Seven years ago, Benitez signed young Pepe Reina for then European Champions Liverpool. Spaniard instantly became a star and provided the much needed stability. Not so long ago, he was the best goalie in the premier league but more recently he was far from his best and now departs in the fashion he did not deserve.
Due to his dip in form and inconsistency, Liverpool signed Sunderland goalie Simon Mignolet for 9 million pounds. Surely, the manager was not going to bench him after paying such a sum. Yet Brendan Rodgers lied and perhaps Reina deserved better treatment.
Mignolet may prove to be a brilliant signing for the Reds but Reina served the club in the worst of times. When star players left, when Liverpool were getting weaker and weaker, Reina could have gone as well with the offers he had but he was the one who stood by.
Brendan Rodgers Lied:
“I spoke to Pepe about this a few months back and told him we wanted to bring in another goalkeeper as real competition.”
“Simon comes in and we’ve got great competition and when you’ve got competition it pushes everyone to perform”
Not so long ago, Rodgers claimed that Mignolet is by no means Reina’s replacement but a competition. Where is that competition thing now that the Spaniard has been loaned and Liverpool have the same scenario where Brad Jones gets games when the first choice goalie is not available.
Now Rodgers stated that the only reason why Reina had to leave for Napoli is none other than “Financial concern”. However, even that statement does not make much sense. Rodgers claimed:
“Financially it is something we needed to look at. That would be the reason because obviously you wouldn’t move on a top goalkeeper.”
“Pepe is a good guy. I’ve a lot of time for him, and he understands what I want to do totally. He’s got a big season ahead because it’s a World Cup year and one where, if he wasn’t going to be playing, could severely harm his chances of going.”
There, Rodgers confirmed that Reina was not going to be playing much as obviously Mignolet was always going to be the preferred first choice. The question is, what are the financial concerns Rodgers is talking about?
Liverpool were rumored to have at least 20 million pounds transfer kitty this summer. Taking into consideration their transfer income and expenditure, their net spending this summer has been only 3 million pounds, which shows they have not really spent much. Also count the high wages of Andy Carroll and now Reina removed from the books. Are Liverpool really that weak financially?
If Mignolet turns out to be fantastic according to supporters’s hopes then there are chances they may never see Reina playing for Liverpool again. Surely he will not deserve such an ending after serving the club for seven long years.
Reina departs to join the manager who brought him to Liverpool. Without doubt, he still has quality and Rafa can get the best out of him. In the end, may be he is at least getting something that he deserved, something he sacrificed just to stay with Liverpool i.e. Champions League Football.
Good Luck Pepe!
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When Mignolet signed guess we all knew Reina will leave. Only thing Rodgers cannot turn fans against himself by claiming that Reina is not needed so he had to make that “Competition excuse”
But the “Financian One”. That I cant get.
Thought we can sign Eriksen without needing to sell anyone because as per the net spend mentioned. Now it seems further signings will come only if Suarez is sold which will make me angry and perhaps fool certain fans that we are spending alot.
THE THREE STOOGES ( Henry ayre & Rodgers ) are all f*cking liars.There only interested in slashing the wage bill,Suarez is going,Reina is gone,Carroll has gone,Shelvey has gone.They haven’t spent a bean & got millions off the wage bill ;-( As Rodgers said ” We’ve bought the squad fillers,now where going after the first team players.But we haven’t heard a f*cking thing.They said where going after TOP 4,that’s a laugh with the players they’ve bought ( B team players from Spain & free agents & loan signings ) Just because they all where cheap or FREE on low wages ;-( I think we will be lucky to finish inside the TOP 10 under these guys
You again Dean eh?
You clearly have no idea what actually happened. Reina was going to go to Barca so BR bought Migs to cover. Valdes decided to stay a year and Reina had to go. Brendan was smart to buy a great keeper before Reina left and we got held to ransom. Love Pepe but he started this whole situation. Simples.
Peace.
Pepe was clearing 100k a week. Those are the financial concerns and it didnt seem to me he was up for fighting for his place change is needed most fans say then when it comes along you dont.Make up your god dam minds.
Brendan Rodgers Lied when he said he was looking forward to Andy carroll then he loaned him now he did the same with reina…good manager or not ..but one thing is clear never believe him… he is two faced liar.
No class at all..
You haven’t got a scooby doo!!!!
Reina flirted with Arsenal a few years ago and was openly stating through his agent that he wanted to go to Barcelona! So you criticize the manager and the club for being strong???
Reina is a keen golfer and was a member of a club I frequent…it was common knowledge !!!
Couple that and the £110.000 in wages with how poor he’s been the last couple of years and it was a no brainer.
but thing is Brendan Rodgers Lied again…so never trust him..
Reina got what he deserved in the end flirting with arsenal and then barca ( who wouldn’t ) there was no loyalty by him so why do we have to show loyalty back ? And for the comment on Carroll Rodgers was told that get Carroll out on loan and we will sign clint Dempsey , but the owners didn’t have 6 or 7 million to get him an let Rodgers down big time, that’s why they got Sturbridge in January , so I think it’s very harsh blaming the gaffer with a relitavley small budget he got coutino , sturridge , aspas , and he has also tried to get rid of some failures because there ara a few,
Im glad to see a manager not making choices about players on emotional attachment to the club that is what has got us where we are at the moment nowhere. BR is taking this club forward if players arent willing to give everything, i dont care if they have been there since birth get them out.
How on earth BR can be blamed by some for Reina leaving when Pepe was clearly flirting with Barca is beyond me? BR had already lined up Mignolet as a result… and let’s not forget it was to replace a keeper that has not been at his best for some time and was costing us a packet. Valdes then put a spoke in the works for all concerned by staying for an extra year at Barca….so Pepe going on a loan to Napoli keeps him playing, hopefully his value remains high, and he still has his dream of playing for Barca when Valdes does go, all other things being equal. We shift most of his wages and hopefully get decent money next year. It’s a brilliant move for all so why try and criticise BR for trying to put on a brave, if not entirely true, face about the situation? It’s like people trying to blame him for Suarez…it’s just ridiculous. Suarez wants out, nothing to do with BR.
Spot on Cou (below). Valdes was talking to Monaco and Barca were left looking for another keeper in case he left. If you remember, it was only when Valdes’ talks with Monaco didn’t lead to anything that Reina started saying ‘I’m not going anywhere’. As a Spanish person I admire Pepe as a person, but as an LFC keeper he has been disloyal to the club ever since he came out in his book saying he was depressed coming back to LFC after the World Cup, that he wanted to go to Arsenal, his keeper dad coming out twice saying that he would love to join Barca. Sorry, but this is not the Liverpool way. He’s made his bed, now he can lie in it and wait til Valdes’ contract runs out. Rodgers did the right thing (except I would have preferred Begovic).