Why are we so bad at signing players?

[Modo]

Rafa bought some amazing players but overall adhered to a rather flawed transfer strategy that ultimately cost him his job. Very frustrating guy.

As for why we are so shit, a big reason for me that I don't think has been highlighted yet is that the club is stuck in this awful situation of trying to keep up the pretense that it's still part of the elite few when in fact it's not.

We can't quite get the top players so when we make statement signings they're riskier or just plain stupid.

And when we buy young players we can't quite afford to let them learn on the job because of the expectations. Even Sterling who is a world class prospect was getting shit early on, which I always thought was mad... not in the least because his performances were never that bad.

There is only one way out and that's inspirational management from top to bottom and we haven't had that in a looooooooong time.

I agree most of his signings were shit. But they were more often than not pretty cheap.
You have to ask yourself why he was "forced" to buy those types of players as well. I feel as if he was trying to cover several positions with a pretty small budget.

 

[Wiberg]

I think we are missing the ball in respect to the original poster, right? There is NO doubt we signed shite players the question is why we can't do better. After all we have seen plenty of players at the 15 mill mark who made an impact.

 

[gkmacca]

Houllier's typical transfer list: 'Someone from France, someone else from France, and if there's any money left over, another player from France'.

Rafa's typical transfer list: 'Someone from Spain, someone else from Spain, and if there's any money left over, another player from Spain'.

At Rodgers is showing no bias in his search for disappointing additions.

 

[Fabio]

Houllier's typical transfer list: 'Someone from France, someone else from France, and if there's any money left over, another player from France'.

Rafa's typical transfer list: 'Someone from Spain, someone else from Spain, and if there's any money left over, another player from Spain'.

At Rodgers is showing no bias in his search for disappointing additions.

To be fair, even Rodgers would be mental enough to sign players from norn Ireland

 

[Wiberg]

George best would do nicely... Well, the 69 edition 🙂

 

[keniget]

I agree most of his signings were shit. But they were more often than not pretty cheap.
You have to ask yourself why he was "forced" to buy those types of players as well. I feel as if he was trying to cover several positions with a pretty small budget.

I used to post a lot about Rafa's transfer strategy because I found it very frustrating. He wasn't forced into anything, he wanted to have posshibilities and as a result spread what money he did have (it wasn't Chelsea money but it was enough) too thinly.

 

[Fabio]

Rafa went for depth over quality.

His big signings were tops, the rest... Meh

 

[Red Bird]

I think we have a most ineffectual scouting network.

 

[Wiberg]

I used to post a lot about Rafa's transfer strategy because I found it very frustrating. He wasn't forced into anything, he wanted to have posshibilities and as a result spread what money he did have (it wasn't Chelsea money but it was enough) too thinly.

I asked for a sofa and they bought me a lampshade... He didn't do much better trying to buy that sofa on his own...

 

[localny]

ye see I am not convinced we've entirely signed badly this summer. I think we did better than usual, but I think it's more a factor of integration, and coaching. Brendan is very personal-touch focused (ooh matron), and I think the other part of this problem is that very few teams can succcessfully sign that amount of players, this quickly and be top of the table. I mean, when City signed every top player they could a few years back, it took a while to get them winning.

When I look at this summer, I see very little "definitely won't make it here" signings. Apart from our keeper, Louvren is the only one that really concerns me - especially after some friends from Lyon were in my ear about how poor he was there.

Anyhow, for me, it's about too many players, and integration issues right now; not about poor signings.

This will subside over time; once the journo's move onto the next story and the negative momentum sltops somewhat.

 

[mark1975]

Rafa went for depth over quality.



His big signings were tops, the rest... Meh

Yeah, Torres, Reina, Mascherano, Alonso & Kuyt vs (for the same price) Keane, Dosenna, Aquilani, Babel & Pennant.

People also praise him for the purchase of Sterling - great. What about the other 50 kids he bought?

 

[localny]

Anyone can sign a good player. The trick is to integrate that new player.

 

[localny]

Yeah, Torres, Reina, Mascherano, Alonso & Kuyt vs (for the same price) Keane, Dosenna, Aquilani, Babel & Pennant.
People also praise him for the purchase of Sterling - great. What about the other 50 kids he bought?

 

[Red Bird]

ye see I am not convinced we've entirely signed badly this summer. I think we did better than usual, but I think it's more a factor of integration, and coaching. Brendan is very personal-touch focused (ooh matron), and I think the other part of this problem is that very few teams can succcessfully sign that amount of players, this quickly and be top of the table. I mean, when City signed every top player they could a few years back, it took a while to get them winning.

When I look at this summer, I see very little "definitely won't make it here" signings. Apart from our keeper, Louvren is the only one that really concerns me - especially after some friends from Lyon were in my ear about how poor he was there.

Anyhow, for me, it's about too many players, and integration issues right now; not about poor signings.

This will subside over time; once the journo's move onto the next story and the negative momentum sltops somewhat.

"Integration" is a poor excuse for poor judgement of value and we have been guilty of that over a long period of time. I think the problem is even more overwhelming this season given how much we have spent and how much others have spent but are ding better or no worse than us. Not only that but we spent money on the wrong areas of the pitch and the folly of it is no more obvious than the lack of lack impotency against Sunderland.

 

[localny]

"Integration" is a poor excuse for poor judgement of value and we have been guilty of that over a long period of time. I think the problem is even more overwhelming this season given how much we have spent and how much others have spent but are ding better or no worse than us. Not only that but we spent money on the wrong areas of the pitch and the folly of it is no more obvious than the lack of lack impotency against Sunderland.

I'm only really speaking about Rodgers here - it's just too many new players to absorb. There was also a lack of strikers available. Having said that it's not 20-20 hindsight to say balotelli was a bad signing. What strikers would / could have made the difference? If you can answer that appropriately then yes, errors were made

The thing is while bony might have been a better punt we just can't be sure. Could be same old issue of a striker during blanks. we've had our fair share of striker problems. I hope it's not 2004-2007 all over again!

 

[Hansern]

The problem is that Rodgers doesnt seem to know what he needs. Markovic, Lallana and Coutinho are at their best in the same role imho. Lallana is a good signing and Markovic could be with time. But why not let Ibe have a go and spend the 20 mill from Markovic on something that could make an instant impact. There were more than enough bargains outvthere this summer to improve the squad without blowing away money. Two glaring gaping holes in the squad at DM and RB arent resolved.

Buying Lambert and Balotelli who go against everything the team stood for last season. Spending 120 mill and make us look more like a mid table team than title challengers. The transfer commitee and Rodgers needs some assitance from someone who know what the fuck they're doing. And not Rafa...

38 mill on two centre backs he doesnt trust. Its bonkers.

 

[Wizardry]

Brendan has got one.

How do you figure that?

 

[Modo]

How do you figure that?

Well my first thought was Sturridge, but sure you could add Coutinho as well.
Maybe even Allen.

http://www.lfchistory.net/Transfers/ByManager/20-1
Rafa Benítez bought 60 players for £231,151,000

I'd say that about a 1/3 of his signings were successful. That's counting the likes of Duran, Hobbs etc, reserves that is. Also that's £230 million spent in 6 years.

Here's a list: http://www.lfchistory.net/Transfers/ByManager/25-1
Brendan Rodgers bought 25 players for £212,380,000

So far maybe 1/8 or 1/7.

Yeah, inflation, higher market prices and all that.

 

[Wiberg]

We are not adding Allen! No way that is worth 15 mill!

His list is shocking really....

 

[mark1975]

How's the right back position not resolved? Manquillo has been better than Moreno. He might only be on loan, but we have first option to buy at a lower fee than he's probably worth, Johnson is on his way and when we get him off the wage bill, we'll either buy or we have Flanagan to come back.

The DM position, I'm not sure you can say it "hasn't been resolved", rather that Rodgers has taken an age to realise that his idea for playing Gerrard there permanently and in every game was shortsighted. He bought Can, Lucas is doing a good steady job at the minute.

If we haven't addressed something then it's in the striker position, if we had someone banging the goals in, things would look alot rosier.

You could argue longterm that we need to say "enough is enough" with Mignolet, but you can't blame Rodgers for giving him time to get it right, he's a great shot stopper, but his confidence is shot to pieces.

He's fucked up, but he's also invested with one eye on the future. In a few years if Markovic and Can are tearing it up, then they're successes. People are being way too premature in writing some of his players off. Lallana's a good player who is being fucked around off and on the bench and in the wrong position, Moreno and Manquillo both look good additions for the longterm, and the jury is well out on Markovic and Can, given they've barely kicked a ball between them for us.

 

[Best Believe It]

ye see I am not convinced we've entirely signed badly this summer. I think we did better than usual, but I think it's more a factor of integration, and coaching. Brendan is very personal-touch focused (ooh matron), and I think the other part of this problem is that very few teams can succcessfully sign that amount of players, this quickly and be top of the table. I mean, when City signed every top player they could a few years back, it took a while to get them winning.

When I look at this summer, I see very little "definitely won't make it here" signings. Apart from our keeper, Louvren is the only one that really concerns me - especially after some friends from Lyon were in my ear about how poor he was there.

Anyhow, for me, it's about too many players, and integration issues right now; not about poor signings.

This will subside over time; once the journo's move onto the next story and the negative momentum sltops somewhat.

It's also typical of the football conversation to try and pick a simple reason as to why we're not doing well this season, and a lot of folks will just land on the 'we signed rubbish' sign. The trouble (as ever) is that the reason we're not doing well is never down to one thing, it's lots of little things.

I don't think you can say whether we spent badly this summer for sure yet - the only mistake I feel was not having an alternative to Sturridge who had similar qualities. The reason some of the players haven't worked out yet (Lovren, Markovic especially) isn't down to footballing ability.

 

[tony]

It's also typical of the football conversation to try and pick a simple reason as to why we're not doing well this season, and a lot of folks will just land on the 'we signed rubbish' sign. The trouble (as ever) is that the reason we're not doing well is never down to one thing, it's lots of little things.

I don't think you can say whether we spent badly this summer for sure yet - the only mistake I feel was not having an alternative to Sturridge who had similar qualities. The reason some of the players haven't worked out yet (Lovren, Markovic especially) isn't down to footballing ability.

This is so true - foe example where has our harrassing and pressing gone, last season the whole team were on it from the first whistle. When we do actually do this ( the second half against Stoke for example ) we look alright. Notwithstanding our striker problem we do have good players but something has gone very awry with tactics if you ask me.

 

[Best Believe It]

This is so true - foe example where has our harrassing and pressing gone, last season the whole team were on it from the first whistle. When we do actually do this ( the second half against Stoke for example ) we look alright. Notwithstanding our striker problem we do have good players but something has gone very awry with tactics if you ask me.

Tactics, players off form (Hendo as an example), Rodgers struggling with the lack of coaching time, loss of Suarez, lots of players to bed in, injury to Sturridge, new signings struggling with pressure. Increased role of Mighty Red.

 

[tony]

"You could argue longterm that we need to say "enough is enough" with Mignolet, but you can't blame Rodgers for giving him time to get it right, he's a great shot stopper, but his confidence is shot to pieces."


Have to take issue with this - he is a hoofer not a footballer, and if I could see it ( and posted about it at the time ) with my very limited knowledge then Rodgers should have known how this would turn out. Maybe he had his dog training hat on when he signed him. Sorry but a poor signing any which ways you look at it

 

[Judge Jules]

There's a factor here which IMO isn't getting enough attention in this discussion, namely the transfer committee. I doubt any of us really knows where the balance of power lies within the club when it comes to decisions on whom to sign. For example, I've always thought and I still maintain that Balotelli wasn't Rodgers' choice. How many other players have we signed about whom the same might be true?

 

[Best Believe It]

There's a factor here which IMO isn't getting enough attention in this discussion, namely the transfer committee. I doubt any of us really knows where the balance of power lies within the club when it comes to decisions on whom to sign. For example, I've always thought and I still maintain that Balotelli wasn't Rodgers' choice. How many other players have we signed about whom the same might be true?

Sakho and Mingolet is the rumour (and that Rodgers wanted Ashley Williams and Michel Vorm). I don't think it was the case that Balotelli wasn't Rodgers choice - I think the choice he was given was Balotelli or no-one.

 

[Judge Jules]

Comes to the same thing, doesn't it? BTW I'm glad we didn't get Williams. He may be a leader but I don't rate his actual ability that highly.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

I would argue the opposite, Rodgers gets away with some poor signings as it's blamed on the "committee". There's a tendency to assume that certain players are "Rodgers players", based on a bias about how you rate him.

He has the biggest say on the committee, and is ultimately the one responsible for it. Having a committee is not going to change, so Rodgers has to make it work. If the committee isn't working, then Rodgers isn't working. If the committee is working, then so is he. The same goes for the squad, the results, the youth team etc.

If Rodgers can't work within the confines the club set out for him, then we would need to find someone who can.

I'm not saying he can't, that's yet to be proven either way, but I'm saying he has to take responsibility for everything, good or bad.

 

[Judge Jules]

He does ultimately, but I don't agree about who has the biggest say. I don't think that's at all clear, which may be part of the problem.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

He does ultimately, but I don't agree about who has the biggest say. I don't think that's at all clear, which may be part of the problem.

The way I remember it was that he could veto any signing. But yeah, we don't know much about it, we don't know if any signing was actually "his" or anyone else's, we just guess. So, I'm not sure how valid or worthwhile it is to make assumptions around it.