TRANSFER VISION THAT PAID OFF
Rick Parry 25 August 2006
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldow ... 5-0805.htm
When you are moving in the transfer market, the last thing you want is to be panicked or pressured close to a deadline.
I'm not suggesting you never make signings instinctively when situations change or individuals suddenly become available, but the best deals are usually part of a well thought out plan between manager and chief executive.
This was certainly the case with our latest acquisition Dirk Kuyt. We had been looking at him for 12 months. He was not one we suddenly decided to bid for on the spur of the moment. The Dutch striker has been a long-term target for Rafa Benitez and these are the signings that are always more likely to succeed than the impulse buy.
It's extremely gratifying to have secured Kuyt's services at long last. He has got a track record for scoring goals in Holland and was clearly a real hero at Feyenoord.
All being well he will score goals here too. He brings something new to the attacking mix and now we've now a whole variety of options based on the different strengths and qualities of our main front men.
Kuyt will certainly complement the pace of Craig Bellamy and, like Peter Crouch and Robbie Fowler, he will also benefit from the service of two pacy and skilful wingers.
But for me the most important thing about this signing is that it highlights a recurring theme of players desperately wanting to play for this club. Our focus has to be on people who really want to be here. This summer we've seen it with the likes of Bellamy and Jermaine Pennant , two lifelong Liverpool supporters
The Feyenoord president, speaking to the Press in Holland, said that Liverpool was the only club Kuyt wanted to join. The player was passionately keen to sign for us and that's an important ingredient in any big deal. It helps to build team spirit and ensures players give you that extra five per cent when the chips are down and that can make all the difference.
If you look back to this time last year, we were delighted to have acquired four good signings in Crouch, Reina, Zenden and Sissoko. A few eyebrows were raised at that time when Momo was introduced as a virtual unknown, but no one doubts the wisdom of that signing now.
However, we didn't get the centre-back we had highlighted as a priority and we didn't get the right-sided player we wanted. This was because we refused to be rushed into getting the wrong players or pay over the odds.
Even though we brought in four, there was a mood of anti-climax amongst the fans because we went into the season without the centre-half cover and the extra width that Rafa had pinpointed as being important. We corrected one element by bringing in Daniel Agger in the January transfer window, but this can get overlooked in the middle of the season. We eased him in which was important, but now he's ready to make his mark this season.
This time round we've secured all of our targets in every position highlighted by the manager, something that is really exciting and quite unusual.
Compared to this time last year we have eight new players in the squad. This takes some doing because every deal comes with its own challenges. The men we have brought in are Daniel Agger, Robbie Fowler, Fabio Aurelio, Gabriel Paletta, Mark Gonzalez, Jermaine Pennant, Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt.
Even though last season's squad was good, helping us to win the FA Cup as well as improving our league position, the present group looks extremely strong. There is a sense of real excitement amongst the fans that further progress can be made.
I think our latest signing will be very popular with our supporters. Kuyt is a nice lad with a great attitude who really wants to do well in a Liverpool shirt. As I said, we want players who feel a real sense of pride to be at this club and he certainly fits the bill.
Celebrating the Kop's centenary
The whole of Anfield will be celebrating a special anniversary on Saturday. The Kop, built as a major grandstand in the summer of 1906 to celebrate our second Championship win, is 100 years old.
Of course, there was a cinder bank and then a standing area at the Walton Breck Road end of our stadium from the moment the ground was built, but the erection of a giant purpose built structure in 1906 signalled the start of a famous era that would eventually see the Kop becoming the most famous standing terrace in the world. No one will ever forget those amazing days in the Sixties when the Kop took on a whole new meaning inspired by the Bill Shankly revolution.
We will never see those days again following the development of all-seater stadia, but the modern Kop still lights up from time to time to remind us of a glorious and colourful past and an ambitious present. I think about evenings like our Champions League semi-final triumph over Chelsea. Further back, we all recall the drama when Gerard Houllier returned after his long absence for the Roma game. Barcelona was another famous night.
Along the way, the Kop has marked many events and anniversaries with special mosaics and another of those will signal its own 100th anniversary on Saturday. This is a fitting way to mark this special birthday because it involves the Kopites themselves.
There have been some special mosaics, not least on that night when we welcomed Gerard back after his long lay-off. Then there was the mosaic last season as we held out the hand of friendship to Juventus.
The one that I always think of reminded the Sheffield Wednesday directors that there was no memorial at Hillsborough, a highly visible protest that had made a real impact on our visitors.
We will all salute the Kop on Saturday. In doing so, we will be paying tribute to every single Liverpool supporter, past and present, who has played a part in the success of our famous club.
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