Yossi Benayoun Leaves Liverpool, Signs With Chelsea

Just a few days ago, when discussing Roy Hodgson's appointment to Liverpool, I mentioned that nearly any clubwould be happy to have the Israeli midfielder, whose attacking prowess was often overlooked by Rafa Benitez. But Chelsea? Yes, Michael Ballack is leaving, but I cannot comprehend why the oldest team in the Premier League is signing a 30-year-old to a three-year contract. The Blues need to be looking toward the future and this signing indicates that they're not yet focusing on finding young talent. What happened to your push for Marek Hamsik, Chelsea? He's 22 years old and fills the same role as Benayoun--and probably does it even better. But Carlos Ancelotti likes Yossi's behavior off the pitch, so perhaps he's looking for a role model for certain captains to look up to.

Benayoun will be missed by at least a few of the Liverpool faithful, who appreciate his ability to play multiple roles on the field and realized that it was Rafa, not his talent, that was holding him back.