So he’s staying then. Maybe. Is he?
Brendan Rodgers, barring a careful caveat about certain people not being bigger than certain clubs, seems pretty set on the idea of Luis Suarez being a Liverpool player next season.
Arsenal’s bid was ‘nowhere near’ Liverpool’s valuation. Which begs the question of how much exactly it would take to prise Suarez away. The figure should he moving up almost as quickly as that national debt clock in New York every day between now and the end of the transfer window. Maybe we could stick our own version on the front of the Kop
There’s a view out there that Liverpool somehow have to sell, and it’s one sane people should be countering at every opportunity. Keeping an unhappy player, we’re told, “never ends well.”
Football discussion, of course, thrives on the oxygen of nonsense. But this is so demonstrably wide of the mark as to need confronting.
The history of the game is littered with footballers denied their heart’s fleeting desire who have stayed put and been successful.
One of them is captain of Liverpool. He fancied leaving, the club did its best to keep hold, things changed and here we are nine years later.
Similarly, should Suarez see the club have boxed him in and a big move’s not on the cards, he’ll most likely renew his vows, get out the Autumn fixture list and start planning his next hat-trick.
Liverpool FC needs really good footballers. This one will do for now.
UPBEAT BIT
Looking on from afar at the club’s tour, it’s hard to retain my perpetual sense of jaded detachment over these things.
Crowds in the streets, mass singalongs and some incredible shirts make Indonesia look a pretty good place to be a Red at the moment.
After another muted season at Anfield and another year of being cynical about the whole enterprise it’s refreshing to see people express the simple joy that’s somewhere inside us all – football’s great, Liverpool are great, roll on, er, Stoke City at home.
ANNE WATT
I think we should be quite selective when spelling out our daydreams for the transfer season. I mean, we’d all love having Messi at the club, but we know its not going to happen. With this in mind, what kind of players should we be looking for and have already signed according to these guidelines?
Playing in a lesser competition. This does not necessarily mean No Champions League. Due to the way UEFA sets up the Champions League, some clubs are regulars but almost never do well. Ajax is a great example in recent years. While it might be great for players from clubs like this to join another in the Champions League, Liverpool wouldn’t be too much of a drop for them.
Not seeing regular playing time. Sturridge and Coutinho fit this bill perfectly. Neither were really appreciated at their clubs, and they took the jump to Liverpool for a regular place instead of staying at their relatively high profile clubs (though Inter is in a similar situation to us despite have a more recent CL victory). In this case, younger players are a great option, as they want the chance to shine.
This might sound like a big detriment for Liverpool, but actually isn’t. Aspas, for example, was sort of a big fish in a small pond. Same for Mignolet. For them, Liverpool is easily a big step up. While our fortunes have dwindled in recent years, we are still a high profile team considering the number of Liverpool fans worldwide and the number of Liverpool matches that are telecast live. (I understand in many countries they only broadcast 1 match if there are more than one that kick-off at the same time. Liverpool matches regularly see broadcast time due to the fanbase.)
Lifestyle. I think we lose in this case to many other clubs. Not many in their right mind would choose Liverpool over Paris, Monaco or Milan if only considering the standard of living.
One more thing to add is that we can easily take on ‘problematic’ projects. Sturridge came with the reputation of having bad attitude. Suarez came while serving a suspension for biting and being the most hated man at the last World Cup. Aspas has a rep for being a hothead. These can be ‘warning signs’ for bigger clubs like Real Madrid or Chelsea, and it can be used to our advantage. While we’re all sad about the PR debacle(s) that Suarez has caused us, we really aren’t in a position to be too picky.
With that in mind, I’ll share my thoughts on who I think we can look at.
Papadopoulos: We’ve been linked with him for a long time, and I feel that his injury problems can work to our advantage. While other clubs might shy away due to it, this could be the chance for us to swoop in. Obviously his price is an issue, but almost nobody doubts his ability.
Martin Harnik: Somewhat ‘hidden’ gem in the Bundesliga. Very dynamic right winger with a good shot. Not very good at defending though.
Stirridge did not have a reputation for a bad attitude, it was complaints of him being overly selfish in front of goal when better options are available. We’ve seen this already. But there’s no point moaning about it with his present strike rate. Suarez’s loss of possession is a bigger issue for the overall picture, as they can lead directly to an attack on us while we’re caught up field.
You were doing great until you swooped!
Let’s get real here.The days of homespun players playing for hometown clubs and happy to do so are long since gone.
I used to juggle my way into the Kop many many years ago and then the crowd would part and Ian Callaghan would come rushing through as we all clapped him on the back “Have a good game Ian,have good game!”.He’d just got off a bus and was making his way to play for Liverpool!His boots were in a brown paper bag under his arm.
I once bumped into him in Whitechapel in Liverpool.I was about 14 he was about 18 or 19.I asked for his autograph.I was nervous;his hand was shaking as he he signed my school-book.
Is that we expect now? By modern day wages Callaghan was probably being paid about £500 a week in present day values.A fortune in those days.
But today?Peanuts!
So,we’ve got nobody to blame but ourselves and David Moores.We sell out time and again.We can’t seem to do the simple sums.A balance sheet is one thing but the very lifeblood of any business centres around speculate to accumulate.Manchester U bloody united have proved that time and again!
You spend big-you win big! I don’t mean blowing money left right and centre.I just mean not being afraid to spend big money:no matter how old the players are.No restrictions about age size or weight!
The modern game is players here today and gone tomorrow.Especially if you have no Champions League to offer.
What would you do? £150k/£200k a week.And you can pick and choose where you want to play!
This is why I think that Gerrard is the best player we have ever had;and why I think that Suarez is one of the best!
I’m starting to think that buying players with massive potential at age 19 to 22, then selling them on at 25 for a huge profit is a business model that FSG think they can make work. Notice how many young attacking midfielders we’re accumulating? That’s why I think Suarez will go when the bid is right. Torres going for 50m probably piqued the interest of the Boston crew, and if Suarez goes for a similar fee, alarm bells might be going off stateside. Why do we need to win the league when we can find 1 or 2 gems a year and make big dough off them in 2 years? Hey, chance 8, 9, 10 mill for a rising star, if you hit the jackpot you’re coining it, if he’s a flop then what the heck, we’re investing in new talent commensurate with our long term plan for the club.
American businessmen have one thing on their mind AT ALL TIMES….a buck.
Not an attack on FSG, just a reminder that we are a business, not a social club. So when business decisions are made, don’t be surprised.
ferd
Ferdia,
Nail! Head! Hit!
Good shot!