Summer Transfers 2014

[stringvest]

Like pre-nups mate.

[Boss]

I have read articles and watched videos but never seen him meself. 

 

Break it down for me....what is he all about? 

 

He's Bale level fast, his control is excellent, his passing is very astute like Sterling and Coutinho, he can pick the right pass at the right time. His shooting is not the best, but like Sterling he gets into very good positions.

 

He's a very good player now, but Lallana's a very good player and you'd think by reading this forum we've just signed a 25 million pound Downing with no end product.

[Jose Jones]

We need an out and out striker to replace Suarez because Sturridge is injury prone and Lambert is a good squad player but wouldnt want him starting every week.

Agree with that. Markovic is more of a winger or number 10 right?

[Sydney Redman]

So by signing Markovic and him being a winger, does that put an end to us buying Shaqiri???

[Pidge]

Hope not, for £15m I'd snap their hands off.

[magicrat]

From what I've read I can't see anyone else being in the frame for Markovic yet were paying a very big fee for the lad, Raw talent he maybe but still a very big fee  

[Dave D]

He's Bale level fast, his control is excellent, his passing is very astute like Sterling and Coutinho, he can pick the right pass at the right time. His shooting is not the best, but like Sterling he gets into very good positions.

 

He's a very good player now, but Lallana's a very good player and you'd think by reading this forum we've just signed a 25 million pound Downing with no end product.

I just dont get professional footballers who cant shoot!

 

Irrespective of position, to get to the premier league level, surely you can hit the target!

[Russ Atmosphere]

We really need to be signing at least three currently very good peak-aged players.

[TalkSilly]

Markovic sounds like a late 90s Juventus player, that's good enough for me.

 

Like Bogdan Stankovic, that sort of thing.

[Bjornebye]

I’m underwhelmed by Markovic but happy to be proven wrong. Same with Origri. Been thinking this morning that he could just be another Babel. We should be bringing in proven talent , and by proven I mean at least 3 or 4 seasons performing well at a top club. The money we have spent so far is ridiculous given the names.

 

Sanchez would have been one of them top players. As would Shaqiri. We should have punted Suarez to PSG in exchange for 80 million and Moura or 40 million, Moura and Cavani.

 

I’m pissed off. 

[Pidge]

When were Shaqiri's three or four seasons at a top club? Where were Sanchez's for that matter... Think Benfica are a bigger club than Basel or Udinese.

 

Moura's been in Europe for just a year and has hardly made much of an impact in France. Markovic has done more in a league of similar strength (at the top) and Europe.

 

FWIW, I have't seen enough of either player in actual games to make a fair comparison, both seem quite talented to me and if Markovic can come in and perform at Coutinho's level then I'll be happy.

[swampthing]

I watched Markovic in his last international game because I had heard we were in after him. He blew me away in a jawdropping way. Made up if we get him. on the other hand - I rate Lovren highly as well...

[Mark M]

I’m underwhelmed by Markovic but happy to be proven wrong. Same with Origri. Been thinking this morning that he could just be another Babel. We should be bringing in proven talent , and by proven I mean at least 3 or 4 seasons performing well at a top club. The money we have spent so far is ridiculous given the names.

 

Sanchez would have been one of them top players. As would Shaqiri. We should have punted Suarez to PSG in exchange for 80 million and Moura or 40 million, Moura and Cavani.

 

I’m pissed off.

agree with all that apart from cavani as I don't think he's all that. But everything else you said in particular about going for proven talent is spot on.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

When were Shaqiri's three or four seasons at a top club? Where were Sanchez's for that matter...

Well, Sanchez has played 141 times in three seasons for Barca. Shaqiri has only had two seasons at Bayern, but he performed at a really high level in the CL for Basel.

[Ne Moe Imya]

From what I've read I can't see anyone else being in the frame for Markovic yet were paying a very big fee for the lad, Raw talent he maybe but still a very big fee  

 

Down to 3rd party ownership, that.

 

Made even more complicated by the fact that he's half-owned by a consortium led by one of Abramovich's best mates (hence all the assumptions that it was Chelsea who gave them the money to get him from Partizan a year ago).

 

I don't think we had any chance of getting him for less.  In fact, I'm a bit surprised that he's been sold for under £20 million.  He seems to be a bit of a hit-or-miss player in the sense that if he puts it together he'll be the next Kaka and if he doesn't he'll be the next Ryan Babel, but from the way he's rated by everyone who's watched him a lot I'm surprised we got him for that amount.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

No matter who we go for, they'll likely be unproven in some way. Unless we buy an established international who's plying their trade at an English club in the CL, which we're unlikely to do.

[Pidge]

Well, Sanchez has played 141 times in three seasons for Barca. Shaqiri has only had two seasons at Bayern, but he performed at a really high level in the CL for Basel.

 

Didn't realise Sanchez moved that long ago, fair enough. Only seems like a year or so ago he was at Udine. Shaqiri has hardly established himself at Bayern in those two seasons, despite clocking up a number of appearances after the title had been won.

 

I've been pretty clear that I'd love both, still would. They're both class, but I'm excited to see Markovic and don't see why his signing precludes either of the other deals getting done. Especially not to the point where people are getting down on him before he's even arrived.

 

It's like Salah/Willian again, people were moaning about how extravagant the spending was on such unproven players and then crying like bitches when Chelsea came along and spent twice as much as us for them as though we'd missed out on the key part of the puzzle and how shameful it was that this talented, tricky winger was what we needed and we couldn't get it done.

[Saucepan]

Markovic looks good, Rodgers will make him superb.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Didn't realise Sanchez moved that long ago, fair enough. Only seems like a year or so ago he was at Udine. Shaqiri has hardly established himself at Bayern in those two seasons, despite clocking up a number of appearances after the title had been won.

 

I've been pretty clear that I'd love both, still would. They're both class, but I'm excited to see Markovic and don't see why his signing precludes either of the other deals getting done. Especially not to the point where people are getting down on him before he's even arrived.

 

It's like Salah/Willian again, people were moaning about how extravagant the spending was on such unproven players and then crying like bitches when Chelsea came along and spent twice as much as us for them as though we'd missed out on the key part of the puzzle and how shameful it was that this talented, tricky winger was what we needed and we couldn't get it done.

For me, I'm just shrugging. I've no idea what Rodgers is planning here. With the likes of Sturridge, Sterling, Lallana, Markovic, Coutinho and maybe somebody like Sanchez or Shaqiri, the pace and movement in depth would be fucking immense. Back that up with the dynamism of Henderson, Allen and Can, plus the leadership of Gerrard, and we might well be a decent side without Suarez, even if he is better than all of those players.

 

I'm guessing we're not done in the market yet. I think we're building a new team, so we're just going to have to wait and see how this one pans out. I think we've overpaid a bit for some of the players we've got in, but if the team is more than the sum of its parts, which it generally has been under Rodgers, than we won't be complaining too much.

 

That said, it can go the other way too. If these players turn out to be duds, he'll lose his job. You don't get away with making mistakes with that sort of money. So yeah, we're all just going to have to wait. It's not like it's obviously going to be shit, like the Downing and Carroll experiment. We're spending big, but at least they've got talent.

[therevivalist]

Effectively replacing one nutcase with another? Very much doubt it.

A hit and miss luxury player for the kinds of City and Chelsea...that's besides the lunacy. A definite no for me.

[Boss]

A team consisting of Suarez and Balotelli would be like Lethal Weapon with two Mel Gibsons. We'd either win the league in a maverick fashion, killing a few foreign consorts on the way or they'd shoot each other. All the while poor Daniel Sturridge has to play the part of Chris Rock doing his dance in the corner whilst nobody watches.

 

This superb comment sums Balotelli up perfectly.

[Jose Jones]

Markovic is like Rui Costa with faster running. Lanky, nice passing, hair, the odd genius goal but really can't shoot.

[J-V]

Rui Costa was class you better be right.  Now all we need is the next Batistuta.

[Pidge]

I think going into this season we want three players for each position. With players who are either a talent coming through or versatile enough to get enough games in other positions to keep them happy in that third slot. So nine players for that front three.

 

Sturridge - the main man in the attack

Sterling - the marked man, big things expected but we can't expect him to consistently set the agenda just yet.

Coutinho - will also play in midfield 3

Lallana - will also play in midfield 3

Markovic - young and could play as AM if we use the diamond.

Ibe - Young talent, huge potential.

Lambert - cover for CF, surround him with pace

Origi - cover for CF and either wide position, also young but with big ambition, will demand gametime

 

and then we start getting to players we'll probably or should sell (Borini, Aspas, Assaidi...). Borini could be kept, but if we get a decent offer we let him go.

 

So we add Sanchez/Shaqiri or a Martinez to the mix or a Griezmann? I honestly think we're in pretty good shape. Especially with the other players who will want to make an impression during pre-season (Brannigan will make his debut this season and feature heavily in pre-season imo, Peterson and Dunn will be desperate to earn themselves a chance, Tex and Suso will be fighting to not face a season on loan).

 

Personally (unless we can get Sanchez) I'd hope to tie up Shaqiri for a reasonable price and then spend the rest on a quality full back (either side really, Aurier or Rodriguez would hugely benefit us) and another pressing midfielder, because we have Henderson, Coutinho, Lallana, Allen and Lucas in there, neither Coutinho nor Lallana are great defenders when you're up against it and Lucas has pretty much lost his legs. Now... line up Vidal next to Henderson and we win the league.

 

Incidentally, total World Cup signing, but I notice Vargas has pretty much failed at Napoli, but did okay at Valencia. I wouldn't mind picking him up for cheap to add further depth up front. guess it depends on the chances of landing one or two of the above.

[Nightcat]

Even in my worst pessimistic scenario I could not have imagined that the owners and their fake scouser Yesman would sell Suarez for £70m (maybe less) and then replace him with Lallana, a Belgian fella who will be sent back on loan to Lille and a 20yr old Serb.

 

In the meantime our rivals.... Arsenal are on the verge of signing Sanchez, while United have opened negotiations for the transfer of Di Maria.

 

Let's enjoy our six Champions League games this season, because it will take a while before we get into the Top 4 again.