DEADLINE day looms, and we are all very afraid.
I mean, look at Spurs; the possibility of Gareth Bale leaving has been reduced to a non issue because of their pre-payday shopping spree. The best player in last season’s league campaign is leaving the club, but nobody really talks about it anymore.
To me that’s a signal of harmony; of a club having played their cards in the transfer market just right.
At the moment though, Spurs isn’t the club Liverpool FC should compare themselves against and use as reference point in terms of spending and players. Not because they’re not spending wisely – for me they are the clear winners of the summer as we approach the closing hours – but because their situation is rather unique and their squad is at a different stage of the cycle.
They have built steadily for many years now; since before Harry Redknapp got the job they have been spending their money wisely, largely avoiding the costly mistakes and slowly built a gradually more competitive squad. Nothing there has happened over night.
They have positioned themselves well, and with Gareth Bale on his way to Real Madrid for grotesque money they got the cash injection they needed to make a real push. This was their time to make decision and their time to act, and they did.
I think that could be something to chew on as we look towards them with despair and envy, and feel the hint of a window leaving a somewhat flat and funky smell behind. It’s a meagre comfort as we watch Franco Baldini tying up deals left and right while Liverpool don’t always seem to be able to agree on which direction to do their huffing and puffing.
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The reason why I’m focusing on Spurs is that before the transfer window opened they, along with Everton, looked like the teams Liverpool could potentially overtake the coming season. Even though they were ahead of us in terms of squad depth there were genuine and valid reasons to expect us to close the gap: on paper there wasn’t much separating the starting XI’s of the two teams, we had strengthened the team significantly in January with Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge, and we were playing the best football in the league the last few months of the season.
But sometimes things just don’t materialise the way you planned. Sometimes one of your rivals simply gets everything spot on and everything happening for them; the stars align and they can surf the wave of momentum – a bit like when Manchester United happened to have their golden relegation coming through at the same time as Liverpool’s decline started and football got injected with tv-money. That’s how I feel about Spurs this summer.
Brendan Rodgers has, when asked, repeatedly said the last couple of months that the objective has to be Champions League football next season. The way things are shaping up though I can’t help wondering what he thinks now. Relatively speaking I would say that fourth would be an achievement this season; this is what I have repeated, and I’m sticking to it.
The harsh reality is that our only realistic chance of dining out a year from now could depend on other teams failing and underperforming.
Not that fourth spot and Champions League qualification is a goal in itself; we all know it isn’t. But it is an important step Liverpool Football Club has to aim for on its way back; that is something we cannot deny.
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That’s a really good read. Enjoyed and agreed with writer.
Not gloating but we have one hell of a squad now at White Hart Lane.
It’s surreal being a Spurs fan at the moment.
After year upon year of chronic mediocrity, we pulled up our socks about five years ago and we finally appear to stand on the cusp of something special.
And completely organically too, without the artificial push of a rich sugar daddy.
Strange days indeed.
I reckon Liverpool will improve this season by coming sixth. But will miss out on Europe once again.
You could always go back in for siggurddson….
Best of luck to Spurs, can’t exactly say they have bought their success, rather they have been well managed for a number of years unlike the wasteful LFC.
Well written article and totally agree we have been lucky this year to be able to push on with that ridicules price for bale
I am sure Liverpool will be competing for a top four finish this year just need a few more players as I think your squad lacks numbers
Best of luck
Realistically, it would be too big an ask for LFC this season, top four has been a three season turn around since BR came in. Spurs have made sure of it this season with their acquisitions due to the Bale money….but it may be our turn next summer with the Suarez cash. Unrealistically, if we get Llori, Sakho and Yarmolenko in the next few days then we’ll fight ’em all the way…. I live in hope but prepare for despair.
Spurs haven’t made sure of anything. Don’t underestimate the loss off the only reason they’ve been up and about over the last few seasons.
Would not have been at all happy if we brought in soldardo. You’ve paid a premium for a guy that’s past it- yet to find back net in play in pl. their lack of culture and winning mentality will not enable them to challenge this year. City, united and Chelsea all clearly better. Liverpool spurs and gunners fighting it out for the other spot.
After we beat united tomorrow, well our odds will come in massively. Get on today before we r sitting 3 – 0 with a run of 5 very winnable games to follow along with the return of the mighty biting rat!!!
What a deluded fool
A really well written blog, Spurs have a manager that wanted a Technical Director, Levy got the best in the business and we have now had the window of all windows. I think you guys have the wrong manager who has wasted millions on distinctly average players. The good signs for you is a very good January window but this window you have been outplayed by the likes of Swansea, Cardiff and Southampton so you need a shake up…Good luck
Under this average that u speak of, we wasted a combined 7 – 10m for borini Allen which was offset by a 30 – 35 m gain fron coutinho and Sturridge. The net result is we r way ahead with this guys transfers.
Don’t blame br for our transfer position blame the muppet show that brought in Carroll, downing, Adam, etc.
And don’t underestimate the damage his recklessness has had on our bargaining position in the market… Liverpool coming in for one of our players… Quick, quadruple the asking price.
Go gloat on your own board. And don’t forget, you’ve been distinctly average in your first 2 games only getting the points last week thanks to your diving cheat. Go gunners!
You really are stupid .
Yep. I know
Go gunners. Another ordinary performance. Another 90 mins without a goal in regular play… It’s getting embarrassing
As a Spurs supporter can certainly say it feels really good, def riding the waves. I think the genius in all this is AVB’s decision to concentrate on the football and having a director of football, Baldini to make the deals (a middle man). Have been disappointed in the past with lack of signings but I dont think Levy saw Redknapp as being the person to take us forward, plus it gave us a good war chest with or without the Bale money.
Its gonna take time for our team to gel and whatever the result is on Sunday, really think we have a team to do great things (like getting above the gooners in the league).
Does Liverpool have a director of football, if you havent perhaps this is what u need.
Oops apologies my hubby has just told me you did have a dirctor but it didnt work out! Me being a bit of a yorkie bar girl there!
I am sure Brendan is building a great team for you – nothing happens overnight.
Thanks for the advice… Maybe come back and visit when u win something.. Laughable how spurs fans now believe they r the oracles of all things soccer. Go gunners!!!
Nice Read. Both, a considered and well written piece, my hat goes off to the author. I personally think that Liverpool are in a relatively good place at the moment. In the process of rebuilding, they appear to be spending their money far MORE astutely, while they NOW have a manager that is laying down the foundations for a particular style of play that can be adopted throughout the clubs development squads, thus leaving a legacy which can potentially last well beyond BR reign as manager.
Spurs’ reputation, as you quite rightly point out, wasn’t rebuilt overnight, and neither will Liverpools, but I think it’s fair to say that the Reds are definitely heading in the right direction!
Good article. As a Spurs fan I agree. I think even buying Lamela will probably be a good investment as RM will probably buy him off us for £70million in 2 years. I think Brendan Rogers is doing a good job and has strengthened well with Sturridge and Couthino. Gone are your days of paying over the odds for Carroll, Downing Henderson. Unfortunately untill you make CL your business model will have to be a little bit like ours, buy young and sell at a premium if you don’t make it. You may have to do this with Suarez
Once Liverpool get Suarez back Liverpool we will overtake Arsenal and, an in-transition, Man united. Top four will include man city, spurs, liverpool and chelsea.
Nice optimism but I think your squad is too shallow and these days it’s ALL about squad depth.I would prefer to see Chelski,City and all their suger daddy cash lose out.They don’t deserve success anyway and set all the wrong examples in modern football.
The three main distinctions I make for Spurs in this window are pretty clear.
1. Baldini has connections far surpassing what LFC currently have, and Levy is a very shrewd negotiator, but he’s also going to get his man, unlike LFC, who apparently are not willing to bid even £1 more than their “valuation.” (Moneyball at it’s finest.)
2. Bale money, no pun intended, paid for all of this. Whether they are infused with oil money, or not, they clearly wouldn’t be buying an entire new starting XI if they didn’t have ~£93m to play with.
3. Ambition and the reality of actually achieving a Top 4 finish, haven’t been screwed out of it by Chelsea once, and by not finishing on the last day of last season, to fall 1 point short. It’s more possible than ever for them to actually capture a Top 4 place, especially with Arsenal not spending, once again, Everton not spending or having minimal funds to spend, and LFC either not having as much money as promised, having too many slots to fill in one window, or handcuffing Ayre and Rodgers by not EVER going over their evaluation number. Worst thing as an LFC supporter is the last. It’s a market driven system, the players cost what the market will bear, NOT what some number cruncher says they cost.
Just look at a few simple examples, even if they weren’t our “Plan A”. Atsu to Chelsea for £3.5m, but immediately loaned out. Alderweireld to Atletico Madrid for ~£6m? Eriksen potentially to Spurs for ~£8.5m? Yilmaz to Lazio for ~£10m? Yet we tried to get Mkhitaryan and Willian for between £25-£30m, or so? But still didn’t match what they were offered by Dortmund and Spurs/Chelsea. Now we are apparently tying up Ilori and Sakho for £8m and £11m respectively, but we still need an AM, DM, LW?
Please someone that knows far more than I do, explain to me this transfer window and the LFC approach, because to a somewhat educated supporter, it looks they have never done this before, compared to the professional and comprehensive way Spurs have dominated this particular window.
Dont know why lfc fans are complaining so much we have just restructed our books by chopping of dead wood and getting the best technical players available @ the best price..buying over the odds isnt guarantee of success…we have sturridge,suarez coutinho and asap…do u think arsenal or spurs have a better striker force?we just need to tightern up our defence only..we will definately beat spurs log standing wise,they have the players but rely on conter attacks like chelsea..
And bought more dead wood. Squad is weaker than very before
Liverpool are strengthening the key area, defense. With sakho and illori our defense would be world class. As well as that lfc are trying to loan in Toni kroos and if we get him we will most likely be in CL next season.
Dream on . Llori is average and won’t be in team
Best thing as a Spurs fan is the knowledge that we’ve done it all with our own money.That really counts for something if you have any sense of morality.Lets hope that if anyone suffers it’s the likes of Chelsea and City who do not deserve any of the success they get and imo taint the game we love.
Hilarious to suggest when spurs buy players its done correctly cos it’s their money. Surely what Chelsea and city spend is actually their money. They have no debt and don’t fund players with loans, they use their own cash. If this is how spurs do it then fine, but the only difference is the amount. United and probably Liverpool too buy their players using bank loans. How is that a BETTER way to spend money?!? Also think how much money Chelsea and city have brought into the country with taxes. But it’s not our club, lets just slag them off…
It’s slagging them off, it’s just stating a fact. Some clubs like Spurs have built an increasingly strong squad over time through good management. Others like Chelsea and City were lucky enough to be bought by wealthy owners who bank rolled them. So Danno kind of has a right to be proud of his team who are progressing and doing it the hard way.
gotta respect that. levy done well and you got lucky. bale might never have turned into the player he is or could have got a career ending challenge(even tho every tackle looks career ending on him).
totally agree on the oil money thing. but that could all end next week, the sheiks could find a new hobby, roman has a sudden death(will his kid/kids carry on with the ego stroking.)
would like to see both of us in the top 4. nice to see the monopoly broken even tho it was at our expense last time.
do you not worry about players settling. is it 7 players including C.E. none form the prem. id worry that at least 2 of those players will be deemed flops cause they couldnt adjust to the speed of the league. could take 18 months to 2 years to settle.
lamela i would guess as one coming from italy.
i do like AVB a lot he was my first choice above rodgers last summer. but i believe fsg made the right decision for liverpool.
how good is this Harry Kane kid?
Another idiotic brainless comment
For those ofyou who dontknow how childish and stupid no sheep is …READ HISCOMMENT HERE
http://live4liverpool.com/2013/07/view-from-the-kop/lfc-can-no-longer-afford-to-lose-the-transfer-poker-game/comment-page-2#comments
After a load ofidiotic hypothetical nonsense hegoes on to say, and I quote
“we will genuinely bestronger without Suarez” Amongst other things
The comment proves that no sheep isa braindead moron …read it
Yes I do believe there are better players out there for Liverpool than Suarez. But I have tried to have an argument with you over it. But the most you can muster is, your stupid and a troll. So I have given you on you.
If you want a proper argument later just let me know.
Anyone that understands the game reads the artical and doesn’t agree fine I with chat with you. But read the artical first.
Also in your head a troll is someone who defends the players,management and owners. Me
While a true fan attacks fans,players who have never evenplayed for the club, management and owners who continue to pump money into the club. You
Google liverpool making losses.
Put up links to fsg ripping off liverpool.
Commercial growth
Overall, the club made pre-tax losses of £40.5m between July 2011 and May 2012, less than the previous financial year when it lost £49.3m. But comparison with previous periods is difficult because the club’s latest accounts cover a 10-month period, rather than the usual 12.
The football club is changing its accounts to report May to May, rather than July to July, in order to align them with the footballing year.
While Liverpool did not play in any big European competitions in the period, its success in domestic competitions resulted in more matches, which made up for the loss of media and matchday revenue, the club said.
During the period, it won the Carling Cup and reached the FA Cup final.
Lol . Your statements on Suarez shows your top class stupidity.
” Liverpool can do better than Suarez ”
Lol. What planet are you on ?
And FSG ? I never said they had taken money out . I said they were here to make money . If you believe otherwise then you are unbelievably naivea nd stupid
Only a dumb kid would think fsg are interested in anything other than making money . Is that good enough owners ? Ones that won’t invest while other clubs around us grow and grow
Ha ha ha the owners of the business are here to make money.
My god tommy is there any end to your stupidity.
Lets just talk about the premiership owners will we. Not including man city and Chelsea what owners are not in the business of football to make money?
We’re you one of the posters that said rodgers wasted like 50million of the owners money last summer? Here is you chance to act like a man. I will try and google it if you say no.
50 think it was more last summer
20 we will say for January.
And let’s wait till the window is closed till we count how much was spent or made.
70 million last season. Now add up the other clubs spending last season.
Ass clown
Was just trying to figure out how much was spent last season. Was 50+ total including countinho and Sturridge.
So did you slag BR off for wasting 50 mill.
How many other prem clubs spent more last season.
Also can you answer the one about me being a troll and you being a true fan.
Thanks
Are you really that stupid ? Your knowledge of football is pathetic .
You think only chelski and city have caring non-profit intentions ? GET A CLUE YOU FOOL
Of the 20 prem clubs ONLY utd , Newcastle arsenal and Liverpool have owners there to make money
Question marks over Fulham hull and Cardiff as all are new owners , but tge other 13 have owner who wants to better the club not make money
so that’s another thing you are clueless about !
As for Liverpool ? Again you show a complete lack of knowledge. Thinking we spent 50 m last summer before correcting yourself
STUPID STUPID STUPID . YOU SIMPLY DONT HAVE A CLUE
In fact of the 92 league clubs I would say only utd , Newcastle , arsenal , Liverpool , Blackburn , Leeds , Coventry have profit intending owners .
Thats 6 out of 92 , plus a few questionable ones.
It just shows how pathetic you are. I corrected myself. You didn’t and you still jump on it as if I hadn’t. Better watch out cause those straws your grasping at will run out.
So David gold and David Sullivan after selling up Birmingham city thought to the selfs you know what I don’t think we lost enough money there. Lets buy westham so we can lose some more money.
Randy learner an American who decides that he is gonna buy Aston villa cause its one of three English teams he liked while studying at Cambridge. I’m a business man why not just fund a football club.
So how can fsg make a profit if almost all other teams make zero profit.(according to you)
You know what I don’t even care.
Owners risk losing millions for there love of a club they probably didn’t even support as a kid.
Lol . You get more stupid by the minute. David gold is a Westham fan since a boy, thats why they bought West ham , maybe Sullivan too
I forgot about L erner. Thst makes 5 .plus the likes of Blackburn Coventry and Leicester
Probably about 10 clubs out of 92
And if fsg sold Liverpool right now they will have made a huge profit Not too clever at maths either eh ?
Lol . You get more stupid by the minute. David gold is a Westham fan since a boy, thats why they bought Westham, maybe Sullivan too
I forgot about Lerner. That makes 5 plus the likes of Bl ackburn Co ventry and Leicest er
Probably about 10 clubs out of 92
And if fsg sold Liverpool right now they will have made a huge profit Not too clever at mmaths either eh ?
Yes last summers transfer money was wasted ALL 33M of it . Complete waste as im sure I said before. January money was well spent , I have never said otherwise so google it all you like
As for being a troll . Yes you are . You are a troll ans a sheep
Typical armchair fan who has little or no knowledge of our club city or people . There are serious problems and concerns at our club , which when voiced – you criticize and insult their opinions because you are stupidly blindly following what FSG tell you
Im sure this is not the only site you troll . Dumb plastic ‘fans’ like yourself are damaging our club . Liverpool are falling backwards every year because there are so many apathetic fools like yourself willing to swallow and believe every bit of bull FSG throw your way
I have proved your knowledge of football is painfully lacking. You really need to learn to think for yourself too
So who supplied rodgers with the money he spent wisely/wasted? The tooth fairy?
I am a troll and a sheep. An armchair fan who knows noting of OUR club city or people.
Really. Il be at the game tomorrow will you? No. I’m in the city right now are you? No. I was a fan well before the reds won in Istanbul were you? No.
So who are to try and tell anyone about history and culture. You know noting.
Everything you know oz red could tell me by googling it. Have you ever seen the reds play? The reds not a team in red?
I don’t know if your just on here to wind people up or if you really believe the crap you keep producing. All while never producing one fact.
You also prob reckon Moses is a joke
Can’t believe im debating football with a clown who
A.thinks Suarez is not that good
B. Believes all owners are in it for the money except 2 clubs
C. Can’t even spell properly
Illiterate and stupid , who doesn’t even know simple facts like how much his team spent last summer
Your not from Liverpool , and you wont be at the game tomorrow . THERE IS NOT ONE PERSON IN THE CITY WHO KNOWS AS LITTLE AS YOU
Pretend all you like . Enjoy the game fromyour armchair you complete loser
Ah not unlike u tommy.
Firstly, u selectively grab last summers signings and say the money is wasted, whilst completely ignoring the January signings which have both tripled in value…
U also make it sound like we wouldn’t get a single dollar back from borini or Allen. We’d comfortably get 15m back for them if we wanted to sell. Not great business if they were going to sell but the net result on the 2 transfer windows of rogers has us well and truly ahead.
Secondly and more damming. Like a pathetic little weasel, we win against mu and surprise surprise, u go quiet. We r on top of the ladder and all u can do is piss and moan… But your the true supporter. U r an embarrassment.
This is a really well written article.I enjoyed it.Thank you.Good luck with your club.Just stick with it and be patient,something will happen.If Suarez behaves himself he could end up being your Bale ticket in the next couple years.At the moment no one will wanna pay that kind of money for a player,no matter how good,who can easily end up spending a fair chunk of each season on the bench serving a ban or tarnishing the clubs exemplary reputation.
I THINK WITH SUAREZ & STURRIDGE LEADING THE LINE, COUTINHO & GERRARD CONTROLING THE MIDFIELD & AGGER LEADING THE BACKLINE WITH SUPERB MIGNOLET, WE CAN STAND ANY OPPONENT IN THE WORLD.
Liverpool are almost there but not quite. Your purchases at Xmas were great….Sturridge and Coutinho would have got Spurs into 4th place. But this summer your purchasing was distracted by the suarez sale or non-sale. Spurs handled a similar problem rather better and have bought superbly instead. I would like to see you get 4th with Spurs above you. Chelski and Man City rely on gifts from oil-rich crooks and couldnt run as a business if they didnt.
i think its been a successful window so far. toure has been noting short of brilliant along with migs. most wont agree but i reckon we got a good deal with aspas, the guy doesn’t look the most talented but he is a bundle of energy around the pitch. he was also directly involved in something like 51% of his teams goals last season. so he is affective.
alberto to soon to judge but as much as i liked shelvey alberto is a step up.
What a joke . It’s been our worst transfer window ever . Fsg totally let us down. Squad worse off than last season.
No sheep NO BRAINS.
Who wrote this for tommy? There is no way he managed to come up with this himself. Well I guess with a team of him and realist working together for a few hours on a good night might come up with this.
Enjoy it boys this is you peaking.
wat if suarez gets another lengthy ban?… and coutino gets injured…. u r dooooomed….ha ha ha…..sturridge 1 man can’t do anything
Swansea has a better squad Dan u guys…. u will be challenging wit Everton for 7th spot
Coy your a deluded little maggot that supports manure. Before you talk about our club I suggest you lick the rim out of fergies wrinkled anus. We are on the rise and you know it. Swansea you little maggot. Go cause your mum has baked your cookies