I noticed a lot of gloating from Chelsea ‘fans’ today, apparently they’d once again taken one our best players off us. If you’d read some of the ridiculousness as somebody without a prior knowledge of the sport, you’d be under the impression that they’d snook into the Anfield vault, snatched our best ever player from his ‘Best Ever Player’ podium and replaced him – Indiana Jones style – with a massive bag of peanuts. A good friend of mine even gloated in my direction via social media to that effect; apparently, the pull of Chelsea and all that is great about them and their trophy-laden cabinets were too much for him to resist.
I, however, prefer to see it another way. And that is that, once again, we’ve moved on a player for a reasonable sum and we’ve freed up another chunk of our wage bill. There is no doubt that Meireles was a superb player on his day but as the last three months of last season showed: he faded terribly. Some would argue that he started this season well but all we have to show for that was a strong substitute appearance against the Gunners a few weeks ago. And at the age of 28, it’s possible that the manager and his staff/board felt that once he was on the wrong side of 29, he would have no resale value, particularly as his contract wore down and his price diminished greatly. So I’m wondering if perhaps the oft-mentioned ‘Moneyball’ played some part in his departure.
What is in no doubt though, is that he was at least 3rd choice in our central midfield. Make that 4th, once Gerrard is injury-free again. There are those that still believe Gerrard is not only past his best but also likely to never completely recover from injury. I think that it’s highly unlikely we’d have let Raul leave so easily if there was some inside knowledge that our captain was going to play very little in the future.
Rather than thinking of ourselves as Chelsea’s ‘feeder club’, as some sections of the media like to claim I prefer to see Chelsea as our ‘retirement home’; the place we send players when we feel we’ve got the best out of them. After setting the world alight at the Reds Fernando Torres has managed a single goal in his 21 games for Chelsea so far and Yossi Benayoun managed only 10 appearances (also with one goal) before being loaned out to Arsenal on Wednesday. You’d hardly call that anything close to their best form for us, for either player.
So, while I wish you the best Raul I really do hope that, in 12 months time, you’re being loaned out to Arsenal on transfer deadline day.
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well f***in said m8
Good one. I said right from the start of rumours that he was going to Italy that we should let him go for that price 11-12m but we got 15million. In January when Liverpool is in top 3 in the EPL table we can entice a world-class player like Hazard to replace Mereiles. He is 28, injury-prone, very erratic, one day excellent, one day poor. He would not have much playing time with Gerrard back and Maxi is an excellent sub off the bench scoring hat tricks.. And no matter what any1 tries to say he is not as good as Adam, Downing, Lucas and Henderson and Spearing need to be given playing time to develop further. Good luck to him. It might be another flop for Chelsea.
Let’s see, just as I said to a Liverpool fan friend of mine when you got Joe Cole on a bosman and he couldn’t believe Liverpool’s luck and astute business sense. Pay him 80k a week for 6 games one year and then 40k a week to play for the Frenchies the next mmmm, sounds more like a retirement home with an RBS pension. I agree, Liverpool didn’t see Meireles fitting into their plans despite being voted as their best player last season and decided to cash in, astute enough, I see him fitting into our squad, nothing bitter about it.
Blame Hodgson, Hicks & Gillett for the Cole and Raul Meireles. We are still saving some money from the wage bill and Cole is warming someone else’s bench, sure we lost money on him but Chelsea have lost a hell of a lot more overall. Raul Meireles although I really liked him, is a sulker just like Torres when things don’t go his way.
50m + 200k a week for Torres – makes Joe Cole look like a true bargain.
If I supported Chelsea I wouldn’t be writing on LFC-fan pages over this deal.
Yes Liverpool is still paying for past mistakes, that’s way no CL.
But Chelsea is getting a player LFC was trying to offload. I’d be disappointed with Raul instead of Modric.
You need younger guys in your midfield.
Chelsea were panink-buying because they always belived they are getting Modric.
If LFC has sold Raul to Juventus and they had Aqua, Chelsea would go for Aqua because I belive they were that desperate.
I apologise, I merely commented on your site as the story came up on the Newsnow Chelsea filter and interested me. Making up numbers for midfielders who can create was a desperate position so yes we probably where squeezed on deadline day but you know Raul is good and I rate Aqua and would’ve been happy with him too; I won’t trouble your site again and good luck for the season
dude, I respect ur humility. This is a football site so it doesnt matter if u’re not a red as long as ur comments are objective and not too bitter. a bit of banter is welcome also.
Dont blame u though. most ppl cant resist the lure of the kop. U’re welcome. no hard feelings.
Good relations with Lille = Hazard in January !!
Its hard for an LFC fans to see history repeating itself, but i feel we LFC fans are much better than Chelsea or any other clubs in England, ther’s no need to gloat, no reason to condemn our ex players..we all knw the quality of Torres & Meireless..
that being said, i almost felt glad everytime Torres played, and didnt score 😉
I DID feel glad. Almost orgasmically so, I have no shame in admitting.
same as that i hope he never scores again the tool bag
He’ll score goals again alright but I feel no more than 15 a season and for 50mil that’s a flop!
It also won’t be long before he picks up a few more injurys. Again it will be great to see the agony on his face. 🙂
At last some common sense regarding this issue, from the original author and the two posters (so far). I thought the same thing, he can be good, but went missing far too much for me. If he were 4-5 years younger you’d excuse that and know he should improve, but at his age now he won’t improve a great deal and to make any money on him was a great move. I wanted Sturridge in return, but wasn’t meant to be.
IMO there is no way on Earth he’ll do the job (consistently) at Chelsea that they think he will. They are obviously trying to unlock Torres and I just don’t think Raul is the player to do so. The only one who is, is Gerrard! I expect him to be be on the bench more often than not as the season progresses and as above I can see him being shoved out next August!!
Even though FSG and Kenny aren’t big on sentiment, I can’t see Gerrard being sold.
To be honest given the transfer history in recent years I have now taken to referring to Chelsea as “The Binmen” for obvious reasons!
It was more of a disaster when Torres left but in Suarez we have a player that makes us dont want Torres back.
I’m not too upset we lost Raul to Chelsea, yea maybe he is better than our other midfielders, it’s up for the debate but the fackt is KD dont think so.
His view is most important as he is the manager so if Raul will be getting only cameo appearances while getting older and cheaper by the day I’d say give Shelvey his role.
Chelsea were panink-buying because they always belived they are getting Modric.
If LFC has sold Raul to Juventus and they had Aqua, Chelsea would go for Aqua because I belive they were that desperate.
Meireles – last season’s PFA Fans Player of the Year .
Wish RM good luck with the rest of his playing career, hopefully he won’t have a good game when we play Chelsea.
However as for El Whorero, (and word has it he now DOES kiss badges!! the more you pay him the more he kisses), what I can say- he has shown all Chelsea fans what a wonderful player he is. He forgot in a “big” club you do not have SG to lay on your goals for you. Apparently whiskey nose has been sniffing again, FT will be leaving for manure in January as he needs an even bigger KULUB.
Chelsea have replaced West Ham in getting our old players- a bit like Sunderland & manure.
Fairly soon we will playing our 2nd eleven men turned blue with shame the money brings. So what does that make them? money/shame/services for money only El Whorero knows best.
Still, Chelsea must have the warmest bench in the world.
Can we please line up the next reject for Chelsea for January? Still thank you for all the money.
YNWA.
dude. ur comments are a little bitter but I hope the billionaire comes to take Kuyt and Skrtel in January. kill me now
Aston Villa use to be the retirement home
Dean Saunders, Steve Staunton, Ray Houghton, Mark Walters,David James,Stan Collymore,Scott Carson and Baros
raul was PFA fans player of the year due to a social network effort by the Portuguese people, he was poor the first half of the season and for the second half done ok for 5 games maybe, do you honestly believe liverpool fans would have picked him over Luis Suarez or lucus (who i know people love to slate but is becoming the best player in that role in the league!!) for their second half of season displays?
accept it chavski fans we sold you another has been, maybe you should have took paulson too to replace fat frank. your team is aging and on its way down where liverpool are building a young energetic squad. and any pointless replays to this post from chavski fans will been seen only as sour grapes. hope that Russian gets bored with your mediocrity and leaves you to drop to the 2nd division. last point on a friendly basis, you should have got Aqua man instead, then i would have been gutted
Erm… he was one of LFC’s best players last season. No sour grapes please. He left because he thinks Chelsea is a better option than Liverpool and he’s right.
LFC replaced him with players of lesser quality, so yes, you got done by Chel$ki. Without Meireles, LFC wouldn’t have gotten that win at the Emirates & you’d be two points worse off right now. And look how the game against Stoke went without Meireles. Yep. And look what LFC fans are saying now, he faded away for the last 3 months of the season, he would be 3rd choice… blah, blah, blah. If Meireles had played against Stoke, LFC would have won that game. Nobody thinks highly of Charlie “Bovine” Adam or Jordan Henderson except LFC fans, but a lot of rival and neutral fans think highly of Raul Meireles. You sold a gem and bought rocks…