Johnson fee is fine - Benitez

[KingDing]

Liverpool's new £17m full-back Glen Johnson will make his Liverpool debut in Switzerland on Wednesday with boss Rafael Benitez insisting he is worth the money.

Johnson will play in Liverpool's first pre-season friendly against St Gallen.

Benitez admits, like Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, that the transfer market has gone mad this summer.

The Spaniard said: "Yes, the money people are asking is crazy. I hear, for example, that people at Seville are asking for 41m euros for Daniel Alves. That is a lot.

"The market is crazy, but you must pay good money for good players.

"The money for Johnson is OK. He is English, an international with quality and he is worth the money.

"He is a very good attacking player. If you try to buy a winger it can be £50m to £60m at current prices, but Johnson as an offensive full-back can give us more options.

"He can be good for us, especially when we are at home and teams are defending against us. Going forward he will give us something different, something special. He is a good addition for us."

Benitez has 24 players at the club's Swiss training camp, and says: "We will try to use all the players. Our idea is to use one team in the first half and change it at half-time.

"We have the video of their recent game against Basel and they were well organised - the manager knows what to do. The main thing for us is to get the match fitness, the result is not too important even though we want to win every single game - but it will be interesting.

"The important thing is to see how the team is on the pitch and see the understanding between the players."

Apart from Johnson, Benitez will want to run the rule over a batch of youngsters with the squad. Martin Kelly, Mikel San Jose, Daniel Pacheco, Peter Gulacsi, Daniel Ayala and Krisztian Nemeth will all have a chance to impress.

Liverpool will be joined by Javier Mascherano on Thursday after he became a father for the second time at the weekend, which has delayed his arrival in Switzerland.

Transfer speculation still revolves around the Argentina captain, as well as Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is due to join up with the squad on Sunday after the friendly with Rapid Vienna in the Austrian capital.

Despite Real Madrid's continued interest, Alonso is due to travel to the Far East with Liverpool for next week's two friendlies against Thailand and Singapore.

Benitez has also made it clear that Mascherano - despite interest from Barcelona -- will be expected to honour his contract, which still has over two years to run.

Benitez said recently: It is clear that they both (Alonso and Mascherano) are under contract with long-term agreements."

Alonso has asked Benitez to allow him to join Real Madrid, but the Liverpool manager will not sell below £30m.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

If you try to buy a winger it can be £50m to £60m

A reference to Ribery perhaps?

 

[Modo]

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=34709.msg905673#msg905673 date=1247581926]

If you try to buy a winger it can be £50m to £60m

A reference to Ribery perhaps?
[/quote]
Clutching straws...

 

[LeTallecWiz]

[quote author=Modokay link=topic=34709.msg905674#msg905674 date=1247582403]
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=34709.msg905673#msg905673 date=1247581926]

If you try to buy a winger it can be £50m to £60m

A reference to Ribery perhaps?
[/quote]
Clutching straws...
[/quote]

Or if you read Rafa's quote, you'll see IF YOU TRY ... As in, there was an effort but it failed.

 

[reuque]

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=34709.msg905673#msg905673 date=1247581926]

If you try to buy a winger it can be £50m to £60m

A reference to Ribery perhaps?
[/quote]

Or Aguero?

 

[the count]

[quote author=reuque link=topic=34709.msg905678#msg905678 date=1247582825]
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=34709.msg905673#msg905673 date=1247581926]

If you try to buy a winger it can be £50m to £60m

A reference to Ribery perhaps?
[/quote]

Or Aguero?
[/quote]

Or Downing?

 

[Squiggles]

The Johnson is "fine" providing someone else comes in (not at the expense of Xabi)

Otherwise I fear we may see it as a massive allocation of resources.

 

[irishred]

Doc, get out of Wizzy's account before he finds out.

 

[doctor_mac]

I don't need to get into his account.....I'm in his mind.

*evil genius laugh*

 

[Stanners]

You have to laugh at this cock monkey, and the fawning that the red tops do:

Carlos Tevez joined Manchester City last night in a staggering £64million deal as Sir Alex Ferguson claimed the transfer market had lost touch with reality....Tevez's former boss Fergie blasted City and Real Madrid for distorting the transfer market by paying crazy prices for players this summer....United were unable to sign Tevez on a permanent basis because they were not willing to meet his £25m valuation which was set by the striker's advisers.

And Fergie said United were priced out of a move for Lyon's Karim Benzema because they were not prepared to match Real Madrid's £38m fee for the striker.

With mega-rich City and Real seemingly willing to spend whatever it takes to sign the players they want, Fergie said player valuations had spiralled out of control.

"I said that a year ago, with the takeover of Manchester City," said Fergie. "I don't think any of the transfers are realistic.

"Some of the values across the world now are amazing, the ones that get tossed about. The values of players have shot sky-high.

"For some reason it's caught fire this summer and it's unusual and very difficult to get value because of that.

"I can only placate our fans in one way. And that's by not being stupid.

"We have a wonderful sum of money from Real Madrid but we're not going to throw it away and spend it in situations when an extra zero is being placed on the end of transfer fees.

"As far as we were concerned Benzema was beyond our value. People have got to try and put a value on players which they think is fair.

"Lyon have done well to get what they did for him. But what does that tell people about Manchester United? It tells you we're sensible."

Fuck off you hypocritical wanker.

£29m Ferdinand in 2002
£28m Veron in 2001
£7m Cole in 1995

All records for British football. Not even mentioning the £27m for Rooney, £30.7m for Berbatov, £19m for Van Horseface, £17m for Anderson etc etc etc.

They have distorted the price for players for more than a decade, and almost all of those players have cost more than our record signing ever - fuck right off you hypocritical rudolf prick. Ahhh booo hooo, no-one is selling for the price you want to pay and other teams have more money than you...cry me a river you cunt.

 

[Judge Jules]

O.K, Cap'n B, now tell us what you really think of him!

You forgot "Wanted to weasel out of an already agreed price for Tevez" BTW. 😉

 

[Stanners]

[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=34709.msg905799#msg905799 date=1247599542]
O.K, Cap'n B, now tell us what you really think of him!

You forgot "Wanted to weasel out of an already agreed price for Tevez" BTW. 😉
[/quote]

There was only so many variations of the use of cock, cunt, wanker and prick I could think of, so decided to stop.

....The ginsock fucktard...

 

[mark1975]

It might be hypocritical but I'm glad United never allowed themselves to be dragged into it on this occasion. For the fact that they might just have some quality on their hands, and to show that there are clubs willing to stand up to these over-valuations.

Chelsea have slowed down their spending, and I suspect Madrid and City will ease off at some point too >🙁

 

[Stanners]

[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=34709.msg905801#msg905801 date=1247599829]
Chelsea have slowed down their spending, and I suspect Madrid and City will ease off at some point too >🙁
[/quote]

Not likely Mark, I reckon they'll both spend an extra £50m this summer each.

City have an untapped oil well of wealth, and Madrid have always done this on the back of the 9 European cups and have five of the top six players in the 'transfer fee paid' list. Good job they are both fucking useless clubs with mercenary players...for the time being.

As you said, good job it wasn't Chelski (again) and Manure!

 

[keniget]

so is it just me that noticed the weird comment about alves?

 

[Rosco]

[quote author=keniget link=topic=34709.msg905807#msg905807 date=1247600976]
so is it just me that noticed the weird comment about alves?
[/quote]

No.

Is there an Alves at Sevilla anymore ?

 

[Rafiagra]

I heard United met the £25m fee and offered Tevez the contract he wanted. However, he rejected the move.

 

[keniget]

[quote author=Rosco link=topic=34709.msg905809#msg905809 date=1247601103]
[quote author=keniget link=topic=34709.msg905807#msg905807 date=1247600976]
so is it just me that noticed the weird comment about alves?
[/quote]

No.

Is there an Alves at Sevilla anymore ?
[/quote]

not that i can think of.

 

[Rosco]

It's nice to have a manager who knows what's what in world football.

 

[SaRed]

Maybe Rafa doesn't like his agent so decided to enquire through Sevilla... the 41mil is so that they can buy him back from Barca and still make a profit ;D

 

[barrymac20]

From echo,

But all eyes will be on Glen Johnson as the most expensive defender in Liverpool’s history makes his eagerly awaited first appearance in a red shirt.

The England man has impressed in training even though he has been operating mainly in an unfamiliar left back berth as Benitez has put his £16m man through his paces.

What?? Surely not!!!

 

[doctor_mac]

We are preparing for the departure of Dossena. Johnson may need to cover at LB this season.

Suggests to me that the Dossena money won't be used to buy another LB, which suits me fine.

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=barrymac20 link=topic=34709.msg906136#msg906136 date=1247660481]
From echo,

But all eyes will be on Glen Johnson as the most expensive defender in Liverpool’s history makes his eagerly awaited first appearance in a red shirt.

The England man has impressed in training even though he has been operating mainly in an unfamiliar left back berth as Benitez has put his £16m man through his paces.

What?? Surely not!!!


[/quote]

???

uh-oh...

 

[LadyRed]

[quote author=barrymac20 link=topic=34709.msg906136#msg906136 date=1247660481]
From echo,

But all eyes will be on Glen Johnson as the most expensive defender in Liverpool’s history makes his eagerly awaited first appearance in a red shirt.

The England man has impressed in training even though he has been operating mainly in an unfamiliar left back berth as Benitez has put his £16m man through his paces.

What?? Surely not!!!


[/quote]

Haha...Oh Rafa.

 

[ILD]

Surely Arbeloa there would make a lot more sense.

 

[doctor_mac]

[quote author=ILD link=topic=34709.msg906174#msg906174 date=1247662898]
Surely Arbeloa there would make a lot more sense.
[/quote]

Arbeloa is leaving. We need to test our cover.

 

[ILD]

[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34709.msg906177#msg906177 date=1247663015]
[quote author=ILD link=topic=34709.msg906174#msg906174 date=1247662898]
Surely Arbeloa there would make a lot more sense.
[/quote]

Arbeloa is leaving. We need to test our cover.
[/quote]

The Arbeloa talk has dies down a bit. Presume he will play a part in our pre season.

 

[doctor_mac]

[quote author=ILD link=topic=34709.msg906187#msg906187 date=1247663354]
[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34709.msg906177#msg906177 date=1247663015]
[quote author=ILD link=topic=34709.msg906174#msg906174 date=1247662898]
Surely Arbeloa there would make a lot more sense.
[/quote]

Arbeloa is leaving. We need to test our cover.
[/quote]

The Arbeloa talk has dies down a bit. Presume he will play a part in our pre season.
[/quote]

Perhaps. I'd still bet he's leaving. That means whilst Aurelio is injured, only Insua is available at LB. Ergo, Johnson need to be able to cover that position.

It ain't rocket science peeps.

 

[ILD]

[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34709.msg906193#msg906193 date=1247663514]
[quote author=ILD link=topic=34709.msg906187#msg906187 date=1247663354]
[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34709.msg906177#msg906177 date=1247663015]
[quote author=ILD link=topic=34709.msg906174#msg906174 date=1247662898]
Surely Arbeloa there would make a lot more sense.
[/quote]

Arbeloa is leaving. We need to test our cover.
[/quote]

The Arbeloa talk has dies down a bit. Presume he will play a part in our pre season.
[/quote]

Perhaps. I'd still bet he's leaving. That means whilst Aurelio is injured, only Insua is available at LB. Ergo, Johnson need to be able to cover that position.

It ain't rocket science peeps.
[/quote]

Of course it's not but I'm sure a few will be annoyed that our 17million RB is being tried out at LB.

Cover is fair enough but it better stop there.

 

[Whitey85]

[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34709.msg906193#msg906193 date=1247663514]
[quote author=ILD link=topic=34709.msg906187#msg906187 date=1247663354]
[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34709.msg906177#msg906177 date=1247663015]
[quote author=ILD link=topic=34709.msg906174#msg906174 date=1247662898]
Surely Arbeloa there would make a lot more sense.
[/quote]

Arbeloa is leaving. We need to test our cover.
[/quote]

The Arbeloa talk has dies down a bit. Presume he will play a part in our pre season.
[/quote]

Perhaps. I'd still bet he's leaving. That means whilst Aurelio is injured, only Insua is available at LB. Ergo, Johnson need to be able to cover that position.

It ain't rocket science peeps.
[/quote]

Yeah don't worry we have Degen to cover right back.