03 May 2015 21:05:58
Hello Ed002,
the season is almost over, CL spot is still possible but will be hard to get. I don`t want to ask you about BR`s future, we`ll see what happens. I`d like to ask you for your opinion and/or rating of all the new players brought in 2014/2015. If you find some time and the subject is interesting enough your opinion will be surely appreciated. All the best!

{Ed002's Note - OK Tom, this is a quick top-down "what I said" compared to "what I think now". I hope it helps.

Owners:
02-Oct-2014: The owners are without doubt targeting two things on field - winning the EPL and winning the Champions League. They purchased a club that had great history but was a little down on luck. With the right people and with the right investment expectations were high. They have poured money in to the club accumulating losses and very significant debt. The commitment and push this summer was to achieve the goals - I am told that winning the EPL and challenging for the Champions League were promised.}
The owners took over the Red Sox with a goal to change it around and win the World Series. They funded significant changes and rebuilt the stadium. They had no problems making very significant changes to the coaching staff. They achieved their goal. Aside from Francona who was around a few years (because of his success) they have regularly changed manager/coach in search of success). They are good owners, but much of the "love" they show for the club is posturing - the bottom line is that they are unforgiving businessmen who will be ruthless to achieve their aims. At Liverpool they were looking to do the same with defined targets of the EPL and the Champions League.
04-May-2015: I don’t think too much has changed.

Rodgers:
14-Sep-2014: It is clear that Rodgers has been the proverbial kid in the candy store with his pocket money. I said before that if Rodgers buys simply for the sake of it or simply to give the fans the "marquee" player they desire, then it may well end in tears. I will stand by that.
04-May-2015:
Again I stand by that, the purchases have been generally poor. The man-management (e.g. Assaidi, Suso, Balotelli, Sterling) has been very poor.
21-Sep-2014
I have explained the caveat emptor around Mr Rodgers. I have explained his inability to deal with the press in verbal exchanges without putting his or someone else's foot in his mouth - countered only by the Liverpool fans that see him as the world's finest orator. Maybe they should search this site for "blip", "second part of the season", "gel" or "intensity". I have also explained that the purchases included knee-jerk buys and the likely attempt to placate those fans who desire the "marquee" superstar - perhaps searching for "all end in tears" would find my thoughts on that.
04-May-2015: I suspect I was right.

Balotelli:
14-Sep-2014: Balotelli is a very good player - however I am far from convinced he is what Liverpool need. But then again I am not convinced at all now that the players that have arrived this summer are all what Liverpool need.
04-May-2015: I stand by that. His time at Liverpool has shown it to be a mistake. A deal with Fiorentina may be possible if Liverpool are sensible about the fee.

Markovic:
14-Jul-2014: Markovic is a player that Chelsea were looking to leave in Benfica for another year to mature as a person and a player. A lot is expected of him in the longer term but they could have paid Benfica €7.5M for him this summer and chose not to.
22-Jul-2014: I fear to some extent that it has been a bit of a kid in a candy store with his pocket money. There are a couple of risky purchases, Markovic for example. Whilst much is expected of him Liverpool has spent €25M plus some very high agent fees on him (in addition to all of the other costs) when Chelsea were looking to leave him to learn to train better and hone his skills for another year in Portugal - and decided against taking him for €7.5M this summer. The deal with Liverpool suits Chelsea financially but I think it may be tough to get an immediate return.
04-May-2015: A lot of money for a player who simply was not ready – he will stay but his value will now be less than half what Liverpool paid. The money could have been spent better elsewhere. Liverpool perhaps should have considered the rationale behind Chelsea stepping away.

Lambert:
22-Jul-2014: Lambert will do a good job as and when called upon.
04-May-2015: Hardly been seen and given little chance to prove his worth. But likely good value for money.

Lallana:
22-Jul-2014: I expect Lallana to do well and suspect you might have a future Liverpool captain there.
04-May-2015: Season blighted by injury. If he can stay fit then I am confined he will be a good, but expensive, buy.

Can:
14-Jul-2014: Can will need to be eased in I suspect - much is expected of him.
22-Jul-2014: Bayern decided against taking Can for €5M this year because, like Chelsea with Markovic, they don't see him as ready yet. He will need to be eased in. I spoke with someone who knows the player very well and suggested Liverpool might want to try him at left back if needs must. His reservations were around his attempts at little tricks with the ball losing the side possession - but he can learn to overcome that.
04-May-2015: Can has done well by all accounts but I am aware he is far from being a right back, centre back or right wing back.
Moreno:

14-Jul-2014: I see Moreno as a serious mistake if it happens. Bertrand would be good value.
14-May-2015: Moreno likely still wants to move to Real Madrid and this season has far from enhanced his reputation. For me, Liverpool should have pushed on and purchased Bertrand for £8M. Liverpool perhaps should have considered the rationale behind Chelsea stepping away from Moreno.

Manquillo:
19-Sep-2014: (1) The deal for Manquillo is for two years on loan with an option for Liverpool to buy at the end (in accordance with the revised loan rules). There is also an option for Atletico Madrid to take him back at the end of the year - with a small payment going to Liverpool.
14-May-2015: I have no idea what will happen with him.

And some of the others:
29-Aug-2014:

Fabio Borini – club want him sold
Joe Allen – squad player
Oussama Assaidi – club want him sold
Nuri Sahin – loan that never worked out
Samed Yesil – left on loan
Daniel Sturridge – good buy, good price, great return on investment – let’s hope he can work with Balotelli.
Philippe Coutinho – still on the fringe a little but a good buy, good price – will he have a regular place with the new players coming in?
João Carlos Teixeira – high expectations, out on loan – will he ever get a chance
Luis Alberto - left on loan
Iago Aspas - left on loan
Simon Mignolet – played all of last season and team got second place
Kolo Touré – club were willing to let him move on but personal terms could not be agreed
Aly Cissokho – loan that never worked out
Mamadou Sakho – club may well have replaced him with a player they could have bought last year for less than half of what was paid for Kirikou
Tiago Ilori - left on loan
Victor Moses – loan that never worked out
04-May-2015:
Fabio Borini – club still want him sold
Joe Allen – still a squad player
Oussama Assaidi – finally sold in January
Nuri Sahin – loan that never worked out
Samed Yesil – never got a loan as injury blighted – now back and a decision needs to be made this summer about a 21 year old who will now need a structure to his future
Daniel Sturridge – an injury hit season and lots of frequent flyer miles figuring it out.
Philippe Coutinho – Very much his season – has grown as the season has progressed and is probably the pick of the players.
João Carlos Teixeira – high expectations remain, loan cut short due to injury – will he ever get a chance
Luis Alberto – I expect him to leave this summer
Iago Aspas - I expect him to leave this summer
Simon Mignolet – seems to have secured his place as Liverpool are looking to Jones to extend and maybe the club will step back from looking for a goalkeeper
Kolo Touré – offered new deal – future still unclear to me.
Aly Cissokho – loan that never worked out
Mamadou Sakho – unsettled earlier in the season but Lovren having patchy form has given him another chance.
Tiago Ilori - left on loan
Victor Moses – loan that never worked out
Coates – out on loan, the club will look to sell but the player wants to stay in England
Ilori – out on loan and up for sale – overpriced by the club
Origi – out on loan, over-priced and far from “world class” right now – very poor season
Lovren - patchy at best - very overpriced }


1.) 04 May 2015
04 May 2015 08:47:30
Awesome reply eds02.
We appreciate and respct all the hard wok u put in. :-D

{Ed002's Note - You are very sweet.}


2.) 04 May 2015
04 May 2015 08:51:05
Great update thanks Ed


3.) 04 May 2015
04 May 2015 09:37:11
Spot on ed

Agree 100% to many mistakes made over the last 20 years which has put us in this position.

Hopefully FSG will realise this and start getting us on the correct path again.


4.) 04 May 2015
04 May 2015 09:52:33
The fact that we are stepping back from buying a keeper worries me. Jones is not an adequate backup keeper. In fact, he's looked horrible.

{Ed002's Note - It is true that Liverpool have offered Brad Jones and extension and I understand that there is a lot of resentment being shown by the fans on social media - and I am being polite. To me this is unacceptable but that is, I guess, the way many fans show their disdain now. As for the offer, it may simply be a matter of the money not being available, or none of the out of contract goal keepers looked at are interested in sitting on the bench at Liverpool.}


5.) 04 May 2015
04 May 2015 10:29:39
How simple everything looks when the overall picture is described by somebody that really knows. Thank you Ed002!

Basically, if this was a school report, BR would be in a little trouble and the head teacher would not want that bad mark on the school. Problem is that it was the head teacher that gave him the prefect badge.

Love the club or not, I hope FSG can see it like you have explained it and being ruthless business people expel this pupil post haste.


6.) 04 May 2015
04 May 2015 10:31:09
Dwarfonaboat

Mignolet has done enough this season to show he can be our number 1.

I think we have other issues to deal with rather than a new keeper ie a goal scorer.

Although for what jones can do I'd personally just go with ward as backup


7.) 04 May 2015
04 May 2015 11:15:01
Definately agree with Lavers. I, however, still think Migs needs some competition. I was hoping we'd try to do what Arsenal did regarding Their No. 1 'Keeper (Wojciech Szczęsny) and Ospina. They bought someone who wasn't going to go straight into the first team, but had the potential to overtake Szczęsny had his poor form continued. that's what we need.

{Ed002's Note - They have two decidedly average goalkeepers which is why they want Cech.}


8.) 04 May 2015
04 May 2015 13:12:53
Thanks Ed, a great summary

I can't help but think that we could have done better at integrating new signings though which might have helped things. Markovic is a classic example where regular 20-30min spells when we're already up in the game would have done him a world of good and given him the chance to build confidence. Likewise Balo starting upfront on his own instead of giving him a striker partner upfront. He played his best in his first game with Studge as a partner but never since?

Hopefully next season sees a few of the signings more settled following a proper pre-season, but most importantly being played in position.


9.) 04 May 2015
04 May 2015 21:06:03
Superb and sound reflections Ed. Can't help but feel that Lambert would have benefitted from more minutes, and maybe would have if Lallana had stayed fit.
All we really need in the summer is a good striker, goals we have lacked. Defense has improved over the season, but still shaky. Much improved since Migs has got his confidence back.
Enthralling long and frustrating season in equal measure.