Carra the brat
So Jamie Carragher has retired from international football has he? Stop throwing your toys from the pram.
You’re not an international centre-half, so be it. But neither are you in a position to throw a big strop and retire from your country. Playing for England should be the pinnacle of anyone’s career (as long as they’re English, otherwise it makes no sense…). There should be a Roy of the Rovers feeling about it, wherever you play. If Carra isn’t good enough to displace Terry and Rio, then he should knuckle down and keep trying. I understand his frustration at being played out of position, but playing at all should be enough.
For the inept MacLaren, it should make his defensive decisions that bit easier. A fully fit King should now be third choice, with Woodgate filling in as required. And ex-Wolves superstar J-Lo should also warrant a squad place, especially given his aptitude at filling in at left-back, though I’m sure Steve will bottle it and select Dawson instead.
You say you want a Rafalution…
So, Rafa Benitez is taking the plunge on Torres, according to news sources. £25 million for a man completely unproven at the top level of domestic football is a huge gamble by any standards, especially given the recent takeover of Liverpool – and therefore increased scrutiny of the incumbent regime.
Torres has never been a prolific marksman, and has played in an Atletico team more renowned for inconsistency than anything else. That he has the reputation he does is almost bewildering, though his talent is unquestionable. Benitez’s transfer history doesn’t inspire much confidence either. Despite two European Cup finals, including a win, and a feeling that Rafa has delivered on his promise to make the Reds a contender in the title shake-up, his use of the Scousers’ wallet hasn’t been consistently successful. Below is a complete list of players Rafa has signed in his three years at the club…
Liverpool’s transfers in 2006/2007
Player From Fee Date
Fabiano Aurelio Valencia Free 05-07-2006
Jermaine Pennant Birmingham £ 6700000 26-07-2006
Dirk Kuyt Feyenoord £ 9000000 18-08-2006
Nabil El Zhar St Etienne Signed 01-10-2006
Alvaro Arbeloa Deportivo £ 2600000 31-01-2007
Francisco Manuel Duran Malaga Signed 31-01-2007
Javier Mascherano West Ham Signed 31-01-2007
Liverpool’s transfers in 2005/2006
Player From Fee Date
Boudewijn Zenden Middlesbro Free 04-07-2005
Jose Reina Villarreal £ 6000000 04-07-2005
Antonio Barragan Seville Signed 04-07-2005
Mark Gonzalez Albacete £ 4500000 04-07-2005
Mohamed Sissoko Valencia £ 5600000 13-07-2005
Peter Crouch Southampton £ 7000000 20-07-2005
Godwin Antwi Real Zaragoza Signed 01-08-2005
Jack Hobbs Lincoln Signed 18-08-2005
Paul Anderson Hull City Signed 02-01-2006
Jan Kromkamp Villarreal Swap 04-01-2006
David Martin MK Dons Signed 12-01-2006
Daniel Agger Brondby £ 5800000 12-01-2006
Robbie Fowler Man City Free 27-01-2006
Craig Bellamy Blackburn £ 6000000 22-06-2006
Gabriel Paletta Banfield £ 2000000 01-07-2006
Liverpool’s transfers in 2004/2005
Player From Fee Date
Josemi Malaga £ 2000000 27-07-2004
Luis Garcia Barcelona £ 6000000 01-08-2004
Xabi Alonso Sociedad £ 10500000 01-08-2004
Antonio Nunez Real Madrid Swap 17-08-2004
Mauricio Pellegrino Valencia Free 05-01-2005 F
ernando Morientes Real Madrid £ 6300000 13-01-2005
Scott Carson Leeds £ 750000 21-01-2005
I’ll discount Cisse from these lists as he was already bought and paid for by Houllier. However, Benitez has spent well over £80 million in transfer outlay, not including wages, on these players, which includes no less than 6 strikers (5 if we’re not counting Garcia), and 15 players purchased from Spain.
Of those players you would count as unqualified successes, I’d count Xabi Alonso, Daniel Agger, and Mohammed Sissoko. Luis Garcia, Crouch Kuyt, Reina and Pennant might all have been team regulars at one point or another, but you’d still have doubts about them performing to the highest level consistently, while Carson, Mascherano and Arbeloa have all shown glimpses but nothing more (mainly due to a short amount of time with the team, it must be said). You would never see Man United, Arsenal or Chelsea buying, and then playing, players like Nunez, Pellegrino, Josemi, Fowler, Kromkamp, Gonzalez and Zenden.
What does all this prove? Well, ultimately very little. Benitez obviously has tactical nous, and has a history in Spain – hence the number of Spanish-based imports. His conversion rate of players signed into relative successes is good, but converting relative successes into stars has been notably lacking. No one player out of over 30 signed for a combined total of £80m+ is a superstar. Torres could be the player to arraign that trend, but, personally, I still think it will be a bridge too far…
A game of two midfields
Whilst I truly hope it’s not, tonight has the potential to be as big a snorefest as watching a ManU – Chelsea FA Cup Final in a bed factory, after a big lunch while several anaesthetists ply you with drugs. The morning after a night out.
Both defences are pretty solid, with only Maldini’s age and Agger’s fear of the hurly-burly to be seen as potential weaknesses. Equally, both strikeforces can seem slightly toothless. Shorn of Ronaldo through being cup tied,
Milan rely on Gilardino and Inzaghi – neither high on technique, though both can obviously finish.
Liverpool have Kuyt, Bellamy and Crouch. Rarely can there have been a team in the Champions League Final with a worse array of strikers since, well, the last time
Liverpool were there.
So, the game will hinge on the midfields. Kaka and Gerrard are gaining the plaudits pre-game, but the true turning point will be the performances of Pirlo and Alonso. They are the heartbeat of either team, link the play and dictate the tempo. They are the ‘quarterbacks’ and, without their prompting, Gerrard and Kaka will be starved of the service they need to show off their energy and skill.
With both teams looking likely to play 4-5-1, I can sense a 1-0 win.
Just don’t think it’s going to be pretty.
Singing for the unsung
As the hyperbole flies around Liverpool’s famous victory (well, loss, but you know what I mean) against the Catalans last night, it seems everyone and his dog is queueing up to lionise Gerrard, Benitez and Carragher. The centre-half especially has enjoyed an enormous amount of praise, even Gerrard saying he wouldn’t swap him for the world.Fair enough – Carragher was awesome, and has consistently been a true backs-to-the-wall leader, in much the same manner as John Terry is for Chelsea. Last night he was much lauded for, amongst other things, his aerial superiority – a charge that, while factual, isn’t as impressive as it may seem. Carragher faced Ronaldinho as a lone striker for much of last night’s game, Ronnie not being best known for his towering headers, while it was only in the last 15 minutes that Barcelona started to try the airborn route. And, to be fair, any team with a strike force containing 4 players under about five foot three – Deco, Iniesta, Messi and Giuly – isn’t going to be a huge long-ball challenge.Taking nothing away from Carragher, I’d prefer to focus on what I thought was a magnificent personal display by one Steve Finnan. Like most full backs that don’t fill their boots with goals (but actually concentrate on, you know, defending), he rarely gets star billing. An assist or goal-line clearance aside, his actions are never seen as game-changing. Last night, though, Finnan was faced at various times by possibly the best three attacking players on the planet, and none of them got the smallest of small change from him. Eto’o, sulky and withdrawn in an unfamiliar position, was subbed after 60 indifferent minutes. Ronaldinho, the best player in the world (and in his correct position), got nothing either, nor the misfiring Leo Messi.
Even when Gerrard moved to a more central, advanced role and Pennant came on to do his impression of a winger, Finnan stood tall, toeing ball after ball as Barcelona attempted to find any chink in his armoury. The goal, from the right admittedly, was more a case of a crooked back line due to an inexperienced Arbeloa and a winger in the wrong position, than anything our feted fullback could defend against.
Ultimately, Finnan was a hero amongst heroes, in a position never destined for headlines. He’ll still feel better than Barca’s superstars this morning, though.
