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We're going round in circles here! "After sales" is all well and good, but Benitez has stated that he wants a bigger squad with more quality ("we do not have enough players for nine months competing in four competitions"). Unless "we do not have enough players" means something else that I'm failing to understand, we will have to spend money to replace lost squad members - and then some. Moreover, it is fair to say that he will want better (i.e. generally more expensive) squad players than the ones he's getting shut of. Milito in to replace Hyypia, for example, maybe indicates that Rafa wants top quality even in areas where we're currently strong - not just upfront and on the wings. So what we're facing is not a scenario of £40m (or whatever) plus sales, but one of £40m minus buys. And while this £40m figure is likely to be b******s, G&H will have a maximum figure in mind. Of course they will. The question is whether it is going to be enough to keep Rafa happy, and from my fag-packet calculations that is going to take a considerable amount more than £40m! Lucas and Milito alone add over £15m to that net figure... - Tevez for £15m? - Eto'o for £15m + Sissoko? - 8m for Cisse? - 10m for Bellamy? - 3m for Pongolle? - 12-14m for Sami and Crouch? Some *very* optimistic assumptions there!

It's more than likely an arbitrary figure plucked from nowhere in particular that has become media/forum lore. Someone posted on here the other day - quoting G&H I think - saying that we don't have a set budget at all, just that cash is there to back Rafa's decisions. My point is that the article mentioned in this thread is actually making a strong point: if Rafa really is after 'world-class' players *and* is looking to enlarge/strengthen the squad, then this is going to cost a f***ing fortune. Alot more than £40m. Will G&H back this much spending? Personally, I doubt it.

That seems a bit contradictory, surely? If it's not the squad that lacks quality, why is Rafa reputed to be looking at drastic change of it? Why sell the likes of Zenden, Dudek, and Gonzalez if they're good enough? It is absolutely clear that Rafa sees problems with the squad and with the first team. Indeed, why would he go to the press in such an uncharacteristic manner if he didn't think there's an extraordinary need? People have latched onto his statement about Man U spending £20m on single midfielders while we scrape around for £9m strikers, but he also said this: "It is obvious we do not have enough players for nine months competing in four competitions." Those are not the words of someone just looking for 2-3 big names. Yeah, maybe Gillette and Hicks will just forget to subtract what Rafa's already spent from the (alleged) £40m total. Rafa is asking for extraordinary backing, the likes of which this club has never seen in the past. Make no mistake about it.

Hopefully, but similar things were said about Gonzalez.

I was just pointing out that "we already have the squad players to do it, we just need the top draw people" doesn't seem to be Rafa's view.

Lucas, Veronin, Leto? Rafa seems to want new squad players too.

3 'top draw' players? 3/4 'good squad players'? Tevez and, say, Alves alone could conceivably swallow up the £40m figure being bandied around, leaving us reliant on sales. Even if we get our supposed £12m asking price for Bellamy (which I very much doubt we will) we're not going to get another 'world-class' player and decent squad cover for 3-4 positions from what we raise by gutting the squad. I think this article, while speculative, makes a valid point. Something has to give, but that something will not be the transfer market. If the going rate for a 'drop draw' player is £20m and rising, and we need three of those *plus* more decent squad cover - inc. replacing any sales - then we're surely looking at a summer outlay of around £80m? That's Chelsea-style spending, and while Gilette and Hicks may be rich but they're not mental like Abramovich. In the absence of figures re. our targets and our financial limits this is all just guesswork really, but let's not kid ourselves that we are in a position to help ourselves to large dollops of the cream of the transfer market this summer. We're not. If that is what Rafa really is asking for, and if he is of a mind to leave if he doesn't get it, then we should maybe begin to worry.

Frontier Psychiatrist?

Neither can I, except for the 'half back' thing.

Rafa sounds like he's not messing around. After last night he'll be pretty pissed off that his players weren't up to the job of carrying out his tactics (which were spot-on). I agree with the posters who say that there are a few untouchables: Reina Carra Agger Masch Alonso Gerrard Finnan Kuyt (I actually think that Kuyt is there because of the money we spent and the time he's been here, not because he's indispensable as yet.) The rest...no-one is safe. And no-one deserves to be, with the possible exception of Crouch (who I think should've played last night).

We lack an out-and-out goalscorer - would have to be Rush. We lack a creative genius - would have to be Dalglish. We lack a genuine left-sided player - would have to be Barnes. (The fact that he's also a creative genius and always among the goals is a bonus.) But I'd still take Souness. Gattuso would s*** his pants, and Kaka would cry.

I'd personally like to have Andy Gray round to watch us lift no. 6.

Good read, that. Igor retains his cult status!

Madness. The fact that you've had to post something like this, I mean. There is not a single manager in club football worldwide who would spurn the opportunity of signing Thierry Henry.

OK, lost me there. Because that's just not f***ing true, y' know?

Pretty much all there is to say on the issue I reckon.

Finnan Agger Carra Reina There's absolutely no shame in having a f***ing good defence! Finnan deserves special mention. Few outside Liverpool, and many within, simply do not recognise that he is a right-back of rarest quality. Easily our best in that position that I can remember - edging both Babbel and Rob Jones IMO. Houllier's best signing after Hyppia. Cheers, Ged. Oh, and those four could conceivably be playing together for another five years...and, yes, I do know how old Finnan is.

Whatever team Rafa sends out, I hope our strikers get some f***ing target practice in. It would be horrible to lose in the final after fluffing a million chances, as has happened way too often this year. Rest the others or play them for 45 minutes or whatever. We can rely on the defence and midfield to show up most games. But get the strikers sharp, even if it means going all gung-ho for a few matches and letting in a few.

b******s. Nothing for the Mancs. They've won the FA cup more than anyone else, and they're way too close to our league record. I'd rather Chelsea won five straight titles than the Mancs win anything at all.

You must know of a different Google to me.

Fair play to Ferguson for his post-match interview. Big contrast to Mourinho last night.

Zenden is not and never has been a good winger. I thought the worst when I saw his name on the teamsheet. But he wasn't the worst player out there for us tonight.

Well, anything is possible in a European tie with us, especially at home. But I'm not happy with the result. The goal they scored was a bit soft, they could have had a good few more, we created nothing much of note, and we didn't get Drogba booked. And, let's face it, they're not s***. More than capable of scoring and leaving us needing three against their defence.

17 mins in and I want to turn the TV off. He is a c**k of the highest order when it comes to Man U games. Is there any internet commentary anywhere?

Has Berbatov scored against a good team this year?