First things first - anyone who feels incensed, angry or frustrated at OUR manager's transfer record after hearing the 'media pundits' on air and in newspapers, would do well do read this article:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...transfer-history-with-liverpool-football-club
The summary of the article - Rafa has 'sold on' only 20 players that HE HAD BOUGHT. So the sale of garbage players inherited by Rafa should NEVER be included in his transfer 'failings'. In analyzing these 20, Rafa has made a fine Profit, thanks to the huge transfer fee of Alonso.
Profit: 8
Alonso +20, Carson +2.25, Barragan +0.43, Sissoko +2.6, Crouch +4.0, Gonzalez +2.0, Bellamy +1.5, Nunez +0.5
Loss: 7
Pennant -6.0, Garcia -2.0, Morientes -3.3, Palletta -0.8, Josemi (swapped for) Kromkamp -0.25, Idrizaj -0.19, Keane -3.0 (could be even less depending on contract triggers)
Even: 5
(Please Note: The Article is old and doesnt include the transfers of 2009 summer. I hence include Alonso, Arbeloa and Pennant in the 20 above)
So, from an unbiased, factual perspective the true 'HOWLERS' in the transfer market from Rafa have been:
- Morientes: Never got up to pace of the EPL. Possibly was anyways past his peak when Rafa bought him in.
- Keane: A still unconcluded saga regarding who really bought him in. Rafa or the now gone Parry. Was the manager made to work for 6 months with a player he never wanted or did Rafa make a far too expensive mistake which he eagerly settled within 6 months. The jury's still out.
- Alonso: Not because he made a cool 20 M profit, but because he was the engine of the LFC midfield, a player that was mismanaged in the 2008 summer, he followed it with his best season performance. A player that shouldve ended his career at Anfield - had his belief shattered and value demeaned with the constant pursuit of the supremely average Barry.
You could possible argue, on present form, that Rafa was too quick to sell Bellamy. Though i strongly believe that the player was sold-on for work-ethic and personal-incompatibility reasons, rather than footballing skills.
The point im making further is - every manager makes mistakes and every manager hits it big in the transfer market. Benitez is no different. To collect one-sided stats and hold them against him when the club is going through a poor run, is incredibly unfair and dumb.
Manager's have to make choices - they are given budgets and they have the entire squad to think about. No one can deny that Rafa has spent money over the years - but love or hate G&H, only since their arrival has he been given the authority to buy the real 15 Mil+ quality players. (Torres, Keane, Johnson, Aquilani)
Prior to that Rafa has HAD to plug holes in the squad with incredibly cheap cheque sizes - guess what, you get what you pay for - to think players like Gonzalvez, Pennant, Voronin were Rafa's first choices is stupid at best. The best example is Kyrgiakos - you think its fair to add him to Rafa's spending of 'failed players'? The manage HAD to buy defensive cover - he wanted a Shawcross, the owners gave him 1.5 million - he got Kyrgiakos and had to send his best youth player on loan too (Nemeth)
While i am speculating, i am confident Rafa was in a similar situation when he signed players like Leto, Arbeloa, Palletta, Kromkamp, Nunez, Zenden, Gonzalez, Josemi, Pennant, Bellamy, Crouch. The fact that he has sold on such players AND the fact that till date i would NEVER see any of them play in the top 4 teams, vindicates Rafa and my belief that they were stop-gap temporary buys like Kyrgiakos is.
Rafa doenst have the Real Madrid bullion OR Abra's oil billions OR ManUtd's 76k stadium (and a 18 year managerial run) OR even Sparky's newfound shiekhs - yet he is, in my eyes, doing a FAIR job. (Note, Fair, not good, just Fair)
On the outside we can say what we want as fans. Surely the manager knows BETTER, if NOT the BEST. The three sparkling examples are Kuyt, Lucas and Benayoun.
KUYT: Ill be the first to say that i hated every minute Kuyt was on the pitch in 2007. He has vindicated Rafa's belief in 2008 and while he is having an ordinary year so far - i too would always put him on the first 11.
LUCAS: There are few more vocal and aggressive haters of Lucas than me. But last night's performance states that, at 22 years of age, he really is one of the best holding Midfielders IN THE MAKING. That Rafa is having to depend on him due to Alonso's departure might be grating to fans like me, but the manager has ALWAYS trusted this kid, and he delivered yesterday. I am sure he will still have mediocore days, where he does just enought, nothing too wrong, nothing too good - but in Aquilani and Gerrard's absence, he is an ideal squad player. That hes getting first team experience has been a boon for him (and hopefully for LFC in the long-run)
BENAYOUN: Military medium, too skinny, too light on the ball, poor finishing, no-crossing, no heart, West-Ham trash. All adjectives used for this superb player in the past 3 years. I still think he lacks a little belief and needs to take some edge-of-the-box chances by himself and score, rather than try that last clever pass. But he is the ideal Gerrard replacement/sub and can also play on the wings, albeit cutting-in, hence not providing width. Fantastic squad player, even when we have all players fit and an ideal starting 11.
I really hope the three kids - Insua, Ngog and Kelly are future stars for LFC, theyve shown enough substance for me to believe, they truly will. I continue to have high future hopes from Pacheco and Nemeth. Lets hope Aquilani can bolster his fitness and provide long-term quality to our midfield and lets pray we can get another 3 seasons out of Gerrard.
No. 19 will surely come - maybe not this season, my expectations are tempered. But Rafa is surely my man for getting it.
Mr. Rafa Benitez, stubborn as you are, YNWA.
on this i agree 100%
