Willian secures 'Dream' Liverpool Spurs Chelsea move

[Norbs]

No CL it is then. Maybe not instantly but we have a great youth network of players being molded in to Liverpool players

How many of the top 50 players in the world would sign for a club that can't offer CL football and not getting paid fantasy wages? You can only label the world's top 50 players based on their performance for their existing club. There's no guarantee that once they move they will continue to shine. The larger the transfer fee and wages, the higher the risk. See Andy Carroll for reference

It is massive wages or no CL football. How far down the squad do you need to pay these massive wages

We don't play in London and that means that we will have to pay even more in wages to compensate that. London is a draw but it's not the be all and end all

We don't play in the CL and that means that we will have to pay even more in wages to compensate that.

No, I don't broke my promise. I won't discuss our finances. I only discuss what it takes to get a top class player to sign for us IMO. This summer have proved that.

Massive wages or no player.

Coutinho would disagree

[BigChief]

Pretty depressing that we have five teams ahead of us now in the transfer stakes. Oh well, it'll make finishing ahead of Arsenal and Spurs even sweeter this season!

And every single one of them, except Man City perhaps, would love to have Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho over any/most of their own players.

I think Willian has been our secret anti-Spurs missile. We sign him and we're happy. They sign him then he's pretty much cost them a whole amount and we get a similar player elsewhere for probably less money. Spurs recklessness will catch up with them soon enough, not really worried by that club in the slightest.

[Norbs]

IMO (if he has indeed chosen Spurs) its not Spurs that have beaten us to Willian, it is London. The Brazilian community here is thriving and it is such an easy sell from that point of view.

I think as much to do with Brazil being a Portuguese speaking country

[Chris]

Would be disappointing if we missed out on him but during the Mkhitaryan stuff the Russian sources were pitiful so I'll wait and see. Plenty of other quality players still out there if we cant do it, sure we'll get one eventually even if it is on deadline day.

[MrMichael]

No I don't have the answer but I know what it takes to get top class players to sign for a club that don't play in the CL. Massive wages.

If other players ask for better money because we make a big signing and offer him massive wages then they are also mercenaries. Then the only reason they play for us is because of, money.

The day we can offer CL football then we also don't need to pay out as much wages to compensate the lack of it but until then we must compensate the lack of CL football with money.

Arn for ****s sake, seriously though. Will you stop going on about something that isn't possible. You cannot pay players money you don't have. Almost every football club on the planet has to deal with this issue, being unable to sign certain players because you can't afford either the transfer fee, or their wages over the duration of their contract. We are no different in that to anyone else. We can't suddenly start offering players £200k/week or whatever because it will bankrupt us in no short time. It really is that simple. So please, for all our sakes, if you are going to suggest something that the club could do make it something that is actually possible and realistic. Really.

[The_weatherman]

And every single one of them, except Man City perhaps, would love to have Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho over any/most of their own players.

I think Willian has been our secret anti-Spurs missile. We sign him and we're happy. They sign him then he's pretty much cost them a whole amount and we get a similar player elsewhere for probably less money. Spurs recklessness will catch up with them soon enough, not really worried by that club in the slightest.

I actually think so too. There are several players we can buy for 20-30 million. Pjanic, Lamela, Munain, Damiao, Muriel spring to mind but there is bound to be loads I don't know of. I'm not that worried tbh, we'll move on and find another player.

[BigChief]

Would be disappointing if we missed out on him but during the Mkhitaryan stuff the Russian sources were pitiful so I'll wait and see. Plenty of other quality players still out there if we cant do it, sure we'll get one eventually even if it is on deadline day.

Willian obviously prefers the bright light London partying Brazilian scene, than the hard work, football ethos Brazilian scene at Liverpool (Lucas, Coutinho). If so, good luck to him being Bale's backup.

[Neil Young]

I don't know why you're bothering to engage tbh. He's like a machine banging out the same line and never considers your line of argument because, quite frankly, he doesn't have the answer

Really. Because all the evidence would indicate that we've a clueless rookie manager who hasn't the pulling power to bring in decent players, a wage structure which bears no resemblance to the demands of the modern footballer, an inept CEO who should be sack from doing transfer deals until he has managed Barca or some national teams (or should just stick to commercial deals) and a set of owners who are desperately working behind the scenes in an attempt to make sure we don't sign anyone, win anything and don't come any higher in the league than 8th.

How can you not see that, Neil? The evidence is there and irrefutable!!!

We're not going to know until the window shuts. As long as we don't panic buy, I'll be happy. We can't do much about missing out on top players. I think we're genuinely trying and offering the money. So I've not got any issues with it

Do you even vaguely understand what the word prove means?

Can you show me some categorical proof that we'd have signed even one of our targets had we offered then silly money.

This summer as proved sweet fa other than we're struggling to get players to come here. Anything regarding reasons is purely conjecture.

No I don't have the answer but I know what it takes to get top class players to sign for a club that don't play in the CL. Massive wages.

If other players ask for better money because we make a big signing and offer him massive wages then they are also mercenaries. Then the only reason they play for us is because of, money.

The day we can offer CL football then we also don't need to pay out as much wages to compensate the lack of it but until then we must compensate the lack of CL football with money.

You don't know, you think.

And we all know what you think so either say something new or don't bother.

How did we manage to sign Suarez then? Or Coutinho? Both top class players, obviously Coutinho is young. But he went from a club with CL football to us.

Same with Suarez.

Arn, you have got to stop hammering people with the same points. Clearly there is some debate in what you are saying, but stone walling people is going to really **** them off.

Usually you would be right in this instance. But people will always be able to provide examples where its wrong.

It's not just ignoring counterarguments, although he does that all the time. It's the combination of repetition, loose wording to cover up fallacies in his 'reasoning' and inability to temper his 'wisdom' with any awareness of or humility about all the times he has been demonstrably wrong before.

I wasn't kidding about dog pics.

Absolute rubbish.

If someone is doing the same job as you and you're performing equally or better, and you find out they earn more than you, it's not just about the money. It's about pride and feeling valued.

[kev776]

Missing out on targets happens at every club and has been so since the start of time. The painful part is we now have ****ter etc to multiply/invent every rumour imaginable. The interweb will be our downfall, mark my words.

[poorscousertommy]

Lads, look at what some of you are saying! You just sound ridiculously bitter.

It's gutting but coming up with random fantastical reasons such as we were using him to make Spurs sign him is just conspiracy theory level nonsense.

We wanted him. He is a fantastic player. We lost out to a club who have been performing better in the league than us for a good few seasons.

It's gutting but (if this Russian journalist is correct) then we just have to move on.

He is a replacement for Bale not his back up.

[BigChief]

I actually think so too. There are several players we can buy for 20-30 million. Pjanic, Lamela, Munain, Damiao, Muriel spring to mind but there is bound to be loads I don't know of. I'm not that worried tbh, we'll move on and find another player.

Ever since that Asian dude with the Ayre picture mentioned Willian and Munian, I've had my suspicion we've been playing a blinder to hide our real target(s).

I'm now fully expecting Munian to have his own thread on this site from today/tomorrow. He might have stagnated in Spain but we know the Coutinho-esque wonders Brendan can do to a foundationally skilful player.

[Tee]

Ever since that Asian dude with the Ayre picture mentioned Willian and Munian, I've had my suspicion we've been playing a blinder to hide our real target(s).

I'm now fully expecting Munian to have his own thread on this site from today/tomorrow. He might have stagnated in Spain but we know the Coutinho-esque wonders Brendan can do to a foundationally skilful player.

Decent shout that if we miss out on Well.I.Never.

[Sarb]

To be honest, I don't really care now. He can go wherever. If we get someone else, then fair enough. Life is too short. Twitter has made things a lot worse for fans, and probably also the clubs.

Some folk on twitter probably do know people at the club, or journalists. It doesn't help that targets get leaked, but it also doesn't help that the fake ITK's just try and mug off other fans. The way some of them swing from one opinion to another is crazy.

The unfollow button is in regular use these days for me. Way too many wannabes on there

[Norbs]

Absolute rubbish.

If someone is doing the same job as you and you're performing equally or better, and you find out they earn more than you, it's not just about the money. It's about pride and feeling valued.

If we signed Willian on 200k a week then I'd start to seriously consider FSG's sanity. It sends out completely the wrong signal to established players. I'm 100% behind the slower approach as that gains the respect of the entire footballing establishment and stops anyone thinking they can mug you off.

The German clubs are more envied than the likes of PSG, Anzi and Man City, who are nothing more than money pits, and I'd bet the turnover of players and managers is far less although I've not done any research to back up that claim

[Sarb]

If we signed Willian on 200k a week then I'd start to seriously consider FSG's sanity. It sends out completely the wrong signal to established players. I'm 100% behind the slower approach as that gains the respect of the entire footballing establishment and stops anyone thinking they can mug you off.

The German clubs are more envied than the likes of PSG, Anzi and Man City, who are nothing more than money pits, and I'd bet the turnover of players and managers is far less although I've not done any research to back up that claim

1st half on Saturday showed signs of what we can achieve by not spending loads but showing patience. A whole idea/method running through the team, with a pretty young average age as well. It's our best hope of competing. Creating a team, not relying on one or two individuals.