Rafa the 'Axe Man' has Eto'o in mind
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
BY this evening, Liverpool could be celebrating a second Champions League triumph in three seasons, but that won't stop manager Rafael Benitez from instigating a ruthless overhaul of his squad this summer to ensure they mount a more coherent challenge for the Premiership next season.
The Spaniard made his long-term intentions clear by insisting a second Champions League final against AC Milan in three seasons is "just a stopping point on the way" to even greater success. That will come at the expense of some members of the travelling party, waved off by the landing crews from the tarmac at John Lennon Airport on Monday, as the manager re-shapes his squad, just as he did after their victory in Istanbul two years ago.
"I know we can still improve," Benitez said. "The team must be more proactive. We are already better tactically than we were, and the players are definitely cleverer now having learned a lot and having gained more experience. But we can also improve by bringing in players with character, quality and experience. We know we have to progress and we need to keep moving forward to challenge for the Premiership.
"Winning a European Cup is a great thing; it would be very welcome, and we want to be a strong side and win trophies along the way. But the aim is not to simply win this trophy. It is to get stronger and to challenge in the Premier League next season. It will be an important summer. The American owners have now been at the club for a few months and can see what's possible here. Every time I spoke to them it had been positive and we will be talking again after the final."
Benitez has already been active in the transfer market, with the Ukraine international Andriy Voronin signing on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen and the South American midfield pair of Lucas Leiva and Sebastian Leto due to move to Anfield next month. Further reinforcements are expected with a striker capable of scoring 20 goals a season a priority Samuel Eto'o and Fernando Torres of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid respectively remain plausible targets with Benitez expecting to benefit from up to £40 million (B$121 million) pumped into the club by the owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
Luring Eto'o and Torres to England may yet prove beyond Liverpool and Manchester United, but it is an illustration of the calibre of player that Benitez has in mind, with Carlos Tevez, the West Ham United forward, Daniel Alves, the Seville wing back, and Morten Gamst Pedersen, the Blackburn Rovers winger, also in his thoughts.
"I know we will make changes," Hicks said yesterday. "I think Rafa will be a very busy man after Wednesday. We've already started that process and next year we want to contend for the Premiership as well as the Champions League. Rafa has told me the types of improvement he feels we need to compete week in and week out. That's the challenge."
Jerzy Dudek, relegated to back-up since his heroics in the 2005 final, has rejected the chance to stay but others will be moved with no say in the matter. Robbie Fowler has already been informed that he will not be offered a contract, while the likes of Harry Kewell, Sami Hyypia, Boudewijn Zenden, Mark Gonzalez, Djibril Cisse and even Craig Bellamy, signed from Blackburn for £6 million last summer but potentially en route back there, may all leave.
That would make today's Champions League final against Milan the swansong for some, just as it proved to be for Milan Baros, Igor Biscan, Vladimir Smicer and, effectively, Dudek in 2005.The Observer
The Spaniard made his long-term intentions clear by insisting a second Champions League final against AC Milan in three seasons is "just a stopping point on the way" to even greater success. That will come at the expense of some members of the travelling party, waved off by the landing crews from the tarmac at John Lennon Airport on Monday, as the manager re-shapes his squad, just as he did after their victory in Istanbul two years ago.
"I know we can still improve," Benitez said. "The team must be more proactive. We are already better tactically than we were, and the players are definitely cleverer now having learned a lot and having gained more experience. But we can also improve by bringing in players with character, quality and experience. We know we have to progress and we need to keep moving forward to challenge for the Premiership.
"Winning a European Cup is a great thing; it would be very welcome, and we want to be a strong side and win trophies along the way. But the aim is not to simply win this trophy. It is to get stronger and to challenge in the Premier League next season. It will be an important summer. The American owners have now been at the club for a few months and can see what's possible here. Every time I spoke to them it had been positive and we will be talking again after the final."
Benitez has already been active in the transfer market, with the Ukraine international Andriy Voronin signing on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen and the South American midfield pair of Lucas Leiva and Sebastian Leto due to move to Anfield next month. Further reinforcements are expected with a striker capable of scoring 20 goals a season a priority Samuel Eto'o and Fernando Torres of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid respectively remain plausible targets with Benitez expecting to benefit from up to £40 million (B$121 million) pumped into the club by the owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
Luring Eto'o and Torres to England may yet prove beyond Liverpool and Manchester United, but it is an illustration of the calibre of player that Benitez has in mind, with Carlos Tevez, the West Ham United forward, Daniel Alves, the Seville wing back, and Morten Gamst Pedersen, the Blackburn Rovers winger, also in his thoughts.
"I know we will make changes," Hicks said yesterday. "I think Rafa will be a very busy man after Wednesday. We've already started that process and next year we want to contend for the Premiership as well as the Champions League. Rafa has told me the types of improvement he feels we need to compete week in and week out. That's the challenge."
Jerzy Dudek, relegated to back-up since his heroics in the 2005 final, has rejected the chance to stay but others will be moved with no say in the matter. Robbie Fowler has already been informed that he will not be offered a contract, while the likes of Harry Kewell, Sami Hyypia, Boudewijn Zenden, Mark Gonzalez, Djibril Cisse and even Craig Bellamy, signed from Blackburn for £6 million last summer but potentially en route back there, may all leave.
That would make today's Champions League final against Milan the swansong for some, just as it proved to be for Milan Baros, Igor Biscan, Vladimir Smicer and, effectively, Dudek in 2005.The Observer
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