19 Mar 2015

'100%' Done Deals? LFC legend claims exciting £46m attacking duo 'will' sign new deals with Liverpool

Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling continue to stall on signing new contracts with Liverpool, and as per usual, a lust for more money - or 'greed' as it's known in the real world - is the sticking point for both players, and the longer the deals go unsigned, the more likely it is that both players will be linked with moves away from Anfield. Reds legend Mark Lawrenson isn't worried, though, and he insists that Hendo and Sterling will definitely sign new deals in the near future.

In his column for the Liverpool Echo this week, Lawro claimed he'd be 'amazed' if both contracts don't get signed, and insisted it's only a matter of time before LFC seal both deals. He explained:

"It creates a bit of panic when you get towards the last couple of years of a contract, but I wouldn’t be too concerned. There are some wrinkles to be ironed out, but Sterling [£26m-rated] and Henderson [cost £20m] will stay. 100%"

Yes, they will stay at the club, for one reason alone: Liverpool will cave into their obscene salary demands, and they'll do so because Henderson and Sterling have superior bargaining positions:

* Both know that they're integral to the team's current success.
* They've both been overpraised to the extent that their egos are massively inflated.
* They're using that gross overpraise as a bargaining tool to get more money.

Indeed, according to two separate reports in the Liverpool Echo this week:

"The Reds offered Henderson £80k [but] that was rejected with Henderson wanting £120k. His camp insist he should command a similar kind of salary to the outgoing Gerrard and be among the club’s highest earners".

And:

"During negotiations they [Sterling's reps] have cited the fact that Rodgers has previously hailed the England international as the best young player in Europe and insist that as a result he should be paid accordingly"

Sterling reportedly wants £150k-a-week, which is greed of the highest order, but in comparison:

* Henderson's alleged demand is far more reasonable, and arguably more deserved.

* There's a difference between holding the club to ransom as a result of sheer greed, and requesting a figure commensurate with status, ability, and impact.

* £120k is still ridiculous, but it's an easier figure to justify given Henderson's importance to Liverpool over the last two years.

* Henderson is older than Sterling, and is probably Liverpool's next captain, so it's reasonable for him to expect a higher wage.

In comparison, Sterling is 20, and is is (IMO) less important to Liverpool than Henderson. £100k-a-week is more than a fair offer, and it's just disgraceful that he's trying to fleece the club for more.

Additionally, in what universe is it fair or acceptable for Sterling to be paid more than Henderson? For me, that's a big problem, and I'm sure it's a problem for Hendo, too. It wouldn't surprise me if his argument is: "Sterling is being offered £100k, so why are you offering me less"?

On a related note, I just don't understand why contracts have to be negotiated during the most crucial parts of the season. Why can't the club institute a blanket policy of only negotiating new deals in the summer? Contract issues create ridiculous media attention, and detract from the good work being done on the field.

Additionally, players can become distracted by negotiations, and this can have a negative impact on form. That doesn't appear to be happening with Henderson, but it arguably had an impact on Sterling earlier this season. If the club put a specific policy in place, there'd be no confusion, and it would allow the players and management to focus on football 100%.

As for the issue at hand: I genuinely believe it won't make a blind bit of difference if Liverpool sell Sterling to the highest bidder this summer. This is not Luis Suarez or Daniel Sturridge we're talking about here - Sterling's comparatively meagre goals/assist contribution is easily replaceable, and the Reds are perfectly capable of surviving without him.

Liverpool have a chance to draw a line in the sand, here, and hammer home the point that no player is bigger than the club. If LFC subjugates itself to Sterling's unreasonable demands, then it will be proof-positive that he is bigger than the club, and that will only set a negative precedent for future money-grabbing mercenaries.

Author:


73 comments:

  1. AndWithSuchSimplicity6:17 pm, March 19, 2015

    I would pay Henderson more than Sterling.
    He's reliable. He's captain. He can pass. He can shoot.

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  2. AndWithSuchSimplicity6:19 pm, March 19, 2015

    Sterling probably needs the extra money for child maintenance payments.

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  3. Agreed, I'm getting a bit fed up of Sterlings outrageous demands.

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  4. Question re Sterling, if he runs out his contract & does leaves on a free do we get compensation as he's been at Anfield since he was 16 or something.
    I think this rules only applies to domestic clubs but remember Chelsea having to pay Man City compensation after nabbing Sturridge on a free.
    If that is the case it strengthens our position massively

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  5. Sterling needs a reality check, he's a promising young player but far from the finished article. It's laughable that Real Madrid keep getting mentioned because he's simply not good enough to play in that team. He may be good enough in the future but he's a long way to go til then, he needs to give himself a slap, knuckle down and concentrate on the rest of the season.

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  6. agreed, sickens me this situation.. i would bin sterling in a heartbeat.. send a message to the footballing world that nobody is bigger then this club.. how this kid whos done nothing has the cheek to be looking to be the joint highest earner at the club is beyond me... be very careful what you wish for raheem because if the club does cave then you wil be judged as a 150 k a week player.. you cant hold the club to ransom then start crying about being a kid and needing time to develop... messi or ronaldo wernt on 150 k a week at 20 for gods sake...

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  7. I'm with you Jaimie. Wait until the end of the season. Settle a rate with Hendo, tell Sterling he won't get more than Hendo. Let him sit out the tour of Malaysia and tell him if he doesn't like it he can go. What Liverpool get for him would pay for a CD and a GK. Give Ibe a new contract. He will be better than Sterling,

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  8. Good point. According to which internet rumour you believe he could have anywhere between 6 and 38 children, and up to 15 grandchildren.

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  9. Came here from NewsNow. I could see the headlines say- " '100%' Done Deals: LFC legend claims exciting £46m attacking duo 'will' sign...".
    Jamie, stop click-baiting....

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  10. Clearly Sterling does not appreciate what Liverpool has done for him.
    Wanting to steal from the hand that feeds you !!

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  11. Oh just give it a rest. Its the same topic over and over again, just with a different ex-player stating his views.

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  12. Contract discussions should only take place in the summer, this should be written into every players contract. A sensible idea from our esteemed author.
    As for players salaries, with Sky and BT agreeing an exorbitant fee to televise the games it is obvious the players will want more money. It is us who end up paying in higher ticket prices and higher TV subscriptions. The money in football is obscene with so little being passed down the chain, why are our Sunday league teams playing on sloping waterlogged pitches with poor facilities? I think a players basic wage should be capped with performance related incentives on top. More money should be passed down from the Premiership to all the professional and amateur leagues below them.

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  13. Meanwhile, Everton are having it handed to them in Kiev. Wow.

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  14. I've been a staunch defendant of Sterling and his wage demands but I have to say my patience is starting to wear thin. Let's be honest he's not worth 150k a week and if someone were to offer £40M plus we should accept it straight away. He is replaceable and with the talent coming through plus the addition of someone like Depay or Firminio we could easily cope without him.

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  15. Do you remember after an early season loss we had some bloke on here telling us all how Everton were a dead cert to finish above us, and Liverpool were going to be in a relegation scrap, and that talk of finishing top-4 was deluded?

    He wouldn't shut up, it was awful, went on and on.

    Wonder how he's doing tonight.

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  16. Don't read about it then. It's not like he's making the wage demands of *you*, if he's making them at all. It's just paper talk. Who cares, really?

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  17. What you on about? I'm perfectoy entitled to read about it just as you are.

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  18. Both have shelved any further talks til the summer so they can concentrate on the rest of the season. I can only see that as a positive. They will both lose out on a substantial amount of money by waiting til the summer to renegotiate, especially Sterling who is 'only' going to earn 35k a week now til the end of the season. That doesn't strike me as players who are driven by money, it looks to me like two players who have had enough of all the speculation just now with so much at stake at this point of the season and have shelved a major distraction.
    The players want to stay, the club want them to stay so a compromise will inevitably be reached... In the summer. Until then there isn't really anything else to write about

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  19. Selling Raheem Sterling for £20-£30m now over a difference of a relatively trivial £5m in a 5-year contract, considering that, in the third year of that contract, we could conceivably sell him for £40-60m, does not look to me like a sensible bit of business.

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  20. Christiano Ronaldo only started blasting the goals in consistently around the age of 23. Sterling is only 20 now so the room for improvement is there. Still has many years ahead of him to develop into one of the best.


    We need to do what we can to keep Sterling for as long as possible. Fact is that there just ain't as many good young player as him floating around. We need to keep our best players in order to progress.

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  21. "In what universe is it fair or acceptable for Sterling to be paid more than Jordan Henderson?"
    The universe where Raheem Sterling has higher transfer market value! If we put both up for sale this summer there's no doubt in my mind we'd receive more money for Sterling.
    When everyone is healthy and performing at their best level, Raheem Sterling is without doubt a top 3 Liverpool player.Is Hendo?
    "Jordan Henderson is probably the next club captain, so it's reasonable for him to expect a higher wage" Being new Liverpool captain will be more about his character and leadership qualities.The influence he has on the pitch is secondary.The logic of a captain should automatically be paid more than others is simplistic.
    Should Cristiano Ronaldo be paid less than Real Madrid's captains Ramos and Iker Casillas? Of course not.Ronaldo makes a far bigger impact on getting positive results for the club!
    Your influence is starting to work and the patience from our fans is wearing thin.I see a swing in support for the anti-Sterling articles.

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  22. Where are you getting the exact figures from? We all know FSG include performance related elements to contracts these days. Are these numbers inclusive of these performance related elements and if so what are these elements?

    The media don't have a story unless the numbers are dramatic

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  23. whats the big deal either pay them or get rid its that simple i like both players but we would live on with out them ....leverage only works if you have a lever to pull

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  24. I'm not anti-Sterling, I'm anti-greed, and against players holding the club to ransom. It doesn't matter who it is. If, say, Jon Flanagan was doing the same, I'd be on his case too.

    I'm glad fan-patience is wearing thing; that's the way it should be.

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  25. Logan, I get your point, and it's one I was behind for a while until I looked at the situation closer. Sterling is very one dimentional as a player and most world class players aren't. Lets say he looses a step or two, do you think he has the ability (skill, shooting, vision) to still become world class. Ronaldo could do all the necessary basics to become a top player when he was 20 - it wasn't just speed with him (or most other world class players).
    Does Ronaldo use his pace often? Of course, but he could lose some speed and still be world class, not sure the same can be said about Sterling. People are (apparently) willing to pay 50-70mil for this guy and he wants 150k a week!?!? Between the wages and fee we can get two world class players with that and be better placed for success in the near future.
    I've said this recently, but I would rather have two world class players on my team than one potential world class player - it just makes better odds for success. This isn't a bash on Sterling because I really do like him as a player and attacking option; in my mind, this is just a business decision based on what's best short and long term for the club

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  26. Does anyone know what Coutinho's wage is since he signed a new contract?

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  27. Thought one of JK's articles quoted the echo saying 50-70. That money, plus the 100k we're offering Sterling now and the 300k in wages from both Gerrard and Johnson leaving and we have two world class players and not just one potetially world class player
    You're also banking on Sterling, a pretty one dimentional player, progressing significantly between now and some time in the future. The market is grossly high right now and, like Torres, I wouldnt want us shooting ourselves in the foot if he digresses in the same manner when we could have built something bigger

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  28. I think he's on 70k now having had his wages doubled

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  29. He isn't that good.he dribbles well scores little.not a team player.cash him in.he can sit on the bench at city.he doesn't impress me.he takes too many on and loses posession.greedy little tyke.

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  30. Agree with you again. Blimey.

    Sterling is less important than hendo. We lost the title last year when we could no longer press after hendo's ridiculous suspension.

    This year, we were rubbish when we couldn't press. Balo was only one factor in that.

    There are plenty of attackers out there with Sterling's *current* skill set. Admittedly, he may go on to be the next Robert Pires, but it's not worth destabilising the whole squad on a promise.

    50 mill and I would sell if he continues with this (apparent) attitude, though I would prefer to keep him on an a contract that rewards truly top class performances - he's worth 150 a year of he drives us into the ECL single handedly like Gerrard used to.

    The offer to Hendo is shameful if it is true.

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  31. We would get about 6 million

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  32. Pretty reasonable by all accounts. Be heavily incentivised I would think

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  33. Mark your spot on with what you say, neither Sterling or Henderson are worth that kind of money. Liverpool we are all watching you, do not cave in or the doors will be well and truly open. We have players at this club now who are not fit too wear the shirt, let alone with their obscene money they take home.

    The way this club conducts its buisness leaves a lot to be desired, and it's been this way for quite sometime. Wasting money on sub standard players, paying managers ridiculous amounts of compensation when they are sacked, when clearly they are failing in their duties. Paying compensation to other clubs for their manager and some of his back room staff, when he is only learning his trade, and on top of all that having too listen to his constant excuses and embarrassing comments.

    Whoever draws these contracts up in the first place needs to be more savvy in the future. Stop wasting this wonderful clubs money, and remember your nothing without our loyal support week in week out.

    YNWA

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  34. You told us last week that it had nothing to do with Sterling himself but you would not tolerate this contract greed from any player. Well, clearly here you are somewhat defending Henderson in his quest for more money over Sterling. Yes, I know you have given your reasons but it also shows you like to have a pop at Sterling when possible.

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  35. You keep saying you're just anti-greed and not anti-Sterling but here you had a perfect article to have a pop at Henderson as well but you again focused it on Sterling's greed.

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  36. This is straightforward for me.

    If Sterling can get 150k per week at other clubs then why shouldn't he demand it from us?

    If we can't match his demands, sell him this summer. We'll get more than £26 million for him. QPR get 25% of any fee, right?

    But I'm pretty sure we'll reach a compromise

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  37. Sterling does much more defensive work than you may think. He's not DIouf.

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  38. If another club are willing to pay this amount, then are we not right to compete and keep our best players. it's not right and the influence of agents is def in play here. Esp as they know what other clubs would be wiling to pay their player. Also if we look to brung in a replacement of the same quality then how much would that cost us? it's like when you get a player on a bosman, you pay higher wages because he is not costing you with regards to a fee. In a way we could be saving money here ( i know i know you are thinking whaaaaaaatttt). Also i would have sterling in our top 3 players at the cub. i am not saying this is right just saying i do see whats happening even if i don't like it

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  39. Because he's not worth it. Just because other clubs will pay over the odds doesn't mean we should.


    But like you said, more than likely we'll just reach a compromise anyway. It's just annoyinng that he is so blatantly overvaluing himself.

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  40. I've explained my stance on Henderson; if you don't like that, tough luck I'm afraid.

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  41. I've explained my stance on Henderson; for me, it's a totally different situation. Get over it.

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  42. I'm not saying I disagree. However, Sterling has been praised by the heirarchy at LFC and England since he was 18. He's been lauded as the next big thing and for being 'amazing'. His representatives have taken that high accolade into consideration along with one other simple fact. The Premier League just signed a GBP5bn+ new TV deal with Sky/BT, which is up 40+% on the past deal. The players and agents got the money before, so they want it now. The figures being demanded by Sterling and Hendo are just a reflection of this obscene increase, so probably 40+% higher than they are worth. By that maths, it stacks up - Club think Hendo is worth 80k. Add 40% and Hendo is after 110k. Club offered Sterling 100k, add 40% and Sterling's advisors want 140k.


    All I'm saying is that the clubs (all of them) have made a rod for their own backs, and you can't exactly blame the players or their advisors (seeing as the players ARE the product) demanding their fare share of the pot.

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  43. Oh I'm over it - it's all about personal opinions. But seeing this article turn into another pop at Sterling clearly weakens (IMO) your long running defence of only being anti-greed and confirms player bias.

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  44. Sterling will fall into the club's wage structure or he will be sold. I fully expect Liverpool to stick to their guns on this. The reality for the player is that if he doesn't sign a new contract under Liverpool's proposed terms then he'll either be sold or play out next season on his current wage.


    His agent is pushing for the highest deal because he can smell blood. Maybe in the past Liverpool were suckers and over-paid on wages but it won't happen now with the current owners and the people who are in charge of the club's activity. I think eventually they'll come to a point where Liverpool will put a final offer on the table and mean it. The agent's job is to know when that is, know when he's extracted every last possible penny. At that point he should go back to his client and tell him that this is the best Liverpool can do. If that's not enough for Sterling and he wants to go elsewhere for more money then we have a problem.

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  45. You're right, it's a competitive market. The PL announces these massive TV rights deals, clubs are suddenly flush with extra cash ... players are going to want a piece of that, and so they should. Otherwise where does the money go?

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  46. How very well said.

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  47. I fully believe with Gerrard (140k/wk) leaving in the summer and the possibility offloading both Glen johnson (90k/wk) and Balotelli (110k/wk), Liverpool will have no problem offering these two brilliant footballers the wages needed to tie the down. Not worried as the two of them also commented on focusing on finishing the season before signing a new contract. YNWA!!!!!

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  48. Agree that Hendo's demands are more reasonable. In an ideal world you'd
    hope he'd take 80k, two seasons ago if someone had suggested he'd be on
    that now I'd have laughed, but he's improved massively, and if he's
    going to be the captain, I suppose he expects a captains wage.
    Sterling
    I would like to stay, got a feeling it's really going to sting if we
    lose him for less than he's worth and then he blossoms. However, I have
    enough faith in Rodgers that if he does leave he'll be replaced with
    someone who will contribute more to the team ethic, in terms of
    attitude. You can't build your whole philosophy around teamwork and then
    have exceptions like Sterling's apparent greed, and Balotelli's manic
    self infatuation

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  49. No i dont think we do have a problem he is still a long way from being world class and the ridiculous sums thrown around about his value transfer wise.
    If any club were to say 50 million id take it as good as he may or may not turn out to be i wouldnt be paying him 150k p.w, wages should be paid on merit not potential.

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  50. 100% Agreed that he can be replaced, what we currently have is "potential" How do you pay 150k per week for potential, quite frankly speaking if these shenanigans continue, I would be glad to see him go!!!! He is definitely NOT worth the money he is demanding right now!

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  51. just imagine if their 'representatives', thought maybe the fans could get cheaper tickets. Imagine that

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  52. I dont think he will reach the heights of Ronaldo. I used to hope he would.But with all this money talk, I'm starting to question if I do

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  53. As someone said above. Clubs make rods for their own backs. Dan Studs is on a reported 150 a week. Is he better than Hendo or Raheem? Crazy crazy shiznit. These greedy people shouldnt be thinking more tv more money. They should gather around. (us being 1st club to do it). And reduce ticket prices by at least 20%. why not hay

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  54. Hate to say it but I think PC will be in spain within next two seasons. It is every south Americans destiny. I hope not like

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  55. I really don't get the hate for players trying to get as much money as they can. In any walk of life if you are negotiating a new contract with work or when you take up a new job you want to make sure you get paid as much as possible, most people would try to get as much money as they could in their position.


    Henderson 120k per week on a new 5 year deal that will take him up to his 29th Birthday, most of those years he will be Liverpool Captain if his current progress and path continues. Seems reasonable and fair to me.


    Sterling cannot be offered more than Henderson, i would suggest a cap of 110-115k for him if Henderson will get 120k. However you also have to look at the transfer fee and wages you would need to lay out to replace him should he contact be allowed to run down.


    Even if Sterling was to be given 110k per week over a 4 year deal that equates to approx 22.9M. When you look at signing a replacement take Markovic as an example. 20m Transfer fee plus 7.2m wages over 4 years (35k per week) would equate to 27.8m. So the key here is to make sure that Sterling's contract is either sorted this summer or he is sold to the highest bidder before he is out of contract so ensure the club still come out on top.

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  56. The question is though if other clubs will pay it, then surely not over valuing himself is he? As that is his value. The market determines value.


    If a number of people are willing to offer x amount for something then that is its value.

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  57. Dont forget people laughed at Ronaldo and called him a one trick pony for his step overs before he progressed. People doubted he would add end product, they were very wrong...

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  58. This is what happens when the manager, fans and press start over-hyping them.
    Both could easily be replaced, as long as FSG is prepared to pay the going rate. If not, then they'll leave anyway and we're back to square one.

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  59. You may be right but if so who do these people think they are, like the post below says wouldn't it be amazing if the extra money was passed on to make tickets prices cheaper for fans. If you think about it, how long has Sterling contract negotiations been dragging on? 3 months? He could of been on £100k for the last 3 months, instead of only being on £30k. So even with my pathetic maths he's missed out on over £800k in wages. Like JK says the greed shown by certain players is appalling, I could sort of understand it if Sterling was an established player at his peak, but he's not, he's just turned 20 and has a long way to go til he's the finished article. These players have no understanding of reality.

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  60. If I was Henderson I would be completely pissed off at the news that they offered Sterling more money and rightly so. What the hell were they thinking.

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  61. Problem is the agents talking in their ear. They know they could go to another club and double the wages on the table from LFC. Not much loyalty these days, sad but that's the reality. If we don't up the offer then we could risk losing them and they are integral to the team moving forward.

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  62. Henderson is asking 120k to get to 100. 120 may be a bit much but in fairness 80 is a bit low. Both him and Coutinho have a similar impact on the team but since he's the vice captain, he has added responsibility. Sterling should work on his final ball first for another year or so before he is at their level.

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  63. Stickhwiththeprogramme10:49 am, March 20, 2015

    Seeing as Brendan was in such a hurry to name Henderson vice-captain he simultaneously painted himself into the proverbial corner. Hence he has a case on more formal grounds, i.e., why should the vice-captain make half of a non-playing right back?
    Sterling, though, is a different issue. He doesn't have anything to show for save for a cute face and a general FIFA -15 appeal. Footy-wise he's pretty average. People harp on month after month about his talent. Yet, after almost two full seasons as an integrated first team player he can't score from open chances, can't get past opposition, can't score or place key passes. Nor is he any good at holding the ball. His movement, though, is good and often serve the team well as it creates space for others. But seriously, couldn't we get more than just movement for the money he's asking.
    In short, Brendan needs to learn to stop overpraising his players or he's gonna end up having to pay relatively unproven and/or average players huge amounts of money.

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  64. Rumours in papers are facts now? The number 150,000 picked from some journalist's arse.

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  65. Perhaps these incentives are stopping PC giving the ball to Studge, I know he has a couple of goals from outside the box but PC seems to have forgotten how to pass.

    Wonder if RS got paid during his mid season holiday? I know he did, but should he if it was a mutual agreement?

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  66. Do you even check facts before making these statements? Sterling has produced 62 key passes this season (Squarka) 9 goals and 6 assists. He has a 56% accuracy ratio when shooting and an 82% pass completion. 2nd highest scorer and highest if pens are ignored.
    I appreciate your view might be that he is overrated, but your assertions just don't fit the facts
    Nobody is mentioning the fact that he was pretty much our only attacking threat for the first half of this season.
    Nobody really knows what he's been offered or what he is willing to accept
    JK doesn't rate him as highly as BR. And makes excuses for Hendo in the same position based on conjecture. Why does Hendo have to compare himself in negotiations to Sterling's potential wage when he has Johnson already on more for the past 4 years? Sterling is trying to get as big a wage rise as possible. Get over it.

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  67. Na Phil's here for the long haul

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  68. They could always lower ticket prices...

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  69. wouldn't pay them more than 100k. sterling is clearing more talented that henderson who is an average player in the EPL. definitely no vidal. i actually think that 80k is just about right. he's been useless until about a yr ago.

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  70. My post is removed because I may have highlighted some bias on your part. I made a very valid point in a calm/polite manner. So that's how the site is run.

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  71. Spot on mate

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  72. I admit I was one of those who said that but only because of the comparisons that were coming out of UTD claiming he'd be the next George Best and surpass the real Ronaldo and whatnot. But while the jury was out as to whether he'd be world class, there wasn't a question about his skill in my mind. He would do his step overs, skin the defender down the by-line, and put in consistent crosses not to mention chiping in with a respectible amount of goals which isnt a one-trick pony. Remember he scored 12 goals at age 20 and the next year scored 23....he hasn't scored less than that to date. Do we really think Sterling can get there with the skill you and I have observed? Speed can only do so much and the market is currently grossly overvaluing him. Again, not trying to slate the man because I truly do support him, but I feel if an offer of 50mil+ comes in we have to sell

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