Spanish_fan

Correct. If the league was overall stronger those tactics may work and probably teams would attack Liverpool more and that in turn would help Benitez counterattacking style, but alas Liverpool have to have the initiative in the majority of games and the team does not have enough creativity nor is efficient in set pieces to nick 1-0's a la Mourinho and generally is way too conservative in away games.

I also support Liverpool, even if you may think otherwise wanting to get rid of Benitez.

8 transfer windows and some people are still deluding themselves. Have you ever thought why Liverpool are incapable of merely challenging for the title? Does the team play anywhere near the required level to win the Premiership?. I never see Chelsea or Man United defend for their lifes when playing against Aston Villa in the final minutes of the game and with the score tied. It is not only that Benitez doesn't buy enough good players, it is also his ultradefensive mentality that lets him down like the poster of this thread suggests. You are 0-0 in a league where the winner gets around 90 points and you bring in a left back to play as "winger". WTF?!!

Liverpool should get rid of Benitez and the dross he has brought with him. Appoint Sammy Lee. He will not win the league with this team but at least we will enjoy the games far more than with Benitez, and who knows with the right personnel he may win the League. Surely he won't keep robbing the Evertons and West Hams of their targets and will look for better players.

Xabi Alonso Aurelio Crouch

If your source is from Sevilla CF it is probably bulls***.

He got rid of Kily Gonzalez in his second season in charge in the January transfer window. Carew was bought by Cuper.

I've just been told that in Spain is more or less the same. If the European game is on Tuesday then you play on Saturday. If the game is on Wednesday and scheduled on TV for Sunday, then it is played on Sunday.

Don't English teams play on Saturday when there is a European fixture in midweek? I can't remember a game where Liverpool have played on Sunday prior to an European fixture since Benitez is your manager.

Could you expand on that? The only thing were the Spansih FA help Spanish teams is if they have qualified for an European Cup final allowing them to play their League fixture one or two days earlier. The rest of the games they play them when they are suppose to play them. Barcelona will play the league games on Saturday before playing Liverpool, and on Sunday or Saturday after playing Liverpool depending on which channel they are shown. And surely they will play Valencia and Sevilla in those fixtures.

I think Barcelona record in the transfer market these last years has been fantastic. Since Laporta took over 4 years ago these is the money spent by Barcelona on signings: (in million of EUROS) Season 06-07 Thuram - 5 Zambrotta - 14 Gudjohnsen - 12 Season 05-06 Van Bommel - Free Ezquerro - Free Season 04-05 Belletti - 5,33 Sylvinho - 1,75 Albertini - Free Edmilson - 9 Deco - 15 + Quaresma (valued 6) Giuly - 6,75 Eto'o - 24 Larsson - Free Maxi - 5,7 Season 03-04 Rustu - Free Márquez - 5 Mario - 2,45 Van Bronckhorst - 2 Davids - On loan Ronaldinho - 30 Quaresma - 6 Luís García - 4 150 million euros in 4 seasons, just slightly above £100 million.

That goal reminded me of another Barcelona great: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A66Oc9lFtis Two Liverpool players in action, one ex Liverpool player, one that almost became a Liverpool player and some decent goals in here.

Joaquin is not as good as the top wingers in the Premiership. He has the potential but not the mentality. Liverpool need to sign players at least as good as the very best players in Manchester United or Chelsea if they want to compete. There are around some but Benitez for whatever reason prefers to sign 3 average players (that later he has to sell anyway) than a top player.

If Alves was meant for the RW spot he would have improved Pennant output but he wouldn't have been a Ronaldo, Joe Cole, Giggs or Robben, the best wide players in the Premiership. Alves is an attacking right back, not a midfielder. If you want to play an attacking right back there is no better around, but if you want to use him in the wrong position you have not solved the problem of top quality upfront.

If you want to sign 40 players you are probably right, but if instead of signing 3 average players Benitez went for a top class player he could have signed at least 5 or 6 top players with the money he has spent. He has gone for quantity and it has back fired spectacularly.

Not good enough. After a lot of money spent the defense is still awful on the ball except for Agger. And now there are wingers, but what wingers? Middle of the table material. Is Benitez scared of signing match winners? 90% of his signings are just industrial players that follow his instructions closely. Valencia fans were right: he is not the brightest in the transfer market.

Just set pieces against one of the strongest teams in that department. it happens to everyone once in a while, even to the ones who use zonal marking BTW, Hyppia was inelegible .

I haven started any discussion about the subject for ages. It is others who "kindly" remind me about it.

Well, you got me there. Not 100% but in general the best English players are the ones picked. But probalbly they are not picked to make a good balanced team. Yet I didn't see much wrong with the English defense.

I hope so but no idea. Del Nido the Sevilla Chairman is a very tough negotiator, but Rafa seems to be very interested.

He has Marquez next to him. And that guy is an excellent passer of the ball. It is not all black or white as you seem to think. Why Carra is not picked by the English manager? Cause there are defenders as good as him in defensive duties but much better on the ball. The same scenario as with Liverpool vs Chelsea.

Puyol is not what you can call a center back good on the ball... in any league. Yet he is Beckenbauer compared to Hyppia and Carraguer.

Sorry, forgot about him

Not quite, but Liverpool can brag about having the most technically gifted left back in the history of the Premiership. Let's see if he is injury free and can adapt to the physicality of the EPL.