Summer Transfers 2014

[Dr Nowt]

Have to agree Barry. I might not believe it's all a big sneaky trick being pulled by FSG and Ayre, but you don't spend many years watching LFC shoot themselves in the foot via incompetence and hard to believe poor planning and not see the signs.

 

We're either getting ripped off for the least worst option still available or going through, potentially even to next summer, as is. Only time will tell if the former is even worse than the latter, and as ever this should have been avoided.

[moof]

Guys, we're in the final of the international champions cup; and that's even with Sturridge injured and no first choice defenders. Our squad is clearly outstanding. No need for any more signings.

[Jose Jones]

I can feel our normal last few weeks coming on to be honest. Everyone wondering why we're not after anyone, then we go for someone completely out of our reach, there's a world of excitement before it falls through and we're told not to worry the money will be there in January and everyone says "that must be true, why else would we have tried to buy messi if the money wasn't there?". We're as predictable as blue rinse bill these days

 

If the Moreno deal goes through as predicted this week though we'd have spent nigh on £110 million.  As it is we've spent 90 million.

Surely you can't hold anything against FSG or Ayre if we come out of the transfer window having spent that without a decent striker?

It would be management priorities (yeah, or committee whatever).

[moof]

I do have faith we'll get someone in as the 'Suarez replacement' though. Surely they know that we need another top forward to be able to compete in the league and in Europe. Surely.

[Jose Jones]

I do have faith we'll get someone in as the 'Suarez replacement' though. Surely they know that we need another top forward to be able to compete in the league and in Europe. Surely.

 

Everything Rodgers says seems like he definitely wants another striker.  Might not be a "top" forward though, as we had Remy lined up for that role.

[Dr Nowt]

If the Moreno deal goes through as predicted this week though we'd have spent nigh on £110 million. As it is we've spent 90 million.

Surely you can't hold anything against FSG or Ayre if we come out of the transfer window having spent that without a decent striker?

It would be management priorities (yeah, or committee whatever).

More the club in general, a combination of all those with a part to play in recruitment planning. They've spent a wedge on transfer fees and wages, but recouped much of the transfer outlay so far through Suarez and earned a packet in TV funds, reward money for league position and CL swag.

 

They've done a lot of good work (in my opinion) identifying and bringing in players early - we've been probably the busiest club in the market - so I agree it feels churlish to slate them for the efficiency of their summer's work or desire to spend as a whole, unless feeling differently about those brought in of course. However, we just shouldn't be in August having seen the best player in the league leave entirely predictably, and be acting in a manner which shows the plan to replace him was hopeful rather than nailed down certain, when that should be the most crucial deal of our window.

 

We all know whoever replaces him won't be as good so it's about minimising the drop-off as much as possible. This deal will surely define the summer no matter how well the others work out. To not replace him would be unforgivable and to overpay for someone not even half the player hardly any better, as it'll no doubt hamstring us on what we can do in that area down the road.

[Jose Jones]

More the club in general, a combination of all those with a part to pay in recruitment planning. They've spent a wedge on transfer fees and wages, but recouped much of the transfer outlay so far through Suarez and earned a packet in TV funds, reward money for league position and CL swag.

 

They've done a lot of good work (in my opinion) identifying and bringing in players early - we've been probably the busiest club in the market -so I agree it feels churlish to slate them for the efficiency of their summer's work or desire to spend as a whole, unless feeling differently about those brought in of course. However, we just shouldn't be in August having seen the best player in the league leave entirely predictably, and be acting in a manner which shows the plan to replace him was hopeful rather than nailed down certain, when that should be the most crucial deal of our window.

 

We all know whoever replaces him won't be as good so it's about minimising the drop-off as much as possible. This deal will surely define the summer no matter how well the others work out. To not replace him would be unforgivable and to overpay for someone not even half the player hardly any better.

 

Well, yeah, agreed, and I wouldn't have gone about our business in the way we have this summer.

But, it's definitely different to the previous years when FSG were mingebagging around - we have spent money, shit loads of it, regardless of what has come in - so I don't think you can lay any blame at their door this time.

 

Rodgers, I think, said once we'd bought Lallana, Markovic and Can that they were going to arrive anyway regardless of whether we'd sold Suarez - which sort of goes to show that we weren't exactly thinking about forward replacements straight off the bat. 

[Dr Nowt]

Well, yeah, agreed, and I wouldn't have gone about our business in the way we have this summer.

But, it's definitely different to the previous years when FSG were mingebagging around - we have spent money, shit loads of it, regardless of what has come in - so I don't think you can lay any blame at their door this time.

 

Rodgers, I think, said once we'd bought Lallana, Markovic and Can that they were going to arrive anyway regardless of whether we'd sold Suarez - which sort of goes to show that we weren't exactly thinking about forward replacements straight off the bat.

Exactly, dead right. Similar to last year it just seemed we hoped Sanchez wanted to come (obviously can't be accused of tapping up there then) and crossed fingers.

[Paco]

well he signed a new contract with Hoffenheim, he attracted a lot of interest recently, Arsenal want him, best time to buy him was at the end of the season, now every rich fucking club is aware of him, Fallows is a big fan of him, Rodgers saw him live, yet preferred Lallana. To sum it up - Rodgers should stay away from transfers and let the committee sign players because Firmino is twice the player Lallana is. He's basically another Henrikh Mkhitaryan, brilliant attacking mid, scores a lot, assists a lot, works in midfield, attacks from deeper positions.

I ve seen firminos show reel and he looks like a genuine replacement for suarez. works hard has loads of skill. makes amd scores goals.

[skend04]

As soon as we knew Luis was going, and I bet its not soon after the end of the season, we should have been sorting his replacement, not at the end of pre-season. The Lallana deal makes absolutely zero sense as we were more than covered for his position. That £25m would have been better spent making it impossible for Sanchez to turn us down. But we are where we are now, let's hope its not a fuck up along the lines of Rodger's first season window.

[Bjornebye]

We aren't 'replacing' suarez unless we sign messi.

 

That said we need another striker and there aren't many top class strikers available. I still want Higuain.

[moof]

Obviously not 'replace' replace, but some sort of marquee signing. Firminio or Volland would do me tbh.

[Barrington Womble]

If the Moreno deal goes through as predicted this week though we'd have spent nigh on £110 million. As it is we've spent 90 million.

Surely you can't hold anything against FSG or Ayre if we come out of the transfer window having spent that without a decent striker?

It would be management priorities (yeah, or committee whatever).

We haven't finished selling yet, it would seem we're likely to get another £25m for borini and agger. As I said a few weeks back, I will be shocked if we spend more than £10-20m net this summer. If we don't replace Suarez, that's just fucking incompetence even if they spend £500m.

[Aldonose]

I see this is still going exactly how I predicted it would months ago.

 

*patiently waits for the "I'd rather we waited until January when the right players are available and we get more value for money" line*

I'd say you're just being a pessimist, but unfortunately we've got a fair bit of recent form for shooting ourselves in the foot, and leaving Brendan in the shit come the end of a transfer window. Hope we get another decent option up front, but wouldn't be shocked if we didn't.

[Major Tom]

We haven't finished selling yet, it would seem we're likely to get another £25m for borini and agger. As I said a few weeks back, I will be shocked if we spend more than £10-20m net this summer. If we don't replace Suarez, that's just fucking incompetence even if they spend £500m.

 

Who would you replace Suarez with? Another striker? Rodgers plays 433.

 

We were/are never going to replace Suarez. It's impossible. He brought too much to the team to be replaced by a single player. That player doesn't exist unless it's Messi. It's about buying good players to work in the system that Rodgers favours.

 

We still need a quality attacking player, though.

[Bjornebye]

Iker Munain.

[Dr Nowt]

People are getting too hung up on the word "replace", and assuming others don't realise we can't bring in one player to replicate what Suarez gave us.

Pretty sure the same as I have, anyone else using it in the last page or two for the purposes of the current conversation simply means replace as a member of the squad in it's most basic sense, i.e. as a senior striker on our roster leaving, Suarez's position needs to be filled by another senior striker, at least.

My preference would be for that in addition to a creative attacking player who can play behind the strikers and in either of the wide positions, but it appears very much the case the latter won't happen, so it's all about a forward player to stop us being light on numbers let alone quality up front.

Clearly, whoever that is won't be as good as him and won't offer the versatility and various qualities he did. I very much doubt a Liverpool fan alive doesn't get that.

[Major Tom]

A senior striker on our roster? What is that all about?

 

We need a back up striker. Someone decent enough to fill Danny's shoes but not such a superstar whereby he'll get agitated by spending a lot of time on the bench. Which he would. Remy was perfect, for the perfect price.

 

We were better off keeping Origi and throwing the money at a quality attacking player capable of fulfilling more than one role.

 

Reus, for example.

 

A striker is going to be a tough buy, I think. Nothing to do with Suarez but more to do with the role he will play.

[Dr Nowt]

What would you have categorised Suarez as? Could he play out wide and switch positions? Surely it's too early for this sort of extreme pedantism?

[Barrington Womble]

Who would you replace Suarez with? Another striker? Rodgers plays 433.

 

We were/are never going to replace Suarez. It's impossible. He brought too much to the team to be replaced by a single player. That player doesn't exist unless it's Messi. It's about buying good players to work in the system that Rodgers favours.

 

We still need a quality attacking player, though.

I don't know who I'd replace him with as I don't have the scouting resources the committee has, but I certainly wouldn't go "he's fucking boss, we can't replace him, so we might as well hope Lambert can do the job".

 

Rodgers has shown over the last 2 years he's willing to play pretty much any formation. We need desperately to sign someone who can make things happen and score goals. I would be surprised if that's an out and out striker, I would think someone who can play wide and through the middle, but we need someone and someone who is top class. The loss of Suarez is enormous no matter what formation we play.

[Major Tom]

What would you have categorised Suarez as? Could he play out wide and switch positions? Surely it's too early for this sort of extreme pedantism?

 

I wasn't being pedantalisitc. Let alone extremely.

 

Of course Suarez is a striker.

[Major Tom]

Rodgers has shown over the last 2 years he's willing to play pretty much any formation. We need desperately to sign someone who can make things happen and score goals. I would be surprised if that's an out and out striker, I would think someone who can play wide and through the middle, but we need someone and someone who is top class. The loss of Suarez is enormous no matter what formation we play.

 

Agree with all of that.

 

I guess my point is I don't think Rodgers will want to chuck, say, £40m at, say, Benzema. But more the type of player you are describing there.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Lads, I've been out of it for a few days. What's going on with signings?

[Barrington Womble]

Lads, I've been out of it for a few days. What's going on with signings?

We're signing the lad on loan at right back. We're signing balotelli. We're jot signing balotelli. Everything else the same.

[JohnnyH]

Lads, I've been out of it for a few days. What's going on with signings?

Ayre is a twat and doesn't know what he's doing. Silence about Ayre. Ayre's a twat and doesn't know what he's doing. Silence about Ayre. Etc, et, e-fucking-tc.