It`s certainly been a busy week for the club on the player and transfer front. So much has been happening and it`s sometimes been hard to keep up with it all but there`s no doubt that the biggest news has been the signing of Jermaine Pennant. CLICK HERE
After a very long search and numerous candidates being mentioned, it seems that Rafa has finally got himself a genuine right winger. So is he the “right” man for the job? I believe he is and this is yet another good signing by Rafa.
As someone who enjoys watching good football, I obviously don`t waste much of my time watching Birmingham City play, so I haven`t seen Pennant on a regular basis. However, on the occasions I have seen him, he showed pace, went past people and got crosses into the box regularly, which is just about all you want from a winger. Last season the stats say he got more crosses into the box then anyone else in the Premiership, 497 of them in total but unfortunately for him, Emile Heskey was his target, enough said!
He came through the ranks at Arsenal, spent a season on loan and played regularly at Leeds and has made 60 appearances for Birmingham since he moved there, so he has well and truly served his apprenticeship and has plenty of Premiership experience. He is still only 23yrs old and of course the fact that he is a boyhood Red supporter and describes this move as “the best moment of my life”, is an added bonus. From listening to what Pennant had to say after signing, it`s clear to see that he recognises this move is a huge one in his career and I don`t think there will be any lack of motivation on his part.
So all things considered his price tag of £6.7 million rising to about £8 million based on appearances, is reasonable and could well prove to be a bit of a bargain. Of course on the downside, he has had some problems off the field but to be honest, I`m more interested in what he does on the field. Just like Craig Bellamy, I`ve no doubts that he will see this as a unique opportunity and will grab it with both hands. As long as he works hard and is doing his stuff for the team, then I`m not really interested in any mistakes he may have made in the past.
It was also good news to hear that Scott Carson and Paul Anderson have signed contract extensions CLICK HERE It`s hard to believe that Carson is still only twenty but he`s already very highly rated and has just returned from being a part of England`s World Cup squad. Although he didn`t play in Germany, the experience of being involved with the squad will have given his confidence a great boost. Carson also performed very well while on loan at Sheffield Wednesday last season and they have been making every effort to bring him back there for another loan spell. Although Pepe Reina`s excellent debut season means he is very much our number 1, it`s good to know we have such an able deputy waiting in the wings if required.
Paul Anderson was signed from Hull last season and looks like a real find. He put in some great performances for our FA Youth Cup winning side last season. He`s an exciting young winger and also didn`t look out of place when he made appearances in Liverpool`s two pre-season games so far and scored an excellent volleyed goal against Wrexham. It would be good to see him getting a couple of run-outs for the first team next season but he`s definitely one for the future so its good to see the club offering him a longer deal.
In other news it appears Djimi Traore and Salif Diao are moving closer to the Anfield exit and Charlton would appear to be their most likely destination. The Addicks are very keen on signing Traore and are taking Diao on trial. These would be good moves for all concerned. Its clear that neither of them have a future at this club and although they both have been given a lot of stick, I think its fair to say that their performances have never lacked effort and I wish them all the best, wherever they end up.
It look`s like Rafa`s attention will now turn to the striking department for his final summer signing and Dirk Kuyt seems to be his favoured option. The Dutch striker is a powerful hard-working striker with a great goalscoring rate and he would be an excellent addition to the team but as usual the stumbling block is the size of the transfer fee. Feyenoord are looking for a fee in excess of £10 million, so there will be some tough negotiations ahead. This one might drag on for awhile but I`ve got my fingers crossed that we can reach an agreement with them as I really believe this guy could be the final piece in the jigsaw.
So it`s been a busy old time at the club but there`s been some great work done by all concerned and things are shaping up nicely for the season ahead.
The Future`s Bright, The Future`s Red.
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