Liverpool boss is satisfied with summer budget.

Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, says he is happy with the budget he has been given for this summer as Liverpool look to close the gap on current champions, Manchester United.

Liverpool have already missed out on signing Gareth Barry, a player who they had been tracking for well over a year. However, the boss insists that Liverpool’s failure to capture Barry was not down to not having enough money. Liverpool have spent a large sum in making sure that important players stay at the club this summer and are ready to play for next season.

Fernando Torres for example is the club’s best striker and was offered a lucrative new deal that will keep him in the side until roughly 2012/2013. It is important that Liverpool keep the spine of their side in place as one or two key players have been linked with moves away from the club e.g. Xabi Alonso’s possible move to Real Madrid.

Speaking today, Benitez said: “We spent some money to guarantee the extension of those contracts. Now we need to improve a little bit because we are in a very good position. We knew it would be difficult, especially as there is a [financial] crisis all around the world.”

“But when I decided to sign a five-year extension to my contract, I knew in my own mind that Liverpool is more than just a club, it is the heart of the city. It means so much to a lot of people. We want to keep our best players and Xabi has done really well for us. He has three years left on his contract so he is not for sale.”

This is all positive news for Liverpool fans who may have been wondering why the club had not put up a better fight in order to make sure that Barry was wearing the red shirt next season on not the light blue one. However, it is clear that Liverpool were not willing to pay over the odds for a player in the same way that City were and they seem content to work hard this summer to make sure that all arrivals are correct.

The worry is that with a reported limited budget, Benitez will have to focus on one or two players when he would have liked to have bought three or four. Top of the list si sure to be David Villa of Valencia, who no doubt will want the chance to play in th Premier League under a manager he already knows and with a striker than he is best friends with. There is also the added benefit that quite a few people at Liverpool speak Spanish.

Benitez seems smart enough to make sure Liverpool get things right in the transfer window and he is probably still hurting from being shown up by United in the latter part of the season that has just finished. There will be names on a list that he is but the selection of the correct ones will determine how close Liverpool can get next year.

Rafa puts the difference down to cash

Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, says the main reason that Manchester United are ahead of his side in the Premier League table is the amount of cash they have to spend. Benitez continues to rattle off the words and excuses as it now seems all but certain that United will wrap up another league crown later today.

Benitez’s point is that every single player in the United squad carries a price tag and capital of a big sum of money, making the side a lot further away from the other teams that many think. However, it is a hard point to believe or go into when you consider the fact that Liverpool spent big money on Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane, the latter of which was sold back to Tottenham at an £8 million loss.

This in irony is one of the reasons United are financially more savvy than Liverpool. You very rarely see Sir Alex Ferguson going and spending £20 million on a player who he then decides he doesn’t like half a year later and then sells him off at a loss.

It is also important to remember that Ferguson built the success of United without the big money that he is now able to spend and it is this original success that attracted the better players and the bigger sponsors.

Liverpool have not had this success and although they may appear lucrative to sponsor because of the stature of the club and the history, in terms of modern success they are a little way off other clubs.

Speaking today, Benitez said: “When you talk about United, you are talking about a side that spends big, big money on every single player, every season. For me that is the main difference between the teams.”

Well arguably United now stand as the third richest club in England when it comes to funds available for transfers, behind the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City. The point is that it is not the amount of money that breeds the success, it is how it is used.

Take the example of Everton who have been one of the only teams in the last few years to break into the top four and this is without lavish spending and working on a shoe string budget. It proves that there is still room for hard work in football and although Benitez may believe that money is the main difference, this just seems like the Spaniard grabbing at an excuse as his side’s title challenge has now failed.

Furthermore United have proved that they have a wealth of gifted youngsters at the club, all ready to step into the first team and have a big future as professionals. These are all young men that have not been bought at the peak of their career from another club. It proves that the United academy is functioning well and shows that efficient coaching is another reason for the success.

No doubt Liverpool will spend big this summer, they have to, in order to get closer to United. The point is that it is how Benitez spends the money, not the quantity. This is what sets aside the teams.