£120m - what would you have done?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2255325-mario-balotellis-contract-and-the-real-reason-liverpool-signed-him-from-milan

Pretty dubious to say the least.... interesting add on was that we tried to use  Remy's medical to reduce Remy's fee.

I've got this sinking suspicion that Balotelli was so very cheap but still a well known name and it was very favourable to the American owners ability to use his fame for their benefit not ours. Or am I too cynical?

Top according to who?

And it begs the question - if we are interested in bringing in a good mix of young talent - maybe we should be buying these players before they get to the £20M buyout stage?

We have been.

The only problem I can see is that we were buying technically gifted players and Brendan seems to be looking for pace in the team. Only reason I can think of as to why so many talented youngsters get fleeting glances and then tossed aside. Suso, Teixeira, Alberto. All technically very good. No pace though. Sterling and Ibe have pace to burn and they've seem more likely to make it.

At our best our attack revolved around a front three gifted with pace, especially Sturridge and Sterling.
Lallana has some pace. Markovic a ton of it.

Maybe this is why Rodolfo wasn't moved up the ranks.
Seems his emphasis was on technical ability.
Brendan seems to be looking for pace.

None of that though explains the signings of Balotelli and Lambert.
I'm at a loss there.

Seems our transfer window was at odds with everything that went before it.

I've got this sinking suspicion that Balotelli was so very cheap but still a well known name and it was very favourable to the American owners ability to use his fame for their benefit not ours. Or am I too cynical?

Nothing about our owners would surprise me mate.

We have been.

The only problem I can see is that we were buying technically gifted players and Brendan seems to be looking for pace in the team. Only reason I can think of as to why so many talented youngsters get fleeting glances and then tossed aside. Suso, Teixeira, Alberto. All technically very good. No pace though. Sterling and Ibe have pace to burn and they've seem more likely to make it.

At our best our attack revolved around a front three gifted with pace, especially Sturridge and Sterling.
Lallana has some pace. Markovic a ton of it.

Maybe this is why Rodolfo wasn't moved up the ranks.
Seems his emphasis was on technical ability.
Brendan seems to be looking for pace.

None of that though explains the signings of Balotelli and Lambert.
I'm at a loss there.

Seems our transfer window was at odds with everything that went before it.

Rodolfo wasn't moved up the ranks because he had initiative. He is not a yes man. His opinion and vision on bringing up youth players differed to Brendan's. And yes, I suppose that also applies to his coaching style too.

Rodolfo wasn't moved up the ranks because he had initiative. He is not a yes man. His opinion and vision on bringing up youth players differed to Brendan's. And yes, I suppose that also applies to his coaching style too.

That was my point really.

Rodolfo was also caught wearing a Manchester City man thong* so let's not act as if he's a martyr.

*not actually what happened

Rodolfo was also caught wearing a Manchester City man thong* so let's not act as if he's a martyr.

*not actually what happened

Martyr?
Ha.

Little disturbed to see talk of man thongs, but I'm responding to the original post in this thread cause it may be fun.

I'm also not going to abide by the rules of prices and only players that moved....what fun is that?


I'd have went all in for Reus and Pogba.

Would have still taken Lallana and Moreno.

Would have went in for Tim Howard and kept Pepe and let them battle it out for #1.

Tried to get a Centerback or two but not really sure who...it appears to be such a crapshoot and I wonder if we could get by with what we had with better coaching? So maybe Carragher to come in and be a consultant to our defense.

I'd have tried to lure away Kun Aguero and picked up Carlos Tevez as well.

I doubt that's even 100m.

Any takers?

Little disturbed to see talk of man thongs, but I'm responding to the original post in this thread cause it may be fun.

I'm also not going to abide by the rules of prices and only players that moved....what fun is that?


I'd have went all in for Reus and Pogba.

Would have still taken Lallana and Moreno.

Would have went in for Tim Howard and kept Pepe and let them battle it out for #1.

Tried to get a Centerback or two but not really sure who...it appears to be such a crapshoot and I wonder if we could get by with what we had with better coaching? So maybe Carragher to come in and be a consultant to our defense.

I'd have tried to lure away Kun Aguero and picked up Carlos Tevez as well.

I doubt that's even 100m.

Any takers?

I like a few of your selections mate, but I doubt you would have much change left out of your £100million after you bought Aguero never mind the rest of 'em.

Ideally, a proper striker, like Reus, and a midfield powerhouse capable of a bit of everything, like Pogba. Alternatively, Draxler, Isco, Sanchez or the guy who plays for Udinese.

It's not unreasonable to expect at least one player of that calibre after finishing 2nd in the league, selling our best player for £75m and with CL money coming in and TV revenues increasing.

It's just a nonsense rumour mate although I wish it was true. The fact is LFC bought Mario Balotelli off AC Milan for £16 million.

Shame was clutching a bit when i read it , poor do when you have to do that when you pay that much . Do you think he will come good baz ?

Ideally, a proper striker, like Reus, and a midfield powerhouse capable of a bit of everything, like Pogba. Alternatively, Draxler, Isco, Sanchez or the guy who plays for Udinese.

It's not unreasonable to expect at least one player of that calibre after finishing 2nd in the league, selling our best player for £75m and with CL money coming in and TV revenues increasing.

You want a proper striker or a attacking mid like Reus make up your mind. 

Ideally, a proper striker, like Reus, and a midfield powerhouse capable of a bit of everything, like Pogba. Alternatively, Draxler, Isco, Sanchez or the guy who plays for Udinese.

It's not unreasonable to expect at least one player of that calibre after finishing 2nd in the league, selling our best player for £75m and with CL money coming in and TV revenues increasing.

Muriel?
He's lazy and fat! 
He doesn't even play as a starter in Udine.
Udinese coach prefers Thereau (a really mediocre striker) to him.
I really liked him a few years ago. He looked promising, but he lost his way.
He would be a very risky bet right now.

I was actually quite pleased with most of our summer business, and I still am for the most part. The only items I would change if I could would be:

Keep Agger and Reina. Don't buy Balotelli or Lovren. Sell Joe Allen. Buy Tevez (a proper goal scoring CF with good movement and work rate) to replace Suarez. Buy Borja Valero (a proper deep lying midfield creator) to replace the Welsh Xavi.

Ifs and buts though....

I was actually quite pleased with most of our summer business, and I still am for the most part. The only items I would change if I could would be:

Keep Agger and Reina. Don't buy Balotelli or Lovren. Sell Joe Allen. Buy Tevez (a proper goal scoring CF with good movement and work rate) to replace Suarez. Buy Borja Valero (a proper deep lying midfield creator) to replace the Welsh Xavi.

Ifs and buts though....

In hindsight for me..

Keep Agger and Reina. Don't buy Markovic (we've already invested heavily in youth) or Balotelli (not dynamic enough) or Lovren (simply never worth £20m). Would not have purchased Lallana either (think his style is more suited to a team that builds around him) and certainly wouldn't have signed Lambert (why, whats the point?). That's around £75m saved and the Suarez money in itself.

We were always going to sell Suarez but before we had done so, we should have got in his replacement. Could we have signed Sanchez? Absolutely. Offer him £15k per week more than what Arsenal were offering him. Bet you most footballers would accept a higher wage elsewhere. Sign Sagna before City. Sign Khederia from Madrid and pay him what he wants.

Could have had:

.................Reina
Sagna..Skrtel..Agger..Mo reno
...............Khederia
......Hendo..........Cou tinho
..Sanchez...Sturridge... Sterling

But of course, easier said than done. Be nice to actually make decent signings for once.

You want a proper striker or a attacking mid like Reus make up your mind. 

Stick him at the apex of our attack and I think it would make a huge difference. Goals/creativity in abundance and just the type who ought to fit in with our style of play. False striker? Forward? Bloody good player either way.

Muriel?
He's lazy and fat! 
He doesn't even play as a starter in Udine.
Udinese coach prefers Thereau (a really mediocre striker) to him.
I really liked him a few years ago. He looked promising, but he lost his way.
He would be a very risky bet right now.

Fair enough, but I wonder if he'd have been more of a risk than Balotelli?

I'd have taken Hummels, Borja Valero, Khedira and Mandzukic, to name a few.

Fair enough, but I wonder if he'd have been more of a risk than Balotelli?

Absolutely.
Balotelli is more talented and experienced than Muriel.
If Muriel was professional like Di Natale, he would already be exploded by a couple of years.
Fron Udinese I'd take a very good CB like Heurtaux, 26-year-old French who was one of the best defenders in the last Serie A.
He's also confirming this year.

Is the 120m before or after the Suarez exit?
If it was before, fairy muff there is then an element of pre-emptive thinking and a plan of action in place.
If the money is in place as a result of his exit, which would suggest it is a reaction to the event, it becomes a poisoned chalice. Certainly not a case of pre-emptive thinking or planning in the long term.
As long as the club conducts itself in such a way it really is irrelevant who manages us, the boss is asked to affect situations that are the result of misjudgement or inefficiency of other involved parties, the further down that road we go the more ruinous the consequences. 

Remy - 10m
Cole - Free
Eto - Free
Song - Loan
Sagna - Free
Di Maria - 60m
Sanchez - 35m
Vermaelen - 15m


                               Mignolet

Sagna           Vermaelen           Sakho           Cole

                       Song       Gerrard

                            Coutinho
     
      Sanchez                                  Di Maria
                            Sturridge                           

Bench: Sterling, Skrtel, Eto, Remy, Henderson, Jones, Johnson.

People may argue some of the players I've used aren't good enough for LFC. In my opinion they are.

What is noticeable though, is how that team have bags of goals in them. I'd also say it has several leaders too.

Look at our starting 11 v Chelsea. Doesn't strike me as a team that will go out and score 3 or 4.

                                     Mignolet

Johnson            Skrtel                Lovren           Moreno

                                  Gerrard

                      Can                   Henderson

      Coutinho             Balotelli                     Sterling




Worrying.

Forster - 10m
Sagna - free
Moreno - 12m
Vlaar - 5m?
Schneiderlin - 20m?
Lallana - 25m
Sanchez - 35m
Remy - 10m
Eto'o - free

The ignorance of people think they'd have been able to lure fabregas and Sanchez to the club instead of a move to London that they and their families made clear they wanted is astounding. I know it's for fun but it's like people don't know we tried to sign a lot of these players

The ignorance of people think they'd have been able to lure fabregas and Sanchez to the club instead of a move to London that they and their families made clear they wanted is astounding. I know it's for fun but it's like people don't know we tried to sign a lot of these players

What's for fun? This is absolutely the attitude, and these are examples of the transfer related issues, that we need to understand how best to overcome.
Otherwise the best players go elsewhere.

We've fu**ed up too many times on the bigger transfers - something is fundamentally wrong

These are problems sure, but they can be solved. Not in all cases - but we need to work to improve our batting average. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. (as some chap said )
Maybe we're just not arsed when it gets to a certain fee/set of demands and just draw the line. Reckon we need go further - well, further than we do now at least.
Want to wait for the best players to wake up one morning and want to play for Liverpool? Or say 'if they don't want to come pull on the red jersey, f**k em'? That's giving up imo. Need to fight to make this squad a success.

£120mill...Could probably have re-signed Suarez. Dropped the ball there like.