KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum The Team That Got Away From Benitez

NIKOLAY MIHAYLOV: The Bulgarian Under-21 keeper signed in 2007 only to discover he was ineligible.


LUCAS NEILL: Benitez failed with a £2.5m bid to Blackburn in 2006.


NEMANJA VIDIC: Vidic chose Man United in January 2006 and Liverpool bought Daniel Agger for £7m instead.


MATTHEW UPSON: Benitez hoped to lure £10m-rated Upson from Upton Park last summer only to discover the kitty was empty.


GABRIEL HEINZE: Liverpool failed in a court attempt to force United to sell them Heinze in 2007.


DANIEL ALVES: Alves was a target while at Seville, but his high valuation meant they had to settle for Jermaine Pennant.


GARETH BARRY: It was the saga of the summer in 2008. Aston Villa's refusal to budge on an £18m asking price scuppered the deal.


AARON RAMSEY: Liverpool wanted the youngster but Arsenal pounced for the £7m Cardiff star.


SIMAO SABROSA: Benfica called off the £9m deal in 2005 when their fans threatened a riot.


THEO WALCOTT: Benitez tried to sign Walcott with Peter Crouch in 2005. Southampton demanded a £12m package and Walcott headed to The Emirates.


EMILE HESKEY: Now at Villa, there's no chance he'll return to Anfield during this transfer window.


SUBS: Florent Malouda, Kakha Kaladze, Nolberto Solano, Stelios, Michael Owen and David Silva.

Not a bad team at all...Not sure about subs though.

useless, greedy b'stard, not top notch (see record vs torres), useless, over the hill, diving b'stard, useless and gettin on, good prospect, decent pro, useless, useless, good player, useless, useless, useless, money-grabbing-useless-judas-b'stard, money grabber light wieght for PL. NUFF SAID! Thank god the board didn't back him, imagine trying to get those wages of the books now!!

Houllier decided that the club wouldn't buy any players who weren't proven...it had nothing to do with money!! Even though Houllier in the end did buy these types of players....

I'm not sure you can compare by using the costs of players not bought in the same transfer window; the manager's transfer kitty doesn't strike me as a rolling one, particularly in the case of owners such as ours who have the best interests of the club closest to heart. You buy what you can when you have the money, because you don't know you'll still have the money tomorrow. I'm not defending his buys, but who else could he have bought at that time with what little influence he had over negotiation?

And, pardon me, but most of those players in the OP's list are not good enough, so maybe Benitez was right to not sign those he could have (eg Vidic chose not to come here, so maybe that's not entirely Benitez's fault). Of those I'd be happy with Walcott, Malouda, and Silva.

Rafa wanted David Villa before he went to Valencia. He was rated at 12m at that time but I guess we prob didn't have the money then.

Rafa wanted David Villa before he went to Valencia. He was rated at 12m at that time but I guess we prob didn't have the money then.

this is a load of bollx.

I agree, what the hell are we talking about maybe's and what if.

This is from a paper I came across..not me.

In all honesty take a look at any club (apart from say Chelsea with the dosh) and you'll see it's the same situation anywhere. Some you lose, some you win.