At first glance, the conclusion is clear:
Total Players Bought: £228,976,000
Total Players Sold: £145,100,000
Total Net Spend: £83,876,000
Total Players Sold: £145,100,000
Total Net Spend: £83,876,000
So, that’s a total spend of just over £83m in 5 years at the club. An average of £16.6m a year.
The vast majority of his signings have been sold at profit, or if still at the club, are worth a lot more than we paid for them. Exceptions being Babel and Dossena, but we’ll still get decent fees for them when sold as they’re full internationals.
A lot of the signings above have been stepping stones in rebuilding the squad, gradually improving it by replacing players with better ones. Our league positions over the past 5 years and the improvement in our league positions and points totals show the progression.
The vast majority of his signings have been sold at profit, or if still at the club, are worth a lot more than we paid for them. Exceptions being Babel and Dossena, but we’ll still get decent fees for them when sold as they’re full internationals.
A lot of the signings above have been stepping stones in rebuilding the squad, gradually improving it by replacing players with better ones. Our league positions over the past 5 years and the improvement in our league positions and points totals show the progression.
...Every manager makes mistakes in the transfer market. Despite what the press seem to think; Rafael Benitez appears to make less mistakes than most.
We’re expected to win the league and European Cup on a budget and wage bill that is entitled to finish 4th or 5th in the league. We’ve been overachieving under Rafael Benitez, not underachieving.
These conclusions don't seem unreasonable based on the author's terms.
We’re expected to win the league and European Cup on a budget and wage bill that is entitled to finish 4th or 5th in the league. We’ve been overachieving under Rafael Benitez, not underachieving.
These conclusions don't seem unreasonable based on the author's terms.
I, however, have some problems with the methodology (and then the conclusions must be questioned):
- The writer assumes that because a player was sold for more than he was bought, the transfer was successful.
- He also assumes that there hasn't been inflation in the transfer market. Selling a player for more than he was bought can simply be a mark of market inflation rather than skill in the transfer market. Think of Spurs and their seeming ability to sell every player for a profit (except Rebrov and Crouch, when he moves on).
- It ignores the fact that the multitude of transfers suggests that Benitez isn't succeeding with his first target and is forced to try again.
- The writer argues that Liverpool was rebuilding from scratch, whereas I believe that under Houllier their league finishes were VERY similar to what they are under Benitez. I think many impartial observers would struggle with the idea that Liverpool had not been a top 4 club before Benitez took over.
- The writer dismisses the idea that Liverpool can be compared to Man Utd since Man Utd had its title winning team in place.
- The writer also didn't give any comparison about how Arsenal or Man Utd total transfer money (perhaps because they're not -80 million pounds but compare favourably).
- One positive is that perhaps Benitez has realized his mistakes and with the Keane, Johnson, and Aquilani transfers he has begun to spend money in bigger chunks which are more likely to result in the players capable of playing for an elite team. I realize that the Keane transfer is pretty much indefensible, but I think it can be argued that Benitez did it for the right reasons - although his immediate regret with the transfer is too familiar.
As things stand, a quick look at the Liverpool team vs. the Man Utd squad only shows Torres, Gerrard, and Macherano as capable of making the Man Utd first team. Perhaps Kuyt could make the Man Utd bench.
As brilliant as Benitez has been as a tactician, and as brilliant as he was at Valencia, he hasn't yet brought that savy to Liverpool's transfer dealings.
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