Priorities

[Cooger]

After our impressive season, Benitez has lots of work to do fine tuning this already impressive squad. He’s going to have more influence with Parry leaving and his new contract enabling him to have full say on who will be brought into the club this summer.

 

Hopefully this will mean we’ll see a more pro active summer, as he’s been critical of Parry and the owners in the past for not showing enough urgency in beating our rivals to players. As a result we’ve missed out on many targets such as Simao, Walcott, Vidic, Alves etc… all players Benitez wanted, but could get for one reason or another.

 

I think Benitez has a tough job this summer in the sense whoever comes in, is going to have to be a top player to get into our best XI. I also think he’s not going to make everyone happy, as the majority would like to see two or three quality signings rather than five or six mediocre ones. But given people want a right back, a back up striker, a left sided player and a right sided player, not to mention Barry… this would seem fairly contradictory as this would represent more of a revolution than an evolution. Especially as potentially we could see many players leaving in return.

 

So my question to you is what do you think Benitez’s priorities should be this summer?

 

Also do you see it working differently this summer now Benitez has more control?

[Swipe]

Right back, left sided attacker (although one who is flexible) and a forward.

[Sion]

So my question to you is what do you think Benitez’s priorities should be this summer?

 

Back up to Gerrard and Torres, preferably one player who can play both positions...and a winger...and keep Alonso.

 

 

Also do you see it working differently this summer now Benitez has more control?

 

Hopefully we won't miss out on targets for the sake of a few million only for them to go on to be great players like we have in the past.

[Cooger]

Right back, left sided attacker (although one who is flexible) and a forward.

 

OK.

 

Would you be happy with a cheaper striker? as I can't see us being able to afford both a top striker and left sided player, without having to sell a player such as Alonso.

[Cooger]

Rafa Benitez : Time to act fast on Liverpool FC squad

 

by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

 

RAFA BENITEZ wants Liverpool’s summer transfer activity to be done and dusted by the time pre-season gets under way.

 

The Reds boss is keen to conclude his business at the earliest possible opportunity in what is expected to be another busy summer at Anfield.

 

Benitez will need to supplement his existing transfer budget with the proceeds from player sales and he is looking to start work on overhauling his squad immediately.

 

But he concedes it won’t be easy to make improvements to what he regards as a high quality squad.

 

“Clearly we want to sign players but we know that it will be difficult to find players who are better than what we already have,” said Benitez.

 

“It is not easy to find this kind of player in the current market and if we do then maybe they will be too expensive or not available.

 

“But we have to sign the right players and make the right decisions during the summer.

 

“We have some targets but right now it is too soon because some clubs do not know what the future holds for them but we will wait and see.

 

“But our idea is to have players signed before pre-season begins because this would be perfect.

 

“It means you can start working with them and training with them with the ideas that you want to get across to them so that they can start putting them into practice on the pitch.”

 

Gareth Barry remains Benitez’s major target and with Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill admitting he will not stand in the England man’s way should a top four club make an acceptable offer for him Liverpool’s move for the 28-year-old is likely to come sooner rather than later.

 

O’Neill is reported to be ready to offer Barry a lucrative new deal in a bid to keep his captain at Villa Park but with the midfielder keen to play Champions League football such overtures are likely to fall on deaf ears.

 

Meanwhile, the likelihood of Real Madrid making an offer for Xabi Alonso has increased after one of Florentino Perez’s main rivals to become president of the Spanish giants pulled out of the race.

 

Perez has made little secret of his desire to sign Alonso should he become president and Liverpool are now braced for a bid from Real.

 

Javier Mascherano is hoping his midfield partner will not be sold no matter how much Real offer, arguing Alonso is a key member of the team.

 

“Hopefully the great players in Liverpool can stay and we can bring in other players to improve the team,” he said.

 

“It’s important when you have the team in good form to keep the key players and Xabi is one of them.”

 

I guess this shows Benitez does want to be more pro active.

[Rimbeux]

Keeping Alonso, buying a top striker/attacker, buying a starting option for the left, buying a right back who can play centre half, adding another quality central midfield player, in that order

[Cooger]

Keeping Alonso, buying a top striker/attacker, buying a starting option for the left, buying a right back who can play centre half, adding another quality central midfield player, in that order

 

Don't you think that's quite a lot of business for a side that has come so close to winning the league?

 

Not to mention whether we can afford all of it.

[_00_deathscar]

1. Buy a back up forward.

2. Keep Alonso + Arbeloa.

3. Buy a bloody good left winger.

4. Buy a back up right back.

[Rimbeux]

Don't you think that's quite a lot of business for a side that has come so close to winning the league?

 

Not to mention whether we can afford all of it.

 

 

It's four players in reality, aiming at making sure we keep our level when Gerrard and Torres are not available.

[Raj]

Keeping Alonso, buying a top striker/attacker, buying a starting option for the left, buying a right back who can play centre half, adding another quality central midfield player, in that order

 

Agree with that.

[Molby]

changing our style of play to account for not having Xabi

 

no wonder he wants everyone signed before pre-season

 

gutted

[Cooger]

I agree that the left needs strengthening than the right. Kuyt and Benayoun have got loads of goals and assists between them, not to mention the other attributes they give the team. Riera and Babel aren't half as effectively of productive as a pair.

 

Last sjummer I remember seeing lots of threads saying we needed more attacking full backs. We signed, Degen and Dossena, yet Arbelao and Aurelio were still the first choices for these positions and we challenged for the league. Not sure whether everyone got this wrong last summer or the players we signed simply weren't good enough.

[fred milne]

Keeping Alonso, buying a top striker/attacker, buying a starting option for the left, buying a right back who can play centre half, adding another quality central midfield player, in that order

I'd switch the 2nd and 3rd around but otherwise yes.

[yellow jumper]

in an ideal world.

 

but this is more likely to come down to keeping alonso/arbeloa (both of whom might actually want to leave) v. having a real tilt at fulfilling the five or six other priorities satisfactorily.

[SkippyjonJones]

buy aguero and play torres out left....

 

add a right back who can play more than 3 minutes without getting injured.

[Nebraska Red]

the priority has to be a player who can score goals, break down stubborn defences and fill the void when Torres is not available.

 

after that, a utility player who can play both defence and any of the midfield slots.

 

calling Dr Frankenstein!!

[Duncan Disorderly]

So my question to you is what do you think Benitez’s priorities should be this summer?

Win the league at all costs.

[Nebraska Red]

I agree that the left needs strengthening than the right. Kuyt and Benayoun have got loads of goals and assists between them, not to mention the other attributes they give the team. Riera and Babel aren't half as effectively of productive as a pair.

 

Last sjummer I remember seeing lots of threads saying we needed more attacking full backs. We signed, Degen and Dossena, yet Arbelao and Aurelio were still the first choices for these positions and we challenged for the league. Not sure whether everyone got this wrong last summer or the players we signed simply weren't good enough.

 

Degen never gave himself a chance, and Dossena looks like he is just too unreliable for the English game. We should offer him to Barcelona in a straight swap for Bojan Kirkic.

[Nebraska Red]

Win the league at all costs.

 

let's not get into that just yet, we have 2-3 months of speculation, hand wringing and banging heads on walls to look forward to.

Edited May 26, 2009 by Nebraska Red

[McBain]

Keep Xabi

Buy Tevez

Sell Lucas

Keep Xabi

Buy Barry

Sell Dossena

Buy Johnson

Keep Xabi

Sell Babel

Sell Riera

Keep Xabi

Buy Silva

 

 

Keep Xabi

[bazz]

1. Buy a back up forward.

2. Keep Alonso + Arbeloa.

3. Buy a bloody good left winger.

4. Buy a back up right back.

 

This man talks sense

[Swipe]

OK.

 

Would you be happy with a cheaper striker? as I can't see us being able to afford both a top striker and left sided player, without having to sell a player such as Alonso.

 

Maybe someone who could play both roles - like Rooney - is what we need.

[Maldini]

Selling Riera and Lucas is the only way we can keep Xabi and sign the players we need I think. Hopefully Riera will be replaced as first choice by Silva anyway so Leto, Hammill or Adam Johnson (who's available for cheap) could replace him in the squad.

[Gomez]

Don't you think that's quite a lot of business for a side that has come so close to winning the league?

 

Not to mention whether we can afford all of it.

 

The priority should be not to start the season with 3/4 key positions bedding in. This team needs tweaking not overhauling.

 

Keep the spine

Add a new top quality attacking option that can consistently turn games in the same way as Gerrard and Torres do, and to be fair, Yossi was for the last 6 months.

 

I guess we also need a competent 4th choice CB seeing as we've had major injuries to our first choice for the last two seasons and lost Sami. You have to hope that at least one of the 28 CB kids we've signed over the last 4 years would be able to take on that role by now.

 

I am also fairly happy with our fullbacks, Aurelio, Arbeloa, Insua and Dossena (who was improving) sure it could be tweaked, but if it's going to cost £15m for a player who's never impressed me when I've seen him for England and Chelsea (only really seen him for a handful of games for Pompey - mainly against us) then I'd rather we spent that money on the above. I guess Carra might play there a bit more as well.

[John am Rhein]

Strengthen the squad generally, but get more cover for the forward positions in particular.

 

Would like to see better full backs, but full backs generally seem to be poor these days - which is probably a reflection of the current way the game is played.

 

If Alonso leaves, he'll certainly need replacing and not just by Barry. Barry might add more drive to the midfield, but our ability to retain possession will surely be impaired.