What fucking bollocks.
Will.I.An
- Thread starter Hansern
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What fucking bollocks.
why?
No, I read it on Twitter.
Quite
You hadn't heard or mentioned of this guy until last week, but now you're saying he would have guaranteed us a Champions League place.
Amazing stuff.
I had heard of him before, especially when he was linked with City and played against Chelsea for Shaktar.
Obviously I can't guarantee champs league football, but his quality would massively increase our chances and sadly the chances of Spurs.
I'd love to know how our list of targets has changed over the summer and how aggressively we've pursued the various players we've been credibly linked to.
Were we seriously in for Costa? Was Willian someone we really really wanted or did we just chance our arm in the hope of getting a bargain?
I think Willian will prove to be a good signing for Spurs and we will rue missing out on him (that is, if we were dead set on getting him). Hope I'm wrong.
Were we seriously in for Costa? Was Willian someone we really really wanted or did we just chance our arm in the hope of getting a bargain?
I think Willian will prove to be a good signing for Spurs and we will rue missing out on him (that is, if we were dead set on getting him). Hope I'm wrong.
Liverpool's true status highlighted by losing out in transfer window to Tottenham Hotspur . . . . once again
Liverpool could be forgiven for thinking there is some kind of surveillance system in their scouting department with a direct link to White Hart Lane.
London calling: even north London appears more tempting than Liverpool for some players nowadays Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Chris Bascombe
10:30PM BST 20 Aug 2013
171 Comments
As Brazilian midfielder Willian underwent his Tottenham Hotspur medical, he became the latest in a series of former Anfield targets who had taken a detour to north London.
Liverpool were also interested in Roma’s Erik Lamela, but he too appears to be heading into the arms of Andre Villas-Boas.
On deadline day a year ago it was Clint Dempsey, Liverpool’s summer long chase ending at the 11th hour when the American international left Fulham. A few weeks earlier Gylfi Sigurddson opted for a more lucrative contract at Spurs, much to the despair of Brendan Rodgers who had managed the Icelandic international at Swansea.
Go back another 12 months and even Liverpool’s efforts to sign Brad Friedel as back-up to Pepe Reina were undone when Harry Redknapp convinced the American he would get more first-team action at Tottenham.
It was even suggested Liverpool had to fight off Spurs late move for Daniel Sturridge last December.
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The reality, of course, is less to do with Spurs discreetly shadowing Liverpool’s every move and more a consequence of two clubs operating in the same market, for similar calibre stars, with the same ambitions of breaking the Champions League stranglehold the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Arsenal currently hold.
For Liverpool to be overlooked for top four teams is understandable, that Spurs are now perceived as a more likely Champions League participant next season is more galling.
It’s an uncomfortable truth which has been creeping up on Liverpool for the past few years – a fact John W. Henry recently acknowledged – that reputation alone is not enough and Liverpool must get back into Europe to win the off-field as much as on-field scraps.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan delivered the first major blow of the summer, joining the Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund.
Two weeks ago, Diego Costa and his representatives expertly exploited serious Liverpool interest to secure a new deal at Atletico Madrid.
Steven Jovetic also met Liverpool representatives prior to accepting a move to Manchester City.
There is a tendency to look beyond the most obvious reason for why this has happened, but the fact is joining Liverpool is not the summit of the ambitions of every top footballer. Spurs, even if their current European participation is of the less glamorous variety, are currently a bigger draw.
It’s not simply about finances and it is certainly not about the ambition of the owners who are eager to spend but will not compromise on their refusal to repeat past mistakes of overpaying for underperformance.
In all these summer deals, Liverpool are not just paying the price for finishing 7th, 6th, 8th and 7th in successive seasons, but also for all those high-profile transfer failures which Henry has scrutinised in detail.
He is adamant that, while more time consuming, the current approach of standing firm on valuations will yield longer term stability and success. In both the Willian and Mkhitaryan cases Liverpool thought a deal was in place but were then asked for more money when a rival entered the bidding. That said, both players would have been at Anfield if that’s what they really wanted.
Now the club is assessing other targets, prepared to shrug off dissent at losing Willian.
“A year ago we were getting slaughtered for not signing Dempsey. Would anyone suggest walking away was not the correct move now?” was how one Liverpool official put it.
Indeed, Henry felt compelled to write a letter of explanation following that withdrawal.
Liverpool bought Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge instead of Dempsey and Sigurdsson. If their scouts deliver similarly sound alternatives the blow of losing another target to Tottenham will be softened.
Liverpool could be forgiven for thinking there is some kind of surveillance system in their scouting department with a direct link to White Hart Lane.
London calling: even north London appears more tempting than Liverpool for some players nowadays Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Chris Bascombe
10:30PM BST 20 Aug 2013
As Brazilian midfielder Willian underwent his Tottenham Hotspur medical, he became the latest in a series of former Anfield targets who had taken a detour to north London.
Liverpool were also interested in Roma’s Erik Lamela, but he too appears to be heading into the arms of Andre Villas-Boas.
On deadline day a year ago it was Clint Dempsey, Liverpool’s summer long chase ending at the 11th hour when the American international left Fulham. A few weeks earlier Gylfi Sigurddson opted for a more lucrative contract at Spurs, much to the despair of Brendan Rodgers who had managed the Icelandic international at Swansea.
Go back another 12 months and even Liverpool’s efforts to sign Brad Friedel as back-up to Pepe Reina were undone when Harry Redknapp convinced the American he would get more first-team action at Tottenham.
It was even suggested Liverpool had to fight off Spurs late move for Daniel Sturridge last December.
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15 Aug 2013 - Liverpool plan £30m bid for Willian
13 Aug 2013 - Liverpool target Diego Costa 'not for sale'
06 Aug 2013
The reality, of course, is less to do with Spurs discreetly shadowing Liverpool’s every move and more a consequence of two clubs operating in the same market, for similar calibre stars, with the same ambitions of breaking the Champions League stranglehold the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Arsenal currently hold.
For Liverpool to be overlooked for top four teams is understandable, that Spurs are now perceived as a more likely Champions League participant next season is more galling.
It’s an uncomfortable truth which has been creeping up on Liverpool for the past few years – a fact John W. Henry recently acknowledged – that reputation alone is not enough and Liverpool must get back into Europe to win the off-field as much as on-field scraps.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan delivered the first major blow of the summer, joining the Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund.
Two weeks ago, Diego Costa and his representatives expertly exploited serious Liverpool interest to secure a new deal at Atletico Madrid.
Steven Jovetic also met Liverpool representatives prior to accepting a move to Manchester City.
There is a tendency to look beyond the most obvious reason for why this has happened, but the fact is joining Liverpool is not the summit of the ambitions of every top footballer. Spurs, even if their current European participation is of the less glamorous variety, are currently a bigger draw.
It’s not simply about finances and it is certainly not about the ambition of the owners who are eager to spend but will not compromise on their refusal to repeat past mistakes of overpaying for underperformance.
In all these summer deals, Liverpool are not just paying the price for finishing 7th, 6th, 8th and 7th in successive seasons, but also for all those high-profile transfer failures which Henry has scrutinised in detail.
He is adamant that, while more time consuming, the current approach of standing firm on valuations will yield longer term stability and success. In both the Willian and Mkhitaryan cases Liverpool thought a deal was in place but were then asked for more money when a rival entered the bidding. That said, both players would have been at Anfield if that’s what they really wanted.
Now the club is assessing other targets, prepared to shrug off dissent at losing Willian.
“A year ago we were getting slaughtered for not signing Dempsey. Would anyone suggest walking away was not the correct move now?” was how one Liverpool official put it.
Indeed, Henry felt compelled to write a letter of explanation following that withdrawal.
Liverpool bought Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge instead of Dempsey and Sigurdsson. If their scouts deliver similarly sound alternatives the blow of losing another target to Tottenham will be softened.
Do I really have to explain? You really think signing this bloke is the difference between CL and not? Don't be embarrassing.
It would appear that you're trolling so that's the end of that.
But chose not to mention him....
He's worth about £20m. Tops.
so you think he can make the different between champs league footie too? *runs*
No mate he's not.
He's worth whatever it takes to get him plus the agent fees and whatever else. Cos he's aces on Fifa or some other cunty game. Plus I tried him in my team and we won the League 3 years on the bounce and the European cup....
I'm glad we have closure
R
RedZeppelin III
Guest
so without being able to attract top quality players, what is the realistic timescale for getting back into the top 4 ?
It is a strange feeling in my life as a Liverpool Supporter to find that players are turning us down on such a frequent basis now. However, reading that article - I feel that we are doing the right thing. It gives me some hope that the players we may sign instead (if any) are going to be better for us.
Unless we sign a good alternative like a Sturridge or a Coutinho. Unlike Arsenal.
Not about the ones we missed out on turning out shit, but rather our alternatives turning out even better, for cheaper.
Chickened out of paying £30m+ for a player who's well over valued? Weren't you one of the many moaning about Carroll and Downing for the last couple of years?
Spurs have spent close to what they are about to bag for Bale, will anyone criticise their net spend? No. People will bang on about how ambitious they are while conveniently overlooking the fact that they've just sold their best player to fund it, while we've kept ours. But hey ho, we're chumps anyway for not magicking £30m out of thin air.
Get real.
People are seriously looking at this the wrong way. We got one upped in the transfer market by a club in the capital, who are in Europe and have just sold their best player to the tune of near £100m. What's tragic and underachieving about that? It happens, there's no way we should even be allowing ourselves to get dragged into these bidding wars at that price, I thought we'd learned from our mistakes. It's even more infuriating listening to fans chastise us for not spending over the odds, just because he's Brazilian instead of from the North East. It's still a massive gamble with big money that could hit us for six further down the line, we're already still recuperating from that shite, the sort of stuff which prompts your above question.
We need to be spending wisely and being clever in the market, there's no real justification for getting dragged into the latest going rate, just as a fucking fashion statement.
But but he's from Brazil.
Missing out on our top targets don't make us the new Arsenal. Rather its a reflection on our declined standing in the game and reflects diminishing returns as a result of no European football.
The window is still open and we need at least 2 quality signing to go directly into the first team. Our squad is still thin in numbers but its quality ahead of all else that we must concentrate on. Get that right and we'll be fighting for those European places, don't and we'll decline further into oblivion making the gap to step up even more considerable..
The window is still open and we need at least 2 quality signing to go directly into the first team. Our squad is still thin in numbers but its quality ahead of all else that we must concentrate on. Get that right and we'll be fighting for those European places, don't and we'll decline further into oblivion making the gap to step up even more considerable..
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