Mohamed Salah

[s(k)aturation]

7 hours ago, Barrington Womble said:

i don't think FSG would need a plan to appease the fans. they'll just do some pictures of the new stand and shrug their shoulders in boston. 

 

And they might write a sincere letter.

 

 

[Barrington Womble]

1 hour ago, Ronnie Whelan said:

I think they have done sone good things during their tenure. I think if there was proper fair play in the game, their model would be magnificent for us.

 

The problem for us is that they primarily exist to make money and success is a lovely bonus for them. For Chelsea, City and Newcastle down the line, it's the opposite order. We bought big in 2018 but we balance the books since then and it's starting to catch up with us. We are where we are because of Jurgen and while I'm fairly sure they will try and replace him with a world class manager or one with that potential, there isn't one manager in the world who could balance the books and compete like he does. We have some proper talents like Kelleher, Tsimikas, Jones and a generational talent in Elliott that has got them out of a pickle because they haven't invested like they should the last few years. 

 

It beggars belief how we could contemplate letting Mo leave, when the best player in the world is happy here.

 

I still don't see Mo leaving though. I think it will be another stalwart that will be sacrificed. Sadio to PSG could be something that could happen. 

 

 

There's always been people in the game who've had money and allowed their teams to be elevated. I know Chelsea and city have taken it to new levels, but I don't think we should be expecting that there should be some sort of equity between clubs that's never existed before, especially when the game is skewed with competitions like the CL and PL that have destroyed any real competition anywhere in world football and we were at the heart of their conception. This "fair play" narrative fsg and other American owners have pushed is because they want to be the richest and they want to make more money from football than they already do. There's no fair play, they just want play that's "fair" to them. It's just rich people trying to find ways to take money out of the pockets of the average person on the street and have the deck loaded in their favour. Then when one of them makes good like Salah, they'll find ways to make him the greedy one without an once of irony. 

 

I have always felt if Salah wasn't signed up very quickly from the end of afcon/this window, that he'll be moving on. He/fsg might surprise us, but it doesn't seem very likely to me if he's not signed soon. And would he sign while he's there? Personally I think it's got contract run down written all over it and fsg will cling to the hope we're still the best deal in town when it gets to the last stages of the contract. I think it's a game of bluff they can't win. 

[VladimirIlyich]

10 hours ago, Ronnie Whelan said:

I think they have done sone good things during their tenure. I think if there was proper fair play in the game, their model would be magnificent for us.

 

The problem for us is that they primarily exist to make money and success is a lovely bonus for them. For Chelsea, City and Newcastle down the line, it's the opposite order. We bought big in 2018 but we balance the books since then and it's starting to catch up with us. We are where we are because of Jurgen and while I'm fairly sure they will try and replace him with a world class manager or one with that potential, there isn't one manager in the world who could balance the books and compete like he does. We have some proper talents like Kelleher, Tsimikas, Jones and a generational talent in Elliott that has got them out of a pickle because they haven't invested like they should the last few years. 

 

It beggars belief how we could contemplate letting Mo leave, when the best player in the world is happy here.

 

I still don't see Mo leaving though. I think it will be another stalwart that will be sacrificed. Sadio to PSG could be something that could happen. 

 

 

The whole FSG business model is being held together by a once in a generation manager who achieves a 'loaves and fishes' effect almost everywhere he goes. And I'm not just talking about Salah here either,their whole way of running a football club depends on hiring the right man and they've achieved that with Klopp. Having said that I do have some sympathy for them regarding Salah as I think that the kind of money he is on he should just sign an extension and be done with it but that's not the way football is nowadays. It's also why I have no affection for anybody involved in it bar one or two notable exceptions. Going back to Salah,selling him might be the only way Klopp can strengthen the squad and he may take that option,however unpalatable it sounds.

[El Rojo]

Just now, VladimirIlyich said:

The whole FSG business model is being held together by a once in a generation manager who achieves a 'loaves and fishes' effect almost everywhere he goes. And I'm not just talking about Salah here either,their whole way of running a football club depends on hiring the right man and they've achieved that with Klopp. Having said that I do have some sympathy for them regarding Salah as I think that the kind of money he is on he should just sign an extension and be done with it but that's not the way football is nowadays. It's also why I have no affection for anybody involved in it bar one or two notable exceptions. Going back to Salah,selling him might be the only way Klopp can strengthen the squad and he may take that option,however unpalatable it sounds.

I'm not sure if I'd describe it as sympathy, but a mitigating factor for me in terms of FSG is the complete running joke that Financial Fair Play became. They no doubt had an assumption that it would be in some way enforced when they took over, and clearly, this would have suited our model much better. 

 

As you say, Klopp and his backroom team have achieved miracles. But it's becoming less and less possible for clubs that aren't owned by oil states to achieve anything. It will soon be impossible. 

[VladimirIlyich]

11 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

I'm not sure if I'd describe it as sympathy, but a mitigating factor for me in terms of FSG is the complete running joke that Financial Fair Play became. They no doubt had an assumption that it would be in some way enforced when they took over, and clearly, this would have suited our model much better. 

 

As you say, Klopp and his backroom team have achieved miracles. But it's becoming less and less possible for clubs that aren't owned by oil states to achieve anything. It will soon be impossible. 

Yeah,maybe 'sympathy' is a bit of a stretch and ' a little bit of understanding' would have been better. It was extremely naive for a group of wealthy businessmen to believe that FPP was ever going to mean anything though. I thought they'd understand this better than most. 

[Megadrive Man]

The problem we have now is that if we were to even try and sell Salah this summer, how much would we realistically get for him and who would we sell him to?

 

I don't think Real Madrid or Barcelona would be in for him, so that only leaves PSG, City, Chelsea and maybe Newcastle that could afford him.

 

I can't see him wanting to go to PSG, so that only leaves the English clubs.

 

I agree that FSG are playing a very risky game of brinkmanship with him, and I worry its one that they will lose.

 

Salah leaving would be very very different to the likes of Gini or Can going. If Salah goes then we are almost back to where FSG started by Torres leaving in their first window.

[dockers_strike]

46 minutes ago, MegadriveMan said:

The problem we have now is that if we were to even try and sell Salah this summer, how much would we realistically get for him and who would we sell him to?

 

I don't think Real Madrid or Barcelona would be in for him, so that only leaves PSG, City, Chelsea and maybe Newcastle that could afford him.

 

I can't see him wanting to go to PSG, so that only leaves the English clubs.

 

I agree that FSG are playing a very risky game of brinkmanship with him, and I worry its one that they will lose.

 

Salah leaving would be very very different to the likes of Gini or Can going. If Salah goes then we are almost back to where FSG started by Torres leaving in their first window.

You missed out Bayern who have said they would be interested. I dont think the club is looking to move Mo on though.

 

How much would Mo cost in the current market? No idea to be honest but I think city's £100m for Grealish will prove to be the high water mark for a year or two yet.

[Megadrive Man]

I can't see Bayern paying him 400k a week plus. 

[dockers_strike]

1 minute ago, MegadriveMan said:

I can't see Bayern paying him 400k a week plus. 

Me neither. But if he just 'wants to win things' as others have said, their ability to just about sweep up everything in Germany may see him taking less wedge.

 

But like I said in another post, would he want to play for such a club in an almost non competitive league?

[joe_fishfish]

Not sure why people are so convinced he wouldn't go to Bayern or PSG. Both clubs offer guaranteed league wins, incredible money, huge fanbases, decent attempts at the Champions League, and neither would have any issue with time off for internationals / AFCON because the league games are so easy.

[dockers_strike]

22 minutes ago, joe_fishfish said:

Not sure why people are so convinced he wouldn't go to Bayern or PSG. Both clubs offer guaranteed league wins, incredible money, huge fanbases, decent attempts at the Champions League, and neither would have any issue with time off for internationals / AFCON because the league games are so easy.

Im not convinced he wouldnt. Im doubtful he'd go to either because the leagues are far less competitive than the PL or La Liga.

 

Like Ive said, if he just wants to win things and isnt bothered about competitiveness then yes, he could.

[Code]

44 minutes ago, dockers_strike said:

You missed out Bayern who have said they would be interested. I dont think the club is looking to move Mo on though.

 

How much would Mo cost in the current market? No idea to be honest but I think city's £100m for Grealish will prove to be the high water mark for a year or two yet.

If we have said no to a bid of £7m for Phillips. Id say his value is around £700m.

[Barrington Womble]

2 hours ago, MegadriveMan said:

The problem we have now is that if we were to even try and sell Salah this summer, how much would we realistically get for him and who would we sell him to?

 

I don't think Real Madrid or Barcelona would be in for him, so that only leaves PSG, City, Chelsea and maybe Newcastle that could afford him.

 

I can't see him wanting to go to PSG, so that only leaves the English clubs.

 

I agree that FSG are playing a very risky game of brinkmanship with him, and I worry its one that they will lose.

 

Salah leaving would be very very different to the likes of Gini or Can going. If Salah goes then we are almost back to where FSG started by Torres leaving in their first window.

Can was almost irrelevant. Gini was a very good pro and has been an ever present, so is clearly a loss. But losing Salah as one of the very top players on the planet actually illustrates their entire model is fucked. They've spent years working this line of holding on to players is the main thing and we can compete with anyone when we want. If you can't hold on to your best player when he wants to stay, then you're doing something badly wrong. 

1 hour ago, joe_fishfish said:

Not sure why people are so convinced he wouldn't go to Bayern or PSG. Both clubs offer guaranteed league wins, incredible money, huge fanbases, decent attempts at the Champions League, and neither would have any issue with time off for internationals / AFCON because the league games are so easy.

I always assumed Salah perhaps would not want any political fall out of playing for Qatari's , I don't think Egypt and most of the other Arab nations have any time for them. 

 

As for Munich, would they pay him more than us? 

[Ronnie Whelan]

15 hours ago, Barrington Womble said:

There's always been people in the game who've had money and allowed their teams to be elevated. I know Chelsea and city have taken it to new levels, but I don't think we should be expecting that there should be some sort of equity between clubs that's never existed before, especially when the game is skewed with competitions like the CL and PL that have destroyed any real competition anywhere in world football and we were at the heart of their conception. This "fair play" narrative fsg and other American owners have pushed is because they want to be the richest and they want to make more money from football than they already do. There's no fair play, they just want play that's "fair" to them. It's just rich people trying to find ways to take money out of the pockets of the average person on the street and have the deck loaded in their favour. Then when one of them makes good like Salah, they'll find ways to make him the greedy one without an once of irony. 

 

I have always felt if Salah wasn't signed up very quickly from the end of afcon/this window, that he'll be moving on. He/fsg might surprise us, but it doesn't seem very likely to me if he's not signed soon. And would he sign while he's there? Personally I think it's got contract run down written all over it and fsg will cling to the hope we're still the best deal in town when it gets to the last stages of the contract. I think it's a game of bluff they can't win. 

Yeah fair point that. All football clubs are greedy and full of self-interest. They have always been run by wealthy men. Things are ramped up now though like never before. Newcastle is like Jack Walker multiplied by a million. In a landscape where anything goes, it won't take long for the trophies to be divvied up between 5 or 6 clubs across Europe. 

We are owned by rich (tight) greedy bastards. I don't think talking shite about Mo will wash with the fans though. They could get away with selling him and using the money to reinvest in the squad with  players like Bellingham and Saka, but if they sell him for huge money and give 50 million, I think it would be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

6 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

The whole FSG business model is being held together by a once in a generation manager who achieves a 'loaves and fishes' effect almost everywhere he goes. And I'm not just talking about Salah here either,their whole way of running a football club depends on hiring the right man and they've achieved that with Klopp. Having said that I do have some sympathy for them regarding Salah as I think that the kind of money he is on he should just sign an extension and be done with it but that's not the way football is nowadays. It's also why I have no affection for anybody involved in it bar one or two notable exceptions. Going back to Salah,selling him might be the only way Klopp can strengthen the squad and he may take that option,however unpalatable it sounds.

Yeah agree with that. 

[Kevin D]

I think he's leaving in the summer. Feels like we've been here before. Always been a great professional with an unbelievable goal return, so I'd have no hard feelings.

[Barrington Womble]

9 minutes ago, Ronnie Whelan said:

Yeah fair point that. All football clubs are greedy and full of self-interest. They have always been run by wealthy men. Things are ramped up now though like never before. Newcastle is like Jack Walker multiplied by a million. In a landscape where anything goes, it won't take long for the trophies to be divvied up between 5 or 6 clubs across Europe. 

We are owned by rich (tight) greedy bastards. I don't think talking shite about Mo will wash with the fans though. They could get away with selling him and using the money to reinvest in the squad with  players like Bellingham and Saka, but if they sell him for huge money and give 50 million, I think it would be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Yeah agree with that. 

Yeah, it is Jack walker times ten, but that is because football is more than ten times 1991. Since he bought them, we've created the premier League and created and altered the CL multiple times to keep adding more and more wealthy clubs - then add that to how live football has globalised the sport like never before, bringing bigger and bigger TV deals, with streaming companies coming along behind and global companies begging to attach their brands. As I say, I just think the whole thing is fucked and we've played our part (not just these owners). We need to reexamine what we want from football. The pyramid that worked for the 1st century of the game is pretty broken now, no more so than in this country. All these things exist with or without these billionaires of whatever type and if their wealth wasn't strangling competition, football money would as it does in countries that don't have petro owners. 

[Leyton388]

FSG will cash in, go on about how they did all they could blah blah blah, pocket a massive fee and give Klopp the scraps. 

[Bjornebye]

[Mook]

1 hour ago, Bjornebye said:

 

[Bjornebye]

Just now, Mook said:

 

Sex 

[johnsusername]

A frontline of Mane, Firmino and Jota next season doesn't really fill me with much hope.

[Dr Nowt]

Handy set of trainers, them. What are they? Green gazelles?

[El Rojo]

Let's get Mo posting on the Adidas thread on the GF. 

 

Legend. 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

1 hour ago, Bjornebye said:

Borderline Calvert-Lewin, that.

 

Never go full Calvert-Lewin.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

2 hours ago, Bjornebye said:

That's a lovely coat.