Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 12/13

djPSB

donfers wrote: »

macca says it is allen, sahin (loan), tello (loan) and walcott

dempsey may now be on the backburner

rumour has it we'll get rid of doni and get de vries

and a centre-half if agger is sold

all in all, pretty average, and that's even if we get all those in, the two loans are not secured either with other clubs interested in both tello and sahin

Keep Agger, Add Allen, Tello and Sahin and another winger. I'd be happy enough.

djPSB

Mr Alan wrote: »

He pretended to be. It was pretty funny.

Name and shame.

Knex*

If Agger signs a contract I will be both extremely relieved and moderately embarrassed with myself for jumping to conclusions even when I told myself not to.

If he does stay, and we do get Allen, Sahin, Tello and Walcott I actually think I'd be pretty happy going into next season with that.

Be shocked if we got Sahin and Allen tbh, and that's not even taking into account the competition that we would have for Sahin.

daithijjj

Knex*

djPSB wrote: »

Name and shame.

You can find it all here. Was the same time that Kenny got the sack.

djPSB

Fair play to Luis.

Only back in Liverpool a short while and has already signed on the dotted line.

That's how it should be done.

Good to see his English is coming along as well.

djPSB

Knex. wrote: »

You can find it all here. Was the same time that Kenny got the sack.

I see says the blind man.

Sappy404

murpho999 wrote: »

Sappy404 wrote: »

"#LFC in negotiations for Agger's renewal since Monday- not sure what to make of this. Could be an exercise to raise price, or as security." @jeremy_lfc, who knows his onions as I recall.

http://bit.ly/MrjILO

Who are these people on Twitter?

Could it not just be an exercise to keep him at the club?

He's been discussed on here at length. Seems to know his stuff. Do a search for Srijandeep Das.

It's at odds with the story that the club is supposedly trying to sell Agger, hence him speculating that there's possibly another motive.

Leiva

daithijjj wrote: »

Right that's him secured now lets get Operation Suarez under way and build a team around this kid . starting with a flair defender - get Agger on the phone .

missingtime

Hulusi Özdurmaz on Ricardo Quaresma—"If Liverpool make a formal bid for the figure being quoted [£6.3m], the Beşiktaş board would accept it" -- TouchlineDrama (@TouchlineDrama)

...

DrumSteve

missingtime wrote: »

...

Quaresma... he's still playing?

retalivity

Might as well try and get adriano out of retirement while theyre at it.

decent/good footballer, terrible attitude

mike65

http://twitter.com/jeremy_lfc (this fella does seem to be a bit more clued up than the rest apart from Duncan of course)

Can confirm that #LFC have made an enquiry for Nuri Sahin.

I posted about Quaresma 2 days ago (keep up!)

prettyboy81

What about Gio Dos Santos to add to our squad? Think he is on a free or available at small fee from Spurs plus he was developed by Barca in a 4-3-3 system.

I wouldn't be against signing him think he could flourish & maybe Arry's style of management didn't suit the young lad.

missingtime

Eziz Allamov ‏@Ezizallamov
Luis Suárez's new deal at Liverpool will see him earning around £100k/week (£4.8m/season) in wages.

Eziz Allamov ‏@Ezizallamov
Previously, Luis Suárez was earning around £35K/week (£1.68m/year) in wages at Liverpool. All info via the Times.

Unexpected.

Francie Barrett

retalivity wrote: »

Might as well try and get adriano out of retirement while theyre at it.

decent/good footballer, terrible attitude

Quaresma isn't even a good footballer, any Inter fan will tell you he was one of the worst signings they ever made.

Rodgers certainly won't be having him in his team.

Knex*

Francie Barrett wrote: »

Quaresma isn't even a good footballer, any Inter fan will tell you he was one of the worst signings they ever made.

Rodgers certainly won't be having him in his team.

I hope not anyway.

Same goes for Dos Santos. Keep him far away imo.

delw

Great news about Suarez
Next

djPSB

missingtime wrote: »

Unexpected.

Doubt that's accurate.

Luckycharms_74

The Reds & Transfer Unrest

http://tomkinstimes.com/2012/08/the-reds-and-transfer-unrest/

By Paul Tomkins.

Twitter, I have no doubt, is an accelerator of anxiety; something I’ve been able to realise by no longer being part of – and contributing to – the impatience and paranoia. As brilliant as it can be, the medium breeds unrest.

Beyond the debate on this site, I haven’t been paying too much attention to the transfer rumours, and how people are reacting to them. But from what I hear, it seems that there is quite a lot of unrest amongst Liverpool supporters right now.

The Reds have only made one signing, and now there are rumours of Liverpool asking Manchester City to up their bid to over £20m for Daniel Agger; suggesting that another talented player could be on the way out.

Craig Bellamy – with Agger, one of the Reds’ best performers last season – is apparently nearing a move back to Cardiff. If the Welsh striker were to leave, that would mean Kuyt, Maxi and Bellamy would all have made their exits, along with the talented (but frequently questioned) Aquilani. To all intents and purposes the gifted ghost Fabio Aurelio was an injured passenger last season, and he too has finally said goodbye (not that anyone noticed).

Four of this quintet are in their 30s, and three were/are injury prone. One (Maxi), although maybe two (Aquilani), were possibly homesick. All were on good-to-very-good wages, and while I’m sad to see most of them go, based on past performances, none represented the future of Liverpool Football Club. If this is to be a well-run club, sentiment has to be sent out the window. That’s a hard thing to learn as a fan, as our whole raison d’être is to be emotionally invested.

With Agger, however, I find it hard to think in a dispassionate way. He’s probably my favourite player right now, in that he combines unusually high technical ability for his playing position with a steeliness and determination to succeed: the quintessential iron fist in a velvet glove. In theory, he is the perfect Brendan Rodgers’ player, who can shape games from the back.

However, if I were to look at it dispassionately, then I’d say a accepting an offer of £22m, if one were to be made by City, for a brilliant player who is now 27 (two years before his value plummets), and who only usually plays half the games, would make plenty of sense. Especially if the medical staff aren’t too confident that he can manage close to 38 league games.

(This, of course, is predicated on the assumption that the club now has a solid scouting and purchasing policy. If the club doesn’t believe that it can go out and find the next young Agger, in the way that Benítez picked him up for just £5.8m in 2006, then it has to hold onto him. The statistical argument for keeping him will follow tomorrow on TTT in an article by Andrew Beasley.)

Liverpool are clearing the decks before confirming more of their own signings, with only Fabio Borini having joined so far this summer. While I haven’t been party to the Twitter impatience, I did find last week’s game a little disappointing, in that it was merely a continuation of many of last season’s shortcomings, with little sign of the Rodgers’ imprint.

It’s early days, with fitness not yet primed, so there’s nothing to necessarily worry about; but the only new player was isolated up front, and those who looked unremarkable last season continued to do so. It was a bit of a damp squib, even though, on this occasion, it was the opposition missed all the efforts at goal and hit the woodwork, leaving the Reds to nick a victory against the run of play (when facing admittedly fitter opposition).

The excellent news today is that Luis Suarez has signed a new contract. He’s Liverpool’s most penetrating attacker, and also an incredibly hard worker. In theory he should dovetail nicely with Borini, who shares that feverish work-rate – essential for a high-pressing game – but of course, Andy Carroll has become another player who may be surplus to requirements. How many players can the Reds afford to lose this summer without leaving too big a hole? Too much upheaval can lead to unfamiliarity when the season kicks off.

I wouldn’t say I’m totally convinced by Carroll, but I do believe that there’s an excellent centre-forward in there somewhere; albeit one who might require a certain system to bring it out. Last November I wrote an article looking at how the ‘target-man’ striker tends to be a late bloomer, but if he doesn’t fit Rodgers’ system and/or he’s unhappy at the club, then recouping around £20m wouldn’t be a bad move.

(Equally, if the manager wants to keep Carroll, I look forward to seeing what he can make of him. I believe that the no.9 has underrated technique, and, when injury-free, is not as immobile as some suggest, but he doesn’t have the change of gear that makes players like Drogba and Adebayor so effective. He’s an excellent Plan B at the very worst, but if someone else were to offer £20m, could the Reds use it more wisely? I’d like to think so.)

It seems that Joe Allen can be Liverpool’s if they meet the £15m buyout clause. He’s one of those players who could add value simply by knowing the manager’s style inside-out and allowing a swifter midfield integration. But as with any player moving to Liverpool, he would have to prove he can cope with the pressure (Rodgers will obviously know his mentality well). And of course, Liverpool have just had a massive bonus with the early return to fitness of Lucas Leiva; the “just like a new signing” player of the summer.

Aside from the interest in Clint Dempsey (which I assume to be true), all of the players the Reds have definitely been in for are aged around 21 or 22, and unlike some of the aforementioned players who have moved on, are capable of representing the future of the club. You can’t eschew all your experienced players – the balance is important – but in the transfer market, 21/22 is the prime age.

Brendan Rodgers has to spend some time closely assessing what he’s inherited, so it stands to reasons that, unlike last summer, a bit more leeway is needed. In 2004, it wasn’t until late August – after the league season had started – that Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia were signed by the new manager, Benítez. Luckily his first two major purchases eased seamlessly into the team. Last summer everyone said that Arsenal left their business too late, but in the end they didn’t do too badly for what they paid. This year they’re moving more quickly, but for what seems like the fifth or sixth season running, they stand to lose their best player. Despite this eternal problem, they’ve remained in the top four all that time. Indeed, last season they finished 3rd, which was totally unexpected after their poor start. Without an owner to put in hundreds of millions of pounds, what more can they realistically aim for?

It’s easier for us, as Liverpool fans, to relax if the deals are concluded quickly, but equally, we don’t want to see panic buying, nor the overpaying that dogged the club in 2011. (Liverpool did their business early and forcefully last summer, with Downing, Henderson, Doni and Adam all tied down in July, but I’m not sure that it helped in terms of the players chosen and the prices paid.)

Ultimately, though, we shouldn’t judge a transfer window until it closes. Plenty tends to happen as the deadline approaches, when all the brinkmanship gives way to actual movement. Just one transfer can change the whole complexion.

I still believe that FSG, in trying to follow the supposed 'Lyon Model', are taking an intelligent approach, albeit one that others are following (Newcastle spring to mind). Without the megabucks of oligarch owners, and without the Champions League as bait – but with an incredibly strong name and some world-famous players – attracting good players with the potential to become great ones shouldn’t be impossible. And if it means selling some good players for excessive fees in the process, then that’s the way it works.

Knex*

I still believe that FSG, in trying to follow the supposed 'Lyon Model', are taking an intelligent approach, albeit one that others are following (Newcastle spring to mind). Without the megabucks of oligarch owners, and without the Champions League as bait – but with an incredibly strong name and some world-famous players – attracting good players with the potential to become great ones shouldn’t be impossible. And if it means selling some good players for excessive fees in the process, then that’s the way it works.

I don't like the sound of that, nor the earlier rationalisation of the sale of Agger in the article.

opr

Isn't Paul Tomkins now employed by the club again?

Opr

mike65

Agger from a purely financial point of view is ripe for picking, however as much as I love the smell of money and the idea of new blood, centre back is a position where continuity and smooth transition between the generations pays bigger dividends in the long run.

5starpool

opr wrote: »

Isn't Paul Tomkins now employed by the club again?

Opr

Not sure if it's the same thing, but he is writing for the official site as of last week.

Melion

Cant wait to see people backtracking on here if Agger signs a new deal this week

Knex*

Melion wrote: »

Cant wait to see people backtracking on here if Agger signs a new deal this week

Thing is, the people who may have to do the most backtracking will probably be the happiest.

I know I'd be delighted if he signs.

Luckycharms_74

That 'Lyon Model' article is pretty interesting

http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2012/05/booking-up-our-ideas/

Booking up our ideas?

by Gareth Roberts

MUCH was made of John W Henry’s love of Michael Lewis’s book Moneyball. Billy Beane, its star, took the unfashionable Oakland Athletics baseball team to success against the odds using statistical analysis to tear up the traditional scouting methods and identify undervalued players.

His methods transformed one of the poorest teams in baseball into one of the best.

Damien Comolli, the former director of football strategy at Liverpool, worked with Beane, who, in 2002, was approached by Henry to be the general manager of the Boston Red Sox.

Comolli also worked as European scout for Arsenal for seven seasons, uncovering Kolo Toure (£150,000), Emmanuel Eboue (£1m) and Gael Clichy (£250,000) among others for fees well below their future worth.

Henry, unsurprisingly, is a big fan of the Arsenal model and wants a greater return for Liverpool’s wage bill which, according to the Financial Times, was the third highest in the league when Comolli was appointed.

That bill not only failed to deliver enough quality in his eyes, but the squad it paid for offered little resale value.

At Arsenal, even top performers like Robin Van Persie are reportedly earning as little (in relative terms) as £70,000-a-week.

To Henry, too many older players at Anfield were on expensive deals with little prospect of them being sold on for an acceptable price. It’s for this reason that the future of Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez remains in doubt – regardless of the set up of the new football management structure.

FSG have always planned with Uefa’s Financial Fair Play rules in mind – an aim to restrict excessive spending that will, in theory at least, stop clubs “doing a Chelsea” or these days “doing a Manchester City”.

Henry is also said to have read Soccernomics,a book by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski.

Unlike Moneyball it is specific to football and some of the analytical tools and successful use of data detailed there will undoubtedly now be used at Liverpool.

One club that Soccernomics cites as being run in a ‘Moneyball way’ is Lyon.

They won their first Ligue One title in 2002, starting a record-breaking streak of seven successful championship wins. In 2009-10 they reached the semi-finals of the Champions League after three previous quarter-final appearances.

In the season just gone, they won the French Cup, after four years without a trophy, but missed out on the Champions League for the first time since 2000 after finishing fourth in the league.

Lyon has a reputation for developing promising talent, who would not only achieve greatness in France, but also abroad and internationally.

Notable examples include Michael Essien, Florent Malouda, Juninho Pernambucano, Cris, Éric Abidal, Mahamadou Diarra, Patrick Müller, and Karim Benzema.

Owner Jean-Michel Aulas rid the club of its debt and transformed it from a second division team into one of the richest in football but he has been criticised by fans for running Lyon like a business.

Soccernomics says of him: “Aulas’s theme is that over time, the more money a club makes, the more matches it will win, and the more matches it wins, the more money it will make. In the short term you can lose a match, but in the long term there is rationality, even to soccer.”

Under Aulas, Lyon have won the Ligue 1 title seven times and have qualified for the Champions League in 12 consecutive seasons

What Moneyball, Lyon , Soccernomics (and Henry and FSG) have in common is they separate emotion and sentiment from cold hard facts.

So while we as fans may have been up in arms at the decision to sell Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid for £30million, this approach would rubber-stamp such a move.

Alonso was 27, in his prime, so therefore would never command a higher sell-on fee.

Where Rafa Benitez and Liverpool failed on that transfer was in not having an adequate replacement lined up. It is unlikely Alberto Aquilani would have been signed by Henry and co because of his age (26), price (£17m) and his appalling injury record.

Henry has in the past made it clear he does not believe Liverpool has enough quality young players at the club and this summer already there has been talk of an under-23 recruitment policy.

More specifically, if Soccernomics is to be believed, that age range is likely to be 20-22.

Players in that age bracket are considered old enough to be judged but young enough to be affordable. And if a big fee is paid out for players of that age there is time for them to develop and produce a return on the investment.

Younger is considered too much of a gamble as it’s difficult to judge players at that age. Talent is easily frittered away and players that look world beaters at that age can quickly fade into obscurity. Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec anyone?

Whether that totally rules out moves for older players remains to be seen.

Arsene Wenger has always had a policy of offering over-30s no more than a one-year deal but he backtracked on that some time back to sign Sébastien Squillaci on a three-year contract.

Some have suggested we may never see the likes of Gary McAllister, signed aged 35, at Anfield again, but things don’t look quite so cut and dried.

McAllister may have been old, but he was signed on a free, and only on a one-year contract. It could be that length of contract for older players, not just their age, is the crucial factor (Craig Bellamy, on a free at 32, signed a two-year contract).

Back in 2010 the priorities were clear when Henry said: “The wage bill is high, it is going to be high next year, and we are not a young team. That is disappointing.”

Nevertheless, according to Soccernomics, the key to Lyon’s success has been long-term stability – in terms of players and staff.

So while they have had six managers since 2000 – Jacques Santini, Paul Le Guen, Gerard Houllier, Alain Perrin, Claude Puel and current boss Remi Garde – the president and Bernard Lacombe – who has been technical manager, trainer, manager and now special advisor to the president – have remained.

Lacombe is renowned for his eye for a player and it is clear he will remain for as long as Aulas does.

Lyon believe in the ‘power of crowds’ – the more minds analysing a situation the better the result.

This is why future transfers at Liverpool are likely to involve numerous senior football people coupled with support staff – scouts, data analysts and so on.

At Lyon six or seven people are involved in making a decision on transfers. The manager (coach) is almost seen as a temporary role. When he leaves nothing really changes – it’s evolution, not revolution.

Recently, they have favoured bringing players through from their academy, and have not made major splashes in the transfer market in the last two windows. But Lyon can still boast a squad full of internationals and the biggest wage bill in France. They move into a new stadium in 2014, the Stade des Lumières

The ‘power of crowds’ approach goes against the grain of the traditional set-up in England but, let’s be honest, the traditional set up hasn’t been that great to Liverpool in the last 20-odd years has it?

The club has blown millions on flop signings and has a poor record on recouping transfer fees for outgoing players. It wasn’t supposed to happen on FSG’s watch. It did. And the people responsible – Comolli and Kenny Dalglish – paid the price.

Other traits identified in Soccernomics will ring a few bells with Liverpool fans.

For instance: “A new manager wastes money; don’t let him”.

When Roy Hodgson arrived at Anfield he immediately put the wheels in motion on two shocking deals – Christian Poulsen, a 30-year-old midfielder widely regarded as being past his best, and Paul Konchesky, a 29-year-old average full-back who had found his level at Fulham.

In both cases the prime reason for their recruitment seemed to be that Hodgson had worked with them before. Out went £10m for the pair and worryingly they were handed long-term deals – Poulsen three years and Konchesky four years.

Fabio Aurelio, a 31-year-old and surely one of the most injury-prone players ever to wear the red shirt, was ludicrously handed a two-year contract.

Henry, watching from afar, must have been cringing.

Meanwhile, out the door went youngsters including Emilano Insua, a 21-year-old twice capped for Argentina, Lauri Dalla Valle, a 19-year-old Finnish striker described by Liverpool’s official site as ‘one of the most promising youngsters at the club’, and Swedish left winger Alexander Kakaniklic, also 19.

To let players of that ilk leave for next to nothing in exchange for short-term ‘sticking plaster’ signings like Poulsen and Konchesky seemed to make little sense football or business-wise. It still doesn’t.

By common consensus, the same could be said of Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam.

This emphasises how the manager in the traditional model has too much power in player decisions and the opportunity to waste money or sign the wrong player is left too much to chance.

Another Soccernomics rule is: “Stars of World Cups and European Champions are more often than not overvalued.”

Again, something we know all too well. Senegalese duo El Hadji Diouf and Salif Diao were signed for a combined £14m during the 2002 World Cup. Both flopped, with £10m spitting ‘striker’ Diouf earning the dubious honour of becoming the first number nine in Liverpool history to go a whole season without a goal.

To rub salt into the wounds, Diouf was signed at the expense of Nicolas Anelka, who had enjoyed a successful loan spell at Anfield.

The book also suggests certain nationalities are overvalued and clubs need to look beyond the norm to find a bargain.

Too often agent recommendations are taken as read and the club fails to put in the spadework itself. If a player is from a ‘fashionable’ country (Spain, France, Holland etc) the club will sign him.

That means an increased price a) for the agent’s work b) because other clubs will also have been notified and c) because it is an ‘obvious’ signing.

So long-term Liverpool are more likely to be looking for the new Wilson Palacios than buying a Xavi. Palacios was signed by Wigan for £770,000 from Deportivo Olimpia in the Honduras League (via a loan spell at Birmingham) and sold to Spurs for £12m just a year later.

“Centre forwards are overvalued; goalkeepers are undervalued.”

Clearly this was a rule recognised by Rafa Benitez who was happy to sign Pepe Reina, 28, to a six-year deal. Reina, who until last season’s dip in form was rated one of the top keepers in the world, was bought for just £6m aged 23.

As for strikers, Robbie Keane – signed for £20m aged 28 – never looked like value for money and so it proved, both for Liverpool and Spurs. It’s the hardest position to sign a player that’s worth his fee. The jury is still out on Carroll, but chances are he’ll never be truly ‘worth’ £35m.

“Gentlemen prefer blondes.”

Soccernomics says one English club noticed its scouts kept recommending blonde players, most likely because they stand out more.

A key aspect to Billy Beane’s approach in Moneyball is challenging misconceptions about baseball players. One being that a player ‘doesn’t look like a player’.

These preconceived ideas were proven to have affected the judgement of scouts at the highest level and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that similar judgements are made in football.

Take Peter Crouch for example. How many times have you heard someone say he doesn’t look the part? Plenty said it when he signed for Liverpool – less said it when he finished top goalscorer in the 2006-7 campaign.

Again, it’s hard not to think about Carroll. The ‘right’ Carroll that we saw at the end of the campaign, notably in the FA Cup, looked a pretty formidable prospect, but many will always doubt him according to this theory solely on his stature.

“Sell players at the right time”

As Beane said: “You’ve always got to be upgrading, or you’re f***ed!”

Managers – clubs – should try to recognise when a player is at the peak of his powers and move him on for good money before the deterioration sets in (or before they leave on a free).

The book also demonstrates that none of this is revolutionary thinking either. It might feel new, but Brian Clough and Peter Taylor applied these methods at Forest while our own Bob Paisley was well known for moving on players once they hit 30.

For Paisley then read Wenger now. The Frenchman sold Patrick Vieira to Juventus for £13.5m and Thierry Henry to Barcelona for £16m. Both were aged 29 and neither ever did as well after leaving Arsenal. The same can be said of Emmanuel Petit (who was 29) and Marc Overmars (27) who also joined Barca in a joint deal worth £30m.

It’s no coincidence that Wenger has a master’s degree in economics.

“Buy undervalued players who have personal problems”

The thinking here is bringing in talented players who have troubles and helping them tackle them. The book cites Wenger as an example, helping Paul Merson and Tony Adams with their addictions.

It makes you wonder again if this is a book on Benitez’s shelf. He bought Jermaine Pennant and Craig Bellamy – both talents, both with baggage.

It might seem like a risky approach but get it right and you could have a talent on your hands at the fraction of the cost. Most clubs, according to the book, are all too happy to let players get on with it – even when they have clear problems.

“Help your players settle”

It’s impossible to know how good Liverpool are at this but many clubs will spend millions on a transfer then fail to follow it up by helping their ‘investment’ settle.

Real Madrid spent £22m on Nicolas Anelka then didn’t bother to assign him a locker, introduce him to his team-mates or help him find a house.

In big business when senior executives move between countries they are assigned a ‘relocation consultant’ who sorts out schooling, housing and educates the family he is assigned on cultural rules and so on.

If Liverpool don’t do this already, they will do soon.

All in all, most of the approach appears to be less revolutionary than some would have you believe – much of it is common sense. Perhaps there hasn’t been enough common sense in the traditional model?

It’s a long-term model (unless some cash is thrown around in the short-term for a quick boost and to lift player morale) and one that is likely to steady the club and leave it poised to challenge in coming years rather than instantly rising up the league to push for number 19.

If Liverpool can now look forward to some stability after all that has come before then many fans will welcome that.

Others will undoubtedly pour scorn on any form of change or reinvention and this remains an ongoing challenge for Henry and co – football supporters and players, by in large, are not patient creatures.

Nevertheless, as it says in Soccernomics: “If most clubs are wasting most of their transfer money, then a club that spends wisely is going to outperform.”

It’s been a while since Liverpool did either.

5starpool

Melion wrote: »

Cant wait to see people backtracking on here if Agger signs a new deal this week

Seems that the wish to see people backtracking is taking up a lot of your wishing this summer. I don't think anyone will be backtracking, but some will admit they were wrong. I bet they all hope they are wrong and once the window closes they will admit it if they are.

Melion

Knex. wrote: »

Thing is, the people who may have to do the most backtracking will probably be the happiest.

I know I'd be delighted if he signs.

I highly doubt that. A lot of people already have it in there heads to use that as a stick to beat BR with, it just means they have to move on to something else.

5starpool

Is Suarez on the squad list for the EL qualifier? Can he play on Thursday?

daithijjj

We are that desperate for the club to make moves that signing our own player gives such joy.

Melion

5starpool wrote: »

Seems that the wish to see people backtracking is taking up a lot of your wishing this summer. I don't think anyone will be backtracking, but some will admit they were wrong. I bet they all hope they are wrong and once the window closes they will admit it if they are.

I dont buy into rumours and there is nothing being leaked from the club so i have nothing else to do when it comes to Liverpool this summer. I can go and make up dream starting XI's if it makes people happier.

dr ro

Melion wrote: »

I dont buy into rumours and there is nothing being leaked from the club so i have nothing else to do when it comes to Liverpool this summer. I can go and make up dream starting XI's if it makes people happier.

Pick a starting 11 for the bray match! For the laugh/something to do.

amiable

Melion wrote: »

Cant wait to see people backtracking on here if Agger signs a new deal this week

The people who gave an opinion? How dare they?
What happens if he leaves?
Will you backtrack?

Melion

amiable wrote: »

The people who gave an opinion? How dare they?
What happens if he leaves?
Will you backtrack?

I dont need to because like i just said, i dont buy into rumours. I think i have mentioned Agger once in the last week.

whatawaster

daithijjj wrote: »

We are that desperate for the club to make moves that signing our own player gives such joy.

I would say Torres signing a new deal 3 years ago would have been greeted with similar joy. Suarez is our star player

Leiva

Little chuckle from this ...

@playupfootball: Liverpool's sponsor Standard Chartered accused of hiding £161billion in suspect deals..Police found £35m in Newcastle and £20m in Sunderland

whatawaster

Apparently the times ( tony Barrett) say

we want A Johnson on loan
Enquired about Sahin
Allen still on
Butland a target
Agger and Carroll can leave if valuation met

opr

5starpool wrote: »

Is Suarez on the squad list for the EL qualifier? Can he play on Thursday?

I posted a tweet from someone yesterday who said Agger, Suarez and Pepe were included in the squad for tomorrows game but I haven't seen it myself.

Opr

MD1990

don't want Adam Johnson another overated English player
very selfish player who wouldn't suit Rodgers style of play

Kess73

5starpool wrote: »

Seems that the wish to see people backtracking is taking up a lot of your wishing this summer. I don't think anyone will be backtracking, but some will admit they were wrong. I bet they all hope they are wrong and once the window closes they will admit it if they are.

To be honest if the transfer window ends well for the club, then nobody will care about who was right or wrong because everyone will be happy things turned out better than expected or as hoped.

Leiva

MD1990 wrote: »

don't want Adam Johnson another overated English player
very selfish player who wouldn't suit Rodgers style of play

I see what your saying but I think he would be worth the risk on a loan deal.

He has the talent but I think the attitude needs to change. If he could get a regular place in the team he just might come good, and if he did he would be a great addition .

klose

whatawaster wrote: »

Apparently the times ( tony Barrett) say

we want A Johnson on loan
Enquired about Sahin
Allen still on
Butland a target
Agger and Carroll can leave if valuation met

I guess mourinhos links with rodgers might help if we went in for sahin although if ya look at the utd/arsenal threads they're all mad to see him at their clubs. I just know if it was agger in allen out well probably break even.
Please god agger will not be pushed out stay

daithijjj

whatawaster wrote: »

I would say Torres signing a new deal 3 years ago would have been greeted with similar joy. Suarez is our star player

We all know signing contracts means fk all in the grand scheme. They are just an insurance policy so you dont get shafted.

Real intent for the club to get into top 4 to me means signing new players capable of getting you into top 4. When i see that intent i will be more than happy to declare it.

5starpool

Kess73 wrote: »

To be honest if the transfer window ends well for the club, then nobody will care about who was right or wrong because everyone will be happy things turned out better than expected or as hoped.

Exactly. Whether people are over pessimistic or over optimistic, we are all on the same side.

opr

Just doing a search when we signed Suarez. Nearly every article says he earned around £35k p/w at Ajax and we at least double this when we signed him. The club leaking this rubbish about how they have given him this mammoth increase in wages really is treating the fans as fools.

Opr

whatawaster

MD1990 wrote: »

don't want Adam Johnson another overated English player
very selfish player who wouldn't suit Rodgers style of play

If we were to sell Agger to City we would be mental not to try for Johnson on loan. I have my doubts about him too, but we are really light on quality in the final third

LuckyLloyd

Kess73 wrote: »

To be honest if the transfer window ends well for the club, then nobody will care about who was right or wrong because everyone will be happy things turned out better than expected or as hoped.

5starpool wrote: »

Seems that the wish to see people backtracking is taking up a lot of your wishing this summer. I don't think anyone will be backtracking, but some will admit they were wrong. I bet they all hope they are wrong and once the window closes they will admit it if they are.

daithijjj wrote: »

We all know signing contracts means fk all in the grand scheme. They are just an insurance policy so you dont get shafted.

Real intent for the club to get into top 4 to me means signing new players capable of getting you into top 4. When i see that intent i will be more than happy to declare it.

5starpool wrote: »

Exactly. Whether people are over pessimistic or over optimistic, we are all on the same side.

Strong posters gonna post strong

whatawaster

opr wrote: »

Just doing a search when we signed Suarez. Nearly every article says he earned around £35k p/w at Ajax and we at least double this when we signed him. The club leaking this rubbish about how they have given him this mammoth increase in wages really is treating the fans as fools.

Opr

Not everything reported is leaked by the club

LuckyLloyd

opr wrote: »

Just doing a search when we signed Suarez. Nearly every article says he earned around £35k p/w at Ajax and we at least double this when we signed him. The club leaking this rubbish about how they have given him this mammoth increase in wages really is treating the fans as fools.

Opr

No way he was on £35kpw, laughable stuff.

He's probably got a very solid increase, and is now one of the club's highest paid players - which is as it should be obv.