Sterling Deal Complete: 49 million (44 + 5)

[Grjt2]

I think I would agree with you Ken except the shit wants to leave.
We dont play on a level playing field anymore and its just a long line of players Torres, Alonso, Arbeloa, Mascherano, Suarez, Sterling etc who want the lights and glamour.

Unless we get a sugardaddy we need to face facts that all we can do is get top dollar for want away stars.
Same as Spurs, Atletico, Dortmund and all the other top teams who cant compete with Madrid, City, Barcelona, Chelsea, Psg and Bayern.

The game has changed we missed the train pulling out of the station between 2000 and 2007 when we were really close to establishing ourselves as proper powerhouses. Right now we arent.

Dont know if that will change but its the facts right now.
No title in 25 years, 45k stadium, No European football, Disfunctional squad and a manager no one outside of England has heard of.

The Atletico model has shown it works, but its dependant on selling stars for top top money and spending it like a fucking boss.
Thats the important part.

This is depressingly accurate as someone else said, but its everyones reality across modern football, no?

When United, "the richest club in world sport", are forced to sell players, you know player power has gone fucking mental - and its not like Barca and Madrid are completely immune from player power either. You can rage against it, or accept that player loyalty is a casualty of modern football and move on (im clearly feeling zen today)

 

[Boozer]

OFF TOPIC Isn't that a well known joke "What's blue and fcuks grannys/kids/animals? Me in my lucky blue suit". BACK ON TOPIC: and, go...

All at the same time? That really is a lucky suit!

 

[peterhague]

My basic opinion of Sterling as a player is that he's a really good young talent but not an exceptional one, and that certain circumstances during his first couple of seasons flattered his potential a bit, namely our total lack of good wingers in 2012-14, and our incredible attacking form in the second half of the 13/14 season.

I think those factors meant he go plenty of experience and then shone far more than most equivalent talents have any realistic opportunity of doing at that age: he looked the best 19 year old in Europe, but I seriously doubt he'll look the best 23 year old in 3 years' time.

The £50m effectively values him as a Hazard or Reus in waiting. I think it's unlikely he goes on to that level. For me he's more of a Griezmann, Depay level. Really good, probably never world class.

 

[dmishra]

I've noticed from his Sterling's season in the first team that I seem to rate him a lot more highly than most on the board and that's probably why I feel a little more downbeat about his departure than most.

For me it's got nothing to do with the fact that Rodgers is the manager, that we might not reinvest the money properly (though we probably won't) or that it makes us look like the middling Europa League club that we are (though that is depressing), it's that I really do think that Sterling is a fantastic player right now and could go on to be exceptional.

If you're of the opinion that he's not that good and can easily be replaced by someone for half the money we'll get for him or Ibe then yeah, selling him to City or whoever for a big wad of cash seems like a no-brainer.

Hopefully I'm wrong and Ross and others are right and he proves that he was never that good in the first place or his development stalls badly for whatever reason. Then we get to look back and say that this whole thing worked out pretty well for us despite being forced into it. Ultimately I suppose we'll never quite know how things might have panned out if he had've signed a new contract.

I agree that Sterling's a fantastic talent. I'd posted this a while ago - he's a 13 goal, 8 assist man at present. That could in 3 years very well translate into a 20 goal, 15 assist person - which is definitely a top 10-15 player in the world. Someone like Hazard, Bale or Sanchez - the sort of player who guarantees a top 4 spot, and whose current market value is about 60 million.

If someone is willing to offer us 80% (50m) of that full potential value today, when it is by no means guaranteed, then I think it represents a very good deal.

He'll need lots of improvement, and the right attitude to become a 60 million player, even though he clearly has the talent to be one. Arrogance is one thing, but cocksureness/petulance is another.

For every Bale, Hazard or Sanchez, there is a Robinho, Lucas Moura, Douglas Costa, Pastore. All these players were just as talented, but failed to make it primarily because of their attitudes/work ethics. I'll be hoping Sterling falls into this category as well, and given his utterly petulant attitude, there's a good chance he may.

 

[gkmacca]

This thread is a bit weird. To make one last attempt to stop my argument being twisted any further: I wasn't initially complaining about a £50m sum. I was complaining that, if you want £50m, don't make such soggy briefings that it sparks speculation that you'll settle for less than £50m, because, once that happens, that's what you'll get. So you end up being seen to, first, insist the player is not for sale at all, to, two, allowing the news to filter out that you'll reconsider if you're offered £50m, and then, three, accepting less - maybe, in reality, considerably less - than that sum just to end the saga. Now, if you really, honestly,can't see that this is not a show of strength, well, we think differently.

 

[Oncy]

We dont do shows of strength Macca. We do wildly erratic baffling and gibberish.

Our CEO may as well be Frank Spencer.

 

[Woland]

I'm still not sold on us looking weak at all.

City look like massive dickheads if they pay 50m for this dribbling piece of cocksnot and his bellend entourage.

 

[Grjt2]

He will need another move from them within two years anyway 1) to keep his child maintenance/legal defence team contingency full 2) to satisfy his fucking cockroach of an agent

 

[Red Astaire]

I'm still not sold on us looking weak at all.

City look like massive dickheads if they pay 50m for this dribbling piece of cocksnot and his bellend entourage.

My thoughts exactly - I will be chuffed to fuck if he goes for 50Mill. I have said such things from the very beginning. For the first time in ages I'm looking on with excited anticipation at the thought of selling one of our admitteditly better players for a stupid fee. It rarely happens. I suppose you could argue Torres in hindsight but that doesn't count. He was worth the fee at the time. Who else has gone for an over inflated fee in the last 15-20 yrs or so? I can name tons that have we have been dicked over by.

 

[Woland]

I think it's perfect storm, the solar system has aligned in some weird way, maybe it was all the chanting at stone henge at the weekend... but citeh needing youth, specifically english youth, them being owned by massive fucking dickheads who have zero concept of value, and sterling having that fucking utter cunthourse of an agent all added up means we're going to get double his value.

The only problem is we're gonna blow the fee on some other sniveling piece of shit.

 

[Rosco]

This thread is a bit weird. To make one last attempt to stop my argument being twisted any further: I wasn't initially complaining about a £50m sum. I was complaining that, if you want £50m, don't make such soggy briefings that it sparks speculation that you'll settle for less than £50m, because, once that happens, that's what you'll get. So you end up being seen to, first, insist the player is not for sale at all, to, two, allowing the news to filter out that you'll reconsider if you're offered £50m, and then, three, accepting less - maybe, in reality, considerably less - than that sum just to end the saga. Now, if you really, honestly,can't see that this is not a show of strength, well, we think differently.

We get it. You hate Ian Ayre and this is the only way you can be critical of him when we sell a player for twice he's worth.

And i haven't seen any article suggesting we'd settle for less than 50m

 

[dantes]

This thread is a bit weird. To make one last attempt to stop my argument being twisted any further: I wasn't initially complaining about a £50m sum. I was complaining that, if you want £50m, don't make such soggy briefings that it sparks speculation that you'll settle for less than £50m, because, once that happens, that's what you'll get. So you end up being seen to, first, insist the player is not for sale at all, to, two, allowing the news to filter out that you'll reconsider if you're offered £50m, and then, three, accepting less - maybe, in reality, considerably less - than that sum just to end the saga. Now, if you really, honestly,can't see that this is not a show of strength, well, we think differently.

The weakness doesn't bother me. It's the fact Ayre gets regularly bent over and fucked because he lets smaller clubs know how much money he has. Then when he gets the chance to fuck Man City with limitless money, name your price, bend over, go on....... he says he'll be happy with £50m. Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck is wrong with the man?

 

[dantes]

Their manager in his own words said it would take £100m. How in the fuck do you walk into such a set-up and think your job is now to convince them to pay £50m. It's insane. We already look stupid. Weak is irrelevant.

 

[Rosco]

Their manager in his own words said it would take £100m. How in the fuck do you walk into such a set-up and think your job is now to convince them to pay £50m. It's insane. We already look stupid. Weak is irrelevant.

I wouldn't go with the literal interpretation of Pellegrini's comment.

 

[keniget]

I know he wants to leave and there is no way back so not suggesting we keep him, just that I feel like I'm in the minority of valuing the player over the money we'll get for him.

Here's hoping we get someone that steps up and gives us a bit of star quality next season.

 

[Red Astaire]

I know he wants to leave and there is no way back so not suggesting we keep him, just that I feel like I'm in the minority of valuing the player over the money we'll get for him.

Here's hoping we get someone that steps up and gives us a bit of star quality next season.

That's my point. If he wanted to stay my view would be completely different - He doesn't so that's it.

@gkmacca et al knows the quality that is coming through the ranks better than me and from all accounts the future is bright. £50m will go a long way into securing some top targets as well hopefully.......

 

[Oncy]

I know he wants to leave and there is no way back so not suggesting we keep him, just that I feel like I'm in the minority of valuing the player over the money we'll get for him.

Here's hoping we get someone that steps up and gives us a bit of star quality next season.

I think securing Henderson, Ibe, Coutinho and Sturridge shows that we are still a proper team. And if he wanted to stay we wouldnt countenance selling.
I think thats the difference between clubs of our stature and bonafide mid tier teams.
We sit in that second bracket where we dont need to sell anybody and its only when players want to leave our hand is forced.
Imagine if we were a real selling club.

 

[jexykrodic]

We seem to worry more about monetary value than team strength these days. How does selling Sterling help us?

On the public perception thing- if you want respect and to be thought of as a strong club then a successful team is what brings about that recognition. Continuous churning of players isn't going to aid that.

I think weakness is allowing an individual to upset the collective when in truth he has little bargaining power. He has a contract and he can't afford to fade from view if he's truly ambitious.

The boy will come round when it dawns on him he can't just snap his fingers.

 

[Oncy]

I think most everyone would think it was worthwhile business if we get 50m for Sterling and bring in Illaramendi and Firmino and Rondon. That would strengthen the team no doubt.

The issue for me is the very real threat that the effette one leaves and we plug the gap with Benteke and say McCarthy.

We are in a strong position right now as long as we get shit right.

 

[gkmacca]

The money's fine. We need as much money as we can. No one would argue with that. But it's blinkered thinking to assume that it doesn't matter what way we get it. It won't come without consequences. The likelihood is that we made a point of standing up to Aidy Ward and his client and then we buckled. Make no mistake, that will damage the club a long time in the future - possibly with some of the quality now coming through the ranks. It will mean (a) our word means next to nothing and (b) the worse an agent behaves the more confident they can feel that they'll get their way. (The next one will probably call Ian Callaghan a cunt and get his client weeping tears of bitter frustration on Piers Morgan's Life Stories.) Manchester United, Arsenal, clubs like that - they must be pissing themselves to see what an amateurish bunch of clots we now have running the club.

 

[jexykrodic]

I think most everyone would think it was worthwhile business if we get 50m for Sterling and bring in Illaramendi and Firmino and Rondon. That would strengthen the team no doubt.

The issue for me is the very real threat that the effette one leaves and we plug the gap with Benteke and say McCarthy.

We are in a strong position right now as long as we get shit right.

If we have identified suitable replacements yes but we'd need to do the deals almost simultaneously or every target will be inflated if we're seen to have a big bag of cash.

 

[Oncy]

We need to do the deals almost simultaneously though or every target will be inflated if we're seen to have a big bag of cash.

Yeah I agree. My assumption would be the deals will be done BEFORE we let Sterling go.
Plus at least it looks like we arent buying British. We know how that ends up.

I dont know the quoted fees to be honest but if we signed those three for pretty much what we get from sales (assuming Balotelli, Borini, Aspas, Alberto, Lambert will all follow Sterling out the door for 20 or 30m combined) id be made up.

I also take great heart from the likes of Ibe, Ilori, Can, Markovic etc who should improve greatly this year.

Xfactor I suppose is the underperforming 'star' names. Will Henderson, Lallana, Lucas, Allen, Lovren, Sakho, Skrtel etc get their shit together this year.

We have a big squad with lots of good options, for me ONE good player out in Sterling and 3 good players in ought to go a long way to improving on a horrible year. Albeit one that we were in the top 4 mix until the last month and 2 cup semi finals.

Also Coutinho.

Hes going to be the player of the year this year.

 

[Judge Jules]

The money's fine. We need as much money as we can. No one would argue with that. But it's blinkered thinking to assume that it doesn't matter what way we get it. It won't come without consequences. The likelihood is that we made a point of standing up to Aidy Ward and his client and then we buckled. Make no mistake, that will damage the club a long time in the future - possibly with some of the quality now coming through the ranks. It will mean (a) our word means next to nothing and (b) the worse an agent behaves the more confident they can feel that they'll get their way. (The next one will probably call Ian Callaghan a cunt and get his client weeping tears of bitter frustration on Piers Morgan's Life Stories.) Manchester United, Arsenal, clubs like that - they must be pissing themselves to see what an amateurish bunch of clots we now have running the club.

I fear they've been thinking that since Moores became chairman in the early 90s.

 

[737Max]

If he showed an ounce of professionalism at the end of last season after the furore of that BBC interview and his agent being a bellend with man of the match performances, I'd be honest and say I'm gutted he's going but truth be told I haven't seen certainly off the pitch anything from him as a desire to make it to the top. He's still acting like a prick smoking his shisha pipes and inhaling laughing gas.

This is what in my opinion separates the great from the good. I certainly don't recall the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Hazard etc doing the kind of things Sterlings been doing. Truth be told if you want to make it to the absolute top and be the pinnacle you have to make some big sacrifices and this is why I feel he'll never reach the top. He's too happy to go out on the piss smoking shisha pipes and inhaling laughing gas.

So I say fuck him, fuck his agent, get £50mill for him and I say that £50mill is what we get not before paying QPR their dues. If City want him badly then pay the extra money.

 

[Mors]

Their manager in his own words said it would take £100m. How in the fuck do you walk into such a set-up and think your job is now to convince them to pay £50m. It's insane. We already look stupid. Weak is irrelevant.

50mill transfer fee, 9mill a year in wages over 5yrs, plus a signing on fee and agents fees - do the Maths Dantes 😉

 

[gkmacca]

And the next time some insanely irresponsible but ruthless would-be agent turns up at our door, I guess we'll send the tea lady out to say 'boo!' 'Ibe is not for sale under any circumstances'. 'Yeah, right, like you said about Sterling. Got any of your add-ons yet? Thought not!'

 

[Mors]

On a side note, the scumbag city fans seem to think they're signing the finished article, a goalscoring machine, dribbling, assisting masterpiece of a player. I can't wait to see their faces when they see what the 50mill has bought them.

 

[Oncy]

Not many players can tamely sidefoot a ball into the keepers grasp quite like our pocket legend.

 

[gkmacca]

Yes, I'm sure it will hurt when they finish second and we're about 10th. We'll be pissing ourselves, we're so fiendishly cunning.

 

[Oncy]

Yes, I'm sure it will hurt when they finish second and we're about 10th. We'll be pissing ourselves, we're so fiendishly cunning.

Stop this now Macca. The mismanagement and misinformation aside we could still stumble upon a result here.
Youre bumming me out man.