Arsenal shrink Crevoisier slams Liverpool signings: Jovanovic a joke, Cole benchwarmer

Arsenal shrink Jacques Crevoisier has slammed the signings made by Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson.

But the Frenchman insists he's still not as bad as Rafa Benitez.

Crevoisier, who spent two years at Anfield under Gerard Houllier, told So Foot: "There are too many such players at Liverpool. Ditto for Joe Cole - apart from a bit of technique, he has never been consistent.

"Let's not forget he spent most of his time on the bench at Chelsea and is on an enormous salary.

"It's a similar story for Christian Poulsen. I'm not a fan of his at all. Mascherano has more talent than Poulsen in one of his toes. Milan Jovanovic is a joke - there should be no place for him at Liverpool - while Philipp Degen and Maxi Rodriguez are rubbish.

"Great players don't come to Liverpool these days. Top players don't just join clubs for money, they also join to win trophies. And while some clubs offer both, Liverpool don't any longer.

"Steven Gerrard has carried the team for a long time but can't keep on going flat-out all the time. He and Torres must not be condemned as they have masked the inadequacies of their team-mates with extraordinary displays that they cannot reproduce in the long-term.

"Peter Crouch wanted to leave the club because he wanted to play matches. Benitez never changed his system irrespective of the players he had at his disposal.

"Crouch had to wait for Torres to break a leg before he got a game and Benitez virtually never picked them in the same team, so Crouch left to get playing time elsewhere."

And, ahead of Chelsea Chelsea's visit to Anfield tomorrow, Crevoisier reckons new Reds boss Roy Hodgson is now paying the price for all of Benitez's errors.

He added: "Benitez got rid of Houllier's legacy, then installed Spaniards at all levels of the club and dismissed people who had been there for decades - including some who had played a part in the club's history.

"He practised a scorched earth policy towards his predecessors.

"Now, if you look at Benitez's legacy, you'll say his scouts were no good. Has he left the club in good health? No. Has he prepared for the future? No.

"Benitez is a charmer. He comes on TV with a nice smile but I'm not fooled. People at Liverpool told me 'Rafa is a lucky b*****d, he got his personal glory from a single half in Istanbul'.

"Yes, he's a good tactician. When Houllier and I were at Liverpool, we lost twice to his Valencia team.

"I also don't forget that he led the team to the Champions League final but people are very disappointed with his way of working.

"I'm very sad to see such a great club struggling in the table but I don't think they will go down. They will finish around 10th.

"As for Roy Hodgson, I have a lot of respect for him. He knew he was arriving during a transitional period for Liverpool.

"He worked miracles at Fulham and will need time at Liverpool- who are a legendary club - but he is the manager they need."