Smudge
Hall of Fame Member
Is it me or does the women who is cheering (top left) is missing some front teeth?
Fixed.Welcome to England, Craigos
Is it me or does the women who is cheering (top left) is missing some front teeth?
Fixed.Welcome to England, Craigos
Liverpool were carried to 2nd place by Torres and Gerrard. Torres has spent much of this season injured and Gerrard has been out of form, and they've dropped to a mid-table side. That's not indicative of a good squad, or a good manager, given that he's been in the job 6 years.The same squad bar Alonso and Arbeloa got 2nd last year. Pretending as if the squad is crap is disingenuous. I personally think we lack depth but our first XI (on form, ehem) is on par with any team in the world.
Hay, at least Nani looks like he might be pretty good now. And everyone loved Forlan. He was **** in a loveable kind of way.Very few transfer fees (in fact, most except the ones we play) are paid in one payment, nearly all are paid in several payments over 5 year periods. So yes, you're probably still paying for Carrick (and Anderson, and Nani, and Berbatov, and Veron, and Forlan )
Yeah but we had this argument before and someone posted that detailed study of all of his transfer dealings that showed he's outspent like, everyone. I don't get how people still make these arguments when the hard facts all scream "Benitez has spent ****ing loads" at the world.And he hasn't wasted 200m. If he has spent that much on players where are they then? We haven't lost much through any player's sales and we probably have the 5th/6th most expensive squad in the league. This is the utter tripe that gets perpetuated constantly with people not having a clue how that money was spent or just how much of that was gained through his own player sales. I am against Benitez for many reasons but his dealing with transfer money and players is commendable.
No, and with good reason tbh.
The greatest myth is that those two carry us. We are reliant on those two arguably more than the other top stars are on their top 2 players, but football is a team game. We beat United and Chelsea without them last year. Pepe Reina is arguably the best keeper in the league. Mascherano is arguably the best holding/destructive midfielder in the world. Carra is up there with the best CBs. It's a starstudded team. Last year Torres missed I think almost as many games as he did this year - and worse, he and Gerrard seemed to get injured at times which meant they barely played together...yet we got 2nd. That year, apart from Ronaldo, Kuyt had the most assists/goals of any wideman in the league and Benayoun came into his own in the 2nd half of the season. The problem is not any one person. Anyway, this is a digression, as I said, it was essentially the same squad as last year. You cannot possibly say the players weren't/aren't good enough to challenge for the league as they already proved last year they were.Liverpool were carried to 2nd place by Torres and Gerrard. Torres has spent much of this season injured and Gerrard has been out of form, and they've dropped to a mid-table side. That's not indicative of a good squad, or a good manager, given that he's been in the job 6 years.
Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal have all suffered from injuries to key players this season yet it didn't affect their ability to a) get out of their Champions League group and b) push for the title.
No, that argument was never right or proved right. The fact that United did their spending well before Benitez got in charge (as I remember was a point of contention) was one of the main talking points.Yeah but we had this argument before and someone posted that detailed study of all of his transfer dealings that showed he's outspent like, everyone. I don't get how people still make these arguments when the hard facts all scream "Benitez has spent ****ing loads" at the world.
Carra is up there with the best CBs.
Lame.
Who are you trying to kid?Carra is up there with the best CBs. .
Because he pays more than players are worth... simples.How can he possibly outspend everyone yet have a squad worth less?
The irony.Who are you trying to kid?
Because he pays more than players are worth... simples.
Exactly. That's why the argument that Benitez got a lot of money to spend is tripe - worse to say he wasted it. The players that he bought are in the team right now - just add up that value. I think the biggest loss we made on a player was for Keane. Most of the time we broke even or made a bit of a profit. On Alonso we made a big profit.Because transfer spend isn't just what you paid for the players currently in your squad. Players bought and then discarded or sold still count.
Transfer League
He's spent £250m trying to assemble a squad to win the league.Exactly. That's why the argument that Benitez got a lot of money to spend is tripe - worse to say he wasted it. The players that he bought are in the team right now - just add up that value. I think the biggest loss we made on a player was for Keane. Most of the time we broke even or made a bit of a profit. On Alonso we made a big profit.
He would buy a player, sell that player for one that was a bit better and did this over several positions. We only have 2 players left since he first joined (Gerrard and Carragher) and he has also revamped the youth system. He has spent that money on many players and used many of those players to fund other players. That's why that number is high, prima facie.
I don't see what any of this has to do with United. Benitez has spent a net £110 million since arriving, more than any club in the Premiership bar Citeh and Chelsea, and Liverpool are still poo. That's a fact, you can't get away from it no matter what spin you try to put on it.No, that argument was never right or proved right. The fact that United did their spending well before Benitez got in charge (as I remember was a point of contention) was one of the main talking points.
You don't get it; if I buy Bellamy for 7 million and then sell him for the same amount and buy Riera for 7 million I am recycling the same 7 million. Yet that figure goes to 14 million spent in total...when in reality it was the same initial investment being reinvested. Nothing more.He's spent £250m trying to assemble a squad to win the league.
That you finished 7th shows how good a job he's done.
Christ, even Chelsea, lavish spenders when Mourinho arrived, have only spent £27m more than Liverpool. In that time frame, they've got 3 league titles to show for it - Liverpool on the other hand have have one solitary 2nd place and have twice finished outside the top 4.
The fact Benitez has had to "recycle" so many players shows that his judgement in the first place is extremely flawed. £10m for Kuyt, £20m for Robbie Keane, £10m+ for Babel, £11m for Mark Gonzalez...that's £50m of dross right there.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have spent less than the rest of the top 7, and only fractionally more than Sunderland and West Ham, lost van Persie and Fabregas for significant chunks of the season, and still managed to challenge for the title.
Well yes, to win the reserves league, at least . We've brought in new players and coaches. Namely Rodolfo Borrell from Barca.Revamped the youth system to be slightly less ****, or what?
It's not a fact. We were poo this year and with basically the same squad almost won the title last year. The 110 million he has spent is in the squad. It's not gone. All bar Carra and Gerrard were brought by him. Are you seriously suggesting that he couldn't make up that 110 mill if he were to sell? He could make up half of that off 1 player alone.I don't see what any of this has to do with United. Benitez has spent a net £110 million since arriving, more than any club in the Premiership bar Citeh and Chelsea, and Liverpool are still poo. That's a fact, you can't get away from it no matter what spin you try to put on it.
I do get it, it's just a shaky argument at best.You don't get it; if I buy Bellamy for 7 million and then sell him and buy Riera for 7 million I am recycling the same 7 million. Yet that figure goes to 14 million spend in total...when in reality it was the same initial investment being reinvested. Nothing more.
Gonzalez cost 1.5 million, Kuyt would still fetch 10 million and has been worth his money (look I don't even like him, but there is no doubting his efficacy) Babel is still young and is still improving, Keane was sold for a fee that will potentially be 16 million.
The fact that you think we've only spent 27 million less than Chelsea is the scary thing...if you seriously think that you need to find a new hobby. You're arguing non-sense.
But not the U18s leagueWell yes, to win the reserves league, at least . We've brought in new players and coaches. Namely Rodolfo Borrell from Barca.