JayMags71 said:What do we think this means for all these Suarez-to-Real rumors that are ongoing?
JayMags71 said:What do we think this means for all these Suarez-to-Real rumors that are ongoing?
The weekly propensity to write team off, or anoint others champions based on the latest result has been silly all year. We started declaring teams in the drivers' seat ten weeks out because the math showed they would clinch with 30 points. City will probably win their next two handily, but one rash tackle in the 20th minute changes everything. An 85 point team drops 39 points during the year -- more than one per game on average. Teams fighting relegation manage points in upwards of 40 percent of their games.teddykgb said:Too many eulogies being written today. Yesterday's result gave City a little room, but it didn't fundamentally change much. City still need to win 2, for the most part. Yes, they can now slip a draw, but this City team hasn't always answered the bell either and if City can beat Villa (which we failed at earlier this season, amazingly) then that last match will be full of pressure. Not intended to be a pep talk, but I don't really think the reaction to the draw is a bit over the top, similar to how City were written off after the draw versus Sunderland.
mgoblue2 said:So Liverpool are on a shoestring budget.
Here's Rodgers' signings since he took over (I think):
In pounds:
Alberto 6.8m
Aspas 7.2m
Mignolet 9m
Sakho 18m
Ilori 7m
Toure - free
Teixeira - free
Borini 10.5m
Allen 15m
Assaidi 2.4m
Yesil 1m
Sturridge 12m
Coutinho 8.5m
In total that is 97.4 million pounds. Sturridge, Coutinho, Mignolet aside that is a lot of wasted money. Allen should be a squad player. Sakho should be a squad player. Borini should be a squad player when he comes back. The rest, not sure those players are gonna be the ones challenging for the title even if they're for the future.
Once Suarez and Gerrard are gone I think you guys will be found out.
mgoblue2 said:So Liverpool are on a shoestring budget.
Here's Rodgers' signings since he took over (I think):
In pounds:
Alberto 6.8m
Aspas 7.2m
Mignolet 9m
Sakho 18m
Ilori 7m
Toure - free
Teixeira - free
Borini 10.5m
Allen 15m
Assaidi 2.4m
Yesil 1m
Sturridge 12m
Coutinho 8.5m
In total that is 97.4 million pounds. Sturridge, Coutinho, Mignolet aside that is a lot of wasted money. Allen should be a squad player. Sakho should be a squad player. Borini should be a squad player when he comes back. The rest, not sure those players are gonna be the ones challenging for the title even if they're for the future.
Once Suarez and Gerrard are gone I think you guys will be found out.
PedroSpecialK said:Another little quibble I have with Rodgers is playing Lucas and Gerrard on the pitch at the same time with Lucas sprinting forward to provide a passing option for Suarez/Sturridge/Sterling. Why not have Lucas drop back into the Gerrard role and give the attack another element of creativity, as well as the Palace defense someone else to worry about as a shooting option?
cjdmadcow said:
Who said anything about a shoestring budget? With 45k home crowds, a massive international following and one of the most successful commercial organisations in UK sport we generate plenty of money thank you. But what would an Evertonian know about that?
A lot of wasted money? You can take out half of that amount because they are regular 1st team players, and Borini will generate a decent return if we sell him, so £40-50M spent over 2 years is nothing these days and certainly not in comparison with the money being spent elsewhere. It's a bit ironic for an Evertonian to be preaching about the money spent on players...at least our owners back their managers.
Take Toure & Aguero out of City for a season and what do you have left? Take Hazard & Terry out of Chelsea and you have the same thing. That's a nonsense argument as any team that loses top players will by extension be weaker if you don't replace them with equal or better players. Money will be spent this summer, the trick is to spend it in the right areas.
And people wonder where the name 'The Bitters' came from!
fletcherpost said:Hmmm Mark Lawrenson intimated on Football Focus yesterday that it looks like Suarez to Madrid will happen. Basically the usual business, if player wants to move and Club (Madrid wants him) it'll happen. I don't think Suarez is to Liverpool what Bale was to Spurs. If he goes he goes, they'll get a lot of money for him. As mentioned this has been a season of over achievement for Liverpool The future looks bright. Rogers seems to be able to do that rare thing in football...(it shouldn't be rare) he can improve players. Dlew was spot on, Henderson got a lot of stick last year especially from me. I recall saying of the lad "what is he supposed to do?" Well now we know and he does it very well. If he can be some kind of Incey type going forward, box to box, cover every blade of grass, provide cover for the defense, help out in attack, pick a pass, then you've got a player. Sterling might not be close to his peak. Sturridge is maturing into a fine man and player. Got no problem with the goalie an all. So you've got the makings of a spine there, and a couple more years of Gerrard.
Anyway, the thing i like about Rogers the most is he covets intelligent players. Clever players are worth there weight in gold. I think the first time i heard such a mantra was from an old Juve manager many years ago, talking about the merits of intelligent footballers...the only type of player he wanted to work with. Pirlo, is probably the cleverest footballer in the world at the moment and he spends his off days in a wheelchair and has a free bus pass. Clever players improve more and have a longer shelf life...so I am optimistic about the future at Liverpool. Rogers is still learning as a manager, but he's an erudite man. All in all this season, so much more to be happy than sad about.
Unless Suarez indicates he's going to everything he can to get out of Liverpool, they really should hang on to him. Liverpool is a historic club, and their ambitions should be PL and Champions League titles. Suarez should be a part of that.Dummy Hoy said:Getting boatloads of money for Suarez will help if it's spent properly to add depth and some defense and should be enough to overcome his loss.
Agree completely--apart from the part about wanting Chelsea making a run at him.Snakebauer007 said:Lallana is great(and should start for England this WC), adding a homegrown central midfielder of his calibre seems ideal. I wouldn't mind Chelsea moving Oscar to the pivot and making a run at him.
5050HindSight said:First of all, as someone who doesn't know much about football, and has only followed Liverpool since Henry et al bought the team, this thread is great. It's very helpful learning about the Premier league, the European competitions, and specifically Liverpool through this prism. And it's been a great year to follow this squad.
Anyway, I had a few questions that I was wondering about...
1. Is there any real difference between finishing the league in 2nd versus 3rd?
2. With a 2nd place finish, Liverpool is in the Champions League. Are they also in Europe League and some of the other tournaments as well?
3. Most specifically, if Suarez is sold to Real Madrid or elsewhere, what do people think the transfer fee would be? Certainly north of 50M GBP, right? 75M? 100M? More? (And who was the last player of roughly Suarez's magnitude to transfer?)
4. Lastly, who are some of the other expected departures for this club? Any contracts expiring or other likely players to be transferred for one reason or another?