There's differing circumstances Neil. We lost alot of good players in a short space of time and Carragher, Gerrard, Maxi and Kuyt are all on the wain, we needed quality adding to the squad NOW. If you're winning on the pitch and your first team is 'good' then you can add to that. It more difficult adding quality to a squad that's been assembled with a view to it coming good in a few years. Ask Arsenal, they've been suffering on that note for a good 7 or 8 years. Look at the position we are in now, we've bought young, inexperienced, overpriced players and we've failed massively in the league by our standards, now it is going to be doubly difficult to add top players to that. Whereas, with hindsight admittedly, if we'd bought quality last season (and yeah, I know there are no guarantees), we'd have stood a better chance in the league and then perhaps might have been in a position to make the odd tweak and bring in some up and coming players. Instead we have it all to do and if anything we're even further behind in the short-term.
enrique, adam, downing, bellamy bought for the short term and you can argue 2 of the three are a relative success.
suarez, henderson, carroll, coates bought for the long term with one of the 4 a success (one with little game and).