13 May 2015

Monster Deal: Liverpool fighting to sign 'world-class' £50m striker with 36 goals and assists this season

Unless there's a miracle of biblical proportions over the next two weeks, Liverpool will not feature in next season's Champions League. The Reds will have to make do with the Europa League, which means that 90% of transfer rumours from this point onwards can be immediately dismissed, including the current link with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.

In December, The Telegraph claimed that Liverpool were preparing a massive £50m (€63m) January bid for Benzema, and according to reports in Spain this week:

* Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool are all interested in signing Benzema, who has 36 goals/assists in 44 games this season.

* Real want to sell the 27-year old 'at the peak of his value' and use the money buy a more 'prolific' striker.

Liverpool have been linked with Benzema a many times in the past, but despite the ongoing speculation, Spanish football pundit Guillem Balague emphatically insists that there is no possibility of Benzema signing for Liverpool. He recently told Sky Sports:

"There is no way Benzema would go to Liverpool. It is impossible. He is essential to the Real team and a favourite of President Florentino Perez.”

Liverpool clearly need another top class striker, but I'm not convinced Benzema is the answer.

The Reds need a Suarez-like player; someone with skill and invention who can create things for himself, rather than having to (mostly) rely on service, and Benzema doesn't fit the bill, especially for £40m-£50m.

To be fair, Benzema has stepped it up at Madrid over the last 18 months, and Gerard Houllier insists that he is in a golden period of his career. In a recent interview with Journal du Dimanche, the former LFC boss enthused:

"Benzema has always been a goalscorer, but he has improved [working] with his team-mates. He is not just a poacher. He is good at assisting and mentally he is very strong. He is now falling into the category of world-class players"

I don't believe this rumour for one second. Money talks, but outside that, why would Benzema swap the Bernabeu for Anfield?

* Madrid are guaranteed to challenge for the top trophies every single year, whereas Liverpool cannot maintain a consistent top-four place.

* Rodgers is incapable of attracting top-class players, and I sincerely doubt that Benzema even knows who he is.

* With Steven Gerrard leaving, there are no players at Anfield capable of enticing Benzema to the club.

* Even if Liverpool are interested, the strategy of sending Ian Ayre to seal the deal is not going to cut it.

If Rodgers stays, I doubt he'll have enough money to pay £40m+ for one player, but even if he's granted a significant transfer budget, most of it will inevitably go on young, developing players with minimal experience and/or average, overpriced British players.

If Liverpool can't attract Memphis Depay, Diego Costa, or Alexis Sanchez, what hope is there of bringing Benzema to the club?

Author: Jaimie K



337 comments:

  1. Good Article again but we all know that we had to make top 4 to have any chance of attracting such players. I understand that an announcement on the future of Ayre and BR will be made on 26 May - should be interesting

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  2. I dont know about most fans but I hope we sell Sterling A S A P - If a London club is involved then we should ask for more - because this move has stank of an illegal approach for months - To Man City £40million - To a London club £50 million plus a free player

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  3. Interesting assumption ,but their must be something in it ,ifhe is already making plans !

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  4. Ibe is refusing to sign an improved contract. That's the rumours doing the rounds, if it's true, I'd like to say that I anticipated Ibe being a Sterling mark 2.

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  5. Have to admit that this is rather implausible but at the same time, I hope Ayre et al realise that after the BLaB debacle (Borini, Lambert, Balotelli) we can't afford to be so underwhelming in terms of strikers next season. Either Rodgers changes his training methods to coax more goals out of our midfielders and defenders, splurging hugely may not be the answer, unless that marquee signing proves to be an excellent fit. With the BLaB boys's fates allegedly uncertain and Origi coming in as well as, reputedly, Ings, we need at least one or two more goal-capable players that fit into the way we play. Truth be told, we cannot afford to rely on Studge, as much of an asset he hopefully still is for us.

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  6. Where did you get that from?

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  7. Or it could be the press doing their usual just because he has not yet signed the contract offered. He may well go but to keep up with the conspiracy theorists it means several clubs will have been tapping him up. Whilst this is possible this is less than likely imo

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  8. Oh I blame his Mum

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  9. It is only 2 weeks to the end of the season and contract negotiations are on hold until then. The difference between Ibe and Sterling is that Ibe has already stated his intent on signing a new contract and hopefully this is just the usual dance that goes on in contract negotiation.

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  10. Liverpool at the moment couldn't attract any world class player without massive amounts of cash.Liverpools current manager doesn't have any pulling power when it comes to top flight players.With mid par performances,and mid par players,things are looking ominous.I'm hoping B.R will surprise all,and get Liverpool back in the top 4 with some decent recruiting,fingers crossed.YNWA

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  11. I sent this a month ago to BEAST.........On a final note, I read an article in the echo that suggested that lfc has now become a selling club based on the recent testimonial match. All the top ex players either went on to win higher honours, Alonso, Torres or seeking higher honours, Saurez. Our sustained underachievement for decades has rendered us a stepping stone club. Just a reminder to those who say sell Sterling who cares we have Ibe or Ojo. Don't worry in a few years it will be ground hog day. This will continue with all our bright talent then we'll be just like spurs.

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  12. £117m last summer = Massive amount of cash.

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  13. With what they got back on players going,out how much did they spend?

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  14. We were linked with Benzema last summer when we did have champions league and didn't get him then. In fact when we had champions league players were still turning us down left right and centre so if you ask me there's another reason why these players don't come our way.man u last summer with no champions league to look forward to still managed to sign some top internationals including a real Madrid first team player di Maria . We had champions league to look forward to and I can tell you now if we went in for him too at the same time he still would of gone to Man U. Why is that ? None of these playef have a loyalty to Man U or Liverpool so I would of thought they'll go to where they can get the best deal ie wages and I would of thought Man U will offer more wages then what we do as we have s tighter wage budget . Theirs no point going round and round in circle and saying oh but we've got no champs league and that's why etc . If that was the reason then we could of bought better last season I would of thought . We have no choice but to accept FSG want to improve our revenue , cut down on the wage bill and get Liverpool in a better financial position which they have already . This means we will not be bringing in any top players full stop . Lacazette, Benzema . Forget these types of players because we will not be getting them . This will make breaking into a top 4 now on impossible with the top 4 bringing in top stars whilst we're bringing iin average youngsters for the future in the hope they turn out to be great. It's just something we have to put up with as annoying as it is . Don't expect champs league next season either , welcome to Liverpool Danny Ings and james Milner . 😂. Next seasons over already

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  15. Net spend was around 25-30mn in the summer.

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  16. You're right! I was being premature. I still think that it will go the way of Sterling in a few seasons.

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  17. I agree with a lot of your post except for the conclusion. It will be difficult to compete with the top four clubs using the FSG strategy but as last year showed it is possible we really were not far off CL qualification this year either after a lot of disturbance to the team and injury to our only goal scorer.
    People seem to think finishing a close fifth is nothing and all our players are average. The truth is a little better than that and if we can keep a more settled side and let the youngsters develop with the odd addition we can give the teams above more than a run for their money especially as they will have CL to distraction them.
    In Brendan we trust (just joking about that but realised I haven't seen that comment for a while;-))

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  18. You have some good points but never give up hope we have a young side that will improve.
    You never know which of the top 4 may stumble thats the great thing about the EPL it is unpredictable.

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  19. I have that problem sometimes it helps to think about Ann Widdecombe

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  20. I knew that was coming. I tried to word it carefully. Detention for you Stuart C!

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  21. Really? I'm sure I saw Logan post 'In Brendan we trust' just the other day ;-)

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  22. Yep you never know. At least if we do manage to break into the top 4 we can say we did it with mainly youngsters and without bringing in the top players like the top 4 do

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  23. He's just a rose tinted spectacle wearing, optimistic BR apologist

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  24. When you post comments like "I knew that was coming" - you make it "hard" for me- I mean difficult (ooer !missus!)

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  25. Well when you know it is coming think of Ann.

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  26. I guessed that date because it was just after season finished that F S G sacked Kenny - Anyway good to see them sweating after the season we just had.Aspas sold for £4 million and Ings bought for £3 million - who said we dont make big deals ha ha.That is why B R remains so far - Rafa would tell FSG GET REAL

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  27. If Sturridge was fit all season maybe we would of . It is amazing how close we did get considering our main buys , Lovren, lallana, Balotteli Sahko markovic have all been disappointing in there first season for us . It does make you think Rodgers brings the wrong players in but on the other hand they all pretty much have age on there side so may improve.Out of last seasons signings I have high hopes for can and perhaps he could move up to his natural position of holding mid . Would be like a new signing especially if he can improve on the back of a good first season

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  28. Of those teams above us only Arsenal payed less. They didn't lose their top scorer to do it though.

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  29. So how much more total should LFC have spent then? And how many more players should we have added after signing 9 players last summer?


    That is why the net spend argument is so flawed.

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  30. Arsenal paid out more in net terms though I assume?

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  31. FSG empty the coffers under the FFP rules if any manager wastes it well they have no right to complain.
    Rafa will never be hired back unfortunately.

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  32. Yes and we failed to replace ours. Irrespective of how things want to be sugar coated, LFC spent £117m last summer, a record amount for this club in one window.


    And yet still excuses want to be made.

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  33. Not more players just more expensive in fee and wages.

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  34. Not sugar coating, just stating facts.

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  35. Yes Logan we are all upset over the spending none more than me all we can do is hope the signings fire next season to absolve our woes.

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  36. Last summer was a case of our manager being like a kid in a candy store with money falling out of his pockets.

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  37. Ibe has been offered 25k p/w, 3x more than his current wage ,he is wanting double ?
    Interesting and testing times ahead for Ayre !

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  38. Chelsea had a net transfer income of 4mn in the summer. They bought quality in Fab and Costa. Arsenal bought impact players.

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  39. A young exciting player playing for a top premier league side IF that offer is true it really does spell problems ahead for the club.

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  40. Stuart C *Hyacinth Bucket voice* young man!

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  41. Nope that is just a trite metaphor that gets bandied about by the unimaginative. We needed more players to replace outgoings and to accommodate more competitions. Everyone knee this. The failures lie in not signing the right kinds of striker. Not preparing for Suarez leaving and Sanchez not choosing us. All players signed have been a part of this season and can well improve.

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  42. I knee nuthink!!!!

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  43. The problems this club has at the moment is that we have no reliable strikers, Gerrard is leaving, Sterling will most likely leave and our defence quite simply still is not good enough.


    If Rodgers is still in charge then I would suggest to keep your expectations to the bare minimum as he will not have another £117m transfer kitty and will struggle to attract quality players.

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  44. Ayre really needs to get his head around the wage structure at Liverpool to keep the best .

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  45. Our net was what twenty five million. So is that important or not? Arsenal bought the only player we planned to get to actually replace Suarez. Which is obviously a failure. Chelsea signed players we should have been looking T but again are unlikely to pay such wages. Costa having the same agent as Mourinho probably is a factor.

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  46. No it was a matter of not getting who you want and having to settle.

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  47. agree its all about who pays the higher wage,not who can offer champions league or what city a club is from.This was made clear with as you say the players man u brought in without champions league.sad but true.

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  48. Edited now your the silly one 😋

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  49. Having to settle? So if it is not what he wanted then why blow £117m of LFC's money for the sake of settling?


    If that is the case then our manager needs to go as he is clearly wasting LFC's money.


    This is £117m we are speaking about. No a couple of pennies.

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  50. I read somewhere that he will get 30m plus the money from players sold ?

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  51. Having to settle? So if it is not what he wanted then why spend £117m of LFC's money for the sake of settling?

    If that is the case then our manager needs to go as he is clearly wasting LFC's money.

    This is £117m we are speaking about. No a couple of pennies.

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  52. Very true . It is not FIFA you don't just make a list of players you want and then just sign them. We did manage to sign a number of players and some have worked, some might need time and some may not work out That is the problem when you have to be creative in the market.


    I can only imagine what the reaction would have been if BR merely said we could not get te players we wanted so we're sticking with what we've got.

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  53. Having to settle? So if it is not what he wanted then why spend £117m of LFC's money for the sake of settling?

    If that is the case then our manager needs to go as he is clearly wasting LFC's money.

    This is £117m we are speaking about. There can be no excuses here.

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  54. So BR had no other backup plan for Sanchez? Having a same agent is not a factor IMO, less wages are. I wish we had spent 100mn on transfers and wages of 2-3 players instead of buying 8-9 duds.

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  55. Sakho has not been disappointing. Arguably our best CB. Lallana has had flashes but been massively injury stricken this season. I think of the City and Swansea games and wonder if we can get more of that from him next season. Markovic has qualities but is still really young. Would love if people would allow the youngsters some time.

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  56. Not if he edits now and makes a really profound sttement....j

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  57. We needed more players? Lambert, Lallana, Balotelli, Lovren, Markovic...all of them are hardly getting any games. Not sure we needed such expensive squad players just to add the numbers.

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  58. He is always putting square pigs in round homes. Or something.

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  59. Yep then those 2 players get injured

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  60. You are wasting your time.

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  61. Rodgers will not be here next season, well that is what I make of it ;-)

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  62. Rohan Anderson7:52 am, May 13, 2015

    Horrible contract timings
    Inability to sign top players
    Horribly overpriced average signings.
    Whats going on?

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  63. Well i reckon Balotelli Lambert and Borini are gone also Aspas i think Ings is a good start a better finisher than Borini and is still young.
    Personally Sterling can go as long as we get a ridiculous amount yes we need a top finisher that i agree.
    As for the defense well they have had a season hopefully it will be better settled next season, i think playing wing backs hurt us a bit as the players we had didnt cope real well.
    The young players we have will improve and as long as we have some luck with injuries we should get back on track.

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  64. Starts with a B and ends with an S.

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  65. What's the prize for the best answer?

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  66. Brendan's square pegs in round holes

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  67. I think if FSG don't sack BR this summer than it probably means that BR isn't responsible for transfer failures?

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  68. Balo has had twenty odd apearneces. Lallana has thirty. Lovren has twenty odd. That is a decent some of games for all. Lallana is the only one of those.I.really rate but feel.Markovic needs time due to.his age. Lallana needs a bit of luck with injuries. So yeah we did need a bigger squad. Surprised why I am having to have this discussion especially as it was excepted as fact in the summer.

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  69. Driving Rodgers out of Anfield and him paying for drinks as soon as he is told to leave at the end of the season.

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  70. I asked you this yesterday you tell me who we can and should get its ok to be critical i am too but you must have answers of your own as to better options.

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  71. Did they back him in January?

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  72. Top of the league last January and no additions then.

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  73. We did not need any new additions that time did we?


    FSG did not even want to bring Origi back as they would have had to dish out more money to sign him in January then what they would at the end of the season.

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  74. With such transfer fees, these players should have been a more integral part of the squad. Replace Balotelli's 20 odd appearances with Borini, Lallana's thirty with Jordan Ibe and Lovren with anyone you like. It wouldn't have made any difference if we played players we already have instead of new signings. I feel for Lallana too but 25mn was always going to be too much to justify. Markovic is one of the most ridiculous transfer of the summer. I agree we needed to build a large squad but we should have focused on quality of squad too.

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  75. BR, the committee, the scouts who actually watch players and compile the lists. I agree that lack of further options was a failure. Having the same agent, super agent, surge of the game Jorge Mendez is almost certainly a factor. Especially when. You see who.else he represents. It is naive to suggest it doesn't. It's not tapping up if your the one doing the deals.between clients. How far in advance did we know that Costa was off.to Chelsea despite the window not being open.for.months?
    We disagree about how many duds were signed, but agree we should have signed the big players like Sanchez.

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  76. Did FSG back TC as a whole? What if they change the structure of TC and keep BR in charge? I think if they don't sack BR despite such horrendous transfer record then there is something we might not know.

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  77. We did and everyone was saying it. Apsas corner!

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  78. I suspect there is a lot we might not know but it has never stopped people making things up to fill in the gaps;-)

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  79. Rodgers is not going to have sole charge as FSG do not leave on single person to make decisions.

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  80. The are known known and unknown known. The transfer committee's workings are a known unknown but there are also unknown unknowns which we don't know.

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  81. Aspas was never needed. He did not even play. We were scoring goals left right and centre and the team spirit was as good as it gets.


    Wh did we need new signings in January 2014 again?

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  82. We needed defenders last season.

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  83. I do hold BR responsible for transfers but if he is not sacked then I will be really confused.

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  84. He came on as a sub though in that game. We needed something extra and didn't have it. We depended on an eighteen year old, we depended on an injury prone player. We ended up with no subs of any use. Like I say, everyone knew it then and we're saying it. You cannot rewrite history.

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  85. That is not the point. Irrespective of who was signed, why sign players (using your opinion) when it is not what you want? Is your boss going to be happy when excuses like 'it is not what I wanted' after asking your boss to open his wallet?


    Come on.

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  86. Konoplyanka, well almost.

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  87. It is the point if you dont have any better ideas or at least what you think are better dont criticize simple.

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  88. Mate don't take your transfer committee news from here. If you look up any respected journalist who as connections to the club they all say it is not wholly Rodgers making decisions on transfers. That there are committee signings and Rodgers signings and you can tell who is who by how much game time they get. BR not always liking who he is given. Seriously brother there is a world of information out there that disagrees with Jamie and Logan.

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  89. It may be yet another ridiculous non-story, but as always, it's very well written by JK.

    So, Benzema, 'eh?

    Yeah, I can see that happening, but likley only as a package deal, with Cristiano "Prancing Narcissist" Ronaldo and Iker Casillas also coming...

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  90. I only know one thing - Transfer committee should be sacked ASAP

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  91. Yeah, as Mr C has already asked, where'd you hear about this?

    They announced that they were going to make an announcement?

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  92. I don't know where Ibe hails from, but I always had a feeling that as soon as Sterling made a name for himself he'd trot back down the modorway (Dave Angel version) to a London club.

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  93. Btw, why don't BR publicly admit that he is not responsible for all the transfers?

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  94. In 40 years of following football I have never, not *once* that I can think of, seen a club's problems solved at a stroke by removing the head coach. Not *once*.

    I have seen *many* clubs remove a coach as a scapegoat for deeper issues and live to regret it.

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  95. You really need a hug and kiss.

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  96. If you think you could get a player of Lallana's profile for less than £25m I'd love to hear about him.

    Remember we're Liverpool. We have to pay more than clubs such as Spurs, Everton, Newcastle, or whoever, because it's not exactly a secret that we can afford it.

    Markovic's fee is also completely justified. I don't see how you could have signed a player with his profile for less.

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  97. I genuinely hope you're right, but I'm just not sure FSG will cut him loose while he's tethered to so much contractual money, unless FSG inserted some kind of "minimum level of achievement" clause into his contract, requiring CL qualification...

    ...which would have been a very smart thing to do, so probably unlikely.

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  98. Sturridge was sent on in the 58th minute. We had Coutinho, Suarez and Sterling on the pitch.


    Flanagan was subbed for Aspas in the 81st minute. Till then we could not score one goal. It had nothing to do with Aspas. Rodgers got his tactics wrong from the start.

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  99. It is the people we have in place who made the wrong decisions. What does that have to do with me? We are fans, not employees of LFC.


    Those who make the decisions regarding transfer after spending £117m last summer and having a mediocre season in Europe and locally need to be held accountable.

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  100. Markovic is a no profile player for me. Its ok if you think he is a great potential but I think we could have used 20mn better and Markovic will never be able to justify that fee. I know you disagree.
    .
    Lallana 25mn - Fabregas 26mn, Depay - 22mn, Griezmann (this was no brainer) 22mn
    .

    At 27, this is Lallana's only third season in the Premier League. He was playing in the lower leagues until Southampton got promoted 3 years back. I know you will come up with some beautiful post about how Lallana is different from these players and how good he is but doesn't matter. He is not good enough for 25mn, IMO.

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  101. We signed Sakho, Ilori and Toure last season. What are those?

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  102. A patient, a loanee and a pensioner.

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  103. Is that LFC you are refferring to?

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  104. They obviously are not defenders?

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  105. We only had 12 first teamers available for the run in last year, so there is no disputing the fact that we needed to flesh the squad out.

    It's the way that it was fleshed out that is causing consternation.

    £50 million for three domestic players from a "lesser" club? With an average age of 28 years?

    £14 million on a "striker" who was never going to fit into our up-tempo game?

    £20 million on a kid who's only able to run in s straight line, all the way up until facing a defender, and then lay the ball off...badly?

    £11 million on a striking prodigy...who we allowed to stay where he was for another year...while our "astutely" assembled "strikeforce" combine to "bang in" fewer goals than Evertons defence?

    The only explanation for all these mind-boggling moron moves is that there is a little old man behind a curtain at Melwood puling levers and pushing buttons.

    With this kind of "management" allied to Veneers and his ever changing football philosophies, I see a long spell in the wilderness.

    That said, we are getting a new stadium built. 15 years too late, but hey, with the increased revenue we will be better able to compete financially.

    Just gotta get some proper (PROVEN) football men into the key positions and away we go!

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  106. Come on Loges next transfer window ins and outs have a go at it go on.

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  107. It is going to cost FSG less to replace Rodgers at the end of the season compared to keeping him and failing to qualify for CL again next season.

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  108. You have just pre-empted JK's next article;-)

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  109. LFC will not attract big names with Rodgers in charge. We will leave his replacement to answer your question.

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  110. Weak as water and a big COP OUT.

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  111. Yes of course it is. We shall see what happens. Rodgers is gone, deal with it.

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  112. Talking January come on .

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  113. "We needed defenders last season"



    So obviously you meant the second half of last season then?

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  114. "This summer, the best Liverpool can hope for" is....


    Suspense is killing me JK.

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  115. Well, now that you put it like that...!

    It's be an insight into the ambition of the owners whether they keep The Teeth beyond this season or not.

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  116. Overage and overweight. Next!

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  117. Could have done with better all season but yes January.

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  118. went into a pub

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  119. Benzema is definitely an improvement on what we have but he will not be shy of offers and with Rodgers at the helm it is very unlikely that he would choose us over other clubs. I was watching the CL semi last night and it was just mouthwatering to see the style of play, the fluency, the vision in those teams. If it were up to me Rodgers would be replaced with Klopp this summer and we would have a massive clearout and bring in only a handful of new players, but class players.

    For me, the outs would be: Jones, Johnson, Enrique Kolo, Lovren, Stevie, Lambert, Lucas, Allen, Borini,Sterling, Yesil, Balotelli, Luis Alberto, Coates, Ilori, Aspas. They should bring in some 95 million (yes I counted that and was very conservative) but on top of that the wage bill would drop significantly freeing up funds to get in some really big players.



    Ins would be:
    Hummels, Javi Martinez, Lacazette, Vietto, Ings and Origi. They should cost us some 110 million. That's a net spend of 15 million so even if we need to bring in one more, that should be possible and we should be able to pay what is needed (for example for a GK)


    Squad would be:
    GK: Mignolet, Vigouroux, Ward
    FB: Manquillo, Flanagan, Wisdom, Moreno, McLaughlin, Smith
    CB: Skrtel, Sakho, Hummels, Lloyd Jones
    DM: Rossiter, Can, Javi Martinez
    AM: Henderson, Coutinho, Lallana
    FW: Origi, Vietto, Sturridge, Lacazette, Ibe, Ings, Markovic


    Wisdom, Javi Martinez, Can, Rossiter, Ibe, Markovic and Origi can all play in different lines on the pitch. And yes, this team may struggle once players get injured but the idea is to trust our young talents to step up when needed and build further in January or the next summer. Gradually adding players to the mix. Ideally from the Academy but buying them when needed.

    Reverting back to 4-3-3 we would be covered to start the season. I intentionally invested heavily in our forward line because if this season should have taught us anything it is that scoring goals is the difference between finishing fifth and second even if you do concede quite a couple. Plus I'm convinced Hummels at the back and a decent DM in front of our back line would save us at least 10 goals just because we'll be playing higher up the pitch and we'll have a leader at the back which is needed to defend set pieces.

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  120. There was a time when I would of believed this ,long before fsg & Rodgers where in charge ,Sterlings going ,saurez didn't have to be sold ,next year couthino will be gone, we are now a selling for profit club no different than Burnley selling there prized player ings, As long as dinky donuts ,Indonesia airways etc etc etc are investing the Americans are happy,Fifth place doesn't really concern them its the dollar signs and since they bought LFC the club has trebled in value, Truth be told they have the funds to buy big like when buying a 31 year old baseball player for 80 million,First and foremost these are business men whos real love is baseball and LFC come a distant third behind money,

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  121. Passionate and nasty though.

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  122. Pearly whites 'the team was outstanding' over and over again next season?


    FSG are daft if they persist.

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  123. Who was the square peg in the round hole?

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  124. Bwahahahaha, you made that up all by yourself?
    How amazingly witty!

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  125. It's hard to call multi-millionaire/billionaire, international jet-setting businessmen who have achieved the level of success FSG have, daft...as I'm sure they have their plans for the club.

    My concern is that they do not yearn for material success as much as us passionate fans do and are more interested in their financial return.

    Talking of the man whose teeth would be king, what annoys me is, he doesn't yet realise after 3 years of putting his foot in his mouth, that it's better to keep quiet and have them think he's a fool...

    ...rather than open his mouth and remove all doubt.

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  126. Oh btw JK, please come back and finish the article!

    I think I know where you were going with it..."this summer the best we can hope for after "wasting" so much money last transfer window are 3x £5 million signings from the relegation zone, or lower"

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  127. But then we would have to many defenders?


    You cannot simply add more defenders when you already have many on the wage bill already.


    Agger, Skrtel, Toure, Sakho, Flanagan, Johnson, Enrique, Ilori, Coates, Kelly, Robinson and Agger.


    How many more defenders should we have added to the books?

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  128. Sakho wqas injured Ilori was loaned out as was Robinson as was Coates Kelly was a sick note and Agger could have been sold.

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  129. I echo your thoughts re: Lallana. I like him and was impressed by some of his influential play at St. Marys, but, and it's a big but, £25 million on someone the wrong side of 25 years of age?

    With his lower league history and relative inexperience in the top flight, it had to be assumed that his first year would be more of a settling in year. So, by the time he contributes, he'll have lost so much value due to inching closer to 30, it just doesn't make sense when our model is supposed to be buy young, develop, sell for porfit.

    I just worry that Lallana was targeted as Luis' replacement from the start, judging by how it went down.

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  130. What does it matter who was where and when.


    We had 12 first team defenders on the wage bill irrespective if they were on loan or injured.

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  131. Haha, BLab, love it!

    You may just as well go the whole hog and have the lower case "a" represent that lower case player, Iago "Pipecleaner Limbs" Aspas.

    (Apologies for reminding everyone about yet another failed purchase.)

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  132. No hes not so you may as well take the season off and maybe get football out of your system find yourself spiritually.
    How about a trip to Nepal.

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  133. Ibe is from South London. They're both Londoners.

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  134. The loanees are paid by the club loaning them geez.

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  135. Hahaha...






    ....still laughing...






    ...stopping...





    ...now.

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  136. Good call, we did get bloody close, even after all those non-factor purchases and chopping and changing from Humpty Dumpty.

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  137. Those players that are on loan are still on the clubs books.


    At the start of the season before anyone got injured or went on loan their wages qwould have been accounted for in the budget. When those players on loan return, who pays their wages?


    The wage bill will not decrease unless a players is sold.

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  138. So even though you have no idea what so ever you are telling me we didnt have the money.

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  139. Well I think we can safely assume that any potential announcement is in the initial stages of the pre announcement announcement discussion and implementation phase. This is often the way in business. The plan is evidently to devise a clear strategy to make a plan, to implement further plans to announce that there may, or may not be an announcement to make, prior to any further announcements on the matter.


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  140. It is easy to say I have no idea. Each to their own.


    Rodgers is gone, deal with it.

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  141. He isnt looking for a new house thats Sterling mate.

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  142. Ah, thanks.

    Always worries me when we sign youngsters from the Big Smoke.

    London is a hard place to resist, even without the promise of more money and some success. So, when these kidsw grow up there, have all their family and friends there, it's pretty much nailed on that they'll look to return a hero at some point.

    Similar to how south American players will (usually) have their eyes on the La Liga big boys.

    Talking of which, I saw a spitting image of Vincente Del Bosque yesterday at the hospital. He was so "life like" I couldn't help but say out loud, "omg, Del Bosque!" as I pointed directly at his oversized cranium.

    it might not have been the real Del Bosque, but the moustoche was no less impressive.

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  143. Well, that cleared that up...thanks...?!!!!!!!

    ; )

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  144. He said he has the final say.


    You are going to have to add a link which states that he admitted to what you have just said as there is nothing of the sort.

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  145. Rodgers is renting Stevie's house. Oh the irony of your comment.

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  146. Stevies leaving so Rodgers can stay.

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  147. What do you reckon?

    I started supporting Liverpool, identifying with the club as *mine*, in about 1978 because that's where my family were from and I thought Kevin Keegan looked like my dad. How about you?

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  148. Whilst I appreciate where you are coming from, Ash, we're at a very early stage to be gong forward and planning the strategy planning stage of the plan. I would remind you that it's been nominally agreed that we will discuss appointing a proper Planning Consultant for the development of a provisional "Staging Development" team, before we hold any preliminary discussions concerning going forward with that.

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  149. With respect, Logan isn't the one being paid millions to identify talent.

    Seeing "lesser" clubs with better recruitment/development is galling.

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  150. This is what happens when you overpraise 18 year olds that have achieved next to nothing in football, Brendan

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  151. Mike Aitcheson9:37 am, May 13, 2015

    Any chance of an answer? Or are you posting random stuff from places unknown?

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  152. D*mn you!

    Just when I thought I was getting a handle on the planning, I realise, I am not...

    : (

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  153. You're replying to the wrong man, bud, I'm just as in need of an announcement as you are ; )

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  154. So why has Rodgers not purchased the house?

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  155. Mike Aitcheson9:42 am, May 13, 2015

    Loges should become a politician- they value someone who flatly refuses to answer any questions directly.


    Good luck getting any answer but BR out...

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  156. Mike Aitcheson9:42 am, May 13, 2015

    Yeah my bad, already edited the post!

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  157. Excellent point Robo. I was jumping the gun a bit there, and completely overlooked the initial pre-planning recruitment stage prior to the formation of a specially selected development team that must precede any plan to make a plan to make an announcement prior to any further announcements. Please forgive my oversight - I'm a complete beginner when it comes to the mechanisms of business!

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  158. I have supported this club for well over 2 decades.


    Funny how you want to change the subject to as LFC have never pulled the plug on a manager in recent times when the signs were clear that the club was not going to return to the top with those managers yet we persisted season after season and look where we are?


    We have a low return on managers, one of the lowest. When last did we win the title?

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  159. Sometimes you don't seem to grasp the basics of how this works :) Fabregas cost Chelsea £26m but he would have cost us twice that to get anything like exclusivity in talking to him, which he would probably have refused to do anyway since he would be aware that Chelsea would offer double our wages!

    There's no magic CEO or manager *in the world* whom we can appoint and who will then become a magic magnet who will cause Depay and Griezmann to come to LFC if they can get better deals or preferable conditions elsewhere. Everyone knows how much money everyone else has to spend, and who the players they are looking at are. A player who would cost Southampton £5m will cost Liverpool £15m, because (1) you can only have so many players and (2) Liverpool can afford it. Just a fact. We have to eat it up.

    If you know of an international-class attacking midfielder for a major nation who is first choice for his club that we could get mid-contract for less than £25m I'd love to know about him.

    I wonder if you follow football outside LFC at all. Markovic is not only a very rare *kind* of player, he was also *the* outstanding attacker in one of Europe's best and most exciting and innovative teams the previous season. He had been being chased by the top clubs since he was in his mid teens and his signing by Liverpool was regarded as a coup throughout football. The price reflects his likely value across his development.

    Have you *never* seen a player develop from *promising* to *continental* class? Really? Because if you have, then surely you can recognise in Markovic the quality that makes that development plausible in his case.

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  160. Good luck to the families who have lost lives when they read your comment.


    You should be ashamed.

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  161. Mike Aitcheson9:57 am, May 13, 2015

    You're forgetting that arsenal and Chelsea were not rebuilding, they already had CL level squas. They were able to just add top players to those CL squads.




    We had nowhere near CL level squads and even after the $112m remain £100m behind the others in overall squad cost, and over 3150m in one case.


    Different situation, no matter how well the choices are made

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  162. Miscommunication there -- I thought you were being snarky about who I support.

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  163. I must give credit to you for justifying Liverpool's transfer signings. Markovic a transfer coup accepted throughout football? Really? Chelsea could have bough him at a cheaper price, you know?

    You wonder if I know football outside LFC and yet you say things like ""There's no magic CEO or manager *in the world* whom we can appoint and who will then become a magic magnet who will cause Depay and Griezmann to come to LFC if they can get better deals or preferable conditions""

    .
    Liverpool was in the champions league and could have easily offered higher wages than Atletico to Griezmann. I am sure he won't be at a higher salary than Balotelli. Depay was at PSV and had a successful World Cup, he was more of a talent than Markovic. But sure you would like to be delusional and conclude that Liverpool had the best transfer window in some years.

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  164. The Big Smoke hard to resist !, have you not been to Jamacia ?

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  165. Aspas bought for 7m sold for 4m , plus a years wage = Good business ???.

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  166. And we will be rebuilding again this summer, then again next summer and so on. The reason those clubs were not rebuilding was because they have made sensible transfers in last 5 years. Overall transfer spend of Liverpool in last 3-5 is very close to top four clubs and yet we are here, rebuilding. Now people say that BR could have done better with a good striker but is he capable of finding one? He only ever had one transfer target, Sanchez? Remember Chelsea were almost playing without a striker last year and they competed for a title with tactical superiority. We still had 3 fit strikers, out of which at least 2 were BR's choice. Combined cost of all 3 was almost 30-35mn and we are still complaining. BR or should I say our infamous TC needs a major restructuring. We can't always take one step forward and two steps backward. I don't think anyone is expecting a good transfer business from Liverpool this summer, that says it all really.

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  167. That's not what he said. In fact, NOBODY has said that. Good players WERE targeted Costa Willian Sanchez etc etc. We simply do not have the ability to show a player evidence of recent success to say 'Join us and you will win things just like we have done for years'


    The only currency in lieu of currency (wages) is success, titles, medals. The teams who won over us in transfers could all offer both more recent success AND more money. Plus the London factor is big for many outside these shores.


    Given these disadvantages, we are often and will continue to be locked out of the top player market. We need to be smarter for sure, but it's ridiculous to quote for instance £16m for Raketic and comparing it to say £20m for Markovic as if we just could have switched and got Raketic by getting rid of BR

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  168. Sharing an agent is not just a factor, it's *decisive*. Mostly agents *run* the transfer business, mate. That's a fact.

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  169. I stand by what I said - "Griezmann would have easily come to Liverpool"

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  170. Sensible? Christ, would you like a list of the players who haven't made it at Chelsea in the last five years?!

    Stop thinking in terms of transfer fees, as well, you have to think about the whole value of a contract. Liverpool spend about half of what Chelsea do, at the most.

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  171. Yes, but I went on my own accord... ; )

    (Old joke, rejigged, in case anyone wonders what the above means)

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  172. I remember- he said that to H and G just before he bought Aqualani for £18m . said it again wgen he bought Keane for £20m Riera for £8m and Dossena for £7m


    You GET REAL. After a fantastic first 3 years, Rafa started buying some real excrement

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  173. "model is supposed to be buy young, develop, sell for porfit."



    There are many examples like Lallana signed by LFC since FSG took over so it suggests that they are not just about buying young players.

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  174. Its not a decisive factor at all. You can call it a fact all you want.

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  175. His fee was about right. I don't see how it could be less for a player of his status and quality when a club of Liverpool's wealth and size come in for him.

    Compare to the Fabregas deal: his wages will be less than half of those of Fabregas. The whole cost of Fabregas is probably north of £80m, Lallana less than £40m.

    He's already been a good player for us in a disappointing season. I don't have any problem with him at all.

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  176. Lets agree that Liverpool and Chelsea both made number of high-profile transfer mistakes. However, Chelsea won some trophies during that period while Liverpool just regressed. Do you think we would be debating about our transfer failures if we won a league? No.

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  177. But that's just a statement, you've got no evidence for that at all. It seems to me very unlikely.

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  178. Their squad values are way above ours, what are you talking about?

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  179. Aquliani = worst transfer in the history of teams selling players to other teams.

    Keane, though, I stand by my assumption that Rafa did not buy him. I think Parry forced Keane on Rafa.

    Some may have stories or rumours etc that indicate otherwise, but they would be bunk, imho.

    Why?

    When a manager signs a player, especially for such a huge sum of money (for LFC at that time), they are attaching part of their reputation to that player, and therefore will die trying to make that plater a success.

    Robbie "Substituted Again" Keane, never had a chance at Liverpool due to rafa taking him off in what was it, 19 of 22 appearances? Or something equally as revealing...

    Even in games where we needed a goal, he'd take Keane off...leaving us to limp lamely to another 2 points dropped. 8 draws from 11 midseason meant that the best team in the country finished second.

    That's why I was behind the Rafa out movement. Not becuase of the 7th place finish the following year, but because he mis-managed the awesome team he had in 2008/9, resulting in the most agonising of endings...slaughtering everyone in our path - especially Red Noses bunch of slunts - yet not exorcising the demons of the previous 20 plus years.

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  180. As I said, that's because they have bought right players while we didn't, despite spending considerably in last 5 years.

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  181. As if you have got evidence of everything you say. You got a theory you believe in and I have got mine that I believe in.

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  182. I don't think Liverpool have made *anywhere near* the number of poor transfers that Chelsea have. Not even the same ballpark. And the operating conditions for the two clubs are virtually incomparable.

    And Liverpool didn't just "regress", for goodness sake, in the last 5 years. In the last three years we've improved in all kinds of ways, by any sensible measure, including signing more decent players and integrating them to the first team than any other club in the league. Mignolet, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Coutinho, Sturridge -- these are all first team players, and we've held up a decent standard of football while almost totally renewing the side, on a budget of half that of the clubs we're supposed to compete with.

    Don't you get it?!

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  183. They just throw money at their problems because they are owned by one of the richest men in the world!

    They are also one of the two or three most repulsive clubs in England, and I am not going to listen to you parade their supposed virtues ahead of Liverpool. Chelsea are a disgusting club, disgusting fans. No one cares when they win the league, because of how they win it, and who they are. The less Liverpool are like Chelsea, the better.

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  184. its because they spend considerably more than us, and actually anybody else in the PL.


    You mentioned the last 5 years. Chelsea have bought £499m- yes HALF A BILLION- pounds worth of players in that time. Over £150m more


    That's on top of another £800m worth of players they had already bought since Abramovic arrived.


    As I said they were NOT in the same position as us. They also had several PL titles, years of CL and cup wins to offer.


    We had 1 League Cup. Same as Wigan, now in the 3rd tier of football...

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  185. That's naive, sorry. I think what goes on at football clubs would surprise you. It's like any big, corrupt multinational business. It's all about who you know, where your loyalties lie. Would it surprise you that people will do *anything* for the kinds of money that you can get for no actual work in football? Seriously, it's not a rational, self-regulating market, it's not a game-theory demonstration, it's not like anything you could study on your MBA. It's the wild west, it's the last days of the Roman empire, it's completely and ineradicably insane.

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  186. Definitely rooting for the kid and really hope he can recapture some of that twinkle-toed form from Soton, but disagree with you entirely re: the financial side of things.

    I also worry that he was targetted as Luis' replacement as I question how seriously we were in play for Sanchez.

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  187. It IS a fact. That's why there are 'superagents' who are brought in for the likes of Bale, Ronaldo transfers.

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  188. It was "In Brendan we thrust,,,,,,the knife - YNWA"

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  189. Yes, maybe you are right about irrationality in football which is also present in a normal corporate world. However, coming back to the subject, there is no evidence that having a same agent is a DECISIVE factor. Not at all. I think you are being naive here, sorry.

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  190. No, I'm not making the same kind of argument as you are here.

    You are making the positive claim that "Griezmann would have easily come to Liverpool". I am being skeptical about your claim. You have to support your argument, but you can't, because it's just a wish masquerading as an analysis.

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  191. "There are many examples like Lallana signed by LFC since FSG took over"

    Seroiously? How on earth can you think this? Care to name them, please?

    The only older player they bought was Lambert, and he came on a nominal fee.

    Everyone else was younger and cheaper.

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  192. I'll admit it was borderline, £23m. But £15m would have seemed like a bargain. Maybe £18m would have seemed about right? But this is just splitting hairs isn't it.

    My feeling was that we were 100% in for Sanchez and even thought we had the player. But it's just a feeling, we can't really know the truth.

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  193. Lol @ "thrust"...


    ...what a word!!!!!!!!!!!

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  194. Thank you, I was a little confused, but now, totally with the programme....

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