Well, it's been a good 24 hours since the "transfer window slammed shut" as the pundits like to say. Mostly I've seen Liverpool fans split down the middle. Some showing their disappointment at Torres and burning their shirts and the rest looking at the realism (or lack thereof with the sums involved) in the transfers.
I share Kenny's long-term view - no one is bigger than the club. And I have to say I am excited about the what the future holds. Don't forget, our owners were willing to splash more than £20m on Suarez before the Torres/Carroll transfers came to light. We basically broke even in the window! So we've got at least that much and probably a lot more sitting waiting on Messers Commoli and Dalglish to pick the right player or players worthy or the red shirt when the summer comes.
As for Torres, it's a bittersweet farewell. Liverpool's record signing at the time produced a record-breaking first season at Anfield: 33 goals in 46 appearances; 24 in 33 league games; 1st player in 12 years to score 20 league goals in a season; 1st player in 62 years to score successive hat-tricks at home; 1st player to score in 8 successive home league games; most goals in a debut season by a Liverpool player for 61 years and the most ever in a debut season by a foreigner in the Premier League despite playing in only 33 of our 38 games that season. He started only 41 out of a possible 59 games with a further 9 on the bench. By comparison, Ryan Babel had 49 and Dirk Kuyt 48 appearances that season. It was a truly remarkable year. It was also the most games he'd play in a season for Liverpool. He was rested by Rafa for games as a result of his fitness/injury levels, a recurring theme throughout his time at Liverpool particularly when internationals came along. His returns of 17 & 22 goals the following two seasons came from just 38 & 32 games respectively, and while they represent his eye for the goal, the club played 55 & 56 games in those years. He played in approximately 70% of the clubs games during his time.
That only highlighted the true problem at Anfield. When Torres wasn't there, who was? For me, having two great strikers means that we now have a strike force, rather than a striker. We will no longer have to have N'gog or Kuyt ploughing a lone furrow up front. And the thought of more re-inforcements to come can only make things better. We may have weakened the first team by replacing Torres with the one of the two new strikers, but we've strengthened the squad, and as the teams above us have showed, it's the only way we can finish at the top of the league. We have had such little investment in the team since the time of Houillier that it's astounding that we've achieved so much.
It all points to a brighter future - the owners we need, the manager we want and players who want to be here.
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