Liverpool FC Forum

by **kazza** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 10:33 am

RAFA’S UP FOR MATT
Sunday Mirror

RAFAEL BENITEZ is ready to launch a 5million raid for Birmingham’s Matthew Upson this summer.

The Liverpool boss is confident of luring the former Arsenal defender away from St Andrews.

Benitez will exploit a breakdown in contract negotiations to team him up with fellow England defender Jamie Carragher.

Upson will be in the final year of his contract at Blues this summer and is still waiting for Birmingham to honour the small-print of his existing deal and make him an new offer.

The contract he signed when he joined from Arsenal in January 2003 contained a clause saying he should be elevated to one of the top wage earners once he had played 60 League games.

Upson has completed 71 and been on the fringes of the international set-up for the last two seasons, but negotiations over a new deal appear to have broken down.

He is currently earning around 12,000-a-week, way below top stars like Emile Heskey and Muzzy Izzet, despite boss Steve Bruce insisting that a new deal is a formality.

The Blues boss said: "The negotiations are ongoing and we are trying to move towards a conclusion."

But Upson has grown increasingly frustrated with his inability to make a breakthrough into Sven Goran Eriksson's squad and friends believe he feels he may need to move to a bigger club.

A close friend said: "He is very ambitious and wants to go as far as he can in the game."

by **haps** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 11:00 am

Interesting...he's good, no doubt. This sounds a bit like one of those stories that appear about this time of year, agents sowing seeds in the mind and stirring it up. Then nothing. Would he make a good Liverpool defender? Arsenal didn't really want him which alwys worries me but that's not to say he couldn't team up well in our back four. The combination has to be right. Some of the best back fours contained one or even two less than amazing players (our own Alan Kennedy wasn't outstanding when taken on his individual merits but as part of that unit...). My question is, is he quick? I can't really recall but I know we need speedy defenders. Don't think it will happen though; Upson can't speak Spanish.

by **Leonmc0708** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:47 pm

Kazza, I thought you would have known better than that!!

If we started a thread about every player we where linked with in the Sunday Trash then this would be a big board!!

by **ianwillo** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 2:43 pm

I am sick of Liverpool buying mediocre players as is Upson. He is an ok player but he is not good enough for us if we are to challenge for a top 3 place next season we need to buy class!

by **REDTILLDEAD** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 4:20 pm

ianwillo wrote:I am sick of Liverpool buying mediocre players as is Upson. He is an ok player but he is not good enough for us if we are to challenge for a top 3 place next season we need to buy class!

Yeah, I rate upson alongside the "great joey barton" (remember we were linked with him? through houillier!) enough said eh?.. the pair of them are ******, we need top quality, not average players.

by **ianwillo** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:40 pm

at least somone agrees!

by **anfieldadorer** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:47 pm

I'd prefer Hewlett Packard or Cannon to Upson

by **Leonmc0708** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 6:01 pm

ianwillo wrote:I am sick of Liverpool buying mediocre players as is Upson. He is an ok player but he is not good enough for us if we are to challenge for a top 3 place next season we need to buy class!

Chill, its a link with a player thru the Sunday tabloids, not Rafa saying he has put a bid in.

by **The Canadian Red Army** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 8:29 pm

anfieldadorer wrote:I'd prefer Hewlett Packard or Cannon to Upson

by **JC_81** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 9:02 pm

Upson good but not good enough for us.

As far as I remember he is quite slow, think thats why wenger flogged him. Could be wrong about that but it rings a bell.

We need a centre back with pace

by **kazza** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 10:35 pm

Leonmc0708 wrote:Kazza, I thought you would have known better than that!!

If we started a thread about every player we where linked with in the Sunday Trash then this would be a big board!!

That is fair enough leon, but it is put there to see what people think were it to happen. There is an argument to an English defence, so you see who might be available.

Having said that, it does sound a little unlikely

by **mrcool2003** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 10:50 pm

when are you guys going to stop listening to paper talk, wait til the summer then comment on our signings

by **Nando** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 11:50 pm

i think he would be a good squad player, no more than that, he has aspirations to play for the national team so the move would not be good for either party, i do like him and yes while he is good at bham could he take the next step? and also people who ask about his pace, i remember when he was at arsenal people saying that he could beat freddie and henry in a 100m sprint

by **Dalglish** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:42 am

I'm getting a bit miffed to be honest with fans of LFC dismisssing players as "good but not good enough for LFC" and "We need top quality players" ....... Wake up an smell the coffee, players of the very highest calibre aren't beating down the Anfield door at the moment or haven't you noticed that Nunez, Pelagrino, Garcia , Josemi etc...... aren't "Top Quality"

This rant is not about Upson but others mentioned on the forum such as Joe Cole, Melbranque, Barton, Boumsong etc... all deemed not good enough for Liverpool FC whilst we are content to have Biscan, Smicer, Traore, Mellor, etc.... trot out onto the pitch for LFC.

Using the criteria a lot of fans who demand instant success as some divine right then players who have emerged over recent years and made an impact like Defoe and Carrick at Spurs, Fabregas at Arsenal and Downing at Boro wouldn never have seen the light of day had they been linked with Liverpool !

by **LFC #1** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:02 am

Dalglish wrote:This rant is not about Upson but others mentioned on the forum such as Joe Cole, Melbranque, Barton, Boumsong etc... all deemed not good enough for Liverpool FC whilst we are content to have Biscan, Smicer, Traore, Mellor, etc.... trot out onto the pitch for LFC.

who said Boumsong is mediocre?

?

?

he is an excellent centre-half, and it's a real shame Houllier didn't get him hwn he could of, Newcastle have got a replacement for Woodgate their, make no mistake.

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