14 May 2015

Done Deal: 'Sensational' attacker to sign 5-year Liverpool deal next week. Announcement expected on Saturday

With deals for Jordan Henderson, Phillip Coutinho, and Daniel Sturridge already in the bag, Liverpool youngster Jordon Ibe is reportedly set to follow suit within the next week and commit his future to the club.

According to The Telegraph on Wednesday evening:

"Liverpool have agreed a five-year contract with Jordon Ibe, which will be signed next week. An announcement is expected shortly after the final home game against Crystal Palace on Saturday".

Unlike some fans, I just don't get the hype over Ibe. He is a decent, developing player, but he's made little real impact on Liverpool's results since coming into the team.

Despite that, the Reds are rushing to give him a new deal, even though his current contract doesn't expire until 2017.

What has Ibe actually done to deserve a pay rise? He's made 12 appearances this season and hasn't scored or created a single goal, so I fail to see the compelling need to give him a new contract worth £8m over 5 years [£30k-a-week].

Has Ibe had to work hard for his new contract? Absolutely not, and that's the problem. All it took to 'earn' a huge pay-rise was twelve first-team games with no end product. Nice work if you can get it!

Ibe is being rewarded for basically doing the bare minimum expected of an attacking player in the top flight. What happened to meeting position-specific performance goals before earning a pay-rise?

As usual, Rodgers is the main culprit here. Ibe has no goals/assists this season, yet the manager is once again being grossly irresponsible by inflating his ego with sycophantic, overblown praise. In the last three months, Rodgers has described Ibe as:

* 'Brilliant'.

* 'Wonderful'.

* 'Absolutely sensational'.

* 'Absolutely outstanding'.

* 'Exciting'.

* 'Very important'.

I raise this issue often, and I make no apology for it. I've warned about the dangers of overpraising young players for years, and the Sterling situation is a prime example of the damage it can cause.

Now, Rodgers is at it again, and if it continues, Ibe will be the next to go the mercenary route, and having his parents as 'agents' won't make a blind bit of difference to that.



FSG seriously need to get a grip on Rodgers; he clearly believes that excessive praise = motivation and achievement, but if that's the case, why is Liverpool's season in the toilet?

Rodgers' unctuous fawning is out of control, and as a matter of urgency, Henry et al should institute an internal policy specifically prohibiting exaggerated public praise of teenagers/young players.

Such a policy is long overdue, and if Rodgers refuses to tow the line, he should (IMO) be sacked forthwith.

Author: Jaimie K


213 comments:

  1. Well lets hope Ibe does sign soon!

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  2. It seems Liverpool are damned if they don't and damned if they do in your eyes Jamie. I think it is prudent that we start resigning players when they have two years left on their contract instead of 1 year like they have been doing. I do agree that Brendan should be muzzled.

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  3. Knife out at every opertunity

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  4. Steady with the muzzles.

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  5. Yes it should help Brendan to keep his job if the players are kept happy,

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  6. "I think it is prudent that we start resigning players when they have two
    years left on their contract instead of 1 year like they have been
    doing. I do agree that Brendan should be muzzled."


    Yes, yes and heck yes.


    Our front office is, by and large, an embarrassment.



    Veneers takes a lot of heat - rightfully so in most areas - but he's working under an incoimpetent, front office.


    That said, yippee, we managed to resign someone.

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  7. Now we just need someone to resign .....;-)

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  8. Haha.

    When trying to edit my post, the little box thing wasn't working properly, so I deleted most of it. Bloody computers.

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  9. I think it's the right thing to do in the circumstances. BR is protecting the squad against losing Sterling and not being able to replace him with a similar player. He already has a player who knows his style and wants to somewhat secure him to avoid being in a worse situation. I dont think Ibe has done nearly enough to deserve all of the praise that he gets, not just from BR, but from fans. He IS very talented and will surely go on to be a very good player, but I just dont see the same spark in him as I did in Sterling. Fingers crossed

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  10. I don't know what the average salary is for a premiership player but given some of the figures I have seen bandied about £30K per week seems quite low for any player at such a level.


    I would agree he has not yet done enough to warrant a mega salary but just getting into a top Premiership side should entitle him to a share in the huge sums generated predominantly by those players.


    Of course if he is not adequately rewarded the market will bite back.

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  11. This overhyping of young players is just one of the many strange traits of BR. To BR, the equations of full back = wing back = winger and attacking midfielder = wide forward = out-and-out striker has been puzzling me for the longest time I can describe. Maybe, just maybe, Raheem Sterling's a perfect fit for one of his equations initially but has since grown so swollen-headed that he outgrew BR's equations. So next comes Jordan Ibe, the next in-line, nothing much to worry about actually.

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  12. Aren't some of those comments about him taken a little out of context? Weren't some of them referring to his performances in certain games? Which I think is fair to say.
    £30k, seems like a pretty average Premier League wage to me.
    What exactly is the Sterling situation anyway? I haven't heard anything but paper talk about him and his contract.

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  13. He's an explosive player but his football intelligence bothers me- I keep replaying his game vs. Hull where he constantly hugged the right corner line and repeatedly tried to dribble his marker on his right side and he was continually thwarted, eventually being substituted dissipating from the game entirely- it seems that he is not very diverse in his game... Could be wrong though

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  14. Ya Ibe is a good player hope sterling will do so

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  15. As a benchmark, I was mates with Luke Young when he signed for Spurs and have some insight into the wage sitch.

    He signed for Spurs as an 18 yr old in '97 (contract details unknown, but as a youth, likely greatly reduced).

    In '99 I was told by his girlfriend - my ex - that he was on £6,000 per week. I don't know if this was a reworked deal, but I think it was.

    I recall that I had literally just spent £6,000 on a semi-flash sports car, drove it round to where everyone was, and Clare told me that Luke could buy one of those every week...

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  16. "Absolutely sensational"??
    "Very important"??

    Yes, whoever said Brenston Pickle should be muddled was not, repeat, was not talking rubbish.

    That's Brenstons job lol.

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  17. Balotelli penalty vs besiktas ibe assist

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  18. I see what you done there!

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  19. Clubs have always done this, including our past managers. It gives a versatility in a squad that means that if you need to change the system, you can do so with the available players and not have to change personnel too much. Being able to use Coutinho in a centre mid, behind 1 or 2 strikers, as a supportive winger/wide midfielder or as a falso nueve is brilliant! Adaptability brings unpredictability, which is key in big games.
    We just dont play alot of big games these days... :(

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  20. True, Ibe signing will make BR look good. One of his highest rated prospects committing his future to the club under his stewardship, along with Cou, Studge and Hendo, its a great result.
    Looks like BR will be around a while hey guys?

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  21. Where would he park them all ?


    Seriously though that is interesting and probably means in today's terms £30k is not too far off but as the new TV money kicks in I expect he will have regular reviews that will push his wages up if he continues to perform.

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  22. It's pretty mental when you think about it though. Imagine yourself as a 19 year old, having someone say 'here you go kid, you'll be on £30k per week, dont be a d**khead with it, k?'.
    Jesus wept, I would be so irresponsible with that kind of money, I'd make Balotelli seem like Peter Crouch.
    Seriously though, Crouchy seems like a lovely guy.

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  23. Very true. It's a wonder more of them don't go completely overboard when you think about it.


    I agree about Crouch too great sense of self deprecating humour.

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  24. Maybe the sycophantic/unctious/irresponsible/gross, fawning/ego-massage/over-praise is working after all! Keep up the outstanding/incredible work Brendan!

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  25. That's the sense I get, too. One of the first things Rodgers alluded to when he signed was that we only signed Balotelli because we couldn't get the strikers we actually wanted.

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  26. World class post

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  27. I don't think Ancelotti is the right choice. He is good for the clubs with world class squad and lot of money. I don't think he can successfully manage an average squad like Liverpool. Even with the most expensive squad in history, he couldn't win a league in Spain. Losing to Barca is ok but to Atletico Madrid? Ronaldo's cost would be more than the entire AM's squad put together last year.

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  28. I might agree with your first sentence, and then I remember how Rodgers persisted with his Captain Gerrard as an automatic starter until very recently, and can't help opining that Rodgers is a calculated politicker.

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  29. None of this is Balotelli's fault, though. He just wants to play at a good football club.

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  30. +1 Ash, your commenting is amazing, you are an outstanding part of the team, you're a technician and an asset. Wonderful.

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  31. Time will tell on Ibe but as far as losing Sterling goes well he does not seem to have improved any on last season he might be reaching his ceiling early i hope we fleece who ever he goes to.

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  32. Yeah I think Ancelotti is more of a 'face' of a club rather than a great manager. He is there to attract players, but wouldnt man-manage like BR or inspire like other managers can. I say this having never even being in the vicinity of the guy, so I could be wrong.
    And PS: There's no shame in losing to this Athletico team. They are a well drilled, physical and creative mob, who could give most EPL teams a good run for their money.

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  33. Yes but I find a bit hypocritical when fans praise Atletico Madrid for parking the bus and criticize Mourinho/Chelsea for doing the same.

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  34. I agree with you entirely I think he gets way too much criticism for very little off the field. That is why I try to just look at how he has performed for Liverpool.


    That said I am sure his treatment off the field could well have affected his performances on it.

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  35. Thanks Benj. I don't think there's anyone better; that's the reality of how I see it, going forward ;-)

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  36. Moral of the story ?
    Money cannot buy success !

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  37. Mr. Point Of View9:09 am, May 14, 2015

    Add on:


    He let go alonso and fail to utilise khedira ! Bale, Kroos, James , Chicarito is all wasted !





    But praise on him totally utilize CR7 and Isco .

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  38. I've always liked that about him.
    Interviewer; "what would you be if you weren't a footballer?"
    Crouch; [pause] "A virgin, probably"

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  39. So B R does not rate him then ?

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  40. £30k is such an obscene amount of money for someone so inconsequential in the grand scheme of football. It just beggars belief.

    Hearing about that weekly wage of £6k was bad enough, but £30k per week? That's more than most people make in a year. Disgusting.

    I know, I know, supply and demand etc.

    One things for sure, if I ever have a boy, that little git is getting kitted out in the LFC strip and taken over the playing fields as soon as (or slightly before) he can walk.

    He'll also be getting golf clubs, a tennis raquet, a snooker cue and a Formula 1 grand prix car...

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  41. Simply sensational!

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  42. To quote the legendary man who champions ceaselessly the cause for the pedestrianisation of Norwich City Centre...


    ..."lovely stuff"

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  43. I see you're not giving in to the BR over praise style of management though for your future "little git"

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  44. Not sure if he has utilized Isco well either.

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  45. Indeed yes, but the sort of praise Benny dishes out should really be reserved for those who win and/or dominate matches.

    Ibe puts in a 7/10 or 8/10 performance and BR gushes.

    If Ibe scored a hat-trick, cleared 3 off the line and then performed mouth to mouth resus. on both lino's, Rodgers' head would literally explode lol (only the teeth would remain).

    Talking of Sterling, excuse my ignorance and laziness to google it, but when is his deal actually up? Is it next year?

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  46. You can see Ibe has talent, but I agree he has not yet reached his full potential, which IMO is only a matter of time and games.
    But £30k a week, at that age really is a joke, but the problem being, if we dont pay it someone else will, so its a no brainer.

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  47. Hmm, Ancelotti or Brendan?

    Well, one has won pretty much everything there is to win, has been a success wherever he has gone and is a truly bona fide, world class manager with a proven track record of success.

    The other has surgically reconstructed teeth.

    I know who I'd rather have.

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  48. Yeah success in temporary but those teeth are permanent

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  49. Wasnt too smart letting Morata go a bit of karma there.

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  50. Success in temporary but money is permanent.

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  51. Haha, the Br overpraise is reserved solely for the baby maker.

    And then for when I want the baby maker change some nappies.

    And then for when i want to go on a golfing holiday to Spain.

    And then for when i want to spend the money we've saved for the extension on a flash new sports car...

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  52. Yeah but Madrid is no place for player development. They might probably buy him back after few years.

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  53. I'm resigned to agree with you.

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  54. He said that?

    too awesome, what a top bloke (just for that comment alone).

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  55. I thought he was on loan ok.

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  56. Hahahaha, man, you do come with the funny, i luv it!!!!!!!!

    Best one liner of the day, probably week, possibly month.

    All that stuff i said about Brian Regan pretty much applies to you, awesome!

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  57. Sorry man, gotta big you up again...
    ...that one liner, after what I posted, is simply sensational.

    Better than colin Pascoes hair, better than Adam Lallanas legs...almost as dazzling as The Teeth, and there's no higher praise than that : )

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  58. Chirag, are you a bit of a Chelsea fan on the sly?

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  59. Jaimie, relax. For doing the bare minimum, he was rewarded with a bare minimum top-flight wage.

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  60. He actually steals his jokes from me

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  61. Ibe's not going to get a £2m per year contract because Brendan Rodgers calls him "exciting". He's going to get that contract because (1) He plays for one of the 10 richest clubs in world football (2) He can beat a full back on either side from a standing start and is built like a middleweight boxer. To pay him any less would be a bit disgusting in the circumstances.

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  62. Even AM have a very capable team. I think what is important is winning trophies.

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  63. We are still one of the 10 richest clubs in the world?

    Well, shouldn't we have one of the 10 best managers in the world then...and not number 11...? ; )

    I'm staggered we're still in the top 10, staggered!

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  64. On Ibe's value: Players are like a stock, you pay for the players potential not for what you have today, like it or not.
    Almost everyone sees Ibe's potential.
    If you want to play in an alternate economic universe then modern football is not for you.

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  65. I don't think AM park the bus to the ridiculous extent that Chelsea often do.

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  66. I have to agree that all teams round the world has to work within a certain degree of versatility but I seriously think BR is doing this to an extended degree that not many managers or clubs anywhere can emulate.
    Please allow me to raise an example. Firstly, I'm not too sure if a formation for any EPL or 'big' club can be formulated overnight. I supposed it has gotta be after quite a bit of detailed research before deciding on one. For myself, one with zero technical knowledge about football, can tell that Glen Johnson has no final third production for LFC for a long time, fyi 0 assist to date in EPL season 14/15. For heaven's sake, how can the manager, with the entire summer and more than 100 mil pounds in the chest, decided that a 20-yr old loanee from Atletico Madrid is good enough, not exactly to replace GJ, but at least provide adequate competition to keep GJ on his toes? Next, when did BR decided that 352/343 formation is best for the team? Then, when did BR realise that the poor loanee in Javier Manquillo is not good enough in the attacking duties asked of him? There, when did BR think Jordan Henderson is being versatile enough to play as a wing-back? Finally, when did BR realise that after one big merry-go-round, he has no one but GJ to turn to for his choiced formation?
    I would very much love to relate all these to being versatile at a club of LFC's stature. But to say that GJ being the first choice RB/RWB/RW (sorry, I don't know which is which) for LFC is a sign of ambition displayed by the club and manager to challenge for top domestic honours, very sorry my friend, I just cannot comprehend.

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  67. Did you see AM vs RM ECL quarter finals?

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  68. Money permanent ?
    Healines in an old The Guardian ,

    Manchester City announce biggest ever loss in English football
    £197m loss eclipses Chelsea's £141m loss in 2005

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  69. Man, u guys are funny. Great reading all these!

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  70. Every time I try to defend BR from the more OTT criticisms I hear something that has me tearing my hair out.


    I'm referring to Coutinho's latest revelations about BR's use of letters from the players Mum's to motivate his players. It's straight out of "I'm a calamity get me out of here". The amazing thing is Coutinho seems genuinely impressed by it but I'd love to see the faces on some of the more seasoned professionals.


    Although I suppose it could be "Couts I've got a letter from your Mum here - It's the letter B.

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  71. Spot the difference beween Ibe, Cou and Henderson on one hand and Sterling on the other.

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  72. To the club. Not to Rodgers.

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  73. Oops we forgot BR only gets the blame not any credit and we would not merely be teasing Logan either would we ;-)

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  74. Thanks, Stuart. Indeed he has been severely underwhelming on the field for us. And I also feel there might be a correlation to his being constantly pilloried off it.

    I'd just like the guy to be given a fair shot, with a manager that supports him and a press that doesn't snap at his ankles with every step he takes. He's got the skills, as demonstrated on occasion over the years. Hendo was underwhelming in his first season, too, and he's turned out alright!

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  75. This just in. Jamie doesn't see the hype shocker!

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  76. Back of the net

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  77. What are you doing with those hands you filthy begger.

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  78. Yep I sure did praise Stuart the other day.

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  79. Yeah those thinking Ibe is currently at the same level as Sterling are getting over excited. Great potential though.

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  80. Honestly, I try to watch them just to see him play, and it's a cherry on top when they concede a penalty.

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  81. We'd have a top side, for sure! I think he might be hamstrung by FSG in terms of the wages and transfer fees he can offer, but I don't know. Would like to see a football man with a business brain doing the transfer negotiations.

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  82. It's on hold isnt it. His agent is gauging interest from what i have read but not sure how true it is. We will have to wait until the summer. Thos house for sale stuff is nonsense though.

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  83. We have seen him cut inside plenty of times. He is younger and sometimes you get stuck in a funk.we shouldn't expect too much just now

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  84. Not going to happen mate.

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  85. Lol, bunch of comedians on here

    But seriously, bunch of comedians on here, lol

    : )

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  86. Hahaha...

    ..."cash back"

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  87. Yeah o am not a big fan of theirs.the difference is the money spent though. Mourinho has all the money in the world and could ( if he had the inclination) play any way he wants. AM have found a way to punch well above their financial weight. So you can appreciate AM and it not be hypocritical. It doesn't mean you enjoy their football.

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  88. Like atoms, they just move on

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  89. They have a buyback clause.

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  90. Matt Ryan would be steal for us he had a top world and Asian cup for Australia and they are not a highly rated team.I have watched him play since he joined the Central Coast Mariners. He Is BRILLIANT!!!!!

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  91. More than happy to eat humble pie, here's hoping

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  92. Try telling that to the estranged families of many an American heavyweight boxing champ ; )

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  93. Yes I hear what you say but the press won't change and my worry is that his decline started previous to him joining and is continuing with difficulties for both club and Country..


    I'd like nothing better than for him to prove everyone wrong and be the asset I thought he would be when we signed him but I fear his time might be up.

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  94. Thanks.

    Let me see if I can guess the top 7...in no particular order:
    Real Madrid, Barca, Bayern Munich, Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea and as much as it pains me to say it because they've overtaken us doing things the right way, Arsenal...?

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  95. Hitting the woodwork is "absolutely outstanding" and more than good enough for Brendan!

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  96. Actually theres an Aussie keeper who i reckon may well be a better get at Dortmund named Mitch Langerak.

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  97. Of course the Brazilians of Asian football.

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  98. Disgusting? Gee, don't exaggerate or anything. No wonder football is in the gutter when fans call getting paid tens of thousands a week 'disgusting'. Bravo.

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  99. Jamie, if it was down to you we would have no team, with them all having left on free transfers.... And BR over praise of sterling has valued him at 50 mill so it's not all bad.

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  100. You could.be right.

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  101. You may well be right.

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  102. I agree, and had a good ol' face-palm moment when I read it. It then developed to holding my head in my hands and shaking "No". Really, really cringeworthy to say the least.


    It's align with the whole '3 players who will let us down' gimmick. Rodgers is trying to find that 1% extra, a psychological edge. He's trying to be a modern people manager in a big firm and still a football coach. I don't think it works.


    As a comparison, to gee his players up when playing Spurs, all Fergie said was "It's Tottenham, lads".


    If not for some major tactical blunders, LFC should have finished at least 2nd this season. BR should just focus on his tactical game and that's about it.

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  103. A little bit of exaggeration, yeah. Only cuz I know you like it.

    I did say, "in the circumstances". The circumstance in question being that Liverpool are one of the richest clubs in the world. In the absence of Bundesliga-style reforms, I'm happy to see the players get the biggest possible slice of that wealth.

    Also I hate to see massive disparities between highest and lowest earners. It's not unheard of at some clubs to have first team players going from a foreign mercenary on £200k a week to a young English player lucky to get that in a year. Ibe is a first team player now and should be rewarded appropriately with his status, right?

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  104. You forget that Sterling is English. That's got to count for at least £15 million surely?

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  105. No, he should have to achieve something significant before being rewarded to this extent. Just getting into the first team should automatically bring untold riches; where's the incentive for him to push on and reach even greater heights now?

    Ibe made no game-changing impact in 12 first team games, and now the club is giving him a fat 5-year contract. Whatever happens now, he can just ease off if he wants to and still get paid £30k+ a week.

    The only incentive for him to do better now is even more money.' Play 50 games for LFC and get another 20 grand a week!'

    The whole thing stinks, and Liverpool have got everything backwards (IMO)

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  106. He's not really on a different level to Sterling. Sterling is much more consistent, is a touch quicker, is much better in 1-1s; also more penetrating and direct, with greater tactical flexibility. Depay strikes the ball better and has a bit more power overall. They are at a similar, very high, level.

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  107. This is an attempt at irony, right?

    How can Sterling - with 11 goals in 51 games - be more 'consistent' than Depay, who has 25 in 36? That is just ludicrous, and perfectly illustrates your inability to be objective about Sterling's actual impact for Liverpool.


    And the notion that Sterling is 'quicker, better in one-on-ones, with greater tactical flexibility etc' is totally unfounded.


    Depay didn't go 17 games without scoring a goal this season; Sterling did.


    Depay is one of the main reasons PSV are Champions; Sterling's failure to step-up when the going got tough is one of the main reasons Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League.


    Sterling more consistent than Depay? I've heard it all now. That's like saying Carroll is more consistent than Suarez.

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  108. If Liverpool valve him at 50 mill then that is his value. PSV valued delay at 20 mill cause that's what they asked for. Wether one is better then the other is a different argument

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  109. Sterling's value is whatever an interested club will pay, not the price Liverpool set. I'm sure the Reds valued Michael Owen higher than £8m, but that's what he went for when Real Madrid pounced.

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  110. I agree that this season sterling has not progressed at the same level as he was last season. But once he improved his finishing and decision making he could be up there with the best

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  111. No need for the sarcasm.

    You make it out to be the case that Depay is miles ahead of Sterling. He just isn't.

    I watched probably 15 PSV games this season, in European and Eredivisie matches. Depay sometimes just doesn't turn up. He makes a scoring contribution against nth-rate provincial opposition some games even when he spent it on the periphery, looking lost. That helps his numbers. Often a free kick will make up for a performance in which he spends much of the match falling over his own feet and running down blind alleys. He's not some thoroughbred who makes Sterling look like an old nag.

    Sterling is always involved, has brilliant staying power, and uses his skills intelligently looking for the right answers over a match. He puts in a performance of a similar level week after week. Being blind to his quality just because you don't like his wage demands seems a bit odd to me.

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  112. So it's not Balotelli's fault he's lazy and disruptive? Gimme a break

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  113. You're right; the press won't change. I feel he's a typical outsider wherever he goes, except City, strangely, until he and Mancini had the fall-out. I secretly share your fear but I certainly hope he realises his potential.

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  114. Not a comforting thought, though.

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  115. Owen went for 8 because Lfc let his contract run down when we should have sold him before he entered his last two years. Exactly what they are trying to stop now... And as we don't have to sell sterling we can put a value to 50 mill on his head and let other clubs decide if they want to trigger it.... I'm not supporting Lfc handling of players contracts by the way, I actually think it's a joke. Pay the good players what they want within reason, and don't spend millions on crap squad fillers. That would cover the wages. And enable us to attract the top players. Quality not quantity..... Jamie you have to realise that players are delaying contracts this year as they know the massive TV money that has come in to our club. If clubs earnings have doubled they so will wages. Wether we think it's ludicrous or not.

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  116. Rich people are not generally demotivated at the prospect of what might just be to you or I "even more money". I haven't known many of these rarefied creatures, but footballers mostly seem to be about respect, and treat money as its currency. Your contract isn't about meeting your material needs and satisfying your aspirations for consumer goods, it's about being shown respect, for which they have an endless appetite. That's why a wage *structure* at a club is so important in motivating them.

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  117. Depay's primary role is to score and create goals. This season, he has 35 goals/assists in 39 games, so everything you've described about his is utterly irrelevant. He's done his job ( and then some) and it's ludicrous to suggest that a player who contributes 35 goals/assists in 39 games is somehow not 'turning up'.

    Sterling, on the other hand, has 21 goals/assists in 51 games, which is okay, but not good enough for a player who clearly believes he's worth £100k+ a week.

    In terms of specific, measurable impact, Depay is streets ahead of Sterling, and that is the only criterion I'm interested in when it comes to assessing the footballing worth of attacking players.

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  118. If you want to believe this fantasy, knock yourself out.

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  119. It's clearly BR's fault ;) Thing is, I don't see him as lazy and disruptive. At least not in the last couple of years. Pirlo speaks highly of him as a team-mate. He doesn't make quick-thinking runs down the channels but he's done his fair share of tracking back this year. His lack of acceleration can look like lack of application. Not all forwards use the all-action Duracell style. I suppose it's a matter of interpretation but Ibrahimovic was constantly criticised for being lazy until recently, but to me he knows his strengths, and his languid movement is just that: languid.

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  120. Yes, but there's a complication, because until we can compare them directly, when they are involved in matches against each other, or against the same opposition, we have to do some translation. We have to look at the players' innate qualities and assess them, and look at their performances and try to reimagine them in another context.

    Have a look at Depay's performance in the recent game against Feyenoord, that PSV lost 2-1, the last match of theirs I saw. He scored, but he also passed up some great opportunities, his technique can be stiff, and made some poor decisions. He's a fine prospect, but he really isn't on another level to Raheem.

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  121. He might want to raise his game to become a better player, to overtake other players. to win trophies and to go down in footballing history.


    The money goes with it but I doubt the first time he put on a pair of football boots he thought about earning thousands a week and I doubt it over exercises his brain these days either.

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  122. Do you read footballers' biographies at all?

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  123. When it comes to specific, measurable impact on their respective teams, Depay is inarguably on another level to Sterling. It's an irrefutable fact:

    * Sterling: 21 goals/assists in 51 games.

    * Depay: 35 goals/assists in 39 games.

    It's night and day. Saying that they can't be compared because they're not playing against the same opposition is a giant cop-out.

    Who cares if Sterling is on 'another level' to Depay when it comes to tracking back, or tactical awareness? These things are a very distant second to actually scoring and creating the goals that win matches and trophies.

    Ibrahimovic doesn't run, but no one cares because he scores and creates a shedload of goals.

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  124. I was a bit worried about that as well. I don't mind the cheesiness -- footballers aren't known for their good taste, psychological complexity, and restraint, are they. But I thought about how over-emotional our players were, how drained they seemed in the last three games, and I thought:

    "Hmm."

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  125. Yes, I read footballer biographies, and with all due respect, you're naive if you genuinely believe that footballers are going to wax lyrical about being motivated by money in their biographies.

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  126. Thanks.. Though 2 red cards helped as I hear..

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  127. Hardly anyone thinks about money when they're a 5-year old kid kicking a football for the first time, so I don't see the relevance of that point.

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  128. Fine, we'll see how they do next season. I'm really not sure Depay will reproduce those figures in the Premier League.

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  129. You may be right. It'll be interesting to see how Depay performs, and of course, I hope he fails miserably.

    I have a feeling he will grab more than 21 goals/assists overall, though.

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  130. I'm not saying it's not important. I'm saying it's *very* important, because it represents, to them, how much respect they are being given. To me, money means paying the rent and keeping Mrs. Lasers, and young Robo Jr., in the style to which they are accustomed. That's all. To footballers, money is much more meaningful, because they measure their self-worth against how much they are being given.

    In making their calculations, it's most important that they get the correct amount of "respect", *compared to* the other players in their club -- that's why I mention the importance of structure.

    Actually it was *you* that suggested there was a limit on how much motivation money could offer a player -- that's the implication of the "too much too soon" argument. I'm saying there is *no* limit on their appetite for money, which means *even* more to them than it does to most of us.

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  131. 4eva LFC, LFC 4eva1:25 pm, May 14, 2015

    I just dont understand if you want a player make a solid offer stop all the cloak and dagger bullshit like thats worked in the past.
    Bring in Luciano Vietto he is young and cheap and can play in one of the best leagues in the world. Make an offer for Lacazette and stick Kovacic in the midfield, get Song on the cheap and bring back Tiago and Origi. Sell all the deadwood.

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  132. Ok. My point is that playing football is what drives someone to want to be a professional footballer and I imagine that remains the key driver throughout many player's careers.

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  133. liverpool need to fire brendan first then they need to sell sterling who is totally overated and about the other half of liverpool players need to go!why are they trying to replace mignolet? he has to stay.bring in a big name manager and big name players will follow,then we can take on champions league!

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  134. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=When+does+Raheem+Sterlings+contract+run+out%3F

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  135. Ohh, so that's why you were mates. Rough deal.

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  136. Lol, that was a wonderful journey of suspense, never seen anything like that before, top man/topmarks!

    Oh and thanks : )

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  137. What happened with Torres? Level of ability doesn't necessarily = level of performance, since there's a lot more to considerate, no one can prove Balo doesn't have the ability, but at the same time his attitude has been questioned by even the best, if we could objectively say mourinho is the best manager (for arguments sake) and he thinks Balotelli is unique in that him being the only player ever he has no idea on how to manage, which could come across as trying to say its down to the player only and no man management can influence what you would get from the player, surely that's stil Something to think about wether that's objective or not. why is Rodgers making ppl question his ability any more likely to be true than balotelli making ppl question Rodgers ability? 5 goals can be the difference between us being in the top 4 right now,

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  138. I watch them a lot and they very rarely park the bus. They are very eager to attack.

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  139. Just a heads-up: Text speak is outlawed here, so any post that contains it gets caught by the word-filter. You keep using 'LOL' in your posts, which means most of your comments end up in moderation. If you want them to go live immediately, it's advisable to stop using 'LOL' (and derivations thereof)

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  140. Schalke is in there, too, I believe.

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  141. Letter from the players' Mums... You jest, surely.



    Nice letter, by the way.

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  142. Our players have spent much of this season looking like they're thinking too much about their game and enjoying it too little.

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  143. Ah, that 'splains it, cheers dude.


    I was guilty of some abbreviations, namely that very one, but am now far more interested in that going live bit of which you speak.


    Cheers : )


    (Are smiley faces considered text speak?)


    *Smiling face*

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  144. easier said than done :)

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  145. Crikey, I'd not seen that, pretty indefensible. Must be a bit more to it surely, hopefully even. Put me right off my lunch.

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  146. Can you imagine you're average boss trying that though, more violence inducing than motivational I would of thought.

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  147. Granted. Torres performance dropped. Which was very noticeable because of the high bar he had set for himself prior.
    That being said he scored some important goals for them. Also scored about 20 goals (all comps) for Chelsea the year they won the Europa league.
    Right now Balotelli is border line useless. Because he's been hung out to dry. Why approve a signing u have no idea how to use. In the ideal world a coach like ancolletti would be fired and fsg would move for him. Some one like him would prove rodgers a clown for the way he treated balo.
    Even to a lesser extent sherwood could also utilities balo quite efectively.

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  148. I think Lallana has very quick feet but seems to run around and not accomplish very much. Markovic with all his speed has one move: run fast straight into the defender and then lose possession. No passes, no changes of direction. Benfica is a great team as is Porto. That doesn't make Markovic great. Moreno made a spectacular debut but has since forgotten how to play defense and be as creative offensively as he was back then. I know he is young but over the last 25 games, hasn't been terrific. Balo is a zippy and Lambert, whose story I love, is nonetheless a tugboat. Manquillo made mistakes but I am perplexed why he hasn't played since Man U game when our season effectively ended.
    Robo, its true that I don't get to see he games you guys do but I watch a lot of Spanish league football and use it as a reminder of how we played last year every time a watch us lay an egg against Villa, West Brom, Arsenal and Man U.
    LFC was a great franchise 20 years ago and the miracle in Turkey was simply special. But we have been unable to either find or sign truly great players except for Suarez from the dutch league. We had a great opportunity with Suarez's proceeds and I think failed miserably with those funds. Just my opinion....

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  149. I agree.


    In my opinion, if you go out and buy a 7m player, you should expect a 7m player (at least in the short-term).


    And as you stated, we've now filled out the roster; it's time for some quality upgrades.


    My personal feeling for the transfer window upcoming is that we should sell of some of the baggage (Borini, Allen, Aspas, who I am using merely as examples but not meaning that they will be sold but somebody surely will) and replace them with academy players.


    It'll be cheaper than having to buy their replacements, and the academy players' wages will almost certainly be significantly less.


    Keep in mind, we're also getting back Luis Alberto and Ilori from being on loan.


    I'd take the money from those sales (let's say it's 20m), and ask the owners for at least 30m to spend on top of it.


    Stevie G, Kolo and Glen's wages both come off the books at over 100k each (on top of the players we sell).


    We spend the 50m or so on 2 or 3 players, including the main buy who will make over 125-150k per week (which should be relatively competitive depending on the player).


    I don't think it's all that unrealistic to believe this strategy can be done.


    It just depends on the player. Get Higuain and that would be an excellent start in my opinion.


    Of course, the guy I really want is Reus but I'm not drunk enough to believe he'll come here.

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  150. If any boss ever tried to pull that kind of nonsense on me I'd probably go postal right there and then.

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  151. Well it's a shame that the board don't see things as we do, because for the rumours that are flying around (if they are to be believed), we are about to spread the funds thinly again. If we continue in this vein, then we will always be rebuilding, because every transfer window, we will always have lots of baggage to ship out.

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  152. I believe he was on the receiving end of one of those red-card tackles, that says alot though

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  153. that could well be true, but the point I was trying to make Is there are other possibilities than it's simply BR fault, last summer I would have chosen balotelli over bony, but both sides can be gambles, if we got bony for the prices Swansea were asking for at the time as the Suarez replacement, then you miss out on the risk of signing a player for half the price who could potentially be world class, and it could be worth the risk. When sturridge first came a lot of ppl thought that was a gamble and BR is making a mistake, since demba ba could have been the safer option, but in hinesight it turned out better than expected.

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  154. Rankings as of 6 May 2015.[1]


    Rank
    Team
    Country
    Value ($M)[2]
    % change

    on year
    Revenue ($M)


    1
    Real Madrid
    Spain
    3,260
    -5
    746


    2
    FC Barcelona
    Spain
    3,160
    -1
    657


    3
    Manchester United
    England
    3,100
    10
    703


    4
    Bayern Munich
    Germany
    2,350
    27
    661


    5
    Manchester City
    England
    1,380
    60
    562


    6
    Chelsea
    England
    1,370
    58
    526


    7
    Arsenal
    England
    1,310
    -2
    487


    8
    Liverpool
    England
    982
    39
    415


    9
    Juventus
    Italy
    837
    -2
    379


    10
    Milan
    Italy
    775
    -9
    339


    11
    Borussia Dortmund
    Germany
    700
    17
    355


    12
    Paris Saint-Germain
    France
    634
    53
    643


    13
    Tottenham Hotspur
    England
    600
    17
    293


    14
    Schalke 04
    Germany
    572
    -1
    290


    15
    Internazionale
    Italy
    439
    -9
    222


    16
    Atlético Madrid
    Spain
    436
    33
    231


    17
    Napoli
    Italy
    353
    19
    224


    18
    Newcastle United
    England
    349
    N/A
    210


    19
    West Ham United
    England
    309
    N/A
    186


    20
    Galatasaray
    Turkey
    294
    -15
    220

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  155. Cheers buddy.

    Just one question...

    ...if we're the 8th richest club in the WORLD, how come we got embarrassed and easily eliminated from the CL...and then eliminated immediately again in the EUFA?

    What on earth is all that about, what what...?

    Seriously, though, what a crock : (

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  156. Well it's somebody's fault for not playing him. It somebody's fault for not playing to his strengths. Balo is a very talented target man. How many times does he get crosses. Never
    I think the last time he was crossed to was when he scored,I think against Swansea. He doesn't let the wingers cross enough. The players in general don't cross enough. That's why we have 2 of the best target men in the league on the bench.
    He knew what sort of player he was getting yet he bought him is is forcing him to play against his natural style.
    This whole tiki taka thing is so out dated than even barca have moved away from it. Because it is mostly ineffective and very one way most times. That is why we are fifth in the league.
    Tiki taka doesn't win trophies anymore.
    He has refused to defend him and almost always leans the blame to balo everytime people show how ineffective that passing game has become.
    If we are serious about trophies this man is not the way forward.
    He just ruins the lives of most strikers. Blames them for his short comings.
    Borini aspas lambo balotelli.
    When is one in 5 successful striker buys a pass mark?

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  157. Does anyone know how much the raise will be?


    Is he going from 10k per week to 35k per week? 10k to 75k?


    Point is that even though he hasn't proven himself, being a first team regular, there's going to be an expectation of base pay. He's not in the academy anymore. Just curious what that base pay turns out to be.

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  158. For me, Sterling's big strength was his game intelligence when he came through. Ibe is more of a typical winger showing strength, directness and pace to 'burst' through, whereas Sterling had that bit of intelligence that belied his young age.

    People forget how good and exciting he was last season with SAS and Coutinho. His assist to Sturridge last season in the home game against Swansea, or his calmness for the City goal. He certainly has not stepped it up this year but the kid is 20. Although some of it is down to attitude, he did lose all his attacking partners (same can be said for Coutinho - you don't see as much outstanding 'wow' through balls this season because it's just not there - he is getting a lot of recognition this year for those wonder strikes in Feb/Mar). I think Sterling would thrive again in a settled front 3-4. But I think he will go.

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  159. ..."Ok Barry, you did ever so well yesterday, you managed to get to work all on your own and you were only twenty eight minutes late so well done that's one gold star. Now, as your on the shelves tonight, I'm hoping you will do an outstanding job, without upsetting the structure and spilling the beans all over the shop and to really help you reach your full potential I have this letter from your Mum"
    ...ambulance sirens...

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  160. Australia are Asian champions.

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  161. For me that sums it up nicely, last season Sterling seemed the most able to really learn and improve form Suarez' magic and perhaps this season he's stagnated slightly without him.
    If he stays and we also sign our much wanted 'marquee' striker then as you say as part of a settled attack, IMO he would carry on up through the gears, alas I also agree that seems unlikely to happen now.

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  162. Sterling with Aguero and Silva at City - he would really do well there I think. But who knows where/if he will go.


    Suarez rose the level of every single player around him, especially Sterling. A young player of 18-19 coming through and playing with, and seeing, Suarez who gave one of the best individual seasons ever witnessed in the Premier League. Suarez was immense and I miss him greatly but as hard as it is to say, he is well rid of us. He deserves lots of titles in his final 4-5 years at the top.

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  163. Stan Dinaround4:17 pm, May 14, 2015

    Yeah, he played, you could see how made up he was to finally have a chance to win the CL, the only trophy he doesn't have.... At 37... he's still a quality GK....

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  164. I think Casillas is about the same height.

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  165. Stan Dinaround4:18 pm, May 14, 2015

    I don't know, they are very tactically sound, I think they could hold their own, maybe not win it, but definately be there or there abouts at the end of the season...

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  166. Here here. Even if he gets a new contract, it will be 30K / week for the next 4 years. We will get 1-2 years out of him on that wage, which is fantastic value. And if he improves, he will deserve a pay rise (not because of his attitude or Rodgers' praise).

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  167. ...and still a fathers dream date for his daughter?

    Cheers by the way.

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  168. I reckon theyd beat us to 5th but good on em hope they win the CL.

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  169. are you talking about van gaal or BR? The last time it was anything like tiki taka was during BR first season at Liverpool, and that was mostly in the first 6 months. Then it turned into the complete opposite to that by last season, and the tempo was quicker than the other teams in the league, just watch the 5-1 arsenal game a really good example. And I could be wrong but I'm not even sure balotelli has scored many headers in his career so far, I don't remember seeing a header for Man City anyway, but again I don't know if he has, The slower build up play you may see this season you don't even have to watch when you hear commentary saying it's frustrating to see coutinho time and time again being forced to hold onto the ball cos the pass isn't on in front of him and not enough to aim for. Saying BR ruins the lives of most strikers is so over the top im not even sure your being serious.

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  170. Yep, that's the painful bit, it's all too easy for people to jump on the anti-sterling campaign and belittle his ability, but for me that's short-sighted and I can easily imagine him going to somewhere like, as you mention City, and doing VERY well.
    Must also admit it's tough to let go of the Suarez season but yes, - it's all about timing and unfortunately you have to recognise his time was now to be right at the very top. Hopefully we will be back where we belong and able to provide players that platform again soon.

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  171. I don't think so. Who is really that slow in their line-up? Pirlo obviously is, but Juve have played a lot of their best football without him. Barzagli isn't the paciest, but they're very organised defensively and we've seen John Terry get away with it.

    Besides, Real are probably the paciest and one of the most dangerous counter-attacking sides in Europe. If Juve can cope with that, I think they;d be fine in the Prem. You're not going to find many midfield threes more balances than Pogba, Vidal and Marchisio.

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  172. You have such a negative look on the world. You call it critical realism but you go far beyond that sometimes. What's Lovren on this season? He did nothing this season either and has won close to nothing in the game.

    30K/week for Ibe for the next 5 years is outstanding value. And if he improves as he possibly could, then he will deserve another pay rise in 1-2 years. You base his output on 'what has been his impact'? What has been anybody's impact this season. The whole team has underperformed. We can all see Ibe has great potential, nothing more, nothing less, so let's credit the kid, or do you like that we pay players like Markovic way more money, on top of their fee? You can't have it both ways, saying Markovic was not needed as we had Ibe, and then saying Ibe doesn't deserve a new contract to tie him to the club.

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  173. Let's look at Kezman (Chelsea) or Alfonso Alves (Middlesborough) and their stats in the Dutch league. They were mind-blowing and they were unable to do anything when they came to England. Pointless comparing 2 different leagues like that to back up your argument.

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  174. He's still only 37? Man, he's been around forever!

    (Not as long as Cassy A$$ (that's the Jonathan "I literally never stop talking ever" Pearce pronunciation)

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  175. First time I've seen Pogba for a full game, though he was quite crap. What's all the fuss about? 70 mill????

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  176. Ok wait so what time of football is the side ways slow one way passing style we are playing. Where we most times have more possession and can't penetrate?
    It's not over the top
    He's had borini Carroll suarez lambert sturidge aspas sturidge.
    That's (7). Their sir, how many of them have been efective with rodgers?

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  177. I like this perrin kid in Italy. He had a stormer last season. Still very highly regarded.

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  178. Joshua Gresham5:09 pm, May 14, 2015

    Ryan is an absolute class keeper. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and his distribution is very very good so he would be perfect for our team. He is also an excellent shot stopper. His performances for Australia have been pretty solid and some of the saves he makes are pretty ridiculous. Might be a little on the short side so the physicality of the BPL could prove to be an issue but he has a massive vertical leap on him so height has never been a real issue for him. For how cheap he would be I think its a no brainer. Can really push Migs for first spot and at his age could easily become our first team keeper for 10+ years

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  179. How can we continue to play that super fast football we saw without the pace and movement up front we had, we saw the Liverpool we saw last season even with balotelli, on his debut alongside sturridge (vs Tottenham), he showed mobility in that game and I was impressed. But the style of football is greatly influenced by the attack, and you need a striker to make runs in the box otherwise why pass the ball forward? As for the strikers how many of them can you say "they're lives are ruined" that is over the top, you include Carroll who wasn't even brought in by him, he moved him on for the good of his career and now his life is ruined? What about thinking of positives for once, like Suarez saying he was so close to moving to juventus but stayed cos he was impressed with Brendan, or Gerrard stating he has the best man management skills he has ever seen, and you think he ruins ppls lives. suerez improved his goal scoring under him, sturridge was being wasted on the wing at Chelsea, lambert is coming to the end of his carreer but was so happy to sign for Liverpool he accepted he would be a utility player, borini refused to leave twice during the last year, even tho that would be a lot better for his carreer, is his whole life ruined cos he demanded 90k a week and that's BR fault?

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  180. People like this has to dismiss everything he has done to Condone their hate!

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  181. The most foolish notion about Balotelli, people like this have to dismiss everything he has done to promote their dislike, I understand not liking him, but saying this is just stupid, Balotelli has done too much for one bad season to be the end of him!

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  182. It's a play on the word unplayable and even has a smiley face.


    Also if you read my follow on comments It is quite clear I think he is unfairly maligned and that I thought he would be a major transfer success. However it just has not worked out and a pattern has emerged of under performing, I too hope he turns it around but from what I have seen of him I have some doubts sadly.

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  183. Wow...I wouldn't believe anything coming out of any players mouth especially suarez.
    Any club that pays his salary is his dream club.
    And also u really are an excuse machine aren't u?
    U spend close to 30 million on strikers and then don't play them, instead play an untested teenager. Brilliant man management.

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  184. He's just back from a 3 months injury. This was his second game.

    I do think that the prices being quoted don't reflect his current value though.

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  185. Balotelli forced his move from all of those clubs, he left Inter because of racism, he left city because AC his boyhood team came calling. He left AC because he was the only one blamed for World Cup fail...and additional racism...his problem at Liverpool is playing time, it seem the moment he catches form he was benched...Rodgers refuse to play him alongside a striking partner, when he had SES at AC, he scored 12 in 13' the following season he scored 19 overall 32 goals in 50 games...but Rodgers decided to go with a lone striker even after he saw the result of him and Sturbridge in game one...I think Rodgers is more interested in pleasing the British media and ex Liverpool haters than playing Balotelli!

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  186. He scored 19 for AC and took them to the round of 16 in the CL last season, season before he scored 12 in 13' he scored in every qualifying game leading up to the World Cup, he beat England, and then was blamed for their exit!

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  187. I don't think anyone will match the price we set for him. Will he hang around another year on thiry five grand a week waiting for the price to drop? Will he make up the money he will have list in a signing on fee? I can see it being more complicated than he, his agent or many if our fans think it will be.

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  188. I hate to tell you guys this but no player of note will go to Liverpool if Rodgers stay, he is an average coach, and worse he can't play players that doesn't fit in his system, and above all that, there is no European play next season. I see Balotelli staying put, and if Rodgers stay, you will all curse him for not doing this for Balotelli last season...Liverpool has the correct player, but the wrong coach, the team need to play for the striker, at Liverpool when balo is on the pitch, they all want to be the striker, that is a Rodgers weakness!

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  189. Sorry but isn't making up things that You have no proof of, to have against the manager, making up excuses for him to be sacked? I'm simply debating, not just to defend and standby the manager for the sake of it, that I need to make up excuses, but he could actually be the right man for the job, and is being harshly talked about with things ppl make up. I think we should leave it there, Im not here to cause any harm, it's just a debate, Let's agree to disagree

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  190. Mike Aitcheson7:29 pm, May 14, 2015

    I've been saying for ages that the effect of BR's overpraising is hugely exaggerated....

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