[quote author=Avvy link=topic=44931.msg1355517#msg1355517 date=1309095349]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=44931.msg1355434#msg1355434 date=1309084498]
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=44931.msg1355428#msg1355428 date=1309084114]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=44931.msg1355425#msg1355425 date=1309083889]
real
barca
manu
chelsea
man city
arsenal
juve
inter
AC
a list of the top teams in europe currently
most of those teams have;
huge sums behind them (in some cases a blank cheque) for the tranfer fee/wages
a located in the captial
are in the CL
play in a hot climate
and we are going to sweep in and secure the likes of hazard, sanchez, aguero etc right from under their nose (even though we did secure suarez).
imho we need to claw our way into a CL position and then we will be in a position to get a better calibre of player.
[/quote]
Most of them don't have many of those conditions attached to them.
And Juve finished 7th in Italy last year, hardly one of the best teams in Europe.
We can do better than Downing, spunking 20m on him in order to get back in the CL is a waste of time and money.
I accept we can't sign every player out there, that has always been the case. Liverpool is not going to be top of the list for many European players. That doesn't mean we have to sign Downing for 20m. (I'd be happy with signing him for 12m or less btw)
[/quote]
we could of course spend that 20m (if it is 20m) on mata who has indicated he wants to come to liverpool but that is also a gamble.
[/quote]
Ross and keniget are right.
As for Mata being a gamble, what player isnt a gamble?
Premiership proven at one Premiership club guarantees nothing once he's transferred to another Premiership club, just ask Robbie Keane.
[/quote]
keni and ros are right about what? downing is mediocre and we should sign better? that's hardly a news flash but there are lots of factors to consider;
we aren't in europe
for two seasons in a row we've failed to challenge.
our star player moved on because he felt we weren't challeging (whether that is true or not that IS why torres moved on)
other teams can play higher wages
we aren't located in the capital and it rains here...a lot.
we are still a big draw but we aren't the biggest draw so it is a little nieve to expect the best players. and we are going to have to crawl our way up the table so we are linked with the hazards' of this world rather than the downings. I can understand mata's name being brought up every five seconds but not the likes of martinez as we'd have to beat off europes top teams in the CL, AND pay him higher wages AND convince he to come to the cold NW. we managed it with suarez but that is looking to be increasingly the exception rather then the rule.