News across the wire today that Rafa has a new signing : Greece defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos.
Both Liverpool FC and his “current” club AEK Athens have no comment, which makes me wonder about this story on a couple of levels.
First, it seems like the ownership is holding up the move as they take away money from Rafa’s transfer purse to pay for loan on the team.
Also, it seems that at 6ft 5in. that Kyrgiakos is a solid presence at center back, but the move (not the player) leaves me with a funny feeling.
Hear me out on this.
As a fan, I find it hard to believe that the only “prospect” we can muster is a Greek international who has never played in England (Scotland is a different game) and has bounced around clubs, never really finding a home.
There has to be more of an effort to get and sign the best, even the best backups.
Say what you want, but our club has a problem with substitutes, as in besides Reira and Yossi, (Babel is debatable) the lineup for subs is weak at best. Yes, we have great young talent, but none that have seen any action on the Premier League level. So when we have injury problems, like we do now, we do not have what it takes to keep up with other teams that have great players waiting in those nice bucket seats.
I see other teams such as Chelsea, Barca, Man City, Real Madrid all making runs at top players they want in order to win games and trophies.
But I see Liverpool just trying to hold on and weather “the invisible storm.”
I see Rafa wanting to pursue the likes of a Ribery, or a David Silva/Villa and then it all becomes talk because at the end of the day there is no money.
The American owners got their teeth kicked in the lil recession we are having over here in the states, trying to use transfer money from the summer to pay down the refinancing on their loan to buy the club.
This is not good.
I respect the owners for trying everything they can to maintain the finances of the club, but it seems to directly conflict with the efforts of Rafa to provide the club with the talent they need to win a league title.
Now is not the time to be stingy, it’s been 20 years.
20 long ass years.
European success is great, but that is becoming a distant memory, with Alonso gone, Gerrard is the only one left from that squad.
Squads change all the time, and as much as I love our players there are a few positions that could be upgraded, especially the LM position.
Babel is becoming a buster and Riera is good. . . as a backup.
And now with the injuries we have to go outside to find replacements, but then find ourselves unable to get top guys, but now we can’t even sign replacements.
It doesn’t look good to have management troubles and financial issues spill out of the clubhouse and into the public domain. Internal strife affects what happens on the field, the players aren’t oblivious to struggles between the gaffer and the bossmen.
If the owners can’t provide Rafa with what he needs, then what?
Then it appears we can’t even sign transfers from Geece.
And all we’ll get id this t-shirt and a little egg on the face.
-Dave