Pepe Reina

[RedSince1964]

I agree, Rodgers has replaced a great goalkeeper with another top quality goalkeeper. I guess he knew that he needed to act quickly and he did. I'm not convinced that loaning Reina is a great idea, but these things are not straightforward. I don't blame BR or the club for this situation, I think we've handled it really well.

Agreed mate

[RedSince1964]

Top marks. The fact is we know **** all about the financial arrangement and until we do, we're just winding ourselves up over it.

[el matador]

Rodgers confirmed they're getting him off the wage bill.

[Exiled_red]

I'm not so sure there is a deal lined up with Barca or anyone else next summer, if there were the club should have played hard ball with them and said if you want him next summer you give us the cash now and you loan him out for a year until you want him in your team. That would have been the best thing for us to do as we get the money now.

As this hasn't happened I don't think there is a deal lined up, I suspect either we have just decided to move him on or he has decided it is time to go and was expecting a firm offer from someone that hasn't materialised.

[el matador]

With the mignolet signing its clear that they wanted a new goalie to replace pepe. They took the chance that barca would sign him but they haven't.

it shows that for fsg the wage bill is where they're looking for maximum efficiency.

[Exiled_red]

I am starting to worry about the wage bill cutting that has been going on, I can see from a financial point of view that it makes sense, and in Reina's case it makes sense if he is going to be sat on the bench all season on £100k a week. But I am worried we are starting to become obsessed and I just hope that it doesn't affect the players we can/are bringing in.

[Fierce]

I am starting to worry about the wage bill cutting that has been going on, I can see from a financial point of view that it makes sense, and in Reina's case it makes sense if he is going to be sat on the bench all season on £100k a week. But I am worried we are starting to become obsessed and I just hope that it doesn't affect the players we can/are bringing in.

Aside from saving £100k per week for someone who is unlikely to feature very much this season, which other obsessive wage cuts are worrying you?

[TheElephantMan]

Keeping control of the wage bill is critical, all clubs needs to manage their commitments carefully. We can't allow ourselves to fall into a state of mismanagement (in terms of our finances) again.

I don't think trimming the wage bill was the objective here, if Reina suggested that he wanted to move on then it's too risky not to appoint an alternative - it keeps us in control of the situation. I think the club have played a blinder here - I still think we'd have been better selling him, but I don't know the details of the situation. We have a top quality goalkeeper in place and we're not relying on an unsettled player.

[Exiled_red]

Aside from saving £100k per week for someone who is unlikely to feature very much this season, which other obsessive wage cuts are worrying you?

It's just something that seems to be mentioned a lot in regards to our transfer dealings over the last couple of years, I don't think it's a problem yet - there were certainly issues which needed to be sorted out last year. But we have got rid of a hell of a lot of players who were on high wages so I would hope that the wage bill is now well under control and this is an 'efficiency' issue rather than an over all wage bill cost.

The players that have come in probably aren't on the same kind of wages as the players that have gone out, and while I agree that it makes sense (from a financial point of view) to get rid of back up goalkeeper on £100k a week, if we are to push on we are going to need a good squad of players, which will almost certainly involve high wages for players who aren't necessarily playing week in week out, alot of the players we have signed have been either youngsters or players that have perhaps flown under the radar of other clubs rather than being high profile signings (which is fine), I am just hoping that this eye on the wage bill doesn't prevent us from bringing in the players we need (or keeping the ones we have).

[G]

I am starting to worry about the wage bill cutting that has been going on, I can see from a financial point of view that it makes sense, and in Reina's case it makes sense if he is going to be sat on the bench all season on £100k a week. But I am worried we are starting to become obsessed and I just hope that it doesn't affect the players we can/are bringing in.

Or the ones we are trying to keep. Hardly likely to convince Suarez of the club's ambition if we are shipping top players out because their wages are high. He's also good mates with Pepe.

Fact is we had a top goalkeeper, we didn't need to sign another one and the only reason we did has now been confirmed as a financial one, except that the club probably thought it would be able to sell Pepe rather than just loan him.

[Shaggy]

Tony Barrett @TonyBarretTimes
My take on Rodgers reference to finance is that it's hard for him to justify having a high earning keeper as 2nd choice.

mikejgirling @mikejgirling
@TonyBarretTimes Maybe shouldn't have spent 9 on another one then...

Tony Barrett @TonyBarretTimes
@mikejgirling Agreed.

Dan Kennett @DanKennett
@TonyBarretTimes @mikejgirling but then you still have the problem of being beholden to the whim of Barca & Valdes. Could u accept that?

Tony Barrett @TonyBarretTimes
@DanKennett @mikejgirling That's not the situation.

Dan Kennett @DanKennett
@TonyBarretTimes @mikejgirling fascinating, cos it means the whole fanbase is debating this under false pretenses

Tony Barrett @TonyBarretTimes
@DanKennett @mikejgirling It's just being overly complicated that's all. You only ever replace players who you want or have to replace.

[G]

And I don't blame Rodgers for it either. It's clear he's not happy about having to do his whole change hence why he's come out and said it's financial. Like he said, it's been something he was made aware of having to do 'months' ago, having his hand forced.

[Shaggy]

Dan Kennett @DanKennett
@TonyBarretTimes @mikejgirling meaning that "the club" have decided they want to replace him. Fan debate is over motive for this tho

Tony Barrett @TonyBarretTimes
@DanKennett The "motive" will be that the manager believes he can get a better, younger keeper cheaper. It's nothing sinister.

[G]

Not convinced by that, his quotes in the echo read like he was made aware that it was something that needed to be done and he had to prepare for it by buying mignolet.

[Rowan]

Reina must have been one if the best paid keepers in Europe. Maybe Buffon, Cech and Casillas ahead of him but there can't be many. Maybe the view was that the club could no longer justify that expenditure on current form. Over time Pepe was one of the best keepers in the league but his performances since Rafa left haven't been anything to write home about.

Loan seems strange if a same was possible but I think shifting 4-5 million off the wage bill is for a keeper isn't the worst thing we could have done.