Salah is not the player you remember anymore

[binomial]

And you might be understating their abilities.

Chambera apparently did very well at Kilmarnock - not the best league in the world, but also not for the faint hearted and to impress as an 18 yo CB is good.

Gordon’s injury is likely the main factor there, but he was starting to show real promise.

You should be excited about Clark too - he could be the best of them.

A year ago no-one thought Badgertits would progress as much as he has - nothing is certain, but there’s talent there.

Possibly but I doubt it, I stand proven to be wrong and this stems back decades when it comes to youth coming through....look at the very few who had made it since 2000 and what level they were at aged 15/16......what age they were involved regularly in first team squads/made appearances for the first team (not just the odd game in the cup).

Chambers is 19 tomorrow and to date he's had a dozen games in the SPL.......to compare Conor Bradley played 50 games for a championship promotion chasing Bolton and was named their POTS.....this is the level you need to be at to have any glimmer of a chance of making it and even then it's a steep mountain to climb.

Gordon's injury....possibly means he won't make it here but even if not, has he really shown more promise at u18 level than Ibe did when he was here? No. What about when Ojo, Wilson or Kent were here? Debateable.

Clark I can tell you for a fact won't make it here......Morgan, Woodburn & Brewster were all vastly more talented, scoring 30 goals or having a 30 goal contribution at youth level & look where they all are now.

 

[refugee]

Possibly but I doubt it, I stand proven to be wrong and this stems back decades when it comes to youth coming through....look at the very few who had made it since 2000 and what level they were at aged 15/16......what age they were involved regularly in first team squads/made appearances for the first team (not just the odd game in the cup).

Chambers is 19 tomorrow and to date he's had a dozen games in the SPL.......to compare Conor Bradley played 50 games for a championship promotion chasing Bolton and was named their POTS.....this is the level you need to be at to have any glimmer of a chance of making it and even then it's a steep mountain to climb.

Gordon's injury....possibly means he won't make it here but even if not, has he really shown more promise at u18 level than Ibe did when he was here? No. What about when Ojo, Wilson or Kent were here? Debateable.

Clark I can tell you for a fact won't make it here......Morgan, Woodburn & Brewster were all vastly more talented, scoring 30 goals or having a 30 goal contribution at youth level & look where they all are now.

I don't think you are right about Clark.

 

[binomial]

I don't think you are right about Clark.

Time will tell, we won't have to wait too long but I won't jump on the scene and make a show of it when again I turn out to be right.

The same was said about Duncan, Brewster, Woodburn.....I shut all these down, I knew they weren't at the level required at the time they needed to be at LFC to ever be considered.

 

[StevieM]

Possibly but I doubt it, I stand proven to be wrong and this stems back decades when it comes to youth coming through....look at the very few who had made it since 2000 and what level they were at aged 15/16......what age they were involved regularly in first team squads/made appearances for the first team (not just the odd game in the cup).

Chambers is 19 tomorrow and to date he's had a dozen games in the SPL.......to compare Conor Bradley played 50 games for a championship promotion chasing Bolton and was named their POTS.....this is the level you need to be at to have any glimmer of a chance of making it and even then it's a steep mountain to climb.

Gordon's injury....possibly means he won't make it here but even if not, has he really shown more promise at u18 level than Ibe did when he was here? No. What about when Ojo, Wilson or Kent were here? Debateable.

Clark I can tell you for a fact won't make it here......Morgan, Woodburn & Brewster were all vastly more talented, scoring 30 goals or having a 30 goal contribution at youth level & look where they all are now.

Thats’s partly the point - you have to play them or at least get them out on loan.

Chambers going out on loan to a championship side is what he needs.

I wouldn’t write Clark off so quickly.

Look, you might be right, but we need to be bringing these kids through at a good level and either integrating them or selling them - or else, what’s the point.

We don’t seem to have quite cracked it yet, the problem seems to be in transition from youth to squad - it’s not often the most talented kids that make it and sometimes it’s just bad luck or bad decisions.

I’m sure there’s various reasons why Morgan, Woodburn & Brewster didn’t make it - incidentally if we’re quick would could exercise Brewsters £40m buy-back clause before it runs out next week.

 

[StevieM]

I don't think you are right about Clark.

I have a feeling about Clark too - I think he’s got something extra in his skillset - I don’t know - I know it was only a friendly, but that pass for Nunez was way ahead of anything I saw from Morgan or Woodburn in terms of vision & execution.

 

[Red Bird]

This is the stinky part of modern football, we’re wishing away our top scorer because he’s slowing down and the only way we have the slightest chance of replacing him adequately is to flog him now.

Sad but true, I’d also cash in. Hopefully we’ve learned how valuable availability is though, that’s going to be tough to replace.

‘twas ever thus, not just modern football. The wily old coots who ran Liverpool bootroom used to see a player’s decline well before anybody else and flog him. They were ruthless.

 

[binomial]

I have a feeling about Clark too - I think he’s got something extra in his skillset - I don’t know - I know it was only a friendly, but that pass for Nunez was way ahead of anything I saw from Morgan or Woodburn in terms of vision & execution.

Oh Jesus Christ, living off that pass in a friendly.

"that pass" Even Spearing & Shelvey showed they were capable of the odd Hollywood pass.

I don't know what spell binding hold these kids have over you to have so much faith in them, I get we need to get behind them and wish that they can somehow perform miraculously for a sustained period that they are thrown in the deep and never have to look back....but let's be realistic. He will follow the likes of the names mentioned above + your Duncan's and most recently your Clarkson's out the club soon.

 

[Donavan Ried]

Exactly. No one else except PSG and Madrid have the money we’d want and the wages he’s on.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, 31, is the next marquee signing being targeted by the Saudi Pro League after the arrivals of Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante.
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/li...s-gossip-saudi-pro-league-paper-talk-ynwa-lfc

Big transfer fee and his big wages sorted

 

[binomial]

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, 31, is the next marquee signing being targeted by the Saudi Pro League after the arrivals of Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante.
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/li...s-gossip-saudi-pro-league-paper-talk-ynwa-lfc

Big transfer fee and his big wages sorted

Half of it would be anyway, don't see them coming in with the £150m we'd want to at least make us think about it.

 

[Donavan Ried]

I would have guessed the same was said about Fowler,Owen,Torres, Suarez. There is always someone out there

 

[Donavan Ried]

Half of it would be anyway, don't see them coming in with the £150m we'd want to at least make us think about it.

I think that at his best we would get that no trouble. I do believe that Salahs stock is still quiet high, and the fact that he is regarded as a world class player from the middle east makes him a real prize for the club....

Maybe not £150m but £100m plus prize

 

[binomial]

I think that at his best we would get that no trouble. I do believe that Salahs stock is still quiet high, and the fact that he is regarded as a world class player from the middle east makes him a real prize for the club....

Maybe not £150m but £100m plus prize

Music to FSG's ears.....Klopp would get that money (so you'd like to think) to reinvest in the squad + redistributing Mo's wages on all the new signings how he'd see fit and FSG wouldn't even need to give a penny more.

 

[rubans]

Music to FSG's ears.....Klopp would get that money (so you'd like to think) to reinvest in the squad + redistributing Mo's wages on all the new signings how he'd see fit and FSG wouldn't even need to give a penny more.

Sell!!!
I don’t see any negative side to this.
We would dumb not take and run

 

[binomial]

Sell!!!
I don’t see any negative side to this.
We would dumb not take and run

Yes yes, we know you don't John.

Because unlike us fans who actually want to see our side compete and be successful, all you're interested in is spending your millions on that gold digging wife of yours and counting up your millions in that Miami mansion you have.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

 

[tomasjj]

this is a gift for us if the offer comes in

 

[Richey]

I wouldn't sell Salah this summer.

Last season we were very reliant on his goals. Noone else came close.

Hopefully it will be a different story next season, but there are too many ifs.

We are hoping that Nunez, Jota and Diaz have better seasons and that Gakpo continues the way he was going at the end of the season.

We are hoping that our midfield improves and new player(s) are an instant hit.

If we sold Salah, we would almost certainly need to replace him and would be hoping that his replacement (presumably as yet identified) integrates straight away, and better than Nunez did.

Too many risks.

 

[Hansern]

Yes, agree. As I've said earlier as well. This summer its a no go, but next summer it could definitely be on the cards.
Salah sounds like the big star that they would want to sign and we could potentially get an insane bid for him.

Spend the next year looking for his replacement and how we would want to rebuild that part of the team, and then go through with those plans next summer when he's 32 and has 1 year left on his contract.

Neves went for 47 mill with 1 year left on his deal btw.

That said, if a World record bid or something happens this summer we have to seriously consider it. But I dont think he wants a move yet.

 

[StevieM]

Oh Jesus Christ, living off that pass in a friendly.

"that pass" Even Spearing & Shelvey showed they were capable of the odd Hollywood pass.

I don't know what spell binding hold these kids have over you to have so much faith in them, I get we need to get behind them and wish that they can somehow perform miraculously for a sustained period that they are thrown in the deep and never have to look back....but let's be realistic. He will follow the likes of the names mentioned above + your Duncan's and most recently your Clarkson's out the club soon.

He was 17 at the time though.

Like I said - he might have a chance. Klopp apparently rates him highly and that’s enough for me to think “ok, let’s see, maybe” which is where I am.

It’s not as if we haven’t brought through the odd kid that’s pretty fucking good…

 

[darkstarexodus]

To be clear, although I've advocated for it, I don't *want* to sell Mo, Ali, or Virgil. They are all legends who I'd love to see finish their careers at the club.

But we need to be adding new, top challengers in each area of the pitch each season and we have shown a frustrating inability to consistently do that in a timely basis.

The genesis for our current team came from reinvesting the Coutinho money. I don't see us being able to make a similar outlay for the next wave of stars without sales. We hold onto our dead weight, we hold onto our saleable assets, and we hold onto our stars (unless they agitate to leave).

We need to be able to be ruthless at the right times, if the right offer comes along. It doesn't mean flogging our legends around but we shouldn't be hanging up the phone automatically either.

 

[StevieM]

To be clear, although I've advocated for it, I don't *want* to sell Mo, Ali, or Virgil. They are all legends who I'd love to see finish their careers at the club.

But we need to be adding new, top challengers in each area of the pitch each season and we have shown a frustrating inability to consistently do that in a timely basis.

The genesis for our current team came from reinvesting the Coutinho money. I don't see us being able to make a similar outlay for the next wave of stars without sales. We hold onto our dead weight, we hold onto our saleable assets, and we hold onto our stars (unless they agitate to leave).

We need to be able to be ruthless at the right times, if the right offer comes along. It doesn't mean flogging our legends around but we shouldn't be hanging up the phone automatically either.

Let me pose the question - “Do we need to ruthlessly sell our best players the minute they look like they’re showing signs of the slightest decline?”

Where does the evidence and template come for this?

Plenty of top teams keep “aging stars” and don’t move them on too quickly - Man City, Real Madrid, etc

I get the need for new players coming in - but the best teams, I’d argue, keep the real top talent as long as they can because it benefits the club and tge players coming through and they generally get replaced when they have someone “better” ready to step in.

There’s probably a good argument that selling top talent to reinvest in younger talent (as opposed to having a blend) is more likely to fail than succeed.

For every Coutinho reinvested, there’s a Suarez reinvested.

I just think Salah is still too important - unless it really is a Coutinho sized once in a lifetime.

I’ll add to that - I’m not totally convinced our current recruitment team would actually spend the money wisely.

 

[tomasjj]

I wouldn't sell Salah this summer.

Last season we were very reliant on his goals. Noone else came close.

Hopefully it will be a different story next season, but there are too many ifs.

We are hoping that Nunez, Jota and Diaz have better seasons and that Gakpo continues the way he was going at the end of the season.

We are hoping that our midfield improves and new player(s) are an instant hit.

If we sold Salah, we would almost certainly need to replace him and would be hoping that his replacement (presumably as yet identified) integrates straight away, and better than Nunez did.

Too many risks.

Ideally, yes, I agree.
We have too many other things to fix first.
However, would we get the offer next summer, and also, would the extra monies after a new forward help get us the players needed for the midfield rebuild?

 

[darkstarexodus]

Let me pose the question - “Do we need to ruthlessly sell our best players the minute they look like they’re showing signs of the slightest decline?”

Where does the evidence and template come for this?

Plenty of top teams keep “aging stars” and don’t move them on too quickly - Man City, Real Madrid, etc

I get the need for new players coming in - but the best teams, I’d argue, keep the real top talent as long as they can because it benefits the club and tge players coming through and they generally get replaced when they have someone “better” ready to step in.

There’s probably a good argument that selling top talent to reinvest in younger talent (as opposed to having a blend) is more likely to fail than succeed.

For every Coutinho reinvested, there’s a Suarez reinvested.

I just think Salah is still too important - unless it really is a Coutinho sized once in a lifetime.

I’ll add to that - I’m not totally convinced our current recruitment team would actually spend the money wisely.

There's nothing wrong with keeping aging stars, as City and Real have shown. The problem is when you fail to reinvest in the next generation as we have. They don't need to sell to buy like we do.

I guess it comes down to whether we want to endure wildly varying stages of success and rebuild (e.g. out in the wilderness after a period of contending) by hanging onto our top players versus perhaps compromise our peak but be continually renewing the talent (e.g. sell before necessary to keep the talent conveyor going, the Dortmund model).

I agree that I have little faith in our current recruitment group. But I'm going to have even less faith in them in a couple seasons when there aren't enough outgoing fees to fund their spending and our existing squad has aged out of contending.

No easy answers here and I'm not advocating that we should automatically sell anyone once they reach or immediately pass their peak. But I am suggesting we can't afford to be sentimental when there are legitimate opportunities (and a defined strategy) for improving the club.

Edit: this means I'm not interested in selling Mo for 50m just because. But if a Saudi club comes in with 100m+, we should be at least listening.

Frankly, and it disgusts me, but since we hold onto players past their peak, it would be in our cynical interests to cozy up to the Saudis to take our marketable deadwood once they're no longer valuable to us or other leading clubs.

 

[rubans]

Funny thing this thread…
One hand, Saudi investment , ohhh awful business all that tainted money so pls don’t sell our club to them etc…
But pls can you take the best and leading goal scorer we have had in the last 6yrs for your lovely now not so tainted oil dollars so we can launder your money through our lovely clean western transfer system and reinvest to build a better future.
It’s a funny old game…

 

[StevieM]

There's nothing wrong with keeping aging stars, as City and Real have shown. The problem is when you fail to reinvest in the next generation as we have. They don't need to sell to buy like we do.

I guess it comes down to whether we want to endure wildly varying stages of success and rebuild (e.g. out in the wilderness after a period of contending) by hanging onto our top players versus perhaps compromise our peak but be continually renewing the talent (e.g. sell before necessary to keep the talent conveyor going, the Dortmund model).

I agree that I have little faith in our current recruitment group. But I'm going to have even less faith in them in a couple seasons when there aren't enough outgoing fees to fund their spending and our existing squad has aged out of contending.

No easy answers here and I'm not advocating that we should automatically sell anyone once they reach or immediately pass their peak. But I am suggesting we can't afford to be sentimental when there are legitimate opportunities (and a defined strategy) for improving the club.

Edit: this means I'm not interested in selling Mo for 50m just because. But if a Saudi club comes in with 100m+, we should be at least listening.

Frankly, and it disgusts me, but since we hold onto players past their peak, it would be in our cynical interests to cozy up to the Saudis to take our marketable deadwood once they're no longer valuable to us or other leading clubs.

Can’t disagree with that.

We really should have been signing more Minamino type players that could do a job, fill out the squad, cost very little but also easy to flip for profit without causing an issue to the team.

 

[Donavan Ried]

Wolves have sold captain Ruben Neves to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for a club record £47m....
How much would we get for Salah??...

 

[StevieM]

Funny thing this thread…
One hand, Saudi investment , ohhh awful business all that tainted money so pls don’t sell our club to them etc…
But pls can you take the best and leading goal scorer we have had in the last 6yrs for your lovely now not so tainted oil dollars so we can launder your money through our lovely clean western transfer system and reinvest to build a better future.
It’s a funny old game…

And yet we riled at John Henry’s plans that would have secured our involvement in and funding from the top competitions without selling to the sort of investment vehicle we’re now seemingly collectively desperate to embrace.

It is indeed a funny old game…

 

[binomial]

Wolves have sold captain Ruben Neves to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for a club record £47m....
How much would we get for Salah??...

48m

 

[darkstarexodus]

Funny thing this thread…
One hand, Saudi investment , ohhh awful business all that tainted money so pls don’t sell our club to them etc…
But pls can you take the best and leading goal scorer we have had in the last 6yrs for your lovely now not so tainted oil dollars so we can launder your money through our lovely clean western transfer system and reinvest to build a better future.
It’s a funny old game…

No disagreements. And we can gnash our teeth as Chelsea and Newcastle take advantage of their relationships with the Saudis and Barcelona and City flaunt financial fair play and Madrid taps everyone up and so on.

No one will remember any of these things in 20 years. Just the trophies.

I'm not saying we should jump in line. I'm just pointing out that, cynically, it's in the best interests of our results to do so.

 

[rubans]

No disagreements. And we can gnash our teeth as Chelsea and Newcastle take advantage of their relationships with the Saudis and Barcelona and City flaunt financial fair play and Madrid taps everyone up and so on.

No one will remember any of these things in 20 years. Just the trophies.

I'm not saying we should jump in line. I'm just pointing out that, cynically, it's in the best interests of our results to do so.

Not disagreeing with most of that but for me it’s all about the journey.
I will remember every bit of the Barca game rather than most of the final etc. I will also remember everyone of these players who achieved the lot in 20yrs too. I remember hearing the Salah chant for the first time and kind of genuinely being proud of our fans to come with something like that as opposed to Islamphobia being exhibited at the time by public officials.
Or Hendo and his dad at end of the final etc.
Small things but I will defo remember it more than most things associated with the game…
I don’t really see them as just a rag bag of players thrown together to win but each added over a period of time who have all represented the club on and off the field in a way that’s worth remembering. I can’t quiet say that about some of the players we had before 2017.