see...he's affordable...

his current wage is 103k. His new contract offer is 120k.

What a steal!

Especially for a guy who spends half his life on the medical table.

Regardless...no one else would be better with Torres at Liverpool IMO...(4-4-2 that is).

Only a total idiot would sign Owen ever. He is a proven injury victim.

Well that's definitely Benetiz!

I think its a good possibility Owen may end up at Liverpool before the deadline...I hope so...

Not a hope in hell. Absolutely no way.

Benitez doesn't even like Owen. He sold him, and when he had the chance to buy him back, he chose not to. Now he has signed Keane, he probably wouldn't want Owen if Newcastle were giving him away.

How pathetic do our transfers look now.

Man City are signing players like Kompany, SWP and Robinho, and we get average/decent players like Dossena, Degen, Riera, Keane, etc.

Unbelievable!

Everyone else in this league seems more ambitious than us.

I ask you all, who would you have preferred to sign: Keane for £20m, or Robinho for £32m?

Remember than Keane is nearing 30, whereas Robinho is still fulfilling his potential. And Robinho is far better suited to the left-forward role than Keane (which is where he's likely to be deployed - despite not having played there previously), as well as being able to play as a left winger in a 4-4-2 formation. Not to mention the fact that he offers a dimension we lack, and could certainly do with the added pace he brings.

Why is it that other teams can pull off these great signings? Smaller teams.

Basically, given the chance, Robinho would much rather go to Liverpool than Man City, and Real Madrid would much rather sell to us than most teams - especially Chelsea.

For little more than we paid for Keane + Riera, or Keane + Dossena, we could have a devastating talent, capable of ripping teams to pieces and winning games single handedly. He's the sort of signing needed if we're ever going to win this bloody league. I feel now Berbatov has gone to Man U, we don't have a hope in hell. No a chance. No hope whatsoever. No even a glimmer of light.

Wouldn't surprise me if Man City or Aston Villa give us another kick in the nuts later this season, and knock us out of the top 4.

It doesn't help that we have the most unambitious loser in the world, in Rick Parry, as chef executive, and a couple of limp wristed, tight fisted goons owing the club.

Agree that our signings look like nothing compared to City,but you're dragging Keane down like he's useless lol,we have bought a proven goalscorer and playmaker who will benefit our team when settled and forged an understanding with Stevie G and Torres,give them time,you're only pished because you love Real,i didn't want Robinho doesn't come with a guarantee that he'll settle well in the english game,the rough and ready style may not suit him and he'll be another Shevchenko then

Have patience with Rafa and his signings

Rafa is useless. I've given him years worth of chances and aside from cup runs he's taken Liverpool nowhere. He's very poor in the transfer market (his only successes - Torres and Mascherano have been expensive purchases) and he makes bizzarre tactical decisions which you at first might consider some kind of mad genuis but it's becoming all too clear is just stupidity.

Liverpool spent £30m this summer and that's all they had to show for it? Two no name average full backs (which Liverpool already have an abundance of), a mediocre winger who already flopped in the EPL once and an aging forward who's only once scored 20 league goals (whom he intends to play on the wing). Plus you've got the massed ranks of youngsters, not one of whom has turned into a worthwhile player thus far.

Not everyone can be as shrewd as Wenger at getting a bargain but Benitez really is bad. Two of four best players at Liverpool were there when he started and the other two he paid £50m for combined.

Liverpool need new owners and new manager.

If this year isn't the year they drop out of the top four then next year certainly will be. Man City are going to be very good very soon and Spurs, Villa, Everton and Portsmouth are no mugs now either.

Well now the trasnfer window's all done and dusted, and we're all obviously not too overjoyed with our activity - what happens now? Are DIC still going to take over? Will Parry get the boot (hopefully)? Will Rafa start playing players in their proper positions??

We really have to wait and see. there is nothing else we can do apart form support the team. No one is overjoyed with the signings we brought in. The aim of this window was to close the gap on Chelsea and United, but they apear to have ran further ahead of us. Wait untill at least Chirstmas to fully judge what Rafa has done. I feel sorry for him a little bit, regarding transfers. He left Valencia because he had no freedom in the market. He has got the same here.

It was always going to be hard buying a number of players with a lack of money. Yes we have spent around £30 million now most of that was generated by the sale of players. We had to wait for those deals to be tied up before we could make serious moves in the market because of our [beep!] of owners that we have.

Its done now. Another disapointing window when you consider what our rivals have done. ONWARDS AND UPWARDS. could have been worse. Could have done what Arsenal did. Fck all.

I knew this was coming. Dear oh dear Sticky.

How the hell could anyone have known that Real were giving Robinho away come the deadline day?

The only teams really with a chance of signing Robinho were those who have an endless amount of money and those whose own transfers hadn't happened yet meaning the funds were available (a la United).

If we'd of tried to sign Robinho earlier in the window, whom yes i would of loved at Liverpool, Real would just reject our bid and/or Robinho would turn us down hoping Chelsea would bid for him.

But yes, our activity in the market is rarely inspiring. Your point there is something i agree with.

Spot on.Great post.

ha ha laughable on so many levels!

3 games into the season joint top of the league and the managers head is on the block after an away draw at Villa!

Not even gonna bother!

Sticky I warned you at the start of the summer not to expect Quaresma, Silva etc but did you listen? nope!

Time to get real mate and realise where we are in relation to Chelsea and Man Utd.

As for Man City, there is nothing we could do about that. Any other team who has outspent us this summer outside the top four is irrelivant due to the differing starting postions of each team. For man city's Robinho, we have Torres, gerrard, Masch etc already.

Sticky, this summer you have really shown yourself as a typical "CHAMP MANAGER FAN"

Its not fantasy footy mate, its real world!

No i haven't. Just because i'm disappointed that Chelsea and Man U are pulling even further away from us, and teams below us are pulling off bigger signings than we are, and are very quickly bridging the gap on us - it doesn't mean i'm a champ manager fan.

This was supposed the be the season we mounted a serious challenge to Chelsea and Man U, which meant we needed to do some great business over the summer. Instead of looking forward to a title challenge, i'm more worried about what's going on behind us. Our biggest worry this season may not be keeping up with the top teams, but staying ahead of Man City. We may end up looking over our shoulders more than looking forward.

And just for the record, i don't want Quaresma, and Silva was by no means out of reach. He is far from being a superstar just yet.

No he's on the chop for his entire performance as a manager. Imagine if you had never come back against Milan, which 9 times out of 10 you wouldn't have, would he still be in charge? Not a chance. The only reason he's still in a job is because of a complete freak result in one match. Aside from that he's achieved nothing Houllier didn't and Houllier had a much smaller budget.

I love Rafa and don't want him to get the boot. He deserves time for what he's achieved, and for what he's had to put up with at boardroom level. BUT......you all have to agree that the performances so far this season have been awful. We seem to lack any sort of shape. PLaying Keane out wide is crazy, he should be up front, not on the wong. Kuyt is a bloody hard worker, no doubt about that, but would he really get into United, Chelsea or Arsneal's sides??? No chance. I'd put in that sort of workrate if I had the chance to pull on the shirt, wouldn't mean I was good enough.

Things could all turn round with a win over United, and everyone would be cheerful again, I just worry for how poor and disjointed our performances have been so far.