Sterling to Tell Rodgers he wants to leave this summer

[Silver Sean]

So, we shouldn't accept it then.

I'd still rather have two shit £20 million players who actually wanted to come here, than one little £40 million prick who clearly doesn't. 20 years old, given his chance with us, turned into a first team regular at Liverpool? He should be looking for a pen the second we offered him the contract. Another reason modern football is wank.

 

[ILD]

We might get lucky again and get another Torres, Suarez, Sturridge or Coutinho?

Or a Sterling.

 

[Best Believe It]

His strategy seems to be working: stink up the place so badly that no-one wants you around and you can leave saying you were never really wanted. Classic tactic.

Yep. I get why people want to keep him but he's been playing shite for most of the second half of the season, wants out and we can get a lot of money for him. The only caveat, as others have said, is how we'd spend the money.

 

[Silver Sean]

We might get lucky again and get another Torres, Suarez, Sturridge or Coutinho?

I'd settle for another Sami and Dirk.

 

[ILD]

Ideally I would like to keep the Sterling we had prior to all these contract shenanigans.We should be trying to hold on to our better players, not selling them.

What worries me is that we persuade him to give us another season, and he continues to behave like a shit, and have the effect of a rotten apple in a barrel.

Nah Jack. You'd like to presume he'd play out of his skin ala Suarez to secure that 'big' move he seems to crave. He'd have no business sulking and under performing.

 

[ILD]

Yep. I get why people want to keep him but he's been playing shite for most of the second half of the season, wants out and we can get a lot of money for him. The only caveat, as others have said, is how we'd spend the money.

We shouldn't give one of our best players to a direct top four rival either.

 

[6TimesaRed]

40 million that City are offering wont be enough.. ? will it.. ?

Everyone seems to be forgetting about the 20% sellon fee we owe QPR..

 

[scousemouse]

id get rid for free right now.

hes going to go to city, start 10-15 games next season and come from the bench the remainder of the games. he will look back on the chances we have given him and regret leaving in around 18 months time.

shaun the sheepshagger mk2.

 

[peterhague]

I agree, of course I wish all our players would try their hardest at all times but let's not sell one our best players to a so called rival.

Doesn't necessarily follow that we'd be strengthening a rival. What if the money allows us to buy the player City would have bought if they hadn't got Sterling, and City's second choice is actually better than Sterling?

Not that farfetched given City's desperation for English players. In which case *relative to the alternative* selling to City would actually weaken them compared to us.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

I'd still rather have two shit £20 million players who actually wanted to come here, than one little £40 million prick who clearly doesn't. 20 years old, given his chance with us, turned into a first team regular at Liverpool? He should be looking for a pen the second we offered him the contract. Another reason modern football is wank.

Well, he did want to come here at one stage. Our problem is that we're doing something wrong in terms of being able to keep our best players. Alonso, Mascherano, Torres, Suarez and now Sterling. They all wanted to leave. You could throw Gerrard in there, as he was very close with Chelsea.

If we replace Sterling with someone else, or two players. They'll want to leave if they turn out to be any good, and they'll want to stay if they're shit or average.

 

[Insignificance]

Have any of you who says we dont need Sterling as we have Ibe ever thought that we dont need Suarez as we have Sturridge?

 

[peterhague]

Well, he did want to come here at one stage. Our problem is that we're doing something wrong in terms of being able to keep our best players. Alonso, Mascherano, Torres, Suarez and now Sterling. They all wanted to leave. You could throw Gerrard in there, as he was very close with Chelsea.

If we replace Sterling with someone else, or two players. They'll want to leave if they turn out to be any good, and they'll want to stay if they're shit or average.

Obviously that's becoming more of a problem than it has in the past, but I still think the way Sterling is behaving is exceptional. Do you see players like Harry Kane or Ross Barkley or John Stones demanding a move? Things might be quite bad but not as bad as they look if you take Sterling's behaviour to be typical.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

Or thought about the fact that Ibe will want to leave in a year or two if we keep letting our better players go?

 

[ILD]

Doesn't necessarily follow that we'd be strengthening a rival. What if the money allows us to buy the player City would have bought if they hadn't got Sterling, and City's second choice is actually better than Sterling?

Not that farfetched given City's desperation for English players. In which case *relative to the alternative* selling to City would actually weaken them compared to us.

It's all hypothetical but us giving them arguably our best player is a bad start to our summer.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

Obviously that's becoming more of a problem than it has in the past, but I still think the way Sterling is behaving is exceptional. Do you see players like Harry Kane or Ross Barkley or John Stones demanding a move? Things might be quite bad but not as bad as they look if you take Sterling's behaviour to be typical.

Sterling is worth more than all them, he's the most hyped, and the most likely to end up near the top tier of players,

But anyway, is that not my point? All our best players leave, all of them. It does happen to an extent at other clubs, but once someone has one good season here, they want out. I suspect Coutinho will be leaving next summer, Ibe the one after. There's something wrong with our ability to convince them that it's good for their careers to stay. Rodgers can be blamed to a degree, but it's been happening for a long time before him,

Maybe the only way to change the trend is to start winning the league, I don't know. Or maybe it's down to money. Or maybe it's just down to our leaderships management skills.

 

[peterhague]

It's all hypothetical but us giving them arguably our best player is a bad start to our summer.

I disagree. I've thought for weeks that City's desperation to sign young English players is a big opportunity for us. I'd sell them Henderson too while we're at it. They get a couple of players IMO clearly worse than what that money could actually be spent on; we get £60m+ to spend on a couple of forwards, and Milner into the bargain.

It'd be an audacious coup.

 

[FerrisBueller]

Quite simple for me. Do I want this same discussion every summer/january until he eventually goes or shall we just sell now. Sell now.

 

[peterhague]

Sterling is worth more than all them, he's the most hyped, and the most likely to end up near the top tier of players,

But anyway, is that not my point? All our best players leave, all of them. It does happen to an extent at other clubs, but once someone has one good season here, they want out. I suspect Coutinho will be leaving next summer, Ibe the one after. There's something wrong with our ability to convince them that it's good for their careers to stay. Rodgers can be blamed to a degree, but it's been happening for a long time before him,

Maybe the only way to change the trend is to start winning the league, I don't know. Or maybe it's down to money. Or maybe it's just down to our leaderships management skills.

It doesn't really matter who among them is the most hyped. The point is that all 4 are very hyped, all 4 could and probably will end up playing for CL clubs, and yet only one is agitating for a move: the youngest one, and the one at the biggest club.

Does that not suggest he's exceptionally unreasonable and demanding and not something you'd expect to see from Ibe and Coutinho (who in fact we haven't seen it from, even though he's older and better)?

 

[refugee]

I disagree. I've thought for weeks that City's desperation to sign young English players is a big opportunity for us. I'd sell them Henderson too while we're at it. They get a couple of players IMO clearly worse than what that money could actually be spent on; we get £60m+ to spend on a couple of forwards, and Milner into the bargain.

It'd be an audacious coup.

Only if we buy good forwards

And I have zero faith in whoever is identifying our targets.

 

[peterhague]

No shit.

 

[jexykrodic]

Sterling is worth more than all them, he's the most hyped, and the most likely to end up near the top tier of players,

But anyway, is that not my point? All our best players leave, all of them. It does happen to an extent at other clubs, but once someone has one good season here, they want out. I suspect Coutinho will be leaving next summer, Ibe the one after. There's something wrong with our ability to convince them that it's good for their careers to stay. Rodgers can be blamed to a degree, but it's been happening for a long time before him,

Maybe the only way to change the trend is to start winning the league, I don't know. Or maybe it's down to money. Or maybe it's just down to our leaderships management skills.

I don't think the current difficulties with renewing contracts is unique to Liverpool, Utd have lost Ronaldo and now almost certainly DeGea to Madrid, Rooney was set to leave unless his demands were met, they had to stuff his mouth with gold.

Arsenal have been selling their best players for years.

Only Citeh and Chelsea can retain their stars and that's simply because they pay huge wages. I read this morning that Citeh may offer 200k per week to Sterling, that's a very great deal and bound to turn the head of anyone. I doubt Raheem's considering where it's best for him to grow as a player he's probably dreaming of all the shit he can buy. And you can be damn sure his agent will be encouraging him.

 

[Frogfish]

I posted recently in another thread that I used to go for 7/10s rather than 10/10s because it's less hassle.

I've just realised that Liverpool FC are jacking my style.

I'm forwarding that post to yer missus !

 

[Frogfish]

Have any of you who says we dont need Sterling as we have Ibe ever thought that we dont need Suarez as we have Sturridge?

No.

 

[Frogfish]

Or thought about the fact that Ibe will want to leave in a year or two if we keep letting our better players go?

An assumption at best.

It's not surprising however that our best players will want to go to the likes of Real, Barca or Chelsea, because currently it means more money and guaranteed trophies and that would sway most players if they thought they were good enough and the opportunity came along.

 

[C/O]

I'm forwarding that post to yer missus !

She already nose.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

An assumption at best.

It's not surprising however that our best players will want to go to the likes of Real, Barca or Chelsea, because currently it means more money and guaranteed trophies and that would sway most players if they thought they were good enough and the opportunity came along.

Of course I'm guessing, but the recent past has shown it's pretty likely.

I agree with your second paragraph, I'm not surprised Sterling might want to go, and don't particularly blame him.

We do need to get better at keeping our players though. We, at least, seem to have learned to get a top price, but it'd be nice to keep the odd one, seeing as we're not very good at replacing them.

 

[Robonoodle]

A footballer's career is relatively short-lived, so if we don't find a way to win consistently, challenge for (and win) trophies consistently, if we don't bring in the players that will develop us as a squad instead of packing out that squad with mediocrity, then our best players will leave in order to realise their ambitions elsewhere.

 

[gkmacca]

If Sterling goes somewhere else and says - as, inevitably, he will - the new coach has improved him. Rodgers' head would explode.

 

[Leo]

If only Raheem had the same respect as Stevie.

 

[jexykrodic]

If only Raheem had the same respect as Stevie.

When I see that photo of Brendan my first thought is to ask him where his caravan is.