The departure of Raul Meireles to Chelsea has no doubt put a stain on what has been one of the best and most productive transfer windows I’ve ever witnessed Liverpool conduct themselves in. The similarities between the ex FC Porto man’s departure and that of Fernando Torres’ in January were clear, with both submitting painfully late transfer requests at times when the club had just finished strengthening significantly.
My initial reaction of shock and anger towards Meireles was quickly replaced with a more philosophical approach. Though he was undoubtedly one of Liverpool’s best midfielders, he was always going to have trouble getting into the first team on a regular basis while Liverpool have also made a slight profit on a player who is 28 years of age.
Although the timing of his departure couldn’t have been worse (especially when you consider how strong Liverpool are becoming), I can actually see why Meireles left for Stamford Bridge. Being reunited with his former manager and countryman Andre Villas-Boas would have been a big draw to Meireles while he can now also look forward to Champions League games this season. He will of course find it difficult to break into Chelsea’s first XI on a regular basis but that is his problem now.
The transfer definitely impacts Liverpool negatively as it means our midfield area has been weakened just at a time when we had recruited the final piece of the puzzle for the overall squad in the shape of the returning Craig Bellamy. Staying positive though, Liverpool have managed to get off to an impressive start this season, and our two recent central midfield recruits, Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson, look to be settling into the team very well.
While I accept that Jordan Henderson is most definitely one for the future, Raul Meireles’ departure means that the pressure on Charlie Adam to deliver more creativity has intensified. The Scotland man has so far given glimpses of his set-piece/passing ability and against Bolton especially demonstrated just why so many are comparing him to Xabi Alonso. I think it is way too soon to compare Adam to Alonso as they are different players on different levels but if the former Blackpool skipper can continue to run games with his impressive range of passing then he can go some way to at least filling the void left by the popular Spaniard.
Stevie g will never be that same player again he’s gonna be hampered with injuries and from my personal point of view liverpool will do better with him as a sub, less game time but will have a great impact from the bench, and I don’t wanna see him just walk back in the team he should have to well and truly earn his place
Alonso is my favourite player of all time but im sick of people pandering and saying that he and adam are on different levels. To my mind adam has as good a passing range, better mobility and ability to arrive in the box, consequetly a better goalscoring threat, also adam matchs alonsos ability to tackle. Xabis real strenth was his technical awarness and composure, we will wait and see if adam can rival him in these areas.
People romanticise alonso because of the hasty fall that followed his departure but there were many contributing factors, the media then began to say how important he was and while this was true it was rarely preached in his time at liverpool. For example people like mark lawrenson (amoung others) used to say that liverpool where a two man team, however, when xabi left everyone proclaimed as world class, (again, i have no objection with this premise)roaring he would be missed by any team.
Also, another point worthy of a mention is that his form was not always immpecable. His first season was not unblemished in the premier league, in his second season he was more accomplished but still he was dropped from the side frequently. Of couse everyone remembers him fondly but christ, Where was this adulation when he wore the red of liverpool so prouldy.
Lets not cast restrictions on adam, nor compare him or suggest he doesnt have the ability to leave a legacy as beautiful as alonsos.
Only 2 difference between Adam & Alonso
1. Alonso starts for Spain, Adam for Scotland
2. Alonso moved to Real from Liverpool, Adam came to Liverpool from Blackpool.
Please come to the earth, British football is a laughing stock, England & Ireland are mediocre, rest 3 are minnows & their players are over hyped, over priced & over estimated. Otherwise, how on earth someone can compare Adam with Xavi Alonso?
Is there anything special in Adam apart from set piece skill? He is slow, defensively poor & a very poor dribbler. With his shooting skills, he can find forwards from a long distance, but that’s not what we call defense splitting. I am sorry to be harsh on a LFC players, but lets be realistic.
Sir Alex did praised Adam, but how much was he willing to spend? Adam ‘ll be a very good squad player, but if he starts regularly for us, then I ‘ll be anxious on the quality of our players (Already uncomfortable on the show of 51+ mn (35+16) worth “English talent).
shame to see a quality player go. but, if he wanted to go, and kenny didn’t want a quality foreign player who is better than henderson for eg, then best to let it be. best move for meireles in the circumstances. 🙂
£15m… Get in! Not a vital player at all and that money can go towards Hazard.
G
Funny how Liverpool fans keep insisting it wss £15m when every major media outlet has reported the deal as £12m. I await the next spin on the story which will ineviatably be that the player was rubbish anyway. Btw, well done Mark for a very level headed and honest article.
Regardless of anything Liverpool fans ma insist Ruiz, you have to ask yourself the question: why do you care? The story is on a Liverpool fan site, mate, it’s not our problem.
I’m gutted he’s gone but I can see the sense in it; we needed to claw back at least a small amount of the money we’ve spent and he was so far down the pecking order that it wasn’t fair for him or us to have such a quality player never playing. Good luck Raul but I secretly hope you fail.
A lot is being made of Meireles being reunited with his former boss Villas Boas but the reason he signed for Liverpool in the first place was that Villas Boas benched him at Porto!
We don’t know the full story but i’m amazed at some of the vitriol i’ve seen against Raul. I frequent many LFC forums and was staggered by the angry, vicious response to a players who was a fan favourite last year.
My take on it is that he was offered a short term lower salary when he signed with the promise of a pay rise at the end of the season. I think that he expected this and that he was also happy at LFC. I guess that his increase was put on hold as the Club had to balance the books with Aqua, Cole, Poulsen, Jova et al. The fact that we weren’t able to generate good fees from these players and that we’re still paying substantial wages or paying up contracts has meant that he had become one of the main saleable, but expendable, assets. The press had said that LFC had him up for sale for weeks. It also seems that Chelsea had him as a second or third choice so it was always going to go to the last day of the window. As Chelsea only offered 12m its not inconceivable that Raul put in a transfer request to waiver any sale bonuses and facilitate the sale. That is conjecture of course but i doubt very much that he waited til the last 30 mins to put in a request.
Anyhoo, im sad to see him go and think that he’ll be a real asset to Chelsea. He’s better than Ramires, Essien is always injured and will go, along with Mikel to the African Cup.
Fortunately LFC probably have just enough to cope without him. Fingers crossed.
If anyone had benefited from the arival of Suarez it was Meireles, to allow him to leave along with Aquilani makes no sense to me. Both players offered something that no other player in the current squad has – the ability to see a defence splitting pass and deliver it accurately (apart from Stevie G) Adam puts the ball into space and leaves the recipient with a lot of work to do. to me KK seems to be dismantling a potential Liverpool, and building a blackburn rovers, yes, we have a “stronger squad” but now a less skilful one.
you know what guys,,this deal had been done a long time ago & KK did not have him in his plans. The whole handing in a transfer request at the last minute and it being accepted just in the nick of time seemed a bit too well choregraphed. Come on guys they want it to seem like they had no other choice but to let him go & make him to be the bad guy ,if they wanted him to stay they would have kept him!! I just hope our midfieald doesnt lose form,if it does, its all on KK head..
I will be very right in saying that Raul is a loss, and most LFC fans would have dearly wanted him to stay. we do not quite know the true story as of yet, it is a little hard to believe that he was given indications by the club that he is surplus to our requirement.
We did not want him away, but having said that if we look at the squad what we have at our disposal is quite sufficient, as pointed out by Mark in the article.
While Spearing is not world class, but he has done the job when asked to step up. Lucas and Adam are more in the holding midfielder mould, but Hendo and Jonjo are ones for future, and not too distant future at all. Jonjo is a top top notch talent, who I really believe will bloom into an absolute asset in very near future. Stevie G will be back soon, and WILL prove his doubters wrong (needless to say). Then there is Pacheco, we have not sold him for one reason and that is he still has something to offer (He is more a forward/attacking midfielder though). And of course everyone knows what Sterling is turning into.
Meireless was not in the starting 11 and probably never would be so he would be on the bench. If he is on the bench then the young players like Shelvey, Spearing & others would never get any minutes. If we were in Europe this season I am sure we would have kept him but as it is we don’t have as many games to play so the playing time for all the squad is reduced. We should make top 4 this season so I expect a few more quality arrivals in due course to help us with all the extra European games next year.
Well hopefully we will have Gerrard back soon and with Raul gone it should give Shelvey more of a chance to shine.
meireles no doubt a quility player but da truth is he did not fit into kenny’s plans rigth from da start of da season,i think he will be a better player @ chelsea but when Essien return he will be drop.Long live LFC.
I don’t think Liverpool will miss him at all. If he’s sat on the bench its another temptation to shuffle the squad. Liverpool looked incredibly strong against Bolton with Adam and Henderson, and if Gerrard comes back fighting then there is more than enough quality in midfield. It is the return of Bellamy that is exciting. Bellamy and Suarez will be a nightmare for any defense.