Just wondering what everyone thinks of Rafa and his no hurry approach on new signings for next season. Its obvious that we will be signing spanish players is this a good or bad thing?
I think Rafa wants to sign players as soon as possible. This "no hurry approch" is not down to him. Its got to do with money, negotiations, etc. I'll be very surprised and pissed off if we haven't at least 1 major signing by the end of the week. And yeah it looks like we'll be signing someone from the spanish league, and TBH i dont care where they come from as long their good enough for liverpool
Yeah its frustrating as hell alright, after so many years of missing our first targets it just looks like we are going down the same route. The only bright side is the fact that he is obviously only looking at the Spanish league and its just finished. Whats your opinion on him getting rid of Crouchy for Torres??
I personally wouldn't like the idea at all. Crouch brings something different to the side. He's not going to start most games but i think against certain teams he can do a fantastic job. You need a player like him in the squad.
I wouldn't get rid of crouchy!! i'd be devastated if crouchy goes Was one of our best players last season, and was on the bench alot. Torres is great player, but if Rafa's going to continue his rotation system both would be great assets for the club.
Clubs that we are trying to buy players seem to driving a hard bargain. The news of Crouch been mentioned as apart of the Torres deal shows this. If anything Cisse should be the one mentioned in any deal. Then theres Mancini, Roma are tying him down to a new contract so looks less likely that we will get him and the same with Benayoun. Look at last summer we needed David Moores to actually take money out of his own pocket to get Kuyt after been priced of a deal for Alves and Simao.
no need to worry I reckon there are a number of deals being done in the backround at the moment... No point diving in showing everyone we have loads of cash. There may even be deals done but not announced. If we do sign Torres I will be delighted, he is a real talent. Hopefully Cisse will go the other way as I would like to keep Crouch as he gives us possibilities Torres and Kuyt up front with Crouch and Voronin as cover looks good to me!
He's big he's red, his feet stick out the bed... Agree with the general opinion here- Crouch is a great asset and at times unplayable. He needs to stay as there is no doubt Rafa will keep his rotation philosophy IMO.
No hurry = fighting for united's left-overs? Fair enough, we need Crouch, and it would be great to get Torres, but I think we're getting off the point here. there is more than one league in the world, and i am dismayed that we seem to be putting all our eggs into the spanish basket. in the meantime, the scum have raided various european leagues, spending around £60m, while we wait for la liga to end. there is now a real chance that they will nick Torres from under our noses anyway. this is from a club apparently up to their armpits in debt. we are in danger of ending up taking second best when all the other good available options are being bought up. we need to spend big, but also more quickly than we've done so far... obviously, we need a striker, but what about a centre-half cover? what about a real left midfielder? or a left back who can defend properly? are all these going to come from the spanish leagues?
I'd hate to see crouch leave and dont think rafa would let this happen.My gut feeling is rafa is close to signing torres and others and even though its now a month on his latest comment seems to show a calmer more relaxed attitude which is reassuring considering all the ***** being written about him leaving etc.I would love to see a big signing soon and agree that the longer we take we might lose out again only getting second/third options but prefer to be positive and think by the end of the week we'll have at least one big signing on board,fingers crossed!!
Crouch is a valuable player and should not be sold unless we receive some serious money - £15m+. Hopefully the rumour that Cisse can be used in part exchange for Torres will prove true. We could probably get Torres for £20m + Cisse. I wouldn't be overly concerned at the lack of transfer activity. It is still very early in the window. If we haven't our major signings completed by mid July I would be worried. By major signings I am talking about a top striker (£20m+) and a proven quality winger (£12m+). Given Rafa's track record it is likely that our signings will come from La Liga and as it has just finished I would say that negotiations have only just commenced.
Hi I agree with much of this, while I'm not a massive fan of Crouch, he's proven valuable in terms of goals scored etc so give him another season, unless we get a seriously good offer for him me thinks. I'm not too worried as yet, mind you it is a bit frustrating having to be patient and wait for news, but as many of us suspect, Rafa's looking to buy from the Spanish market, so it's early days .... the fact that he knows the market so well & how to deal within it, is probably a massive advantage for us, assuming he's got the dosh which he must do by now. Fingers crossed, by mid July as others have said, we'll have a few top new names having landed ... and lets face it, if we are taking in more players from the Spanish league, then they should (fingers crossed) settle a little quicker given they will be amongst fellow countrymen etc. Here's to the Spanish Scousers
I think Torres is a little overhyped. I'd much prefer if Rafa went for someone like Gudjonsen who's bound to drop out of the picture at Barca with the arrival of Henry. He'll get goals and is hard working, which is what Rafa looks for in a player.
I wouldn't worry about this. In fairness Mancs have signed players from Portugese Leagues (4/5 teams good enough for the Prem) and the Bundesliga (Owen Hargreaves!!). There will be a massive step up to the prem from these sub-standard European Leagues. Obviously La Liga alongside the Prem is the top League in the world. The players would have to become more physical and adapt their game slightly but they are used to playing against good opposition week in week out and so the transition is easier. Their signings I don't think will be worth 30million at least not in the immediate future (which is mainly what we are concerned about as LFC fans we want the title NOW). It's clear that their aren't many quality available, targets in the Prem out wide or up front and its rare a player successfullty transfers from an Italian side to the prem so where else is there to turn to. I also feel Rafa prefers Spanish based players as they're easier to attract 'cos of our Spanish contingent and he believes they will adapt well to his own managerial regime.
I would love to see us sign Gudjonsen, think he is one of the most under-rated strikers in the world. We would also need Torres though but Gudjonsen could be used as a link man.. Also, I know he dived to get Xabi a second yellow but we can get over that ? Reckon we could see Rafa playing his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation next year and Gudjonsen would work well as one of the three with Gerrard and a ludicrously gifter winger (as yet unknown).... Oh the anticipation
isn't torres on holidays and due back july the 9th. I reckon we could be waiting another few weeks at least for a major signing. Or in typical liverpool fashion, the last day. argh. I have complete faith in rafa but its questionable if the board are allowing the money to flow in order for him to get his number 1 targets. Hopefully with the americans none of this is true and its just a case of getting the player for the right price and not going mad with the money like chelsea and utd have done.
I'm sure he could eventually win the fans over if he put it in on the pitch but wouldn't call him an out and out striker/goalscorer/poacher, which is what we need. He's more a link man as you say bmac. I personally think it would be a waste of money unless its at a ridiculous cut-price
I think its like the way he approaches the match, belief in his own ideas and preperations, and a rushing around like crazy approach wont change anything, possibly only make things worse.