Big Names

With the Champions League running again, I really got the desire to be a part of it again!

Well, If we do qualify for the CL next season, we will be more attractive for big players and we will be in a better position to sign them!

However is signing the big players really the way to have long term success?  Long term success does not mean just to qualify for CL football each season, it means silverware and big nights!

Thinking of long term success to clubs come into my mind: Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

Both clubs are similar in regards to their transfer policy. First of all they develope homegrown talents into top players!

Bayern Munich: Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, David Alaba, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Holger Badstuber
Barcelona: Messi, Iniesta , Xavi, Pique, Puyol, Busquets, Pedro, (Farbegras)

In addition they are signing at most just a couple of players for big money.
To become a strong force again it takes years and many factors, but I think focusing on developing young players is far more important for our future than looking somewhere else and buy them for big money.

Don't know what some of you expect in the upcoming  transfer window but I don't think we need to buy 3-4 players for big money.

Maybe I totally wrong with my opinion but what do you guys think?

I think that both the teams you mentioned all have four or five if not more players that cost them big money.

Neymar, Alves, Sanchez, Alba and Mascherano did not come cheaply and neither did Robben, Ribery, etc at Bayern.

Sadly, to achieve in the modern game it is almost impossible to compete without forking it out!

We can still attract big names as of right now.

We just refuse to pay the money. (Fee and Wages).

Will need to see the owners actually act to change my mind, until then CL qualification doesn't change that.

We can still attract big names as of right now.

We just refuse to pay the money. (Fee and Wages).

Will need to see the owners actually act to change my mind, until then CL qualification doesn't change that.

By right Salah. Mkhitaryan and that UKranian lad should be in our squad!

While it is important to develop youth players, it is very difficult for youth players to take you to the next level. Usually it is the big name players that help a team grow, while the youth players tend to grow with the team as it develops.

I think while CL football is an important attraction to players, one shouldn't underestimate the attraction of money, a good Manager and team progress either.

Sadly it is no point being able to attract top players if we can't afford or are unwilling to buy them.

   

Sadly it is no point being able to attract top players if we can't afford or are unwilling to buy them.
   

Or pay them  ... market rate.

When we say Big names, I hope we are talking about players who have the mettle to deal with Big occasions, not players who come in for Big Money. Sturridge, Xabi, Arbeloa are examples of the former; Downing, Carroll, Aquilani, Keane are examples of the latter. It is good on the owners' part to be prudent in the market but I just hate the negotiation tactics adopted by our Board.

With top 4, the hard-balling from agents might tone down a bit if the player really wants to play in the UCL. Our drawing capability enhances, just how Spurs were able to sign VDV out of nowhere. Good players, deemed 'not the right fit', and who warm benches in other clubs will be desperate to showcase their talents elsewhere. Mata was the latest example.

I can say, and others will agree as well, that Brendan has taken us to a stage where we don't have to worry about attracting skillful players anymore, the only worry will be, if we are gonna meet their market value and the payment structure.

Barcelona have the second-highest wage bill in the world, and regularly spend £30m on players to bolster their squad, the latest example being Neymar for £50m.

I'd like to be able to follow that model. It would be ace.

As for Bayern, they're the richest club in their league and one of the highest revenue drivers in world football. They also regularly plunder rival clubs for their best players and pay accordingly.

Martinez and Gotze cost over £30m each. Neuer, Gomez, Alcantara, Ribery and Robben were all £22-26m. And their squad and success allowed them to attract possibly the best manager in world football. Who isn't Brendan Rodgers.

Again, a lovely model to follow.

I'm all up for this! Why hasn't anyone thought of it sooner?

The problem with our transfer policy isn't that we don't sign big names, it's that we won't sign big names. The "name" shouldn't come in to the equation. Either the player will improve us or not. If he will, we should match any realistic valuations. So far all we've done is get rid of our big names and replace them with average players.

we don't sign big names, we create them. we have started something beautiful here and when the time comes we will compliment our team with the right signings. we don't just go out and buy some big name because they're good. we sign players fit for Liverpool.

bayern didn't really have any big money signings, they absolutely smashed their transfer record to bring martinez in because they knew they had to make a big signing like that for the good of the team -  and it worked.  when the time comes we WILL sign the players - sakho was a pretty big signing, lets not forget.

we don't sign big names, we create them. we have started something beautiful here and when the time comes we will compliment our team with the right signings. we don't just go out and buy some big name because they're good. we sign players fit for Liverpool.

bayern didn't really have any big money signings, they absolutely smashed their transfer record to bring martinez in because they knew they had to make a big signing like that for the good of the team -  and it worked.  when the time comes we WILL sign the players - sakho was a pretty big signing, lets not forget.

We used to sign big names. Regularly.

We used to sign big names. Regularly.

Which big names would they be?

Which big names would they be?

Well, I suppose we could quibble about what a "big name" would be, but we regularly broke British transfer records when signing the best players from smaller clubs.

Beardsley, Dalglish, Babb, Scales, Saunders, Collymore, Kirkland, Alan Kennedy.
All broke the British transfer records when we signed them.

Next.

Well, I suppose we could quibble about what a "big name" would be, but we regularly broke British transfer records when signing the best players from smaller clubs.

Beardsley, Dalglish, Babb, Scales, Saunders, Collymore, Kirkland, Alan Kennedy.
All broke the British transfer records when we signed them.

Next.

Bollocks.
That "regularly" consisted of a period lasting around 10-15 years, and many of them were F***ing useless: Babb, Scales, Saunders, Collymore and Kirkland were monumental misjudgements.

The others were hardly known outside the British leagues until they joined us.

Next.

Bollocks.
That "regularly" consisted of a period lasting around 10-15 years, and many of them were f**king useless: Babb, Scales, Saunders, Collymore and Kirkland were monumental misjudgements.

The others were hardly known outside the British leagues until they joined us.

Next.

But that was the market. The global transfers that are so common now didn't really exist. The fact of the matter is, we used to ALWAYS sign the best players in football, and very often paid record transfer fees to do so.

It may seem odd that Beardsley was a record transfer fee at "only" £1.9m, but that's exactly what he was. At that time, nobody had EVER paid more than £2m for a footballer in the UK. That record stood until Gascoigne moved from the same club to Spurs.

Of course, we smahed that ourselves when we paid £8.5m for Stan Collymore in 1995, almost 20 years since doing the same to sign Kenny Dalglish for £440,000. And then paying the highest fee in British transfer history for a Goalkeeper for Chris Kirkland in 2001.

Slightly longer than 10-15 years

But that was the market. The global transfers that are so common now didn't really exist. The fact of the matter is, we used to ALWAYS sign the best players in football, and very often paid record transfer fees to do so.

It may seem odd that Beardsley was a record transfer fee at "only" £1.9m, but that's exactly what he was. At that time, nobody had EVER paid more than £2m for a footballer in the UK. That record stood until Gascoigne moved from the same club to Spurs.

Of course, we smahed that ourselves when we paid £8.5m for Stan Collymore

The topic is "Big Names".
None of the players you mentioned were "Big Names", and many were gobsmacked when we signed them.

I remember, I was there.

Try again wum.

The topic is "Big Names".
None of the players you mentioned were "Big Names", and many were gobsmacked when we signed them.

I remember, I was there.

Try again wum.

Well, I did preface it with "what qualifies as a big name", and I think that in the market we were operating in, paying the highest fee ever recorded in British transfer history for a player - which we did several times - makes that player quite a big name.

I suppose I did assume that the thread was going along the usual lines of LFC being some kind of amazing incubation unit who preferred signing unknown players from Partick Thistle for "peanuts" and making them the best defender in the world, rather than lavishing huge sums of money on star signings.

The clue was in the post "we don't sign big names, we create them"Which is, as I've clearly outlined, f**king bollocks.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Well, I did preface it with "what qualifies as a big name", and I think that in the market we were operating in, paying the highest fee ever recorded in British transfer history for a player - which we did several times - makes that player quite a big name.

I suppose I did assume that the thread was going along the usual lines of LFC being some kind of amazing incubation unit who preferred signing unknown players from Partick Thistle for "peanuts" and making them the best defender in the world, rather than lavishing huge sums of money on star signings.

The clue was in the post "we don't sign big names, we create them"Which is, as I've clearly outlined, f**king bollocks.

Hope you enjoyed it.

The list of unknown players we've turned into big names is as long as your arm.

Shanks was a master at it, as was Paisley.

Rafa didn't do too badly at it either, although the players he bought weren't exactly unknown, he turned a few into world stars.

So, yet again, you're wrong.

Are your posts some kind of existential wummery?
"I think I think, therefore I WUM".

The list of unknown players we've turned into big names is as long as your arm.

Shanks was a master at it, as was Paisley.

Rafa didn't do too badly at it either, although the players he bought weren't exactly unknown, he turned a few into world stars.

So, yet again, you're wrong.

Are your posts some kind of existential wummery?
"I think I think, therefore I WUM".

So, in summary, we have a great history of turning "unknowns" into great players, as well as regularly breaking transfer record fees to sign players who were already considered pretty great, as evidenced by the tranfer fees required to secure them. Which were, on very numerous occasions, larger than anyone else had ever paid previously. Hence "record fee paid".

Great stuff. All sorted. Appreciate your time Swabsy.

2014 summer predictions-

Outs-Aspas, Johnson, Agger, Suso (unfortunatley)

Ins- Left back, Big strong CDM, Striker, Konoplyanka (I hope, he's so good)

Wouldn't be too suprised if Lucas or Joe Allen leave just to make space for new CM.

2014 summer predictions-

Outs-Aspas, Johnson, Agger, Suso (unfortunatley)

Ins- Left back, Big strong CDM, Striker, Konoplyanka (I hope, he's so good)

Wouldn't be too suprised if Lucas or Joe Allen leave just to make space for new CM.

I reckon Borini will be recalled and Aspas will go out on loan for the season. As for the rest, I see no reason to get rid of them unless they want to leave themselves. We need a large squad to compete across multiple comptetitions. Simply replacing what we have with better players isn't going to achieve that. Move them to the bench and we'll be fine.

I suppose it all depends on if we finish in the champs league or not. I dont think Suarez will be here if we dont, and 'if' FSG spend big or not, we are back to square one.

The problem with Big Names is that they can be hit or miss. At the beginning of the season, everyone marveled at Arsenal bringing in Ozil. At this point he doesn't really worry folks that much (at least that's how I perceive it). Now look at Bale...he seems to be doing well at RM, but they also had to pay a ridiculous amount for him, a fee that no matter how good he plays he can probably never justify.

So for me it's not as much about the big names as it is the players that fit this team perfectly. Then whether that player is a "Big Name" or not, you have to try and get them for a reasonable price. The problem for us right now is that FSG don't think any price is reasonable. I'm hoping that when we get in CL whoever it is that is advising them will make it known that they'll have to spend big to stay in the competition year after year.