Football Soccer Football Soccer Football Soccer

[KESSLER]

[120]

Barca is pretty much set

[MOTHER DUCKER]

On the eve of this season, Liverpool manager Rafa Bentiez bemoaned his side�s lack of financial power. However, an analysis of the spending habits of the �Big Four?since his appointment in June 2004 shows that the Spaniard has outspent Sir Alex Ferguson by ?0m. Furthermore, when money raised through player sales is taken into account, Benitez?net spending dwarves Ferguson�s by ?5m and only Chelsea have spent more on player recruitment during the same five-year period.

Benitez wasted no time in splashing the cash on his arrival on Merseyside. In his first season at the club his net spending totalled ?1m, including ?0m on the misfiring strike partnership of Djibril Cisse and Fernando Morientes. At the same time, Ferguson was making an upfront payment ?also of ?0m ?for Wayne Rooney, who has since confirmed that he was, and still is, the brightest prospect in English football.

With Roman Abramovich a year into his Chelsea spending spree at the time of Benitez�s arrival, only the West London club could match the Spaniard�s outlay. Their most expensive signing that summer was the ?4m Didier Drogba but his 102nd goal for the club against Blackburn yesterday suggests much better value for money than the ?.3m Benitez paid for Morientes, who managed just 12 goals throughout his Liverpool career.

While Benitez was spending ?1m on eight players in that first season ?none of whom are still at the club ?Arsene Wenger was splashing out ?m on four players, two of whom ?Manuel Almunia and Emmanuel Eboue ?have become crucial members of the Arsenal side, while a third, Vito Mannone has burst on to the scene this season. In fact, since June 2004, Wenger has earned his club ?7m from his transfer dealings and has spent ?54m less that Benitez.

The extent of the Liverpool manager�s spending comes as a surprise, his method of recruitment offers up a telling explanation; as the figures show he likes to spread his wealth thinly. Since joining the club, he has signed 23 players for less than ?m, while during the same period Ferguson has brought in just seven bargain-basement players, the last of whom was the out-of-contract Michael Owen ?the first player Benitez allowed to leave the Anfield.

It is worth noting that the world record fee of ?0m Manchester United received from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo this summer undoubtedly massages their 2004-09 net spending figure, although such largesse did not stop Florentino P�rez boosting Liverpool�s coffers by ?0m in return for the services of Xabi Alonso.

While in the six months before Bentiez�s appointment, Ferguson spent ?6.7m on Louis Saha, Alan Smith and Gabriel Heinze, he was at least dipping into a ?0m war chest funded by the sales of David Beckham to Real Madrid for ?5m and Juan Sebastian Veron to Chelsea for ?5m. Even taking Ferguson�s pre-Benitez spending into account, the Liverpool boss still comfortably outspends the Scot.

In conclusion, he could only have been referring to Chelsea when he said on the eve of this season that: �It is always difficult to compete in the Premier League with clubs who have more money.?And even then, Benitez�s net spending over the last five transfer windows eclipses even that of Abramovich. Perhaps now it is time he turned to some more imaginative excuses.

From 2004-09/10:

Rafa: 122 Million Loss
Fergie: 27 Million Loss
Chelsea: 186 Mill Loss
Wenger: 27 Mill gain!!!!!!

Rafa is living on borrowed time he talks about buys and money yet his buys have been garbage the guy has the worse with his buys. Maybe he should take a look at the likes Hodgson and Wenger who have little to spend but constantly in Wengers case find little gems. But Rafa actually has spent ****loads of money unlike Wenger!! im surprised he has not been sacked, Wenger has had his hands tied while Benetiz has not.


Liverpool:

2008-09 Net spend: ?.45m loss
Players in + fee: Philipp Degen free, Andrea Dossena ?m, Diego Cavalieri ?.5m, David Ngog ?.5m, Robbie Keane ?0.3m, Vitor Flora Free, Albert Riera ?m.
Players out + fee: Anthony Le Tallec ?.1m, Harry Kewell Free, Peter Crouch ?m, Danny Guthrie ?.5m, Scott Carson ?.25m, John Arne Riise ?m, Steve Finnan ?m, Robbie Keane ?2m.

The **** is Dossena and Cavalieri? never heard of them, Riera has been bad also and Keane got sold back within 6 months for 6million loss rofl. The Robbie Keane thing has to be the most mind boggling transfer i have ever seen.. buy someone.. who you have obviously watched for a while.. then send him back a few months later buy lose 6 mill in the process.

[dj Ramos]

ah man i was hoping luis fabiano could score another to tie with barca

[Run]

Hes not even the best defender at his own club, let alone the country or even the world

and for the record, you shouldnt believe anything thats printed in the daily mail. They make up their own rumours every day

Daily Mail? What the ****?

They put your newspaper inside your mailbox or what?

I watch Football.



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[Texanballer]

Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world imo.

[dj Ramos]

Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world imo.

and the hottest player in the world

[Dynamite Kid]

Spurs are only 2nd to Man city over the past 3 years with spending, and 3rd after city/chelsea over the past 5.

As for your comment about rafa, hes 6th on the list of spending. 6th, only arsenal have spent less in the top7 teams. His record is about ?4m per season. What do you think about that.

But whats the difference between 6 & 7? probably a considerable margin.

Rafa spent 26/27 mil on Torres, 19 mil on Keane, how much on Aquilani, an injured player? 10 mil on Babel, 17 mil on Glen Johnson, Mascerano 18 mil, 10 mil on Kujt if i recall.



229 million Rafa has spent, and Liverpool are currently in debt to the tune of 200mil+, so try and tell us the board have not given him more than enough to spend in terms of how much money could! be made available for transfer funds? he has had more than enough money, Rafa's transfer activity is the reason Pool are where they are, he has wasted money on players who are not good enough for Pool, his spending has also put them in debt and he has the audacity to ask for more! money?

[Stalaggh]

Oh ****, I thought it was a shopped pic really, but now that I see the original, so thats the secret Guardiola teaches these Barca players.....


this is the one I saw

[HitmanHattonAY]

so, leeds united are back in the championship, i think they will do ok but i thnk it will take them a few seasons to get back in premiership