Maybe the hot weather in the UK is to blame for the apparent panic starting to spread through Liverpool’s support across the globe.
The papers, the internet and even the pubs are full of talk that the new owners are not backing Rafa, and the reds are missing out on the big summer signings.
This wild knee jerk reaction has to stop.
Liverpool have already agreed a deal for a Brazilian wonderkid who is certain to be pushing for a first team place next season, we have already agreed extended deals for our top players in a show of ambition that simply would not have occurred all at once under the old regime.
The board made their intentions clear to back Rafa Benitez in the transfer market, and at this moment in time, that can not be argued to be untrue. The only problem Liverpool may have is that they do not have sufficient ‘negotiators’ at the tables, with Rick Parry in overall charge of transfer negotiations.
A number of players have been sounded out already and deals will be done. Whereas in previous years we haven’t even been mentioned when the big stars have been looking for transfers, now we are mentioned with almost every player.
While we will spend money on players Rafa really wants at Anfield during the next 8 weeks, we should also do very well to remember that a hefty price tag does not guarantee success. Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko at a combined cost of over £50 million failed to land the Premiership title for Chelsea last year.
The fact’s of the matter for any panic-ridden Liverpool fan are these. Liverpool’s finances last year were in big trouble. The £6.7 million’s for Pennants and the £7 millions for the Crouch’s of the world were beginning to financially cripple one of Europe’s footballing giants. The dream of a 60,000 seater stadium was disappearing fast.
Now, we have work about to commence on a potential 76,000 seater stadium, four of our arguably best players with big futures still ahead of them have signed deals keeping them at Anfield for at least 4 years, and the club are now constantly linked to the biggest transfers in European and World football.
Panic if you want. Don’t be offended if I don’t join in.
Do we trust Rafa? yes. The rest of management? Hell no! The only question we should ask ourselves is should we put public pressure on the club for quality signings, because as fans thats all we can do. andi believe we should. not because we think Rafa wont come through for us, but because there is transfer complacency in Liverpool that i have not seen in another european heavyweight. buy your players for goodness sake. Chelsea spent alot of money for their siverware. United are spending now… if we dont spend, we’ll be left in the dust. investing in youth is fine after your first team affairs are taken care of. according to the yanks we have the money to spend, so lets. we need alot of players if we’re gonna compete in all competitions and for f***s sake can we get a world class striker? clean sheets arnt worth the paper their written on if the game finishes 0 – 0. we have consistency in europe because we have a good defence, but you need goals in england.lets just hope these yanks arent full of s**t. liverpool for life.
I don’t wanna see Micheal Owen back in a liverpool shirt because he never gave Rafa a chance when he first came and moved straight away to Real Madrid and regretted it at the end of the season when we won the Champions League and on top of that he is a huge risk considering all the injuries he has had!!!
Exactly we might not of won the league yet under Rafa but he is going in the right direction and has shown us he is dedicated. Plus today Fernando Torres for 24 million is a bargain when you compare it to Shaun Wright Phillips for 21 million! All this about United’s wonderkids is bollock they best players in the world come over here and can’t hack it so this time next year i might be apologing but for now im staying open minded!
I think we all need to calm down and take a step back and look at who would really improve our squad. We need a left winger, striker, and centre half for cover. So there are not many world class left winger at the moment that are avilible for transfers and take into account that spanish league has just finished we will see some bidding going on so lets get be hind the boys and support them whoever they sign this young brazilian looks to be the real thing so it not panice yet 11 world class players dont make a championship team. Look back at our last winning team they wernt all world class they were a team.
rafa has never done us wrong so lets trust him whoever he brings in.
Hi Guys…I’m a big fans of Liverpool FC from South East Asia. The matter fact now is our transfer budget is not appear. Where’s the promises from our co-owner??? It looks like we’re getting fallen far behind from other team like Man Utd, Chelsea and even new promoted club. C’on mannn…Liverpool FC is a Club with full of Star and history. Why this thing happen to this club. I don’t believed that….I hope this weekend should be a Star coming to this lovely club.
Like the majority of you guys im willing to give it plenty of time Rafa WONT let us down he has proved time and time again he knows what he’s doing. I’m confident whoever joins will be the right man for the job , still would’nt be suprised to see Michael Owen re appear in a red shirt next season !!!!
Like most people I allowed myself to get excited by the prospect of big spending Americans coming in and allowing rafa to get his hands on the best talent in europe and the fact that it hasn’t happened within the first week of the close season has made a few kopites nervous.
However, the tabloids have jumped and created a mountain out of a molehill causing panic with talk of a rift between the manger and the new board without considering that rafa’s top targets are still fighting for la liga glory with it all going down the last game.
As for rafa having to settle for lesser players i.e milito as opposed to eto’o. I could score 25 goals playing at the forefront of the best footballing side in europe (well, you get my point!). milito has consistantly been fighting for the pacici for the past 2 years in a mediocre zaragoza side. So I for one wouldn’t mind settling for him.
In closing give it a couple of weeks chaps and let the s*n spite it’s
forlan links and in the mean time just be glad your not a blue. (jagielka anyone!)
I cant belive people are worried about whats going on, who has actually signed there major players??? Hardley anybody!!
The Owen H deal everybody knew was going to happen, Nani and Anderson are hardley a major deal 30m on 2 players who are unproven and not players for the 1st team this year anyway(we’ve signed Lucus for 8m whcih is a similier buy), Chaves have signed Alex who the bought last year and Pizzaro (we’ve signed Veryon or however you spell it) on free transfers which are similer buys……
The only major deals (from what I know) are both done by Bayern, Ribery 17m and Toni 8m so nothing that exciting has gone on!!!!
GIVE IT TIME!!!!
It is not so much panic as disappointment. Most of the media identified targets play in La Liga and the season is not over yet. Hence, no moves have appeared to materialise. With our rivals Man showing serious intent in the market by buying top talent whereas we are once again seen to be dithering about. Knee jerk reaction I don’t think so, but the sooner you land your targets the better.
It is always sensible to tie your top/core players down but by every indication that could have been done after bringing in top new players. The expectation is that now that we have funds to spend, we would be getting “edge of your seat” signings at the very least.
Lucas will be a very good player for us hell need time to adapt and adjust but i think maybe its not soo bad we dont get big names with big egos couold disrupt a very good sopirit in the camp..i hope we sign diego milito i think hes a class act wholl score goals in the premiership hes a penalty box player someone we need most of his goals in la liga were scored inside the box bit like r**d.
Yes John Davies, he did win the Player of the Year award. I love us signing him don’t get me wrong, but he’s no “wonderkid”. I’ve listened to the Gremio analysts on the team’s website and they described him as a solid player who makes the plays he needs to make without the unnecessary flair. His goals are a bonus, but he’s still a defensive midfielder.
Thats 3 different papers who have said that the money for new players just isnt coming – can they be all wrong? Rick Parry has all ways been slow when it comes to buying new players and its no different on this merry go round.
Are “Tom and Goerge” the real thing or are they typical Yanks who are all mouth and no substance? time will tell and if they take to much time then we will have another repeat of being labelled the almost club only this time there will be no champions league we will be lucky to get into the top 10!!!
So come on “Rick – Tom and George” get your fingers out Rafa was right to say “its time for the talking to stop”
Can I just say that whilst in business terms we are financially stable, Gillet and Hicks did NOT buy LFC with their own money, and if those of you who think otherwise had done your research (by which i mean reading a broadsheet, instead of reading the back pages of the Sport), you would know this. George and Tom borrowed a significant funds for the takeover in business loans. They also admitted that a significant cut of the clubs profits would be used to pay off the interest generated on these loans. This is essentially the same financial system as Glazer has been using at United.
With regards to the transfer “panic”, I agree that the media has probably made things look like a crisis when really there is very little to worry about. I personally don’t think there’s any cause for concern at the moment, what with la Liga not even finished yet.
John
Errm the whole point about Lucas is that he is not a typical Brazilian defensive midfielder, he is a box to box player. There was an article on him on the BBC site. Get your facts straight mate!
what people are forgetting is : there’s still 2 months to go -chill out ffs
Time wil tell–but things are not looking promising just now. Parry needs to get help in managing transfers as he seems too slow and too cautious. We are past the honeymoon with the new owners and whether Rafa stays in the long run will depend on the real relationship he is able to develop with them.
Crisis? Not yet. Cause for concern? Undoubtedly.
John
Lucas has won the Brazilian Player of the Year award. I’ve looked through the past winners and can’t find anyone who hasn’t turned out a pretty decent player.
And I don’t do **** kissing. Even for free season tickets.
I trust Rafa, but feel he may end up as dissappointed as us fans. If we fail to attract Eto, Torres, Villa and Tevez and end up with Forlan we will be the laughing stock of the league. Parry is not the man you want handling your transfer negotiations. Next season may be a wee bit uncomfortable for Hicks & Gillett if they fail to back Rafa with the cash.
Brazilian wonderkid?? Are you that gullible? Lucas is a DEFENSIVE midfielder who scores goals sometimes. Hyperbole is something you appear to do well.
If you want something closer to wonderkid you may want to mention Anderson who United recently signed with no fuzz and no time delays.
More often that not, you get what you pay for when you buy players. Shevas and Ballack were washed out old players who may yet work out for Chelski next season.
We have mediocre management (besides Rafa) and that has been evident for years. Now we may have owners that will make DIC look like mana.
And no, your **** kissing comments won’t get you free season tickets.
Good article which I agree with in the most part. A large amount of Liverpool fans seem to be developing the memory of the goldfish and have been all season.
For example, people slating Rafa and Alonso for mistakes in one game saying that they’ve been worthless all season. Yes, people have been calling for Rafa’s head! Madness. Just today I saw a thread titled “Which Manager Could Take Us To The Next Level?” on the official Liverpool website. Some people forget where they came from and remember more the 17 years that they’ve waited for the title than the just under 10 years that was waited for Liverpool to win a trophy back in 2001. Idiotic, glory hunting baffoons.
Now these ‘fans’ have forgotten that it’s the 12th of June, that we’ve already signed Leto, Lucas and numerous youngsters for a combination of around £8m and the new owners have pledged £30m + on new contracts…and that’s Gerrard’s alone! Not to mention the cost of renewing Alonso, Carragher and Reina’s.
Most of this ‘information’ comes from Chris Bascombe who has been nothing but negative towards the new regime because he’s been blocked out of communication lines. Now he’s being a pessimistic b***ard all the time. Gutted.
(Ed: I haven’t got time to translate posts like this in to English so you may want to give it a miss)
I like to read the hopeful rants of or suppoters. still hopeing that moveing slowely for r transfers is the obviuos anser for why we r yet to make that substacial bid for a world class player.thets just hope alves and mluoda r holding out for benitez to make a proper bid.and prey they dont get feedup of waiting and decide to go to r rivels otherwise we will lose out on the big prises and big money.the americans have stated this is a bussines. and we all know if sumthin dose not gain profit u have to sell.if the americans whant profit they sould spend big now on players that will last 5 years. that way we sould gain good profit in that amount of time. they would more than reap the benifits. and we r morethan happy as fans would like the big buys now solvs all problems and every one is happy.
I’m not so sure what to believe at the moment.
The liverpool echo are quite realiable with their info so for them to report a little unrest then must be some sort of truth in it..i’ve still got my doubts about gillett and hicks but its too early to say anything yet..
Personally i dont think well see eto’o or villa at liverpool maybe a more realistic target would be torres (24 million) and owen (9 million) and then one winger like quaresma with alot of flair wouldbe guddont forget westill got king luis to comeback next season!!
In rafa we trust!
I am willing to bet that we will hear from the gaffer soon as to which way the wind is blowing. Everybody knows change is needed but nobody seems to know how much dough we have to improve!
YNWA
How is Diego Forlan the missing piece of the jigsaw? Have we signed him? No.
I wasn’t jumping around the room when I heard Pennant and Bellamy were last summer’s two biggest buys.
I can’t comment on whether Rafa has hit all his transfer targets until we start pre-season training or the start of the season.
Only then will we be able to judge if the board did or didn’t back Rafa. And I get the distinct impression that if the board don’t back Rafa then he will go. Two US owners will not want to be placed in that situation in a sport they know jack shit about.
I Agree with what you say and at the moment i will not jump on media band wagon ! what does make me feel a bit un easy is the thought of RAFA leaving if the stories are true ,this could put lfc 2 steps back again and at the mo we are slowly but surely movin forward . Maybe the football chiefs in europe are frightened by liverpool havin the money to buy BIG players and dont want us being seen in euro finals again so the odd rumour here and there will help there cause in makin us unstable well we know better dont we !!
ZICO
YNWA
yeah – it’ll all be cool…
just give it a few weeks…
Great Post, i totally agree! We all need to calm down and look at this objectively. The only real spenders have been Utd, Chelsea have signed Pizzaro on a free transfer and we have signed Voronin. Utd have spent alot of money on Hargreaves, a deal that was brokered in Jan window and on 2 relative unknown ‘risks’ Nani and Anderson, especially when you look at the price totalling £50m. We will get linked with player after player and the club will provide no guidance on what is genuine on what isn’t until a player has signed and that has always been the way we have done business. Have faith and in Rafa we thrust! YNWA
Well written article, John. I too refuse to join in the mass panic state that seems to engulf most of our team’s supporters in the world. Let’s remember that Rafa has not sounded a single transfer target yet then lost out on it. Let’s remember that the Spanish league has one week to go (maybe that is where some of Rafa’s targets play their football). Give the manager and the new owners a bit of respect and keep the faith. YNWA…
The media just talks a load of tosh, George already said ages ago that there is no set budget and if there was, that information would not be shared with the public.
When you get Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal fans saying were skint it just makes me laugh, we are building a new stadium with around 70’000 seats and LFC was bought with George & Tom’s own money.
Tom Hicks said he’d back Rafa in the transfer market whatever the cost if Rafa recommends it. So please Liverpool fans, just ignore all the tosh you read from ManUre fans and Newspapers, were gonna be ok.
In Rafa We Trust
Couldnt agree more, well said m8
Your another one with the same comment of “knee jerk reaction”…wow that phrase really pisses me off. its not a knee jerk reaction at all, it is generally a cause for concern. I can almost gaurantee that there will NOT be one world class signing during this transfer window, and theres going to be many dissappointed supporters including myself.
Christ, are you Rick Parry?!
I’m not panicking. However, complacency is the Liverpool disease. Being mentioned in relation to big name players is rubbish. Actually getting them to sign and play well enough to challenge for the title is what it’s all about. And holding on to our own players is useful but our ambition has got to be much better than merely holding onto players. As for signing players Rafa really wants, let’s see how far down the list these players are since Villa, Torres and (most depressingly of all) Eto are now said to be of no interest at all and Diego Forlorn is now the missing piece in the jigsaw. Still, our finances are in good shape – do we get a trophy for that?