*Official* English Football Season 2014-15

[Furball]

It's about the message it sends as much as anything. Selling players abroad is all well and good, selling them to sides you aim to compete with sends a pissweak message both to those sides and to other players you're trying to recruit.

I mean I suppose you could say, well they did it with Torres but he was in decline (though it wasn't known to be permanent at the time) and they'd just signed Suarez. Aside from that I'm struggling to think of a time they've done it. I can't think of a time Man U have done it either.

Depends how you spin it. Sterling hasn't been that good this season, it would be fairly easy for Liverpool to spin it as "the wee dick had his head turned by his agent and fancied going home to London."

Man Utd let Tevez go to City.

I get what you're saying in that the top English talent rarely moves these days once they're at a top side but unlike United who have been top dogs for 20 years where you were definitely taking a step down in leaving, fact of the matter is that Liverpool these days are a step below the Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Arsenal. Liverpool have done it with Torres and would have done it with Gerrard if he hadn't **** the bed, and Arsenal have obviously done it with RvP and Nasri.

It doesn't send a great message but my opinion is that if a player wants to go then the manager's obligation is to get the best deal possible for the club and get players in who want to play for the club.

 

[Furball]

Monaco aren't even rich anymore are they? They've basically abandoned their galactico project.

Monaco have a ****ing enormous tax advantage though.

 

[Uppercut]

It's about so so much more than the money and the basic improvement of a rival though.

Granted, not on the same level by do you not remember how Heinze took United to court because Old Whisky Breath wouldn't let him join yer scousers.

It's about the message it sends as much as anything. Selling players abroad is all well and good, selling them to sides you aim to compete with sends a pissweak message both to those sides and to other players you're trying to recruit.

I mean I suppose you could say, well they did it with Torres but he was in decline (though it wasn't known to be permanent at the time) and they'd just signed Suarez. Aside from that I'm struggling to think of a time they've done it. I can't think of a time Man U have done it either.

We sold Silvestre to Arsenal. I think if your rivals are willing to sell you a player, you probably don't want him. Even with a quality player like Mata we still got completely fleeced.

You're right about all of this of course. I think they'll resist selling him to Arsenal like they did with Suarez, and it's probably the right decision, because they can't replace him.

I wouldn't overstate the emotional baggage though. This stuff about sending messages, it's like the stuff about "marquee signings" and "prestige". It always builds up momentum in the off-season, and people write about it as if it really matters. Then the football starts and immediately all that matters is what happens on the pitch. Southampton spent the entire summer sending wrong messages, it counted for nothing when all of the players they'd signed turned out to be pretty good. Likewise the message they sent with Torres just looks like a hilarious prank in hindsight. So I agree that Liverpool should try to keep Sterling, but because he's good at football, not because they don't want to send a dud message.

 

[GIMH]

Well even if you don't think a statement of intent (or otherwise) to other clubs is relevant, surely you'd agree it matters when you're trying to recruit players? They are a club who supposedly have CL aspirations. How do they get top talent to join if they've just sent their top guy along the east lancs?

 

[Uppercut]

Depends how you spin it. Sterling hasn't been that good this season, it would be fairly easy for Liverpool to spin it as "the wee dick had his head turned by his agent and fancied going home to London."

Man Utd let Tevez go to City.

I get what you're saying in that the top English talent rarely moves these days once they're at a top side but unlike United who have been top dogs for 20 years where you were definitely taking a step down in leaving, fact of the matter is that Liverpool these days are a step below the Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Arsenal. Liverpool have done it with Torres and would have done it with Gerrard if he hadn't **** the bed, and Arsenal have obviously done it with RvP and Nasri.

It doesn't send a great message but my opinion is that if a player wants to go then the manager's obligation is to get the best deal possible for the club and get players in who want to play for the club.

The obvious counter-example is Suarez, who they made 100% the right decision to hold onto, and with that so fresh in the mind I think they'll do the same again.

But, they'll probably have a new manager in this summer. Who knows who that'll be or what he'll think of the situation.

 

[GIMH]

The obvious counter-example is Suarez, who they made 100% the right decision to hold onto, and with that so fresh in the mind I think they'll do the same again.

But, they'll probably have a new manager in this summer. Who knows who that'll be or what he'll think of the situation.

What makes you so sure Rodgers will go? All the local sources seem to suggest he'll stay but they could be talking bollocks

 

[Furball]

He's done a pretty terrible job this season and there's a much better manager available to them for next season.

 

[Furball]

Well even if you don't think a statement of intent (or otherwise) to other clubs is relevant, surely you'd agree it matters when you're trying to recruit players? They are a club who supposedly have CL aspirations. How do they get top talent to join if they've just sent their top guy along the east lancs?

They can't without Champions League football.

 

[sledger]

They can't without Champions League football.

I enjoy how it doesn't stop them from spending big on players who are decidedly third rate though. Mahmadou Sakho is probably my particular favourite.

 

[Furball]

The new Spurs.

 

[Uppercut]

Well even if you don't think a statement of intent (or otherwise) to other clubs is relevant, surely you'd agree it matters when you're trying to recruit players? They are a club who supposedly have CL aspirations. How do they get top talent to join if they've just sent their top guy along the east lancs?

I think when it comes to signing players, there's a pecking order. They probably can't sign players who one of the top four want, are roughly on a par with Spurs, and are clearly preferable to everyone else. I'm not sure if that hierarchy is changed at all by what happens to Sterling.

I can see long-term benefits of choosing not to acknowledge that hierarchy, because it threatens their ability to spin a sentimental meta-narrative about Liverpool Football Club's manifest destiny #YNWA. Jokes aside, that's a huge asset, they could never have held onto Gerrard for so long without it. With decisions like these it's important not to mistake short-sightedness for cold logic- it's like the Easter Rising, sometimes doing things the hopelessly emotional way is the best option long-term.

 

[GIMH]

They can't without Champions League football.

Well true - but take it a step further then - if they are competing with Spurs for a player...

 

[GIMH]

He's done a pretty terrible job this season and there's a much better manager available to them for next season.

I don't dispute either of those things - but the noises from over the river are that he's going nowhere. We shall see I guess.

 

[sledger]

I would still have them pegged as slightly ahead of Spurs in the transfer stakes, but not by a great deal.

 

[Uppercut]

I would still have them pegged as slightly ahead of Spurs in the transfer stakes, but not by a great deal.

Honestly it'd be a non-contest for me, I'd take Liverpool every time. I think most players would, I just had the London preference thing in my head because Sterling and Sanchez came up and it muddied the waters.

 

[Furball]

it's like the Easter Rising, sometimes doing things the hopelessly emotional way is the best option long-term.

Bit of a bizarre comparison seeing as the Rising failed to attract popular support and it was the hopelessly emotional way that the British dealt with it (Traitors! To the Firing Squad!) that swung Irish public opinion behind their cause.

 

[Furball]

Honestly it'd be a non-contest for me, I'd take Liverpool every time. I think most players would, I just had the London preference thing in my head because Sterling and Sanchez came up and it muddied the waters.

I think it's much of a muchness. Liverpool's 80s success is now utterly irrelevant, and living in London would be quite attractive.

From a purely footballing point of view I would probably pick Liverpool however I'm of an age where I can just about remember a time when they were relevant. From a lifestyle point of view Spurs win easily and the footballing aspect would probably be a lot closer if I was 20 rather than 30.

 

[Jarquis]

Nah, even in the last 10 years Liverpool have won a CL, been to another final, won an FA Cup and been in 2 title races - at least.
Spurs have done comparatively sweet fa.

 

[Nate]

I enjoy how it doesn't stop them from spending big on players who are decidedly third rate though. Mahmadou Sakho is probably my particular favourite.

Sakho was brilliant this season.

 

[Ikki]

Sakho was brilliant this season.

Yeah, I wish we signed more like him - without the nagging injuries part.

Anyway, **** Sterling. Let him rot on the bench the ****.

FSG need to change their model. Rodgers has been saying it, Gerrard has been saying it...we need star players. They just want to buy young talent and develop value. In the long run that's the right aim, we'll only get back to challenging for titles consistently until our squad is comparable with the other top clubs and we can't do that spending because of FFP. So young talent bought cheaper and developed makes sense - especially the ones coming from the academy. However, we still need to spend on certain star players to keep the team competitive and at least show we're going for titles.

And we can't lose the players we do develop so early on. If we do, we need to be smarter with the contracts so we can ask for a ****-tonne more.