Are we really looking at so many average players?

[Chris]

its worrying the amount of players we are linked with that are not the quality you would want to push for a league title

so are we really thinking of signing these type of players and if so why?

Surely its only worrying if we actually sign these players you dont like? As it stands its just a few newspaper articles.

[Arn]

We won't be playing European football this season so we don't need that type of players.

I think the reason to why we will sign a few British players is that they won't have any problem with the PL and can deliver straight away. He want players that know what the PL is all about.

KK want to take us back to the top four as soon as possible. We will only sign top top class foreigners IMO.

Squad strength will be improved by signing British players.

[Bender]

maybe kenny is trying to do what he did when he first took over by signing young british talent

[Philosophia]

I think there is actually an interesting strategy here. John Henry brought the Moneyball approach to the Red Sox and was successful in reviving the team. The approach was used successfully by the Oakland A's who brought in a lot of highly underrated players and consistently punched above their weight.

My brief explanation is not doing it justice, but it's worth taking a look at Moneyball by Michael Lewis. It's a book about baseball and statistics, neither of which interest me, and yet it is a compelling read (and soon to be a movie starring Brad Pitt).

[dww]

This



This



And, unfortunately, a little of this

We finished SIXTH last year. For the first half of the year we were closer to the bottom of the table than the top. We have no European football to offer, nor are we (to the outsider observer at the very least) more likely to finish in the top 4 next year compared to those we would be competing with. Our squad, right now, isn't even close to challenging for the league and we are unable to compete wage wise with at least 2 of our perceived peers

Happy Friday everyone

On the other hand - the league was of a low standard and perhaps the problem is with our perception of how good we have to be to get top 4. None of the teams above us look unassailable to me.

I really think the key is to get a pattern of play that is consistent and buy players who enhance our ability to play that style. I suspect that a lot of the judgements here are based, at least in part, on snobbery. The transformation in Spearing should show us that it is possible for us to totally misjudge a player. Perhaps we are doing the same with many of the players we are being linked with.

[Carras_Shin_Pads]

Keep thinking this every time i look on BBC Sport, seems like clubs want to fob us off with average players!

[wavydavy]

The journos I'd expect to have the best idea are the Echo lads and Barrett and Bascombe. They seem to have no idea what's going on. Law of averages means when we do sign 4 or 5 players we will have been linked with them but then again we must have been linked with what, 30 players up to now? I'm confident we'll all be happy come Sept 1st. Kenny said "highest calibre". Why say that then pull Cattermole and Larsson out of the bag?

[cream]

We are not going to buy world class players to sit on the bench, I presume the players you are talking about will replace **** like Cole, Poulsen, Jova etc etc, that bring absolute **** all to the squad.

[little dave hedgehog]

but dalglish said if we bring in new players, they have to be better than what we already have.

[Maxiedge]

Short answer: no

Long answer: noooooooooooooooooooo

[cream]

but dalglish said if we bring in new players, they have to be better than what we already have.

A dead donkey would be more useful than Cole, Poulsen and Jovanovic put together, not wrong there fella.

[Fierce]

On the other hand - the league was of a low standard and perhaps the problem is with our perception of how good we have to be to get top 4. None of the teams above us look unassailable to me.

No, me either, but we haven't challenged properly for 10 years unless you count the lucky run we went on to come second a couple of years ago which speaks volumes about those above us. Plus, if the league was of a low standard, and we still came 5th.....

I really think the key is to get a pattern of play that is consistent and buy players who enhance our ability to play that style. I suspect that a lot of the judgements here are based, at least in part, on snobbery. The transformation in Spearing should show us that it is possible for us to totally misjudge a player. Perhaps we are doing the same with many of the players we are being linked with.

Salient points. That view, coupled with a realistic evaluation of our team to non LFC fans, should enable us to view potential signings with less disdain

[CJ]

A dead donkey would be more useful than Cole, Poulsen and Jovanovic put together, not wrong there fella.

i think the hog means better than we have playing rather than better than the dross part of the squad

[little dave hedgehog]

i think the hog means better than we have playing rather than better than the dross part of the squad

thanks marsh.

incidentally, the woman in front of me is trying to save me. anyone need me to pick them up a little jesus?

[Icon]

I think we are going back to the 'Twentyman' days of doing things, with massive potential of lesser known names.

We'll be fine lads, don't worry...