A league which by that point you still won't have come any closer to winning.

I knew you'd come back with that one. It doesn't really hold much weight though, because Bentley left Arsenal a few years ago when he had only just turned 20. Him leaving was his choice, he wasn't forced out because Wenger thought he wasn't good enough. He just wasn't happy waiting around for first team football.

Most agree now, that if Bentley was still at Arsenal, and as good as he currently is, he would be Arsenal's first choice right-midfielder.

I don't see what's so laughable about me thinking he's better than Hleb as a winger. He's a much, much better crosser, and at passing in general he's significantly better, he has a much better shot, he scores more goals, he's stronger, he's better at set-pieces, and statistically he's always going to beat Hleb. Just take a look at the statistics for yourself. And let's not forget, he's playing for a significantly inferior team, so in theory it's harder for him to score goals and make assists, yet he still beats Hleb on that front.

As for Joe Cole, i said it's debatable.

Your whining is embarrassing Sticky. All you've done in recent weeks is moan to death about Barry's price-tag, who we've been linked with etc. and its f*cking tiresome. Go to Real Madrid if you want to assuage your addiction to the big names.

Do we actually NEED a winger before we challenge? Really?

Arsenal have no wingers. Hleb nor Rosicky are not wingers. Yet they challenged last season and but for a lack of depth probably would've had as good a chance as the other two of winning the title.

Joe Cole is not a winger, his best position is off the striker, or central. Malouda was sh*te last season. Shaun-Wright Phillips started well but became a ghost under Grant's reign.

Ronaldo is the only recognisable "winger" that stood out, yet drifted all over the place and more times than not found himself f*cking goal poaching in the 6-yard box (just look how many assists he got, and how many of his goals came around the penalty spot/6-yard area). Giggs was below par and quite often Rooney/Tevez were deployed in wide positions.

Next season our width WILL come largely from our full-backs and this summer Benitez WILL sign a striker to play as part of the '3' in 4-2-3-1 (effectively 4-3-3).

And also, don't be so f*cking ignorant to the more subliminal factors like players fitting in quickly, the importance of having leaders on the pitch etc. I didn't say buy players who are sh*t but will fit in quickly, did i?

Do you think Rafa just watches a few games of a player and thinks "he's good - i'll sign him"? 'Cause that's what you do. That's what all us fans do. Difference is, with he and his scouts, who have infinitely more knowledge than your good self ever will, or any of us ever will, they'll assess the player endlessly in every area and make their decision thereafter. Rafa and his team will work day and night, consuming every minute to find the perfect players for our team - the guy's so dedicated most of us would probably shoot ourselves if we had to do so much attention to detail-based work. He doesn't just get his scouts to string up a load of high profile names on a whim (which us fans do) and see which one of them he can bag.

It f*cking annoys me when people underestimate what goes on behind the scenes. And when fans suggest as though Benitez and co. can't see something we can, as though they haven't thought about every option and deciphered the best possible route for us to go down. You're desperate (your own words) for a flashy, star-named winger, but it isn't that simple.

Just take a deep breath, relax and show a little faith. We can't bloody do anything so moaning and moaning and moaning (until my head implodes) is futile. Look on the bright side, you've double the chance of other fans having success.

Stoke are very close to signing Scott Carson i hear, and for £4m.

Hopefully that will go through for both the club's and his sake. He'll finally be off our books for a tidy sum and he'll finally be able to settle down as he's longed to do for a while.

And so the money for our kitty stacks up...

£11m - Crouch
£4m - Riise
£4m - Carson
£2.5m - Guthrie
£2m - Itandje (not sure if that's officially gone through)
£1.5m - Finnan (part exchange for Barry)

INCOME: 25m

Then if Alonso does leave for around £15m, that will rise to £40m. An added £10m should be enough for us to acquire a very decent attacking player, by my estimations.

In the last transfer window didnt Villa want sign Carson on a permanent transfer? Why would he want to take the chance of signing for a club who is likely to go straight back down.

Because villa just signed an american goalie and at stoke he wont need to fight for his position

Fair enough on the Villa front but surely hed want to sign for a team that would be competitive in the premier league.

Carson said a few months ago that he would rather go and join a Championship side than go back to Liverpool and sit on the bench or join another club on loan. Basically, i believe he has a child and is desperate to settle in one place - obviously it causes a lot of problems with schooling if he has to move around everywhere. So he just wanted a permanent move anywhere.

As for Villa, i think they may have signed him had it not been for his capitulation after being thrown in for England. Those howlers vs. Croatia screwed his career up, somewhat. Though they probably would have baulked at the £10m valuation (although a valuation that probably would've been lowered eventually).

In any case, everyone's happy.

How much did Le Tallec go for?

Carson would be a superb signing for Stoke, I don't think it will prevent them from going down, i hope it won't anyway, but he showed with Watford that he can really give an underdog a fighting chance, he was constantly under pressure and made some superb saves. He was solid between he sticks during Villa's resurgence last season also.

He was at Charlton Floody, it was Foster at Watford.

Ah, the Zidane-could-have-been slipped my mind.

I have no idea how much he was sold for, but reading on Wikipedia there is this:



That would suggest any future transfer was set at £1.1m when they took him on loan, hence that must be how much he went for when they agreed to sign him permanently.

That's good enough for me.

Yeah your thinking of Ben Foster who was great at Watford.

Incidentally, Carson was great for Charlton. He nearly kept them up.

I'm not sure i rate him from his Villa time though.

Ah yeah, I meant Charlton.

Sorry my whining has annoyed you Ben, but i'm just venting my frustration. It has been a frustrating transfer window for us.

I don't underestimate the work that goes on behind the scenes. I know Benitez works incredibly hard, and is obsessed with detail. Few put some much effort and obsess over thing as much as Benitez. Unfortunately, i think Benitez does TOO much. When we bring in a decent assistant, it'll make things so much easier.

As for Carson leaving, i'm glad, but i thought we might be able to get £6m, maybe £7m at a push. I don't rate Carson, i think he's just an average/decent goal keeper, but he's better than Paul Robinson who is apparently valued at £4m.

I do like carson as a player and i think he has a lot of potential, but he wont settle for 2nd best and who can blame him.. after all he is being groomed to eventually take the england no.1 jersey when james retires.. i dont see robinson keeping it as he sucks bad.... i do think tho that he was chucked in too soon which may have done some damage to the lad because until then i think he had been fantastic. But anyone that has to try to take reinas place has a heck of a job on their hands therefore its best that he goes elsewhere and progresses.. You never know but they may insert a buy back clause in his fee which they could activate should reina decide he wants to leave or the club get an offer they cant refuse.

As for what to do with all the income from all these sales ... well only rafa and the board know who they are after allthough we have small ideas like robbie keane and barry... dont know if he has his eyes on anyone else tho..

I can also see two more players leaving this year - leto and mihaylov - may get £2 - 4 mil for both - twente are supposed to be after mihaylov and leto to some spanish club maybe..

Barry has started back at pre season with Villa today, just before they jet off for Europe. I bet Martin o neil probably thought it would have been all tied up by now. i suppose he doesnt know what Liverpool do in the transfer market. We beat around the bush, and eventually probably miss out. Come on Rick Parry, get the signing done. We always end up missing out on players for the sake of a few million, please let that stop and just get the signing over and done with. It would be handy to have Barry playing in Liverpools pre season friendlies. I can honestly see us losing interest in him, even for the sake of 1 or 2 million. Its just the Liverpool way over the past decade.

I am looking forward to this coming month unfolding for us though as i reckon there could be a few bits of buiness done with a few players coming our way. We are just 3 types of players away from completing what i think Rafa wants his ideal first 11 to be. I just hope we get them this summer.

Juventus today declared their transfer plans over. Unless there's someone else interested in Alonso, I can see him staying.

oh yer i forgot to mention that. Thats probably why we were delaying our Barry deal for so long, to see what happened with Xabi. Might be hard for the Barry deal to be finalised now which is frustrating. Gerrard, Lucas, Mascherano, Alonso and Barry. Thats too many central midfield players. Benitez would obviously favour Barry over Alonso. Barry fits the chriteria of what Benitez likes in a player. Versitility.