Monday, May 09, 2011

Hughes Applauds Reds' Business

Fulham manager Mark Hughes believes Liverpool are currently benefiting from replacing Fernando Torres with Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll.

Torres left Anfield for Chelsea in January for a British transfer record fee of £50million and boss Kenny Dalglish acted swiftly to bring in reinforcements.

Uruguay international Suarez was drafted in from Ajax for £23m, before Dalglish completed the signing of 22-year-old striker Carroll from Newcastle on transfer deadline day.

The inflated £35m-plus price tag for Carroll raised more than a few eyebrows, but Hughes believes Liverpool, who travel to Fulham on Monday night, have done some shrewd business.

"I think the view is that they've done good business in terms of the two players they've got in with the money they've got for Torres," he said.

"Given the way it's panned out for Fernando Torres, you'd argue at this moment in time it's the better deal, only because the two guys that have gone in at Liverpool seem to have very quickly struck up a partnership and that seems to be working well for Liverpool.

"Right through the history of football, there's great partnerships and there are always examples of where one player triggers off the good, positive parts of another player.

"And there are signs that there's the possibility Carroll and Suarez will obviously continue in the same vein and be a very strong partnership for Liverpool for years to come."

Hughes was also quick to praise the work Dalglish has done in his second spell at the helm of Liverpool.

"It's probably the personality of the manager, I would suggest, because he always played with a smile on his face," added Hughes.

"At times, he'd moan and groan as a player. But, certainly, when you see him with a big smile, that filters through to the group he's working with, I'm sure."

No comments: