In a difficult week for Liverpool, which say the team crash out of the FA Cup to lowly Reading, fans have taken a crumb of comfort from the one piece of good news to come out of Anfield.
Maxi Rodriguez sealed his free transfer from Atletico Madrid on Wednesday afternoon, after completing a medical on Merseyside.
The 29-year-old Argentinian has signed a three-and-a-half year deal, and becomes the first signing of what could be a busy month for Rafa Benitez - on and off the field.
So what can Liverpool fans expect from their new number 17? We asked Goal.com International's Chief Editor, Ewan Macdonald, for his expert opinion.
So Ewan, Maxi has signed. What type of player can Liverpool supporters expect?
Liverpool can expect, in the short term, a player competent at the top level with plenty of hunger and much to prove. Maxi was, for the bulk of his career both, in Argentina and Spain, a talismanic figure, adept both on the right and up front, and isn't shy when faced with goal.
However, he is also a player who has had problems with injury, which is why this three-and-a-half year deal has raised plenty of eyebrows in Spain. He is no stranger at all to the operating table. Given that he'll be the wrong side of 30 in a year's time, one has to wonder about the long-term nature of this deal
Rafa Benitez is known for adhering to a rather rigid 4-2-3-1 system, how do you see Maxi fitting in tactically at Liverpool?
Actually, Liverpool's 4-2-3-1 is not so drastically different to the 4-4-2 Atletico Madrid operated during his time there. For Gerrard and Torres, read Aguero and Forlan. The latter two are both more strike-minded, of course, but the line-ups are still united by a double pivot of defensive midfielders that permits the wide players to get forward.
Obviously Rafa will hope that Maxi offers a better touch and a better mode of support to Torres than Kuyt, but the Dutchman, for his flaws, is hard-working and understands the positioning of this Liverpool side well.
In other words, Maxi can slot in perfectly in an attacking sense, but it might take a while for the team to find balance.
Maxi played alongside Fernando Torres at Atletico Madrid, how was their relationship? Do you think he is the kind of player who will supplement Torres when he eventually returns from injury?
It was from Torres that he inherited the captaincy at Atletico. They were both at the club for two seasons, but in the second one Maxi spent the vast bulk of it on the sidelines, and in the first (05/06) Maxi was often playing a lot more centrally than he does these days.
Certainly they both enjoyed excellent campaigns and seemed to work well together but Maxi is generally playing out wide a lot more these days so there's not too much we can take from it.
Then again Rafa could surprise us all and put him up front!
Benitez spoke about Maxi's "character" and "strong mentality", are these attributes for which he is renowned?
All of these claims are true. It is easy to forget, given his rather hasty and unceremonious departure from the Calderon, that he was club captain for the better part of two seasons. It just so happened that these campaigns were also generally successful ones for Atleti - 2007-08 saw them enter the Champions League for the first time since their title-winning days of the mid-nineties.
Of course he's been sent off for Argentina in undignified circumstances... but then again who hasn't?!
The 2010 World Cup is fast approaching, is Maxi likely to go to South Africa with Argentina?
Well there was recently released a list of 14 players that Diego Maradona had allegedly already settled on for his World Cup squad - Maxi's name was not present.
This doesn't mean too much. Maradona changes his squad on a match-by-match basis - but it's true that Maxi was not in favour towards the end of qualification.
His main competition on the right comes from Jonas Gutierrez, but it is more likely to be tactical reasons that keep him out. A roaming Messi backed up by Veron seems to be Maradona's choice right now, and that means no traditional right-winger.
Still, if Maradona wants options, and Maxi's playing well, he will probably go due to his versatility and experience, if not as a starter.
Maxi Rodriguez sealed his free transfer from Atletico Madrid on Wednesday afternoon, after completing a medical on Merseyside.
The 29-year-old Argentinian has signed a three-and-a-half year deal, and becomes the first signing of what could be a busy month for Rafa Benitez - on and off the field.
So what can Liverpool fans expect from their new number 17? We asked Goal.com International's Chief Editor, Ewan Macdonald, for his expert opinion.
So Ewan, Maxi has signed. What type of player can Liverpool supporters expect?
Liverpool can expect, in the short term, a player competent at the top level with plenty of hunger and much to prove. Maxi was, for the bulk of his career both, in Argentina and Spain, a talismanic figure, adept both on the right and up front, and isn't shy when faced with goal.
However, he is also a player who has had problems with injury, which is why this three-and-a-half year deal has raised plenty of eyebrows in Spain. He is no stranger at all to the operating table. Given that he'll be the wrong side of 30 in a year's time, one has to wonder about the long-term nature of this deal
Rafa Benitez is known for adhering to a rather rigid 4-2-3-1 system, how do you see Maxi fitting in tactically at Liverpool?
Actually, Liverpool's 4-2-3-1 is not so drastically different to the 4-4-2 Atletico Madrid operated during his time there. For Gerrard and Torres, read Aguero and Forlan. The latter two are both more strike-minded, of course, but the line-ups are still united by a double pivot of defensive midfielders that permits the wide players to get forward.
Obviously Rafa will hope that Maxi offers a better touch and a better mode of support to Torres than Kuyt, but the Dutchman, for his flaws, is hard-working and understands the positioning of this Liverpool side well.
In other words, Maxi can slot in perfectly in an attacking sense, but it might take a while for the team to find balance.
Maxi played alongside Fernando Torres at Atletico Madrid, how was their relationship? Do you think he is the kind of player who will supplement Torres when he eventually returns from injury?
It was from Torres that he inherited the captaincy at Atletico. They were both at the club for two seasons, but in the second one Maxi spent the vast bulk of it on the sidelines, and in the first (05/06) Maxi was often playing a lot more centrally than he does these days.
Certainly they both enjoyed excellent campaigns and seemed to work well together but Maxi is generally playing out wide a lot more these days so there's not too much we can take from it.
Then again Rafa could surprise us all and put him up front!
Benitez spoke about Maxi's "character" and "strong mentality", are these attributes for which he is renowned?
All of these claims are true. It is easy to forget, given his rather hasty and unceremonious departure from the Calderon, that he was club captain for the better part of two seasons. It just so happened that these campaigns were also generally successful ones for Atleti - 2007-08 saw them enter the Champions League for the first time since their title-winning days of the mid-nineties.
Of course he's been sent off for Argentina in undignified circumstances... but then again who hasn't?!
The 2010 World Cup is fast approaching, is Maxi likely to go to South Africa with Argentina?
Well there was recently released a list of 14 players that Diego Maradona had allegedly already settled on for his World Cup squad - Maxi's name was not present.
This doesn't mean too much. Maradona changes his squad on a match-by-match basis - but it's true that Maxi was not in favour towards the end of qualification.
His main competition on the right comes from Jonas Gutierrez, but it is more likely to be tactical reasons that keep him out. A roaming Messi backed up by Veron seems to be Maradona's choice right now, and that means no traditional right-winger.
Still, if Maradona wants options, and Maxi's playing well, he will probably go due to his versatility and experience, if not as a starter.
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