Wednesday 19 August 2009

YANKS STINK OUT ANFIELD AGAIN

LIKE a fart in a sleeping bag - there's no getting away from the bad smell of Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

And just one game into the new season, there it is again.

Despite conflicting reports tonight suggesting Liverpool have now found their fourth-choice centre back in Greece defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos, it's clear the Reds are still going into battle this season without the right weapons.

It's been widely reported that Liverpool's unpopular American owners have moved the goalposts this summer regarding the budget for players, leaving Benitez mid-recruitment with nothing to spend.

And the signings of Glen Johnson and Alberto Aquilani back up this version of events.

Whatever you think of Benitez, it is nonsensical for him to blow his whole transfer budget on two players when a centre back - plus another attacker - are still badly needed.

That's why reports suggesting the money allocated for players has now gone into the kitty to help refinance the club seem to make sense.

What I don't understand about the Yanks is why they would jeopardise the team's success?

It's clear they don't give a flying about the fans and what the club means but credit crunch or no credit crunch, surely 'Liverpool FC - Champions' would be a better 'product' for them to sell?

Maybe they have now given Rafa the nod to sign former Rangers man Kyrgiakos.

But again our manager - who has been linked with Michael Turner, Fernando Amorebieta and Ryan Shawcross - is asking for a table and getting a lamp.

While the Spaniard kept schtum about money at the press conference previewing tonight's game with Stoke, don't expect that to continue if the Texans keep the coffers shut until the transfer window shuts.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really wish Hicks and Gillette would just die

Anonymous said...

Good post and so true. For businessmen their acumen and decisions continue to baffle beyond belief. Let's hope for a miracle takeover sooner than later.

Anonymous said...

Well it just seems to be the same old same old and looks like another wasted season. What a disgrace for this once world great club. I"m a bleeding Aussie and i hate watching form a far what is happening to my club.

Anonymous said...

we need to boycott the club, maybe even the matches, see how they like owning liverpool if everyone stops buying merchandise..!!!

Anonymous said...

Damn Yankees they can't even run their own country, so what do you ppl expect them to do! Run a football club.

Anonymous said...

There is no need to pay for a full back when there is one available in Lucas Neil. He has experience in the prem, and correct me if i am wrong. Isn't he a free tranfer player now?

Anonymous said...

I agree with boycotting games....why dont the fans in Liverpool do something about this? No ticket and merchandise sales...more debt for the yanks...force them out!

Anonymous said...

i think number 19 is out of our reach with these 2 clowns at the helm.Cant believe nobody interfene in this situation[the goverment or the fa or even the uefa fifa] they are ruin our club.All they think of is the money they dont care about lfc.Something have to be don and very qiuck they are not like the others americans in other clubs these 2 are greedy bustards.What a shame to all uk people to let a club with a story like this beeing ruin by 2 foreign clowns.PROUD MALTESE LIVERPOOL SUPPORTER

Anonymous said...

Lucas Neil would be good because he can fit in at right back and centre-back. The problem is he rejected Rafa a couple of years ago and if you do that as Michael Owen will attest to, there is no coming back!

Anonymous said...

Hard as it might be, we need to boycot the team on the terraces and buying merchandise. Anyway, this will not affect the team for the current year as Rafa already has what will be given to him. The players can take care of themselves on the pitch but it would really hurt the yanks. Let's not forget that LFC franchise is ours (the supporters) not theirs, so let's show them that 'Enough is Enough'.

roy beno said...

JOIN THE UNION [spirit of shankly] and add your voice and get involved...we can squeeze the two cowboys out slowly but it needs the masses....
http://www.spiritofshankly.com/join.html

its the only chance instead of bickering amongst ourselves about it

robbohuyton said...

Ian L (via email):

The Yanks get a lot of unfair stick, IMO.

Yes, the club is in debt - but so are you and me if you have a mortgage. It's not the level of debt but how you service it.

And I'm not too sure about this moving the goalposts. As fans, we need to question where these stories come from.

Rafa has proved time and time again he is very adept at using the press for his own means. Anyone remember the "I didn't buy Robbie Keane" nonsense?

Now you tell me which top 4 manager wouldn't know if his club had just bought a £20m forward? Yet the Rafa apologistas lapped it up, "oooh, Keane was forced on him, he never really wanted him in the first place."

It was clear that the whole Keane saga was a front for the power struggle between Rafa and Parry.

Come on. If stories start appearing in the press that Rafa suddenly has less money to spend - ask yourself where have they come from?

Which 'camp' has most to benefit from it?

And no-one has suggested that maybe Rafa knew he had a smaller pot to begin with - and decided to blow it all on a journeyman rightback and an Italian version of Matt Le Tissier....

This may sound like a massive anti-Rafa rant - and it's not. All I'm saying is we all need to open our eyes.

robbohuyton said...

Roy - I'm a member of Spirit of Shankly mate, and I like you i'd urge anyone going the match tonight to join in the protest against these clowns.

Ian - If you don't believe the goalposts have been moved, you believe that Rafa knew he had £37 million to spend this summer and decided to spend it all on two players - I don't believe that for a second, Rafa would be shooting himself in the foot.

Love him or hate him, he obviously wants to win the league - and you're suggesting he'd be happy to kick off the season a centre back down and with no number 7?

Nah.

And if the stories are not true, why the silence from G&H? They could surely leak some information of their own?

As for unfair stick - like what?

No stadium, no 'any player Rafa wants...'

And yes it is about servicing the debt in these circumstances - and the Glazers seem to be doing just fine in terms of allowing their manager to spend.

robbohuyton said...

Ian L (via email)

I'm not saying the goalposts have or haven't been moved, I'm saying where has this information come from, who stands to gain by it being in the public domain, and why release it now?

The way it's being portrayed is that Rafa only has £1.5m to spend - he is painted as the victim while G&H are seen as the villians. It's like a panotmine.

The truth of the matter is that he has had a shedful of money at his disposal over the last couple of seasons and IF the £1.5m figure is correct, he only has himself to blame. He is fantastically average in the transfer market -at best he and the scouts get it right 50/50.

Before you all point to Torres, Reina, Mash - world-class signings, lets look at the last two seasons, where he spent almost £74m. Yes that's right, £74m.


08-09
£20m - Robbie Keane
£8m – Albert Riera
£7m - Andrea Dossena
£1.5m - David N’gog

09-10
£20m – Alberto Aquilani
£17m - Glen Johnson
£2m - that french defender

So you ask, did I think Rafa already knew he only had c£40m to spend? Only he knows that - however that figure, or thereabouts, is what he has had for the last couple of seasons, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.

So the question should be: Why did we think Rafa had a load more dosh this season?

Because the papers said so...

robbohuyton said...

Ian - turning that around the other way then - you are suggesting that coming into this summer Rafa Benitez knew he had around £40m to spend.

And, despite obviously knowing we needed an attacker and a centre half, he went off and spent it all on Johnson and Aquilani - meanwhile hatching a plan to manipulate the press to get more money.

And now he is spent up, he is leaking to the press that the Yanks won't give him any more money - two weeks before the transfer window closes and already one game into the season?

Seems a little far fetched to say the least.

As for the 'shedful of money'. Well it's not though is it?

Yes, £74m in two seasons sounds a lot. But we are trying to out-muscle Manchester United and Chelsea - we have to spend.

And to be honest we have to spend a whole lot more than that.

But Rafa isn't being allowed to compete at the top end of the market so, in effect, has to gamble on mid-priced players that may, or may not, work out.

To put it into context, look at Spurs.

Not even mentioned as a team challenging for the league and yet in the last two seasons they have spent...wait for it: £151.4million - more than double Rafa's outlay.

But Spurs - and Harry Redknapp- are very much the media darlings so that's alright - there's no witch hunt for the wide boy when he leaves players on the bench and no media analysis of his every breath - and he's not even expected to challenge for honours!

So if we are talking about the papers, well i'd argue that many of them have an anti-Benitez agenda - and this rubs off on the fans.

Anyhow, those Spurs figures:

Under Harry Redknapp (from 25/10/08 to present)

£15m Defoe
£12m Keane
£10m Crouch
£12m Palacios
£1m Chimbonda
£10m Naughton & Walker
£8m Bassong
__________
£68million

Under Ramos (29/10/07 - 25-10-08)

Hutton £9m
Gomes £7.8m
Modric £16.6m
Corluka £8.5m
Bentley £15m
Pavlyuchencko £13.8m
Giovani £4.7m
Woodgate £8m

------------
£83.4m

TOTAL: £151.4million

lfctipster said...

This all makes tough reading - while we dominated in the 70s and 80s it was understood that the world-class people running the club were as important as the world-class people on the pitch.
Now look at the clowns behind the scenes - I wouldn't trust them to run Prescot Cables properly (no offence to Cables like).

robbohuyton said...

Ian L (via email)

No, I'm saying over the last few seasons, Rafa has had a c£40m budget to spend. And this one appears to be no different. Who he chooses to go and buy is a matter for him.

How about this for a proposal. He is happy with what's he bought, will use more of the kids next season (Spearing/Nemeth/Darby etc) and it's the press stirring up this £1.5m line.

We're not going to get a number 7 but in truth no other top striker is going to come to Anfield to sit on the bench as Rafa won't break up the formation he prefers at the moment.

As fans, we're all salivating that Villa might come but in reality, he won't leave Spain to play second fiddle to the Torres-Stevie love-in.

Unless Rafa changes the way we play - and I don't think he will.

It's also a complete myth that Rafa isn't allowed to compete at the top end of the market. One that is happily swallowed by lots of Reds, who think that he is being forced to do his job with one hand behind is back, while G&H starve the club of money.

For for the last few seasons, we have outspent Man Utd, apart from one season, where they spent about £50m or so and we spent £40m or so. I think it was the season we bought Torres. I will try and dig out the figures.

He isn't forced to buy anyone he doesn't want. He apparently wanted Simao but 'ended up' with Pennant. He didn't have to buy him. Would we have fared any different if he hadn't bought him.

Most Reds will agree his time at Anfield will have been considered a failure by our standards and by his promise of potential. Yes, he could float in a nice cross now and again but he was too inconsistent.

Yet he cost £7m and left this summer for nowt!

The point I am making here is that Rafa is given money to spend but doesn't do it wisely. On the whole, he prefers to buy quantity over quality (Torres, Mash and Reina excepted) because his philosophy is about having a squad so that he can rest players, ready for the last third of the season.

I agree with him on this point but why pay the wages of Voronin as a fourth striker, why blow £7m on Pennant, when you could use one of the kids? Use them on a wet Tuesday in the Carling Cup, even use them in the FA Cup so the first teamers can have a rest.

And all the Spurs figures prove is that they are as wasteful in the transfer market as Rafa.

robbohuyton said...

The Spurs figures prove that what Rafa has spent is peanuts in Premier League terms - look at Man City now, look at Chelsea when they paid top whack for a string of players.

We have never spent like that under the Yanks and never will. £40m a season is pissing in the wind – especially when he's actually recouped more than that this summer.

Comparing the spending per season to Man U proves nothing either. When Rafa arrived they were already a top team - and remain one - so obviously they don't need to go out and buy loads of players.

The point with the Mancs is when they do go out and buy they pay top whack and top wages - Rooney, Ferdinand, Berbatov etc - we don't.

And just how is it a myth that we don't compete at the top end of the market?

We've missed out on Vidic and Evra, we bid for Silva but didn't offer enough. There's countless examples.

It's not like we were in the hunt for Ribery is it? And yet our title rivals were - says it all.

So to quote Houllier, Benitez is left to search for the 'unpolished diamond' - the cast offs that United, Chelsea, Madrid and now City don't want.

And for that to change, the Yanks have give him some real cash.

robbohuyton said...

Ian L (via email)

You make it sound like we were Accrington Stanley and needed loads of new players. It wasn't that bad under Houllier - Didi, Sami, Henchoz, Carragher, Finnan, Gerrard, Riise (yes Riise) were all more than decent.

Granted, when Rafa arrived he had to do some clearing out (but still managed to win the CL with his Dirty Dozen rag-bag players) but five years after he came, he surely should be there with his players that can mount a sustained, serious title challenge and doesn't need to buy the likes of Voronin, Degen, Dossena.

The fact is that Rafa blew the league last season when we had the best chance in 19 years, thanks to his cautious approach and the draws which killed us.

The point with the Mancs is that when they buy, they tend to buy two big names. Why don't we do that? Instead of buying 6 or 7 players as we have done in the past.

The Yanks have given him real cash and when he gets it right, it gets it very right - Torres and Mash.

But when he gets it wrong, he screws up big time. £7m for Pennant wasn't a lot but with wages, say £50,000 a week, makes £7.8m over three years. So plus his transfer fee, Pennant could have cost the club around £16m and that's before you add bonuses.

That's money that could have been spent elsewhere. Repeat this a couple of times over and Rafa has expensive shopping habits.

Saying that we have missed out on so and so because we didn't bid enough is too simplistic. There are a whole host of reasons that players do or don't go to clubs, from the actual bid, to wages, to whether they will get first team football, the manager, where the club is (ie London) etc

robbohuyton said...

Well like Hicks and Gillet, I'm not buying it.

Liverpool competed directly with Man U for Evra and Vidic - and lost out both times, so it's obviously not a level playing field.

United are getting 35,000 fans more every other week coming through the turnstiles - that's a lot of cash.

So where's our new stadium? Well ask H&G aka 'spade in the ground within 60 days'.

In the meantime, interest payments are burning through the cash Rafa could be spending on top players and top wages.

The reason he bought the players you highlight has been covered - he has to gamble, we are NOT competing for top players.

And Riise? You're having a laugh. Couldn't defend, couldn't attack, no skill, no pace.

Other than that he was alright.

Irate OFW said...

quit blaming the american owners for your sucky,sucky "soccer" club..

if you blokes have half the brain.. you'd want to part with washed-up benitez ASAP..

the guy is a loser.. and so are all of you!

Anonymous said...

^he's right you know.. and stop comparing yourself to Man U.. your not even in same playing field..
pathetic liverpool fans.

sportsbook software providers said...

I think it is time for Liverpool owners to invest some millions in good players that can make the team strong to be able to compete with the other big teams with great famous players, they owe it to all Liverpool fans!

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