May as well be the first...I think some of our signings will come VERY good.

I love how specific you are with the exact calculations, like there's an exact scientific formula used to work out the percentages.

I love how specific you are with the exact calculations, like there's an exact scientific formula used to work out the percentages.

Mick uses the same computer model as our transfer committee 

Mick uses the same computer model as our transfer committee 

I do that mate. Much of the rating is decided by how the cat reacts when I mention the players name. Who needs computers?

Does anyone else still think that Can needs to shed a pound or two? There is a lot to like about him but I still feel like he is not in optimum condition for football and that if he could lean up a touch we might see another 10% or so. Of course it's hard to say without him throwing his shirt off next time he scores but at times he seems to lumber about the pitch for me.

Does anyone else still think that Can needs to shed a pound or two? There is a lot to like about him but I still feel like he is not in optimum condition for football and that if he could lean up a touch we might see another 10% or so. Of course it's hard to say without him throwing his shirt off next time he scores but at times he seems to lumber about the pitch for me.

Been saying it for a while, but he is definitely getting there.
You can see when he sprints the difference between now and a few weeks ago.
He seems like a naturally chunky lad as well, although that might disappear as he gets older.

Been saying it for a while, but he is definitely getting there.
You can see when he sprints the difference between now and a few weeks ago.
He seems like a naturally chunky lad as well, although that might disappear as he gets older.

Can look s like a monster though... I wouldn't wnat him losing too much weight...

Was reading an article in the tompkins times todays about how 50% of signings flop.

I think we have had a 75/25% flop/win ratio with regards strikers purchased and 25/75% flop/win with regards attacking players. Just need to improve the ratio of strikers win and hopefully the next few windows will do that.

We have had some howlers lately in Ngog, Voronin, Borini, Aspas, Lambert and Balo. Surely the most recent 4 have set some kind of record of lowest goals achieved for a striker at LFC. Interested to see the stats if anyone has them.

We have had some howlers lately in Ngog, Voronin, Borini, Aspas, Lambert and Balo. Surely the most recent 4 have set some kind of record of lowest goals achieved for a striker at LFC. Interested to see the stats if anyone has them.

Probably worth noting that 4 of the 6 listed were bargain basement buys though, and even Balotelli and Borini are hardly the big big  guaranteed money spends that our rivals have gone for over the years. You could also say we've spent big 3 times in the last 7-8 years (Torres, Suarez, Carroll) with two of these lads being incredibly successful. Maybe if the club had followed a similar strategy in the summe r instead of trying to be clever and do it on the cheap we'd be sitting higher than 8th this season I reckon.

Probably worth noting that 4 of the 6 listed were bargain basement buys though, and even Balotelli and Borini are hardly the big big  guaranteed money spends that our rivals have gone for over the years. You could also say we've spent big 3 times in the last 7-8 years (Torres, Suarez, Carroll) with two of these lads being incredibly successful. Maybe if the club had followed a similar strategy in the summe r instead of trying to be clever and do it on the cheap we'd be sitting higher than 8th this season I reckon.

Suarez was 22.7 mill, less than Lallana.

We have had some howlers lately in Ngog

I liked N'gog Thought we should've stuck with him or Kuyt until the summer when we sold Torres in Jan!!!!

May as well be the first...I think some of our signings will come VERY good.

The question no one has asked is, if they do, was it worth half a season or more? If we loose out on the Champions League place, what does it matter if they come good? Those above us will strengthen and consolidate and we will have missed our chance. Whether or not they would come good was never the issue, whether or not they were good from the outset was.

May as well be the first...I think some of our signings will come VERY good.

The question no one has asked is, if they do, was it worth half a season or more? If we loose out on the Champions League place, what does it matter if they come good? Those above us will strengthen and consolidate and we will have missed our chance. Whether or not they would come good was never the issue, whether or not they were good from the outset was.

That's a fair point, but then you have to look at which players were bought to be put straight into the team, and which were bought for the future.
I think Lallana, Lovren,Moreno, Mario and Lambert were deemed good enough to come in from the offset, probably Markovic could be added to that list as well.
so far only 3 of those guys look good enough atm. Lambert looked good value at 4 million, but can't really cut it anymore, Mario looked to good to be true at 16 million, and so it proved. Lovren hasn't shown anything like his form of last season. These players have let us and Brendan down imo.

Interestingly the ones Mick says have not come good were they ever needed;

Lovren - we already had Sakho
Ballotelli - Borini
Lambert - Aspas

I know the strikers are not like for like but scraping at the lower end of the market is always  a risk that you waste money and end up with a bloated squad.

The folly of a mismatch between manager and computer software systems.

That's a fair point, but then you have to look at which players were bought to be put straight into the team, and which were bought for the future.
I think Lallana, Lovren,Moreno, Mario and Lambert were deemed good enough to come in from the offset, probably Markovic could be added to that list as well.
so far only 3 of those guys look good enough atm. Lambert looked good value at 4 million, but can't really cut it anymore, Mario looked to good to be true at 16 million, and so it proved. Lovren hasn't shown anything like his form of last season. These players have let us and Brendan down imo.

That comes down to the quality we bought. Mario is a quality player, highly talented but limited in his scope so needs the right players to get the best out of him and doesn't suit our style. That was a planning error pure and simple. Lallana has done alright but hasn't set the world alight so you have to ask, could we have done better for the money we spent on him? Moreno was bought to provide more attacking impetus from left back and that's precisely what he does. The fact he leaves too much space behind him is a consequence of our style of football. No one could have predicted Lovren would be such a flop but again it comes down to the money we paid for him and the question of whether we should have done better for the money spent?

The question posed in this thread isn't about 'ones for the future' it's about the players we bought taking half a season or more to come good. They will be good in the future isn't good enough when you're spending so much money and for me, saying that our signings will come very good at some undefined point in the future is to excuse an inexcusably poor transfer structure at our club. When you're buying nine players for a combined outlay of £120 million you might expect one or two to take their time settling in but not all nine. Look at the clubs who spent their budgets on higher quality players (Chelsea and United) and they've both kicked on from last year. We chose quantity over quality so regressed in the first half of the season so whether these players come good in the future is largely a moot point.

That comes down to the quality we bought. Mario is a quality player, highly talented but limited in his scope so needs the right players to get the best out of him and doesn't suit our style. That was a planning error pure and simple. Lallana has done alright but hasn't set the world alight so you have to ask, could we have done better for the money we spent on him? Moreno was bought to provide more attacking impetus from left back and that's precisely what he does. The fact he leaves too much space behind him is a consequence of our style of football. No one could have predicted Lovren would be such a flop but again it comes down to the money we paid for him and the question of whether we should have done better for the money spent?

The question posed in this thread isn't about 'ones for the future' it's about the players we bought taking half a season or more to come good. They will be good in the future isn't good enough when you're spending so much money and for me, saying that our signings will come very good at some undefined point in the future is to excuse an inexcusably poor transfer structure at our club. When you're buying nine players for a combined outlay of £120 million you might expect one or two to take their time settling in but not all nine. Look at the clubs who spent their budgets on higher quality players (Chelsea and United) and they've both kicked on from last year. We chose quantity over quality so regressed in the first half of the season so whether these players come good in the future is largely a moot point.

just to pick you up the on a small point in bold above......

No he isnt....He is a myth of a player!

just to pick you up the on a small point in bold above......

No he isnt....He is a myth of a player!

Shows your ignorance.

Shows your ignorance.

Its pure ignorance to suggest ANY other outcome

The man is a playboy footballer and has nothing to offer. The day he signs for another club is the day LFC becomes a percentage stronger

Show me something to prove I am wrong and I'll wind my neck back in... until then my opinion is fact

Aspas, Borini, Lambert... Gods sake, it makes you wish we had Bellamy. He was the last really decent back up striker at the club.

Its pure ignorance to suggest ANY other outcome

The man is a playboy footballer and has nothing to offer. The day he signs for another club is the day LFC becomes a percentage stronger

Show me something to prove I am wrong and I'll wind my neck back in... until then my opinion is fact

Balotelli is a very gifted player, quite capable of setting the world alight in a team set up to get the best out of him.

We are not set up that way, and unless he can modify his game, we'll never see the best of him.

The sad thing is that he'll go to another club, start banging in the goals and ignorant people will say "why couldn't he do that for us".

Balotelli is a very gifted player, quite capable of setting the world alight in a team set up to get the best out of him.

We are not set up that way, and unless he can modify his game, we'll never see the best of him.

The sad thing is that he'll go to another club, start banging in the goals and ignorant people will say "why couldn't he do that for us".

He has got all the physical gifts but unfortunately he appears to have all the footballing intelligence of a banana.

Part of the problem is that he's never been properly coached but another part of the reason for that is that he has never had the intelligence to develop his game by doing what he is told.

His time in italian football paying the isolated hold-up player appears to have really damaged his game.

It's a long way back for him at this point. Unfortunately football is littered with any number of cases of players who didn't  make the most of their potential - I'm sure you could name ten of them without trying.

Balotelli is a very gifted player, quite capable of setting the world alight in a team set up to get the best out of him.

We are not set up that way, and unless he can modify his game, we'll never see the best of him.

The sad thing is that he'll go to another club, start banging in the goals and ignorant people will say "why couldn't he do that for us".

Exactly. Which, as I said, shows the ignorance of some posters.

Balotelli was a last minute committee panic buy. The committee failed miserably in their "attempts" to sign a replacement for Luis. Balotelli is a direct result of that failing. He is the exact opposite of a Rodgers profile striker. I don't believe Rodgers ever wanted him or still wants him. But he knows he is stuck with him until the Summer. Balotelli has talent no doubt but he will never have the work ethic to learn to change his game for the benefit of the team. He plays for himself.

... until then my opinion is fact

Well no it's not fact as it's still simply your opinion mate, until things have happened they are opinion and views not facts


Balotelli has everything a forward needs apart from between the ears it seems..
He doesn't look likely to leave yet so it's nothing but fair to see how he does do between now and the summer at least, and from what I've seen of him he will be better with a partner up there.

He may not work out long term but he's here and all we can do is support him while he is, personally I'm more excited at the thought of seeing him up there with Daniel than the thought of him playing up alone

If and when he gets the chance again it's up to him to try to take it

But it's not fact I think he will be better with Sturridge it's opinion

But he's going to have to wait, as he doesn't get in this current system and it's working well currently