Rafa gets desperate
Old-timers Van Nistelrooy and Vieira linked with 'Pool
Rafael Benitez is being linked with moves for Patrick Vieira and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Friday November 27 2009
LIVERPOOL manager Rafa Benitez is considering a bid for golden oldies Patrick Vieira and Ruud van Nistelrooy in a bid to save the season for the Reds.
The Anfield club face into Sunday's Merseyside derby with their confidence knocked by their midweek Champions League exit, and despite the massive spending on players at the club during the Spaniard's reign, Benitez is still eager to bring in fresh talent.
But Reds fans will be concerned about the age profile, the fitness and the hunger of the latest players to be linked with the club, as former Arsenal captain Vieira and ex-Manchester United star van Nistelrooy, both 33, have struggled to impress with their clubs Inter Milan and Real Madrid this season.
Signing two 33-year-olds who last played in the English Premier League three years ago would be seen as an act of desperation from the Reds boss, who no longer trusts his expensively-assembled squad to get Liverpool out of trouble.
Vieira has played little football with Inter this season and is also out of the picture at international level, failing to make the cut for Raymond Domenech's France squad before their World Cup play-off with Ireland earlier this month.
Domenech pointed to Vieira's lack of first team football when he explained his omission of the 1998 World Cup winner and that could provoke Vieira to leave Inter and move back to England.
Vieira is in demand with Tottenham, keen for an experienced midfield player for the second half of the season, also been linked with the player.
Van Vistelrooy has fallen down the pecking order at Real Madrid and is desperate for first-team football to secure a place at the World Cup.
Real may demand a fee for the Dutchman, and that could cause problems for Liverpool as Benitez may have to sell to raise funds for any move, with Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin expected to make way.
- Ian Johnson
