21 Mar 2018 08:10:09
If I were making decisions at Madrid, I'll go for Bobby at the end of this season to replace Benzema. He does what Benzema does for Real/ Ronaldo and more.
Then Salah at the end of next season.
Of course, I sincerely hope neither leaves.
If Alderwereld were to be available for a "reasonable" price and considering a CB isn't exactly a target, who thinks we should go for him?


1.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 08:23:51
I'd love to sign Alderwereld, at any price, he really is top notch.


2.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 08:47:18
I have gone off Alderweireld to be honest. In my opinion he is one of the best in the world when fit, but he is nearly 30 now and constantly injured. He's missed 38 games since the start of last season. That is a shocking statistic.

I'd bet he will cost close to £50m. Is somebody who plays 25 games a season worth that kind of cash? Partnerships are vital and you can't build a relationship if one half of the partnership is never fit. I really rate him, but I think Liverpool missed the boat 4 years ago when he should've been signed. It's not a worthwhile risk anymore for a position which isn't a priority.


3.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 08:59:56
I didn't realise he'd missed THAT many games MK, so fully understand what your saying. I now retract what I said previously on that alone lol.


4.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 09:06:37
Agree with MK - Alderweireld is the best around when he's fit, but I didn't quite realise he was injured consistently to that extent. That is Sturridge-level injury proneness.


5.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 09:37:10
Alderwereld is available and would end up at UTD partnering Bailly.


6.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 11:07:41
It's been bad in recent years. He missed 8 games in the 14/ 15 campaign, 9 games in the 16/ 17 campaign and 29 games this season already.

When fit, He's arguably the best right sided centre back in the World. I fully understand why people would want him. If we weren't in such dire need of more stability at the back, I would say he was worth a gamble. At 29 years old and having suffered two major hamstring injuries and 1 major knee injury in the last 4 seasons, I'm just not sure how much longer his body will cope with the Premier League.

The reported figure is £44m but we all know that there will be agent fees, signing bonuses and other hidden costs that push the real transfer over £50m. Considering we have priorities at right back, goalkeeper, and midfield I just can't justify the risk. I certainly won't be upset if we did sign him! I'd be excited to be honest. It's easy to be flippant with £50m when it isn't coming directly out of your pocket though!

{Ed001's Note - to be fair, a number of the games this season have not been because of injury but because he has not signed a new contract, so Pochettino is phasing him out ready. If he signs he will be straight back into the team. He has been fit for weeks now.}


7.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 11:41:24
29? Young for a CB these days. He could have 5 seasons at the top.

For me the plan should be to integrate Joe G in as centre back. VVD has a few years on Toby so he’s long term. Toby even with his injury issues would be ideal for us. Joe G would rotate with him, extending Toby’s career whilst building up Joe’s experience playing with VVD.

33% cheaper than VVD? I’d sign him up, good player and experienced in premier league.


8.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 11:52:10
I think that 29 games only includes time he wasn't in full training Ed. It stated that he has been fit since March 11th. It could be wrong though, if He's actually been fit for longer than that. I would still be concerned about his mentality if he can't get himself together to play every time he wants a new contract!

Great player who would improve us instantly, but he does have a bit of baggage attached in the form of injuries and attitude. I guess Virgil did too though and we still shelled out a reported £75m for him!

{Ed001's Note - you are missing the point or not reading what I typed properly. He is being left out, like Danny Rose, not because of his head but because Poch is freezing them out.}


9.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 12:24:13
If a top class centre back is available, we have to at least try to get him. However I honestly don't see us signing a centre back this summer as we have other positions that are of higher priority.


10.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 12:11:32
Ahh I misunderstood Ed. I thought you meant he was refusing to play to get a new contract.

Fair play to Poch if that is the case. It doesn't seem very clever on the face of it to cut your nose off to spite your face, but it does send a message out to the squad that he won't tolerate a lack of commitment on or off the pitch.

{Ed001's Note - does it? I fail to see how. It just seems like he is wasting their best assets by having them sit on the bench while players that are simply not good enough in Davies and Sanchez are playing instead. For me, the reason they are not second again is because they have not had Walker, Rose and Alderweireld for most of the season, for varying reasons and had to make do with inferior players. Markedly inferior.}


11.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 13:03:25
I guess it's the old catch 22 with young players ed001 - when do you give them the chance to develop and when do you need your best team out there no matter what (more regarding Sanchez than Davies) . I guess at the point where the title became a pipe dream and 2-4 doesn't make a huge amount of difference Ponch decided that developing for an undisrupted next seasons title chanllenge was the priority (possibly also having heard that he would not be able to reinvest all the money on a new CB so would be dealing with a potentially inferior option there anyway) .

{Ed001's Note - but Sanchez is not a good player and no amount of development is going to make half the defender Alderweireld is. And you are wrong, it was the moment Alderweireld rejected a contract offer his die was cast.}


12.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 14:16:42
If Alderweireld is available then we would be nuts not to at least make an enquiry about him. When fit, is one of the top two CB's in the Premier League, IMO.


13.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 14:50:59
Give potch lallana and we take alderweireld. Win win for everyone.


14.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 15:22:34
MK, I would take Toby tomorrow as he is better than all of our CB's and is a leader on the pitch. He's the reason why Spurs are very solid cos when he plays, there is a diff. look to Spurs defence. His replacement Sanchez is a donkey and tho young, he'd better improve big time.

Also MK, Ed is correct. Toby, Walker and Rose, are a big reason for the Spur resurgence recently. That much is fact. Now, if Poch is freezing them out cos they refuse to sign a new contract in the case of Toby and Rose, while playing donkeys like Aurier, Trippier (in place of Walker), Davies (inferior to Rose) and the perennially awful Sanchez, then that is poor management esp. if Toby has been fit for weeks. Why play inferior players just to prove some stupid point? It's as if Klopp benched a fully fit Can who can play and help us quite a lot this season just cos he's off in May? That would make no sense.


15.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 17:27:55
Alderweireld won't sign unless he gets paid the same as Van Dijk, according to the Echo. You really can't make these things up. oh wait.


16.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 17:42:13
BRover but spurs are ahead of us. Aren’t they? Those donkey players have been good. You are calling evetyine donkey lol! According to you nobody beats Klopp lol!

Well Poch had the balls to drop big babes who did not want to sign an extension and commit to the club!
Don’t we hate Sterling for the very same thing Rose did?

If someone doesn’t want to commit to the club then they can go! It’s your own words!

So if Salah gives an interview to Sky on wanting a huge pay raise, Would you play him?


17.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 18:21:13
Harry, what does Spurs being ahead of us (by 1 pint by the way) have anything remotely possible to do with Poch dropping better players than the ones he's using, cos they refuse to sign new contracts?

Also if he wants to cut his nose to spite his face, that's his problem and frankly, that is stupid cos it makes no sense and there is nothing bally about cutting your nose to spite your face esp. in the long term. Those players will leave and he has shown that he is quite poor in the TW as well cos majority of the Spurs top players were already there before he came.

Salah deserves a pay rise and so does Toby and that is just fact and if Salah does not get it, it's our loss as he wants to stay. So do Toby and Rose. On the other hand, Can is off in the summer and we all know he is off to Juve BUT has that stopped Klopp from playing him and making him capt. at times? NO. You know why? Cos Klopp does not care and does not hold grudges like your boy Poch. Just ask Mario Goetze after he left BVB for Bayern when they were both crying in each other's arms.


18.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 18:34:10
Lads don't want to get in the middle of a domestic but just pointing out we are ahead of spurs by 2 points. Please continue.


19.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 18:41:13
Correct IR. 👍.


20.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 20:11:19
My bad, IR.


21.) 21 Mar 2018
21 Mar 2018 21:07:03
Just want to add a couple of things:

The managers responsibilities include performance on the pitch and results. To drop players because they want to move is bordering on negligent in my opinion. The fans deserve the best team, football and results possible.
If Poch’s judgement is those players are not focussed then that’s a different issue, however, it is his job to re-focus and motivate those players - not just freeze them out. Those players are taking tens of thousands of pounds a week in wages. Contrast Poch’s management of this situation with Klopp’s management of Coutinho and Can.

Finally, I don’t hate Sterling because he refused to sign a new contract and wanted a move. I dislike Sterling for the way he and his representative treated the club and our fans with a total lack of respect and professionalism whilst happily taking our money. It was the disparaging public statements which alienated him from our fans.