NEWS late last week seemed to suggest that Liverpool were chasing after Atletico Madrid’s loon-in-chief, Diego Costa and had, in fact, already met the release clause in his contract of something to the tune of £22 million.
I’ll be the first to admit that (and I’m sure I’m not alone in this) the first thing I did was hit Google and Wikipedia to find out just who this crackpot was.
Unlike many I liked what I saw. Sure, he’s a slightly reprehensible character and if he treated you in your everyday life the way he treats his fellow professionals on the pitch then you’d be rather peeved, to say the least.
However, as in wages, contracts, driving offenses, assault – amongst other things – footballers and their action are treated differently and, as somebody said to me a few weeks ago: you sometimes need a horrible so and so to give you that extra edge on the pitch and between him and Suarez (if he stays) we should be able to mix it up with the best of them.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but think that we were again barking up the wrong tree.
After making Toure our first signing with barely a fortnight gone since the season ended, Liverpool have made no further forays into the transfer market for defensive additions and that is a great concern for me.
Toure has looked experienced and cool under pressure so far in pre-season – exactly what we needed once Carragher had retired. But, as with Carragher, he is still the wrong side of 30 and still lacking pace and the ability to play 30+ games a season without it taking its toll on his body.
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The fact that he hasn’t played a great deal for Manchester City in the past couple of seasons may prove to be a good thing once he’s settled in but the simple fact is he was a free-transfer for a reason and given that Skrtel is likely to have left before the season begins means that any move for a genuine first-team, 40+ game a season central-defender to partner Dan Agger has to be stepped up.
During pre-season so far we’ve not conceded a single goal and our back four have been highly impressive but these have only been friendlies, despite the quality of opposition, but that shouldn’t fool anybody into believing that our defence is fine.
All things considered, I’d be happy to just keep Skrtel and save the money but both he and Coates appear to be surplus to requirements and it seems that it’s only a matter of time until either, or both, are moved on.
The two players most linked with the club in this position are Kyrgiakos Papadopoulos and Toby Alderweireld and while I’d be happy with either I think that the young Greek who has recently recovered from injury at Schalke would be the much sounder investment, not to mention that he’s playing at a higher level in the Bundesliga that his Dutch counterpart is in the Dutch Eredivisie.
I’m sure that both Brendan and the club are taken notice of my opinions and hold my opinion in very high regard, but failing that, some kind of action in this area is needed while there is still some time to solidify the beginnings of a partnership with Daniel Agger before the season begins.
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He knows what we need but can’t get them to sign. Why would Costa swap an average Spanish team for an average English one? Why would Suarez stay other than because he “owes” us one? No reason, we are attempting to shop at Waitrose when (although we have some money) we can only attract Aldi players.
Nothing wrong with Aldi ask the Germans and top supermarket for the past 2 years here according to Which. Horse burgers were available at Waitrose unlike Aldi.
So true.
It’s only the media that say Skrtel is going, not the club or the player I refuse to believe what purports to be journalism in this country, in fact they’re scum. The hypocritical gets think Suarez is flavour of the month now that he may be moving to the smoke, but if he stays he’ll be back in their sights again.
Bill . You always talk sh*te
Worried that we appear to be able to attract any established overseas players athe the moment. The fact that Everton could beat us to Aiderwald,s signature is as worrying as our dithering in the market . Are we unable to make our mind up . At one stage we had rule out Papodopolous now we have renewed interest. Agrees that we need cover in front of the back four I don’t think Jo Allen is up to it and Lucas needs competition for his place. At times we have looked vulnerable to the counter attack.
The owners & the manager can’t attract a fly to *!.
what we really need is CDM to cover for Lucas..Allen and Spearing are not cut for it . We still have Coates, Sktel and Kelly for central defender..
We need a defensive midfielder. winger . Left back , central defender if player leave n striker if player leave. In total a sum of 60 to 70 million is required to bring back the in to a top 4 finsh
3 key areas that we need to strengthen. Left back, Defensive Mid and attacking mid/striker. These are our priorities at the moment. Another center half would be good, but its not a priority unless Skrtel leaves. Our transfer business will be completed once Ericksen, Cissokho and Banega signs for us. Perfect window should we get both 3 players.
My hillarious concern is the back four, i think we still need support for agger like papad or alder also we need to get lorenzo to compete wt jose and a good and experience play maker and i do choose erriksen
Why would they not care about CL? If you are right in what you think then surely CL footy would make a club more sellable?! The players that they have brought into replace those going/gone are of equal ability if not better but there wage bill is less? Good business as far as I’m concerned, and these new signing have done well preseason, already showing more quality and desire to play than those going. You should look at the bigger picture (creating more money for future transfer windows) than just what players are costing here and now.
I think our yanks have told BR to reduce the wage bill get the profits up (bottom line) and they are on course for their 5 year plan to sell us after buying the club on the cheap – they won’t give a dam about CL football, they want to sell us in the near future – They are better to sell now as a potential rather established club.
They want us to buy “maybe’s” so to sell on the to so called bigger clubs in the future!
Rodgers is just blind full stop . A more clueless manager you will not find in the premier league . Their is no hope with him in charge
Yep.
Yanks bought us on the cheap, they’re lowering running costs, increasing capacity at anfield. creating a younger team (to attract buyers) and then they’ll sell for 150-200m profit. Champions League for them is a massive bonus. We’re buying the type of players Spurs, United, Man city and chelsea wouldn’t go near and even coming across as the less desirable option to Everton at the moment!
Spot on
They’re papering over the cracks and insulting the intelligence of all LFC fans. Their net spend has been no more than 35m since buying LFC. Swansea and Southampton have spent more in this transfer window alone! It demonstrates their lack of ambition. No one saying is saying they should spend 150m but there have to be top quality and proven players brought in along with younger players. I’m not optimistic at all for next season and unfortunately most of us feel like that..they’ve already got us expecting mid table finishes
Just leave the manager alone,he knows wath he his doing,just let him do his hand work but i think srktel too stay and the signing or omeoruo from chelsea will be nice and signing ericksen
If the interest in Costa is actually true, then your question has already been answered. Cause Diego Costa is exactly what we need.
Besides Gerrard, there is not a single Liverpool Player in the current starting 11 who can intimidate the oppositon. After seeing all these videos of him on Youtube, taunting the oppositon Players and getting under their skin, I really wish that L’pool sign him. He is exactly what we need. He is guaranteed to succeed.
And to all these so called whining L’pool fans, I have been reading all your negative comments for the last 5 years. First about H&G and now about FSG. For once, try and look at the positives. FSG has stopped ‘pool from going into Adminstration. They are trying to correct the mistakes made by the previous owners. So stop whining and start suppporting your club with optimism. After all, Rome was’t built in a day.
We’ve already been to Rome twice and won and I don’t see those days coming back in a hurry – this manager says the right thing and is a very good PR man, just how yanks like it.
This is Liverpool Football Club not a stepping stone for players or owners to come and go to make profit out of – we are one of the 5 five biggest clubs in the world, so we need to act before we are mid-table mediocre!
Talking rubbish carno. There are no positives at the moment. We are going nowhere with these cowboys and their pet dog Rodgers.
Yep!.
Yep from me too
Av said it times without number that he is not the manager for LFC. He is too sluggish. Don’t be surprise if all our potential targets leave for other clubs.
Sad that our club has changed so much, all we needed from last season was – (Sakho)10mil, (Cissokho) 5mil,(EbER Benega)10mil , (Erriksen)15mil , (Alexis Sanchez)18mil, (Diego Capel)5mil , (Diame) 5mil , = 67mil
Players OUT- Carol(17mil) , Shelvey(7mil) , Downing(7mil) , Spearing (3mil) , Skrytl (10mil) , Borini (10mil) = 54mil
That’s a net spent of 13mil for good Quality players, 7 Qaulity players for 6 average 1s!!!
And if Suarez still wanted to leave send him to Real madrid For Morata and 40mil… Then buy Luis Muriel (15mil), Bernard(18mil), Scott Sinclair (7mil)… We got Top 4!!!
Errrrrr but we can only dream I guess??! Not with FSG!
is rodgers blind to what we really need? its obviously NO. is he really dumb that he cant/wont try fixing it? absolute YES!
Well actually d problem is u cant do anytin abt it…d man has had d best pre-season results in england-and 2 all dose saying it’s nt important,d fact is if u dnt v a gud pre season u cant win d league or even make top 4…fact
We need a striker, as luis is off. Plus it puts us is a strong bargaining position.
Please , work with skertel and add another winger, central mf . Allen won’t cut it, painfully obvious. Gerrard, Lucas can’t play every game either. Strengthen attacking mf, with or without Suarez.
“rome was not built in a day” now please stop insulting rome cos we are building brendas swansea. with every respect to rome, we used to better than rome (a strong empire) but we are sky rocketingly deteriorating under rodgers, i dont hate him as a person, but i hate his act of trying to turn our empire into his swansea nd claiming emperor over it with his mouth. i blame fsg for it. they ve made only two major mistakes so far… 1. signing rodgers, 2. not correcting the mistake the moment rafa ended his chelsea stint. anyway liverpool aint br swansea nd we cant watch our empire being rapidly degraded.
Point noted. We used to be better than Rome, not anymore. And we do not have oil money. So yes! We need to build slowly and steadily.
We are Liverpool. BR deserves our support. Give him this year. The Pool will be in the top 4 this season. We have not signed world class players. But we have signed technically gifted hungry players who will play for the fans and the shirt. Judging BR on 1 year is not fair.
So let’s get behind him and support him. Negativity just a week before the season doesn’t send good vibes.
Peace. YNWA
No. Rodgers deserved to be sacked 6 months .an awful third rate manager
Articles like this suggests that like KK, this writer also values Stuart Downing very highly, worth of his 20m price tag or 80k/week wage.
We need a CB, a LB, a DM, & attacking wingers to replace Downing & Assaidi. Now, what should BR do, buy one by one according to priority with a tick box list. Stupid idea – what BR is doing is exactly the way (unless you have Oil money from Middle-east or Mafia money from Russia).
For LB, we are chasing 4 targets (Last one was the St. Etienne man) & had there not been a work permit issue, Lorenzo would had been our player by now. Still I believe Cissokho ‘ll be our player before Sep 01.
For CB, unless Skartel & Coates leaves, we shouldn’t invest pecially when we have 4 other CBs. I think a top quality CB & a young prospect is in line & the Board is just waiting for Skartel (& may be Coates) to leave & that’s the right way to do. The moment a CB joins, Skartel & Coates ‘ll be priced half as the potential suitors are not stupid.
CM/DM is required but probably least in priority, with 4 established CMs already doing well & an young Spanish boy is purchased. Still I believe, if deadwoods like Spearing (to establish whom KK off-loaded a Pourtuguese International) can be off-loaded, BR might buy a toughman in January. Also, with aging, I believe SG ‘ll go more to a CM/DM role like Pirlo or Scholes which ‘ll be perfect, if Lucas & Allen keeps fit.
For AM, Ericksen might come, might not, as I don’t think it’s a burning issue yet. BR actually tried to buy Mekhterian, but for the 3rd party ownership & call from CL runers up. I actually would like to see the Pourteguese kid from U20 squad given some time at AM & next year Suso ‘ll come back.
Even if Suarez stays, he ‘ll play at CF or wings, which means either Aspas or Downing to play at wings, unless we waste 2 very good central player (Sturridge, Borini) at wings or risk boys like Sterling, Ibe. I would rather say, even with Suarez, we need 2 wingers – quality wingers that is, who can dribble fast & cut back, not sky hoofers like Downing, so that for 90 mins, we can keep pressing. & I am quite happy that BR is trying for Costa & Capel.
BR plays a high back line & if two Diego joins, we ‘ll keep defending in opposition half like MU had been doing for so many years under SAF.
Sorry fy 2 pennis worth of analysis.