I can even look at the last minute transfer of Miereles to Chelsea without too much sadness; he played great under Kenny in the latter half of last season, but for whatever reason the manger clearly hasn’t been convinced by him.  This departaure, perhaps more significantly means that in the course of 12 months every single player who arrived under the reign of Roy Hodgson has been moved on.

At the start of the Summer I’d have been delighted with the season if we’d been able to overhaul Arsenal and take 4th place, what a difference a couple of months make though.  Fourth seems like it’s ours to lose with the squad we have now compared to our rivals for the final CL spot (Spurs & Arsenal), I’m even hoping that we might push Chelsea for 3rd if we have a good year.  Man Utd and Man City look like they’re going to be in a league of their own this season sadly, I pray that the Premier League doesn’t go the way of La Liga over the next few years.

That said, I’m glad the transfer window’s done with, I don’t think I can survive reading “BBC Sport understands” one more time today. Just admit it McNulty & co, you are just guessing like the rest of us and hoping something sticks; and the sycophantic back slapping when one of their peers finally get’s something right is nauseating.  I lost count of the number of times these “journalists” have revealed “a big twist” in the Arteta to Arsenal saga today, only to state something completely contradictory minutes later, without even a hint of irony.

The Ministry of Truth would be proud.

The tendency in football at the moment is that as long as you’re not a prostitute shagger then it’s OK, it’s no big deal. Wayne’s not very well and it’s a dirty thing for his wife to know he had relations with a prostitute. He was seeing the same bird for seven months… We kick a ball around and we earn 100,000, 200,000 or even 300,000 euros a week. We don’t improve the world. It’s not like we invented hot water. We just kick a ball. But sometimes when these guys go out, you’d think they were rock stars.

I could understand that you wear dark glasses at night time when you do open-heart surgery and save lives, but not if you’re a footballer. I’m not in the same world as most of the people in football. I really don’t like this world. These people didn’t feed me, they didn’t bring me into the world and my life won’t improve by going to a nightclub and drinking loads of champagne.

– Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

It’s been a fucking mental 24 hours at Liverpool, with the official site dropping this bombshell in the late hours of Wednesday night:

The Board of Directors have received two excellent financial offers to buy the Club that would repay all its long-term debt. A Board meeting was called today to review these bids and approve a sale. Shortly prior to the meeting, the owners – Tom Hicks and George Gillett – sought to remove Managing Director Christian Purslow and Commercial Director Ian Ayre from the Board, seeking to replace them with Mack Hicks and Lori Kay McCutcheon.

This matter is now subject to legal review and a further announcement will be made in due course.

Meanwhile, Martin Broughton, Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre continue to explore every possible route to achieving a sale of the Club at the earliest opportunity.

Ironically this news comes on the same day that the much hyped “Dear Mr. Hicks” viral was launched – minus any celebrity of note – I struggled to watch it to the end, and as a Liverpool fan I am embarrassed to have this sanctimonious whining being connected to my club.

Finally, yesterday morning I wake up to the news that a sale has been agreed and some dynamite quotes from previously quiet chairman Martin Broughton

I am delighted that we have been able to successfully conclude the sale process which has been thorough and extensive. The board decided to accept NESV’s proposal on the basis that it best met the criteria we set out originally for a suitable new owner. NESV’s philosophy is all about winning and they have fully demonstrated that at Red Sox. We’ve met them in Boston, London and Liverpool over several weeks and I am immensely impressed with what they have achieved and with their vision for Liverpool Football Club. By removing the burden of acquisition debt, this offer allows us to focus on investment in the team. I am only disappointed that the owners have tried everything to prevent the deal from happening and that we need to go through legal proceedings in order to complete the sale.

I think it is a great pity that at the end of an exhaustive process that has been seeking a competitive bid, that they are not going to take the last opportunity to be the ‘good guys’ and pass over Liverpool to the right owners, that is what they promised to do, what they said all along they would do.

When I took the role they gave a couple of written undertakings to Royal Bank of Scotland – that I was the only person entitled to change the board and that they would take no action to frustrate any reasonable sale, I think they flagrantly abused both of those written undertakings. I have the casting vote.

1. Reina, £6m – Goalkeeper
2. Aurelio, Free – Full Back
3. Kyrgiakos, £1.5m – Centre Back
4. Insua, Free – Full Back
5. Carragher, Trainee – Centre Back
6. Degen, Free – Full Back
7. Skrtel, £6.5m – Centre Back
8. Mascherano, £18m – Defensive Midfielder
9. Lucas, £6m – Defensive Midfielder
10. Kuyt, £10m – Attacking Midfielder
11. Ngog, £1.5m – Striker

What an absolute joke; 3 full backs, 3 centre backs, 2 defensive midfielders, 1 attacking midfielder and 1 striker with a total of thirteen goals between them this season! This sums up everything wrong with Liverpool under Benitez right now, our only attacking options on the pitch at kick off were David N’Gog, a 20 year old striker who’s played less than 50 senior matches in his entire career, and Dirk Kuyt, a striker who’s confidence in front of goal sunk to such lows in his first season at the club that Benitez converted him to a wide midfielder.

Meanwhile, on the bench sat nearly £30m worth of attacking ‘talent’ that Rafa has signed; Albert Riera (£8m), Alberto Aquilani (£20m), and Maxi Rodriquez (£1.5m). It’s easy to blame the Americans for Liverpool’s problems but the fact is that Rafa has had the money, and he has had the time, the players aren’t good enough and that is only one person’s fault now.

Best starting XI 2003/04:
Dudek, Finnan, Riise, Carragher, Hyypia, Hamann, Murphy, Gerrard, Kewell, Heskey, Owen

Best starting XI 2009/10:
Reina, Johnson, Insua, Carragher, Skrtel, Mascherano, Lucas, Gerrard, Benayoun, Kuyt, Torres

Are we any stronger than we were 6 seasons ago under Gerard Houllier? In my opinion: no.

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The next morning I caught this on Sky Sports News — and have been waiting for it to turn up on YouTube ever since.

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As news of a 3pm press conference seeps through the bald, nausiating head of Peter Kenyon,
he then begings the celebrations. Giving his new best bud Roman a call, the two
settle down to celebrate the signing of Steven Gerrard. Roman with his Smirnoff and Kenyon
with his pink WKD, the two are rather chuffed with their weeks work, of course the tap up
merchants Lampard, Cole and Terry will be heavily rewarded.

*Roman walks into the richly decorated and sick makingly expensive house of
Chelsea CEO, Peter Kenyon*

Kenyon: Ah, hi there Roman. You’ve arrived here just in time to watch Parry publically
declare that Steven Gerrard will no longer be a Liverpool player.

*Kenyon takes a sip of his pink WKD*

Roman: Let’s just say that this is the best peice of work you have completed yet Peter,
your brilliance will of course be heavily rewarded.

*Roman takes a sip of his vodka whilst grinning to himself at the power of his roubles*

Kenyon: Of course you do realise that money was never my motivation for doing this Roman.
I’m a Chelsea fan through and through, I only did it because of severe love for this club.

Roman: Of course I realise this Peter.

*Kenyon takes another sip of his WKD, this time looking satisfied with his non-mercenary
appearance*

Kenyon: Ah, I think it’s about time for the press conference Roman. Shall we tune in? I
bought this plasma screen the other day.

*Kenyon picks up his shiny Sky Digital remote, and with a flick of the TV guide button and
the prompt switching of channels, he locates Sky Sports News. Lifting his feet up and
taking a slow sip of his WKD, he grins smugly*

Kenyon: Those bloody scousers got what’s coming to them, I can’t wait to see the
riots break out around Liverpool.

Roman: Quite.

*Sky Sports News begins*

Fit Blonde Bird off SSN: We will shortly be going live to Anfield where details
of Liverpool’s major announcment are set to be revealed.

Kenyon: Ah, excellent, here it is. That bird is one peice of ass, I could just…

*Roman promptly interupts him*

Roman: Please Peter, not now.

*Roman takes a swift gulp of his Vodka, looking disgustingly at the grotesk vision of
Kenyon, somewhat exasperrated from his moment of excitement.*

*The television swiftly moves to Parry and Steven Gerrard*

Kenyon: Here we are Roman, time for me to get loads of money, I mean glory.

Roman: Quite, Peter, Quite.

Parry: Usually Press Conferences are called to confirm that players are signing.

*Kenyon mouths, “But today is to confirm that one is leaving”*

Parry: But today is to confirm that one is staying, that player, is Steven Gerrard.

*Suddenly, a jet of vodka flys from Roman’s mouth, promptly smacking
Kenyon on the side of the face*

Roman: Peter, you will pay for this

Kenyon: But, But, this, it’s not my fault.

*Kenyon swiftly devours the remainder of his pink WKD, before sending a
nervous glance Roman’s way*

Kenyon: I, I, do still get paid for this, don’t I?

Roman: Oh you’ll get paid alright, you’ll get paid.

*Kenyon breaths a sigh of relief*

*Roman flicks the top of his shiny silver mobile phone open,
hits a couple of buttons and closes it again*

Kenyon: So who next then Roman? How about I give Theirry Henry another go?

Roman: I do not think that will be necessary, Peter.

*Suddenly, three skin headed Russians enter, wielding Smirnoff bottles,
one ***** Kenyon on the top of his shiny head with a bottle, the three then drag him out*

Roman: Get Lampard, Terry and Cole on the way back lads, they won’t get away with this.

*Roman leaves the house of Kenyon in a gentlemanly fassion, finishing off his vodka,
and dialing the number of Deco….*

The end of the season saw Houllier sacked on May 24 2004, ironically just five days after finally losing patience with one of his most costly flops; Emile Heskey — sold to Birmingham City for a fraction of what we had paid for him just four years previously. Rafael Benitez was installed as Liverpool manager on June 16 2004, Liverpool cannot afford to make any more mistakes in the transfer market, hopefully ‘Beni’ will prove a more shrewd operator in the transfer market than the last four managers at Anfield have been.