Is this a fair statement?

[honourablegeorge]

Houiller and Benitez between them have signed exactly one player with real attacking quality.

 

 

I think it is. Aside from Torres, we haven't had a decent attacking signing in 10 years. We've had competent players, average players, fellas that came in and did a job, but nobody that was actually good, never mind great. Gerrard came through the youth team, as opposed to a purchase.

 

In that time, how many have United had? Or Arsenal? Chelsea, even? I mean, Chelsea, relative newcomers to the title race, have had the likes of Duff and Robben doing well for a couple of seasons, they've had Anelka this season, Drogba for several before that, plus Lampard and so on. You could argue the toss over any of them, but you can at least make a case for more than one of them.

 

Meanwhile, we've grafted and tried to compete with the likes of Baros , Barmby and Riera, while our biggest money attacking signings like Diouf, Babel, Keane and Cisse have failed to make any impact.

 

One decent forward in ten years. It's amazing we're still competing at all.

[badtodabone]

Houiller and Benitez between them have signed exactly one player with real attacking quality.

I think it is. Aside from Torres, we haven't had a decent attacking signing in 10 years. We've had competent players, average players, fellas that came in and did a job, but nobody that was actually good, never mind great. Gerrard came through the youth team, as opposed to a purchase.

 

In that time, how many have United had? Or Arsenal? Chelsea, even? I mean, Chelsea, relative newcomers to the title race, have had the likes of Duff and Robben doing well for a couple of seasons, they've had Anelka this season, Drogba for several before that, plus Lampard and so on. You could argue the toss over any of them, but you can at least make a case for more than one of them.

 

Meanwhile, we've grafted and tried to compete with the likes of Baros , Barmby and Riera, while our biggest money attacking signings like Diouf, Babel, Keane and Cisse have failed to make any impact.

 

One decent forward in ten years. It's amazing we're still competing at all.

 

lets not forget we had owen for part of that time and i think heskey and crouch whilst not setting the prem alight were reasonable

[Keita]

dont forget the edge of your seat signing Harry Kewell.

[Woodsyla]

dont forget the edge of your seat signing Harry Kewell.

He was top quality when he signed, watched the home games against Chelsea and Arsenal that season and he was best player on the park in each game. Some achievement at that time.

[Minder78]

Make it two, Bernard Diomede

[MFletcher]

Rafa's turned Gerrard into a top quality attacking player.

[surf]

lets not forget we had owen for part of that time and i think heskey and crouch whilst not setting the prem alight were reasonable

 

Owen wasn't signed by Houllier, he was already here.

Heskey was good.

Crouch was okay, but i think Benitez could have got more out of him.

[Chili Palmer]

Did Ged have to buy attacking players? he had Owen and Fowler already there and Heskey was great for a while. Litmanen was a superb player as well, pity we bought him 5 years too late.

[Hassony]

its not a fiar statement

 

crouch was a good buy for his price, a lot better than I expected

Reira is a good buy for his price, I will wait until next season, with a full preseason training behind him before judging him

Kuyt is a good player

Luis garcia was a very good signing

 

you can't expect every signing to be like torres!, Rafa only spent really big on torres on Keane, one has been a great success and the other has been a failure

[Mike]

in terms of top class it's probably not far off right though when compared to our competition.

none of the players mentioned there have top attacking quality really.

[Hassony]

I think the players that we missed out on, and were within our range are Ronaldo, Van Persie and maybe Tevez

 

Rooney wasn't really a possibility, Drogba we couldn't afford (as we just broke our record on Cisse!), Anelka is not top class..

 

Maybe in hindsight we should have bought Berbatov or Santa cruz before they came to england, they are not worth the £30m or so that united paid for berbatov or the £25 blackburn want for cruz

 

next summer is vital for us, Rafa really need to get a forward that will both be able to work with torres and Gerrard and is top top class

[Mike]

I think the players that we missed out on, and were within our range are Ronaldo, Van Persie and maybe Tevez

 

Rooney wasn't really a possibility, Drogba we couldn't afford (as we just broke our record on Cisse!), Anelka is not top class..

 

Maybe in hindsight we should have bought Berbatov or Santa cruz before they came to england, they are not worth the £30m or so that united paid for berbatov or the £25 blackburn want for cruz

 

next summer is vital for us, Rafa really need to get a forward that will both be able to work with torres and Gerrard and is top top class

 

it could also refer to the likes of robben as well though, ljunberg (was top quality for a few seasons), pires - we seem to have wanted two top quality wide player (s) since macmanaman left.

riera looked like he had real potential at the start of the season but he has faded very worringly.

[Hassony]

it could also refer to the likes of robben as well though, ljunberg (was top quality for a few seasons), pires - we seem to have wanted two top quality wide player (s) since macmanaman left.

riera looked like he had real potential at the start of the season but he has faded very worringly.

 

I think reira will hopefully be better next season, remember that he didn't play preseason and for the end part of last season because of a dispute with espanyol

 

Robben would have been great, that was before Rafa's time though

[Swipe]

in terms of top class it's probably not far off right though when compared to our competition.

none of the players mentioned there have top attacking quality really.

 

Agree with that, unfortunately.

 

Hard to disagree that Torres aside, Rafa really hasn't had a great deal of success in terms of his attacking signings.

 

So annoying cos we've had a "solid base to build upon" for about 7 or 8 years

[Mike]

I think reira will hopefully be better next season, remember that he didn't play preseason and for the end part of last season because of a dispute with espanyol

 

Robben would have been great, that was before Rafa's time though

 

ay, it says between houllier and rafa

[honourablegeorge]

its not a fiar statement

 

crouch was a good buy for his price, a lot better than I expected

Reira is a good buy for his price, I will wait until next season, with a full preseason training behind him before judging him

Kuyt is a good player

Luis garcia was a very good signing

 

you can't expect every signing to be like torres!, Rafa only spent really big on torres on Keane, one has been a great success and the other has been a failure

 

 

Not the point I'm making - regardless of the price, Torres is the only top quality attacker we've bought in 10 years. Kuyt's hard working, I liek him - but a top quality attacker he is not. Riera's done ok, but far from top quality. Luis was great, but inconsistent and frustrating. Crouch did a job, but again. he's simply not top quality.

 

I realise not every signing can be Torres - but the fact remains, the best teams have the best players, and in terms of attacking players (not just strikers, wingers and attackers of all types), we simply haven't been at the races for ten years or more.

[honourablegeorge]

Did Ged have to buy attacking players? he had Owen and Fowler already there and Heskey was great for a while. Litmanen was a superb player as well, pity we bought him 5 years too late.

 

 

He had strikers, I guess - but Kewell was as close as we came to quality outside of the front two. Depressing thought.

[honourablegeorge]

...we've had a "solid base to build upon" for about 7 or 8 years

 

That's exactly it - we've grafted and battled for 10 years, getting by on organisation and defensive strength, but the tools to make the step up simply haven't been there.

[Mike]

i remember writing a post some time ago about how lucky we are to have gerrard and before him owen come through the ranks - specifically about gerrard tho. without him, you have to wonder where we would be as a team. to have a player or even players who can contribute the net effect he does would have required the kind of money we just don't have.

[Molby]

Litmanen and Anelka could have been, were, in fact, but it just didn't work out in the end

[uncle bob]

i remember writing a post some time ago about how lucky we are to have gerrard and before him owen come through the ranks - specifically about gerrard tho. without him, you have to wonder where we would be as a team. to have a player or even players who can contribute the net effect he does would have required the kind of money we just don't have.

 

This is very true all the recent managers had quality local lads coming through the system McMamanan. Fowler Owen but with Carragher 31 and Gerard 28 where is the next local top class player. I remember Shanks dream was 11 local lads in team, yes I know it was noy achieved but what a great dream, but soon there won't be any

[Woodsyla]

This is very true all the recent managers had quality local lads coming through the system McMamanan. Fowler Owen but with Carragher 31 and Gerard 28 where is the next local top class player. I remember Shanks dream was 11 local lads in team, yes I know it was noy achieved but what a great dream, but soon there won't be any

Very true, the same in Manchester as well, Scholes and Neville and Giggs will all retire in the next couple of years and they have Portugese and Brazilian replacements. Did Arsenal ever have any local lads, Chelsea, ironically have more local lads than anyone else but only Terry came through the ranks.

[Mike]

Litmanen and Anelka could have been, were, in fact, but it just didn't work out in the end

 

why didn't we keep anelka. f***ing daft wasn't it...not saying he's top quality or anything, but we sold him because of bloody diouf.

[Swipe]

Litmanen and Anelka could have been, were, in fact, but it just didn't work out in the end

 

True about Anelka.

 

He is a s***house, but he's a talented guy.

[Mike]

Very true, the same in Manchester as well, Scholes and Neville and Giggs will all retire in the next couple of years and they have Portugese and Brazilian replacements. Did Arsenal ever have any local lads, Chelsea, ironically have more local lads than anyone else but only Terry came through the ranks.

 

utd are starting to introduce players now though arent they