Bad Bob wrote:Owzat wrote:Before Rafa arrived the biggest spending was Cisse at £14m, he's already spent more than that on Johnson, Mascherano, Keane, Torres and Aquilani.
Okay but we first of all need to adjust for inflation. Players cost more across the board than they did in 2004 and so comparing transfer fees is a bit of a mug's game.
Second, we have to apply the 'you get what you pay for' principle to a certain degree. Yes, Rafa paid more for Torres than Cisse but I don't think anyone would argue with the wisdom of doing so. Quality costs money...even if it is quality that is still blossoming (as would seem to be the case with Johnson and, hopefully, Aquilani).
I'm not saying Rafa hasn't made mistakes in the transfer market. Of course he has--all managers do. What I am saying is that, for a team that finished so close last season and is trying to clear that final hurdle this season, spending a couple of million here or there on bargain buys and stop-gaps is not generally the recipe for success. That goes double when we lose a nailed on starter and key performer in a vital position. Rafa had no choice but to replace Alonso and I think he was right to look to a potentially top class player to do so--especially with Barry swerving us for City. Sure, we could have spent a tenner on the likes of Kevin Nolan and earmarked the rest of the Alonso money for other areas of the team but would that have been a wise use of funds? Not for me, no.
So would you prefer that the club goes even further into debt to fund player purchases??
how much have Manure spent THIS transfer season, how about Arsenal and the Chavs??
Some people just need beat to death!
