[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=46909.msg1401668#msg1401668 date=1316418437]
[quote author=dmishra link=topic=46909.msg1401661#msg1401661 date=1316418014]
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=46909.msg1401656#msg1401656 date=1316417188]
[quote author=dmishra link=topic=46909.msg1401654#msg1401654 date=1316416907]
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=46909.msg1401646#msg1401646 date=1316413371]
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=46909.msg1401638#msg1401638 date=1316404997]
So in summary, we need more world class players in attack.
Whodathunkiteh?
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Go on Ryan, who would you have signed that would have come to us?
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I can't believe this argument is still doing the rounds.
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The below 4 were linked with us this summer [or we made offers]:
Phil Jones - Where did he end up?
Ashley Young - Where did he end up?
Juan Mata - Where did he end up?
Kun Aguero - Where di he end up?
That's 4 examples I've just given you that should end your idiotic "I can't believe this arguement is doing the round" post ... If you want to use the Suarez example (we got bloody lucky, thankfully) as the reason why we can sign anyone, go ahead. Have a blast.
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I've refuted this argument with examples about a gazillion times during the summer. Oncy made an entire post out of it. I really can't be arsed doing it again.
It's an utterly ridiculous argument. Even assuming for a second you're right, we could have got the quality we bought at half the price we paid for them.
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Yes, we overpaid on Downing by a few million. Henderson - I don't know how much he really cost (13 - 17?), but I think 13 is 'going market' for up n' coming England midfielder. 7 million for Adam is fine. 35 for Carroll is ... uuuh ... next.
I don't think it's ridiculous when you're in direct competition with the Mancs/Shitty/Chavs for the same player. If either of those teams had come in for Suarez at the time we did (none of them did), are you 100% certain he'd have come to us? Go on ...
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I agree it may not be ridiculous when you're in direct competition with the Mancs/City/Chelsea for the same player. But why on earth do we have to be in direct competition. The transfer market is all about making shrewd deals, and finding good value. And there is ALWAYS good value to be had, regardless of whether you're a CL club or not.
We didn't get Suarez because we were 'lucky'. We got him because we were shrewd.
And just to give you an idea, here's a list of few players who moved to non-CL clubs this summer:
Lamela
Pjanic
Osvaldo
Vucinic
Elia
Matri
Cazorla
Toulalan
Turan
Falcao
Herrera
Menez
Sissoko
Pastore
Now, I don't know about you, but there a lot of players in there I'd have signed rather than Downing, Henderson or Carroll. I can also do a list of players who moved to CL clubs, but who we certainly could have competed for. There are also LOADS of players who never moved (and play for non-CL clubs) this transfer window, who would probably have been better and cheaper than the signings we made. There are similar (and possibly better) lists for each of the last 5 transfer windows. I'm not going to do that - I'll just borrow Oncy's list for reference.
Dzeko
Silva
Toure
Balotelli
Adebayor
Robinho
Kompany
Elano
Suarez
Johnson
Tevez
Lescott
Defoe
Modric
Bent
Bale
Diego
Melo
Cavani
Casano
Aguero
Ronaldinho
Pato
Iaquinta
Meireles
Mascherano
Diarra
D'Allesandro
Mendieta
Riquelme
Quaresma
Marquez
Davids
I think the point is well established. CL football is only ONE of the reasons players make a move. There are hundreds of reasons, and I'm ready to bet that the reasons below would attract 95% of the world's footballers to us.
1. We're one of the most successful teams of all time in England and Europe
2. We have one of the most iconic stadiums in the world
3. We have the most legendary fans in the world
4. We've had top drawer success in the recent past
5. We've had world class players playing for us ALL throughout our history
6. We still have at least 3 world class players in the squad
7. We're a globally recognised brand
8. We play in possibly the most commercially lucrative, most televised, and arguably the best footballing league in the world
9. We're financially healthy and ambitious having spent more than a 100 million pounds since January
10. We pay higher wages to our players than probably 90% of the clubs in the world
11. We're Liverpool Fucking Football Club
Therefore, if the argument is that we can't attract players of a calibre higher than that of Henderson, Downing and Carroll, then it's utterly stupid, unfounded and downright insulting.
Oh, and as for the money we actually spent - Downing, Carroll and Henderson - 70 million. Anyone who doesn't think we overspent by AT LEAST 30 million on those three needs serious psychiatric help.