Liverpool FC Forum

by **LFC #1** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:21 pm

Agree with Bad Bob that hypothetically we would be a better team, but not by nearly enough IMO. We'd still be behind Manchester United, Chelsea and possibly Arsenal as well. Serious questions would need to be asked IMO. We will pretty much stagnate signing players like Benayoun and Bent who are merely strenghtening the squad rather than the first eleven IMO.

If we sign Bent I will be quite disappointed as I feel he is not a player who's good neough to thrive at a top 4 side. For me he likes to play off the shoulder and when teams defend deep (as they often do against us, especially at Anfield) he will be quite ineffective, much like Bellamy this season (Bellamy is a better player anyway IMO).

If the price were 6 or 7 million I might have a bit of a different thought process but at the figures being bandied about that would make him our record signing, which would be an outrage IMO. He's simply not worth that. It's bad enough that Cisse is our record signing!

I expect that to be rectified this summer anyway, hopefully with someone who is a little better than Darren Bent!

by **LFC2007** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:44 pm

Ciggy wrote:I am dissappionted with Rafa being interested in these two names alone, we have ambitions so does he but he needs to be a bit more ambitious in the transfer market and pay out for top class players, but it seems to me he is put off be them because of their inflated price tags. Why not just buy two brilliant players instead of 6 mediocre ones, we dont need that many positions filling as we have a good squad already.

I'd say, a) we don't know that he is interested in either of them for certain. It looks more concrete that we are interested in Benayoun than Bent, IF Parry's quotes are correct, if so I would not be worried at all. IF he was signed for a nominal fee he would be an improvement on Gonzo and Zenden and would be in no way the end of our spending. It is quite conceivable that we could still go out and buy 3 other top players.

by **ivor_the_injun** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:56 pm

Yeah, let's drag this back to the original question.

I agree - Benayoun for Zenden is a clear improvement, and Bent probably would offer more goals than Bellamy or Fowler have managed. So yeah, the squad would be improved.

It just wouldn't be enough to lift us up those couple of places though. Arsenal I'm not really worried about, as their summer sounds like it's going to be trying to keep what they have as opposed to bringing in better players.

Chelsea were found out badly with lack of depth at the back, and that's probably the focus of their summer. Man U were strong throughout the squad, and have set about making themselves even stronger.

Bottom line is that the Bents and the Benayouns will give us better depth, but if all of the top 3 are taking one step forward, we're still playing catch up.

by **puroresu** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:05 pm

If any other of the top 4 were signing Bent & Benayoun we wouldnt be too bothered. Bent shouldnt be signed just on the basis of the asking price. Far too expensive!!

by **metalhead** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:12 pm

Bad Bob wrote:I think we'll still be a better team next season even if Bent and Beanyoun are all we sign. Presuming Kewell and Garcia are fit, we'll have better attacking flair available.

I agree with bamaga, i don't think we will be an improved side, not good enough to win us the title IMO. I agree with you about the flair part, I wanted to address the same idea, looks like you beat me to it

Definetly, IF we sign benayoun he would be a better replacement for zenden, because he has more flair and can cut through defenders (However, i want to see him cutting through defenders when other teams play narrow and compact against us).

We need quality, we need type of players like Robben, Giggs, Drogba, Henry, Ronaldo, Rooney, etc...

Reina, Alonso, Gerrard and Carragher, are quality. Mascherano is showing he is quality. Add 3 or 4 more top quality players then we have a team.

Hypothetical answer, No, Benayoun and Bent won't win add so much quality to the team.

by **Bad Bob** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 5:01 pm

To clarify, even if we signed no one this summer I still think we would be a better team next season than we were this season. That's based on the fact that last year's arrivals will have bedded in and should improve their overall play. Add to that the fact (hope?) that we'll have Kewell, Aurelio and Garcia back and we're already starting to look a better side. This, to me, means that we would see better performances against the clubs at the middle and bottom of the table and might have some hope of breaking teams down that try and defend deep. So, for me, we're going to improve as a squad regardless of who we sign this summer.

Now, if we see Benayoun, I see him as a replacement for--and an significant improvement on--Zenden and Gonzales, no more no less. Bent would probably offer more than Fowler did but I agree with those that say that we're better off keeping Bellamy than shipping him out and bringing Bent in. LFC#1 is spot on when he says that Bent will have trouble playing his natural game the way teams set out to play us. Bellamy does too but he's more versatile. So, if we only sign these two we'll have made an incremental improvement to our squad.

Is that enough to challenge for the title? Probably not. Is that enough to keep Rafa and some of the core players happy? Probably not. Is it likely that we'll only buy Benayoun and Bent this summer? Most definitely not. I'm playing along for the sake of a proper footy discussion but I don't for one second think that players of this calibre are the height of our ambition this summer.

by **Leonmc0708** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 5:40 pm

Great Post Big Mick, lick lick suck suck.

Anyway back on topic, I think that if you look at us, last season we twatted United at Anfield, played well at Barca and tonked Chelsea twice, we have reached two European Cup finals in 3 years and won the FA Cup. We lack consistency, and have the core essentials.

Sadly at times our squad has proven paperthin.

Big signings DO NOT equal the title. United signed no one last close season, and Shevchenko and Ballack SHOULD have made Chelsea unstoppable.

Gerrard, Carragher, Alonso, Mascherano, Reina, Pennant, Kuyt, Crouch and a couple more all on form, from the off plus some strengthening of the squad will get us closer.

by **Leonmc0708** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 5:42 pm

bavlondon wrote:If these are the best players we can muster up then we can simply forget about the Premiership and Rafa will no doubt leave next after next season.

One of the worst peices of narrow minded clueless writing on here from someone who should know better to boot.

by **Emerald Red** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 7:39 pm

Well I read that a lot of people are going on about "the next level" and how these players will not take us to there. But what is this "next level"? Last season we dominated most of the games against the top 4, with the acception of Arsenal. We bossed the Mancs home and away, and the same with Chelsea. On any given day, I'd say we can be at a level beyond that of any of the teams of the top four, IMO. If you ask me if these players will improve out chances of getting closer to winning it, I'd have to say no. They'd make good additions to the squad, but they certainly wouldn't have a massive impact on it. Not the calibre of player I'd want to see join us, and I'd be bitterly disappointed if we spent heavy on the likes of Bent.

by **JC_81** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 7:58 pm

Leonmc0708 wrote:Great Post Big Mick, lick lick suck suck.

Anyway back on topic, I think that if you look at us, last season we twatted United at Anfield, played well at Barca and tonked Chelsea twice, we have reached two European Cup finals in 3 years and won the FA Cup. We lack consistency, and have the core essentials.

Sadly at times our squad has proven paperthin.

Big signings DO NOT equal the title. United signed no one last close season, and Shevchenko and Ballack SHOULD have made Chelsea unstoppable.

Gerrard, Carragher, Alonso, Mascherano, Reina, Pennant, Kuyt, Crouch and a couple more all on form, from the off plus some strengthening of the squad will get us closer.

I agree with this post to be honest. We still have a quality squad and don't necessarily need big names to improve on last season.

My gripe, and it is not a new one, where Benitez is concerned is the squad rotation. Or to be more exact, the extent to which Benitez takes squad rotation. Obviously players need to be rested at times, but I still believe Benitez mucked about with the line-up far too much last season for us to get any sort of consistency in the league. Benitez getting this balance right next season will have a far bigger bearing on how we do next season than the players we sign.

Obviously certain positions need to be strengthened, but I for one would settle for a forward who can stick the ball in the net. It doesn't have to be Eto'o, but surely a club like Liverpool with the scouting range it must have can identify suitable players that we can afford.

by **puroresu** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:09 pm

Emerald Red wrote:Well I read that a lot of people are going on about "the next level" and how these players will not take us to there. But what is this "next level"? Last season we dominated most of the games against the top 4, with the acception of Arsenal. We bossed the Mancs home and away, and the same with Chelsea. On any given day, I'd say we can be at a level beyond that of any of the teams of the top four, IMO. If you ask me if these players will improve out chances of getting closer to winning it, I'd have to say no. They'd make good additions to the squad, but they certainly wouldn't have a massive impact on it. Not the calibre of player I'd want to see join us, and I'd be bitterly disappointed if we spent heavy on the likes of Bent.

Bossed the mancs home and away? We were awful at Old Trafford and didnt create anything. Chelsea away we played well but deserved to win? I wouldnt say so.

The next level isnt about beating the top 4. Its the ability to win week in week out home and away. Its the ability to win games when going behind.

by **El Nino_#9** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:28 pm

we don't need to get "STAR" players just a slight improvement from what we have now.
as mentioned before, the problem is consistancy away from home. at anfield we were only beaten once if i can remember correctly? :S
there is no reason why we can't have the same record away from home too. its the same players just different location.
we need to be more attacking away from home.

by **LFC2007** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:30 pm

puroresu wrote:Bossed the mancs home and away? We were awful at Old Trafford and didnt create anything. Chelsea away we played well but deserved to win? I wouldnt say so.

I agree about the mancs away, we were sh!te. But Chelsea away we more than deserved a point, and we battered the mancs at home, even red nose concedes that one.

by **destro** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:37 pm

SWP is said to be available for 10 million, is there a thread on this already, theres so much rubbish on here cant be bothered to read through them all to look for it ?

If not

Is he the sort of player you would like to see us sign ?

As simple YES or NO will suffice

by **puroresu** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:41 pm

destro wrote:SWP is said to be available for 10 million, is there a thread on this already, theres so much rubbish on here cant be bothered to read through them all to look for it ?

If not

Is he the sort of player you would like to see us sign ?

As simple YES or NO will suffice

I like SWP and £10 mil would be fine. I think playing week in week out he would do a far better job than Pennant. Looks like a year to late though as Rafa now has Pennant.

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