It is basically Rafa's team and if you look at the squad, it is threadbare. So little depth. Admittedly he did an ok job in getting decent money back for players sold (thank you Alonso and Real)
Rafa bought so many average players it is hard to keep track. A rough estimate and a quick count put him signing 54 senior players during his time at a cost of approx 230 million pounds. The problem is that he bought so many mid level guys that were not good enough to start. There was no continuity apart from one or two guys. He had a squad full of squad players that were being bought for too much and being paid too much and then moving on.
Now after all that and despite this huge turnover, the squad it weak and lacking in both high end talent and depth.
Just for fun, this if my 'Rafa's 100 million Pound Dream Team.' Total cost = approx 106 million
Code:
[B]Rafa's 100 Million Dream Team[/B]
---------------------------Calalieri (3)---------------------------
-----Johnson (18)-----Palletta(2)-----Josemi(2)-----Dossena(7)-----
---------Pennant(6.7)---------Aquilani(20)---------Riera(8)--------
----------------------------Morientes(8)---------------------------
-------------------Keane(20)---------------Babel(11.5)-------------
World beaters
Anyway, after all that, he still won the Champions League. Something I will always be thankful for (I have a wonderful drunkenly scrawled letter to my then newborn baby from after the game.)
To bring this post full circle. You say that Hodgson will inherit Rafa's squad. Well Rafa inherited Houllier's squad and won the Champions League with only 2 players he had signed in the starting line-up. You could argue that Rafa is leaving the team in a worse state than he started with a lot of faffing inbetween and one wonderful night in Istanbul to remember him by.
It is Rafa's team and it is the same team that, bar last year, regularly got deep into the CL and challenged for the title just over a year ago. So, although it isn't a squad brimming with talent like Chelsea or United's, it's one that didn't cost near as much.
There were many middling players bought, but that's precisely because we didn't have the money, and if we did, we'd only be fixing 1 problem while leaving another bare. Liverpool's first XI is probably as good as any other in the world provided it isn't riddled with injuries. You couldn't say that about the team Benitez inherited. That's why I said in the other thread, if we really wanted to recoup money, we could get a huge amount in just 3 sales. All the money that went towards the team is still there.
You're XI is nonsensical because half the players are still at the club. Cavalieri, Aquilani, Johnson, Babel and Riera are still there. We paid over the odds for Johnson, but the others were worth it and will garner a similar value if resold.
Keane (who as actually Parry's screw up) himself was bought for 20 and sold already for a loss of about 5 million pounds (taking into account add-ons). Dossena was sold for 4.25 million. Josemi (who is not a CB) was bought for 2 million, swapped for Krompkamp who was sold and we bought Arbeloa - who was sold later for a 3.5 mill. In that transfer, especially, you see Benitez's sales: a cheap player swapped for a better one, then swapped again for another one, all for the same price. The reality is, you have to make punts with players who are that cheap - no one has a track record like Wenger's to be successful so often, Rafa's no different. Pennant was bought for 6.7 and his contract was not renewed. Morientes cost 5.5 million (potentially rising to 6.7) and was sold for 3-3.5 million. Palleta was bought for 2 and was sold for 1.2.
The total loss of the above is roughly 17.25 mil over 6 players or roughly 2.9 mill per player. And this is over several years.
What should be mention is that your list is quite arbitrary. For example, had you named Sissoko, San Jose, Arbeloa, Voronin, Nunez and many others whom we actually made money on, then you won't see it all so one-sided. In total, Rafa has spent 75 million net, to revamp the whole squad, where today there are only 2 players who are still there from when he arrived. The value of the squad far exceeds that 75 mill net figure.
And, he bought players for the reserves/youth team, like Insua, Ngog, Jonjo, Ayala, etc.
So you say, the problem was he bought so mid-level guys, when the reality is that he couldn't buy anything but those guys. Of the 57 players, IIRC, over 40+ of them were between 0-6 million pounds. We could probably sell Torres and Mascherano and recoup the net money spent by Rafa right now.
Look, Ikki.
Rafa Had to go. He spent the majority of last year waving his **** around in the press, basically slating the board at any opportunity (Keane wasnt my idea.... I need money for players etc etc). His come and get me pleas to other teams were about as subtle as a porn star at a gang bang. He deliberately and systematically made his position untenable, knowing either someone will offer him a job (which was unlikely as they'd have to pay Liverpool millions) or the club would cave in and sack him (and pay him millions). He could happily angle for the sack, as he is high enough calibre to walk into a club that could meet his demands, and pocket millions in the process.
The problem for the club is no one would pick this guy off them due to the cost, yet they knew if he went free he'd walk into a job. The final straw is the effect his actions had on the team, who shouldn't have finished below 3rd but for internal issues. His actions have cost the club millions, so they had to sacrifice the severance pay before he did anymore damage.
Now put yourself into a top managers shoes.... You have a secure job, pays nice, good relationship with your boss. Do you leave that job for another with higher prestige, but an unstable heirarchy that are looking to jump ship, staff who are discontented with the club, and very little resources to mould the set up into what you want?? The fact Hodgson has is good for you, because little else would've done, even those unemployed can wait a few months for the next opportunity
Hodgsons contract is 2 years, so he either
A) does 2 years during your clubs transition, and tries to bring stability and happiness to the squad
B) watches the club get bought out, and gets sacked by the new owners because his contract wont cost that much to pay off, which'll open the door to the big name you want.
Fact is, whilst you've got the Yanks owning the club, Benitez was the best man for the job, but he wanted a better job and would do anything for it, so you'll have to settle for Roy until everything changes.
The club is about to be sold in the next few months with bids being taken this month. Those in charge will decide the best offer and sell up - the owners can't block the sale. That means whatever relationship you think is strained would not exist once the club was sold and makes the doom-mongering look silly. It looks especially silly, in that if we're so terribly off, why the **** did they spend 8 million pounds to get Roy? If we couldn't spare the money, we already had a manager of even higher repute in Kenny Dalglish. Even SGE would be an upgrade on Hodgson and he threw his hat in a while ago. In fact, there are many, it's stupid to pretend like Hodgson is some white knight. He isn't; in many ways he is an opportunist. No other big club in the world would give him the job anymore.
I thought Rafa had had his time as well, I wasn't upset to see him go if truth be told because his style of play had grated on me through the last few years. But even Roy's wife knows that Rafa is the better coach and if the situation is so dire that we need a top 4 finish, the worst thing they did was fire Rafa
for Roy.
Also, you mention United spending lots of money, well they have never had a net spend close to 39 mil.