Rafa did make mistakes during his reign (most notably, that awful transfer window in the summer of 2008)
27 DF Philipp Degen Borussia Dortmund Free[3] 03-07-2008
2 DF Andrea Dossena Udinese Ł7 million 04-07-2008
1 GK Diego Cavalieri Palmeiras Ł3 million 11-07-2008
24 FW David N'Gog Paris Saint-Germain Ł1.5 million 24-07-2008
7 FW Robbie Keane Tottenham Hotspur Ł19.3 million[4][5] 28-07-2008
TBA FW Vítor Flora Botafogo Free 01-09-2008
42 GK Péter Gulácsi MTK undisclosed 01-09-2008
11 MF Albert Riera Espanyol Ł8 million[6] 01-09-2008
In some ways, yes it looks awful. But on paper it shouldn't have turned out that way. You can't class such things as 'mistakes', Degen was a free but very obviously is going to retire early.
Dossena was a good buy, but just never settled into England, nevermind settling into Liverpool. Players can say one thing in the interview, but the reality of grey November days is the real litmus test, and he didn't like it and he put weight on too easy, but our training wasn't long enough for him to keep in shape.
Mistake? Not really is it? Every player is a gamble, we gambled on an Italian international making it in his country, it SHOULD work on paper.
Cavalieri was solid enough.
Keane, ok, I'll put that one down as a mistake but I'm reluctant to because there are reams of rumours as to who bought him and why he was sold. But you can have that one.
Flora and Gulasci, youth.
NGog, great buy.
Riera, outstanding buy, loved him. But he went wrong, started believing his own hype when he got his Spain caps. Can't blame Rafa for that.
In terms of sales...
GK Scott Carson West Bromwich Albion Ł3.25 million[7] 18-07-2008
15 FW Peter Crouch Portsmouth Ł11 million[8] 11-07-2008
3 MF Steve Finnan Espanyol Undisclosed 01-09-2008
– MF Danny Guthrie Newcastle United Ł2.25 million 11-07-2008
7 FW Robbie Keane Tottenham Hotspur Ł12 million[9] 02-02-2009
7 MF Harry Kewell Galatasaray Free[10] 05-07-2008
6 DF John Arne Riise Roma Ł4 million[11] 01-07-2008
– FW Anthony Le Tallec Le Mans[12] Ł1.1 million 02-07-2008
Carson, meh, what's he doing now?
Crouch, word is that he wasn't happy playing second fiddle to Torres and was offered a bit more money to play second fiddle to Defoe at Spurs. Crouch was also a lippy so and so, he liked a back-page when things didn't suit him. Rafa said he wouldn't be sold for less than Ł15m. The board sold him for Ł11m.
Finnan. Pass. In hindsight it would have been good to keep him, but not sure what the final reason for his leaving was, probably not offered a new contract but then again who knows how much we were being squeezed to cut wages?
Guthrie? Again, you don't know if he wanted to leave or not, but the lad was competing for a place with Alonso, Masch, Lucas and Spearing.
Keane? Pass.
Kewell? Had to go in the end, just as Aurelio had to go last season, you cannot build a team with players who spend so much time injured, it's a nonsense.
Riise? It felt like the right time for a change, things just didn't seem to be working down the left side and Riise had come in for much criticism in the previous season.
Le Tallec? Hmmm.