would be around the £16-18 million mark (maybe more), Gibson isn't stupid and since Liverpool have just bought an 28 y/o(?) Irish international for £19 million, then £16-18 million (or more) is more of a realistic fee for a young England international who only recently signed a 5 year deal.

Maybe £12 million for young Adam Johnson, and the person who wrote this article got the 2 mixed up

liverpool a stronger team than any side?!!! my arse, they could only score one goal agenst sunderland with a strikeforce that cost how much?! 50 million?? and those who think barry isnt worth the pennies, i think he is because he is keeping out two man utd players out the england team(hargreaves n carrick,who cost nearly 18-20 million each) now tell me he isn't worth tht much. liverpool need new owners otherwise forget the top 4. all u do is court a player n then oops sorry u can't afford him. u've been courting david villa, david silva, riera,barry and now downing. in my opinion i dnt think liverpool can afford any of them players. so u'll just have to stick with all the deadwood u have. i duno mayb play kuyt on the left wing if ur short of players, mayb use a HOMEGROWN player from the youth squad or reserves, its about time u started bringin ur OWN talent thru insted of stealing of others.

lfc are overated living in the past sados, who make out to be a big club, but cant come up with the money when good players are there to be signed. you sell crouch for some unknown reason,and buy a 8 goal a season forward for a stupid price.good luck this season cus your gonna need it, looking how you played against sunderland,and maybe just maybe you will scrap through the next round in europe.

lfc have defenders we have midfielders and we have strikers all we need is a proper winger not pennant or kewell, babel is wicked. Kuyt is poo another heskey i like el zhar too.

xabi good - barry better(scores goal:watch him at villa).anyhow get the yanks out.sad we cant afford or compete with the big 3.p.s we have some dead wood - pennant/lucas and kurt.not doin it.

downing is a boro red and never will he be a scouce red and he will torture liverpool this weekend

Liverpool can sign who they like, the fact is, No Gerrard, No nothing, even Torres who is one of the best strikers in the world is not half the player he is without Gerrard!! Thats why they will not win the title!! sorry

My goodnes - poo pants? _ is this has comw of our comments? may be we should be directing our and at Hick n Gillett?because they decided they were not going to payout for Barry. What gets me is that we have an excelent playe for the left of mid feld in Bale (Insua who when its time to step up the 1st team suddenly he's work permit expires n can't play, hog wash?! I feel that Pennant should be dumped as he just don't cut the mustard, may be as a make wait for Downing? So babel & Downing would be formidaible force. don't get me started on Dossena

SW

Xabi Alonso is better for BARRY.Liverpool need strong than Manchester United.LFC striker is better than MU.LFC defender is to poor.

Would be very pleased if Downing signed for Liverpool. We need a true winger and thats what Downing is. He scores a few a sets up a few and in a better side like Liverpool he will only get better.

Stuart Downing is as good as Barry, if not better. At least he's got a reasonable price tag. But Riera? We don't want Man City flop.

Downing is poo pants!