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That was my point. Final destination is the wrong terminology. It means nothing. What Barry was saying is we won't compete with those clubs that pay silly wages just to bring in the big names. My point was, aside from corruption, its never a sustainable model. There are possibly only 3 clubs in world football that can afford to beat us on wages on their own revenues. United, Juventus and Munich. Barcelona, you could make a case for, but clearly it didn't work for them, and they lost Neymar and Messi to PSG. Those 3 clubs have the largest number of domestic fans, particularly those willing to spend on merchandise, and the biggest capacities They also have unbelievable commercial models that took full advantage of the satellite TV boom way before anyone else got wind of it. Once our stadium expansion is done and paid for, we'll be in a similar position. And once the TV rights get sold to big tech, we'll be able to compete with anyone. That's why FSG invested in us, and why other Americans are willing to now spend billions to get in on the action.

That's basically what he means, to be fair to him. It makes LA Galaxy a final destination.

That's because final destinations, if I understand your definition properly, are propped up by corruption or are in danger of going bankrupt. If you think Bayern are a 'final destination', you haven't been paying attention, and Mane doesn't prove anything. They needed him because their main player has asked to leave to Barcelona and their best winger is refusing their contract offer. Plus, Thiago and Alaba both fucked them off in the last 2 summers for what they deemed to be better destinations.

Fixed

Is right. The difference is though, that Klopp was given the time to work with them, and they were given the time to adapt. We no longer have that luxury, as far as I can tell. Also, Haaland, Nunez, Diaz are a level above them in the 'proven' stakes, both at CL level and in their domestic leagues. We're now shopping in a different store now - one only a few clubs can even think about entering. Sure, we'll still go for potential like Konate - the difference is, that was in a positiin where we had 3 proven centre backs already. Same as when we signed Jota. When we needed to replace Gini, it was Thiago. A much better option. That's what we have to do with Salah, Henderson and Keita. 3 big signings there and we're golden for the next 3 or 4 years.

With a socialist manager in charge, we're never going to pay someone double the average of the rest of our first team. Let's be fair.

Salah to Barcelona. Raphina to Arsenal. Saka to Liverpool.

Klopp is also named as the 'main' reason why Mane joined Liverpool.

I can't see Nunez on the left. Specially not in a 4231. And especially with Diaz and Jota competing for that too. in my opinion, he's been brought in as a proper #9 and will transform the way we play much like Torres did. As for the 2 midfield, it's a lot better having our main 3 fight for 2 spots than having to see Keita or Milner when one of them are out.

In a 4231 Oxlade, Jones, Elliott and Carvalho compete for the 3, with Diaz and Salah and possibly Jota. That's 6, max 7 into 3. That leaves Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago, Keita, and Milner for the 2

You asked me what my point was. The bit in bold is my position, and my reasons for countering the idea that we expected sales during Covid. My position is Klopp wanted to keep this team together, and I showed you 3 pieces of evidence to back this. You came back with Coutinho. Not everything is about you, Barry, so relax and stop taking it personally.

So if FSG and Klopp wanted to sell a player, AND we got an acceptable bid in, AND the player agreed to leave, then we would have sold said player? That's genius, my son. I don't know how you do it.

I'll summarise again. We have never sold a Klopp player just to make a profit. We have never sold a Klopp player without his approval. And we have never weakened the first team by selling anyone since the Coutinho transfer, which actually ended up strengthening us. Your idea that Covid stopped this from happening is baseless, because apart from Real Madrid, who bid 200 mil plus for Mbappe, every top club spent 100s of millions in that time. I showed you why your position was wrong with quotes and facts, and your response was to counter those facts with heresy and assumption, so that you could double down on this idea that Covid stopped our team being weakened. You avoid every point I make to focus on some ludicrous idea that has no factual evidence behind it. You then brought up the Mane sale as 'further proof', and then claim I'm sounding daft? This is classic gaslighting. I've not gone round anything, because my position has been consistent throughout. You're the one who's tied yourself up in knots, most likely because of this weird fetish you have for FSG's way of working. At the end of the day, we're 100% in a better position now that we have been at any time since Coutinho left. And I could have made that comment after every transfer window since. That's what top managers do, and they don't stick around if they're not able to. To refuse to acknowledge that, using Covid and FSG's supposed model as your reasoning, is utterly bizarre.

Yeah, but apart from all that...

I think he's improving the squad for today. I think Thiago for Gini, Konate for Lovren, Jota as a 4th option, Tsimkas to cover Robbo, Kelleher in as #2, Diaz for Mane and Nunez for Origi are massive improvements, regardless of age or contract. Salah will be the tricky one, but if Nunez gets the 30 goals a season we lose from Mo, we can go for a number of players there.

That's proof that Covid stopped Mane being sold is it? I won't be hiring you as my defence lawyer, that for sure. And 65 million pound Nunez was only bought because 27 million pound Mane was sold? Riiiiggghhhttttt You must think Klopp is one thick cunt.

Of course they will

They'll just have to sell our star players so people couldn't wear their shirts anymore.

You've got an uncanny ability too spin things to suit your position, I'll give you that. I don't need to come up with anything about Coutinho, as he WAS never a Klopp player, we'd won fuck all with him in the side, and actually, we rejected his summer transfer request. As for Mane, are you suggesting that Bayern couldn't bid for him earlier because of Covid? He got dropped for Diaz, moved central after Jota's drop in form, and played better there than he had the previous 18 months out wide. We already bought his replacement in January, and broke our transfer record to bring in a new #9 last week.where did you think he was going to play next season exactly? Mane leaves when he's not even a starter anymore, with a year left on his contract. If he wasn't a starter 2 years ago, someone would have bid 30 mil for him then. They wouldn't have paid him 300k a week though.

We really don't. Arsenal are about his level

We are in the top 1%? That's what my point has to do with it and you're perfectly aware of this.

A valid strategy. Just not our strategy.

Apart from this bit you mean? "...there was only one choice FSG would have taken and they cannot be blamed."

He hasn't spent the last 7 years of his career losing his best players, which is what our whole discussion is based on.