While Liverpool toil away to sign a player that they’ve been ‘monitoring’ since early in November, Manchester United will likely have signed the best midfielder in the English Premier League by the time you read this article.
Juan Mata has – as of Friday evening – seemingly agreed a huge deal to move to league holders Manchester United, a move which has probably equally baffled people, whilst causing no shortage of envy. That goes double for Liverpool fans, I’d imagine.
Because while we’d shown brief interest in Mata, it seemed unlikely that we’d be able to make a successful move for the little Spanish genius until we could offer Champions League football and also offer a ridiculous sum of money to a club unwilling to sell to clubs they considered rivals.
But as the season has progressed, Liverpool have emerged as genuine contenders for a top-4 spot, or possibly even a title contender. Despite a shaky run over Christmas and into the New Year, Liverpool would surely be a more promising move for a player of Mata’s calibre; able to offer guaranteed first-team football whilst looking likely to qualify for next season’s elite competition.
The greatest confusion over Mata’s move to Utd is the clubs’ current predicament sees them in their worst position for decades and seemingly on the decline. There is no doubt Mata will strengthen the club, gain first-team football and likely make Spain’s World Cup squad but the chances are, not even he will be enough to haul Man United into next season’s Champions League.
Sadly, Liverpool’s biggest stumbling block either appears to be a lack of funds or – more likely – a lack of any willingness to pay what the club’s owners consider ‘over the odds’ for any player. In the instance of a player such as Mata, there should be no such things as paying over the odds.
The example set in the Salah debacle shows that, in terms of the transfer market, and negotiating great transfer deals to the club, Liverpool are still miles behind their rivals and that is what is likely to see them fail, not just in this window, but also in making the top-4 as I just can not see the club being able to significantly add any quality to the side that will help us keep up with only 7 days to go.
I mean, if we’re incapable of closing a deal that we’ve been working on since November, how in God’s name do we stand a chance of being able to sort out a deal or two before the window closes in 7 days time?
The Egyptian forwards likely destination, Chelsea, have shown that money is of no object but they’ve also shown that the most likely way to sign your top targets is to meet the club’s asking price, or at the very least, don’t offer such derisory sums below their asking price that they start touting their player around Europe.
For the past 10-15 years Liverpool have missed out on numerous targets through dragging their heels or refusing to budge from their opening offers and sadly, that is likely to see us have one of our most disappointing transfer windows in some time. All we can do, as fans, is hope that that doesn’t have the knock-on effect of levelling our hopes of qualifying for Europe’s biggest attraction.
Let us wait and see what damage Mourinho’s mind games have done to Mata!
He didn’t like Mata because he was Rafa’s favourite and then has spent the last 6 months breaking Mata! Now Mata has to prove himself to himself as well as to Man U!
Not like signing the Mata that was voted Chelsea player of the year a player full of confidence but now a cast off!
rubbish….
I find it odd that in January Man Utd are deemed to be out of contention for the top 4. Liverpool are genuine contenders, but I’m sure Man Utd are only 6 points behind and with a lot of games still left to play. I think with them signing Mata and possibly another 1 or 2 others arriving before the deadline, then they will be right in the thick of it. You also have to consider that Man Utd have also been without RVP, Rooney and Fellaini for long periods, but all three are now returning to the team. Liverpool might be 6 points ahead right now but Man Utd is still a bigger pull for players.
6 points behind also a lot better goal difference , united are really struggling and matta will not even come close to bridgeing the gap on his own ! Rooney and RVP and fellani are not almost back even moyes said he hasn’t put a date on it ! But even if they do they will not hit the ground running they haven’t played for months by the time they find form the season will be over! With the likes of sturridge and Suarez on form liverpool will end up 4 th , Also I am very confident that Rooney will wait till the summer before deciding weather to sign a new contract , so very important are the next ten games for united.
It is unfortunate that many fans who I suppose are not really true Chelsea fans are not bothered about inability of Mata to come to terms with the demands of Jose, but blindly get continue to wallow in these theories or the thoughts that Jose do not like him, the so called mata fans also have failed to understand Mata has failed to come in the direction of the coach thereby he unknowingly has engaged the manager in a contest of who is the boss! Of course it id now it is clear who is the boss.
If Mata cannot sacrifice for the overall pressing model of the new Chelsea under Jose, I doubt if he will not be a liability to United as well- only time will tell.
Mata knows what Jose want but thinks he is the coach. One thing is certain – Jose is the coach and decides how the team operates and since mata is no longer suited , Jose has to dispense with him and brought in Sallah who I think is better for the new Chelsea model.
Most teams are now worried by the Mata signing and so they should be. January upto the signing have been a difficult month for man Utd but with Rooney and RVP on their way back from injury means one thing “all out attack”. If just one more player is bought into the middle a plyer who has all the right attributes then Man Utd will be pushing for a lot more than fourth spot. Im not asking you Im telling you.
Thing is nobody cares about your s-hit club so don’t come here telling us anything.
I still think Manure will get in the top four, Liverpool will be lucky to get sixth, maybe seventh. Liverpool have been chasing Salah since November and have had three weeks to sign him, then Chelsea do it in 24 hours! Rodgers has signed a load of bench warmers and it’s clear that FSG don’t trust him with any more money (they will want a return on their investment and they ‘aint gonna get one). Mata will make a huge difference to manures midfield and will fire Rooney and Van Persie. All Liverpool can do is wave goodbye to Suarez in June, they wont keep him this time, the Yanks will cash in.
Full of yeah self making out your not a Man U fan sad joke yeah! It looks like your a very bitter fan of either everton or Man U or some 1 who has it in for the mighty liverpool. But go on get it off your chest ! Hahaha
Stop making childish comments red .
Looks like Fenway Sports owner Henry is destroying Liverpool. I can’t see Liverpool getting the 4th spot purely because Henry isn’t ambitious enough to pay for top quality players. Henry may be winner with Boston but this is Liverpool and I can’t see him making this club great whilst they own the club. What a sorry state for Liverpool as they are not a massive club like Brendan Rogers believes it is.
Worst thing that ever happened to LFC was that pr!ck John Henry getting his hands on our club
Even worse than H&G or Hillsborough, a dose of reality required here Liam.
Another idiotic comment from the boring troll aaron.
No one listens to him but he still trolls. Idiot
Whilst we have these yanks in charge, and whilst they continue refusal to invest any money into the squad we will never be able to compete for a top 6 place let alone fight for top 4.
Whilst all other clubs around us have been, and, are still strengthening, FSG, your refusal to allow BR to spend to consolidate 4th place at the very least is ludicrous. It’s simple FSG, if you are not prepared to invest in this club to take us further then you simply need to sell up and move on. Personally all i can see you doing is increasing the revenue but putting none of it back into the team, yet you are ploughing multiple millions into both your baseball and nascar teams which quite frankly takes the piss. I seriously think if you continue to not back BR then he himself will end up walking, let alone Luis. And that means we are back to square 1, and you will have only yourselves to blame, though i’m sure the huge pay off from Luis sale in your pocket you won’t give a toss hey!
I have to agree with Uzoegheli regarding Mata. Give me Willian any day. I also think that Mata, although no doubt a great signing for Man Utd, is taking a retrograde step. What Man U had for all these years was Ferguson. Football has never been so coach orientated, with the difference between top players being miniscule, and often coming down to no more than current form. Matches are won and lost on subtle tactical, and changes in personel. Chelsea have Mourinho, Man Utd have Moyes!! I rest my case. It’s a shame Liverpool supporters seem so downbeat about their prospects. I don’t see them every week but they seem pretty decent to me (albeit a tad inconsistent-but aren’t we all). And I’d rather see them up there than two lots of Mancs!
V p had 2 seasons clear of injury in 10 now 30 not get easy the big guy don’t fit and rooney who knows
THANKS FSG FOR MAKING US A LAUGHING STOCK THOUGHT TOM & JERRY ALIAS HICKS & GILLET WERE BAD ..
PATHETIC OR JUST TYPICAL YANKS UP THERE OWN AR SE SELL THE CLUB AND TAKE YOUR DUNKING DONUTS WITH YOU TO !!!!!
FSG saved our club and has given plenty of money for transfers to KD and BR its how and where its been spent thats the problem wake up some you shld be ashamed of yourselves for some of the pish yous post.
There are regulations now in place ejjits
Liverpool fans against FSG are retarded and have short memories. FSG have put a lot of money back into Liverpool only for Kenny and Rodgers to waste it on average players. Liverpool spent over £50m in the summer, what did United spend??
Absolute Ball..ks Liverpool constantly have to sell to spend any big money were as utd have spent 64 million on two players without selling anyone
Basic net spend was nowhere near, they recouped 17m for Carroll and 7m for Shelvey, and cleared out Downing and many others, do some reasearch before you start talkin outta yer batty man!
It wasnt too long ago Liverpool were signing top players like mata .Even under hicks &gillet we were signing real top players .
Being honest here i think fsg /mr henry have turned us into a mid table club with their buying of cheap average players . We are only so high bcos of the genius of suarez and he will probably leave . Our once great club will continue to stagnate as long as fsg are here
Name one signing that was like Mata under H&G?
Also we have been just above mid table team for some years, if FSG have managed to go back in time and have this impact, then they have just shot up in my estimation.
Yawn . nobody cares what you say aaron . Your just the boring troll
Aaron you really are THE BIGGEST FOOL on this site. You talk absolute s hit e. Under H+G we signed Torres and masherano and keane and aquilani .and other top players. Now shut up you mug , your embarrassing yourself AGAIN.
You’re citing Keane and Aquilani as Mata-esque, saying I talk shi te. Awesome…. Keane and Aquilani hahaha, amazing.
I’ll swap your Torres for Suarez (FSG). Mascherano you can have but Sturridge (FSG) has proved almost more valuable, for less outlay.
Jack. Have a little think before writing something down, doesn’t take long mate.
Yawn . The idiot is still trolling
Nobody listens to your trolling Aaron. Everyone agrees that you talk nonsense
I dislike this fsg bcos of their transfer policy if we can’t attract quality players now that suarez is wit us then i see lfc becomin leed utd.
Fsg have, spent money and plenty of it too!! Also paid clubs debt off, do any of you understand FINANCIAL FAIR PLAY?? Me thinks not as you can’t just spend spend. I read fans moaning about Ayer an his sponsorship deals? Why its income. As for payers in under FSg. We spent 50m this summer what’s that not enough
Are you mentally retarded ? We did not spend 50m in summer. About 17m net .
Financial fair play ? Hahahaaa . Your having a laugh . Kop on moron.
Mata not worth 37 mill not when we coutinho and suso next season them 2 together with sas uf front will be unstoppable fsg nowes what der doing fair play chealsea hat sell 2 top players over it liverpool will do it da proper and complete way wait and sea city chealsea big spending will come to a end
Another ‘next year will be our year’ dreamer! Listen to yourself mate.
Why will city and Chelsea stop spending ? They won’t . Get a clue
LFC needed to spend in january,because if they don’t make champions league they lose Suarez and willn’t attract good players.
End of story!!!!!
On the steps of the courts all those years ago, anyone would have agreed that if we were offered our current position now, outside court, most of us would have gladly accepted.
Very negative comments on this site, mostly, thankful for the few who take a step back and look realistically at our recent troubles and comment accordingly.
People say if we win Suarez won the match, almost as if the team and manager had nothing to do with it, get over yourselves, the team is/was set-up to get the best out of him with Sturridge injured. Sturridge has an equally impressive record.
People said we were a one man team when Gerrard was in his prime, most LFC fans were against that notion, how is it different now?
Haven’t really had youth coming through recently… now there is a plethora. Arsenal’s current team was some 3-4 years in the making, we have potential to be better than them, patience is required, although none shall be forthcoming from this sites regulars who only know two words ‘deceived & deluded’ well done you.
Agreed. Some of our “fans” make me laugh. No appreciation. You all hate fsg and Brendan rodgers, yet you seem to forget we’re in the top 4 for the first time in 5 Years. Fsg have taken us from a 8thplaced club, to one thats 8 points off the top. Just support the fucking team. If we end up below 8th then you can say fsg made us worse. As for now thyve only made us better than what we were before
Moron adam . F..in moron
Arsenal just spent 40m on Ozil! None of your points make any sense whatsoever. We have the potential to be better than Arsenal?! They havent won a trophy for 8 years man, get a grip man!
Since arsenal last won a trophy (2005 FA Cup) we have won:
CL
FA Cup
Community Shield
Super Cup
League Cup
Get a grip son
Er we spent £35 on Carroll and a further £70+ under Kenny
Arsenal haven’t been out of the champions league in all that time, have we? That shows consistency in my eyes, Wenger uses the cup competitions to blood his youth/squad players as he chases League and CL success, evidently placing domestic cup competitions lower than both PL & CL. The fact they fall short demonstrates how tough this league has been, they also lose, often, their better payers but continue to be consistent. Again a sign of strength. People say if we lose Suarez we are finished yet they said the same when Torres was leaving! Playing in CL also has league repercussions, as we know, this adds to reasons why they haven’t had trophy success at home, then came.Man City.
my point being, ‘if’ we can be better than them we would be the third best in the league, behind City/Chelsea. As is we are worse than them, Tottenham/Utd/Everton hot on our heels.
WOW, if you count community shield, you really are clutching at straws, the super cup is only open to a few teams, not taken overly seriously, nice to win, no one cares if you don’t because the CL is by far the bigger achievement.
I’ll consider my grip well and truly firm around the throat of reality, unsure what your currently latching onto other than despair.
One of the reasons we can’t sign CL players is because… take a guess…. we are not in the CL.
One of the reasons Arsenal could sign Ozil is…. take a guess…. They’re in the CL.
It really isn’t rocket science ‘Digger’
ignore the troll diego . Aaron bores everyone with his idiotic comments
Dont feed the troll please
Yawn again . Aaron the boring troll talking complete gibberish as usual .
Total idiot
More idiotic trolling by aaron . Dont feed the troll
Boring idiot
Well boys , Chelski got their man , good or bad, he was never coming to us anyway. Mata has gone to mancs , now that is a problem for Brennie and his top 4 dream , because even Moyesey couldn’t mess this up. Its time to worry now boys because i can see us like last season going into March with nothing to play for except pride . That,s because FSG have kidded us with cost cutting and talking up of Rodgers, who is out of his depth at a massive club . All you dreamers on here are you not a little bit angry about this situation. Ask yourselves this ” if Spurs , Bitters , Mancs had Suarez wouldn’t they get top 4, they would and they would expect to. FSG have duped some fools on here but it’s time to wake up.