Liverpool Discussion

[LFCMike]

13 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I mean I think the Bellingham shit is just to pretend like they're going to spend a load of money before inevitably saying "nah we can't afford him, here's Nunes from Wolves - enjoy" - like the midfielder that Real Madrid ended up getting last summer.

I've not mentioned any names. If Nunes is one of the ones they want then sound.

[Stan]

23 minutes ago, LFCMike said:

They went for Gapko presumably because of the price and he was easily obtainable in January. That probably isn't the case for the midfielder they want

With the amount of money that Liverpool could realistically spend, I find that surprising they'd just buy someone for the sake of it instead of finding a good obtainable talent in a position that does need strengthening. 

For a club of Liverpool's quality and stature, and with how they've worked in the transfer market before (ie quite shrewdly and sensibly) I find it odd they couldn't get a midfielder of their choosing and work a deal for a player. 

[OrangeKhrush]

Liverpool want Bellingham but someone like Alexis Mac Allister is probably gettable for considerably less.   Now I would hate Mac Allister to go to Liverpool because my own vested interest is him becoming a toon hero but all we see in the media is Liverpool linked to superstars that invariably they are competing against Chelsea, Madrid, Barce, Man U, City, Arsenal, Spurs, PSG, Bayern etc for making the odds a lot shorter.   then the fans throw a fit because Liverpool rightly so refuse to play Chelsea ball and pay extortion fees.   

the media knows how to work Klopp and these meltdowns are all to often.   Pep gets asked probing questions to but doesn't meltdown like this.  Klopp is under pressure as thinking of Liverpool and no champions league football is unthinkable for the biggest team in England less than a year off a pursuit of a quadruple.

[LFCMike]

12 minutes ago, Stan said:

With the amount of money that Liverpool could realistically spend, I find that surprising they'd just buy someone for the sake of it instead of finding a good obtainable talent in a position that does need strengthening. 

For a club of Liverpool's quality and stature, and with how they've worked in the transfer market before (ie quite shrewdly and sensibly) I find it odd they couldn't get a midfielder of their choosing and work a deal for a player. 

They've not bought him for the sake of it though. It was clearly a Diaz type scenario where Liverpool have wanted him and there was interest in him from other clubs so Liverpool have decided to move before he ends up elsewhere. The injuries to the forward line will have also impacted the decision to do it this month.

Liverpool currently have about 9 players who can play in midfield. Yes we all know the arguments about the qualities, or lack of, of certain individuals but there's a few of them out of contract in the summer. Needing to move some of them on, coupled with the player they want not being available in January is probably why we won't see a midfielder arriving this month.

[Rick]

1 hour ago, LFCMike said:

I've not mentioned any names. If Nunes is one of the ones they want then sound.

The signing of Arthur last minute in the summer shows quite clearly that the club panicked over lack of midfield options. This, along with the centre back issues two seasons ago, show that this plan of “waiting for one player, and one player only” doesn’t always pan out. There’s nothing wrong with having a shortlist of players, and moving down to the next target when the first option isn’t available. The club have put this season at risk by not bringing in a quality midfielder, or maybe two. 
 

Nunes is somebody we like? Well, why didn’t we get him in the summer…instead of letting Wolves buy him and us end up having to pay an extra premium in the summer to get him from them. If he is one of the priority targets, why was the belief in his ability not acted upon in the summer just gone? He was obviously available for transfer and would have most definitely came here over moving to Wolves. Same goes for the lad who we like who went to Fulham in the summer.
 

Why aren’t the club acting on these targets? Both easily to get, both apparently on our list of targets, yet both of them go to mid table level sides and we are here with our fingers in our arses. Same goes for Kone from Monchengladbach, Thuram from Nice and to a lesser extent Koopmeiners from Atalanta. All of these players could have been brought in the summer, but instead we end up with an injury prone flop that Juventus couldn’t get out of the door quick enough. 
 

The club has spent big money on players, yes, but it only ever seems to be one major signing a year, if that. The summer we needed Nunes and a quality midfielder, that was obvious for anybody to see. I’m fed up of the excuses being made about targets, as if every other big club aren’t able to bring in quality players every window when they need it.
 

The likelihood at this rate, is that the club are going to miss out on champions league football, and while the injuries upfront haven’t helped one bit, the absolute state of the midfield and the ease in which teams have walked through it has been the main issue. 

Edited January 14, 2023 by Rick

[LFCMike]

1 hour ago, Rick said:

The signing of Arthur last minute in the summer shows quite clearly that the club panicked over lack of midfield options. This, along with the centre back issues two seasons ago, show that this plan of “waiting for one player, and one player only” doesn’t always pan out. There’s nothing wrong with having a shortlist of players, and moving down to the next target when the first option isn’t available. The club have put this season at risk by not bringing in a quality midfielder, or maybe two. 
 

Nunes is somebody we like? Well, why didn’t we get him in the summer…instead of letting Wolves buy him and us end up having to pay an extra premium in the summer to get him from them. If he is one of the priority targets, why was the belief in his ability not acted upon in the summer just gone? He was obviously available for transfer and would have most definitely came here over moving to Wolves. Same goes for the lad who we like who went to Fulham in the summer.
 

Why aren’t the club acting on these targets? Both easily to get, both apparently on our list of targets, yet both of them go to mid table level sides and we are here with our fingers in our arses. Same goes for Kone from Monchengladbach, Thuram from Nice and to a lesser extent Koopmeiners from Atalanta. All of these players could have been brought in the summer, but instead we end up with an injury prone flop that Juventus couldn’t get out of the door quick enough. 
 

The club has spent big money on players, yes, but it only ever seems to be one major signing a year, if that. The summer we needed Nunes and a quality midfielder, that was obvious for anybody to see. I’m fed up of the excuses being made about targets, as if every other big club aren’t able to bring in quality players every window when they need it.
 

The likelihood at this rate, is that the club are going to miss out on champions league football, and while the injuries upfront haven’t helped one bit, the absolute state of the midfield and the ease in which teams have walked through it has been the main issue. 

I'd argue their strategy has been successful. I wouldn't have wanted them to settle for someone else if it was Konate who they really wanted. And I'd take a season such as 20/21 if it's followed by something similar to what we experienced last season. 

I've no idea if Nunes is someone Liverpool like, I didn't bring him up originally. 

Maybe they're doing it just to piss people like you off? Or maybe there are genuine reasons, such as the need to offload others, who will be on big wages, before anyone else comes in and waiting for the player they want to become available.

It's just not true that they only make one major signing a year. Gapko and Nunez this year, Konate and Diaz last. Thiago and Jota before that.

We've got the self sustainable club the majority of us wanted when £30m a year was going to pay Hicks and Gillett's debts. It's unfortunate that this period has coincided with coming up against a brilliant side who raised the bar in terms of what is needed to win the league with their bottomless pit of money and fake sponsorships. Unless you want Liverpool to go down that route, what can you do?

[Rick]

That’s a good response isn’t it. “I’d take a season like that if it meant nearly winning a quadruple the one after”. Just answer the points I’ve made instead of dodging them, just like you have done with the Nunes point I made as well. 

Yes, you’re right about the major signings being more than one a year. I think my point was more that we don’t fix glaring issues in one window, like we didn’t in the summer with the midfield. Nunes (as a replacement for Mane, not adding to the squad despite losing Origi & Minamino) along with a young RB is laughable. If you’re arguing that it isn’t then I don’t think there’s really no point having this discussion. Because I don’t, for the life of me, understand the mindset that Ox & Keita & Jones are suitable options  for this club. All three have shown nothing in the last 18 months, and continue to show next to fuck all despite the continued opportunities. 

It’s impossible to have a discussion about these things with a couple of people on here. Rather than admitting that Liverpool as a club can and have made errors in judgement when it comes to recruitment, it’s always the same response “it’s all part of the plan”. Having the oldest squad in the league, having one of the worst defensive records in the league, shipping a shit load of goals, losing to wank sides at the bottom…all part of the master plan this. Nothing to do with sitting on our arse while other clubs go out and buy players to improve their squad. 
 

Call ourselves a big club, but then don’t act like one. Nobody is expecting to spend like Utd or City or Chelsea with a spend of 300-400m this summer, but the way the squad has been handled since the premier league win has left a lot to be desired and FSG absolutely have to answer for them. 

[Stan]

Not every signing has to be £60-70m+ (arbitrary figure, read 'expensive'). Plenty of talent about that doesn't have to cost the earth.

[LFCMike]

48 minutes ago, Rick said:

That’s a good response isn’t it. “I’d take a season like that if it meant nearly winning a quadruple the one after”. Just answer the points I’ve made instead of dodging them, just like you have done with the Nunes point I made as well. 

Yes, you’re right about the major signings being more than one a year. I think my point was more that we don’t fix glaring issues in one window, like we didn’t in the summer with the midfield. Nunes (as a replacement for Mane, not adding to the squad despite losing Origi & Minamino) along with a young RB is laughable. If you’re arguing that it isn’t then I don’t think there’s really no point having this discussion. Because I don’t, for the life of me, understand the mindset that Ox & Keita & Jones are suitable options  for this club. All three have shown nothing in the last 18 months, and continue to show next to fuck all despite the continued opportunities. 

It’s impossible to have a discussion about these things with a couple of people on here. Rather than admitting that Liverpool as a club can and have made errors in judgement when it comes to recruitment, it’s always the same response “it’s all part of the plan”. Having the oldest squad in the league, having one of the worst defensive records in the league, shipping a shit load of goals, losing to wank sides at the bottom…all part of the master plan this. Nothing to do with sitting on our arse while other clubs go out and buy players to improve their squad. 
 

Call ourselves a big club, but then don’t act like one. Nobody is expecting to spend like Utd or City or Chelsea with a spend of 300-400m this summer, but the way the squad has been handled since the premier league win has left a lot to be desired and FSG absolutely have to answer for them. 

How many clubs fix all their issues in one window? No one is saying they've not made mistakes in the transfer market. I simply try to understand the decisions they take given they can't afford any expensive mistakes like some others they're up against can. Get one wrong and they can't go and throw another £50m at it like some others.

I still don't get the FSG thing. Do you think they're withholding money from Klopp? Check the financials, they're most definitely not.

[Rick]

30 minutes ago, LFCMike said:

How many clubs fix all their issues in one window? No one is saying they've not made mistakes in the transfer market. I simply try to understand the decisions they take given they can't afford any expensive mistakes like some others they're up against can. Get one wrong and they can't go and throw another £50m at it like some others.

I still don't get the FSG thing. Do you think they're withholding money from Klopp? Check the financials, they're most definitely not.

Liverpool has plenty of money. Not every player has to be £50m. I’d happily bring in two £20-30m players that can add to the squad rather than one £50m signing if that’s the situation. 

Why did we sign Arthur? If there is a transfer plan why was he signed last minute? The midfield options were clear from the start of the summer. If Arthur was our main target in that window, then I would have serious issues with that. But he wasn’t, he was a panicked last minute signing because we pissed about. 

[LFCMadLad]

We have been through this so many times. Why buy players to fill out the squad if they aren't the players Klopp wants?

Just wait for the players he wants.. its a proven strategy that has brought us our most successfull spell in 3 decades. 

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

1 minute ago, LFCMadLad said:

We have been through this so many times. Why buy players to fill out the squad if they aren't the players Klopp wants?

Just wait for the players he wants.. its a proven strategy that has brought us our most successfull spell in 3 decades. 

 

If that’s the case why did we sign Ben Davies and Arthur…

or that shit Turkish lad 

[LFCMike]

4 minutes ago, Rick said:

Liverpool has plenty of money. Not every player has to be £50m. I’d happily bring in two £20-30m players that can add to the squad rather than one £50m signing if that’s the situation. 

Why did we sign Arthur? If there is a transfer plan why was he signed last minute? The midfield options were clear from the start of the summer. If Arthur was our main target in that window, then I would have serious issues with that. But he wasn’t, he was a panicked last minute signing because we pissed about. 

I'd rather us not sign stop gaps on a permanent basis myself. 

[LFCMike]

Just now, Dr. Gonzo said:

If that’s the case why did we sign Ben Davies and Arthur…

or that shit Turkish lad 

They were inexpensive stop gaps. If Liverpool are spending a decent amount of money on a player they can't really afford for it to go wrong

[LFCMadLad]

@gonzo ... because they cost fuck all and could be handed back. That's very different to filling out the squad with £30 - £40 million players that Klopp doesn't want.

Come on mate, think about it!

[Dr. Gonzo]

Just now, LFCMike said:

They were inexpensive stop gaps. If Liverpool are spending a decent amount of money on a player they can't really afford for it to go wrong

There’s some middle ground between signing cheap players that are clearly never going to be good enough, which tbh is an absolute waste of time. Kabak was awful, I assume Davies was worse - so ultimately our first choice CB pairing was Phillips and  Rhys Jones… and signing “the right player.”

Wasnt Salah not Klopp’s first choice either. What happened to having other options like we used to?

And isn’t wasting money on cheap stopgaps that either are no good, or won’t even play, also wasteful?

Or signing a player for a lot of money in an area where we had depth (well before selling off players after signing him), instead of a quality signing a clear problem area?

[Dr. Gonzo]

Don’t fucking ever post with that irritating formatting again, holy shit

[Cicero]

Rumors you lot will be bought by a state owned club. 

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

2 hours ago, Cicero said:

Rumors you lot will be bought by a state owned club. 

 

So a club is buying another club?

[OrangeKhrush]

Qatari interest, Klopp must be delighted

[Cicero]

3 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

So a club is buying another club?

Yup sorry. Needed by coffee. 

Qatari/Saudi's doing the round. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

48 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Yup sorry. Needed by coffee. 

Qatari/Saudi's doing the round. 

I hate football

[Dr. Gonzo]

Klopp said players from yesterday’s match have worked their way into contention for this weekend, so that’s good. I hope Bajcetic starts.

[LFCMike]

 

[Rick]

So, basically, we pay out way too much money to agents and player wages. I wouldn’t like to see some of those contracts given to the older players in the squad. Our wage bill is a disgraceful figure. 
 

They you have the owners making what seem to be idiotic decisions off the pitch when it comes to funding expansion. Rather than paying the money owed off gradually, like most reasonable clubs do, they have decided to take huge sums of money out of the club to pay large chunks off at once. There is no reasonable reason for this other than to maximise their profits when they sell part/all of the club. 
 

I hope that we do end up with new ownership (not state owned) who are ambitious and are prepared to give the manager the tools to succeed. Clearly there has been money available, it’s just been spent in the incorrect way.