Rafa's record in the transfer market

[David Hodgson]

Seem to remember some analyses last season in the papers coming to a concensus that Rafa was very 'hit and miss' in the transfer market. Truth be told, probably plenty of our fans would have agreed.

 

Yet, as time goes by, it's becoming increasingly apparent that he's quietly been a fantastic spender of money.

 

Recently I think we can safely add Arbeloa to a list of clear 'hits'.

 

For the heck of it then (and all verdicts are relative to money spent) :

 

Major hits : Reina, Alonso, Torres, Arbeloa, Agger, Mascherano

 

Good buys : Sissoko, Crouch, Voronin, Carson, Leiva, Garcia, Benayoun

 

Juries out, but still hopeful : Babel, Kuyt, Pennant

 

Significant flops : Morientes...erm...that's it.

 

Think that sums it up. Bloody good record IMO.

[Rich Gobey]

Seem to remember some analyses last season in the papers coming to a concensus that Rafa was very 'hit and miss' in the transfer market. Truth be told, probably plenty of our fans would have agreed.

 

Yet, as time goes by, it's becoming increasingly apparent that he's quietly been a fantastic spender of money.

 

Recently I think we can safely add Arbeloa to a list of clear 'hits'.

 

For the heck of it then (and all verdicts are relative to money spent) :

 

Major hits : Reina, Alonso, Torres, Arbeloa, Agger, Mascherano

 

Good buys : Sissoko, Crouch, Voronin, Carson, Leiva, Garcia, Benayoun

 

Juries out, but still hopeful : Babel, Kuyt, Pennant

 

Significant flops : Morientes...erm...that's it.

 

Think that sums it up. Bloody good record IMO.

 

I would have said that Garcia represented a 'major hit', his contribution to our European success was a great as anyones.

[goodrobotusses]

The sticks people usually beat Rafa with in terms of his buys (Josemi, Nunez, Pellegrino, Kromkamp) are usually cheap stop-gaps needed to bolster the squad at minimal expense. Morientes was a flop, yeah, but no one ever doubted the guy's quality - it was just a shame he couldn't adapt to English football. It happens. I guess Paletta is another, but he was young and could not be afforded the chance to grow up and adapt in the glare of the Premier League. He may yet go on to become a good player back in Argentina and move back to Europe someday.

[David Hodgson]

I would have said that Garcia represented a 'major hit', his contribution to our European success was a great as anyones.

 

 

I'm taking relative to their purchase price, and the value they acheived. Remember,we paid £6m for Luis. Hardly a bargain.

 

Luis was a major success in an iconic sense, and obviously contributed much. But is he/will he be in the league of the top group of players listed ? I don't think so.

[David Hodgson]

The sticks people usually beat Rafa with in terms of his buys (Josemi, Nunez, Pellegrino, Kromkamp) are usually cheap stop-gaps needed to bolster the squad at minimal expense. Morientes was a flop, yeah, but no one ever doubted the guy's quality - it was just a shame he couldn't adapt to English football. It happens. I guess Paletta is another, but he was young and could not be afforded the chance to grow up and adapt in the glare of the Premier League. He may yet go on to become a good player back in Argentina and move back to Europe someday.

 

I ignored the under £2m buys, because they represented reasonable risk signings.

 

Morientes was the right buy, but he simply didn't deliver.

[Benitez]

Luis Garcia could have cost double and played in no other game bar those CL games in 05 and he'd still be a major hit. Such was his contribution. No one contributed more to one of the most glorious events in our recent history, winning #5.

 

Rafa's transfer record is good. I have faith in Babel, Kuyt I'm kinda struggling with though I admit

Edited November 17, 2007 by Benitez

[David Hodgson]

Luis Garcia could have cost double and played in no other game bar those CL games in 05 and he'd still be a major hit. Such was his contribution. No one contributed more to one of the most glorious events in our recent history, winning #5.

 

Rafa's transfer record is good. I have faith in Babel, Kuyt I'm kinda struggling with though I admit

 

I have mucho faith in Kuyt.

[Benitez]

I have mucho faith in Kuyt.

 

 

I'm glad you have! I've got enough faith in Babel for the both of us, and you have enough faith in Kuyt. Hopefully between us we're onto a winner

[hideNseek]

Benayoun looks likely to be a major hit.

[Guest petelfc]

Absolutely brilliant, IMO. I think it will be even better post January.

[Sion]

It's another one of them myths, the Benitez is bad in the transfer market saying.

 

The media love naming Josemi and Pellegrino to try and put him down.

[muleskinner]

Seem to remember some analyses last season in the papers coming to a concensus that Rafa was very 'hit and miss' in the transfer market. Truth be told, probably plenty of our fans would have agreed.

 

Yet, as time goes by, it's becoming increasingly apparent that he's quietly been a fantastic spender of money.

 

Recently I think we can safely add Arbeloa to a list of clear 'hits'.

 

For the heck of it then (and all verdicts are relative to money spent) :

 

Major hits : Reina, Alonso, Torres, Arbeloa, Agger, Mascherano

 

Good buys : Sissoko, Crouch, Voronin, Carson, Leiva, Garcia, Benayoun

 

Juries out, but still hopeful : Babel, Kuyt, Pennant

 

Significant flops : Morientes...erm...that's it.

 

Think that sums it up. Bloody good record IMO.

 

Not sure that Lucas Leiva can be considered a good buy yet, he hasn't even played a full game. Looks promising but that is it so far.

[Puskas]

Bellamy seems to be missing from that list. Does he belong in the 'significant flop' section, or should there be a 'didn't do a bad job but not quite good enough' section?

[Guest petelfc]

Pennant will be eased out soon enough. Just not good enough and was bought as a stop gap after we got fobbed off by Sevilla for Alves.

Edited November 17, 2007 by petelfc

[Guest petelfc]

Bellamy seems to be missing from that list. Does he belong in the 'significant flop' section, or should there be a 'didn't do a bad job but not quite good enough' section?

 

I thought he was a great buy at the time at a bargain price. Just couldn't cut it at the top level. Plus we made a profit.

 

I'll go for the 'not quite good enough' section.

[David Hodgson]

I thought he was a great buy at the time at a bargain price. Just couldn't cut it at the top level. Plus we made a profit.

 

I'll go for the 'not quite good enough' section.

 

I think Bellamy was a good buy. I think the reason he's not here now is just because he's a nut job, but he's a quality player.

 

Also, I missed Aurelio out. Clearly another 'good buy'.

[growler]

Personally, I think a bad buy is a player that not only does badly for us and doesn't fit, but then also loses us money in the transfer market. Josemi and kromkamp may have been bad, but in reality they also led to arbeloa.

 

same for moro. we still got money for him.

[Rimbeux]

I think he buys very well on the whole in terms of player ability and value for money, and has become stronger as he's learnt and developed his scouting network, having been used to working with a sporting director. He's definitely gone for size of squad and numbers over higher quality individuals, which is completely in line with how he intends to use the players. Also not afraid of high turnover and using players for one or two seasons.

 

Network doesn't unearth a load of steals, Arbeloa has the makings of one, Carson will be one in terms of cash, the young players are almost a different story, especially so early, but there's also a healthy lack of Biscan, Diao, Cheyrou. It's not a market bucking operation (speed seems to be an issue in terms of closing early and cheap), but it delivers vfm and will likely be stronger with time and lower turnover raising the quality.

[Cooger]

The 'Major Hits' have all appreciated in value and as well performed on the pitch - Torres, Agger, Reina, Crouch, Alonso, Arbeloa, Carson (could be a 9 million profit) etc

 

The 'Successes' have done well and their value has not dropped and in many cases we have got a profit - Bellamy (3 million profit), Pennant, Sissoko, Kuyt, Garcia, Benayoun etc.

 

The 'Flops' have not cost the club much financially, unlike Houiller. When rather has spent big the players have performed - Torres & Alonso. No Diouf's under Benitez so far. Morientes can't have been sold for much of a loss, maybe 3 million? I think most people would have taken that risk at the time. Pellegrino, Nunez, Josemi, Zenden, Gonzalez etc either were on a free, cost little or their price was recouped when they were sold.

 

Generally very good, considering he's been working on a budget uptil this summer. He has cut down the age of the squad with players such as Agger, Mascherano, Reina, Torres, Arbeloa etc very young and are investments for a number of years. When you add to the mix the amount of young players who he is hopeful can make the step up from the academy and reserves, I think he's done a great job in the market. Now our reserve team is full of young, hungry players who are looking to develop and fight for the first team. Unlike under Houiller where it was full of the flops in Ferri, Traore, Diao, Cheyrou etc.

[Guest Kaizer]

His record when it comes to buying and when to sell attacking players are really poor.

[_00_deathscar]

His record when it comes to buying and when to sell attacking players are really poor.

 

I think he could have done better here, so I have to partly agree with you. Of the attacking players he's bought, only Garcia and Crouch have stood out. Torres has most certainly started well, as has Voronin (for a free) and looks to be a great buy, and I think Babel will eventually prove to be one, but the likes of Pennant, Gonzalez and such do leave room for improvement.

[Cooger]

But he's been working to a budget and that is not easy getting attacking players for the quality required.

 

You can get defenders and midfielders for good value. However for top quality wingers and strikers you have to spent big and I don't think Rafa has had the resources to do this before last summer. I'm happy with Torres, Babel, Yossi and Voronin this summer and think they have made a difference. Lets remember he wanted Malouda, Simao, Alves etc in the past but didn't get them for various reasons and had to settle for second or third choices due to his budget.

 

Now Agger was a second choice signing but he's worked out just as Arbeloa has. I think if you want top quality in the front positions more often than not you have to spend big. Rooney, Drogba, Tevez, Torres, Henry etc cost big bucks for a reason.

[_00_deathscar]

Agger was not a second choice signing. He wanted Vidic and Agger, but only got one - so he bought Paletta as a Vidic replacement.

 

I wasn't saying he's done horribly or 'poorly' as Kaizer put it, but I think there was room for improvement. For example (with hindsight) Pennant or Gonzalez didn't work out, and I'm sure there were alternatives for a similar price (don't forget we got Garcia and Benayoun fairly cheap!)

[Cooger]

Agger was not a second choice signing. He wanted Vidic and Agger, but only got one - so he bought Paletta as a Vidic replacement.

 

Sorry. I was under the impression Vidic was the first choice and Agger was his second choice.

 

My bad.

[Rimbeux]

But he's been working to a budget and that is not easy getting attacking players for the quality required.

 

You can get defenders and midfielders for good value. However for top quality wingers and strikers you have to spent big and I don't think Rafa has had the resources to do this before last summer. I'm happy with Torres, Babel, Yossi and Voronin this summer and think they have made a difference. Lets remember he wanted Malouda, Simao, Alves etc in the past but didn't get them for various reasons and had to settle for second or third choices due to his budget.

 

Now Agger was a second choice signing but he's worked out just as Arbeloa has. I think if you want top quality in the front positions more often than not you have to spend big. Rooney, Drogba, Tevez, Torres, Henry etc cost big bucks for a reason.

 

 

Working to his choice of having a huge squad, two, three or even four options for each position of even ability. He's spent a lot of cash, as much as anyone outside Chelsea, and has chosen to go for numbers. Not having a network that unearths sub £10m players that you can turn into top draw players or get more out of them than previously thought, will always expose a quality gap at the sharp end. Getting what you pay for is very true in this case.

 

Near every top team in Europe has to make a call on how they operate and balance quality with quantity in the market. It's only really Inter and Chelsea who have gone for two stars for every position, and Chelsea got in three squad guys on frees in the summer, even Real with the galcticos were using an idea of the 'Zidanes and the Pavones', small squad made of stars who play every game and young players who cover injuries and suspensions.