All Things Red - Transfer Special

I must admit that I was sure that the deal to sign Michael Owen would go through; however, one of the stars of our very own academy has ended up at a smaller club for twice the price we let him go for. Not a good week’s work for Rick Parry on that front, and I bet he can’t wait for people to forget this whole affair altogether.

Basically, the way I see it is that by even agreeing to talk to Newcastle, Michael Owen truly displayed his true colours: well, he doesn’t have any really. All he cares about is that he gets a game and scores a goal, even if it is at a club like Newcastle. A club so disillusioned with the fact that it is of any real importance in Europe or the Premiership that it hasn’t won a trophy for over 50 years. Plus Real Madrid have clever executives; they knew that Owen would crumble like pie eventually, and that they’d double their money on the England centre-forward due to the desperate nature of his and Newcastle’s behaviour. Madrid never honestly considered selling to us once Owen said he’d go to Newcastle.

All of which must make Rafael Benitez furious. The Spaniard arrived at Liverpool, and let’s just imagine the scene in the manager’s office when the little number 10 walked in for a chat around a year ago this month.

“Oh, come in Michael. Tea, coffee? I have many possibilities. Orange juice?”

“No, no. I’ve come to tell you that I want to leave, Rafa.”

“…But I’ve been here for a month and you were one of the key players Rick asked if they wanted me appointed as manager.”

“I know…”

“Plus, you’ve been telling the club and the fans that you’ll sign a new contract here soon. You’ve been saying that for over a year now.”

“Yes, but…”

“Come on, Michael. Steven Gerrard gave me a year, why can’t you?”

“Real Madrid have offered for me.”

“Madrid? You won’t be played.”

“I think that’s for me to decide. My agent says you can’t do anything about it, and I’ve already renamed my horse ‘Galactico’ so you’ve got to let me go.”

“They’re second best in Spain now; believe me, I know.”

“Yes but I just think that their European ambitions are slightly higher than here. I mean, it’s not as if I’m ever going to win the European Cup at this place, is it?”

“How do you know that?”

“I’m off, Rafa. My agent just text and me I’m due for a medical in two hours. Good luck. I’ll do all I can whilst I’m in Spain to persuade Gerrard to come too, ‘cause I’m nice like that. Bye!”

Now imagine the scene a few days ago as Rafa talked to Owen in a house rented out by Liverpool players, both men on edge as the window approached quickly.

“Please Rafa! You’ve got to buy me back! I need to play in the World Cup!”

“Well, we can do that. Just tell Newcastlepublicly that you won’t sign for them and then Madrid will accept our bid.”

“But… what if… no… I won’t do that.”

“Then you can’t come here.”

“Please, please don’t say that! Sorry about last year, I went away and the bullies in charge of Madrid told me that I’d only be brought on for ten minutes at a time, and I didn’t mean what I said about wanting Gerrard to come and join me, and I cried when I watched the European Cup final. Don’t let me go to Newcastle!”

“I don’t have enough money to compete unless you tell them the deal is off.”

“But what if Madrid don’t accept your offer then?”

“They will.”

“No, I won’t risk it. Pay double the price you sold me for, please. Or… or I’ll go to Chelsea and Man U and Arsenal!”

“They don’t want you.”

“Ohhhhh, please Rafa!”

“No. I’ve told you the situation. I’ll ring you later to see if you change your mind. Now get out of here.”

Of course, that didn’t happen. But it’s what the whole thing amounts to in the end: Michael Owen made a grave error by moving and then another one in refusing to rule out a move to the barcodes.

The one worry for me in all of this is that Rafael Benitez, in saying that he wanted Owen, has admitted that he did want a striker all along. That would suggest that we need a striker in our squad, and that Rafa isn’t fully satisfied with the lads we currently have even though he told us constantly that he is. Whether or not the lack of proven fire power tells in the end, we can only wait to see.

Clearly, Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia is a pair good enough to play solidly in the Premiership; that’s not what anybody is worried about.

However, if Jamie or Sami pick up an injury then a difficult berth may await Josemi in the Premiership; Liverpool know how costly a leaky centre half can be after the antics of the aged Pellegrino last season. That is why I’m surprised that no defender has been purchased long before Wednesday’s deadline – yet I’ve no anger towards Parry or Rafa for their failure to do so. No, the only emotion I have on the situation is worry.

If Carragher is forced out for a few weeks, then Josemi should be able to cope with Sami alongside him. Same goes if Sami picks up a knock. However, a long-term injury to either of our two central regulars, and I’m afraid that Josemi will ‘get found out’ and the team will lose its essential core.
 
Even worse, if both Carragher and Hyypia are lost to battle wounds then youngsters from the academy may have to be played; Traore could do a job there like at Bolton last year, or even Riise. Yet the team will suffer through their lack of experience. There are just two accomplished centre backs at Liverpool; that is the bottom line.

Milito, Bonera, Meira, Upson, Mexes, at least ten more; all of these players Liverpool attempted in vein to bring to Anfield. Rick Parry now says that a centre back could have been signed but at too high a price; Rafa agrees and reckons that our squad will hold strong without splashing out on a player not worth the money. Don’t get me wrong - I trust them. But, believe me, at the same time I hope to God that our reluctance to part with a big fee does not come back to haunt us before January.

Letting go of £10 million in order to buy Simao from Benfica was something Parry was happy to do; letting go of £13 million for the Portuguese under-achiever was not. Having flopped at Barcelona, Simao has flourished at Benfica in his captain’s role; with his immense pace, I see why Benitez asked the board to go after him.

Flying over to have a medical at Melwood, Simao was informed that Liverpool would now not be his destination. Benfica degraded themselves as a club in my eyes by raising the asking price after leaking the story to the press, knowing that our fans would be hungry to see Rafa bring in a right winger.

Yet we didn’t flinch, didn’t panic: Liverpool did not pay over the odds for anybody just because the club was in need of a couple of players, and by doing so has upheld its dignity as an establishment. For this, I honestly congratulate Parry because the mistakes of the past have not been repeated; there has been no Cheyrou, Smicer or Diouf arriving at the club for inflated prices this summer. Instead, they have thankfully departed and we are in better shape to go out and buy in January because of it.

A right sided midfielder is definitely required if our team is to be complete and Benitez acknowledges that; however, he also acknowledges that building a complete team takes time and that spending extra money just because it was deadline day was not a good idea. Garcia, Cisse, Finnan and Potter can all do a job on the right and I’m happy to wait until January to see somebody come in to truly fill that winger’s role. Even a fully fit Kewell may be tried on the right, as he was under Gerard Houllier.

Rome was not built in a day, just like Liverpool was not built on Wednesday night. Patience is required if Rafa is going to bring in the men right for him at the correct rates; I have plenty of it, but the question remains to be answered as to whether or not other Liverpool fans have it in such abundance. Once more, only time will tell.