Liverpool's assistant manager, Sammy Lee, believes there will be no repeat of the mistakes that undermined Gérard Houllier's tenure at Anfield when Rafael Benítez develops his team from a position of strength this summer.
Barring an unlikely set of results on Sunday, Liverpool will secure second place in the Premier League for the first time since Houllier followed his cup treble-winning campaign of 2001 with the runners-up spot in 2002. That pre-season, however, marked the point when Liverpool's gradual progression under the Frenchman slipped into reverse. Houllier declined the option to turn Nicolas Anelka's loan stay into a permanent deal and squandered £20m on El-Hadji Diouf, Bruno Cheyrou and Salif Diao instead, three catastrophic transfer failures that ultimately cost the manager his job.
Benítez will also seek to fine-tune rather than overhaul his squad this summer in an attempt to turn Liverpool into champions, and Lee is adamant the club's improvement will be maintained. "I'm totally convinced Rafa is the man for the job and that's not because I'm in situ with him," the assistant manager said. "I'm convinced he is the man to oversee what we need to do to go that extra bit to get what the club and fans want and need."
Lee added: "I was aware of what went on in 2002. That's why the clichés come in – there's no way we can afford to take anything for granted. I don't like to dwell on the past but we're aware of what happened. Although there's been an improvement we know there needs to be more. We have never made any false promises. We've always tried to remain grounded. We know what our ambitions are and I don't think that there's any conceit in wanting to win trophies and be the best, otherwise what would be the point?"
Liverpool's assistant manager took Friday's press conference as Benítez was engaged in "other commitments", and the Spaniard was therefore unable to answer questions on the uncertainty surrounding Xabi Alonso's future at Anfield. However, he later stated on the club's website: "It's very clear, Xabi has three years left and we do not want to sell him." Whether that resolve will withstand a lucrative offer from Real Madrid for the Spain midfielder remains to be seen.
Benítez must sell to satisfy all his transfer needs this summer and while he would be interested in signing Carlos Tevez, despite rejecting the chance to do so on several previous occasions, the Liverpool manager simply cannot afford the Manchester United forward at present. Gareth Barry and Glen Johnson are targets within his means, while Benítez would also pursue a deal for Valencia winger David Silva should he raise the funds. "We have some money, not big money," the Liverpool manager said. "But for me now it is not about how much, but how good they are for us."
Both Benítez and Lee refused to reveal whether Sami Hyypia would start against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, only confirming that the club's outstanding servant would be in the squad for his final game, and the assistant manager admitted there is disappointment at this season's trophyless campaign. "There certainly has been an improvement but it's not enough of an improvement as we don't have any trophies," said Lee. "No one at the club is 100% happy with the season, as every season we want to win something."
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