It has been argued by many that Rafa Benitez has assembled a squad in his six seasons at the club which has become ever reliant on two of its main talismen. Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have been painted as the two organ-grinders in the Liverpool team that make it tick, a statement that Benitez himself has constantly rejected.
When you look at Liverpool’s squad its apparent that it’s a squad oozing with quality with the likes of Pepe Reina, Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Javier Mascherano and Alberto Aquilani all capable of making it into any team in the world. What is missing from the side is natural back-up when needed which has been the case for much of this campaign.
Emiliano Insua, Philipp Degen, Fabio Aurelio, Lucas Leiva, Maxi Rodriguez, Albert Riera, Dirk Kuyt and Nabil El Zhar on the other hand should all count themselves a little more fortunate to be wearing the Liverpool shirt week in week out. The forenamed players have all struggled to make an impact in a Liverpool shirt and would not so routinely be playing for the club if it were not for a shortage of transfer funds at this moment in time.
The spine of Liverpool’s squad is extremely strong with Pepe Reina arguably amongst the best goalkeepers in the world sitting behind two of arguably the most talented and promising central defenders in the world, in Agger and Skrtel. Then there’s Mascherano, Aquilani and Gerrard who naturally run the show when needed.
Benitez has had a huge problem finding wingers and full backs of the same quality since his appointment as Liverpool boss. Josemi, Jan Kromkamp, Antonio Nunez, Mark Gonzalez, Harry Kewell and Sebastian Leto are just a handful of examples who have arrived at the club with the promise of helping the club landing major silverware, as well as hefty price-tags yet leaving the club for a fraction of which they arrived.
Liverpool’s success last season in which the club finished just four points off winning the championship can be contributed to the amazing season of Xabi Alonso who had his best season in a Liverpool shirt. Players like Albert Riera and Dirk Kuyt also excelled themselves, especially during the second half of the season in which the reds scored goals at a free-for-all.
If Benitez had purchased players of the same quality as those he purchased in the spine of Liverpool’s team then it’s safe to say that he would already have won a league championship at the club, maybe even more than once.
Monday night’s 4-1 demolition of Portsmouth proved Liverpool can be rampant at any given time but that just hasn’t happened on a regular basis this season.
Dirk Kuyt is a prime example of a player who hasn’t filled his given potential. The work-committed Dutchman gives everything he has for the club on a weekly basis but lacks the quality needed if Liverpool are to win a 19th league championship.
Four or five world-class full-backs and wingers need to be purchased this summer if Liverpool are to have any chance of toppling last season’s 2nd place finish.
This is typical of the oodles and oodles of other ill informed (or just plain idiotic)so called journalists out there.
So many basic errors but let me just give a few examples:
1. “Josemi, Kromcamp….are just a handful of examples who have arrived at the club with the promise of helping the club landing major silverware, as well as hefty price-tags yet leaving the club for a fraction of which they arrived” They were sold at a profit & many of the others were moved on vastly improved for their short time at liverpool. It is not Rafa’s strength (buying full backs & wingers) but he has never been able to buy the first choice so it is no surprise the 2nd/3rd choice buys were a little risky. He wanted Silva or Simao & he got pennant. Nuff said there.
You mentioned that Aqualani would get into any team across the world – really? I think not, he has huge potential, no doubt but so has Babel. While Aqualani deserves time to prove his worth Babel does not. Sell him asap.
Your comments on Kuyt are also wide of the mark, whilst I do find him increasingly poor of late I simply cannot hear folk saying he is poor. He has been a very important player for Liverpool for a long time. Just look at his record, he scores important goals in important games, FACT.
The problem is simply this, when Rafa is allowed to get the players he really wants (1st choice) they prove to be excellent acquisitions. When he is restricted to 2nd/3rd choice they have often been found wanting after initial promise (namely, Riera).
I do believe that with proper investment Rafa will bring in the best (eg Silva; Villa; Mata etc etc) & move us on as a real force. Until then his purchasing record will be continually squewed by some disappointing players.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning that more often than not Rafa has off loaded disappointing players for a profit or at least a small loss & quickly (namely, Voronin & Keane).
I long for a time when journalists only write articles on matters they have a real, researched and resounding opinion upon.
out.
You might want to check your facts before posting.
“Benitez has had a huge problem finding wingers and full backs of the same quality since his appointment as Liverpool boss. Josemi, Jan Kromkamp, Antonio Nunez, Mark Gonzalez, Harry Kewell and Sebastian Leto are just a handful of examples who have arrived at the club with the promise of helping the club landing major silverware, as well as hefty price-tags yet leaving the club for a fraction of which they arrived.”
One player on that list was exchanged for another player on it, who was later sold on for a profit that was used to sign a superior player (Josemi -> Kromkamp -> Arbeloa). Another player was only here because he was a way to get 1.5mil more out of Madrid when Owen left, and he was duly sold next summer for a slight profit. In fact, only one of those players was not sold for a profit, and he was already at the club in 2004.
Liverpool’s biggest problem for almost a decade has been the poor quality of players from the Academy, foring [first] Houllier, then Rafa to purchase ‘sub-standard’ players like Gonzalez etc etc to fil in the gaps, when such positions should really have been filled by Academy-graduates.
IF the Academy has done its job properly and regularly delivered Premier-Quality players (just 2 a year would have been fine) then that would have freed up funds to purchase 3/4 more Torres-quality specialists.
As it is Rafa’s hands have been tied from both the Academy and the jokers who own the club…many times I’ve read that his spent over £200M whilst at the club…but such people conveniently forget that he’s had ~£40M of new capital over 5 years, which is one of the least amounts for any Premier League manager.
I think it’s a little harsh to include maxi in that list, I think since he joined he has added something that we had been missing with good movement on and off the ball and quality. Let’s not forget that he only joined in January, needs to learn a new language, fell out with the Atletico coach so hadn’t been playing much prior to him joining us.
I totally agree, 2 news full backs,2 (flying) wingers, Stevie G back in the centre mid and David Villa as partner for Nando.
yes most of what you have said, is true except maxi is a good player. kuyt has never been good enough, to play for liverpool. pacheco should be playing instead of kuyt.
Maxi ‘seems’ good but it is his pace that concerns me already. I’d like to give him the time (pre season etc) to get up to speed so to speak then make a judgement call.
Pacheco should have been on the bench v Lille & brought on for last 10/15 mins. He is a good prospect though the pressure is already heaped on him to be the next big thing. I hope he can cope with that & develop properly.
Kuyt I maintain is and has been a very good player for us if not exactly brilliant. He has reached the point of much needed rest now though & we don’t really have a replacement…
Roy, David Villa is not going to be a partner for Torres for two reasons:
1. We can’t afford him.
2. We can’t afford him.
Forget it, we are more likely to sign Silva (costing around 20million less – if you believe the reports)& even that is unlikely.
I could see us signing Joe Cole on a free (but with big wages) & that’s no bad thing as he is proven in the prem and also – he’s home grown. Jovanovic ‘could’ be a very good partner for Torres or at least a very good replacement when Torres is injured, unlike that tool Voronin.
If we signed Cole or Silva we’d have the incisive tricky playmaker come-goal threat we desperately need. Maybe then we could put Lucas where he belongs, on the bench as a replacement for Mash when injured or likely to get sent off (!).
That leaves a LB, we need a quality & pacey player here but I struggle to come up with possible targets that we could genuinely buy…any ideas guys?
why does kuyt always come away free from criticism?
maybe criticism is an unfair word, but he has proven he naturally does not have an ounce of talent. yeah yeah his work rate is incredible, but give any liverpool supporter a chance and they would graft up an down all day for the love of the club.
his feet are made of rubber, he can not control/ trap a ball. his pace is shocking, especially when said ball is at his feet. he can not run with a ball he cant pass and he cant really cross. (sundays cross duly noted). when on the counter attack we are usually doomed to failure if it’s given to dirk as he has to hold the ball up becasue he cant carry it any further. im also sick of the fact he is always looking to pass to that miserable get gerrard when in a shooting opportunity. i dont know if this is dirk not having the balls to shoot but i wish when in front of goal he’d take more of a gamble.
this is not a personal vendetta against the lad as he’s showed the last few months he has more heart for the team than captain big balls gerrard, but i just wish that rafa would wake up and see that running up an down a wing all game is not enough. there needs to be an end product.
Jim, how about Eden Hazard he can play as a LB too !!
that little lads have excellent technique, can play in either wings with pace to burned
Rafa should go for him before Arsenal or ManUtd snap it first.
remember Higuain are on the top of Rafa’s list 2/3 years ago before Madrid swoop him, nowadays he can light up any club in the continent
i can tell you we tried to buy silva in the summer and he was nearly on his way untill the owners pulled the plug, that is a fact, Rafa was so angry, this is all real facts.
david villa is wnated at the club but he is wanted at every club in world football, but i have been told its barca or chelsea.
both barca are wanting silva or navas as mr hunter has said only 1 week ago on sky sports.
silva will probaly stay in spain, he has said over and over if he can stay in spain thats his first choice. liverpool will not be signing cole from chelsea and thats the end of that one.
one player that has been in place to move to anfield, even if we get fourth place is arda turan, the money is right and the age of the player is right and he is a rafa type player, he has pace and he has played in huge games already and has made repeated statements as to wanting to play for the reds. this is 99% done deal, turan.
i hope this helps, as for the mug who said rafa brough high money full backs and wingers,, er dont think so kromkamp was a 2m buy, we have never ever signed a full back or a winger for over 8 million pounds, FACT, the most costly player out wide was reira at 8 million, the most exspensive full back was dossena at 7 million. you look at these low buys and then look at chelseas full back areas – i rest my case, even spurs have spent more then us in these areas, FACT, i just wish the rubbish that is writtern is done with fact rather than utter crap.