Payback

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You may have to wait for at least 5 years before your Academy can produce youngsters to increase the depth of your squad.

Arsene Wenger started to overhaul our Academy in 1996, and we had just starting to see the result after 10 years - Fabregas, Clichy, Bendtner, Gibbs, Eastmond, Wilshere.

AN interesting question to consider:

This summer, can Liverpool FC buys its way back to success?

Can Benitez emulates what Arsene Wenger did in 1996 to 1998 where he bought players - Vieira, Petit, Overmars, ANelka, Henry, Pires, Lunjberg, Lauren, Gilberto, Wiltord and Kanu.

Liverpool squad needs a major overhaul and Bentiez had landed in a similar situation as Arsene Wenger 1996-98.

I can't see anyway out for Liverpool to challenge for honors and retain Top-4 status except by buying big during summer...like what Arsene Wenger did in 1997 & 1998.

No he cant because of our fiancal restraints imposed by the owners . Rafa has though invested in the academy and i promise you merlion there are some gems to come through the ranks .As for Mr Wenger i would in no way devalue his achiements at Arsenal but he did have the advantage of inheriting Grahams squad which defensively was second to none .The foundations wher already in place .Correct me if im wrong merlion but not enough credit has been given to Grahams role in Arenals sucess over the last decade or so .

fabregas does not come from Arsenal Youth. He came from Barcelona Youth

Quote:

carra
No he cant because of our fiancal restraints imposed by the owners . Rafa has though invested in the academy and i promise you merlion there are some gems to come through the ranks .As for Mr Wenger i would in no way devalue his achiements at Arsenal but he did have the advantage of inheriting Grahams squad which defensively was second to none .The foundations wher already in place .Correct me if im wrong merlion but not enough credit has been given to Grahams role in Arenals sucess over the last decade or so .

Yes, Carra, Arsene Wenger started with the following advantages:

1 - From GG, Fab-4 and Seaman. defensive steel and style of play with cohesion between midfield and defence. And of course, Ian Wright.

2 - From bruce Rioch, the key to The French Spine, Bergy.

3 - French Football was entering into its Golden Decade. With his intimate and extensive knowledge of French Football, and to a certain extent, his African football network and connections, he was 2, 3 steps ahead of his competitors and managed to "pinch" Vieira, Anelka and Henry, bought Petit, Pires, Lauren and Overmars.

4 - Arsene Wenger is also a major risk taker in resurrecting careers of broken-down players like Overmars and Kanu, who had jsut recovered from a career-ending knee injury. "Unknowns" like Petit, Lunjberg, Lauren and Gilberto.

5 - Arsene Wenger is a spender as well as those transfer fees he spent in 1997-1998 are top-money, the equivalent of today 20-mil to 30-mil in buying talents like Pires, Henry, Wiltord, Lauren and Gilberto.

Benitez?
His career now mirrors that of Arsene Wenger in the late-90s:
1 - Spanish Football is entering its Godlen Decade. Benitez has intimate knowledge of Spanish Football and also ahs a vast network and connection which he will use to unearth gems.

2 - He is starting to build his core with the Defence, and mdifield centrally aorund Mascherano.

3 - In attack, he has Gerrard and Torres and is just short of a creative palymaker. Perhpas, Aquliani is like Pires and may need one whole season to settle down. Pires said that he was so afraid of the physical style of football that he dreaded stepping onto the pitch.

4 - In training, henry was so incensed that Keown kept dumping him onto the ground and roughing him up that he screamed at Keown in not so many words. But then, even Arsenal fans had doubt as to whether Pires and Henry can replaced Overmars and Anelka. And all footbal pundits said the pair was a pale shadow of their predecessors!!!

That is, Aquliani and some of Benitez's buys may need a season to fulfil their potential too.

In a nutshell, Benitez has the core of his future team and Hicks and Gillett must provide funds - maybe 50-mil to 100-mil - to buy 2 or 3 players to transform Liverpool into a title challenging team next season.

History thrives in symmetry.

Like World Cup 1998, which France won, and when post-World CUp we bought the core of our Invincibles - Henry, Pires, WIltord, Lauren and Gilberto, et al.

Similarly, Spain is the hot favorite for World CUp 2010, and Bentiez should be able to buy 2 or 3 players he needed to strengthen the squad.

With differant owners Benitz would of acquired Villa and De Silva by now .So your observation would be spot on .Shame we ended up with Vermin and Nogo .

I think financial necessity will see the youngsters start coming through and some getting regular gametime next season. Looking at the bio's of the likes of Kelly, Threlfull, Spearing, El Zhar, Pacheco, Nemeth and Ecclestone it is minorly curious that seemingly none of them are 6ft or over.