16 Jun 2015

Transfer Update: £8m defender desperate to join Liverpool. Talks ongoing. Done deal next week

Another day, another British player linked with a summer move to Liverpool, and this time, it's Charlton U19 defender Joe Gomez who's on Brendan Rodgers' transfer hit-list.

According to the Liverpool Echo today:

* The Reds have 'tracked Gomez extensively' for over three years.

* Negotiations for 18-year old Gomez are now at an 'advanced stage', and the deal is will 'be completed early next week'.

* Liverpool are 'expected' to pay £6m for Gomez, though the Daily Mail claimed in May that Charlton will not let him go for anything less than £8m.

* Gomez is 'desperate' to join Liverpool, and is 'already preparing' for the move.

* The Echo also claims Manchester City, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Bournemouth, Borussia Dortmund, and Hoffenheim were also interested in signing Gomez (sounds rather dubious to me).

Gosh, how incredibly exciting! (Not). Some info about Gomez:

* Can play as a right back or centre back.

* 24 appearances for Charlton Athletic last season.

* Part of the England side which won the 2014 European U17 Championships last summer (and named in the team of the tournament)

* His idol is former Manchester United star Rio Ferndinand. In December, he told reporters:

"I always looked up to Ferdinand when I was younger because he was an English centre-back at the top level - plus he was a ball-playing one too".

* 2015: Nominated for the Championship's Apprentice of the Year award. Reacting to the nomination, he enthused:

"It's been a great experience and nothing I expected when I began to be involved in the first team in pre-season. I look forward to pushing on. There's still a lot of hard work for me to do".

I'm trying, but I just can't muster up any enthusiasm for this potential transfer. Liverpool need experienced players, not kids, and Gomez is just another teenager who won't make a significant impact for at least 2-4 years...if he he even lasts that long.

In recent years, young defenders Sebastian Coates, Tiago Ilori, and Andre Wisdom have failed to make the grade (and all three have been loaned out), so what chance does Gomez have? Even his own manager at Charlton - Guy Luzon - doubts Gomez's ability to make the step-up. In May, he told Kent Online:

"I don’t think if he [Gomez] signed for a Premier League club he would play, and at his age he needs games"

According to the Liverpool Echo, though, Gomez is 'confident he can prove himself worthy of Liverpool’s senior squad during pre-season at Anfield".


Where's the fire? What is Gomez so 'desperate' to move to a Premier League club at the age of 18. If I was suspicious about the motives of footballers, and I am, then I'd suggest that money, fame, and the chance to be in the spotlight is the main motivating factor, rather than a genuine belief that Liverpool is the best place to develop.

As Luzon states, Gomez has next to no chance of becoming a regular at Anfield right now, but he plays regular games for Charlton, so why isn't he happy with that? If Gomez is so good, then he'll only improve, and the opportunities will still be there in 2-3 years.

On a related note: With transfer funds possibly limited this summer, it seems like an irresponsible move to spend between £6m and £8m on a teenager with only 24 senior appearances to his name.

Improving the spine of the first team should be the first priority, and once that's done, then focus on signing teenagers.

Author: Jaimie K


102 comments:

  1. Sounds good to me, why shouldn't we get in on the act - sign an up and coming youngster, we could then wait a year or three and sell him to Soton for 25million, what's not to like.

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  2. Sign and loan back. Lock him into a great potential but give him that game time and familiarity with the same club.

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  3. Yes I agree. While I'm not overly excited about this like Jaimie says, it's not like it'll be a bad transfer. Yes Coates and Ilori didn't really pay off (I suppose a bit early for Ilori to judge still) but that doesn't mean Gomez won't. We only have Lloyd Jones as a legit Defensive prospect. Another one wouldn't hurt.

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  4. Also on another note Jaimie, I have certain computers that block me from commenting, after some research it sounds like you might block by ip address. Is that true? If I find it can you unblock it for me? I hate commenting on my phone at work, I make stupid errors.

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  5. Don't worry Jamie, when he comes good we will sell him and buy some more kids. #feederclub

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  6. Sounds great. But we are in a different position to chelski that are able to do it with no risk. We are limited with funds- fee and salary, so every 'little' transfer means that we have to go for even cheaper and players that demand smaller salaries, and that usually means less quality. And we NEED quality on few positions...

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  7. So in other words were foøked

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  8. Slightly off topic but Liverpool has had a Balotelli + Cash offer for Kovacic rejected by Inter Milan. I see that Rodgers is trying to kill two birds with one stone here by offloading Balotelli and signing Kovacic for a lower fee.

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  9. Seriously this manager needs the boot, for god's sake why he just can't stay away from kids he's turning LFC into a kindergarten!

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  10. German: Kinder=Children Garten=Meatloaf... He is turning us into baby meatloafs?

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  11. I wouldn't blame Rodgers for this.

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  12. 8 mil for an 18 year is not cheap mate. We can get good talent for that money for the now. *PC anyone?

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  13. Not really. We just need BR to learn from his mistakes... Yes we are actually, but still hoping he can..

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  14. I wish I could too but its now 5 transfer windows of Rodgers signing some of them are his choice, like documemted cases of Allen and Borini

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  15. Regards the urgency bit Jamie, if you put aside the fact he's a footballer for a second and treat him like any other eighteen old, you can imagine or maybe remember that at that age you don't tend to look too far into the future and I can envisage the lad feeling the opportunity should be grasped in both hands the minute it's presented in case it's missed and lost forever.

    That's just how you think at that age, you want everything yesterday.

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  16. If history has taught us one thing ita Rodgers seemingly incapable of learning from his mistakes

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  17. I wish I knew man. They could be all his signings. Not enough information coming out. They need to explain themselves

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  18. Yeah I agree with that, I think at that price range six to eight is a big jump, eight too much, six is ok with me though.

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  19. Case, you are right ...there's nothing wrong with the strategy of signing young and selling expensive at later date; god knows how many people post comments here slating LFC for not buying this player or that before they were any good...


    ....However, the problem lies with the whole PR of the concept...other clubs are probably at the same type of business under the radar and away from major media scrutiny, but our team seems to relish in shoving the youth concept down our throats and out fully played in the open...


    ...this is not, in itself, a problem..but when it overtakes and grabs the limelight from what we should be doing and the message we should be sending to fans and other top four place competing teams - that LFC are willing and able to get top players ready to hit the ground running and are at their peak...


    ..this is not looking a priority as such (I dont mean milner) because us fans and other teams are watching to see if we gonna compete from the start next season or not....


    ...thats what is pissin* peops off....

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  20. maybe he's physically 18 and mentally 40 and just pure mercenary;) could it be both ways

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  21. the echo is more like LFC PR's unit they produce such false articles lauding praise on our current transfers whilst slating the players, FSG, the transfer committee but not BR they even produced an article stating that not all bad starts mean a bad season too try to deflect some pressure off of BR for the next season... NO... BR needs to go this is clearly not working our for LFC

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  22. Totally agree with that DinMan, 100%. The thing to do though and god only knows we are ALL wanting this - let's change that perception a bit lively by signing some decent - ready to rock players this summer...
    It's a pivotal point in time for us at the moment IMO, the way forward seems crystal clear and I dread another summer of many cooks all pulling in different directions again and spoiling it for us.
    I'm happy with all the signings so far but know there is a widespread fear that the transfer window will just peter out into a 'that was it, that's your lot' - it's a fear I share too.

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  23. Plus one big problem. Our fans are always the loudest to complain and not let it slip under the radar.. Just look at Bogdan- We can't bring in a quality number two and we don't need one. We do the right thing and bring one for free and what the fanbase does? Tweeting and refucktwitting how poor signing he is..

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  24. Yeah bro thats a more than truthful thought that you put in your last sentence..


    ...the thing is unless one is of level mind and balanced chemical reaction through the brain synapses then a reflex kneejerk of what the f*ck is going on - and ok that's it, my beloved LFC is going to get relegated after four months...type drama ensues...


    ...and none of us want to see that unfold publicly on this forum....hang on...that might be quite entertaining...!
    ...No mustn't give in to sadistic tendencies.....;)

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  25. Orme ...you've done it again...how in the f*ck did you get refucktwitting past the greml*n...!?!


    ..and how did you know to do it...?!?

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  26. Hats off, man, hats off.....

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  27. Haha.. now check my comment on Ibrahimovic topic- got stuck for half an hour... Nobody knows the mysterious ways of the gremlin..

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  28. It's only natural to be fair and born out of best wishes for the Club, however:
    If we get more than halfway through the window and no Marquee has been delivered, I may find it difficult not to start that particular revolt myself.
    Patience is a virtue and all that but after a while you do have to say, where the f*ck are our are bl**dy Marquees already...

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  29. Allen and Borini are 100% his. And while Allen is simply out of his dept, but a solid squad player and now BR realizes that I can't really blame him for making that mistake. It was easy to make it- one of the best he had that far, and he believed Allen can improve with him on the next level. But Borini? A good player, probably more worthy of the chance got much less chances on wrong position. Real managerial blunder...

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  30. To be honest I'm already there...my kneejerk works very well and my cynicism is healthy and active...


    ....very often when I see who we're after and when a really good rumour comes out as completely false...I can feel the heat of frustration and anger rising from my shoulder blades and rise up into my neck and head...then I breathe...slowly.... and simmer down...


    ...there's a saying 'I am alive today but for the grace of god'...well I am only calm but for the grace of some of the more level headed writers of comments on this website....otherwise I would have blown up by now....


    ....I want sweeties....the best ones....AND I WANT THEM..NOW..!!!

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  31. I am dreaming of two days off work and enough money to drink good beer and Jack Daniels. That would calm me down nicely..

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  32. ...when I went to Canada to party seriously hard I was inducted into the world of light beers and shots of Jack Daniels.....


    ....nothing like it bro...nothing like it...


    ...I admire your goals.....

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  33. I was thinking a kind of similar thing the other day - someone was asking how I could still be supporting BR and I thought (happens sometimes) - most, granted not all, but most people had at some stage liked Brendan but now they don't, why can they not understand that I still do but just that we all have different points at which we will crack - and of course using the same logic, I completely see and understand that others have reached that point already,...
    Leave me some flying saucers, cola bottles and a sherbet dip please, I'll be along shortly :)

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  34. No worries man those sweets are all yours...;)


    Yeah, with BR I must admit I took a sneaky glance toward the sweetie jar marked Klopp...and then guys like yourself pointed out a few different perspectives here while toing and froing with others (logan et al)..and I realised BR made me really happy for quite a long time...


    ..he returned our 'this is anfield' sign to its rightful place..
    ..he turned the media on its head and spoke positively about us and our players..and said he aimed high...(shanks did that too - albeit he backed it by winning)...
    ...after sooo long I actually enjoyed the attacking flowing football and the almost 'Rocky-like'..okay you hit me; here have some of this, game-play we were about in 2013/14...
    ...we had no flipp*n strikers last term...
    ...we also lost the league at the last and lost suarez...thats some trauma to overcome...


    so these things and more keep me okay with BR...I dont wanna lose the aggresive froward thinking football style to the tepid, bland sh*t I'd been watching for at least as long as I can remember..

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  35. Where was the 'this is Anfield' sign?!?

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  36. sorry, there was another sign up as the players went down the stairs from the changing rooms and BR replaced the 'new' sign with the old sign from Shankly's days...

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  37. What was the new sign he replaced? Our sentences make very little sense right now...

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  38. thats totally cool man, my sentences are borne out of a lateral mind wandering about in a parallel universe...
    ...there was a sign saying the same but BR bought back the original from 1970's to 1998...when we had the most success...in 1998 it was updated to a newer version...but Br wanted the original for good vibes....

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  39. Just because they aren't all gloom and doom doesn't mean they are cheerleaders for the club.


    There is a middle ground.

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  40. I think this is emulating Chelsea's model.


    Buying young players and loaning them out to develop experience.


    It's frustrating for a club like Liverpool who haven't been nearly as successful as Chelsea over the past 10 years (since Istanbul basically).


    But it's a viable strategy for long term growth, going in with the understanding that it's going to take time.


    I completely get the strategy. But it's still incredibly frustrating.

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  41. Haha...
    I remember something about that, never knew exactly what happened there...

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  42. ...but, when it works it really does work...


    ...If you look at chelsea they sell players on at phenomenal prices and some have never even played for the club...


    its a good model as you say...only difference is the pressure taken off young chelsea players by their very capable senior squad of multi-million pound buys....

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  43. Mate I remember loving what he did at the time... but as is my habit; if I don't need it I don't hang onto it...so I had to search online for the exact difference again to remind me...
    ...so don't worry bro...I'm not some super-fan wth exact dates and numbers...I just love my club and like talking about what I think... :)

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  44. Exactly... Chelsea's advantage is that no Chelsea fan really blinks an eye when a player is bought and loaned. Mainly because they don't need the same reinforcements Liverpool do, or if they do need the reinforcement, buying the prospect does not prevent them from buying the experienced player they currently need.


    Liverpool devote portions of a budget to buying the prospect, and the way it comes across is that this prevents us from getting the experienced player we currently need.

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  45. Bit of a rock and a hard place there for us really...


    ...it also means that young players of ours may think they're gonna get thrown in at the deep end and we'll be relying on them to score/impact/see us through....its really alot to take on...no wonder they capitulate....I'm pretty sure with higher grade players protecting them our success rate would be amazing.....

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  46. voice of reason1:24 am, June 17, 2015

    rigghhhtttt

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  47. Use a proxy site, or mirror site, solves that problem if it is the cause.

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  48. Not sure why people are upset about this signing. If there's one thing we've done right under FSG is the signing of top young talent. Gomez has drawn interest from top clubs all around Europe.


    The real issue is/has been our continued overspending on "premier league proven" players. In other words, once we spend our entire kitty raised by the Sterling sale on Benteke, then it will be time to freak out.

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  49. I hear we are tracking a 15 year old who BR says is "outstanding" and "world class" . Just kidding but that's what is next instead signing impact players who can fill gaping holes. The strategy seems to be we have none.....

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  50. Spot on with your comments my friend.........

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  51. In a nutshell, yes.

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  52. Sad but true....I wish it wasn't so.....

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  53. That is THE fear because it's a developing pattern.

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  54. WhT else would BR say. He vocabulary is limited and dilusional.........

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  55. JK,

    And yet we insist on filling the entire squad with squaddies from the UK....time to hie the Stoli hard........

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  56. Edwin Smeulders5:24 am, June 17, 2015

    ALL I WANT IS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL JAIMIE......AND NOTHING THAT FSG AND A `YOUNG POTENTIAL FOOTBALLER THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY ON SELL FOR PROFIT LATER` POLICY THAT THIS CLUB IS IS HELL BENT ON ENFORCING WILL ACHIEVE THAT AIM.NO POINT ON STADIUM EXPANSION IF WE DON`T HAVE A TOP 4 EPL TEAM TO GRACE IT.I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IF FSG ARE ONLY IN THIS CLUB TO LINE THEIR POCKETS,THEN SELL UP AND GET OUT !!! I WANT AND EXPECT MY LFC TEAM I HAVE SUPPORTED FOR 40 YEARS TO BE BACK IN CL FOOTBALL AGAIN NEXT SEASON.ALL THIS CURRENT BS GOING ON IS REALLY ANNOYING THE HELL OUT OF ME.IN SUMMARY....NO,NO,NO
    TO THE YOUNG KIDS,GET KLOPP IN WITH A SPEND ON CL WINNING PLAYERS TO GET US BACK WHERE WE BELONG !!!!!...POINT MADE !!!!!

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  57. I think the big difference is Chelsea are winning and playing CL ,plus the fact they do not have a limited budget ,
    Liverpool MUST carry on buying young players but scouting needs to be really sharp and deals done behind closed doors .
    Liverpool somehow seem to be fleeced on all their deals .

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  58. Like whom? Genuinely, I'd like to know who you think is better and available and likely to come?
    I think Clyne is the best we can get and I'd be very happy if we did.

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  59. Imagine selling Sterling and blowing it on Benteke , that is gross negligence (IMO )
    Even the Belgium coach was very critical of him after this last international .

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  60. Maybe it will illicit sponsorship from the queen?
    We could have 'our Liz's' face on the shirts and Charles can conduct our transfer negotiations - he seems pretty persuasive in a 'I can have you killed in a car crash' sort if way.

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  61. You can argued the fee is to high but young players especially in lower teams are not going to be able to demand high wages. Plus the potential is great for resale on such young prospects, but players like Aspas, well into there 20's is for me a no go.

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  62. You just went way over my head but I'll look it up. I pretty tech savvy and able to learn those things quickly. Thanks for the idea.

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  63. What happened to the transfer committee? Did they get banished so all blame lies on BR's shoulders?

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  64. Their director confirmed that Montoya might leave.

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  65. He is terrible on the ball.

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  66. Signing young players shouldn't be met with constant derision.... Gosh! How exciting! (not) clever.... Is this the tone that is to be expected everytime LFC sign a player, or are even linked with a player... It's tiresome, and somewhat dissappointing to here you call the site as a site for critical realism, when all you do is criticise....

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  67. Are the club ramming this down our throats, or disgruntled fans who want the club to buy Ronaldo and Messi, and anything else is a flop....I think it's the fans that make a big deal of it.

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  68. Enteraining, or inevitable

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  69. I take it back, I know nothing of that sort lol it seems oddly complicated. It could be that I'm on a 20 hour bender at work but to much work.

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  70. The bane of modern football twatter and inyourfacebook.... We need Batmen to sweep in and destroy them.

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  71. He does, .... but just use a VPN if you really want to bug him... He has other ways though, like banning the email....

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  72. VPN is the way to go.....

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  73. No suprise there, I have a nagging fear, we'll be stuck with Balotelli till his contract runs down.... Then we'll have mountains of suitors queuing up to take him for free...

    He's too unreliable to spend actual cash on him...

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  74. Are you now undermining your own point? :-) That's what I said, not British.

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  75. Srna, Dani Alves, Juanfran, Pisczeck, Aurier

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  76. Charlton fan here.


    Seen Gomez play a handful of times and he's the real deal. It's unusual to see someone that young look so comfortable at such a good level, particularly in a position that requires experience. The other thing to note is his physical stature, easily the biggest 17/18 year old I've ever seen.

    It would be a huge shame to see him leave as he'd play every minute for us next season, Addicks fans are hoping we can at least get him back on loan. I am convinced, however, that he's a top investment for a Premier League club so long as he can get some first team experience somewhere next season.

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  77. Oh please.
    ROI was full of players like our own Ray Houghton, born in Scotland , but played under a grandmother.


    Plus thge original point was about the supposed need for overseas ie European mainland and South American players forming the majority of sa team in order to be successful.


    Are you really saying Keane was considered a Eurpean import like say, Schmeichel

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  78. A cad actually....


    The point stood whether it was a EC or WC.


    Not exactly as bad as saying Jamaica is in Africa, stated on this very forum and repeated in public just recently. .....

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  79. I didn't know that - that's very interesting. You wouldn't happen to have news clips from way back then, by any chance?

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  80. Not exactly... Players can be signed at any time. The complication is that their registration can only be processed by the FA from July 1, and they'll only be able to play for their new club once that is done, but deals can be finalised at any time.

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  81. That would be awesome.

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  82. Aargh Southampton aargh.

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  83. Will the Terminator be back?

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  84. Star front page

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  85. Yes, and Montoya (not better but just as good), Joao Pereira, Carvajal, Abate...

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  86. Wow. Thanks. And here I thought it was just the S**.

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  87. Believe it or not, one of the worst papers was the Daily Post.


    But a lot of media outlets, including the BBC all published the most outrageous lies - after being briefed by the South Yorkshire Police of course.


    The difference is that those media outlets, realised rather quickly that they had grossly misjudged the situation and issues retractions / apologies.


    I stopped buying / reading the Guardian because they commissioned an article from Kelvin MacKenzie just a few months back.

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  88. This is all news to me. I'm quite stunned. At least they published apologies, but, still, that's horrific to learn. Apologies don't heal the trauma the initial reports could have caused.

    Yes, I saw the Kelvin MacKenzie piece. Greatly disappointing. I, too, used to read the online Guardian regularly.

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  89. I'm not the one comparing him to SG - I was referring directly to a post somewhere down this page (I think) that says Milner is here to replace SG's experience, which as you correctly say cannot be the case.

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  90. I even wrote them an email, as did many others because they felt it necessary to publish an article defending the decision.


    The reasoning was both ridiculous and contradictory.


    They argued that giving Kelvin a platform to air his crap shouldn't be confused with them endorsing his views - first off, who cares whether the Guardian 'endorses' Kelvin.


    Offering him the opportunity to type out another brainfart is an endorsement, that his views are worthy of publication in a broadsheet newspaper.


    Secondly, they felt it was wrong to 'ban' him.


    Like many others pointed out I'm sure, not actively commissioning pieces from him is completely different from banning him.


    I'd have rather they didn't bother explaining at all, than offering the ridiculous, barely thought through nonsense they came up with.

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  91. Hahahahaha spot on. I fear that many of our dear fans suffer from a severe lack of ambition. Can, Milner, Hendo...Allen... How far can we get with that dross??? The first seven away fixtures will most likely do us in and I believe rodgers will be fired by Christmas.

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  92. Theycallmemrburt2:25 pm, June 17, 2015

    loooool

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  93. since joining liverpool rodgers have already spend over 200 m
    3 world class player per season with strerling suarez herderson already here ...would make a top team already....ynwa

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  94. Jonathan Capozzola3:06 pm, June 17, 2015

    Take the 40 mil that City is apparently offering for Sterling, buy Ibra and bring in a class winger who can actually score goals.

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  95. Their response is as poor as their decision to commission an article from him.

    You're completely correct. Glad that you and others wrote that email. At the very least, the editors squirmed uncomfortably and will have a think next time. But again, it's locking the coop after the chicken has flown off.

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  96. Yes. Since Ireland is not part of Britain. And both Irwin and Keane were born and bred in Cork. Nothing Scottish or whatever about them.

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  97. Lol just the type of stuff I visit this site for, for the past 8 years, top class banter.

    Reading this I'm actually more concerned with Rodgers tarnishing the greatness of Zlatan than anything, which comes to show how far we've regressed under Rodgers. The sending off he gave stevie I still shudder thinking about it...

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  98. Rubbish. The fact that they speak the same language as well as their proximity is a big clue here. As far as I remember Robben's Dutch is a different language completely to German, and neither of those two countries are a group of nationalities as are the UK and Ireland
    It really doesn't matter to my point; there have been successful teams based on home grown players from the UK to Ajax in Holland Porto in Portugal and no amount of geographical pedantry will alter that fact

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  99. I think it is promising that Cavani is clearly hangs around these parts. It's one step up from someone following the club on Twitter. Basically a done deal.

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  100. Leave the Aussies out of this we are a rising power in football and will be up there maybe not in my lifetime but one day.

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  101. Oh dear...you know why people speak English in Ireland yes? Anyway, scratch that, continuing with your logic, if Robben would play in Belgium he would be a homegrown player. Because well, Dutch is an official language in Belgium. And of Shaquiri, who is Swiss, counted as German when he played at Bayern because Switzerland borders Germany and German is one of their four national languages. And yes there have been successful teams with homegrown players but how long ago did that happen for an English team? The only reason it still happens for Spain/Barca is because exactly of the combination of attention to the right things at youth level (like I said in a previous post) and the fact that Barcelona can afford to keep these players. The same doesn't go for Ajax, for example. They still have the same youth policy, they still produce very good players but they can no longer hold on to them because they simply do not have the cash. English clubs do but the focus is on things like tackling, running and strength. Not technique and playing in a system. A team of Brits doesn't no longer work because these kids are British but because the game has evolved but the training methods in England have not.

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  102. Freaking Stingy Group is who they are !!!

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