JimmyF

Duran is a guy worth mentioning, especially if he comes back from his injury 100%

I would think Euros, roughly over £65M

The International | England LIVERPOOL WILL BE SPENT 100 MILLION IN DRAFTEES Benítez has in its five list to cracks of Liga ÍDOLO. The liking of the Liverpool idolizes to Rafa Benítez. (AP) 06.04.2007 J. MAROTO The Liverpool dreams about gaining the Glass of Europe and taking advantage of his seventh continental title to undertake an ambitious plan that it places to him between the three better and richer clubs of the world. The magazine Forbes published 29 of March the past the list of the wealthiest equipment. It dominates England, that has ten classified between the 25 first. Number 1 is the Manchester United followed of Real Madrid, both with a value in assets superior to billion euros. The Arsenal is third? but the Liverpool does not appear between the ten best ones. Campaign. And that of not leaving in Forbes puts of the nerves the new owners of the club, the North Americans George Guillet and Tom Hicks, who yes appears in the list but by its businesses in North America. The patterns will give almost limitless credit him to Rafa Benítez for, if it conquers the Champions, filing what creates advisable with the purpose of assaulting the positions that now dominate to the Manchester United and Real Madrid. And Benítez would have one hundred million to the purchase. Its dream is Etoo, that knows from the inferior categories of Madrid. The Cameroun said yesterday that ?he is pleasant to see the Liverpool. He enchants his race and its heart to me on the field?. To the Spanish trainer it likes other soccer players of Liga: Silva, Villa, Zigic, Sergio Ramos, Alves. He has good pleasure. http://translate.google.com/translate?u=ht...Flanguage_tools I think its saying this is dependent on us winning the champions league, I dont think Rafa will be spending as much as people think but atleast we will be competing at the very top end of the market, which will be great

A fantastic taste of what maybe to come next season, 2 or 3 quality signings in the summer and maybe just maybe no. 19 will become a reality

Fecking top class. How strong is that lad for such a little fella

Mascherano is superb, best player on the pitch today. His tackling is so crisp, I thinking he's got some of the arsenal shirking out of challenges

I dont know if people are aware but this is a player that has probably been the breakout Spanish player this year, Barca are after accoring to Guilleme on revista a couple months back. This isnt a Josemi, this guy is a full international

Article from as First | Sport LIVERPOOL CONSIDERS THE ARIZMENDI HIRING A ojeador takes to him following all the season. Athletic still the doubt if to repescar to him. It guarantees Benítez TRIED. Arizmendi has become one of the players of the Sport one with better poster in the market. (JESUS SANCHO) 29.03.2007 L. DE LA CRUZ The final destiny of Javier Arizmendi can be in the Premier League. The great trajectory of the Madrilenian player is no unnoticed pass for Rafa Benítez, and reds counts on an ample one to dossier of the evolutions of the forward blanquiazul. The certain thing is that the English set has put him a marcaje to the man to Arizmendi and a Cordovan ojeador of the Liverpool has been taking it following for several months. Most of the information they take place when the Sport one plays abroad. The disadvantage for the Liverpool is called Athletic of Madrid. The colchonero set has a repesca option on Arizmendi that signed when the player was transferred to the Sport one. The Madrilenian equipment can recover at the end of this season to the forward by three million euros. After the great season that Arizmendi was making, in special after his partidazo before Real Madrid in Riazor, the club rojiblanco had decided to exert its preferential option. However, lately they have appeared several discordant voices on the return of Arizmendi in the surroundings of Cherry tree, that no longer knows it so clearly. If the Athletic one stops, the Liverpool will have green light for its hiring. The doubts rojiblancas are motivated by the contract that have signed with the Depor, that forces to maintain to them during one season to Arizmendi in the first group without possibility of yielding it or of reselling it. In addition, there is another factor that also plays in favor of Rafa Benítez: its good relation with Caparrós and the Sport one. The technician of the Liverpool maintains a dialogue flowed with Caparrós, and its good relation was key in the recent crossing in the market of winter of Arbeloa to reds, by which almost four million euros paid. If the Athletic one finally decides not to repescar to Arizmendi, the coffers of the Sport one could be the great beneficiaries, because crossing of Arizmendi to the Liverpool will be by a very superior amount. The eleven days that lack, will be key for the final destiny of the Madrilenian end. I have seen him play a few times, he's not out and out striker, the times i've seen him its eigher just behind the front men or out wide. He could be a good solution for us

No thank you - damaged goods, not that player he once was, not as fast, overrated to begin with .....................etc etc time to move on

Even Robben looks to be more sturdier. I havent seen a single game where Simao gives a fullback a working over, I dont think he's that type of player, he's not got the pace of a Robben or Ronaldo. Plus the fact that robben is from northern europe, its less difficult or dutch players then the portugese to acclimatise to this country's football imo

I dont think Simao is the answer for us, he isnt going to take players on etc and his physique makes me fear the premiership would pass him by

Play the percentages, would you be banking on Harry to play 60+ games next season?

I think we need 3 players to take us to that next level. We have a glaring need up front and we desperately need an attacking midfielder who can play between the lines, has skill and pace to beat defenders (easier said then done to find players like this) and ofcourse we have the Alves option - i personally think rafa will be more inclined to aquire the striker and att midfielder before Alves just based purely on need but if G&H allow no doubt Rafa would knocking on the door for Alves as well. This talk of Simao does tend to scare me, i've seen him play many times but he's not a Ronaldo type, he's more of a technical player then anything, i'd be looking elsewhere. Dont know much about this Nani kid but he sounds interesting, i'd be happy with Ribery. Kewell is too much of an injury liability for rafa to ever rely on him seriously

Remains to be seen, I'm somewhat skeptical of this 'big' number Hicks talks about though i do think if Rafa wasnt given the assurances his future would be far more questionable than it is right now

Would £50M be enough even? A top top striker in the ilk of Villa, Eto'o or Torres would cost in excess of £20-30M. Alves a known target has a buy out of £22M and a world class winger/att midfielder could cost anything upwards of £15M

Reds must spend end long wait for big totitleMar 26 2007 by Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo IN the final part of the series assessing the challenges facing new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, CHRIS BASCOMBE explains why although in the long term the Anfield takeover won?t emulate Roman Abramovich?s ownership of Chelsea, in the short term Rafa Benitez will be hoping there are some similarities ?IT?S not enough to be rich any more, you need to be super-rich in the modern game.? This was the observation of outgoing Liverpool chairman David Moores as he explained why he had sold his beloved club to George Gillett and Tom Hicks. It was this heartbreaking reality which forced him into a four-year search for investment. Moores accepted the club not only needed to finance the stadium, but no matter how many multi-million pound strikers he signed, like every football club, he was only a bad defeat away from being accused of not spending enough. It wasn?t fair, but reason, wisdom and logic are enemies of the modern football family. Coaches have increasingly shown themselves to not only be astute tacticians, but also mathematical geniuses. They have a capacity to analyse club accounts and persuade the world a £25m spending spree was conducted with hands tied behind their back. Whether it?s Rafa Benitez, David Moyes or Sam Allardyce, for every major purchase we see, they?ll point to the players they claim had to be sold to raise the cash. Even Jose Mourinho was complaining about lack of funds in January. Thus, while mere mortals presume an £8m signing cost £8m, managers will argue it?s not so simple and seek recognition for their own diligent book balancing, sacrificing other areas of the team and targeting cheaper options. Managers fighting off relegation say they can?t compete with those who spend millions pursuing UEFA Cup places; those challenging for sixth say it?s a miracle if they get near the top four; and those hoping to gatecrash the title race compare the spending power of the top two with the rest. When the wealth of any club is assessed, it?s done so relatively. Boardrooms and managers spin the figures in opposing directions. When the transfer funds of Liverpool are assessed since 1990, it?s little wonder the allegation which has hurt the outgoing board most is they haven?t invested enough in the team. This clearly doesn?t stand up to 17 years of scrutiny. Since 2004, Liverpool have splashed out £44m on strikers, yet they?ll still spend the summer searching for a player who?ll guarantee 20 goals a season. As he looks back over the course of his reign and assesses why financial realities ultimately brought his time in office to an end, the former chairman will justifiably lament the series of bad choices in the transfer market made by a succession of managers. At the time, strikers like Dean Saunders, Stan Collymore, Emile Heskey and Djibril Cisse were the most expensive on the market. Roy Evans, Graeme Souness and Gerard Houllier (twice) smashed the club?s transfer record to bring them to Anfield. Unfortunately for Moores, and this is the point he acknowledged on the day he made his emotional farewell from the chairman?s seat, the emergence of Roman Abramovich utterly changed the landscape of English football. Chelsea and Manchester United now think nothing of spending £30m or more on players. Moores had reached the stage where he was dipping into his personal account to fund the capture of Dirk Kuyt. The £28m outlay which brought Kuyt, Jermaine Pennant, Craig Bellamy, Mark Gonzalez and Fabio Aurelio to Anfield a year ago was, by the standards of 95% of the Premiership, a hefty sum. But Liverpool?s ultimate focus is the top two, and rather than find the missing links to significantly close the gap, the Reds are in danger of falling further behind. Benitez said on the day he signed Bellamy and Pennant he felt he was being forced to gamble, opting for good players he hoped would become world class. In his fourth summer at Anfield, he?s concluded a dramatic change of transfer policy will be required for Liverpool to compete for the title. His argument is rather than a series of what he?d describe as mid-range priced targets, Liverpool need to spend big on at least two areas of the team. He wants finished products. The hope is his judgement, backed by the chequebook of the new owners, will transform the depth of quality of the side. Among the numerous reassurances he sought from Gillett and Hicks last week when deciding to reject Real Madrid for the second successive season, this was arguably the most pivotal. What?s significant in recent months is not that Liverpool are being linked with players of the calibre and cost of Samuel Eto?o, it?s that no-one has described such rumours as nonsense, or beyond what the club may be able to afford. Benitez believes an instant, vast investment in the team, coupled with the changes explained over the previous three articles in this series, will ensure Liverpool can return to a less extravagant spending policy over the long-term. Or at the very least, they?ll have more revenue generating schemes off the field to allow them to compete regularly for the players Chelsea and United target. It?s a buy now, don?t pay later theory. This is an idealist view, of course, depending on several unknown factors, not least the capacity of the manager not to waste the money. Benitez must be certain the choices he makes are right for English football. As the examples of Collymore, Heskey and Cisse show, a striker who looks as if he possesses all the attributes to score 150 goals over five seasons doesn?t always live up to his potential. Benitez will also be well aware the more a manager spends, the more expectations grow. It?s a pressure he?ll willingly accept if it means he has a broader choice of players to sign in the years to come, but the consequences of getting it wrong are sterner. In Benitez?s defence, there?s no question he?s had to do much more wheeling, dealing and risk-taking than his predecessors. His triumph in the transfer market so far isn?t just signing Xabi Alonso or Daniel Agger, it?s getting the likes of Cheyrou, Diao, Diouf, Le Tallec, Vignal, Luzi, Medjani, Biscan and a cast of at least 20 unwanted reserves off the payroll. There?s no comparison between the overall standard of the squad today than in 2004, but the last tweak to turn the side into something special has consistently been shown to be the most difficult. On a more technical point, it remains to be seen how the process of scouting, negotiating and then signing players will alter under the new regime. There are currently more Liverpool scouts working on Merseyside than the whole of others areas of England, Europe and rest of the world combined, and Benitez has long argued for a rethink. His impatience for concluding deals once he?s made a decision has also been a feature of his reign. George Gillett?s son Foster is expected to be added to the negotiating team, and the dynamic between the different individuals when Benitez is searching for his daily update on the progress of a transfer is sure to be of interest. Whether it?s extra revenue generated from the new stadium and expansion of commercial activities, or a rethink on how to ensure Academy graduates make the grade at senior level, Gillett and Hicks will recognise what happens on the pitch will determine the success of their American dream. All the areas of the club are linked by the same, ultimate goal. When John O?Shea nicked three points at Anfield last month, Jamie Carragher explained in a millisecond why Liverpool has been sold, is prepared to spend £180m on a new stadium, has spent over £20m on The Academy and head into a new era with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. ?We need better players,? he said. George Gillett Jnr and Tom Hicks would be wise to pin this slogan on their office wall as the truest reminder of what?s required to put Liverpool back at the top of English football. http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/liverpo...-name_page.html A lot of sense there

I liked his last comment, self depricating concerning his 'Liverpool Reds' faux pas during their first pc

Balague is okay and he has a Liverpool bias which isnt a bad thing! Hunter is a t***, he was lording how barca would take of us etc etc Guy thinks he's God's gift to spanish football journalism

Good news, I was increasingly getting more and more depressed after this weekend, credit to G&H they did what was asked of them

I hope its a present day thing and not from the time they interviewed him before the Barca game

That was regarding Eto'o I believe

When you dont have enough money to buy the cream of the crop then you have to speculate a little by spending less money to buy 2nd tier players or potential - We didnt have enough money to buy Alves and to service our other needs (according to Fig at cost of £15-16M) unfortunately you have to spend £7M on the likes of pennant (who i was totally against buying). When you dont have the money to buy top class then obviously you're going to have hits and misses in the transfer market

So how is it they started merrily emailing eachother after he had said what he did in the media? Thats the club line, but lets face it, Rafa is probably (along with Gerrard) the clubs biggest asset - When you know madrid are sniffing around you as owners/chief exec go out of your way to re-assure .....etc Not let him dangle around for other clubs to entice him

So Rafa as manager should be happy he was blanked by the new owner after beating barca? No congratulatory phone call even........... Come on, why is it after his comments in the media G&H decide to communicate with him. Its wierd In the business of football where groundwork is laid months and months before the transfer window rafa still has no idea how much money there is to spend by all accounts, who wants that type of uncertainty. Ownership have to pull their finger out

Who can blame Rafa for wanting to joining 'his' club? If he leaves he leaves, it would be very unfortunate but I wouldnt blame him. But I do feel if Parry and G&H would of handled this better and still do from this point on he might well stay, but that might be asking a bit much