Liverpool Can Attract Quality But Not Through Rafa Benitez

Ignoring the increasing speculation about his future, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has insisted that Liverpool can still attract top quality players to Anfield.

The fact is, Liverpool FC remains one of the world’s most famous clubs and will obviously appeal to players around the globe, so there is no doubting that statement.

This writer’s issue is that Rafa Benitez just cannot seem to get a grasp of what a world class player actually is.

Liverpool slipped from second place and challenging for the title just over a year ago to not even being in the running for the fourth spot. It is abundantly clear that had it not been for the enormous cost to sack him, Rafa Benitez would already be working elsewhere.

Yet he apparently wants to stay if Liverpool would give him the money to buy, buy, buy.

Surely the only reasonable solution is to tell him there will be no money to spend and watch as he hot foots it to Italy.

Liverpool’s future in that man's hands would be mediocre indeed.

Before we even start, yes he signed Fernando Torres, possibly the world’s best striker. However, anyone’s Gran could have told you that he was a terrific player and would score goals anywhere he played.

There is credit where it is due when it comes to Pepe Reina, a fantastic goalkeeper who has excelled in the Premier League and been a tremendous servant, up there with Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, for the club.

My issues lie with flops like Alberto Aquilani (£17 million), Albert Riera (£8 million), and Ryan Babel (£11.5 million) as £35 million worth of evidence why the Liverpool hierarchy should not give him the cash.

Aquilani simply was not the player Liverpool needed last season to fill Xabi Alonso’s shoes. Many will claim he was not brought in as a direct replacement for the Spaniard but the other side of that argument is that a player should have been bought to replace the Real Madrid bound midfielder.

The league table does not lie.

Some of the other players on the club's books do him no favours either.

He bought Brazilian Fabio Aurelio, a man he hardly played at Valencia, never mind Liverpool. Why?

When he signed David N’Gog for £1.5 million, Rafa claimed his scouts had done a great job unearthing such talent at such a low price.

Well Mr Benitez, maybe now you would admit that they are not doing such a great job after all.

Or maybe the scouts were right and N’Gog’s five premier league goals were invaluable in getting his side within touching distance of the battle for the fourth spot.

The truth is Liverpool’s spine is equal to Chelsea as the best in the EPL.  All they need now is a coach who can be trusted to play a very expensive game of join the dots.

Players of quality will indeed come running to such a prestigious setting but so will lesser players if they are invited.