Is this the worst Liverpool squad

[Barry the bird boggler]

Liverpool are a two man team without Gerrard and Torres they are very ordinary - and also not helped by bizarre management tactics.

To be fair to Benitez, the club selling out to the American partnership has not helped and the loss of Alonso has seriously damaged their chances this season to the point of defeat in Lyon meaning they'll just have the FA Cup to play for.

Overall they have never recovered fronm the idiot decision to appoint Souness after Dalglish left and have only compounded it with a series of managers who have never known what their best side is and spent ages going down one route then just as things finally start looking up they've changed personel for some reason and it's all gone back to square 1

Paisley would be spinning in his grave if he could see the mess made by these numpties.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Not really football has moven on since L'pool were no 1, in those days lots of home grown players proud to play in local teams, much less so today, teams are bought, not brought through.

L'pool need to buy better players.

[Seal]

For me these are the most compelling stats on Benitez tenure:-

Liverpool total net spend 2004-09: £122m loss
Manchester United total net spend 2004-2009: £27m loss
Chelsea total net spend 2004-09: £186m loss
Arsenal Net spend 2004-09: £27m profit

So only Chelsea have spent more than Benitez, but they at least have a couple of league titles to show for it, and were also operating in unique circumstances.

Also makes you realise the folly of when Benitez complains that he does not get given enough money to spend.

Pressure has to be on.

[Hoop Blah]

I've said it for years, Liverpool will never win the league with Benitez in charge.

He's never addressed key issues in the squad and keeps buying average players which never really hold down a place in the side.

The problem for Liverpool is that until they sort out the ownership issues they're going to struggle to attract a better manager and there will always been issues around stopping them moving forward.

[No Fixed Abode]

There is always next season.

[Focher]

Rafa has had 5 years at Liverpool, in which time there is no doubt that this team is his team, 100%. If you take out Gerrard (already there when he arrived), and Torres, he has absolutely F all as a team, bottom half standard.

I find it astounding that somebody can consistantly sign such shit. If he'd kept what he had, just think their forward line could be Torres, Crouch, Keane, and Bellamy. Good enough for a top 4 team. Now he has Torres, Ngog, Voronin, and Babel (good player but won't play him)

In Rafa we trust

[BR2]

I think the main problem with Benitez's transfer dealings is that he has spent far too much in the £5-8 million bracket spreading the money too widely and not going for the one big purchase enough.
Whereas Man Utd spent nearer £30 million on Rooney,Berbatov ,Ferdinand and Veron individually, Benitez has only gone over the £20million mark with Torres and what a star he has proven to be and likewise Mascherano was not far less on price and on ability.
The signing of wingers and full-backs have been disaster areas and (apart from the most recent and most expensive in Glen Johnson)the problems out wide have not been fully solved.

I think Liverpool currently have 5 players that would get in any other side in The Premiership in Reina,Johnson,Mascherano,Gerrard and Torres but 5 top players is a long way from having a squad even if the likes of Insua,Lucas,Aurelio,Skirtel ,Babbel and Kuyt are current internationals who will be at the world cup representing some reasonable sides those behind are nowhere the standard to provide a challenge when the inevitable injuries come along.
Chelsea have cover in every position almost as good as the first-team regular apart from up front and in goal and that is why they will win The Premiership this season and adopting a similar buying strategy City could well be champions within the next 2-3 seasons.

As for Liverpool I wouldn't be surprised if King Kenny were to take charge for the rest of the season if they lose against Lyon on Wednesday but if they were to win that game and go on to the next stage of the Champions League Benitez would probably get a reprieve.
A lot hangs on Wednesday's result and going forward the eventual purchase of the club by people with real money who are prepared to fork out the sort of cash to buy more of the bigger-priced players in world football.
Whether Benitez is there to spend that money is uncertain to say the least.

[Hoop Blah]

Interesting suggestion of King Kenny returning there BR.

Benitez has always had European progression as his saving grace, so it wouldn't surprise me if they progressed and it kept him in a job.

[No Fixed Abode]

if loiiverpool hadn't won the Euro cup in 2005 - he'd be long gawn dudes!

[Wimb]

Johnson
Degen
Dossena
Arbeloa
Kromkamp

I think the problem with these stats for the big clubs is that they include speculative nominal purchases of academy players, but I think the five above are the only ones that have impacted on the first team (although I've probably missed an obvious one knowing me).

silas can obviously name them all though, I await with excitement.

Nunez (was he a right back?) and Josemi

[papereyes]

I read somewhere that Rafa had signed 20 right backs/wing backs since taking over.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=93449&p=2364105&hilit=Benitez+and+Houllier#p2364105

[PlasticRoyale]

RAFA FACTS

Fulham
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Tottenham
Sunderland

[No Fixed Abode]

LOLiveROFLpool!

[Victor Meldrew]

if loiiverpool hadn't won the Euro cup in 2005 - he'd be long gawn dudes!

If your mum and dad had used contraception you wouldn't be here.
"If" really isn't the issue and it will still be many years before any other English clubs even get close to winning as many European cups as the mighty reds.
BTW wasn't it 2005 when Man Utd didn't make the last 16?

[readingbedding]

LIverpool have a poor, poor side this year.

[Wax Jacket]

LIverpool have a poor, poor side this year.

even their moronic fans are starting to realise this

[cmonurz]

Well it's the thread title that sums it up. Their first team is as good as any, but for the millions of players he has bought, Benitez should really have more capable backup.

[Victor Meldrew]

LIverpool have a poor, poor side this year.

Presumably a very good side wins The Premiership,a quite good side comes 2nd,a good side comes 3rd and a fairly good side comes 4th with a plain good side finishing 5th.
A poor side would be relegated and a poor,poor side (like Hull)would finish bottom.
Liverpool are far from being a poor,poor side-such teams don't draw at Lyon or stuff Man Utd-but their squad is probably only good enough for a 3rd,4th or 5th spot position at the end of the season.

Incidentally Man Utd's squad doesn't look that strong when you see them shipping 3 goals at home again-probably strong enough for a 2nd ,3rd or 4th spot finish but seemingly some way short of Chelsea this season.

[Ginger Ninjas]

Well it's the thread title that sums it up. Their first team is as good as any, but for the millions of players he has bought, Benitez should really have more capable backup.

On their day, yes, but the team is still far too reliant on a few players. Clearly the squad has a lot of rubbish in it, but as soon as you move beyond the starting XI there's a problem. If Liverpool had their full strength side playing, who's on the bench to come on and make a difference - Voronin?! (I'm sure someone will say 'Babel' at this point, but one good goal in 2/3 years isn't really proof). United can turn to Owen or one of the wingers not playing, Arsenal have Eduardo and Walcott, and Chelsea have a whole bunch of good players in reserve. Even Spurs would be able to name a better bench than Liverpool.

I think Benitez has nearly reached the end of his time there. A lot work is required to revamp the squad, and he's effectively going to have to admit that many of his players aren't working out. Sometimes that's easier for a new manager to come in and do, although this would depend on what resources are available.

[Victor Meldrew]

RAFA FACTS

Fulham
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Tottenham
Sunderland

The only consolation for Liverpool is that all of those sides are in the top half of the table whereas Man Utd lost to Burnley and Chelsea lost to Wigan.
It is only a small consolation and as for the European Championships Liverpool are probably in the 2nd hardest group whereas Man Utd,Chelsea and Man Utd's have been a stroll.
As I say all of this is very small consolation and nobody in their right mind could think otherwise than most of the current players beyond the front 11 are of no great shakes.
It is also encouraging that so many on here care so much about Liverpool's welfare,presumably acknowledging that they hate to see England's most successful club going through hard times.