The seven stars who got away from Liverpool
A SOBERING thought from Wednesday's Champions League final (as if anyone needed another one).
No fewer than seven of the players on show could have been Liverpool players had the club matched the ambition of Chelsea and Man United.
Petr Cech was scouted by Gerard Houllier's regime but that initial interest was never followed up.
Michael Essien also caught the Frenchman's eye but without the necessary finances Houllier had to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcements.
Rio Ferdinand was coveted before he moved from West Ham to Leeds but the ã12.5m asking price was considered too high at a time when Houllier had to bolster several positions in his squad.
Nemanja Vidic was a target of Rafa Benitez having impressed for Serbia against Spain in World Cup qualifying games only for Liverpool to miss out when Man United entered the race for his signature and cranked up the price.
John Terry was briefly made available by a then cash strapped Chelsea in 2003 and Houllier was keen to bring him to Anfield only for a change of ownership at Stamford Bridge to thwart him.
Nicolas Anelka was desperate to become a Liverpool player after a successful loan spell but Houllier ditched his fellow countryman in favour of El Hadji Diouf.
And, most famously of all, Liverpool led the race for Cristiano Ronaldo and could have signed him for just ã4m and a four-year contract worth ã1m a year only for Houllier and Phil Thompson to decide that those figures were too high for an 18-year-old who was unproven in the Premier League.
So when people claim Liverpool aren't that many signings away from being genuine title challengers they're not wrong - the only problem is they've already seen seven such players slip through their fingers.
There was also a eighth on display, but the less said about him the better.
Florent Malouda may well be another one who got away but that looks more and more like a lucky escape with every passing game.
Tyldesley has a selective memory
CLIVE Tyldesley during commentary on Wednesday night: "Roman Slysko, the very same linesman who awarded Liverpool that hotly contested goal in the 2005 semi-final which Chelsea to this very day insist did not cross the goal line".
That'll be the very same Roman Slysko who, in awarding that Luis Garcia goal, saved Chelsea from conceding a penalty in front of the Kop and having to play the remaining 86 minutes of the game with ten men then.
Funny how that's never mentioned.
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Erm right yeah, and United, Arsenal and Chelsea all had opportunities to sign Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard was negotiating with Chelsea before decided to stay. Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano were both consistently linked with United before they signed with us, as was Steve Finnan. And Ryan Babel consistently linked with Arsenal. Any club can pinpoint missed out signing, the fact is every top player is offered to almost every top club if they're to leave. I suspect Ronaldo was offered to a whole host of clubs. So lets not have silly articles like this, cos they're.....silly.
Agree with most of what you said Nozzy, but the one that really does irk me is Ronaldo. The guy was pleading with Houllier to sign him, he was quoted in the press "how LFC give young stars like Michael Owen chance to blosssom, and he would like to play alongside him. Houllier was too busy splashing out on tripe like Diouf and Cisse.
Liverpool don't do egos, so while Ronaldo does all his fancy step overs and scores a hat full of goals, you have to consider the ethos of the club and how a player like him would have fitted in.
Can't you see how special Torres is? He scores so many goals, but there is no egotistical outbursts like with the Preening Portuguese. Liverpool choose there players wisely... hard working team players.
you've forgotten to add Lampard. He was a Liverpool fan when he was a boy only to follow his dad to Hammers an that's when he switched his allegiance.
Hargreaves and Carrick had their childhood bedrooms covered with former heroes of Anfield as well.
I'm pretty sure Rafa had also spotted Patrice Evra first but the estimated 5 million pound price tag was deemed too high. That would get you Dean Windass these days.
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