A less agenda driven round up

[silverlining]

I know there are some full on crack smoking mothers on here, but this thread not only takes the biscuit, it shits in the packet afterwards and wipes it's arse on the cat

 

Yeah, but the happy-clapping spastics like that uber-cunt AVB, ChicagoRed, Funneee and all of the other head-in-the-fucking-sand wankers need somewhere to clap eachother on the back and say how great everything is.

 

Rodgers wanted Dempsey. FSG refused to sanction the deal. We shipped out loads of players, weakened the squad, and have less striking options than perhaps any other Premiership club.

 

Which will be reflected by the amount of goals we score.

[Evil_Ways]

The truth lies somewhere in between, usually. The most negative cunts can go fuck themselves though. There is plenty to be positive about after this transfer window even though whoever fucked things up regarding à forward.

[SinceSixtyFive]

I don't think yesterday was a disaster - far from it. We don't know the truth about why we didn't buy Dempsey. Perhaps Rodgers changed his mind. Perhaps FSG didn't want to spend the money. But there has been an enormous amount of drivel written on here in the last few days. So many people have spewed so much bile that it's difficult to believe they will enjoy us winning a game this year.

 

Get a grip and get behind the team for fucks sake.

 

You might be right. I certainly hope so. I do agree that yesterday wasn't a disaster. A part of me can't help feeling that it was fucking close though.

 

Haven't quite been able to shake the sense of letdown I felt at the end of the window last night. Was I let down personally? Doesn't fucking matter. I've been behind this team for over forty years now and that isn't gonna change.

 

What worries me is that while it doesn't matter a fiddlers fucking damn whether I felt let down or not, I am still concerned about how our manager is feeling at the minute.

 

I Don't give a shit about Clint fucking Dempsey, though I would like to have seen him here. Same for Sturridge. Could have been anybody as our target, Walcott, whoever, doesn't matter. Doesn't matter whether we were £1m or £10m short on what we could or were able to spend. Irrelevant.

 

Theres been no bile or anything else aimed at the owners or Ayre from this direction but I fear someone has fucked up big time here and our new manager who I have the utmost respect for has been severely alienated.

 

Don't fucking dare to tell me to get behind the team, the manager or club. Thats a given, end of. I really hope the youngsters up front can step up and really regret we're piling so much pressure on them 'cos I think we've got some real gems there. I don't want them ruined.

 

To sum up I really hope the optimists on here are right but am very concerned last night will have shifted BR's view of the job at hand. I think he's big enough to handle it and swallow his pride but he's a very strong character and (laugh if you like) the first fucking thing I did when I woke up this morning was to check the web to see if he had resigned. Thank Christ he hadn't.

 

Anyway, just wanted to come on to ask those who are insulting fellow fans who have genuine concerns to man up, grow some tits, fuck off if necessary, chill out etc fucking etc.

 

Something went badly wrong last night but we'd had a great window up to that point.

 

Anyway onwards & upwards. Lets get behind the team, BR and here's hoping we surprise everyone (including me) starting with a right twatting of Arsenal tomorrow.

[therevivalist]

Brendan Rodgers is doing a fantastic job and the reason why? Because the TLA (three letter acronym) that seems to be the scapegoat for everything on here have hired him, backed him and believe in him.

 

For all those people having a pop at TLA, maybe you should question your own support/motives before you start laying in to the owners of this club that saved us from a truly unthinkable future.

 

With that out of the way let's look at the facts.

 

For years we've all lambasted our team for not bringing through young talent right? Well Raheem Sterling IS that talent we've been waiting for. Why has he improved so rapidly? Well there are two reasons, one the manager he plays for and two he's got genuine belief he can make it into the starting line up. Would Sterling be setting Anfield alight if he had the collective talents of Kuyt, Maxi and Bellamy ahead of him in his position? No. Would a lot of different managers have kept those players scared to lose their "experience" and not have faith in their system and these young players? Of course they would.

 

We sold old to rebuild for the future and bought players that fit the manager's ethos. We didn't do it just to trim the wage budget but that's a given and so we should be looking at doing that given where we are with the money we've pissed away. If TLA told Rodgers to cut the wage budget and sell before we buy then THANK !@#$%^&* FOR THAT.

 

We have a front three that although they are struggling for goals have a very nice balance of pace, skill and awareness and they are going to cause all kinds of defences all kinds of problems and for Suarez the goals will come.

 

Rodgers said on a number of occasions that Andy Carroll was a third choice striker and true to his word he played him exactly like that. First Suarez, second, Borini and third Carroll ... but wait Morgan is improving and the manager rewards him with the third choice role and so Carroll is even more surplus to requirements and Samed Yesil is the final nail in the coffin meaning we have 4 players who can and have played in the centre forward role so in Brendan's eyes Carroll is now fifth choice.

 

What we've done in midfield is truly remarkable. Joe Allen is going to be a steal at 15m and that's not something you say very often. The lad has all the poise and balance of a young Xabi Alonso and he also has the intelligence as well. He may not have the same range of passing but in his own way he controls the midfield and is an absolute joy to watch. When Liverpool signed Sahin on loan with the option to buy, I couldn't smile wide enough. This player is incredible, there is literally nothing missing from his game and the idea of him being on the same pitch with Joe Allen reminds me of the days of Mascherano and Alonso and personally I already prefer Allen to Mascherano.

 

What did we give away to get this talent? I mean it must have been some world class players by the unfortunate reaction to our transfer activity right? Oh we gave up Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing ... and that's it. Hang on let's just look over that again. We swopped Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing for Joe Allen and Nuri Sahin ... that on its own is unbelievable but no people would rather focus on some shite donkey we massively overpaid being rightly ousted from the wage bill as if it's a bad thing.

 

Let's have a look at the defence and the keeper. We were supposed to be losing Skrtel and Agger right? Well we kept hold of them, plenty to celebrate there as well ... of course not that's not what we do these days we just see the bad in everything. Reina, how is he still here? His loyalty is remarkable and it's a pleasure to see someone so committed to a cause that has verily fucked him right over. Add in that we were meant to lose Suarez to Juve and is it really as bad as people are making out?

 

 

So of any not we've swopped:

 

Bellamy, Kuyt, Maxi and got Borini and Yesil with the emergence of Sterling and Morgan. I'd still like to have seen another forward come in but the right one and that player wasn't available so I'd rather we waited rather than doing another "Carroll".

 

Spearing and Adam for Sahin and Allen. No matter how much I type or read that it still feels like I've won the lottery every single time. Not to mention the fact that Shelvey is actually taking his chance and playing rather well in a deep lying midfield role (the only place I believe he has any future) and Assaidi can play midfield or in a front three.

 

Defence - We kept everyone and Reina.

 

If you want to be miserable then I can't really stop you and here's a hint to help out, look at other people because regardless what you have you'll soon forget to appreciate it and want what they have.

 

If you want to back the manager and the wonderful job he is doing in such a short amount of time and if you want to take a look over to Swansea and realise that Laudrup is able to do what he is doing (short term) because of what Rodgers put in place then above are just a few reasons to be optimistic.

 

When the time comes for us to step up our search for a proven striker or a young striker with all the attributes needed to fit our system then I'll be worried if we don't go out and buy someone that we have scouted long term and who we have assigned funds for and equally if the time comes to oobuy Sahin at the end of the season and we don't I'll be apoplectic but until that time I'll exercise some cautious optimism and continue to enjoy this new and welcome brand of football and player acquisition and look forward to the next game and the next window (they do have another in 4 months you know...)

 

Some good points there. We have invested well over the years in the development of young talent and a few of them have reached the point of deserving thier chance with the first team. I share other people's concerns of the risk involved in relying on the youth but who said there's no risk in buying proven talent! We know every reward follows a risk so let's get ovre this rage over this transfer "disaster" and get behind the young lads and manager.

[SCOUSE TAPAS]

Not sure if this has been posted on here at some point.

 

This is a pretty good article which tells you alot about Fenway.

 

For Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool Is the Real Moneyball

 

By Roger Bennett on July 19, 2012

On an oddly steamy night in April, Fenway Park is gussied up with bunting as the Boston Red Sox prepare to host the Texas Rangers. The owner’s box is a mix of corporate and academic types, including hedge fund managers and the president of a nearby liberal arts college. The atmosphere feels more book party than bleacher brawl. Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner holds court in the center of the room, recounting the experience of witnessing one of the two other teams he co-owns win a big game—well, a sort of big game. “People say it must have been fun, but watching the game was hell,” he says. “The fun came later.” The trophy his players captured that February night is the marginal Carling Cup, and the team is Liverpool Football Club of the English Premier League. Although it lacked the prestige of a Premier League title, the cup helped fans warm to the team’s new custodians.

As chairman of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Werner, along with his partner John Henry, took control of Liverpool in October 2010 for a cut-rate price after paying off about $300 million worth of the club’s debt. Henry concedes they knew “virtually nothing” about the Premier League, or soccer for that matter, before buying the club, but recognizing the global reach and moneymaking potential of the sport didn’t require much expertise. The U.S., soccer-resistant for so long, is now home to the owners of five of the 20 clubs in the English Premier League. Manchester United, owned by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Glazer family, is the most valuable sports team in the world, according to a Forbes estimate. Arsenal, controlled by St. Louis Rams’ Stan Kroenke, is the fourth-richest club. Liverpool is the eighth.

Photograph by Rex/AP PhotoHenry, left, and Werner with the Carling Cup in February

On July 25, Werner will preside over a rare collision of worlds as Fenway’s pitcher’s mound and foul lines will be replaced with penalty areas and soccer goals. In one of 39 games being played in North America this summer by high-profile foreign clubs, Liverpool will battle Italian stalwart Roma, which happens to belong to a Red Sox minority owner, Thomas DiBenedetto. No doubt Werner is hoping some of the Fenway magic will rub off on his soccer team, and not DiBenedetto’s.

While he and Henry weren’t exactly welcomed by the Red Sox faithful in 2002, when they bought the team and New England Sports Network for $700 million, their ruthless methodology of sourcing untapped streams of commercial revenue helped secure top talent and usher in the franchise’s most successful era. The Red Sox won the World Series in both 2004 and 2007 and remain a perennial contender. In the past decade the number of corporate sponsors jumped from 35 to 95. “[Werner and Henry] spent money, reorganized the team, and fixed a ballpark that everyone said couldn’t be fixed,” says Massachusetts-born Bill Simmons, editor-in-chief of ESPN’s online review Grantland (to which I regularly contribute). “They couldn’t have been better owners coming out of the gate.”

Starting in 2007, FSG began expanding its portfolio, buying a 50 percent stake in Nascar team Roush Racing for $50 million. Seeking an acquisition with more “worldwide appeal,” says Werner, it turned to Liverpool, a club teetering on the verge of bankruptcy after North American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett drowned it in debt. “Someone mentioned Liverpool’s games against Manchester United draw an estimated 500 million global television audience,” says Werner. By contrast, only 16 million people, on average per game, watched the 2011 World Series. “Coming from MLB, we simply could not relate to that number.”

Werner was also attracted to the fact that the Premier League operates without the curious socialism of America’s sports leagues: salary caps, organized drafts, and revenue sharing. “In baseball, when you acquire a franchise, you are one-thirtieth of an industry,” he says. “If we sell a Liverpool jersey to a supporter in Jakarta, we keep 100 percent of that.” Sam Kennedy, president of Fenway Sports Management, says the Liverpool deal opens new markets to Fenway’s corporate partners, including Boston-area companies such as New Balance and Dunkin’ Donuts. “Red Sox Nation can only expose a sponsor to six states,” he says. By enabling FSG to expand its corporate relationships worldwide, Liverpool can act as a global amplifier.

 

 

 

The final piece of FSG’s worldwide marketing machine came in April 2011 with the signing of LeBron James. In exchange for acting as James’s global marketing representative—the Miami Heat star may be divisive at home but is widely beloved in Asia—FSG offered him a minority ownership share in Liverpool Football Club. (Asked why James eschewed more traditional agencies, his business manager Maverick Carter said, “I admire [them] but they don’t own sports franchises last time I checked.”)

Liverpool is far removed from its glory days. Beginning in the ’90s, the historically great club struggled to adapt to the globalization of English soccer, and was eclipsed by Manchester United both on the field and commercially. Werner is confident he, using the methodologies perfected at Fenway, can restore Liverpool’s fortunes—even though he’d never been to a Liverpool game before buying the team.

Results have been mixed so far. Before the 2011 season, FSG splashed $179 million on a crew of underperforming players, who failed to qualify Liverpool for the elite European tournament, the Champions League. In May the club posted an $80 million loss for 2011. “No supporter will take pleasure where we are right now,” says Werner. Henry concedes the last 18 months have been humbling. “Our first year and a half was spent learning as much as we could, and we are just now really beginning to understand what we have to do differently.”

 

In January 2012, Liverpool announced the most lucrative jersey deal the sport has ever seen, a $40 million-a-year partnership with a New Balance subsidiary called Warrior. And over the past three months, FSG executed a radical overhaul of Liverpool’s management team. They fired manager Kenny Dalglish, a man worshipped by players and fans, and hired the young coach Brendan Rodgers. “I genuinely think a club of our status and value to the football world, we can go [win] again,” says Rodgers, before adding, rather ominously: “But it’s going to take time, and whether it will be in my time, I’m not so sure.”

Having suffered through the Red Sox’s collapse last September and slow start this season, ESPN’s Simmons wonders whether the expansion into English soccer is wise—or if it’s pulling focus from the daunting enough task of beating the New York Yankees. “I think [the Red Sox success] went to their heads,” he says. “They got a little greedy, almost like someone who wins a ton of money gambling in Vegas and starts to think they’re invincible.”

[llego]

Brendan Rodgers is doing a fantastic job and the reason why? Because the TLA (three letter acronym) that seems to be the scapegoat for everything on here have hired him' date=' backed him and believe in him.

 

For all those people having a pop at TLA, maybe you should question your own support/motives before you start laying in to the owners of this club that saved us from a truly unthinkable future.

 

With that out of the way let's look at the facts.

 

For years we've all lambasted our team for not bringing through young talent right? Well Raheem Sterling IS that talent we've been waiting for. Why has he improved so rapidly? Well there are two reasons, one the manager he plays for and two he's got genuine belief he can make it into the starting line up. Would Sterling be setting Anfield alight if he had the collective talents of Kuyt, Maxi and Bellamy ahead of him in his position? No. Would a lot of different managers have kept those players scared to lose their "experience" and not have faith in their system and these young players? Of course they would.

 

We sold old to rebuild for the future and bought players that fit the manager's ethos. We didn't do it just to trim the wage budget but that's a given and so we should be looking at doing that given where we are with the money we've pissed away. If TLA told Rodgers to cut the wage budget and sell before we buy then THANK FUCK FOR THAT.

 

We have a front three that although they are struggling for goals have a very nice balance of pace, skill and awareness and they are going to cause all kinds of defences all kinds of problems and for Suarez the goals will come.

 

Rodgers said on a number of occasions that Andy Carroll was a third choice striker and true to his word he played him exactly like that. First Suarez, second, Borini and third Carroll ... but wait Morgan is improving and the manager rewards him with the third choice role and so Carroll is even more surplus to requirements and Samed Yesil is the final nail in the coffin meaning we have 4 players who can and have played in the centre forward role so in Brendan's eyes Carroll is now fifth choice.

 

What we've done in midfield is truly remarkable. Joe Allen is going to be a steal at 15m and that's not something you say very often. The lad has all the poise and balance of a young Xabi Alonso and he also has the intelligence as well. He may not have the same range of passing but in his own way he controls the midfield and is an absolute joy to watch. When Liverpool signed Sahin on loan with the option to buy, I couldn't smile wide enough. This player is incredible, there is literally nothing missing from his game and the idea of him being on the same pitch with Joe Allen reminds me of the days of Mascherano and Alonso and personally I already prefer Allen to Mascherano.

 

What did we give away to get this talent? I mean it must have been some world class players by the unfortunate reaction to our transfer activity right? Oh we gave up Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing ... and that's it. Hang on let's just look over that again. We swopped Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing for Joe Allen and Nuri Sahin ... that on its own is unbelievable but no people would rather focus on some shite donkey we massively overpaid being rightly ousted from the wage bill as if it's a bad thing.

 

Let's have a look at the defence and the keeper. We were supposed to be losing Skrtel and Agger right? Well we kept hold of them, plenty to celebrate there as well ... of course not that's not what we do these days we just see the bad in everything. Reina, how is he still here? His loyalty is remarkable and it's a pleasure to see someone so committed to a cause that has verily fucked him right over. Add in that we were meant to lose Suarez to Juve and is it really as bad as people are making out?

 

So of any not we've swopped:

 

Bellamy, Kuyt, Maxi and got Borini and Yesil with the emergence of Sterling and Morgan. I'd still like to have seen another forward come in but the right one and that player wasn't available so I'd rather we waited rather than doing another "Carroll".

 

Spearing and Adam for Sahin and Allen. No matter how much I type or read that it still feels like I've won the lottery every single time. Not to mention the fact that Shelvey is actually taking his chance and playing rather well in a deep lying midfield role (the only place I believe he has any future) and Assaidi can play midfield or in a front three.

 

Defence - We kept everyone and Reina.

 

If you want to be miserable then I can't really stop you and here's a hint to help out, look at other people because regardless what you have you'll soon forget to appreciate it and want what they have.

 

If you want to back the manager and the wonderful job he is doing in such a short amount of time and if you want to take a look over to Swansea and realise that Laudrup is able to do what he is doing (short term) because of what Rodgers put in place then above are just a few reasons to be optimistic.

 

When the time comes for us to step up our search for a proven striker or a young striker with all the attributes needed to fit our system then I'll be worried if we don't go out and buy someone that we have scouted long term and who we have assigned funds for and equally if the time comes to oobuy Sahin at the end of the season and we don't I'll be apoplectic but until that time I'll exercise some cautious optimism and continue to enjoy this new and welcome brand of football and player acquisition and look forward to the next game and the next window (they do have another in 4 months you know...)[/quote']

 

Good post

[Son of L8]

Setting aside the role of the manager, the owners, other clubs, etc, I can't help but feel relieved that we failed to sign Clint Dempsey.

 

... I don't think I could support a footballer called Clint Dempsey. Rubbish name. I can't even say it aloud without feeling a bit of a twat, let alone shout or sing it.

 

So there. Bullet dodged.

[xerxes]

Rodgers wanted Dempsey. FSG refused to sanction the deal. We shipped out loads of players, weakened the squad, and have less striking options than perhaps any other Premiership club.

 

Which will be reflected by the amount of goals we score.

 

Succinct. Correct.

[Dicko]

Could someone enlighten me as to why Rodgers, Ayre & the owners were arguing over a midfielder on the last day of the transfer window, when we've been screaming for a fucking striker for the best part of three months.

 

Also we were planning a swap plus cash for Henderson & Dempsey. A player who's just been sold for £6m.

 

Henderson might not be great but still that is catastrophic decision making.

 

That's what I thought were the two salient points from this whole mess anyway.

[zigackly]

Could someone enlighten me as to why Rodgers, Ayre & the owners were arguing over a midfielder on the last day of the transfer window, when we've been screaming for a fucking striker for the best part of three months.

 

Red Nick has explained everything on the MF.

 

Apparently Barcelona don't need strikers, so now we have Rodgers as manager neither do we.

[ZonkoVille77]

The op is actually quite a decent post considering some of the other shit he has posted.

He could be right. He could be wrong.

None of us will know til at least December.

 

I'm off to perv at some filthy clunge at the local. Night all

[Dicko]

Red Nick has explained everything on the MF.

 

Apparently Barcelona don't need strikers, so now we have Rodgers as manager neither do we.

 

Ah ok.

Perhaps someone could tell me who at the club is going to take on the role of being the greatest player ever to step foot on a pitch and score 73 goals for us.

 

Oh and if Barca don't want him could we swap Henderson for Villa.

[cracker]

Before I start can I say that my basic position is pro BR and anti FSG and Ayre but some of the stuff on this thread beggars belief in its unjustifed positivity and spin on what for me is clearly a bad situation.

 

Fucking bunch of girls. Wipe your fanny's and grow a pair or fuck off.

 

Yes we needed a striker quite badly. Dempsey however, is not that much needed replacement and would not have made a massive difference. I would have liked us to bring in a good replacement, but if Dempsey was our target, I couldn't give a fuck that we missed out on him.

 

The bottom line is this. Our first choice eleven is an absolute FUCKLOAD better than what it was last season. No question in my mind. That to me is more important than the fact we are a bit short in poachers. We didn't have one either last season and finished 8th. We don't have one this season but have a much better team all round. Whether we get back into the Champions League or not, I am extremely optimistic that we will have a much better season this year than last. We have made progress. That to me is of most significance, and I think we if anything will be in a better position come the January window than we were last season.

 

It's not the end of world we didn't get that striker in, so grow the fuck up and get the fuck over it.

 

Just to remind you of the results and performances so far this season in this brave new fantastic world of LFC after sacking Kenny Dalglish and operating under BR as a team who likes to pass the ball.

(sorry for the cynical tone but I am one of the 'Kenny should have been given more time' brigade and resent the media agenda which says that now under BR we are going to become a passing team - er that is what we have always been!!). Anyway ...

 

1) In the EL we luckily won away at a club who were not even the Belarus champions altho we did outplay them at Anfield. Then we had two very evenly matched games agaisnt a Scottish club which is not at the top of their league winning ulitimately due to an own goal.

2) In the PL we have had 2 games - in the first we lost 3-0 at WBA a ground where we usually do well and then in the second - the first home game - yes we played well but the bottom line is that we did not win the game - thus far we have 1 point out of 6 with only 3 teams worse off prior to today.

 

Now yeah the squad may be better - I have no idea as 3 of the 5 new signings have not been seen in a LFC shirt yet - I do not care what they look like on Youtube at their previous clubs, what matters to me is what they do in the PL in a LFC shirt

 

Some posters seem anti paying out big money for players (I am not - we can only really compete if we do imo) and I'd also respectfully suggest that a prime requirement for winning games is scoring goals - with the squad as it is I do not think we are in a great postion to do that frankly - and God forbid if Luis gets injured or suspended any time soon.

 

Yes of course we support the club, we cannot do otherwise but a lot of us diehard fans have legitimate concerns and imo we are right to do so - its no use burying your head in the sand.

[SCOUSE TAPAS]

Could someone enlighten me as to why Rodgers, Ayre & the owners were arguing over a midfielder on the last day of the transfer window, when we've been screaming for a fucking striker for the best part of three months.

 

Also we were planning a swap plus cash for Henderson & Dempsey. A player who's just been sold for £6m.

 

Henderson might not be great but still that is catastrophic decision making.

 

That's what I thought were the two salient points from this whole mess anyway.

I am glad somebody else picked up on this as I was wondering the same thing.

 

All i can think is what Rodgers said as at least a couple of players coming in on last day.

 

I also think Dempsey was not one of them at the time he said it either.

 

That would explain a awful lot about how we left it all day before we went for him.

 

I think Sturridge and a wilder guess Walcot being the ones.

 

It seems certain Rodgers was convinced that Sturridge was the one coming in on loan and either Sturridge suddenly changed his mind or Rodgers had been mislead over him being tied up to come here.

I am certain he would not of let Carroll go without him being certain we had someone coming in.

Walcot at a guess maybe thought we could get cheapish as he entering final season on contract.

 

There only guesses and it was when these fell through we made a late move for Dempsey and it would explain the paltry offer we made for him,as he was someone to bring in at a price we thought he was worth.

 

I do think if he was a player we really wanted then we would of offered more but as he wasnt that was why the low offer.

[stringvest]

Before I start can I say that my basic position is pro BR and anti FSG and Ayre but some of the stuff on this thread beggars belief in its unjustifed positivity and spin on what for me is clearly a bad situation.

 

Just to remind you of the results and performances so far this season in this brave new fantastic world of LFC after sacking Kenny Dalglish and operating under BR as a team who likes to pass the ball.

(sorry for the cynical tone but I am one of the 'Kenny should have been given more time' brigade and resent the media agenda which says that now under BR we are going to become a passing team - er that is what we have always been!!). Anyway ...

 

1) In the EL we luckily won away at a club who were not even the Belarus champions altho we did outplay them at Anfield. Then we had two very evenly matched games agaisnt a Scottish club which is not at the top of their league winning ulitimately due to an own goal.

2) In the PL we have had 2 games - in the first we lost 3-0 at WBA a ground where we usually do well and then in the second - the first home game - yes we played well but the bottom line is that we did not win the game - thus far we have 1 point out of 6 with only 3 teams worse off prior to today.

 

Now yeah the squad may be better - I have no idea as 3 of the 5 new signings have not been seen in a LFC shirt yet - I do not care what they look like on Youtube at their previous clubs, what matters to me is what they do in the PL in a LFC shirt

 

Some posters seem anti paying out big money for players (I am not - we can only really compete if we do imo) and I'd also respectfully suggest that a prime requirement for winning games is scoring goals - with the squad as it is I do not think we are in a great postion to do that frankly - and God forbid if Luis gets injured or suspended any time soon.

 

Yes of course we support the club, we cannot do otherwise but a lot of us diehard fans have legitimate concerns and imo we are right to do so - its no use burying your head in the sand.

 

No issue with any of that. Ever single supporter will have concerns, and they'll all be legitimate.. Calling everyone cunts and calling the situation a disaster is fucking tiresome. There's a competition to see who can be the most angry, and it is pathetic. Everyone is suspicious of FSG with good reason. I am not happy with what appears to be going on but the fact is none of us know the truth about the last few days, none of us are privy to FSGs business strategy for Liverpool, and none of us know how the team and the manager will do this season. I would advise people to keep some toys in the pram in case they need to launch them at the end of the season.

[JaminKibbler]

Decent post, but it's very clear that Rodgers was let down yesterday, no matter how positive it looks.

[Hades]

Great post AVB.

 

People have quickly forgotten the end to 2010/11 under Kenny- only one fit striker yet we scored hatfuls of goals. The system we played then led to lots of clear-cut chances and decoy runs off the ball to take pressure off the finisher. With an even better midfield and a fit Gerrard and Agger, I can definitely see us returning to that type of form.

 

It was only when Kenny changed the system to try and accommodate Carroll, Adam, Henderson and Downing that we had chance conversion problems. It simply didn't suit Suarez, Kuyt or Maxi to have crosses whipped in and players 20 yards away from support.

 

We are much better than last season, no doubt about it. 4th is still a long shot but I'd be shocked if we didn't get at least 60 points and 60 goals this season

[KMD7]

Rodgers wanted Dempsey. FSG refused to sanction the deal. We shipped out loads of players, weakened the squad, and have less striking options than perhaps any other Premiership club.

 

Which will be reflected by the amount of goals we score.

 

The truth as I see it. Hope Suarez and Borini find their scoring boots fast and stay injury free or we're gonna struggle to keep near the top 6 before January.

[VladimirIlyich]

Werner was also attracted to the fact that the Premier League operates without the curious socialism of America’s sports leagues:

 

Haha!

 

Socialism now means people earning multi millions of dollars a year.

 

Only in America.

[KopOut]

In an ideal world, we'd have perfect owners. In a parallel universe somewhere, maybe Shanks is still leading us to glory.

 

Now then, back to reality.

 

Owners will be owners, and Yanks will be Yanks. Not an ideal end to the transfer window, but then, we're back in reality remember?

 

Older, highly paid players are gone - good. The dross has been shipped out too - great.

 

The squad balance (on balance) is probably an improvement. The heart of our defence is in tact, with an added option of Downing in a (finally) workable position. We havn't even SEEN Enrique yet, and he is a capable player.

 

Unfortunately, Lucas's situation is career shortening, and for me, it was highly worrying before the start of the season, and then in comes Joe Allen. Wow. Allen is so 'together' that all of a sudden, Gerrard is playing his best forward game, adding to our attacking ammunition. Just what we've been calling for !!

 

Suarez already looks like he'll surpass last years talley of goals, and yes he's frustrating us all by not being clinical in front of goal, however, he's a game changer as we witnessed against Hearts and City, and surely, all our bad luck of last season in front of goal is finally going to change?

 

Stirling is going to absolutely rock the Kop.

 

Borini is an unknown quantity, but he is keen and young and there'll be plenty of playing time for him.

 

Sahin is quality, providing more options.

 

Henderson & Shelvey provide options too, both being very flexible players who will continue to mature and improve.

 

It will be a tough season, but I think under the circumstances Rodgers has been very astute and economical in the window (with or without the owners support) and if we play consistantly like we did against City, albeit without the mistakes at the back, we are going to match up very well against most clubs.

 

I'm excited and confident, and now it's time to remember Rodgers recent statement going into the new season: 'Let's build a Fortress Anfield'

 

I'm going to enjoy Wenger cringing on the sidelines, wishing a hole would swallow him up.

 

Time for us, the fans, to play OUR part. United we stand, divided we fall.

[Section_31]

I'm in two minds about it all. On one hand I can understand people's frustrations, but I can also understand FSG's caution due to our awful signings last season. We were being quoted £1m more than other clubs for Dempsy according to Bascombe apparently , which is enough to fuck anyone off. Some of the hysterics coming out of here though is madness. "They left us short by getting rid of Adam and Carroll". Erm. "What are we going to do now without Dempsey?". Errrr. Nobody fucking wanted him two days ago. It's interesting too that they're basically taking shit for doing exactly the opposite of what they did when we bought Carroll, i.e not prancing on deadline day and paying over the odds for someone we didn't really want.

[Guest ShoePiss]

I'm in two minds about it all. On one hand I can understand people's frustrations, but I can also understand FSG's caution due to our awful signings last season. We were being quoted £1m more than other clubs for Dempsy according to Bascombe apparently , which is enough to fuck anyone off. Some of the hysterics coming out of here though is madness. "They left us short by getting rid of Adam and Carroll". Erm. "What are we going to do now without Dempsey?". Errrr. Nobody fucking wanted him two days ago. It's interesting too that they're basically taking shit for doing exactly the opposite of what they did when we bought Carroll, i.e not prancing on deadline day and paying over the odds for someone we didn't really want.

 

Utter bollocks.

[SCOUSE TAPAS]

No issue with any of that. Ever single supporter will have concerns, and they'll all be legitimate.. Calling everyone cunts and calling the situation a disaster is fucking tiresome. There's a competition to see who can be the most angry, and it is pathetic. Everyone is suspicious of FSG with good reason. I am not happy with what appears to be going on but the fact is none of us know the truth about the last few days, none of us are privy to FSGs business strategy for Liverpool, and none of us know how the team and the manager will do this season. I would advise people to keep some toys in the pram in case they need to launch them at the end of the season.

I can understand totally what there trying to do and it is something that needs to be done now.

 

What I dont agree with is leaving us a barebones squad and seemingly making Rodgers look like a total cunt at every oppotunity.

 

Though I also dont think there doing it on purpose and its them showing total lack of knowledge about football.

 

This might help explain things easier.

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###total stolen with no shame or guilt from RAWK

[Anubis]

I'm in two minds about it all. On one hand I can understand people's frustrations, but I can also understand FSG's caution due to our awful signings last season. We were being quoted £1m more than other clubs for Dempsy according to Bascombe apparently , which is enough to fuck anyone off. Some of the hysterics coming out of here though is madness. "They left us short by getting rid of Adam and Carroll". Erm. "What are we going to do now without Dempsey?". Errrr. Nobody fucking wanted him two days ago. It's interesting too that they're basically taking shit for doing exactly the opposite of what they did when we bought Carroll, i.e not prancing on deadline day and paying over the odds for someone we didn't really want.

 

Fulham weren't the only one's playing games though - factor in Werner's comments, Rodgers ill-advised reference to him, the signing article, and Henry's' off-the-record comments to the US supporters club, and then add in Fulham's director of comms stating we only ever bid £3m (not refuted by us).

 

Also, most people wanted a replacement for Carroll and have only ever pointed to the way in which we've handled this as a whole, and the way in which they fucked up what appeared to be a target that's been on the radar all summer. Try reading the thread, it's not about Dempsey, it's about the way they've gone about things.

 

They're taking shit because the manger knows we need at least three forwards, clearly expected to have them, and had the rug pulled from under him.

[Nightcat]

One crucial injury upfront and we'lll struggle big big time.

 

The euphoria of the start of the new season will soon evaporate and the hard reality of where the team really stands will wake everyone up. The same happened under Hodgson. Loads of preseason talk about Rafa's failings, Joe Cole on board and a few others from lower teams and there was a temporary euphoria... I think that we even won the couple of games. By January, we were relegation battlers. Premier league is getting harder and harder. FSG won't take any blame for anything next in line is Rodgers.