BenÃtez: spend big now or risk losing me
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BenÃtez: spend big now or risk losing me
Rafael BenÃtez has issued a stark warning to Liverpool's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, that the club must spend lavishly in the transfer market this summer if they are to mount any kind of concerted Premiership challenge next season, suggesting that failure to do so would have serious implications on his own long-term future at Anfield.
The Spaniard, his temper still simmering following Wednesday's European Cup final defeat by Milan, launched a thinly veiled attack on senior management at the club, principally the chief executive Rick Parry who undertakes transfer negotiations, by voicing long-held concerns that Liverpool "talk and talk but never finish" when it comes to the prospective signings of players. BenÃtez claimed to know of two "top-class targets" he could sign now for around £13m each, while a failure to act swiftly would see Liverpool finishing well adrift in the title race again next term.
"If we don't change things right now and understand how crucial this moment is, we will waste another one or two months on two or three targets and we'll start having to sign third-choice players," said BenÃtez, who signed a new contract last summer, extending to 2010, but whose patience has clearly been wearing thin.
"That would leave us contenders to be in the top four. Nothing else. After three years working really hard, we've not progressed enough. I have confidence in the Americans because they say they will back me, but I want to see things happening right now. I'm tired of talking, talking. We talk and talk but we never finish."
Most worryingly for Liverpool's supporters, BenÃtez drew comparisons with events at his previous club, Valencia, where frustration that he was not given carte blanche to reshape his squad eventually prompted his resignation. "At Valencia we won the league for the first time in 31 years, but the club thought we were winners already and decided they didn't need to sign any more players, and we finished fifth the next season," he said.
"It is the situation I've been watching here in the last few years. They say we are close, but we are not close. We are 21 points behind and we cannot work harder. I cannot work more than 20 hours a day.
"We have improved every year, but Chelsea, Arsenal and United have done the same. The team that won the Premier League this year have just spent £20m after winning the title on one midfielder [Owen Hargreaves]. I want things to be done. We have some targets, top-class players, but if you spend two or three weeks waiting, then talking and talking, you either cannot sign the player or have to pay more money.
"We can sign two top-class targets for €20m each right now. Maybe we didn't have enough money in the past, but now we have new owners who can invest £400m in the club. If we don't do the right things right now, we'll miss the opportunity and next season we'll be talking about third or fourth and 20 points behind again."
Benitez had substantial backing under David Moores' regime, and 11 of the 18-man squad for the Athens final were his signings. Indeed, Hicks and Gillett have commissioned Deloitte & Touche to conduct an independent report on the Spaniard's spending to date. Yet he has consistently argued that the entire Liverpool squad required revamping upon his arrival in the summer of 2004. Since then he has been infuriated to miss out on targets, such as Daniel Alves at Sevilla, Simao Sabrosa of Benfica, Nemanja Vidic at Spartak Moscow and Real Zaragoza's Gabriel Milito. He also felt Liverpool should have secured Theo Walcott, Abou Diaby and Denilson, all of whom joined Arsenal.
That reflects directly upon Parry, whose position could come under closer scrutiny this summer when Foster Gillett, the joint-owner's son, takes up a permanent position. BenÃtez is also perplexed that contract renegotiations with Xabi Alonso and José Reina have moved sluggishly. -
didn't he spend close to 100M already??
how much more??
but at least he made it to the European Cup finals more time than SAF who may have spent more... - Just to pacify any anti-MU. but of course, no-one can beat the double-cup holders..
I am unsure how this "Spend or lose me" was captured, but frankly, I hate threats from managers. -
Sounds familiar...*Think LHL...
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ya.. lose him and spend the money on another manager instead
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is benitez really tt gd? i rather liverpool lose him...when he won the spanish league..i think barcelona n real madrid..not tt strong...abit lucky for him..i wish he go back to valencia now..n trying winning it again...
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hes just tatical.. defensive.. boring
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I have a bad feeling about this....
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How many successful signing has he made thus far?
Luis GarcÃa (£6m)? So-so. Blows hot and cold.
Xabi Alonso (£10.5m)? Yes. This is an excellent signing.
Peter Crouch (£7 million)? Seems to have lost touch. Was a gem at Southampton but seems to lost his touch at Liverpool.
Mohamed Sissoko (€8m)? Lacks chances to impress.
Pepe Reina (£6m)? Not bad, except for occasional howlers.
Daniel Agger (£5.8m)? Seems to be paying dividends now.
Robbie Fowler (Bosman Rule)? Nah. Not a chance.
Daniele Padelli (Loan), Emiliano Insua (Loan) and Jordy Brouwer (Norminal Fee)? All youth players. Never seen them in action except for Insua?
Scott Carson (£1m)? An excellent prospect
Mark González (£4.5m)? Only played for a season and he's rumoured to be leaving for Real Betis.
Gabriel Paletta (₤2m)? An absolutely shaky defender. Lack of experience.
Fábio Aurélio (Bosman Rule)? Unconvincing.
Paul Anderson (Swapped + Potential £1m) and Nabil El Zhar (Unknown). Youth players yet again.
�lvaro Arbeloa (£2.5m)? Haven seen much of him yet.
Jermaine Pennant (£6.7m, potentially rising to £8m)? Blew hot and cold.
Craig Bellamy (£6.5m)? Personally, i dont think he shone this season as much as last season with Rovers. Rumoured to be heading out.
Dirk Kuyt (£9m)? One of Benitez better signings.
Boudewijn Zenden (Bosman Rule)? He sucks. I think Liverpool supporter would agree with me.
Javier Mascherano (??)? Uh-uh. He's already a huge star to begin with. It's just that Hammers is not the club for him.
Now let us look at players arriving next season:
Andriy Voronin (Free transfer)? Liverpool needs a 20-goal a season striker and they think their answer is Voronin.
His scoring stats:
Years Club App (Gls)*
1995–2000 Mainz 7 (1)
2000–2002 Köln 77 (29)
2003–2004 Bayer Leverkusen 19 (4)
2004–2007 Borussia Mönchengladbach 92 (32)
Hmm.. Maybe he can do it?
Sebastián Leto ($3.6m)? Potential.
Lucas Pezzini Leiva (€10 million)? Another prospect that costs a bomb.
In my opinion, Benitez should just admit that he spends too much on youth instead of the first team. Seeing Zenden playing regularly and Gerrard being pushed to play on the right is not a good sign.
I think Rafa should go for a goal-getter, someone strong and pacy in the mould of Eto'o, Drogba, Martins and Yakubu. Crouch's knockdowns plus the pacy powerhouse's shot would prove lethal.
Souce
Cheers.
CK -
RB is not good enough for liverpool.