Wilhelmsson wrote:Bad Bob wrote:Fair points, mate, fair points.
One thing that may be getting lost sight of in this discussion of transfer fees is who Rafa actually rates and is wanting to sign. Take Klose for example. He may have been affordable last season if your 13 million figure is accurate but I think Rafa rated Kuyt higher and was not looking to have them both (he wanted to replace Cisse with another striker with pace, hence the interest in Bellamy rather than Klose). Undoubtedly there will be many players--including many affordable players--that look like they would be good signings for us that Rafa won't go for. Does that mean he has a poor eye for talent? Maybe, and that, after all, is what we are debating in this thread.
I think, however, that we need to have more patience with a few of these players before we lob them into the "bad signing" bin. Kuyt may yet find the form that allowed him to score 71 goals in 101 games in Holland. Aurelio may recover from injury to become our starting LB (remember how rubbish Evra looked when he first signed for the Mancs?). Pennant may kick on from his strong finish and become a good player for us. Just as having patience with Crouch and Agger has paid of, we should give some of the new lads a little bit more time before we completely consider them fringe players and stop-gaps.
Yes, that’s true we are losing sight of who Rafa rates and who Rafa wants, but as fans we are entitled to our opinions on who should come into the team and seeing as Rafa doesn’t reveal much about who he is interested in, its hard for anyone to discuss his interests and whether or not we agree or disagree with his confirmed interests.
Not many clubs looked at Klose last season which is why he has joined Bayern Munich this season for a miserly £10m. There was an Interview with Klose a few years ago and he said he would jump at the chance to ply his trade on foreign soil if the chance arose.
The Kuyt signing was one I supported and I have been happy with Kuyt, though I am of the opinion that Kuyt should be played further up field, because he’s got a good eye for goal and he plays too deep for my liking, it restricts his game somewhat.
As for Bellamy, he was an adequate signing, not a signing I wanted to see, he’s a decent player, then again so is Cisse. IMO Rafa didn’t replace Cisse with a better player, he replaced Cisse with a player of the same calibre and this was a poor decision. I’m wondering whether or not it was a panic purchase to appease the fans and offer more, possibilities either way that’s £20m flushed down the toilet on two decent players. (I know Houllier signed Cisse, I am adding a collective scope on things).
Rafa has his own opinions, which at times will come into conflict with other people’s opinions, that’s natural, it doesn’t equate to Rafa having a poor eye for talent. After all he has signed Alonso, Garcia, Reina, Sissoko, Crouch, Carson and Kuyt and then he has made some poor signings and again that depends on personal opinion doesn’t it?
You raise a valid point, I am prepared to give the likes of Pennant more time, even if my own person belief of Pennant leads me to come to the conclusion that Pennant is simply not good enough to command a regular first team place in the starting eleven.
There is no doubt in my mind that Kuyt will become a success; Gonzales could have made the transition if he was given more time and Rafa had more patience and confidence in him.
This is in contrast to my belief that Bellamy and Pennant weren’t good enough to be signed in the first place, even if I can accept the signing of Pennant (as it made sense). Aurelio is someone who I rate; he was unfortunate to be kept out of the team by at Los Che by Moretti and Carboni. He was coming into form and looked settled around the time he was injured, with him and Riise, there is no need to sign a new left back at this present time.
You again raise a valid point about giving time to the relatively new players at the club. I support this idea as it’s both sensible and pragmatic and as the saying good things come to those who wait. I’d love to share such optimism with regards to Pennant and Bellamy, but I cannot share such a view.
If Bellamy was good enough then Arsenal, United and Chelsea would have been interested. Pennant was at Arsenal and was deemed by Wenger as a problem player, but a problem player that simply didn’t have the ability to command a regular first team role in his starting eleven.
If Rafa had been more shrewd and patient in the transfer window and if Parry was such an incompetence fool, Rafa could have maximised his miserly budget and he could in effect have the likes of Simao in his team.