Liverpool Football Club Thread

[glb]

Ancelotti is a fine manager, and his Champions League pedigree is very, very good, but think he's taking a sabbatical due to an operation.

Raphael Honigstein was suggesting on the latest Football Weekly pod that Klopp would be interested but there's no indication the club is looking to change anything right now.

I'm torn, as I like Rodgers and some of the football we played last season was the best I've ever seen us play in my lifetime but it's looking more and more like last season was achieved by a perfect storm of events rather than by design.

[Oh Danny Boy]

Rodgers should have another season. If nothing improves then it may be time to part ways but until then he should be given full backing this summer.

[redbloodcell]

They're probably hoping it to be a stepping stone and move across to Arsenal

Psh, Arsenal. It's Real Madrid nowadays I think you'll find young man!

[hmm]

Guardian article about Benteke today suggesting that a £32.5m buyout clause would need to be met... Maybe we can offer them Balotelli as part of the deal and get it down to £32.5m.

[Gabe]

So we've had a bid for Clyne rejected then. Are we seriously trying to absorb the Southampton squad? SaintM is going to like us a little bit less

[ryodi]

I'm starting believe Southampton are weakening us by making us pay too much for their players who they the replace with better / cheaper talent they've bought from abroad or that has come through their academy.

If he has any sense he'd have looked at the season Lovren, Lallana and Lambert have had and decided to stay put with a team on the rise and a manager who has a plan.

[Istanbul]

Lovren was a major, major mistake.

I never seen him play at Lyon, but apparently he was awful. Like really bad. He had 1 decent season at Southampton and we paid £20m. £20m!!!!

Lambert was a waste of money. True, he's a Liverpool fan and I like him...but £4m on some old fella who can't run. Would have rather added that £4m onto getting someone who actually suited us.

Lallana was expensive at £25m, but I still think may come good and show his worth.

Clyne at around £12m would be a good buy I think. Better to get them now. Would suit the 3 at the back system or a flat back 4. He's better than Luke Shaw anyway.

On that note though, I'm not sure I want to fill our squad with English players that have no affiliation to the club and probably grew up hating us. It's much easier for a foreigner to come in and adopt Liverpool and the city as his team away from home. Bringing himself to truly love the club and its surroundings. Perhaps I'm a cynic, but I don't see that with other English players, and I know the fans certainly don't cherish and love them as much as foreigners or home grown players.

[Liamness]

He's also five years older so that isn't necessarily surprising.

[SaintM]

Bidding for clyne at 10m is insulting for all involved.

[reef]

Seriously though, with only 1 year left on his contract, how much is Clyne worth? I would assume 12-14m would definitely be about right, even with today's inflated TV deal prices?

I hope we don't get him just because I like SaintM and I don't think I can bear any more of his hatred towards us.

[Azrael]

Wouldn't mind Clyne, good enough to fill in until Flanno returns.

[ckny]

[Adrock]

I'm surprised someone would express insult at the notion of selling a player with a single year of his contract left for 10m. Fair enough you may value him more, but the realistic valuation of a player correlates precisely to their contract. I think 10-15mil is to be expected for a player with a year left on his deal.

Its clear Liverpool have made the bid so early to convince Clyne not to sign the new deal Southampton are desperate for him to sign. SaintM, you should be moaning about the club allowing him to get down to a year left.

[SaintM]

The realistic value is what we're willing to accept. Nothing less than that.

We want him to stay and not leave to a direct rival, so I can imagine that it'll take 15m min to let him go. Talks on getting him signed up have been going on all season but I think he's been waiting for a CL club to come along. That hasn't happened yet and we don't need to sell, but if his head gets turned then he'll go.

Hopefully he can see how moving to LFC has worked out for others and stay instead of chasing the money.

[Adrock]

I just hope it gets sorted fairly quickly either way. Nothing worse than a drawn out transfer story over the summer break

[SaintM]

Agreed. Sign up or sign off by the end of next week would be good.

[V3zna]

Lovren was a major, major mistake.

I never seen him play at Lyon, but apparently he was awful. Like really bad. He had 1 decent season at Southampton and we paid £20m. £20m!!!!

This isn't totally true. Lovren for a while at Lyon was superb. He was linked with a move to us, amongst others, long before he eventually arrived. His form then totally deserted him for quite a while and he ended up at Southampton for a relatively low price.

In other news I'd be after Alderweireld if we could get him off Atletico Madrid (obviously Southampton probably have first refusal).

[Adrock]

I'm really worried about Benteke moving to the club. I don't see how he fits a Rodgers style at all.

The rumours concerning Klopp don't seem to be going away either. I think the run in has been really damaging to Rodgers and he may well have lost the squad.

[dizogg]

The realistic value is what we're willing to accept. Nothing less than that.

We want him to stay and not leave to a direct rival, so I can imagine that it'll take 15m min to let him go. Talks on getting him signed up have been going on all season but I think he's been waiting for a CL club to come along. That hasn't happened yet and we don't need to sell, but if his head gets turned then he'll go.

Hopefully he can see how moving to LFC has worked out for others and stay instead of chasing the money.

Wait, we still finished above you in the league, got further in the cups and also will be on more money. Lambert was always going to be a back-up option, he knew that I guess. Lallana has done well and should be pretty pleased with his season.

Ok, i'll give you Lovren... but like, we would have played him if he hadn't become really shit? Its not like we bought him to stick him on the bench is it. If Clyne comes and plays to his potential he will be our first choice RB, and will most likely have a more successful season than he would at Southampton.

[SaintM]

Sure.

[ryodi]

The rumours concerning Klopp don't seem to be going away either. I think the run in has been really damaging to Rodgers and he may well have lost the squad.

His Dortmund team meekly surrendered to Wolfsburg in the German Cup yesterday but at least he's won trophies in the past that it can be written off as one bad season. I wouldn't mind him taking over but I can see us sticking with Rodgers and Klopp taking over a Champions League team in a year or so time.

[Guest]

Pep in a year.

[Adrock]

So James Milner is on the cusp of signing up. Can and Milner as the central midfield pairing next season then?

He has longed for a central midfield role forever so he must have been guaranteed that from Rodgers. I wonder where that leaves Lucas, Allen and Henderson.

If Can doesn't get a midfield start next year then Rodgers needs his P45 with lightning speed.

[glb]

Milner would be a good addition. Think he'll make an excellent second goalkeeper in whatever crackpot formation we'll deploy for the first eight minutes of the new season.

But, cereally, good signing. Rodgers has his big bad review with FSG today. Reckon he'll deliver his review via the medium of puppet theatre.

[Istanbul]

The realistic value is what we're willing to accept. Nothing less than that.

We want him to stay and not leave to a direct rival, so I can imagine that it'll take 15m min to let him go. Talks on getting him signed up have been going on all season but I think he's been waiting for a CL club to come along. That hasn't happened yet and we don't need to sell, but if his head gets turned then he'll go.

Hopefully he can see how moving to LFC has worked out for others and stay instead of chasing the money.

Southampton...a 'direct rival' to Liverpool?

Last season maybe. In terms of league position. Not really in the future in any way, shape or form.

Southampton to Liverpool will always be a step up, and isn't really about 'chasing the money'. The money is just what comes with joining a big club, with a worldwide fan base, something Southampton can't offer.

[angel]

anyone in the same league is a direct rival, and considering the financial differences, i think southampton did a bloody good job. more attractive to watch too.

[Plissken]

And Liverpool offer Europa League football which Southampton don't. (Sub: Please check)

[Revival]

Southampton are in Europe due to Arsenal beating Villa in the FA Cup.

[glb]

Times change too. Liverpool is a 'big' club in stature, but we've not won the real quiz in over a quarter of a century. The legacy from the glory years just about continues but it won't last forever, especially not with 6th place finishes. Bolton finished 6th 10 years ago, heck five years ago Villa finished 6th. We're just as likely to be scrapping around mid-table or worse in five years than we are challenging for a title again.

I'm not wholly convinced Liverpool projects an altogether attractive image for prospective players, certainly no more so than Tottenham or Southampton currently do.

[PaB]

Last season maybe. In terms of league position. Not really in the future in any way, shape or form.

Southampton are a direct rival to Liverpool for 5th,6th,7th in the premier league. What, you think Liverpool are going to be challenging the big four next year?