Liverpool - 2017/18

africanspur

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Ronaldo had made clear from day one that he wanted to play for Madrid so I think once they were interested it was only a matter of when rather than if. I'm not sure had have stayed even if we'd retained the CL in 09.

I've never seen a player at United so open about their desire to play elsewhere.

Neither Suarez or Coutinho have been anywhere near as vocal about their desires to play for Barca.
While that is strictly true, I think it is fair to say that the overwhelming majority of South Americans/ Spaniards/ Portugese would probably prefer to play for the big Spanish two over almost any other club in the world.

It doesn't mean they won't slum it at Liverpool or Man Utd or Bayern or Juventus or Spurs or Stoke or wherever for a while. But if one of those two come calling, especially in this era of dominance for both of them, they're going to be eager to make that move.
 

RedDevil@84

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They are obviously going to get robbed if they try for any decent player in Jan, now that they have 146M
 

Roeindo

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While we are arguing with liverpool fans, our argument starting like one of them, always talking about history.

In an objective sense, liverpool transfer policy is better than us recently, they bought low sell high while us doing the opposite. They do their transfer simple and finding player suitable for their system. Their one or two player short to become title challenger.

I still cannot think how we choose lindelof over maguire, clyne over darmian, mane over mkhi..
 
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Eire Red United

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Lemar is certainly no replacement for Coutinho.

A true small club mentality, to sell a player for €150 million and then downgrade by taking players from Leicester City and Southampton. How do you ever expect to progress?

Let me say that again... you have €150 million. You have freed up around 300k in wages with the sale of Coutinho and probably Sturridge and Ings aswell so why on earth are they not going out for an “upgrade” like Sanchez or Griezmann or even Cavani or Aubameyang? What’s their excuse this time?

Champions League football - Check
Big Transfer budget - Check
Big Wage Budget - Check
“Top” manager - Check

I’m beginning to think no top “established” player wants to join them.... It’s as simple as that. Liverpool are a selling club, a stepping stone and they will never compete with the elite teams around the world if they’re constantly bending over and selling their best players.

The cycle will just keep on repeating.
Are you a United fan? I’d pipe down if so because look what we replace Ronaldo with.
 

Infordin

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If Liverpool are smart, they should go for Ceballos. A huge talent who is rotting on the bench right now.
 

africanspur

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I wonder if Real will be going for another clearout this summer. In which case, there's quite a few clubs (including Liverpool and us) who should be on the lookout.
 

Cassady

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Even he is a bit delusional:



Even with Coutinho, did he really think winning the CL was a possibility just because they thumped mighty Maribor?
If you are still in the competition then you have a chance.
 

MadMike

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For Robben/ Higuain/ Sneijder/ VDV style bargains from the Real discard pile.
Do they really have such bargains in the discard pile though? It looks like it might be the big names that are under threat from the clear out, who are both ageing and very expensive salary wise. I don't think the Asensios and Iscos are the ones under threat and selling Mayoral or Vasquez is not going generate enough funds for Real to rebuild nor will are they as talented as the players mentioned.
 

Jaybomb

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Are you a United fan? I’d pipe down if so because look what we replace Ronaldo with.
We had Nani and Valencia. Yes they weren’t Ronaldo quality but they still helped us win a bunch of league titles.

Liverpool have never won the league. That’s the difference.

On top of that, we still get marquee big name signings. Since Ronaldo left, we’ve signed Van Persie, Falcao, Di Maria, Schweinsteiger, Pogba and Ibrahimovic. Yes some of them haven’t worked out the way we wanted to but they are still massive names coming to us.

Who was the last “big name” signing that joined Liverpool? Who was the last player that left a big club to come to them? Torres?

My point is, leaving Barcelona, PSG and Real Madrid to come to Manchester United is a sidewards step. Leaving those clubs to come to Liverpool is a step backwards.
 

mav_9me

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I wonder if Real will be going for another clearout this summer. In which case, there's quite a few clubs (including Liverpool and us) who should be on the lookout.
They are going to get rid of Bale and Benzema. Stay clear IMO.

Better options might be Kovacic or Ceballos, although I am doubtful they sell him. And even if he doesn't get game time he knew that this summer before signing for them.
 

Halds

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We had Nani and Valencia. Yes they weren’t Ronaldo quality but they still helped us win a bunch of league titles.

Liverpool have never won the league. That’s the difference.

On top of that, we still get marquee big name signings. Since Ronaldo left, we’ve signed Van Persie, Falcao, Di Maria, Schweinsteiger, Pogba and Ibrahimovic. Yes some of them haven’t worked out the way we wanted to but they are still massive names coming to us.

Who was the last “big name” signing that joined Liverpool? Who was the last player that left a big club to come to them? Torres?

My point is, leaving Barcelona, PSG and Real Madrid to come to Manchester United is a sidewards step. Leaving those clubs to come to Liverpool is a step backwards.
Who cares about big names? Quality on the pitch is what matters. With all your big names, you can't really say, that you have attracted more quality than Liverpool over the last few years.

Sure, Manchester United can attract some players, that Liverpool can't, but if you don't believe going from Barca/Real to Manchester United is a step backwards, you need a reality check..
 

Jaybomb

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Who cares about big names? Quality on the pitch is what matters. With all your big names, you can't really say, that you have attracted more quality than Liverpool over the last few years.

Sure, Manchester United can attract some players, that Liverpool can't, but if you don't believe going from Barca/Real to Manchester United is a step backwards, you need a reality check..
It isn’t a step backwards. United is arguably the biggest club in the world. We can afford to pay them just as much as those clubs do.

The fact remains that United still win trophies. Liverpool don’t.
 

bond19821982

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I wonder if Real will be going for another clearout this summer. In which case, there's quite a few clubs (including Liverpool and us) who should be on the lookout.
Modric is the only player who is worth getting (if he is in the list). Stay clear of Bale,CR7 and Benz.
 

Halds

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It isn’t a step backwards. United is arguably the biggest club in the world. We can afford to pay them just as much as those clubs do.

The fact remains that United still win trophies. Liverpool don’t.
Yes.. You can pay as much as them, but it's also a fact, that you haven't won, or been close to win the league since Ferguson left, nevermind Champions League.

Do you really think, that you have the same pulling power as these two clubs, just because you can pay the same wages?
 

Hullyback

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For Robben/ Higuain/ Sneijder/ VDV style bargains from the Real discard pile.
There isn't anyone remotely decent that'd be in their discard pile though, they're not even top 3 in a two team league this season and their best players have had their best days already or they're perma crocks. The only ones "realistically" worth nabbing from them are Asensio and Isco, and they ain't selling those two in a hurry.

Then you're left with the ones approaching the twilight years (Ronnie, Modric, Ramos) the crocks (Bale etc) and the ones they'll almost have to pay someone to take off their hands to reduce the wage bill (Benzema etc)

Look at the Real squad and there's a real lack of quality players they'd be willing to part with. They are no longer packed with talent to the extent they need to offload people unhappy at not playing - they can barely put out a decent first 11 nowadays one without Ronaldo they're very very ordinary. This season you could argue they've been very very ordinary even with him.
 

Rafateria

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If Liverpool are smart, they should go for Ceballos. A huge talent who is rotting on the bench right now.
And supposedly linked. What that is worth is anybody's guess but it stated he has only started two matches this season and is unhappy at his prospects (no surprise when you look at those ahead of him).
 

JustFootballFan

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So the game is afoot (but to Liverpool, Arsenal or ......? ).

I´m honestly curious whether they´ll find a sucka for their €90M transfer. Even in the current climate I think he´s a €50-60M player. There are players of equal quality to Lemar that can certainly be acquired for even less than €60M, if you are patient enough to wait until the summer.

Besides Liverpool knew Coutinho wanted to leave, so if they are/were truly interested in Lemar, they have been in contact with Monaco for the past six months and it resulted in nothing. I think that is all a play by Monaco to get Wenger to shove over a ridiculous amount of cash. The question there is who has the final say on transfers, because it did not sound like Wenger had any idea, who the 20 year old Greek defender is. If Wenger hadn´t read the papers in the morning, he´d probably called security to remove that tall guy from the training pitch.
 

Rafateria

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Rumours flying around all over the place now. Lemar is Arsenal's first choice to replace Sanchez (though I've no idea why Lemar would choose a team losing 2-3 of their best players and likely also their manager & CL (if they miss out on Top 4).

Strootman is the latest to join the Liverpool rumour queue. That money burning a hole in our pocket is making everybody jittery isn' t it !
 

Liver_bird

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So the game is afoot (but to Liverpool, Arsenal or ......? ).

I don't see us paying 90 mill for him this window, I'm not even sure we'll get him in the summer as his value really isn't going to deteriorate following a world cup.
I'm just baffled we seem to have zero contingencies in place for losing a player that was averaging a goal/A every 63mins this season. A player that all reports indicate we knew was likely to be moving on this window aswell.
We're light up top and a couple injuries leaves us extremely blunt and toothless especially with rotation and injuries likely to kick in too. We need to get another player in this window or we are looking at some very strenuous months ahead and a massive fight to stay in the top four. Hell it was on a knife edge as it was.

There's just a very unlikely probability that no key players will miss chunks of the second half of this season and that's not to mention what we've already lost creatively.
 

Rafateria

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I´m honestly curious whether they´ll find a sucka for their €90M transfer. Even in the current climate I think he´s a €50-60M player. There are players of equal quality to Lemar that can certainly be acquired for even less than €60M, if you are patient enough to wait until the summer.

Besides Liverpool knew Coutinho wanted to leave, so if they are/were truly interested in Lemar, they have been in contact with Monaco for the past six months and it resulted in nothing. I think that is all a play by Monaco to get Wenger to shove over a ridiculous amount of cash. The question there is who has the final say on transfers, because it did not sound like Wenger had any idea, who the 20 year old Greek defender is. If Wenger hadn´t read the papers in the morning, he´d probably called security to remove that tall guy from the training pitch.
 

DonnieDarko

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We have money to spend, so now we're supposedly interested in everybody and their grannies as well. Most of those are agents gone crazy promoting their players.
One thing of note is that all of Keita, VvD and Ox were done quietly and quickly. Only Salah had some saga before his arrival.
I think Lemar will come, but in summer. As of this window - if we ever get someone it'll be a squad player, like Wijnaldum.
 

Johnny Love

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Modric is the only player who is worth getting (if he is in the list). Stay clear of Bale,CR7 and Benz.
I have a feeling he will be the one they hold on to if they start selling off some of their veterans. He still plays at a very high level and has high football intelligence.
 

bond19821982

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I have a feeling he will be the one they hold on to if they start selling off some of their veterans. He still plays at a very high level and has high football intelligence.
No disagreements there. It was just an wishful assumption from my side.
Think, they will keep their midfield intact and replace Benzema with Hazard or Neymar.
 

buck3y3nut

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No disagreements there. It was just an wishful assumption from my side.
Think, they will keep their midfield intact and replace Benzema with Hazard or Neymar.
Wasn't Vinicius Junior signed to replace Benzema?
 

TheReligion

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Yes.. You can pay as much as them, but it's also a fact, that you haven't won, or been close to win the league since Ferguson left, nevermind Champions League.

Do you really think, that you have the same pulling power as these two clubs, just because you can pay the same wages?
I'm not sure what your argument is here?

United have the most pulling power in England. Think that's a fact. In certain instances players may really feel strongly about living in London and that's when Chelsea tend to come in but as a whole United are the biggest and most successful club in England and one of the biggest in the world.

Pogba rejected Madrid to move to United and De Gea signed a new contract to remain at the club as opposed to leaving to them. Since Sir Alex left the club has still attracted top quality players (yes some moves didn't work out Di Maria, Falcao etc) but world class players still continued to join the club.

To suggest Liverpool now attracts better quality players is just wrong. The league table and trophy cabinet just proves it.
 

MattyP_1123

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On the up side for Liverpool...

I just realized that Coutinho is all set to be the first player since 1990 to play for Liverpool and win a League title in the same season!
Actually you're wrong, Maschereno was I'm pretty sure
 

automaticflare

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I don’t consider a club a selling club when they lose players to Barca or Madrid but when they lose them to direct rivals. Like when we lost Torres.

When you lost Ronaldo you were getting to finals and had an insane team. And you STILL lost him. What more could you of done to keep him? The lure of those clubs is too great.

Sterling is the most recent example of us selling to direct rivals.
United kept Ronaldo for 2 seasons after he clearly wanted to leave
We also had rooney who at the time was as close as anyone in world football could have been to Messi and Ronaldo at the time
We also had two world class center halves and left full
And two top class center midfielders who could compete st the top table of European football

There is a massive difference

Liverpool sold mascherano Alonso
Then Torres
Then sterling
Then Suarez
Now coutinho

All the while at no point during that have any other players resembling world class in any of those teams to pick up the bat like united had.

Last time united sold anyone at their peak was Ronaldo before that was probably Ruud and that was to make way for Ronaldo and Rooney to take over the mantle

There is a massive difference in the two cycles
 

MattyP_1123

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United kept Ronaldo for 2 seasons after he clearly wanted to leave
We also had rooney who at the time was as close as anyone in world football could have been to Messi and Ronaldo at the time
We also had two world class center halves and left full
And two top class center midfielders who could compete st the top table of European football

There is a massive difference

Liverpool sold mascherano Alonso
Then Torres
Then sterling
Then Suarez
Now coutinho

All the while at no point during that have any other players resembling world class in any of those teams to pick up the bat like united had.

Last time united sold anyone at their peak was Ronaldo before that was probably Ruud and that was to make way for Ronaldo and Rooney to take over the mantle

There is a massive difference in the two cycles
Agree

We are a selling club and have been for a long time. Until we are bought by Saudi's someone like Roman I cant see that changing in the near future.
 
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automaticflare

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Agree

We are a selling club and have been for a long time. Until we are bought by Saudi's someone like Roman I cant see that changing in the near future.
Honestly I hope it never happens and the money dries up and the sugar daddies piss off from football altogether never gonna happen mind too much of a business now. Just very sad to see the normal joe soap being priced out of supporting their local teams and transfers being so absurd
 

MattyP_1123

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Honestly I hope it never happens and the money dries up and the sugar daddies piss off from football altogether never gonna happen mind too much of a business now. Just very sad to see the normal joe soap being priced out of supporting their local teams and transfers being so absurd
Yeah I'm right there with you mate, I enjoyed watching the kids come through and come into the first team. Now they have no chance as it's all about spending over 30mill to be competitive. I was hoping Woodburn would get more of a run and hopefully now PC has gone we will see that. I see Ryan Kent has been recalled from his loan spell so that only adds fuel to the speculation that Klopp wont buy anyone else. I did see Kevin Strootman's name mention last night though, interesting link considering he's nearing 30 and has had a history of injuries
 

Halds

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I'm not sure what your argument is here?

United have the most pulling power in England. Think that's a fact. In certain instances players may really feel strongly about living in London and that's when Chelsea tend to come in but as a whole United are the biggest and most successful club in England and one of the biggest in the world.

Pogba rejected Madrid to move to United and De Gea signed a new contract to remain at the club as opposed to leaving to them. Since Sir Alex left the club has still attracted top quality players (yes some moves didn't work out Di Maria, Falcao etc) but world class players still continued to join the club.

To suggest Liverpool now attracts better quality players is just wrong. The league table and trophy cabinet just proves it.
I've read your post a couple of times now, but I still can't figure, why you quoted me? What are you arguing against in my post?
 

SwSw

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Who cares about big names? Quality on the pitch is what matters. With all your big names, you can't really say, that you have attracted more quality than Liverpool over the last few years.

Sure, Manchester United can attract some players, that Liverpool can't, but if you don't believe going from Barca/Real to Manchester United is a step backwards, you need a reality check..
It isn't.

You talk about quality on the pitch but your team hasn't won anything remotely noteworthy for years. Even during our transitional years, we have at least won something under Mourinho. What have your team won with your "attacking" style of play?

We have gotten players like ADM, Pogba, Lukaku, Matic, Ibrahimovic, Martial. What about Liverpool? pretty sure is less than us.
 

Rob

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It isn't.

You talk about quality on the pitch but your team hasn't won anything remotely noteworthy for years. Even during our transitional years, we have at least won something under Mourinho. What have your team won with your "attacking" style of play?

We have gotten players like ADM, Pogba, Lukaku, Matic, Ibrahimovic, Martial. What about Liverpool? pretty sure is less than us.
Seriously, did you even read what he wrote? "Sure, Manchester United can attract some players, that Liverpool can't". He's saying exactly the same, that United have more pulling power than Liverpool.

What are you arguing against?
 

SwSw

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Seriously, did you even read what he wrote? "Sure, Manchester United can attract some players, that Liverpool can't". He's saying exactly the same, that United have more pulling power than Liverpool.

What are you arguing against?
"With all your big names, you can't really say, that you have attracted more quality than Liverpool over the last few years."
 

Rob

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"With all your big names, you can't really say, that you have attracted more quality than Liverpool over the last few years."
You have attracted bigger names, no doubt, but has the quality of your purchases really been that much better?

I mean, ADM, Pogba, Lukaku, Matic, Ibrahimovic, Martial vs. Coutinho, Salah, Mane, VVD, Firmino