The 2011 summer transfer window has seen LFC go back to its roots in some ways. For several seasons under a succession of foreign managers we have bought many foreign players who should never have worn the red of Liverpool. They were an insult to great players of yesteryear.
Many fans will have differing views on who these players were. I will mention a few who i can remember as being particularly terrible. Traore, Meijer, Dundee, Diao, Cheryou, Dossena, Nunez, El Zhar, Itandje, Poulsen, Jovanovic. The list is pretty much endless.
Then we have also signed mercenaries that told the fans they loved us and kissed the badge etc. These players didn’t care enough about our club. Torres, Benayoun and Mascherano in recent times have left a sour taste in the mouth of loyal reds.
How much money and time have been wasted on these foreign players with no sustained success at the club?
King Kenny has looked at this and drew on his experience of the past when we dominated English and European football. He has gone for young, British and hungry players who have yet to fulfil their true potential. Adam, Henderson, Downing and Carroll have came to LFC to win trophies. They want to wear the Red shirt and seem to understand the importance of playing for LFC. I think we have more of a chance with these players than past foreign imports.
Sometimes it is easy to fall into the trap that foreign players are better and more exciting. I am not saying there aren’t great foreign players or young foreign players who are hungry for success but our transfer policy hasn’t been successful. Luis Suarez has proven this with his start at LFC. He celebrates as if he cares when we score. Mr Torres especially towards the end didn’t seem to care about our club. No fight or guts which must have been hard especially for Stevie G and Carra to watch everyday.
At the end of the season many LFC fans were calling for players like Benzema, Mata, Hazard and Aguero. I also recall reading reports of LFC being interested in Ronaldinho in January. Some fans were excited by this. Kenny would never have overseen his transfer and Hodgson couldn’t have attracted the Brazilian.
Kenny has instead gone for Downing, Adam and Hazard. He must feel we will function better as a team with a British base. Under Rafa in some matches we only had two British players in 1st team. Under Kenny this year we could realistically start with seven British players. What a change a year makes!!
In the future I can see us signing less players in each transfer window as Kenny will not need to add squad players. The nucleus of his squad will be there when if expected he signs a left back and centre half this summer. Times ahead look very promising and I am looking forward to watching a LFC team who care about the club to a man. Not foreign waste of space that should never have been allowed on the turf of Anfield. Also seeing youth get a chance is great, Flanagan, Robinson and Shelvey are showing great potential. These players wouldn’t have kicked a ball under Rafa.
Kenny is definitely the right man, at the right time and of course at the right club.
YNWA – In King Kenny We Trust
So, Alonso, Machareno, Torres, Suarez, Reina,Lucas,Aquilani,Garcia, and so on, were a waste of foreign time?, are you insane?…..
You only have to look at the England team to see, how average and totally overpriced, most english players are, stop living in the 70’s and 80’s, times changed, and so should YOU!!!
Crap article! U forgot we have signed so classic foreign player like Hyppia, Risse, Alonso etc. Also we didn’t sign Hazard!
Well if they have done they are surely making for it now by wasting on British “talent”——-
well Xabi, Hypia, Reina n Torres are the exceptional. They were the class but apart from them we didn’t had any good one. They played for high wages for which Rafa tempted them.
We are buying young english playaz who are going to be pillars of England squad in future. They wil play together for club n nation and that in turn wil make us a dangerous attacking team. The true example is Barcelona where they 7-8 playaz of their own nation i.e. Spain.
e point of e article isn’t clear enuff.
it actually means british players are brought up to worship teams like pool and manure, while foreigners are usually of madrid and barcelona.
hence local lads have e added understanding n respect for liverpool, and also the natural motivation to succeed n push forward in most games, not only the european games. jus ask rafa.
funny
a good mixture of both…mainly British with some quality foreign players is the key.
It is rash to label all foreign players as ‘mercenaries’ or ‘a waste of time’ Liverpool is a huge club with fans all over the world, seen by the level of support in Malaysia on our recent tour. Many foreign players would have grown up Liverpool fans and would give anything to play for the club. Liverpool have had extremely loyal foreign players from places such as Scandinavia where we have huge support, such as Riise and Hypia. Although you seem to dismiss Mascherano, Xabi and Torres I genuinley believe they do/did love the club. All Xabi talks about in his Real Madrid interviews is Liverpool, Mascherano dedicated his Champions League win to us and although many fans don’t want to believe it I think Torres also loved the club. Look at the loyal foreign players we have at the moment: Kuyt would do anything for the club, Reina is dedicated to the cause, Agger&Skrtl never moan and always give their all and I believe Suarez will also become one of Liverpool’s huge loyal foreign contingent. Ruling out all foreign players is suicidal. For me Scandinavia and South America is the place to buy if you want loyal foreign players.
btw way 3 of our most passionate hard working players are foreign – Kuyt, Lucas, and Suarez
@dharmesh……..So you’re saying that England are as good as Spain?, if so, you should go and concentrate on Cricket, cause you really don’t know much about football!.
Keane, Cole, Pennant, Konchesky … Some of the worst signings we’ve made in our recent past were homegrown … How about Stanley Victor Collymore ?
what of michael owen?was he a british or a foreigner?Liverpool is not known for this racism.
@ YNWA I believe what dharmesh is trying to say is explained by shane. And I agree what shane meant. The only reason why foreign players come to LFC is because they hope they can achieve immediate success like Torres. At our current state of not being in the champs leagues the only players who appreciate LFC are the British players because all their life they know how successful this club is. Foreign players may be Liverpool fan as a kid but footballers life is short therefore they come here hoping they too can have the same success as the compatriots before them. That is why Kenny buy British players. Local lads may not be as technically gifted as foreign players but all their life they’ve experience how great this club is therefore shall we say more loyal and respectful in our quest to become the best again. That is why at this point Kenny buy British. Next season once we’re in the champ league I believe Damien Comolli will most likely have more saying in the transfer market because of his connection of foreign players
Remember one thing we are currently The Sleeping Giant. LFC is still Great!
Nothing wrong buying non English players, actually that’s the way forward. In EPL era, all the successful teams are built around non English players, for the talent (Or lack of it) available in England. Apart from GK, heavy duty Central backs, Box to Box midfielders & target man in box, I hardly see any quality produced in England in other, more creative positions like wing back, wingers, attacking mid-fielders, play-making forwards.
However, due to proper support in transfer market, our 2 previous managers had to buy a lot average players. I can recall CRod, Vidic, Maluda, RVNistolroy, Thuram etc. were tracked by Gerard or Rafa only to be bullied out by ….
On contrary, now when we have the owners, willing to spend smart money, we are overpaying 20-30% higher for over hyped average English players (JCole is as good as Messi …. sorry Steve, can’t laugh at your joke)
We’ve kept the ‘Hazard’ signing a well kept secret. Wishful thinking on before of the author? Sort of undermines the point he’s attempting to make. Proof reading is always a good idea.
Its amazing how many foreigners have won the premier league even tho they’re a waste of time. Think before you write alonso hyppia mascherano reina kuyt and suarez are all foreign and have been fantastic for the club. If home grown players are so great how come england havent won the world cup? Some opinions are best kept to yourself!
Did any1 on here actually read the article! He doesnt mouth about hypia,alonso etc…. Hes not saying about ALL foreign players hence in the article it states there is good foreign players! I agree that benitez and houllier have brought in major garbage more so than good, any1 who disagrees obviously hasnt got a clue!! 2many fifa managers on here
The closest weve cum to winning the league for twenty years,was with a team mainly made of foreigners same goes for our fifth euro cup.i agree there may be a more mercenary attitude with certain foreigners.t….s for example [i see he,s had another go at the club] by and large doesnt matter were they cum from.hate to say it but foreigners havent done man ure any harm have they
MANY WHERE GOOD, BUT TO MANY WAS A TRAGEDY…WE ALL KNOW WHO, BUT A BRIGHT HURRAY FOR DUDEK,BABBEL, HYYPIA,HENCHOZ,RIISE, INSUA, MOLBY,HAMANN, ALONSO,BERGER,BENAYOUN, LITMANEN, CAMARA AND BAROS…I ALSO MISS MURPHY, CROUCH AND MELLOR!!
JAN, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK!!
In respond to the to the title of the article as I didn’t read the article I must say that of all players Liverpool has signed everyone who succeded were foreigners:Kuyt, Masch, Xabi Alonso, Torres, Agger…
True, there were mistakes but if you are not willing to spend 18 mil. on a player like David Silva but you rather find a “bargain” Riera you can expect you wasted a little money you had.
David Silva could have been worth over 30 mil. in Liverpool today!
Of all British players signed in recent seasons Pennant was a mistake, no one would take Cole for free and Johsnon is doing well, but for the money spent on Johsnon Liverpool could have found 2 foreign full backs of similar quality and cover both sides.
I wouldn’t dissmis signing foreigners because of loyality issues, all the british players Liverpool have signed also left their clubs to persue their ambitions and they will leave Liverpool too if not able to compete for titles.
Simply put ,
If we are going to win the League & therefore consistently finish in the top 4 ?
we need our squad to be made up 75% of players proven in the League .
If we bring in top & I mean Top quality foreigners from abroad to give us a wee bit of blend when we need it hen NP .
But if we have to babysit them as they develop ya may forget about it .
Since the mid 90’s with the possibly exception of Rise & Hypia we have never signed a foreigner who was any better than what was already in the league .
I’m not talking about having a good season here or there I’m talking about putting 5 good seasons under contract together & none of them have managed it .
Yes we need SOME foreigners , but we have wasted our young lives putting our hope in way way too many of them .