Answer Me This

[Tim W]

Rafa is starting his fifth season at Livafool, how many players has he brought in in those four years?

[midlandblue]

players? your pushing the boundries with description.

[Elliott]

1,482?

Of which, Torres has been quite good.

[Gem]

Players are nothing, he still hasn't explained what he's done to cause global warming, rising petrol prices, the credit crunch and what his role was in the death of Princess Diana.

[g3.7]

Fernando Torres
July 2007   	
26,000,000  

Atletico Madrid  
Robbie Keane
July 28 2008   	
19,000,000  

Tottenham Hotspur  
Ryan Babel
July 2007   	
11,500,000  

Ajax  
Xabi Alonso
August 20th 2004   	
10,750,000  

Real Sociedad  
Dirk Kuyt
August 18 2006   	
9,000,000  

Feyenoord  
Andrea Dossena
July 2008   	
8,000,000  

Udinese  
Peter Crouch
July 20th 2005   	
7,000,000  

Southampton  
Lucas Leiva
11 May 2007   	
6,750,000  

Gremio  
Jermaine Pennant
July 26 2006   	
6,700,000  

Birmingham City  
Martin Skrtel
11 January 2008   	
6,500,000  

Zenit St Petersburg  
Craig Bellamy
July 1st 2006   	
6,000,000  

Blackburn Rovers  
Luis Garcia
August 20th 2004   	
6,000,000  

Barcelona  
Jose Reina
July 4th 2005   	
6,000,000  

Villareal  
Dan Agger
January 2006   	
5,800,000  

Brondby  
Mohammed Sissoko
July 2005   	
5,600,000  

Valencia  
Fernando Morientes
January 2005   	
5,500,000  

Real Madrid  
Yossi Benayoun
July 2007   	
5,000,000  

West Ham United  
Diego Cavalieri
July 2008   	
4,000,000  

Palmeiras  
Alvaro Arbeloa
January 31 2007   	
2,600,000  

Deportivo La Coruna  
Sebastian Leto
July 2007   	
2,500,000  

Lanus  
Jose Miguel Gonzalez Rey (Josemi)
July 2004   	
2,000,000  

CD Malaga  
Gabriel Paletta
July 1st 2006   	
2,000,000  

Banfield  
David Ngog
July 24 2008   	
1,500,000  

Paris St Germain  
Mark Gonzalez
July 4th 2005   	
1,500,000  

Albacete  
Scott Carson
January 21st 2005   	
750,000  

Leeds United  
Mikel San Jose
July 2007   	
270,000  

Athletic Bilbao  
David Martin
January 2006   	
250,000  

MK Dons  
Antonio Barragan
July 4th 2005   	
240,000  

Sevilla  
Besian Idrizaj
August 2005   	
190,000  

Linzer ASK  
Jack Hobbs
August 2005   	
150,000  

Lincoln City  
Alex Cooper
January 2008   	
100,000  

Ross County  
Alexander Kacaniklic
June 2007   	
75,000  

Helsingborgs  
Lauri Dalla Valle
January 2008   	
0  

Jippo  
Dani Pacheco
July 2007   	
0  

Barcelona  
Jan Kromkamp
January 2006   	
0  

Villareal  
Nikola Saric
July 2008   	
0  

Herfolge  
Nikolay Mihaylov
July 2007   	
0  

Levski Sofia  
Fabio Aurelio
July 5 2006   	
0  

Valencia  
Gary Mackay Steven
June 2007   	
0  

Ross County  
Andras Simon
27 May 2007   	
0  

MTK Hungaria  
Krisztian Nemeth
27 May 2007   	
0  

MTK Hungaria  
Emmanuel Mendy
July 23 2008   	
0  

Murcia Deportivo  
Mihail Alexandrov
July 2007   	
0  

CSKA Sofia  
Ryan Crowther
July 2007   	
0  

Stockport County  
Philipp Degen
July 1 2008   	
0  

Borussia Dortmund  
Mauricio Pellegrino
January 2005   	
0  

Valencia  
Ray Putterill
June 2007   	
0  

Trainee  
Gerardo Bruna
September 2007   	
0  

Real Madrid  
Damien Plessis
August 2007   	
0  

Lyon  
Peter Gulacsi
July 2008   	
0  

MTK Hungaria  
Antonio Nunez
August 2004   	
0  

Real Madrid  
Charles Itandje
August 2007   	
0  

Lens  
Vincent Lucas Weijl
July 2008   	
0  

AZ Alkmaar  
Boudewijn Zenden
July 4th 2005   	
0  

Middlesbrough  
Marvin Pourie
July 2007   	
0  

Borussia Dortmund  
Andriy Voronin
July 2007   	
0  

Bayer Leverkusen  
Robbie Fowler
January 2006   	
0  

Manchester City  
Ryan Flynn
July 2006   	
0  

Trainee  
Robbie Threlfall
July 2006   	
0  

Trainee  
Godwin Antwi
August 2005   	
0  

Real Zaragoza  
Javier Mascherano
January 2007   	
0  

West Ham United  
Miki Roque
August 2005   	
0  

Llieda  
Nabir El Zhar
June 2006   	
0  

St Etienne  
Mark Smyth
June 2004   	
0  

Trainee  
Jay Smith
July 2005   	
0  

Trainee  
Stephen Darby
July 2006   	
0  

Trainee  
Craig Lindfield
July 2006   	
0  

Trainee  
Adam Hammill
January 2006   	
0  

Trainee  
Danny Guthrie
July 2005   	
0  

Trainee  
David Mannix
July 2004   	
0  

Trainee  
Dave Roberts
July 2006   	
0  

Trainee  
Jay Spearing
June 2007   	
0  

Trainee  
Ryan Wilkie
July 2005   	
0  

Trainee  
Calum Woods
January 2006   	
0  

Trainee  
Paul Willis
July 2005   	
0  

Trainee  
Danny O'Donnell
July 2005   	
0  

Trainee  
Ramon Calliste
August 2005   	
0  

Manchester United  
Steve Irwin
July 2008   	
0  

Trainee  
Ronald Huth
January 2007   	
0  

Tacuary FC  
Jordy Brouwer
January 2007   	
0  

Ajax  
Francisco Manuel Duran
January 2007   	
0  

Malaga  
Emiliano Insua
January 2007   	
0  

Boca Juniors  
Lee Peltier
July 2005   	
0  

Trainee  
Martin Hansen
June 2007   	
0  

Trainee  
Paul Anderson
January 2006   	
0  

Hull City

apparently.

[Scott]

I feel this is a trick question.

[blueday3]

There are a lot of people saying he will win the sack race this year. If they are out of the champions league and lose to man utd, us, and everton, I can definately see him getting the boot.

[TheWestwayWonder]

The staggering thing about that list is how many of them had only a few matches before they were gone. Kromkamp, Pellegrino, Morientes, Gonzalez, Carson, etc

I think blueday has got a point. They will probably wreck Leige at home (on another famous European night ) but I really think the acrimony generated over Gareth Barry is enough to see fatty walk away if things turn sour. And they generally always do. He probably has the Klinsmann approach fresh in his head and would rather leave on his own terms than be dismissed.

God help those loveable scousers, but Gillet and Hicks will probably need to drive to the stadium in tanks if they give fat Rafa the axe :lol:

[Sheva]

I don't really get his transfers, he's made SOME good transfers.

Alonso - Great Player

Masch - Great defensive mid

Torres - Don't even need to say anything

Babel - Shows decent signs of class

However, why the hell is he going for the likes of Gareth Barry? he needs a wide man to play on the Right wing. There fans know that, everyone knows that. Liverpool lack width, Dirk Kuyt ( if im honest i hate the guy with a passion ) is no winger, he's just a worker.

Liverpool need width to challenge for the title and they want Gareth Barry. If Rafa can manage to sign Torres im sure he can sign a quality winger and not make a stupid mistake and let Alonso leave.

I don't believe Liverpool will mount a challenge for the title and the top 3 will break away from them once again, which will Result in Rafas sack.

[TomP]

The funny thing about it is that as much as we hate to admit it, the Scousers really HAVE been only 2 or 3 quality players short of a serious title challenge every year that Fat Rafa has been in charge.

But, it seems like they have absolutely no idea where exactly to improve the squad to make that happen.

To me, it is pretty obvious that they have a good keeper and good centre backs, a very strong central midfield and a truely world class striker in Torres.

But, they have no quality at all in the wide positions, or creativity through the centre, and their fullbacks are dodgy.

It seems to me that Rafa is quite happy to blow serious money on the "spine" of the team (20 million for Keane, same for Barry etc.) but wants to stick to bargain buys and promising youngsters for the wide positions - where the squad is crying out for proven quality.

But, hey, i'm not complaining. The longer they take to realise that they are treading water under Benitez, the better as far as i'm concerned. I'll be quite happy to see them bomb out in the league by Christmas again, and have a half-decent run in the Champion's League so that Rafa keeps his job - again.

[Englishman]

The staggering thing about that list is how many of them had only a few matches before they were gone. Kromkamp, Pellegrino, Morientes, Gonzalez, Carson, etc

He's another Houllier. Spent millions bringing in mediocre foreign journeymen, had a bit of success in the cups but still as far away as ever from winning the league.

[TheWestwayWonder]

Tom, you have hit it dead on. I once heard Benitez likened to a guy who would rather split a 20m pound kitty up on 10 young, unproven players than for one, true, class talent. For example, add up what they got for Riise, what they paid for Ngog and Dossena (who? I know) and that is most of the fee for David Silva paid for. THAT would be a player I would hate to see join the scousers

I don't really get his transfers, he's made SOME good transfers.

Alonso - Great Player

Masch - Great defensive mid

Torres - Don't even need to say anything

Babel - Shows decent signs of class

In all fairness, Sheva, Torres and Mascherano were two of the hottest properties in the world at that time and were virtually cant miss.

Alonso, I will admit, is an excellent player who I would take on our team anyday, but already they want rid of him. Babel is a wait and see type. I would go so far as to day that Claudio was better at transfers than Fat Rafa

[bonetti]

Hes bought less players than pies