Moo

We have to face facts, we can't compete on a consistent basis and seasons like the last will be few and far between. We can't compete with the money clubs and we can't even compete with Arsenal's wages and location. We need a sugar daddy if we want to compete, without that we may as well accept our position, accept selling our best players and treading water. It's not what I want but accepting it saves a lot of stress and upset. I never ever wanted a sugar daddy before, still don't probably because I know it won't happen, as I hoped we'd be able to build steadily with regular top four places, but that went when City got money and our one chance to jump on the gravy train ended with Gerrard's slip. We're finished as a top club without the status quo changing in a major and unexpected way.

Come on then, what's so unprecedented about it?

But not necessarily at LFC if we decide not to pay him what he believes he's worth.

I'm not actually that arsed about us finishing fourth, last summer showed we are unlikely to be able to make the most of it . But I am arsed that if we don't make top 4 the Mancs probably will, and probably will take full advantage of it unfortunately.

Fair play to Gerrard for the apology.

Gerrard should have gone at the end of last season, as soon as I saw him come out onto the pitch against Palace after the Chelsea match looking a mess it was obvious his head had gone. And he demonstrated over the summer he wasn't getting it back, all that shitbag talk publically about the worst three months of his life etc. Then the other month calling out Balotelli on live TV, it made me wonder not only about his head but his heart too.

Unless I'm missing something it looks like the bastard media have caved into Tory demands over the TV debates, so basically Cameron is only being required to take part in the seven-way debate and a live Q&A with Milliband presented by, get this, Jeremy Paxton and Kay Burley! Fuck me, how have the other parties allowed this to happen? I feel like I must be missing something.

I have a confession to make, I've "recently" had a copy of The S*n in my house and it didn't go straight in the bin. It was that day they were posting free copies (I don't live in Liverpool) and I didn't realise it was happening until the day so they posted one while I was out at work. Of course when I got home one was on my doormat and naturally I was quite enraged, but I soon found a use for it. This happened on a day during which my dog was going through a short period of illness, let's just say he had an incredibly upset stomach for a number of days, so I had to put paper down on the floor for him. My ace little dog did me proud and shat on every centimetre of every page of that fucking rag, and of course though I felt sorry for him, it gave me a certain sense of satisfaction.

I'm not that invested in this story as I have no personal experience of any part of this scenario, basically because I don't have kids. But Anubis, unless I'm reading you incorrectly, or you're just fishing, your point above is one of the worst in this thread, "a new husband to provide for her"?? This case is about him being a father, or not being, so the mere suggestion that a new husband absolves the father of any of his responsibilities is quite disgusting!! Like I say I'm not personally invested in this at all, but do know of a couple of female acquitances who have remarried and the ex husband has presumed that their kid will be provided for by the new fella so that means they have to do or provide less, and it never fails to make me sick. Shame on any man who would act in that manner.

Looking at this thread there seems to be a few people who have the inside story on Sterling's contact offer, it may differ from person to person but they seem pretty sure of themselves.

I think it would be a bit of an improvement, and the invisible man wouldn't wind me up like Lallana does. He's a fucking dud I'm convinced of it, and he has shit hair.

Henderson's game has clearly been affected by the early booking. Even though we look at bit better the last few minutes I'd make two subs now, Gerrard for Henderson, and the invisible man for Lallana.

Of course it's an amazing deal, I expect it's at least in the region of £70k for a 20 year old who only established himself a year ago. As for enquiries from other clubs, I'm sure they'd be going to his agent first not LFC direct. So Rodgers is correct in both respects.

Oh and it's near 300% of his current salary by the way, the increase itself being 200%.

It's all there in my post, perhaps you should re visit? And in the public domain? You mean what the owners are allowing to be leaked out? How do you know it's not £100k including bonuses, so say an increase from £35k to £70k for example. I think we're too quick to judge the player and am happy to keep a healthy dose of scepticism where the owners are concerned.

No idea how good he will become, suspect very good indeed, but some people have very short memories. This time last year Sterling was crucial to us and played a massive part in us nearly winning the league.

There's definitely an implication that Sterling has a worse attitude than Henderson and would therefore be more likely to act twattish over a new contract. Not sure where that idea comes from, but ready to be enlightened.

If the owners are taking the piss with Henderson how do you know they aren't with Sterling? How do you know they've offered him a 300% payrise (which you seem to think is factual enough that you keep repeating it)? As for club vs player, maybe some of us instead see this potentially as owners vs club, as in the owners not acting in the best long term interests of the club, maybe not intentionally but perhaps misguidedly.

And sell them on again, like Southampton do? Some ambition that is.

I agree, and repeat I am not saying the club should give in to Sterling's demands. I have two issues, firstly I do question whether the club are trying to get him to sign on the cheap, like it appears they are with Henderson. And secondly I think criticism, and singling out of, Sterling is unfair, especially as we don't know the ins and outs.

Ah pragmatic, that's the word I was looking for earlier. Pragmatism is fine, but if you don't think a scenario like the one mentioned above would not reflect badly on LFC then you're kidding yourself. Thankfully it's only hypothetical, for now.

So hypothetically, Sterling and Henderson sign for Man City in the summer because they couldn't agree new deals with Liverpool, and there would be Liverpool supporters out there okay with that because they'd believe it reflects only on the players involved? That it wouldn't speak of the club's ambition? And a year later when it's Coutinho and Ibe?

Okay. But I meant how much has his worth to the team (and profile in the game because it is relevant, we're not operating in a vacuum) increased since signing his last contract, in your opinion?

What then?

Im sure there will be another word for that combination.