Liverpool Banter Archive January 08 2018

08 Jan 2018 23:55:47
Does anyone fancy a game of random name generator?

If you could pick one name in football, currently playing that we could spend the coutinho money on who would it be? (Whether they would come or not)

I personally love watching Marco Veratti play and although I haven't watched him all that extensively, he exudes class every time I see him. He would add everything we need in a midfielder.

I know nothing of his off field demeanour but on it, he seems to have got the lot.

09 Jan 2018 00:16:21
Joshua Kimmich.

09 Jan 2018 00:29:22
Good shout, might mean curtains for Arnold and Gomez though.

09 Jan 2018 00:25:51
De Bruyne.

09 Jan 2018 00:59:33
Ha! Yea I like it. He'd probably cost more than Neymar at the moment, but what a player. Sorry if I'm swearing but he's the closest thing to Gerrard I've seen.

09 Jan 2018 01:03:40
Hazard.

09 Jan 2018 01:53:44
Luis Suarez back memories imagine him again the 2nd coming.

09 Jan 2018 02:06:24
Isco or de bruyne for me.

09 Jan 2018 03:25:38
Arturo Vidal - getting on a bit but think he would be the deep midfielder to take us to another level.

09 Jan 2018 04:49:53
Luan Vieira.

09 Jan 2018 06:16:16
KDB. end of story.

09 Jan 2018 07:32:48
Dybala for me.

09 Jan 2018 08:37:22
Verratti the closest thing you have seen to Gerrard? Like seriously? Verratti? Did you only watch Gerrard's last 2-3 seasons at Anfield when he played deeper in midfield? I am seriously curious. Because Gerrard and Veratti are 2 very very different players.

09 Jan 2018 08:39:04
Asensio.

09 Jan 2018 17:24:33
No sorry, not Veratti, De Bruyne. I was replying to Salah :)

08 Jan 2018 23:15:51
Hi eds
If and if lemar was to leave who stands a better chance us united or araenal of getting him. Agents these days are easily persuading players into changing minds.

08 Jan 2018 22:58:11
Evening Eds and fellow reds,

Not a rumour just wondering folks opinions. So just out of curiousity who would take Arda Turan on a 6 month loan as cover until the summer when we can spend a bit more wisely and a lot more easily?
I know he's past his best and his wages are likely to be daft but as I said I'm just curious.

{Ed0333's Note - mate why would we take a player well past his best and on inflated wages? Wouldn’t it be best to give one of the kids a go namely Woodburn who plays on the left?

09 Jan 2018 00:39:03
No. Not at all.

09 Jan 2018 06:17:27
Woodburn is a better option.

09 Jan 2018 10:23:16
Cheers folks. I’d agree with Woodburn, only concern with Woodburn would be that bit of experience but then again you don’t get that without playing.
As I said it was more out of curiosity to see opinions after spotting his name. All the best 😁.

08 Jan 2018 21:02:22
West Brom at home is one of the best games we could of hoped for, prem opposition so won't be taken lightly, but at the same time their focus is currently at the wrong end of the table so they might rest a few players.

I would rather face a prem team at home then a lower league team away, those matches you have nothing to gain and everything to lose.
Utd and Spurs will not have it easy in the next set of matches.

08 Jan 2018 23:09:31
sorry Carra, but west brom at home will be even harder than the everton game, they won't be resting any players, we played them recently, and could not break them down,
so expect a very hard game, with west brom using every trick in the book to get something from the game,
people should think about the football gods, cough cough, in once again trying to get certain teams to the semi final .

08 Jan 2018 20:27:18
So, VAR is bsing introduced for the first time tonight.

United fans must have been counting their lucky stars that this has only just been trialled and not 27 years ago 😂😂.

08 Jan 2018 21:07:16
Nice one, Drogie.

08 Jan 2018 21:36:55
Would have been useful in the Leicester and Stoke games you won when the ball went out of play before your goals.

08 Jan 2018 23:20:10
Out of interest scholes, why are you actually here?

I'd stick my finger in boiling water even if I accidentally clicked on Manure's page.

09 Jan 2018 00:23:09
Whats amusing is that you have to come here to spout off.

09 Jan 2018 00:56:23
scholes _18 _18 has come to join in with us top class liverpool supporters i mean you don't get much sense out of there lot 😂.

09 Jan 2018 02:10:48
Thats unfair knuckle dragger, i regularly frequent the everton and united pages for a quick pick me up. Some of the comments even make our fans look intelligent!

08 Jan 2018 20:00:17
Another prem draw for us! Howard Webb F. C. handed another nice easy draw but hey ho we should beat West Brom.

08 Jan 2018 20:13:11
Got to beat top flight opponents at some point if you’re going to win it.

08 Jan 2018 20:14:11
I’d rather play WBA at home than Yeovil away.

08 Jan 2018 20:24:48
I agree Smeg Head, would make us take the match more seriously.

08 Jan 2018 21:38:17
Least you guys can win the West Brom cup again, only thing you've won under Klipperty isn't it? 👋🏻.

08 Jan 2018 21:48:19
Bored are we?

08 Jan 2018 22:14:41
scholes, think you are being a bit forgetful, think there is a name for that, ask Conte.

08 Jan 2018 22:16:02
No Woollyback, just like paying the Liverpool page a visit to see the delusion your fans spout, very amusing i must say!

08 Jan 2018 22:54:13
no scholes, we haven't actually won that one.

08 Jan 2018 19:50:43
Anyone expecting an new GK in this window need to have a real strong cup of coffee.

Let's just be happy that Klopp is building a proper squad. Who knows, we might get one or even two surprises before the window shuts.

Come what may, with or without Coutinho, our squad is may much better than what it was before Klopp took over and we are looking really strong at the moment.

Top 4 place up for grabs and we have the next stage of CL to look forward to.

Keep the faith!

08 Jan 2018 20:10:26
As regards to a gk. It was interesting watching Karius the other night and the way VVD kept calling him out to collect the ball. It was a bit shaky but I think he could develop an understanding and in turn confidence to improve with that guidance. Also I think VVD could be a good shout for captain.

08 Jan 2018 20:11:10
Last season Coutinho played on the left and Mane played on the right, signing Salah and shifting Mane to the left in reality replaced Coutinho and Chamberlain is the cover in case of serious injuries not to have the same meltdown when Mane went to AFCON and then was injured. Or maybe i'm completely wrong. Coutinho has been very soft in midfield for us this season when played there, he has been much tougher in previous seasons when played in midfield.

08 Jan 2018 21:18:18
I saw that too, Hitmonjim. If you watch Karius' other games with Klavan and Matip or Lovs at CB, they always pass the ball to Karius and he deals with it. Here, there was clear miscommunication as Karius was expecting VVD to pass him the ball and VVD expected Karius to come for the ball from quite a distance. This caused the nervousness that really, a a word or two between both of them would have fixed this issue.

Karius is still the better GK than Migs and all that is needed is for him and his back line VVD included, to forge a better understanding as a group as he NEVER had this problem with the other CB's. But this is easier said than done as the guy only plays once a month.

08 Jan 2018 23:26:31
He doesn't seem to have problem with the other centre backs because they never talk to each other. A bit of communication and organisation will do wonders I think. A bit of a change to the status quo is what VVD was bought for.

08 Jan 2018 19:49:07
Might get shot down for this but yano fair play to Coutinho, lame he left in January but reading his statement seeing the pictures of him watching and cheering the derby make me think yano it’s his dream club. I understand that’s his dream he loves us but that’s where he’s dreamt of playing and the opportunity came to him. Thanks for the five years Phil good luck and enjoy. Nice to see the reply’s to his team mates on instagram.

08 Jan 2018 19:54:26
Who’s Yano?

08 Jan 2018 19:59:13
He could of choosen to go in summer instead he spat the dummy out don't let your heart rule matters.

08 Jan 2018 20:02:59
Totally agree and he’s made us £137 million profit 👍.

08 Jan 2018 20:09:08
Fella who lives at the back of me clearly.

08 Jan 2018 20:34:58
The only person who this season has recovered more quickly from injury than Coutinho will - is the Evertonian on crutches in the Annie Rd end Friday!

08 Jan 2018 21:08:33
I read today he actually is still injured possibly put for three weeks. Don’t know how true it is like.

08 Jan 2018 21:50:22
Why would you not play a match-fit player who has just cost you £140m? I don’t doubt he is actually injured. Being nasty just makes us look small. Onwards Reds.

09 Jan 2018 08:57:33
At the start of the season, he faked an injury to try and force a move. I don't care about what he says, he doesn't respect the fans and I wish him nothing special.

08 Jan 2018 19:41:22
Hi Ed, do we hold any interest in jean Michael seri? I've never seen him play but heard he's s diniksr style player to Phil and that Barcelona were linked with him in the summer. Probably a wild stab but thought I'd ask. Have a great day.

{Ed002's Note - Try the search engine please.}

08 Jan 2018 19:22:38
A home tie against the baggies, I'll take that. Hopefully we can score this time 😂.

08 Jan 2018 19:32:02
I know it’s lfc page but wow

Yeovil v Utd and Newport v Spuds

What a draw.

08 Jan 2018 19:52:45
We drew out Man united in the rehearsal, just imagine that one after the tie against Everton!

08 Jan 2018 20:07:14
Norwich got Newcastle.

08 Jan 2018 20:14:04
Confident Norwich will win replay then Ace?

08 Jan 2018 20:27:58
Maybe Aggerdo just maybe.

08 Jan 2018 19:16:17
Anyone else watching the draw. We have west Brom btw. But why does Wisey look like he wants to wet himself laughing.

{Ed002's Note - I didn’t think his arms would be long enough to reach the balls at the bottom.}

08 Jan 2018 19:32:55
Snoop Rio couldn’t control himself.

08 Jan 2018 19:41:59
Hahahhaa @balls at the bottom. what a dirty mind.

08 Jan 2018 18:48:20
Would really love a Home Tie in FA cup later. Dream tie would be the Red Mancs. Think we are on a roll and they are struggling and would love to see the luck on Mourinhos face when VVD scores the winner amd he crys about Spending money.

08 Jan 2018 19:25:30
We have west Brom at home. I'd like to say easy tie. Now we have big Virgil I will.

08 Jan 2018 19:37:18
Also West Brom will probably consider PL survival a much more important prospect than an FA cup run.

08 Jan 2018 18:30:08
Not a rumour but I'd love for us to follow up Interest in pulisic from dortmund. Alto he would not come cheap considering what Barcelona paid them for dembele. would definitely fit Liverpools style of play.

08 Jan 2018 18:35:27
I don't think Pulisic is interested in joining us.

08 Jan 2018 18:35:45
Pulisic is the real deal BUT he's said he is not moving last season, this season and that he wants to stay at BVB.

08 Jan 2018 18:37:30
Absolutelya11a.

08 Jan 2018 18:38:45
(Please delete my previous reply eds, hit enter by mistake)

Absolutely agree johnnyd. Although it might be a pipedream, I hold out faint hope we hae interest and can strike a deal. He'd be perfect.

08 Jan 2018 17:41:22
So part one of my theory has been confirmed, Phil has left. Have to say, this one hurt me the most of my time of being an LFC fan in terms of sadness that a player has left. Saying that though I am not angry he left or think less of him as a person or player. Phil gave everything he had at all times (bar the fake back injury) and was a great LFC player. For 5 years I got to watch a young Brazilian with raw talent and a fro, turn into one of the most complete and best players in the world. I also understand why he left, although I may not agree with it, his dream was to be dinho, and Barcelona gives him that dream.

On to my 2nd part of my prediction that Klopp has been preparing for this. Again I do not see us buying a replacement for Phil this window and that mane will take the lw position and either ox or Adam will fill the creative mid role. Some people are begging for a direct and fast replacement for Phil but I think that would be an unwise move. 1) January is an awful time to buy, best players are cup tied, and their clubs don't want to sell so prices are higher. 2) do we need a direct attacking replacement? We have mo, Salah, mane, Dom, ben, and even Bobby who can play the lw position. In all honesty I hope we wait till the summer we're we can take our time and get players who are not tasked with replacing Phil but tasked with making us better as a whole. No one can replace Phil straight out. But we can use that money to make our overall team better than it is now.

YNWA.

08 Jan 2018 18:02:40
Completely agree dude. No time for panic. So much to play for this season. And with VVD at the back and hooefully an extended run for Karius there is no reason this season can't be a success.

08 Jan 2018 18:05:00
Great post dude, I agree that we don't need to replace Pipco immediately. I am also gutted that he has left, particularly in mid season! Your post got me thinking about other players that have left us in the past and how gutted I was. So let's play a game people, what player made you feel the most gutted when they left?
For me it has to be Torres; leaving and in the manner he did and to our biggest rivals at the time. i even banned the Mrs from mentioning his name in the house!

08 Jan 2018 18:11:38
If we don’t replace him now then we had better hope Lallana gets up to speed pretty quickly.

08 Jan 2018 18:14:40
I understand what you're implying, but define success. We need to do more than finish in the top 4. If our only goal is a Champions League spot we've now become Arsenal. I hope we have more ambition than that. I wouldn't mind eve winning the League Cup, or FA cup on top of a top 4 finish. We can even make the Round of 8 or semifinals of the Champions League. We are never going to attract players just making the top 4. Hopefully we overachieve this year so recruitment goes easier in the summer. I don't want players who just are looking for a payout, I want players who want the challenge and would take pride in putting us back on top.

08 Jan 2018 18:08:06
We need a passer of the ball in midfield. Maybe lallana can do that but it is a unknown really after his injury. He currently looks very rusty judging by last few games.

The ox has been decent last month or so but again I feel we are asking a lot of him to be that creative player in a midfield three when he’s played so many different positions over the last few years.

We have some great players upfront in Mane, firmino and salah but all there movement will be wasted if we stick with our midfield which will look to pass sideways 99% of the time.

I’m not wanting us to necessarily go out and spend on Lemar although I’d think that be a good move. But as a minimum looking at a player such as Meyer should be looked at very seriously imo. He wouldn’t cost the world like some of the others we are linked with due to his Mmm being in his last 6months.

08 Jan 2018 18:19:35
I must say it hit me today wat we have lost but can't keep a player who telling other players in squad how much he wants too leave complete bad example for the rest, as soon as all this started in the summer transfer window I have never looked at him the same his head was completely on Barcelona as soon as there was a sniff, as good as he has played an goals he scored in my eyes he weren't our player jus biding his time for his move, I jus hope we try an bring some qaulity in.

08 Jan 2018 18:51:42
OP, I agree with your post however, I think Mane has always played the left wing whenever the Fab 4 played with Cou in the no. 10 BUT I digress. Getting someone with quality will NOT happen in Jan, IMO as no team will sell you their best player (which is what would be needed to replace Cou to some extent) as we are now seeing with Lemar do that may not happen. We will have to trust Klopp on this one and even if we bring no one in, we will have to trust him and support the team.

I also disagree that we need to do more than just get top 4. By more, what does that mean? If by more, we mean that we should try for a trophy along with top 4 then I'm all for it. However to me, top 4 is the priority here and we need that more than any trophy IMO cos Arsenal did win a trophy last season BUT finished 5th behind us and we are seeing the meltdown going on right now. The outlay for VVD and Keita and whoever will come in, should be matched by CL footie and not EL footie and a trophy as Arsenal arein meltdown mode right now.

08 Jan 2018 19:12:47
Personally I think if we buy now we will seriously be extorted into overspending. We have Keita coming in. We have lost 2 games drawn 8 which would probably be less draws with decent defending. We now have a class defender. I think we can score plenty with salah mane and form into. It's not like when Suarez left so I'm not nearly has miffed.

{Ed002's Note - Why? Liverpool have already paid or agreed to pay well over the odds for two players.}

08 Jan 2018 19:35:41
To me success this season is top 4, hopefully last 8 of champions, and fighting for the FA cup. And I see no reason why all of that cannot happen with the current squad. This season may not be the one we wanted, but as a Liverpool fan we need to start thinking realistically about where we are. If we qualify for champs again this year that would be the first time in a long time we have done so in back to back years. If we get to the last 8 of the champions league that will be the first time and a long time. If we win the FA cup that will be our first piece of silverware since 2012. I am not saying we need to start thinking like a mid league team, but the goal has to be that we are constantly improving each season so that in the near future we are set up to fight for everything that we as a club should be (the title, and being a consistent threat to win the chammpions) . If we continue to try and just buy a quick fix or path to success like we have tried in the recent past we will never get back to the standard we need to be. Patience and trust in what Klopp is doing is what we fans need to support.

08 Jan 2018 19:41:55
Exactly as Ed002 said. We have over paid twice but hopefully they are players Klopp wanted that will turn out to do us well.

I don’t get why most of us fans get caught up on the finances when really most of us don’t understand it. Plus we are going to get seriously high prices no matter what really as now the whole world knows we have some cash.

It’s just like we all felt knowing Barcelona had the neymar money. We expected a lot more than what coutinho is probably worth because we knew they had the money.

08 Jan 2018 19:52:41
It makes me laugh everytime i see someone say clubs won't sell us their best player in January yet we've just done exactly that, it still beggars belief to me that a player with a signed contract can demand to leave and refuse to play with the thousands in wages being paid every week.
Ah well maybe im just old fashioned, I still think he needed to be here till the summer.

08 Jan 2018 21:17:08
Overpaid on Who? Virgil. Well we shall see how much Evans goes for or Maguire if either are sold. Apparently citeh want either one for upwards of 40 mill so I'm not so sure 75 for virgil is extortion in this post Neymar transfer market.

{Ed002's Note - overpaid on van Dijk and Keita.}

08 Jan 2018 21:45:07
SuperGrob, The last 3 of the last 4 players that signed for or left LFC in Jan as were Studge, Suarez and you guessed it, Cou. Can you tell me what all three of these players have in common? All three forced a move away from their clubs in some way. Studge forced his move from Chelsea and did all in his power to come to LFC. Suarez bit a player in Holland and took Ajax to court just to force a move to come to LFC in Jan of 2011 and of course Cou did all he did to go to Barcelona this Jan. In two of those three cases in essence, these two players did some disgusting things to get their moves in Jan. Of course, these are not common occurrences BUT by this standard, whoever we want may have to do a Cou or Suarez to come to us and if said player won't do that and the club won't sell regardless of the offer, what can you do>?

08 Jan 2018 16:58:55
A question mainly for the Eds here.

You guys have been running this site (and its predecessor) for 15 years + now, and have no doubt been involved in the game for longer than that.

Of all of the now bountiful media outlets, which ones have consistently been most reliable when it comes to suggesting transfers about to happen, and which are the worst?

I could have an relatively accurate stab at the worst, but would rather hear your views!

Also, if you have any examples of the best or worst transfers reported as 'done' over the years, that would be good for a laugh too!

Thought it might break the cycle of "what about x, y or z" (although I hear 'z' is very close to a move and would solve all of our problems! )

{Ed002's Note - I have no idea. I obviously have no dealings with any of the media outlets but clubs do build relationships with certain journalists and that will vary club-by-club. For many regional clubs the local press might be the best shot. The nationals will often simply duplicate stories found elsewhere, and many of the mainland European sports papers are simply trading idle gossip. Papers in some countries will always link the wealthy English sides. The press agencies like The AP and others will tend to deal only in fact and avoid all conjecture. I am afraid I am not the best to ask about what is being reported.}

08 Jan 2018 17:10:00
No problem, Ed002, thanks for the answer, some great nuggets there. If Ed001's around, I'd love his view too :)

{Ed001's Note - I honestly can't think of any good media outlets any more. You need to more look at individual writers I think, and that would be beyond me as doing these sites gives me very little time to read anyone else's on a regular basis.

Most people seem to rely on SSN but they report such 'gems' as Babel flying around London on deadline day, which was total nonsense and even Babel makes jokes about the 'Babelcopter' on deadline days. Sadly the media has turned into a parody of itself.}

08 Jan 2018 17:21:26
Thanks for that as well Ed001. Although its nice to get the nibbles from the likes of the tabloid press (here and abroad - nice chance to test Google Translate, when reading the Express! ), Sly or BBC seem the least prone to gaffs on reporting, although, as well as the Babel-copter, BBC reported a done deal for VVD in the summer!

{Ed001's Note - I least trust Sly personally, they are the worst of the lot and seem to only exist now to stir up a betting market for Slybet.}

08 Jan 2018 18:04:25
This is why I no longer buy a newspaper or read them kind of websites, the majority of stuff is made up just to get views/ paper buys.

08 Jan 2018 18:56:20
This is why I no longer care for the media and their pathetic pundits who push an agenda.

08 Jan 2018 15:35:21
Afternoon all, been away over the festive period and had a house move to contend with.

So a belated Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all.

Ed1 sorry for your news buddy its never easy I know, YNWA.

Short one on PC we got him for 8.5 mil made a massive profit and enjoyed some sensational football from the lad. Yes he went about his desire to leave wrongly but he wanted to go so as a club we must accept and move on, we have before and we will again. No one player is bigger than the team.

LFC have officially recalled Kent

Origi open to permanent move

Some more media reporting Suarez back to LFC and Klopp being confident in getting him.

Sturridge, Ings, Markovic all still expected to be moved on if deals can be found.

Expect Flanagan to also be allowed to move following his incident.

Bobby M the ref for the derby has reported in his post match report that Firminio DID NOT racially abuse Holgate.

That's the key snippets I have come across I don't suggest they are gospel in any way.

{Ed001's Note - cheers mate.}

08 Jan 2018 15:52:58
Not Suarez, please 😣 How long before he headbutts a referee to get a free transfer back to Uruguay?

Cheers though JC23. Nice little round up. If Kent sticks around i hope he can kick on for us. He's running out of time.

08 Jan 2018 16:03:58
The ref would definitely have heard if Firmino had said anything given his proximity. Hopefully with the TV evidence it will be cleared. If Holgate admits he misheard what was said and apologies then that can close the matter. He should still be investigated for violent conduct and the matter of his homophobic tweets in any event.

{Ed002's Note - I think you should all just wait rather than speculate.}

08 Jan 2018 16:26:20
Ed’s who’s is JC23 please?

{Ed002's Note - I have no idea - he has simply listed some "snippets" he has come across.}}

08 Jan 2018 16:34:06
Thanks for your quick response ed.

08 Jan 2018 16:34:10
Sssshhhhh, its Jamie ;-)

08 Jan 2018 17:05:47
MK I believe part of the rational behind Kent is two fold 1 he wasn't getting a game and 2 plenty of championship clubs apparently have an interest in taking him for the second part of the season.

One man - I am simply another long term reader/ poster albeit I had to change my username some time ago due to a dead pc and an inability to remember my details.

Ed2 is correct however I simply share some news out there for the fans to contemplate the latest ramblings whether there is truth in there or not is for you to decide. All the best.

{Ed002's Note - Celtic could also look to Kent. He is now back and his registration has been transfered back to Liverpool.}

08 Jan 2018 17:16:59
JC23 nice one mate just curious 👍🏻.

08 Jan 2018 17:38:29
No problem, Cheers Ed rumours of Celtic and Sturridge but surely the wage again would restrict that move there top players can't be on a comparable wage to the PL?

08 Jan 2018 19:02:35
Thanks for the snippets, JC23. Now regarding LS, I'm with MK. He should be nowhere near this club as he's done enuff damage to it than Cou or Torres ever could.

08 Jan 2018 19:32:18
Can’t see FSG sanctioning a deal for Suarez, they’ve been burnt by him once already.

08 Jan 2018 21:50:21
Er Ron, I think you will find that Suarez has burnt FSG at least 3 times at LFC under their leadership.

08 Jan 2018 13:44:18
Luan vieira will be the surprise replacement guys! Saw it in my crystal ball 🔮.

08 Jan 2018 15:14:24
Crystal meth more like.

08 Jan 2018 15:26:14
It's such a shame Harry Wilson hasn't progressed I thought that kid looked quality an could of been a successor to coutihno, I don't know wat more he could of done in reserves too get more chances scored a bag full of goals an impressed an now it looks like his time has passed I think if he leaves that will come back too bite us in the ass.

{Ed002's Note - It is a big jump up from the reserves to the first team. However much he wants to stay his future likely lies elsewhere.}

08 Jan 2018 18:17:41
Agree hailstones I think he is a super player. It is a big step up ed but how will we know if he is capable if he never given the chance?

08 Jan 2018 19:05:44
Oxy, maybe?

08 Jan 2018 14:27:31
At least the thigh injury wasn't fake this time round. Coutinho is out for 20 days.
Hope this will lighten the hatred towards him.

08 Jan 2018 14:42:49
Yeah, at least he only feigned injury at the start of the season 🤦🏻.

08 Jan 2018 14:51:30
Don’t hate Phil at all but I think it also might have a lot to do with them waiting to shift Arda Turan so he can claim the number 7.

08 Jan 2018 15:04:51
Really, unable to play for 3 weeks, then unable to play in the CL, title already wrapped up for Barcelona, Copa del Rey semifinals on 31/ 1-7/ 2.

Why would you not wait till 01/ 07 and help Liverpool to top4 and CL? Like, really?

{Ed002's Note - He didn't want to play for Liverpool, he wanted to leave, he handed in a transfer request. I am surprised you can't see it.}

08 Jan 2018 15:39:57
My hatred personally is not aimed at couthiho. He's not the villan in this particular pantomime.

08 Jan 2018 15:56:48
Look at it from Coutinho’s point of view, 6 months is a long time in football, serious injuries can occur and other players could catch the eye of Barcelona. Why would he wait for his dream move?

08 Jan 2018 18:24:25
I can definitely see what he wants, I am just wondering why :D.

08 Jan 2018 21:52:45
It's not hard to understand why, Whz. He wanted to go to Barcelona and was ready to move scorched earth to get there and use every ploy known to man to achieve his dream. How is this hard to understand?

08 Jan 2018 12:56:39
Do any of the Edds have any idea when we may hear anything from the FA regarding the Firmino/ Holgate incident or is it just a matter of being patient?

{Ed002's Note - Perhaps next week.}

08 Jan 2018 12:12:07
Any interest in .....

{Ed002's Note - Random player😭)

08 Jan 2018 13:03:43
Ed002 you need to use emojis more often, it brings me joy 😃.

{Ed002's Note - THat picture makes it looks like you are suffering from wind not joy.}

08 Jan 2018 11:48:52
Just for fun, with the fab 4 now broken up, which one out of John, Paul, George and Ringo was Pipco? I’d say Paul myself, let’s hope LFC don’t replace him with Noel Gallagher 😂.

08 Jan 2018 12:00:31
NG may be a complete and utter tw*t, but he’s a bloody talented one. (Suarez anyone) haha.

08 Jan 2018 12:27:58
As a huge oasis fan i can't say the football equivalent of noel would not be welcomed, by me at least.

Unlike the beatles, the other 3 will not fall apart without coutinho. He will be replaced and we will find a way. I never did like the stupid fab four name anyway, especially given it was always obvious coutinho would be leaving.

08 Jan 2018 12:35:39
Coutinho would be Pete Best. The one who left before the fab 4 really took off.

08 Jan 2018 13:36:00
As long as it's not Frank Gallagher. Seriously though. It's big boots to fill. It was impossible to replace Gerrard and I think it's going to be the same. I hope I'm wrong. Whoever comes in will probably cost a fortune and if they don't hit the ground running this site will probably go into meltdown. We just need to get behind the team. Hopefully this could be the making of something good. I was heartbroken when rushie went but then we got digger, Beardsley, aldo and Houghton not too long after.

08 Jan 2018 09:22:08
Hi Ed02

I wonder. Are you aware if Liverpool are looking to new kit sponsorship deals at this time? If yes, would likes of Nike, Adidas, puma be "serious", viable options? Is re-signing with New Balance a strong possibility?
Am interested as to what the club are exploring/ working on right now.

Also, just generally, are clubs the ones always approaching potential sponsors or do sponsors themselves approach clubs with proposals on occasion?

And how do sponsors decide on amounts. the fundamental, considerations? Did Adidas "outbid" Nike for the Man Utd? Did Nike do the same to Adidas on Chelsea? Were there other options when Warrior/ New Balance got the tender?
Did Puma win an auction over Nike for Arsenal?

Am pretty much kindergarten on this stuff. I'd really appreciate your insights Ed. Thank you.

{Ed002's Note - Right now they have a long term deal with New Balance that started in 2016 so no they are not looking. They should not have been so keen to sign with them, but they did. In terms of kit sponsors they normally approach the clubs - it is not a tendering process or auction process. Chelsea paid off the last two years of their contract with Adidas to move to Nike. Nike and Adidas keep a handful of leading sides on their books at all times - and they get the vast bulk of the sponsorship money.}

08 Jan 2018 12:52:31
1. NEW BALANCE

I assume the it must of been a 5, 6 year term? Is there a typical term for a period of sponsorship? You say LFC should not of been so keen sign on. I assume that's on the basis of the comparatively low sponsorship amount? And which would be expensive to pull out from now due to the lengthy term?

So Liverpool would have to wait another 2, 3 years before it could be financially viable for them to buy out New Balance last two years, as Chelsea did with Adidas?

I wonder how/ why LFC agreed to the deal. Were there no other suitable takers ed? Am sure the folk at LFC are "no mugs", but how can we explain getting into an underwhelming deal which would impossible to renegotiate or pull out from due to contract length?

You see Utd, Chelsea, Spurs getting great deals. Why not Liverpool?


Lastly ed, still on finances. A bit out of left field. Hypothetically, what would stop say, Spurs, selling Harry Kane for £170m and and Dele Alli for £150m and commit those funds to their stadium loans, instead of reinvesting in the team?
I know it don't happen like that but I just need clarity as to why.

It seems to me a reasonable "model", more so given that Spurs KEY players haven't come at significant cost. Loris, Aldewreidl, Vertonhehn, Alli, Kane, Heung Min were bargains. Yes they won't win the PL but they don't have to, given their spending am sure the owners are content with the sustained top 3 finishes and regular CL appearances.

They've spent much less than us and yet have outperformed us consistently the last 3 or so years and been on a par with Arsenal.

So why would selling their 2 best players for over 300 million pounds and use it to finance stadium/ service loans be unviable?

Thaank you again for the replies.

{Ed002's Note - I don't recall the length of the deal I am afraid but it is a long term deal - perhaps 10 years. Chelsea's Nike deal is 15 years and Manchester United have a 10 year deal with Adidas.

Liverpool could well have negotiated a better deal with a brand such as NIke or Adidas or hung on for Puma. The New Balance deal was signed in haste and Liverpool will slip back down the ladder of income from shirt deals. The Liverpool deal only started last year so they had time to other options were available, but remember that Adidas and Nike tend to put the big money with the successful clubs. I doubt that the Spurs deal is much if any better than the Liverpool deal.

There is nothing to stop Spurs putting transfer monies toward paying off the stadium loans early - often such loans have penalty payments for paying them off early, but Spurs have negotiated a deal where there are no penalty payments. The Spurs owners would like to win the Premier Leagues League - and that is true of all of the team owners from the top to the bottom. Spurs are a club that has constrained spending - particularly on wages - as they don't want to build debt that it is difficult to service. A new ground involves a significant amount of investment and clubs have to decide ns or on seeking help from third parties in exchange for a chunk of the club or other income. Spurs took the debt route and can, if they so decide any income (including from transfers) to pay part of it off - or not.}

08 Jan 2018 14:33:28
Correct me if I'm wrong Eds (as this is pure speculation) .
But could the fact that New Balance HQ is based in Boston have anything to do with the deal?
Perhaps connections between FSG and NB existed prior to LFC purchase.
That was always my assumption about the NB kit deal.
Anyway -- just my thoughts there.
Cheers.

{Ed002's Note - It is nothing to do with being based in Boston. FSG are an investment company and New Balance makes shoes - and have recently moved in to football kits and sponsorship. They sponsor Liverpool and a couple of other well known sides (Porto and Celtic from memory) and a bunch of odds and ends in Asia, Shamrock Rovers and clubs in Poland.

They are not major players in the market but would like to be.}

08 Jan 2018 16:05:54
I love reading about the business side of things. Cheers for the questions and answers boys and Eds2.

08 Jan 2018 17:37:55
Thank you for clarifying, Ed002!
Really appreciate the update.

08 Jan 2018 19:54:42
Thanks for the reply again Ed.

It probably is 10 years. Unbelievable. And the money is fixed for the duration of the term.
If Liverpool were to really enjoy sustained success and increased profile, I'd it would be possible to renegotiate the deal so that the sponsorship amount is commensurate with the new status/ profile.

I'm sure there are exit/ cancellation clauses if one of the parties wished to terminate the deal. Obviously these be accompanied by some or other penalty payments.
Question is, in the case of shirt sponsorships, generally, how prohibitive are these penalty payments?
Of LFC sought to pull out of the deal with New Balance in 6 of a 10 year term, would the penalty payments be so high as to negate withdrawal benefit?

I understand that Man Utd terminated an agreement with DHL less than 18/ 24 months in (for Chevrolet I think) . Would Chevrolet themselves have part funded the penalty payments, was it done during the "grace period", if there is?

My concern is that Liverpool's profile could significantly grow in the next 5, 6 years and the club could lose out on even higher revenues due to being locked in this relatively less lucrative deal with New Balance.

You see, Chelsea, Barcelona, Man Utd sponsorships are commensurate with those clubs' profiles.
LFC, even with its present profile, I doubt if New Balance was the best we could do.

Anyway, appreciate your insights Ed. Will leave it here.
Take care mate.

{Ed002's Note - The contract only began last year - what new status/profile? You are also confusing shirt deals with club sponsorship.}

08 Jan 2018 03:58:03
Hi Ed's

In Summer Liverpool have been linked with many Attacking players, is there any follow up on them or Klopp just doesn't seem to fancy January transfer window.

This season we are in a strong position to finish at 3rd/ 4th place.

I just hope we don't end up like Rafa's 2009-09 season, where shortage of Striker cost Liverpool title.

And for the above reason I wouldn't mind if we sign Sanchez or even try and go after Ozil just for 1 season.

As for Julian Brandt, any updates why Klopp is not pushing to sign him?
thanks.

{Ed002's Note - LIverpool has a lot of attacking players already and is not having a problem scoring goals. Salah was signed in place of Brandt.}

08 Jan 2018
New image uploaded to the
Liverpool Player Sightings page entitled, Numbers say everything

08 Jan 2018 11:07:52
very petty but i hope real madrid dominate la liga for the next ten years lol.

08 Jan 2018 11:31:42
You won’t be saying that if they move for Salah.

08 Jan 2018 10:40:23
I have a dilemma for you all. Since I put lights on my Xmas tree, Liverpool have not lost when I have switched them on during the game. Now everyone tells me it is time the Xmas tree comes down, as Xmas is over, but I have been refusing as it might change our luck. They all tell me it is a silly superstition and has no effect, which is clearly silly. So the dilemma is: which word should I use in front of 'off' to the next person who tells me to take down my tree?

08 Jan 2018 10:59:15
I’d turn them on for City; if we beat them you’re stuck with it from now on 👍.

{Ed001's Note - mate they are not going anywhere until we lose. Saves me putting the tree up next time around....}

08 Jan 2018 10:59:53
Easter is woefully under celebrated. Tell them it’s an Easter Tree 😎.

{Ed001's Note - now that is good thinking!}

08 Jan 2018 11:00:22
Xmas is coming in less than a year, so why do the extra work? Tell them you just plan in advance.

{Ed001's Note - good thinking, especially as the Philippines start Xmas in September, so it is barely worth taking it down at all....}

08 Jan 2018 11:08:12
If its a very attractive woman the I suggest
(Take your clothes) off😜.

{Ed001's Note - she can't be that attractive if she doesn't understand football and superstitions....}

08 Jan 2018 11:12:51
Id hate to see your electric bill ed haha worth it though.

{Ed001's Note - luckily leccy is dead cheap here.}

08 Jan 2018 11:13:05
If we really don't lose while it's on, just buy a new home and leave the tree alone, I will be paying the electricity bills.

{Ed001's Note - just buy a new home? I wish I could afford to buy a home, let alone a new one!}

08 Jan 2018 11:13:05
Tell them you can’t take down until the next Christmas tree window opens.

{Ed001's Note - now that is a razor sharp response....}

08 Jan 2018 11:14:03
Just change your ring tone to 'I wish it could be Christmas everyday' and say you're going through a phase!

{Ed001's Note - I do sing that regularly.}

08 Jan 2018 11:18:47
Superstitions are there for one reason and one reason only and that is to be reinforced. Leave the tree where it is!

{Ed001's Note - agreed.}

08 Jan 2018 11:29:11
Just change your name to Roy Wood and you can have Christmas every day.

08 Jan 2018 12:21:42
If you want a work around you can remove the tree but keep the lights and hang them somewhere. Put them on a mantelpiece and turn them on when needed. Sorted.

08 Jan 2018 15:22:05
lol hilarious, don't take it down Ed there's some kinda rubbish about that tree mate whatever it is, it's working, does it have red tinsel? or a Liverpool burble?

08 Jan 2018 08:17:52
Good luck to coutinho he has given us 5 fantastic years and in this era a player staying at a club for this length of time doesn't happen often,
Yes it would of been ideal for him to stay till the summer but he wants out!
I think we need to buy someone this month who can give us much of the same from couts.
Otherwise we will have to rely massively on sala, firmino and with mane having a up and down season we will have to pray they don't suffer injuries/ burn out.
I'm not saying panic buy but they must have a target even pay more and bring keita early.
If this don't happen we will still be a force in the league just have to tinker more with resting our fab 3 at the right time. YNWA.

08 Jan 2018 08:52:43
Oh no! We've only got three match winners to rely on instead of 4!

08 Jan 2018 08:58:43
Does that mean we don't count a top class defender as a match winner flidby? ;)

08 Jan 2018 09:20:27
Ha!
Sorry you're absolutely right hjikle.
We all need to calm down about bringing in a replacement.
Yes Coutinho is good but he's not worth that amount of money.
As Ed 01 has rightly pointed out this season, he hasn't done any defending and has been so selfish in the last third.
The brilliant thing about our team is that we are a TEAM.
Anyone who wants to play for themselves is only going to harm us.

08 Jan 2018 09:49:20
Of all the solutions I like bringing in Lemar or accellerating Keita the best, hopefully one of those works.

Keita would really help in the long run as we’re short in the deeper roles with hendo injured, and it would probably benefit him a lot to settle in for 6 months ahead of next season when we lose Can.

08 Jan 2018 09:51:10
Lets get sturidge back fit and firing.

08 Jan 2018 10:06:08
I’m indifferent to what happens in his career going forward. Thabks for the goals Etc but going on strike to get a move is a poor show.

08 Jan 2018 10:40:19
Been trying get sturridge fit and firing for last 5 year.

08 Jan 2018 10:52:57
PakRed, I don't think anyone even Studge, can tell you when that will be.

08 Jan 2018 05:10:34
Was looking at our wage bill and it's quite high I think it's the 3rd highest in the PL if I'm not mistaken. There are players who are getting paid way over their actual value to the team like : Milner 120k, Sturridge 120 k, Markovic 35K, Henderson 100K, Wijnaldum 90K, Flanno 35K, Clyne 70K.

For me all of them should be sold and replaced with academy players. Some may argue abt Hendo and Wijni but they are only backup players (from next season anyway) . That should allow us to offer better salary on new arrivals for the 1st team without explosing the wage bill.

08 Jan 2018 05:32:44
I think your expectation of what you can get for 70-100k these days is a bit high. Look at what City and Utd are paying.

You’re right perhaps on Sturridge and Clyne given their actually playing time but they were worth that when playing and on form, and every club carries some wages for players that aren’t contributing due to form/ fitness/ injuries at some point. We can’t unilaterally decide to sell players ad-hoc without their agreement.

08 Jan 2018 05:55:09
Clyne won't be playing for us again if the rumours are true .

08 Jan 2018 07:23:52
Same goes for Flanno. Good thing we are proper covered on the right back with TAA and Gomez, even tho I would like another to come in and Gomez given a run on CB, when the time is right.

08 Jan 2018 07:40:37
that would be a good way to drop us out of the race for any competition.

08 Jan 2018 08:25:33
So there are only 2 clubs paying bigger wages? Would have thought we were 5th or 6th on that list.
United, City, Chelski, Arsenal. assumed we probably came next.

08 Jan 2018 09:01:05
United, City and Chelsea all have higher wage bills than us. I don't remember how we stack up against arsenal and spurs, but I seem to remember spurs being lower than ours.

08 Jan 2018 11:16:17
Spurs wage bill is lower than my local Aldi.

08 Jan 2018 02:43:37
surely we have a plan, surely klopp won't sell his best player without having a plan to replace.

does he really think this squad is good enough to compete without him?

it seems strange that we've sold our best player half way through a season when we've got all to play for.

{Ed001's Note - when did we sell Salah?}

08 Jan 2018 04:19:51
What is strange about selling a player that clearly hadn’t wanted to play for us for at least 8 months if not longer and then getting up to 142 mil as part of that! There was no real option, we don’t want players disrupting the rest of the team.

08 Jan 2018 04:20:19
There is this one interesting stat. Liverpool have a much higher win percentage this season without Coutinho than with him.

Yeah I know stats shouldn't be used entirely to sum up things, but I really like this one.

He is such a great player. I loved him in his previous seasons. But maybe, just maybe, without him this season onwards, the team will be better?

I am more excited on who will be wearing the no 10 next.

08 Jan 2018 04:34:33
I don't get how ot can be so hard for people to ubderstand? Is emotion getting in the way? Or are people just not paying attention. The guy wanted to leave months ago. We've done everything short of holding player against his will, and actually we'd already done that in aug.

08 Jan 2018 07:16:08
I don't know if I'm remembering this correctly or not but I'm sure mane and salad stood out more to me during the back injury period. Not saying it's relevant to that but I think we're still more than capable of getting fourth. Lallana will step up I think. We will be right. Its different now than is was a couple of years back when ee lost hanibal suarez. i do f*#&@^g despise barcelona though. I'm taking my 7 year olds shirt off him what he got in benidorm.

08 Jan 2018 07:52:42
Last season we came fourth - we now have Salah, VVD, taa, Robertson, oxlade, Gomez and solanke who weren't at the club last year or didn't play much. Salah has been better this year than coutinho was last year. We also have more depth and a new CB which we have all been crying out for.

08 Jan 2018 08:08:25
God we are a happy lot aren’t we. This season we have arguably the best striker in the prem in our team, the most expensive defender ever, in a decent position in the league, cup and still in the champs league, Keita is joining us at some point this year and we just made nearly £140m profit on a good player who refused to play for us on more than one occasion this season, with that money likely to be reinvested into the squad. I think we should all give up now! Let’s be a bit more optimistic shall we and put this all into perspective. One of the Ed’s is mourning the loss of a friend (my thoughts are with you mate) and there are people on here whining about the club not acting right?! We are fans of the greatest club in the world, perhaps we should start showing why!

08 Jan 2018 08:26:44
Spot on, boys. The amount of hysteria, hair-on-fire, emotional palooza going on with fans (check other sites to see the outright drivel and bile being spouted out on other fan sites) is outright insane. I don't recall this type of panic when we were forced to sell Torres when we were in a MUCH weaker position than we are now. GET A GRIP!

We sold a player who vowed NEVER to play for L:FC again and was ready to sit out the final months of this season, sit out the CL even at Barca, to leave YET people are having difficulty understanding that a player with that type of attitude will be a cancer in the DR and should be gotten shot of.

NEWS FLASH: We have a better squad than last few seasons, the best striker (who is NOT even a CF traditionally) in the PL in our team. The best front 3 bar City's in the PL and a very promising CB that teams better than us wanted but rejected them and came to us YET people are losing their marbles over a player who feigned injury, downed tools at times and caused all types of issues for the club in the public domain. Again, GET A GRIP! "

{Ed025's Note - the only part of that i can argue with brover is that i dont think your attack is inferior to city,s..

08 Jan 2018 10:09:42
We still have the weakest centre midfield in the top six, that is pretty irrefutable.

08 Jan 2018 10:31:27
I agree with you ed25 our attack isn’t inferior to city's, in fact i’d say it is better. What makes city's attack seem godly is De Bruyne.

If Coutinho is 'worth' 142mil KDB is easily 'worth' 200mil xD (I say worth very light heartedly)

As great as he was, Couts was greedy (even more so this season) and just kept shooting wildly whenever he could instead of finding that killer pass he was capable of.
Our front 3 have had to do a lot for them self and they do it in style when it clicks, whereas without KDB City would not be where they are right now and wouldn't have been tearing teams a new one for most of the season.

08 Jan 2018 10:56:25
That would be Arsenal, Dennis BUT I get your point.

08 Jan 2018 10:58:00
Thank you, Ed25. I don't know if that is true BUT I will give you the benefit of the doubt. Btw if you don't mind, could you explain as to why you think our attack is on par or better than City's cos every man and his dog seems to think so? Thanks, mate.

{Ed025's Note - for me brover the 3 pronged attack of liverpool is more potent than city,s, when you look at mane, bobby, and salah they are better finishers than what city have in sterling and jesus certainly, and although aguero is very good as an attacking force i think liverpool have the edge, where city usurp the reds is in creators of chances and in KDB and silva they have 2 of the best and thats why they will probably score more goals, just my opinion of course mate..

08 Jan 2018 15:32:19
Well said Kdfirst.

08 Jan 2018 01:08:13
I have a strong feeling Keita will be signed this month even if it takes another premium as we severly miss creativity in midfield. It was ok while Cout was there but now we have a problem plus Henderson is also injured. Klopp knows he can't rely on Can and Wijnaldum to be creative enough so will try everything to bring in Keita early.

I read somewhere that there are some special clauses as addons which was agreed in the summer for Keita. Something related to the qualification of RBL in the CL and EL. As RBL are not sure to make it to the CL, I guess they can be tempted to take the addons granted even if they don't make it to the CL and in return let Keita join us now.

I'm sure the club will come up with an offer RBL can't refuse as we desperately need him.

But, if we can sign Goretzka or Brandt this month, then no need to bother with RBL

Just guessing, what do u think?

08 Jan 2018 04:42:43
For me, I'd go for Mahrez now.
He's no Coutinho, but a very good player none the less.
After that, for the summer I'd like a Keeper (once Mignolet, Bogdan and so on are moved on), a quality, physical Central Midfielder if Grujic isn't good enough, a proven Forward if Ings/ Sturridge aren't retained and a back up CB/ RB depending on the plan for Gomez positionally with Lovren moving. Shame Can is leaving, he could be outstanding in another year or two.

08 Jan 2018 08:01:00
No coutinho, where does this out handedness come From?

Pfa player of the year. Premier league winner. More assists and goals than coutinho over th3 past two years. Top notch player.

08 Jan 2018 08:37:07
Winston, those are stats from two years ago and should have NO bearing on his ability since then. Salah was deemed a flop 4 seasons ago at Chelsea and had Klopp and the scouts considered that instead of his great time at Roma and Fiorentina afterwards, Salah won't be here. Let's speak current facts here, shall we? Mahrez since 2016, has been poor, lazy, inconsistent and a liability on the field. He does NOT track back, is poor out of possession and only plays when he feels like playing, the very qualities Klopp despises. The player you speak of with those lofty stats, no longer exists, IMO. I respect your opinion BUT Mahrez is not the way forward and would not d not even start ahead of Mane and Salah right now when both are fit.

08 Jan 2018 10:20:19
The only year that Mahrez has outperformed Coutinho was the year that Leicester won the League. Which it must be added that Coutinho played 12 less games. Other than that his output has been mediocre at best.

07 Jan 2018 23:58:24
Waro, Ticket prices have been frozen for the last 2 seasons and have been frozen for next season. Sorry you're not getting everything cheap because you're a local.

07 Jan 2018 23:59:22
In my opinion, klopp will bring in someone who brings creativity, he won't wait till summer. He's a very smart man to know this, unlike his risk with van dijk, which did backfire quite a number of times in matches this season. There's plenty of players out there, we lost suarez and have recovered I'm sure replacing coutinho won't be as hard as him. I'm confident we will sign someone this month not a direct replacement but just someone who brings creativity, be patient and keep the faith!

08 Jan 2018 03:19:48
There’s a reason coutinho cost 140mln and it’s because he’s not easy to replace, we may need to be patient to get the right player in, and I’d prefer that to pulling another Andy carroll or Suarez/ Balotelli gamble.

As for creativity we lost Coutinho just as Lallana is coming back to fitness so net net in terms of available squad we are no worse off than first half of the season in terms of pure player numbers available.

08 Jan 2018 09:07:28
Majella, your opinion is well taken but look how long it took to replace Suarez's goals (not necessarily the player) . It took that long due to the rank incompetence of the manager in charge at the time who wasted money on average players and it took a much better manager to come in and fix the mess, something that is ongoing till this day. This is what happens when we panic buy or are unsure of what to do when things like this occur.

You may be right that there are players out there BUT you fail to mention who can do the job now that could be available right now. Also as SG said, Cou cost 142m for a reason cos replacements are not found on trees for him so whoever we get this window MUST be able to do a fine job there and frankly, no one is out there right now and even those who are, their clubs won't sell this Jan as we are seeing with Lemar at Monaco.

I think people need to understand this concept cos the may be a reason we may not sign anyone in Jan as Klopp does not do panic buys and we should never contemplate that as were are well aware of the disaster that will cause.