Are We Really After Top Players... Or Is It A Smoke Screen?

Do you think that our supposed attempts to sign the likes of...

Depay, Mkhitaryan, Konoplyanka, Willian, Salah, Costa, Sanchez etc...

Are simply smoke screens to make it look like we are trying to buy top class players but not really interested in them at all.

It feels like every window we try to sign someone who we'd call a top class player and every time the deals fall through.

Surely to f**k just one of the players we've been linked with and failed should have signed.

I mean we've been after enough of them.

Or are we just that sh*t on the wages, negotiations and selling the club side of things?

What do you think it is?

Do you think that our supposed attempts to sign the likes of...

Depay, Mkhitaryan, Konoplyanka, Willian, Salah, Costa, Sanchez etc...

Are simply smoke screens to make it look like we are trying to buy top class players but not really interested in them at all.

It feels like every window we try to sign someone who we'd call a top class player and every time the deals fall through.

Surely to F**k just one of the players we've been linked with and failed should have signed.

I mean we've been after enough of them.

Or are we just that sh*t on the wages, negotiations and selling the club side of things?

What do you think it is?

Smokescreen I reckon, we won't offer more than the other team/s.

Do you think that our supposed attempts to sign the likes of...

Depay, Mkhitaryan, Konoplyanka, Willian, Salah, Costa, Sanchez etc...

Are simply smoke screens to make it look like we are trying to buy top class players but not really interested in them at all.

It feels like every window we try to sign someone who we'd call a top class player and every time the deals fall through.

Surely to f**k just one of the players we've been linked with and failed should have signed.

I mean we've been after enough of them.

Or are we just that sh*t on the wages, negotiations and selling the club side of things?

What do you think it is?

Don't worry I'm sure we will land Ings and Milner!!

Smokescreen I reckon, we won't offer more than the other team/s.

I'm starting to feel like it's just a big scam to be honest.

"Just tell them we're after Konoplyanka then tell them it fell through they'll think we're trying..."

Don't worry I'm sure we will land Ings and Milner!!

Don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Ings will probably cost us the same as a top striker too judging on last summers fees.

Don't worry I'm sure we will land Ings and Milner!!

Phew... for a minute I thought we wouldnt bring any big names in!

 

Smokescreen?

What part of FSG's transfer policy did you not understand when JWH was interviewed a couple seasons ago?

It was made very clear that we will be buying younger players that are an investment that we can possibly sell on, while making the odd strategic 'big buy'

ITS CLEAR AS DAY WHAT OUR POLICY IS.

I'm amazed how many fans still havent come to terms with this

Smokescreen?

What part of FSG's transfer policy did you not understand when JWH was interviewed a couple seasons ago?

It was made very clear that we will be buying younger players that are an investment that we can possibly sell on, while making the odd strategic 'big buy'

ITS CLEAR AS DAY WHAT OUR POLICY IS.

I'm amazed how many fans still havent come to terms with this

Kolo, Lambert, Lovren even Lallana how much do you think we can sell them on for?

Do you think that our supposed attempts to sign the likes of...

Depay, Mkhitaryan, Konoplyanka, Willian, Salah, Costa, Sanchez etc...

Are simply smoke screens to make it look like we are trying to buy top class players but not really interested in them at all.

It feels like every window we try to sign someone who we'd call a top class player and every time the deals fall through.

Surely to f**k just one of the players we've been linked with and failed should have signed.

I mean we've been after enough of them.

Or are we just that sh*t on the wages, negotiations and selling the club side of things?

What do you think it is?

No Fenway really want to spend on top players.
Like David Cameron is a really decent bloke who loves seeing working people succeed.
And my name is Lord Lucan. 

We are after top players, but they have to fit the criteria of being young, talented, and offer a potential increase in value as they develop. Sadly, this means we will rarely attempt to sign players at the peak of their powers, and we will rarely pay more than we deem sufficient in terms of fees and/or wages to land a player. 

Despite these restrictions, we have managed to sign some top players under this model: Coutinho, Studge, Suarez and Sakho are all in the top tier of the talent pool and all were signed under the current ownership group. Can and Markovic were both considered to be two of the very best players in the world for their age bracket, and both could become top tier talents at LFC.

Sure, it sucks missing out on the likes of Sanchez, Costa, Fabregas, etc. But this model also helps reduce the risk of signing overpriced, and overpaid flops like Falcao, Mangala, Ozil, and Di Maria -- none of these players has done near enough to justify the fees and/or wages paid for them last summer.

The "system" isn't perfect and we have signed some duds (Alberto, Aspas, and Balotelli to name but a few), but it's not terrible either. I firmly believe that the team we have now is closer to challenging for trophies than the one that was in place when FSG bought the club, so that at least is a testament to us moving in the right direction....

We can't compete financially against the other top clubs under our way of doing it.. Get into a head to head and we lose out as we consistently have in the last 4 years..
Only way to stop that is to stop f**king around early and offer 30k or whatever over what the player wants.. But the powers that be won't do that.

So we need to become better at targeting what should be our target group and that's not overpaying for the next rung or two down the ladder.. Our best signings under these have been players at top clubs who either haven't settled or haven't kicked on but their talent is obvious.. Players then that other big teams won't come and get involved.

Sturridge
Coutinho
Suarez

All fall into that. Suarez more that he wanted to move on but other top clubs didn't want to take the gamble on his apparent flaws.

That's the type we need to target..

Forget the players other top teams want.. We can't compete under these owners for them

Our best signings under these have been players at top clubs who either haven't settled or haven't kicked on but their talent is obvious.. Players then that other big teams won't come and get involved.

We could just go after the Madrid and Barcelona "flops".... A quick look at some of the players to leave these two clubs in the last few years:  Eto'o, Ibra, Van Der Vaart, Robben, Higuain, Callejon, Sneijder, Negredo, Huntelaar, Toure, Sanchez, Albiol, and Garay

All of these left for pretty reasonable fees too....

I'm starting to feel like it's just a big scam to be honest.

"Just tell them we're after Konoplyanka then tell them it fell through they'll think we're trying..."

And the weird thing is, he isn't even that big of a name really.

And the weird thing is, he isn't even that big of a name really.

2nd rate player in a 3 rate league that had a decent game against England add that and the fact we did not get him = world class talent lost out on.

But this model also helps reduce the risk of signing overpriced, and overpaid flops like Falcao, Mangala, Ozil, and Di Maria -- none of these players has done near enough to justify the fees and/or wages paid for them last summer.

* cough * bull-sh*t

That's some convoluted , contrived, twisted logic right there. 

It reeks havoc with my ambition to be a pilot but I reduce the risk of being killed in a plane crash by refusing to fly.

I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear there's folk out there who don't know what the F in LFC stands for.

I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear there's folk out there who don't know what the F in LFC stands for.

Finance.

Now what's my prize.

* cough * bull-sh*t

That's some convoluted , contrived, twisted logic right there. 

It reeks havoc with my ambition to be a pilot but I reduce the risk of being killed in a plane crash by refusing to fly.

I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear there's folk out there who don't know what the F in LFC stands for.

Your comparison is bullshit mate. A better comparison would be reducing risk by avoiding flying in more hazardous conditions. Or, refusing to fly with hazardous materials. Or, refusing to fly with dangerous people.

But I don't understand how you can honestly suggest that a policy to sign talented young players who have a higher likelihood of increasing in value somehow makes them not football players....

2nd rate player in a 3 rate league that had a decent game against England add that and the fact we did not get him = world class talent lost out on.

IF you believe that then... logic dictates that you've got to be asking who the F**k thought he was good enough to play for Liverpool...

Your comparison is bullshit mate. A better comparison would be reducing risk by avoiding flying in more hazardous conditions. Or, refusing to fly with hazardous materials. Or, refusing to fly with danf

Of course it is harry

Only my way (extending your 'no risk' logic) removes all risk. You know... the type of risk that still exists when you buy ten, low paid, mediocre players for the same price as three  top quality players.

Oh and it's "football" by the way. 

I believe we were after all these top players, and will go for many more top players,  as long as we can get them cheap, and they take half the wages they could get elsewhere!
Funny how we were the only club in for Konoplynka, and the deal still fell through!

Of course it is harry

Only my way (extending your 'no risk' logic) removes all risk. You know... the type of risk that still exists when you buy ten, low paid, mediocre players for the same price as three  top quality players.

Oh and it's "football" by the way. 

I think you need to read my post again. I never said "remove risk".... I said "reduce risk".... Big difference between the two.

The system in place isn't perfect, and it isn't risk free. What it does is limit the financial risk on the owners part and allows them to try to improve the club by only using the limited funds generated by the club -- we are a self sufficient business. I personally don't expect the owners to spend their own money to make us better. I  just expect them to appoint the right people who can make the right decisions and help make the most of the resources we do have.

Whilst I have lost faith in us signing a big name, it makes no sense for it to be a smokescreen. We spent all that money and I believe we would have spent 40 on Sanchez. That one transfer was the difference. We shouldnt have sold suarez until sanchez had the jersey on. Simples.

Our problem is the wages, which is ridiculous when you think of those we have and will shed from the wage bill.

FSG need to put their money where there mouth is this summer or we will never catch the top 4. Simple as.

Who do you sign, how do you convince them? Throw money at big names and you could end up with a Falcao.

Its very difficult but we are not going about it right.

The more you spend, the bigger the name, the more proven the player, the less risk associated...

Top players won't come here to work under Brendan, we need a world-class manager who can attract stars and make them confident they can win silverware here.

A smoke screen would suggest it's hard to see what FSG and co are up to when it's been obvious for over a year now! Their ambition is to make this club profitable again not titles and silverware.

We are like a shitier version of Arsenal of the last decade.

Stopped smoking blow ages ago and the fuckers still haven't signed anyone.

Top players won't come here to work under Brendan, we need a world-class manager who can attract stars and make them confident they can win silverware here.

Kolo, Lambert, Lovren even Lallana how much do you think we can sell them on for?

Kolo was brought in for experience.

Lambert was brought in as a squad player.

Lovren and Lallana were brought in for 'high' fees but lower wages. Based on their previous season at Soton, nobody was making a fuss. They both seemed like excellent buys and may still turn out to be.

Kolo was brought in for experience.

Lambert was brought in as a squad player.

Lovren and Lallana were brought in for 'high' fees but lower wages. Based on their previous season at Soton, nobody was making a fuss. They both seemed like excellent buys and may still turn out to be.

Agree, doubt there is even a consideration to move Lovren or Lallana on.

Seems like in todays world you get 20-30 matches and if your not hitting the ground running your sh*t.

Lovren 18 league appearances 26 in all competitions
Lallana 24 league apperances  38 total with 5 goals


So yes throw them out because its obvious they are total sh*t.

Hell I would keep Lovren just for his wife being around.

The system in place isn't perfect, and it isn't risk free. What it does is limit the financial risk on the owners part

You're right: the model isn't perfect and it, most certainly reduces the financial risk to the owners. The fact that it also limits the chance of football success is obviously secondary to many - just not me.

and allows them to try to improve the club by only using the limited funds generated by the club

What it allows is very wealthy investors to increase their portfolio and profit margins with little financial risk to their, already, threefold return on their investment in a repossession.

You talk about "limited funds" yet it's very clear that we have had a lot of money to spend. The fact that it wasn't spent on wages or fees, for proven quality, is clearly down to the owners and their business strategy of reduced financial risk to investors.

It's as simple as this: FSG are, rightly, praised for their business acumen - the business, that is LFC, is NOT going to fail under their ownership because they will only spend what the club generates: whether it's spent on 'future' or 'proven' quality.

However the football team, that is LFC, will either fail or succeed depending on the quality of players it can put onto the pitch.

Do you really care more about reduced "financial risk on the owners part" more than enhanced chances of winning on the football team's part? Nah.

Football success attracts fans, sponsors, better players but it demands owners taking a risk that their percentage might get eaten into - that % currently sits at close to 300%. I think they can take a chance.

Football first Harry, football first.

ou talk about "limited funds" yet it's very clear that we have had a lot of money to spend. The fact that it wasn't spent on wages or fees, for proven quality, is clearly down to the owners and their business strategy of reduced financial risk to investors.

It's as simple as this: FSG are, rightly, praised for their business acumen - the business, that is LFC, is NOT going to fail under their ownership because they will only spend what the club generates: whether it's spent on 'future' or 'proven' quality.

I think it all depends on how it is spent..they bought the club because of what they perceived they could do with the club in terms of growing revenue and the FFP rules that were going into place.

I don't have an issue with following FFP...but the money raised needs to used on quality not on finding players with potentially huge sell on values.

Issue with all this is, building with youth system or from within takes a long time, and by the time we accomplish that the four teams ahead of us might just be farther ahead then when we started.

You're right: the model isn't perfect and it, most certainly reduces the financial risk to the owners. The fact that it also limits the chance of football success is obviously secondary to many - just not me.
What it allows is very wealthy investors to increase their portfolio and profit margins with little financial risk to their, already, threefold return on their investment in a repossession.

You talk about "limited funds" yet it's very clear that we have had a lot of money to spend. The fact that it wasn't spent on wages or fees, for proven quality, is clearly down to the owners and their business strategy of reduced financial risk to investors.

It's as simple as this: FSG are, rightly, praised for their business acumen - the business, that is LFC, is NOT going to fail under their ownership because they will only spend what the club generates: whether it's spent on 'future' or 'proven' quality.

However the football team, that is LFC, will either fail or succeed depending on the quality of players it can put onto the pitch.

Do you really care more about reduced "financial risk on the owners part" more than enhanced chances of winning on the football team's part? Nah.

Football success attracts fans, sponsors, better players but it demands owners taking a risk that their percentage might get eaten into - that % currently sits at close to 300%. I think they can take a chance.

Football first Harry, football first.

Informed and perceptive comment as ever mate.
Nail on the head to be precise and the highlighted section describes the JWH&Co modus operandi to a T.
Not just this season but every F***ing season since they acquired the club for a song; they knew as we did that the asset that qualifies LFC was capable of returning any investment handsomely, full stop.
It is quite simply an intentional lack of commitment and any bollox now about ''long term plans'' is well past it's sell by, it really would provoke a backlash if JWH&Co were foolish enough to foist that particular piece of sh*t upon us again. 

You're right: the model isn't perfect and it, most certainly reduces the financial risk to the owners. The fact that it also limits the chance of football success is obviously secondary to many - just not me.
What it allows is very wealthy investors to increase their portfolio and profit margins with little financial risk to their, already, threefold return on their investment in a repossession.

You talk about "limited funds" yet it's very clear that we have had a lot of money to spend. The fact that it wasn't spent on wages or fees, for proven quality, is clearly down to the owners and their business strategy of reduced financial risk to investors.

It's as simple as this: FSG are, rightly, praised for their business acumen - the business, that is LFC, is NOT going to fail under their ownership because they will only spend what the club generates: whether it's spent on 'future' or 'proven' quality.

However the football team, that is LFC, will either fail or succeed depending on the quality of players it can put onto the pitch.

Do you really care more about reduced "financial risk on the owners part" more than enhanced chances of winning on the football team's part? Nah.

Football success attracts fans, sponsors, better players but it demands owners taking a risk that their percentage might get eaten into - that % currently sits at close to 300%. I think they can take a chance.

Football first Harry, football first.

Good post  you would think by now people were starting to see through them apparently not .

i can't see any smokescreen, we're not even linked with any top players. we're not in the market for them. just move on.

Put this here as it affects the post above I quoted it and my quote is in the main box and not seperate if it makes sense, its happening a lot lately, can anyone shed some light on it as to why I keep fckin it up. 
                     

Put this here as it affects the post above I quoted it and my quote is in the main box and not seperate if it makes sense, its happening a lot lately, can anyone shed some light on it as to why I keep fckin it up. 
                     

Looks like you putting your post inside the quote.

If you look back you'll see [quote without the final ']' and I think that might be where the problem is.

Looks like you putting your post inside the quote.

If you look back you'll see [quote without the final ']' and I think that might be where the problem is.

Cheers Si  being on my phone dont help have to look more carefully .

Cheers Si  being on my phone dont help have to look more carefully .

No problem.

Not 100% but I think that's the problem as I've done similar before.

I don't see who we're linked with either. We may be linked with Messi but who knows who linked us. It does work in the favour of FSG if we're linked with top names I.e. They didn't come here but we tried. The agents probably release all kinds of stories. It does look like we're spending our money on youth and trying to uncover/develop some good footballers along the way. I don't think FSG necessarily hid this from us but they did say we could attract anyone which is not their m.o.

Funny how we're always tracking top names into the season ticket window.........and yet never sign any by the back end of the summer.

Probably just coincidence.

Put this here as it affects the post above I quoted it and my quote is in the main box and not seperate if it makes sense, its happening a lot lately, can anyone shed some light on it as to why I keep fckin it up. 
                     

Sorted for you mate, and Si's post earlier for the reason why was spot on.

Funny how we're always tracking top names into the season ticket window.........and yet never sign any by the back end of the summer.

Probably just coincidence.

That's kind of what I mean in the OP.

We are usually linked with someone far better than the people we end up with and every time we fail

That's kind of what I mean in the OP.

We are usually linked with someone far better than the people we end up with and every time we fail

I was trying to convey a sarcastic tone mate........I'm afraid I simply don't buy the pursuits anymore.

That's kind of what I mean in the OP.

We are usually linked with someone far better than the people we end up with and every time we fail

It's called bullshit mate.

I (I think like many others) came to a simple conclusion !!
 we will not(never) sign   established world class players with our wage structure
  other clubs will always offer more signing fee and wages than us
 maybe a promising  young player, yes ,  hoping he will flourish and than sell him again to the other top clubs for a higher fee
 the club has to accept the wage demands nowadays ,if they want  to sign w.class players
  don't see any top players wanting to play for Liverpoolbecause of our glorious history and  accepting lower wages they can easily get with other clubs
 we look like an academy for the other rich clubs

This is my opinion ,hope I am very wrong and there are still some top players  accepting to play for LIVERPOOL
YNWA

I find it strange that some posters still believe that FSG would spend big money and wages on a player "if the right player became available"
It's worked out well for FSG, that there's always been another reason why we couldn't sign a particular player. The choose another club, they wanted to play for a certain manager, they were overpriced, we aren't in the CL,.......... Funny how its never about us being tight!

Sorted for you mate, and Si's post earlier for the reason why was spot on.

Cheers Aryton.

we are willing to spend 20-25 million on a player as long as the weekly wages arent astronomical.

If you can't see that by now i dont know what teams youve been supporting.

we are willing to spend 20-25 million on a player as long as the weekly wages arent astronomical.

If you can't see that by now i dont know what teams youve been supporting.

Yes but why go for players who we know will want high wages then?

Yes but why go for players who we know will want high wages then?

What players are those? I don't think we have 'gone after' those.

If you're believing paper talk thats another issue.

If you're talking about the players that went to chelsea instead of us. Thats also another issue and personal choice by the player to go for more money/less playing time.

Not sure it's a smokescreen, but deffo makes us look incompetent, impotent and the like.

From that great movie, The Right Stuff...
Recruiter: "Funding. That's what makes your ships go up. I'll tell you something, and you guys too: No bucks, no Buck Rodgers"

Top players won't sign for Liverpool unless they have no offers from any of the top 10-12 clubs in the world.

Nowadays Liverpool are a club high on PR bluffing about our great 'ambitions'  and low on actual delivery - from top to bottom.

Yes but why go for players who we know will want high wages then?

To try and fool supporters into thinking we are 'competing'.

Most of us cottoned on a long time ago.

Do you think that our supposed attempts to sign the likes of...

Depay, Mkhitaryan, Konoplyanka, Willian, Salah, Costa, Sanchez etc...

Are simply smoke screens to make it look like we are trying to buy top class players but not really interested in them at all.

It feels like every window we try to sign someone who we'd call a top class player and every time the deals fall through.

Surely to f**k just one of the players we've been linked with and failed should have signed.

I mean we've been after enough of them.

Or are we just that sh*t on the wages, negotiations and selling the club side of things?

What do you think it is?

It's either a smoke screen or we are terrible at signing players

Either way it doesn't really mater. We are screwed.

I find it strange that some posters still believe that FSG would spend big money and wages on a player "if the right player became available"
It's worked out well for FSG, that there's always been another reason why we couldn't sign a particular player. The choose another club, they wanted to play for a certain manager, they were overpriced, we aren't in the CL,.......... Funny how its never about us being tight!

Ive stated this before. Rightly or worngly they have reasoned why we havent bought Mr World-Class.

Howevwer, there is no hiding place left and no more reason to give. If the fail to do it this summer... we will all know!

Ive stated this before. Rightly or worngly they have reasoned why we havent bought Mr World-Class.

Howevwer, there is no hiding place left and no more reason to give. If the fail to do it this summer... we will all know!

Isn't it all about the money? Expensive, so kill the deal. Buy on the cheap. Sell at inflated prices. Football or money? Money all day long. A dollar spent on an additional seat at Anfield is better certainty of a return from ticket sales than a dollar spent on a Aspas?

Do you think that our supposed attempts to sign the likes of...

Depay, Mkhitaryan, Konoplyanka, Willian, Salah, Costa, Sanchez etc...

Are simply smoke screens to make it look like we are trying to buy top class players but not really interested in them at all.

It feels like every window we try to sign someone who we'd call a top class player and every time the deals fall through.

Surely to f**k just one of the players we've been linked with and failed should have signed.

I mean we've been after enough of them.

Or are we just that sh*t on the wages, negotiations and selling the club side of things?

What do you think it is?

Just stupid rumours, Get's really boring how people are fooled so much by the rumours. We are stastically linked with more players than any other club, which means probably 95% are just made up fiction.

Whether there is a conspiracy by FSG I very much doubt it, there are so many ITK people on forums, twitter, FB & the press that probably don't need smokescreens.

Just stupid rumours, Get's really boring how people are fooled so much by the rumours. We are stastically linked with more players than any other club, which means probably 95% are just made up fiction.

Whether there is a conspiracy by FSG I very much doubt it, there are so many ITK people on forums, twitter, FB & the press that probably don't need smokescreens.

I think we get publicly linked so our rivals sign them. That way we have an excuse to save our money until we get linked with garbage players at 20m plus and accidentally buy them.

i think FSG want them but when they find out how much footballers cost they laugh and say jog on as we will lose money on that investment. i personnally think we only need 3/4 players max this season and let the lads dig themselves out of this one. otherwise we will be skint

I think we get publicly linked so our rivals sign them. That way we have an excuse to save our money until we get linked with garbage players at 20m plus and accidentally buy them.

and we have our shadows spuds who seem to go after the same players.

There is no smokescreen
It's pretty clear that not only can we not sign top players, we can't keep our best ones.
How anyone can think it's ok to let Sterling go is beyond me.
Did we not learn anything from Luis leaving ... that is is VERY hard to replace quality.
SG deffo going. Probably Raheem. No strikers. F**k me.

Read this moening Sterling not allowed to leave unless it's £50mill.

And all other contract talks are sorted, and will be signed this week or next.

Let's jope the sales of deadwood move quick and we get these new guys in ASAP ready for pre-season.

I cant see myself watching any of this shower of sh*t next yr.
To do so would be to willingly encourage our further desecration.

To hear Gerrard, Sterling AND IBE possibly leaving just YELLS "also ran pile of sh*t run by scum owners".

Yanksters 2 sold two players alone for 125m. A reasonable ie Europa squad is prob worth upwards of 300m.
A PL player probably lasts 10 yrs. So you NEED to spend 30m a yr just to tread water. Shamway put in NOTHING to fix the cluvb when they took over. They have load mountains of quality and bought loads of cheap sh*t.

Some yrs they didnt even DO a net spend (and thats BEFORE the player wage cuts-absolute or inflation adjusted).

So its clearly just a sneaky asset strip. Once you add in wage and trasfer fee inflation DESPITE  massive new TV/comm deals its clear they plan to have us wallow in upper mid table til these leeches sell up.

The sham is overwhelmingly clear. If people here are REAL liverpool fans (and lets face it, some are just plants) do yourselves a favour, tell the 18 gnomes to go f**k themselves.

I cant see myself watching any of this shower of sh*t next yr.
To do so would be to willingly encourage our further desecration.

To hear Gerrard, Sterling AND IBE possibly leaving just YELLS "also ran pile of sh*t run by scum owners".

Yanksters 2 sold two players alone for 125m. A reasonable ie Europa squad is prob worth upwards of 300m.
A PL player probably lasts 10 yrs. So you NEED to spend 30m a yr just to tread water. Shamway put in NOTHING to fix the cluvb when they took over. They have load mountains of quality and bought loads of cheap sh*t.

Some yrs they didnt even DO a net spend (and thats BEFORE the player wage cuts-absolute or inflation adjusted).

So its clearly just a sneaky asset strip. Once you add in wage and trasfer fee inflation DESPITE  massive new TV/comm deals its clear they plan to have us wallow in upper mid table til these leeches sell up.

The sham is overwhelmingly clear. If people here are REAL liverpool fans (and lets face it, some are just plants) do yourselves a favour, tell the 18 gnomes to go f**k themselves.

Ibe has just agreed a 5 year contract on £30k a week.
It's quite clear Sterling does not want to be part of LFC so not sure what we can do apart from offer him £200k a week!

Well the press are also reporting that the deal isn't signed and Ibe is starting to wonder WTF is going on.

Sterling would like to see Liverpool standard of competition for silverware, not parasitic scumbag antics.
I'd like to see just HOW serious Shamway are about giving him market rates. After all, they've forced plenty of top players out of the door.

Most of the forum now accept the board are leeching scumbags. I doubt the players have been duped by them.
LFC is now owned by scum. Very simple.

A healthy bottom line is of utmost importance to the owners, anything else is secondary. Never mind about winning the league, as long as we don't drop into the relegation zone we're ok. 

is what a smokescreen? is the club trying to sell us hope still? hopefully nobody buys it anymore. i mean, are we talking about the "Reds linked to Tevez" and all that kind of bullshit? hopefully no Liverpool men with functioning brains fall for that stuff.

Liverpool did pull out of Depay deal, according to Dutch magazine

Reports from Dutch magazine Voetbal have suggested that Memphis Depay did not become a Liverpool player because we pulled out of the deal…

The story says that we were interested in the attacker, and that we were in pole position to sign him, until we changed our minds and allowed first PSG and then Man United to take the lead in the chase for his signature.

The winger had become one of Europe’s hottest properties, after a stunning season guided his current side PSV Eindhoven to the Eredivisie title. The 21-year-old was the league’s top goalscorer, bagging 22 goals, three clear of his teammate Luuk de Jong.

The Daily Mail reported that the Netherlands international ended one of the summer’s earliest transfer sagas last week, by completing a £25m move to our Premier League rivals Manchester United.

We were pretty miffed, especially as Brendan Rodgers suggested that we were not after the player once the deal had been done, according to The Guardian.

But, Voetbal International claimed that Depay was ready to pick Anfield over Old Trafford, before we decided that our transfer priorities changed at the last minute.

The injury to Daniel Sturridge, as well as the number of options already in Depay’s position, meant that buying a striker in the summer has become our main concern. And, to find one of Premier League standard, we will have to spend a large amount of money. Unfortunately, the £25m that United ended up spending on the Depay would represent a sizeable amount of our transfer kitty. Buying the Dutchman, when we already have a cluster of wingers, and not going after a forward, would be perhaps naive.
http://www.empireofthekop.com/2015/05/16/liverpool-did-pull-out-of-depay-deal-according-to-dutch-magazine/

I don't know how reliable the sources are, but you never know.

Cloak and daggers, smokescreen and all that.

Liverpool did pull out of Depay deal, according to Dutch magazine

Reports from Dutch magazine Voetbal have suggested that Memphis Depay did not become a Liverpool player because we pulled out of the deal…

The story says that we were interested in the attacker, and that we were in pole position to sign him, until we changed our minds and allowed first PSG and then Man United to take the lead in the chase for his signature.

The winger had become one of Europe’s hottest properties, after a stunning season guided his current side PSV Eindhoven to the Eredivisie title. The 21-year-old was the league’s top goalscorer, bagging 22 goals, three clear of his teammate Luuk de Jong.

The Daily Mail reported that the Netherlands international ended one of the summer’s earliest transfer sagas last week, by completing a £25m move to our Premier League rivals Manchester United.

We were pretty miffed, especially as Brendan Rodgers suggested that we were not after the player once the deal had been done, according to The Guardian.

But, Voetbal International claimed that Depay was ready to pick Anfield over Old Trafford, before we decided that our transfer priorities changed at the last minute.

The injury to Daniel Sturridge, as well as the number of options already in Depay’s position, meant that buying a striker in the summer has become our main concern. And, to find one of Premier League standard, we will have to spend a large amount of money. Unfortunately, the £25m that United ended up spending on the Depay would represent a sizeable amount of our transfer kitty. Buying the Dutchman, when we already have a cluster of wingers, and not going after a forward, would be perhaps naive.
http://www.empireofthekop.com/2015/05/16/liverpool-did-pull-out-of-depay-deal-according-to-dutch-magazine/

I don't know how reliable the sources are, but you never know.

Cloak and daggers, smokescreen and all that.

Here's my issue...how did we just "all of the sudden" realize that a striker was our main priority? Sturridge has been injured all season...it's not like it was a revelation. To be honest, I was quite surprised that we were being linked to another winger, but I just assumed it was a replacement for Sterling. Hopefully, this means we are pretty confident that Sterling will be staying because if Sterling goes, it will have been stupid to have not actually snatched this kid up.

Liverpool did pull out of Depay deal, according to Dutch magazine

Reports from Dutch magazine Voetbal have suggested that Memphis Depay did not become a Liverpool player because we pulled out of the deal…

The story says that we were interested in the attacker, and that we were in pole position to sign him, until we changed our minds and allowed first PSG and then Man United to take the lead in the chase for his signature.

The winger had become one of Europe’s hottest properties, after a stunning season guided his current side PSV Eindhoven to the Eredivisie title. The 21-year-old was the league’s top goalscorer, bagging 22 goals, three clear of his teammate Luuk de Jong.

The Daily Mail reported that the Netherlands international ended one of the summer’s earliest transfer sagas last week, by completing a £25m move to our Premier League rivals Manchester United.

We were pretty miffed, especially as Brendan Rodgers suggested that we were not after the player once the deal had been done, according to The Guardian.

But, Voetbal International claimed that Depay was ready to pick Anfield over Old Trafford, before we decided that our transfer priorities changed at the last minute.

The injury to Daniel Sturridge, as well as the number of options already in Depay’s position, meant that buying a striker in the summer has become our main concern. And, to find one of Premier League standard, we will have to spend a large amount of money. Unfortunately, the £25m that United ended up spending on the Depay would represent a sizeable amount of our transfer kitty. Buying the Dutchman, when we already have a cluster of wingers, and not going after a forward, would be perhaps naive.
http://www.empireofthekop.com/2015/05/16/liverpool-did-pull-out-of-depay-deal-according-to-dutch-magazine/

I don't know how reliable the sources are, but you never know.

Cloak and daggers, smokescreen and all that.

That's pretty scary if true.  It means that up until Studge had to have surgery we were happy with the strikers we have plus Origi and possibly Ings.

My mind is truly boggled 

Here's my issue...how did we just "all of the sudden" realize that a striker was our main priority? Sturridge has been injured all season...it's not like it was a revelation. To be honest, I was quite surprised that we were being linked to another winger, but I just assumed it was a replacement for Sterling. Hopefully, this means we are pretty confident that Sterling will be staying because if Sterling goes, it will have been stupid to have not actually snatched this kid up.

We excel at that., well Ayre does.

That's pretty scary if true.  It means that up until Studge had to have surgery we were happy with the strikers we have plus Origi and possibly Ings.

My mind is truly boggled 

Consistent if anything Debs, how many times have we pulled out of a deal in the face of a potential rival bid?
Resignation more than boggled.

Smokescreen all the way, nothing will change as long as FSG is the owner. We will continue to link to every top player available in the market with no serious intention to buy them and wages must be super low. 3 seasons on and the pattern is all too familiar. Do I expect anything different this coming close season transfer market, no it will get worse, I hope I am wrong. I really do.

I used to love reading transfer rumours and I'm sure a fair percentage of my posts here are in the Transfer boards.

But it's too depressing to go in now.

People will be all over Illarramendi, Kovacic and Vietto or equivalents all summer, when we all must surely know we won't sign any of those players. 

The sad bit is I am now resigned to us not even signing lads who are at the level below the top tier all the teams above us will be buying from.

I remember fellow reds getting giddy about Villa rumours previously and being able even back then to recognise we lacked the money or ambition to sign that level of player. Now we don't even have the money, ambition or competency to sign lads who aren't even the finished article.

It's all gonna be free transfers, wage cutting and then a late move for an overpriced and incompatible Benteke.

We are the only club arrogant enough to thick we can bridge an ever growing gap by spending less and less relatively and not even spending that outlay smartly... that is assuming the people running Liverpool are aiming at first place and not fourth as the ceiling for our ambition.

I used to love reading transfer rumours and I'm sure a fair percentage of my posts here are in the Transfer boards.

But it's too depressing to go in now.

You're not alone, the worldwide fans have the same feelings because the last 3 years have turned us fans into having one with a  defeatist attitude.

That's pretty scary if true.  It means that up until Studge had to have surgery we were happy with the strikers we have plus Origi and possibly Ings.

My mind is truly boggled 

It is Ayre's negotiating skills that keep us from getting any good players. This is nothing new and had been going for few years.

Quite simply, Ayre has to go from footballing side except for commercial interests. Actually, I would get rid of Ayre completely,

Get rid of Ayres and the transfer boys club but lets face it who will we be signing this summer that can replace the likes of Stevie or Luis and if we do that takes us back to where we where end of last season. TO actually improve this team we need 4 major names to come in and that will not happen.
Daniel could be back but then again he may not the ground will be full again so FSG dont have to do much with increase in TV money they are sitting pretty.

Does Ayre ever have any chance of signing targets when his bidding price and wage structure is likely to be 25% less than any of the other top clubs.
Like asking Messi to sign for villa on £ 40k a week !
It just ain't gonna happen, regardless of how good a salesman you are.
Not particularly supporting Ayre, but he must be embarrassed comparing what he is authorised to offer compared with the competition.