KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Well, this can't be good

From the Independent

chris brereton

Rafael Benitez does not expect his Liverpool transfer kitty to be adversely affected if his club does not qualify for the Champions League this season – only because he has precious few funds to play with in the first place.

Benitez was advised at the start of the season that he could do little more than spend the money he generated, hence the purchases of Alberto Aquilani and Glen Johnson only once outgoing deals for Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa had been settled.

The manager has also spent a relatively small amount bringing Maxi Rodriguez and Sotirios Kyrgiakos to Merseyside yet he is anything but the last of the big spenders.

Not finishing fourth is currently unthinkable yet if they do not make it, he expects no reduction in his war chest only because he is determined not to miss what he never had

"They [the owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks] told me before that it didn't make a big difference [if we don't qualify]. Every year that we have qualified for the Champions League it hasn't made a big difference so if we don't qualify this time I don't expect a big difference."

A failure to qualify for the Champions League would be a stark wake-up call to the fact that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Aston Villa are now all genuine contenders. The hegemony of the old Big Four looks to be over – with Liverpool the principal victims – yet Benitez has not given up faith that a strong end of season can restore their position among the elite.

"It could go to the very end," he said. "I don't know which teams will be there. Hopefully it will be Liverpool and maybe another one but now there are four and maybe five teams involved so it is important to remain calm."

He also confirmed that Albert Riera's time at Anfield is almost up after he publicly criticised the Liverpool manager last week. Benitez said Riera could be sent out on loan.

and anyone says this club isnt sinking its nearly submerged it could just be papertalk but time will definatly tell and if we dont bring in top calibre of player in the summer forget top four again because city and spurs will def spend big everton have a gret manager that can pull top players from lower leagues so in truth it might be tough times ahead an thats not me having a moan thats fact

looked in to this a bit more,it might be some rehashed journalism.
Just another pencil pusher trying to stir [oops] at the club.

Well we all know we don't have 2 pennys to rub together Champs league or not!

The only way we'll get out of this is if the owners sell up and we get someone who actually has some money in charge.

Yes, the same way that Torres, Reina, Alonso, Gerrard, Carragher and Mascherano all turned crap under Rafa.

Torres has turned into one of the finest, if not the finest, strikers in the world (was he when he joined Liverpool?). Reina is regarded by most as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe (was he when he joined Liverpool?), Alonso was sold for three times as much after five years under Rafa, Gerrard has been our outstanding player for some 10 years, Carragher turned from an ok wingback to a fantastic central defender and Mascherano didn't make the starting lineup at West Ham before he joined us and now Barcelona want him.

Yeah, Rafa sure makes his players crap.

For me Rafa always talks in riddles and you never quite know what angle he's coming from. With the £20m kit deal now in place maybe the impact of finishing outside the top 4 will not mean a reduction in his budget. BUT I would be very angry, if we do by some miracle finish 4th and they don't give him more to spend. Also, if they do get £100m wiped of the debt that would reduce interest payments by around £6m a season, from the current £16m down to £10m. That again should mean increased profit to invest in the playing squad.

Rafa doesn't make players crap he just makes them play crap with HIS style of play.

The only reason he cant do that now is as rafa warned him after his 1st season. "Opponents will study you and your 2nd season will be harder"

the pace he exploited in his 1st season, he still has that pace, but opponents dont give him that much room.

yea, like albeloa and alonso:)

the point is if rafa had torres fit all season we wouldent be where we are and torres would have thirty goals plus im not sticking up for rafa but torres aint any worse the finger pointing is fustration because he doesnt get the ball enough thats rafas fault why we havent got back up for torres thats rafas fault why we havent got any money for players thats the owners fault you cant buy a porche for a pound.