Perhaps you should get your facts straight first. Meireles wanted out because we would not give him the verbal pay rise he had been offered by Purslow. Add to that his relative inability to play anywhere other than the position in the hole behind the striker, and you have a tragic mismatch of interests. He had to go, Chelsea was the only buyer, and he did what he had to to make it happen. I take more convincing than a mere handful of excellent games amid a season of no better than average performances to feel Meireles was any *better* than the players we have signed since January. I don't think he was rubbish, but he's a squad player for us, no more. Maybe he didn't like that idea either. As for whether he's strictly better than Adam or Henderson, I'd say the jury is still out on that on. Henderson is younger and far more versatile, an ace in his sleeve in this day and age where midfielders need to do it all. Adam was bought for dead ball delivery and passing range, neither of which Meireles has. Between Adam, SG, and Henderson, two will make the starting line-up every game, and all can play in the hole if required (as can Suarez), so where exactly will Meireles play if two or more of these are fit? It's not like Kenny will continue to bench Carroll in order to give Raul a game or two.
The people saying "why didn't we get 20m" obviously weren't paying attention to the title of this thread. Had some of our signings this summer had the balls to do the same we would have paid much less than we did for them. I also very much doubt Meireles is worth that much anyway.
As for Aquilani, well, his agent made it abundantly clear that he didn't want to play for Liverpool this season, and he left his family in Italy. You tell me why the manager didn't like that.
that kind of drivel might wash with the blind faithers who let's face it would be declaring it as a master stroke if we let Suarez leave on a free
Raul offers something different from the Henderson's and Adam's. Yes henderson might be more versatle and Adam might be better at delivering dead balls - but Raul's a better overall player - and one who performed well last season and was well liked in the dressing room
To sell him to a team we hope to be competing in the league with, and for no more than what we paid for him, is ludicrous in every sense
like aqualani he's been forced out by a manager who seems to thonk that nationality decides a players effectiveness
Regardless for the fees paid, Aquilani and Meireles are IMHO better players than Henderson and Adam, and far better than the limited Jay Spearing and the overhyped Jonjo Shelvey
Football's a squad game and getting rid of arguably the best two squad players in the team (neither AA nor RM made the starting 11) means we're going to suffer once the injuries come in because we've got nobody decent to turn to like Miereles who can do a job from the bench as he demonstrated against Arsenal
