Thing vs thingy postmatch

[Daffy Duck]

Team morale and confidence are major problems. You can't bring on a squad player or a young talent and hope they'll play well, if the whole team is already disfunctional. Yes, squaddies are necessary, but it is delusional to think they can suddenly fix teams that don't play well. If we look at Newcastle of Hull for example, they are crap but they are no longer afraid of us like they were last year, they are aware of the fact that they have a good opportunity to take points from a big club, they are motivated and inspired and as a result you have absolute **** players like Paul Dummet dominating Sterling, or Hull making 1st touch passes around us like they were Barcelona. And worst of all, them taking points from us.

We were like that last season, we had a healthy Sturridge and Luis Suarez, the players could rely on their brilliance and even when Suarez was absent they knew he'd soon return and that they have to continue gathering points. As a result, the whole team was relaxed and played better; that is a perfect setting in which players like Sterling, Flanagan, Allen - squaddies and prospects - can shine and do their job. This year it would have been Can, Markovic, or some other new signing that needed time to settle in, but instead we've got a whole cluster**** of a team, basically a competition who can play worse. As a result, a lot of these players will get written off and sold at a loss, even though they're not really as **** as they seem and would probably do a decent job in our team last year.

All in all, we should have kept Suarez and spent the rest of the 40m on a few - Moreno, Manquillo, Can, Origi? Well obviously we didn't do that and I find it hard to see how the club will fix this.

[Muddled]

Playing Devil's Advocate though, does that not ultimately lead to the same outcome?

It's a good looking question.

FSG's success in sport (granted, not football) shows their business model has worked. I guess time will tell if they will be able to replicate it with us.

[Roboklopp]

It's a good looking question.

FSG's success in sport (granted, not football) shows their business model has worked. I guess time will tell if they will be able to replicate it with us.

I think football is different sadly. I'm not saying that there's no merit in their approach, but it needs to be implemented less rigidly.

[Venton]

Why? I feel our backroom team have a lack of ambition. We should be able to sign big players, Liverpool is a still a big club. Teams with lesser/similar reputations and standing have signed bigger players. In the last few years:

Napoli - Higuain, Albiol
Valencia - Otamendi, Negredo, Rodrigo
Milan - Diego Lopez
Fiorentina - Mario Gomez (not a fan but he was a starter for the German NT and still getting some minutes at Bayern without being a starter)
Sunderland - Giaccherini
QPR - Sandro, Isla and Vargas (all full internationals)
Spurs: Lamela
Wolfsburg: Luis Gustavo and de Bruyne


That's just off the top of my head, there's been plenty of others, but it seems there's an assumption of established or players that are 'almost' there would have no intention of coming to us, if those teams can pick up players like that we should be able to attract the players we need too. Look at Man Utd without CL getting Falcao and Di Maria. If we were one season without CL there'd be the assumption we'd have no chance with those players.

It proves that players will play for lesser teams to earn more money, play in European competition, play in a better league or for a big name club despite poor standing.

Which of those players is world class and would have come to us or any other UK club? Higuain's the best and the jury is out on him. I love the way Lamela is now at that level.

[Kenneth]

You can't make mistakes like we have and hope to compete if you're not spending like it's going out of fashion. Any process that leads us to panic buying Balotelli is less than perfect to say the least, and it's not a process that is going to be able to overcome the spending difference.

[Zapater]

Which of those players is world class and would have come to us or any other UK club? Higuain's the best and the jury is out on him. I love the way Lamela is now at that level.

I wasn't meaning that in terms of world class players, I mean that these are players whom ply their trade at a higher level team whom have been acquired by lesser teams. Using the same principal if they're willing to go to those teams we should be able to attract a higher standard of player.

I wasn't saying that we should be signing Eduardo Vargas, but saying that's a great signing for a team of their level when considering his pedigree.

[Muddled]

I think football is different sadly. I'm not saying that there's no merit in their approach, but it needs to be implemented less rigidly.

I think FSG have softened in their approach and will be flexible if the risk involved is either managed or balanced elsewhere. We're spending as much as the teams around us, but it's our wage structure which could be the reason we aren't seen to be in for the bigger players.

Either way, I'd much rather Liverpool spent within their means, then to go through the rigmarole we had under Hicks and Gillett.

[Roboklopp]

I think FSG have softened in their approach and will be flexible if the risk involved is either managed or balanced elsewhere. We're spending as much as the teams around us, but it's our wage structure which could be the reason we aren't seen to be in for the bigger players.

Either way, I'd much rather Liverpool spent within their means, then to go through the rigmarole we had under Hicks and Gillett.

It's not a simple dichotomy though is it?

[frank the tank]

We have a game midweek you pneumatically repetitive dullard. Rest to recover requires longer rest when not fully fit.

So you are saying that he was never going to get on the pitch....because we have a game midweek.....then why was he even on the bench.......that is horse****.....

You ****in clown

[Muddled]

I know that the wages are less, but we're essentially paying premium prices for players we still need to develop. Why do that, when you can pay the same price for the finished article.

Whilst we may be paying a hefty price for potential, I don't think we're paying a premium. Whilst it's not the best example, the cost of Can and his wages for the duration of his contract will be considerably cheaper than Fabregas. You then have the potential resale value if you need to recoup some of the money.

[Zapater]

To add to that, I'm not saying that Otamendi and Albiol are world class, but they're very good players, particularly the former. Definitely a sight better than Lovren and at half the price. Especially when you consider Otamendi is the same kind of player, just implements what Lovren tries to do.

Obviously I know that Lovren was a Rodgers signing and he'd have probably come regardless and we were linked with him last season too. Just saying that it's not like these signings are the best we could possibly have gotten.

[Muddled]

It's not a simple dichotomy though is it?

No, I guess not.

[Roboklopp]

So you are saying that he was never going to get on the pitch....because we have a game midweek.....then why was he even on the bench.......that is horse****.....

You ****in clown

Nope I'm not saying that at all. Didn't appreciate my point was cryptic, but perhaps it was the capital letters, commas & fullstops that flummoxed you.

Zzzz. Should've listened to Norbs.

[Zapater]

Whilst we may be paying a hefty price for potential, I don't think we're paying a premium. Whilst it's not the best example, the cost of Can and his wages for the duration of his contract will be considerably cheaper than Fabregas. You then have the potential resale value if you need to recoup some of the money.

I know the theory, but I thought we aren't supposed to be a selling club. People have lost their **** when we've sold Mascherano, Alonso, Suarez etc. We've defnitely shown we can't reinvest money effectively as clubs like Sevilla, Valencia, Ajax, Southampton (well basing this on this season) etc can when we've signed class like Downing, Carroll, Adam, Enrique etc. I'm not going to lump our current players with that lot yet, as despite frustration I don't think it's fair as they will improve. But Lovren and possibly Balotelli are definitely contenders for that list if they don't improve drastically very quickly.

[Kenneth]

Whilst we may be paying a hefty price for potential, I don't think we're paying a premium. Whilst it's not the best example, the cost of Can and his wages for the duration of his contract will be considerably cheaper than Fabregas. You then have the potential resale value if you need to recoup some of the money.

But we're losing money on players hand over fist. We either sell at a loss or subsidise them going out on loan.