ratcatcher

Ah, the 'in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king' syndrome eh?

Yeah and coutinho only 8th and sturridge only 6th?

Putting the obvious rivalries aside, its a well constructed article and, he's right isnt he? Even now we have fans saying 'the Kop must remain the biggest stand' or 'the owners have to increase the size of the kop to be the biggest once the new Main Stand is complete.' OK, the size of a stand doesnt affect performances on the pitch although Bill Shankly, god bless him, may say different, it is symptomatic of parts of the fanbase being more bothered about image or impression rather than what goes on, on the pitch. If we or more correctly the current and future owners do not address the club's plight, we will just become the top club in the second tier of the Premier League. I know some fans think its about selling the soul of the club to move on as needed and in some ways, I can empathise with that. But the club has in the past shown its prepared to be at the vanguard of change in football. Why have we suddenly become more resistent to making the changes needed to stay out there in the front? Liverpool are stuck in the past and in danger of becoming a provincial club It is no surprise Raheem Sterling wants bigger and better things elsewhere - a proud club is failing to think beyond the confines of its city Liverpool's fans are a great asset to the club - but the club must find a way of embracing the future Photo: EPA By Gary Neville 1:40PM BST 22 May 2015 558 Comments Raheem Sterling has been in the eye of a storm this week following the revelation that he wants to leave Liverpool, but while there is a lot to be said about the way the story has developed, the harsh reality for the club is that this situation has been 15 years in the making. When it comes to representing young players, the onus should be on protecting and supporting them; maintain your dignity and keep out of the headlines. But has Raheem Sterling really let Liverpool down by suggesting he wants to leave or is he just a kid who wants to play football and win trophies? There is a wider context to this story and it centres on how Liverpool have gone from being from one of Europe’s great superpowers to one which is in danger of becoming a provincial club. The prospect of losing Sterling will be a major concern for everybody connected to the club, but the uncomfortable truth is that this is nothing new for Liverpool. Just look back over the past 10-15 years and count the number of players who have left Anfield to pursue bigger and better things elsewhere. Steve McManaman, Michael Owen, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez have all gone. Luis Suarez followed the route of so many other star players by leaving Liverpool Steven Gerrard is also being allowed to leave and, although his circumstances are different, there is no way in a million years that Liverpool should be allowing him to pack up and sign for LA Galaxy. If you compare Liverpool to Manchester United over the same period of time, I can think of only one player - Cristiano Ronaldo - who left when he wanted to go, rather than when Sir Alex Ferguson wanted it to happen. The comparison with United is valid because, regardless of the recent successes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, English football’s biggest, most historic, successful and best supported clubs are Liverpool and Manchester United. If you travel to Ireland, Scandinavia, Malta, Thailand or wherever, the red shirts of Liverpool and United vastly outnumber those of every other club. But while United have been happy to shout from the rooftops about how big they are and promote the legend and mythology of the club on a global scale for years Liverpool seem to have been stuck in their own mud. Liverpool have begun to realise the commercial value of their brand on a worldwide basis, but they are years behind the biggest European clubs and, for me, their problems - which have been given a public face this week by the Sterling situation - are a direct result of that failure to think beyond the confines of their city. Let me give you an example which highlights the difference between Liverpool and Manchester. When Gerrard was preparing for his final game at Anfield last week, Jamie Carragher told me that whenever Steven goes out in Liverpool he simply cannot escape the attention or go about his business without being aware of the suffocating pressure that comes with being a Liverpool player in the city. Anfield puts on a show for Steven Gerrard - but the pressures of playing there can be suffocating I spent almost 20 years playing for United and, like the rest of my team-mates at Old Trafford, could walk through Manchester quite easily without feeling as though I was living in a goldfish bowl. I can’t think of any United or City players who would socialise or go for a meal in Liverpool, but I know of several Liverpool or Everton players who do exactly that in Manchester. Liverpool has an incredibly community-minded mentality and in many ways that spirit, pride, passion and togetherness is one of the city's great strengths. I joked with Jamie last Monday that, if Andy Burnham ends up as Labour leader and then Prime Minister, Jamie would be announced as Defence Minister, Kenny Dalglish Scottish Secretary, Ian Rush in charge of Wales, HS2 going direct to Liverpool, and the Trident nuclear deterrent protecting that city only. It was a back-handed compliment about the unity of the city and how Liverpudlians will always defend themselves and fight passionately for their beliefs. Steven Gerrard talks with fellow Liverpool legends Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp It is a very emotional city and, again, in many ways this is a strength, but for Liverpool Football Club, all of those qualities have become weaknesses which have contributed to the position they now find themselves in with Sterling. Take Anfield for example. It is a wonderful old stadium, with a fantastic history and atmosphere, but when I drive towards it through the narrow streets which surround it, you just feel that it is in the wrong location and that it is another symbol of Liverpool looking to the past rather than the future. The streets around Anfield are not suited to a modern Premier League stadium I have lost count of the times Liverpool have unveiled plans for a new stadium at Stanley Park, only to end up staying at Anfield because of the history of the place and the fervour of the Kop. In the early 90s when United made their move, Liverpool should have been on their coat tails. But Anfield has held them back because every other big club - with the exception of Chelsea, who are owned by a Russian billionaire - has moved forward already, either by vastly increasing their current stadium or building a new one. The emotional ties are given too much weight - that emotion played its part in the performance that led to Crystal Palace winning at Anfield in Gerrard’s farewell game last Saturday - and they are not helping Liverpool. The emotions got to Liverpool's players on the occasion of Steven Gerrard's last home game Arsenal left Highbury, another famous, traditional old ground, to move into the 21st century at the Emirates, City left Maine Road for the Etihad and, in Europe, the clubs who jostled for European Cups with Liverpool in the 1980s and beyond have all put the past behind them and moved on. Bayern Munich have a new stadium, Ajax have a new stadium, Juventus have a new stadium, while United, Real Madrid and Barcelona are playing in huge arenas which have moved with the times. With five European Cups it is these clubs that Liverpool should be neck and neck with. Only now are Liverpool increasing the size of Anfield, but will it enable them to close the gap enough for them to compete with the top clubs and prevent players like Sterling wanting to leave? Expansion work is underway at Anfield - but is it too late? Liverpool need a visionary with the ambition to take the club into the 21st century. They even decide transfers by Committee. How can that be an efficient, clean process with clear accountability? Great football clubs like Liverpool will never go away, but they need to find a way to arrest the slide and make themselves a team that players want to play for rather than one they try to leave in search of bigger things elsewhere. If Sterling leaves, then that will be another star player who has decided that Liverpool is a club that is unable to match their ambitions. I might be the last person that Liverpool fans want to hear this from, an outsider who played for their biggest rivals, but these are things that need saying. Did you know Telegraph Sport has a Liverpool Facebook page? Despite my United past, I have enormous respect and admiration for Liverpool Football Club, but it is time to put the past aside. If they can get it right and look beyond the confines and restrictions that lie within their own city, Liverpool can remain one of the world's most successful football clubs and Sterling and the others that have wanted to leave would be banging on the door to sign for them.

Sorry but that's warped logic. Why should Sterling have been given a huge increase on his contract at the end of last season just because he played well in 12 or so games? And presumably, you think every member of that team should also have had big increases on their contracts seeing as they were instrumental in the overall effort and were 'regulars in a top 4 team'? Or are you saying Sterling is a special case for some obscure reason while his teammates are not?

Was thinking this over my brekkie this morning (hmmmm, crispy bread bacon butts with tomato ketchup!!) and how it used to be. We only heard something when it was done and dusted but, that's not possible today. Now we have instant news, manager's press conferences, twatter, facebook, instagram and forums. Everyone wants the latest news now. And I dont except myself from this. The truth is we want to know what's going on at the club and there's no way the genie can be put back in the bottle (wouldnt mind having a go with Barbara Eden from I dream of genie, though!).

Property developer in London apparently. Cant make the anniversary as he has some jolly in Europe arranged. Says people at the club have his number too.

If anyone's a mad cunt its blerts like you. Where have I said or suggested I think he should have signed for 100k? I dont even think he's fucking worth that. What is it sterling said? Something about it 'not being about money'? Wake up and smell the coffee.

He's not in the last 12 months of it so he cant buy it out.

Actually I think you'll find Coutinho was being similarly talked about. The bottom line is, you dont hand out 5 year contracts on grossly increased rate based on just 12 or so games and even then, not to just one team member. Or at least most sane people wouldnt.

What are you blabbing about now? You suggest sterling deserved a huge increase at the end of last season because he played well in 12 or so games. Why werent you campaigning for henderson, coutinho and others to get a huge increase at the end of last season then? Henderson has only just agreed a new deal, Coutinho ealrier on.

Dont talk nonsense. The club in line with most other clubs looks to secure new deal 12 to 24 months before a contract ends. Some contracts get down to 12 months, others 24 months. You and a few others still ignore the point about the other team members, Should they all have been offered increased terms because we went on an unbeaten run of 12 or so games?

He wouldnt have been given an increase for playing well in just 12 or 14 games. Players under robinson and smith got a regular increase when they helped the team over a season, not a few games. I find it wierd people rushing to criticise the club (yet again) for not giving a player an increase of 50k a week (to the suggest 80k a week) over 5 years just because of a handfull of games. And what about the other players in the team, mignolet, coutinho, henderson etc? So, you'll have to excuse me when I entirely disagree with your observation

Ha! That's why fabregas tried to break his ankle in the first minute!

Have to say, I agree with you.

I dont believe that for one minute mate. Toure will want a hell of a lot more than 83k a week at Inter. Presumably they mean Inter will pay him 83k with city paying the other £120k a week?

Fuck, must have missed him playing in that game against palace. Swear there was some imposter wearing his number on the pitch. Really hope rodgers doesnt play him on Sunday. The little shit and his bitch need teaching a very harsh lesson.

Been reading some comments that people think the club should have offered sterling a new contract at the end of last season because of his form. Sorry, cant agree with that line. So the club is supposed to dish out a new contract (£80k a week someone suggested) because sterling turned in some very good performances in the last 12 - 14 games of the season? I dont recollect anyone thinking our performances from the start of the season to Christmas and by association sterling's, was title winning form never mind title challenging. I dont see how the club should be expected to dish out a new contract to sterling on that basis. And, if you go down that route, shouldnt all the other players in the team have been in line for new contracts? Nope, its a ludicrous suggestion bourne on hindsight. The good news is the club is now playing hardball and have cancelled talks with sterling and his bitch. Publically the club may be saying they want to keep him but privately, I wouldnt be surprised if they are now hoping a £40m bid comes in. Oh, and I hope we remind united that our policy mirrors theirs in the heinze saga and we dont do business with those shites.

Are there any lenses in those glasses!?

And if you won a mega rollover lottery jackpot of £150m, would your monthly spend stay the same? Its not like city just decided to start spending hundreds of millions of pounds, is it?

There's a difference between saying give it one more season to saying go. And as far as Im aware, there's only el sulk's word for it that Gerrard told him to go. Given gerrard's reaction to el sulk's sulk and eventual switch, I doubt he did say to go but we'll have to disagree I reckon.

Id be more worried about reports that some of his team mates have encouraged him to move to realise his potential. If that report is true, Im fucking appalled that some of our players have taken that line.

Sadly, this is the bitter reality. Clubs like city, chelsea, psg etc have been lucky enough to win a lottery jackpot. A pure fluke of luck, nothing else.

Ah look, that shitbag fabregas has got sent off after 29 minutes. He probably thought he could get away with another leg breaking tackle, the twat. Shame the ref in our game with them bottled out within a minute. The shitbag

I think with a decent defensive coach, which we clearly do not have, that a number of our defenders could improve and be better than good. But without a decent defensive coach............

Platini doing a back flip again regarding FFP. Or rather he's saying UEFA's executive committee will decide. That's us well and truely fucked then. Unless the Sultan of Brunei decides to buy us.