Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton)

Mate, it wasn't the manager who made the call on Dempsey, Rodgers wanted him and was evidently aghast that the plug was pulled on such a small deal by his bosses. Regardless of where Dempsey is now they should have backed him, particularly given they had just pocketed a few quid on Andy Carroll. The same dithering cost us the Salah deal a few years ago and here we are, we've got the player for an additional £25 million.

As for Sterling, I wasn't laughing dude, it was pretty obvious he would be a good signing for them and despite a bit of inconsistency he has been. 21 goals and 31 assists in two seasons is not to be sniffed and he will only get better. We could have done with some of that over the last couple of seasons.

I can't subscribe to the 'that's the way the cookie crumbles' sometimes they come through, sometimes they don't philosophy quite so readily and I'll continue hoping that FSG off load the club to someone with the conviction to make us contenders again. Unfortunately that will only happen once they are satisfied they have achieved a more significance return on their investment.

Maybe I got mixed up with Siggurdsson, but either way, we were absolutely right not to go through with any deal for Dempsey.
He showed the next season that Fulham was his level, but remember Carrol only went out on loan that season.

I wasn't laughing about Sterling either, one reason is that I'm not into the whole schadenfreude thing, but also because he was and is a good little player. I don't get why he gets all the hate but Suarez (who behaved far worse) is given a free ride.
Plenty were laughing at him and city though, and still are. Mistakenly imo, but each to their own.

I'd be very careful what you wish for with off loading the club.
We could easily end up with a Lerner, and not an oil baron.
No club gets 100% of its transfers right, and I can't get wound up about something I have no control over.
Suffice to say that IMO we have a decent (not great) squad, a cracking first team that could do with some steel at the back (and pace), and Klopp has repeatedly said that money is not an issue.
So if the issue isn't money, it's the manager not wanting to spend for the sake of it, and I still don't understand how that's down to FSG.

Maybe I got mixed up with Siggurdsson, but either way, we were absolutely right not to go through with any deal for Dempsey.
He showed the next season that Fulham was his level, but remember Carrol only went out on loan that season.

I wasn't laughing about Sterling either, one reason is that I'm not into the whole schadenfreude thing, but also because he was and is a good little player. I don't get why he gets all the hate but Suarez (who behaved far worse) is given a free ride.
Plenty were laughing at him and city though, and still are. Mistakenly imo, but each to their own.

I'd be very careful what you wish for with off loading the club.
We could easily end up with a Lerner, and not an oil baron.
No club gets 100% of its transfers right, and I can't get wound up about something I have no control over.
Suffice to say that IMO we have a decent (not great) squad, a cracking first team that could do with some steel at the back (and pace), and Klopp has repeatedly said that money is not an issue.
So if the issue isn't money, it's the manager not wanting to spend for the sake of it, and I still don't understand how that's down to FSG.

i still don't understand why there has to be a separation of FSG and LFC.

Are we all certain that yer man Virgil will pass his Melwood medical? should he turn up in the next few days..
Watched the video of Robertson's medical last week and it's pretty intense..
He is carrying an injury isn't he or is fit enough to go straight in?

Just saying like...

i still don't understand why there has to be a separation of FSG and LFC.

Because people love to play the blame game, and they're an easy target.
Just go in the match thread any weekend and watch as people look for someone to blame if we concede.
The we have the scapegoat every season who people slate.

To me, it's silly, but I guess some people need to point the finger so they have someone to shout at/about.
I see footy for what it is; a team game, and that goes from the very top, right down to the newest recruit.

Are we all certain that yer man Virgil will pass his Melwood medical? should he turn up in the next few days..
Watched the video of Robertson's medical last week and it's pretty intense..
He is carrying an injury isn't he or is fit enough to go straight in?

Just saying like...

He's been training so fitness isn't an issue.
Doubt he's match sharp though.

Just saying like...

He's been in training albeit on his own, most definitely fit, but with no preseason games and missing a chunk of the last half of the season, i'd say certainly not match fit.

He's been in training albeit on his own, most definitely fit, but with no preseason games and missing a chunk of the last half of the season, i'd say certainly not match fit.

Wouldn't take him long though, i'm sure.
I'd cock things right up and play him in centre midfield if we get him..
Kenny did that with Jan Molby didn't he..

Either way the guy's a f**kin human tank !

It's a poor debate because he was not half the player he is today and we paid more for the finished product.

You can't go back in hindsight and just buy loads of players based off of potential...you can do it here and there but you simply cannot do it in mass.

We took plenty of flyers on paper that at the time were just as highly rated as Mo Salah was when he was 21.

Markovic
Aspas
Luis Alberto
Alberto Moreno
Shay Ojo
Assiadi
Origi
Illori

How did most of those work out?

We had over a dozen young players come back off of loan that year....there are hit's and misses but you can't look in the rear view mirror and say "we blew that one he got away from us"

Chelsea can do that, we can't afford to.

Christ you could build a half-decent premier league side off of the players that Chelsea has let slip away or thrown away.

They didn't work out! The list you have posted kinda says it all for me, wish I'd posted it meself, ta! Buy less, buy twice (or buy thrice) is how we roll under FSG. It's no wonder we struggle to keep our best players given that we are never (or very rarely) in the market for players they might consider their equal.

They didn't work out! The list you have posted kinda says it all for me. Buy less, buy twice (or buy thrice) is how we roll under FSG. It's no wonder we struggle to keep our best players given that we are never (or very rarely) in the market for players they might consider their equal.

Yes Scott...but did you know how Salah was going to end up?...Chelsea sent him out on loan after 6 months and 13 appearances and he never went back...guess they are pretty stupid too.

Again your comment was we could have gotten Salah for £13 million...but how is one to know that he would turn out the way he did?...Chelsea sure didn't....Florentia sure didn't.

Nobody knows but you can't go back 4 years on a player and complain on one hand why you didn't buy him and in the same breath say "look at what we bought they failed"...nobody knows at that age how a player is going to turn out.

Yes Scott...but did you know how Salah was going to end up?...Chelsea sent him out on loan after 6 months and 13 appearances and he never went back...guess they are pretty stupid too.

Again your comment was we could have gotten Salah for £13 million...but how is one to know that he would turn out the way he did?...Chelsea sure didn't....Florentia sure didn't.

Nobody knows but you can't go back 4 years on a player and complain on one hand why you didn't buy him and in the same breath say "look at what we bought they failed"...nobody knows at that age how a player is going to turn out.

At least if you pay the money you get to find out. Salah is a little different to some of the others as he was much less of a known quantity at the time, though that isn't really the point.

You wouldn't say 'ah well, Willian...who knows what would have happened had we signed him?' Or Mkhitaryan, Sanchez etc.

Pay the money and invariably you get better players.

At least if you pay the money you get to find out. Salah is a little different to some of the others as he was much less of a known quantity at the time, though that isn't really the point.

You wouldn't say 'ah well, Willian...who knows what would have happened had we signed him?' Or Mkhitaryan, Sanchez etc.

Pay the money and invariably you get better players.

I would answer this...just looking at the front players of ourselves and our rivals in regards to transfer fees

LFC          -  Firmino-Mane-Salah-Coutinho          £110,000 
Chelsea    -  Morata-Hazard-Pedro-Kante             £157,000
City         -   Auguero-De Brunye-Sterling-Sane   £182,000
Utd          - Mkhitaryan-Pogba-Lingard-Lukaku    £210,000

Now if you asked me I would say our scouting department did a pretty damn decent job on those and I would back our boys at damn near half the cost of the sh*te up North.

I would answer this...just looking at the front players of ourselves and our rivals in regards to transfer fees

LFC          -  Firmino-Mane-Salah-Coutinho          £110,000 
Chelsea    -  Morata-Hazard-Pedro-Kante             £157,000
City         -   Auguero-De Brunye-Sterling-Sane   £182,000
Utd          - Mkhitaryan-Pogba-Lingard-Lukaku    £210,000

Now if you asked me I would say our scouting department did a pretty damn decent job on those and I would back our boys at damn near half the cost of the sh*te up North.

Totally agree and when you look at the ages of the players there's only City that would come close to being comparable. I wouldn't swap our front 4 for any of the others there. Although I will admit to being a huge fan of both De Bruyne and Sane.

I would answer this...just looking at the front players of ourselves and our rivals in regards to transfer fees

LFC          -  Firmino-Mane-Salah-Coutinho          £110,000 
Chelsea    -  Morata-Hazard-Pedro-Kante             £157,000
City         -   Auguero-De Brunye-Sterling-Sane   £182,000
Utd          - Mkhitaryan-Pogba-Lingard-Lukaku    £210,000

Now if you asked me I would say our scouting department did a pretty damn decent job on those and I would back our boys at damn near half the cost of the sh*te up North.

Since Suarez it's only recently that we've actually managed to assemble an attack that looks like we could do anything serious, and I would say we still could do with a striker due to Sturridge's injuries and the lack of a real alternative.

City/Chelsea have won titles with their forwards...

I would answer this...just looking at the front players of ourselves and our rivals in regards to transfer fees

LFC          -  Firmino-Mane-Salah-Coutinho          £110,000 
Chelsea    -  Morata-Hazard-Pedro-Kante             £157,000
City         -   Auguero-De Brunye-Sterling-Sane   £182,000
Utd          - Mkhitaryan-Pogba-Lingard-Lukaku    £210,000

Now if you asked me I would say our scouting department did a pretty damn decent job on those and I would back our boys at damn near half the cost of the sh*te up North.

Not quite correct AZ as much as we like to laugh at the Mancs, Pogba is a CM and Lingard is not a starter for them, more likely to be one of Martial or more likely Rashford up front with Mikitaryan and Lukaku.

I would say that front 3 of theirs is more likely to score goals simply because they have a striker in Lukaku where as Firmino in my opinion is not a striker...

Yes Scott...but did you know how Salah was going to end up?...Chelsea sent him out on loan after 6 months and 13 appearances and he never went back...guess they are pretty stupid too.

Again your comment was we could have gotten Salah for £13 million...but how is one to know that he would turn out the way he did?...Chelsea sure didn't....Florentia sure didn't.

Nobody knows but you can't go back 4 years on a player and complain on one hand why you didn't buy him and in the same breath say "look at what we bought they failed"...nobody knows at that age how a player is going to turn out.

I think you miss my point dude, the issue I was making wasn't just about missing out on the player, it was the way it happened. The dithering and haggling over a few quid for what was a relatively small transfer fee, in comes a bigger fish and steals the deal. I also highlighted the Dempsey debacle, now I can't say I was all that excited about the prospect of Dempsey (who was) BUT the manager wanted him. It was a relatively low transfer fee again, they should have backed the manager. They didn't. This type of thing is indicative of FSG, that was the point I was trying to illustrate.

Of course you cannot predict how a player will turn out, that goes without saying. But you can improve the odds. I understand that FSG aren't and will never be in for the top bracket of players, they won't pay the wages and they have little stomach for the fight when it comes to competitions with over clubs for coveted players. The other option would be to target younger players who are predicted to have very bright futures and are coveted by other big clubs. Players like Hazzard when he was at Lille for example, it was clear he was going to be a star. Leroy Sane looked expensive last summer but he is a fine young player, city paid big but they had to because he was so highly rated. We could get into this area of the market but we do not. We don't really compete for coveted players young or old. We are too reliant on polishing rocks into diamonds. Sometimes it works e.g. Coutinho but then we struggle to keep them because their star outshines the apparent ambition of the club.

Not quite correct AZ as much as we like to laugh at the Mancs, Pogba is a CM and Lingard is not a starter for them, more likely to be one of Martial or more likely Rashford up front with Mikitaryan and Lukaku.

I would say that front 3 of theirs is more likely to score goals simply because they have a striker in Lukaku where as Firmino in my opinion is not a striker...

Lingard is a product of they're academy...as is Rashford so I included zero as a transfer fee for him...if you want to add in Martial then add in £36,000,000 more

I would answer this...just looking at the front players of ourselves and our rivals in regards to transfer fees

LFC          -  Firmino-Mane-Salah-Coutinho          £110,000 
Chelsea    -  Morata-Hazard-Pedro-Kante             £157,000
City         -   Auguero-De Brunye-Sterling-Sane   £182,000
Utd          - Mkhitaryan-Pogba-Lingard-Lukaku    £210,000

Now if you asked me I would say our scouting department did a pretty damn decent job on those and I would back our boys at damn near half the cost of the sh*te up North.

Sterling and Lingard are sh*te. Thanks for making me feel better about our team.

Lingard is a product of they're academy...as is Rashford so I included zero as a transfer fee for him...if you want to add in Martial then add in £36,000,000 more

£36M or what ever makes no difference to them if they keep winning trophies, something we don't do to well recently.

https://twitter.com/DExpress_Sport/status/895044456730292224

To me that's more posturing to influence his move to Chelsea rather than us.

https://twitter.com/DExpress_Sport/status/895044456730292224

To me that's more posturing to influence his move to Chelsea rather than us.

Hmm, that is either utter bollocks or Southampton will get relegated this season. That's not wishful thinking, I honestly think that if they are that petty and nasty in their thinking then that will not be a happy team. In any case they could become my 4th most hated team after Manure, Chavs and the Bitters.

Don't get what their problem is. So what we have signed a number of players from them, they've squeezed every penny they can out of us. It's not like we are exactly competing with them come the end of the season anyway. How's it any different to if they were to sell to anyone else. There has also been a change in ownership from when we first started signing their players to now hasn't there? As well as multiple changes of manager so they really need to get a grip. Leipzig are happy to lose 30mill over the sake of 1 more season from Keita and Saints are happy to let a 50/60mill player rot in the reserves.

https://twitter.com/DExpress_Sport/status/895044456730292224

To me that's more posturing to influence his move to Chelsea rather than us.

Yeah that's  so realistic lose out on £60M+ and pay him £60k a week, considering we have bank rolled the club with similar amounts recently.

Don't get what their problem is. So what we have signed a number of players from them, they've squeezed every penny they can out of us. It's not like we are exactly competing with them come the end of the season anyway. How's it any different to if they were to sell to anyone else. There has also been a change in ownership from when we first started signing their players to now hasn't there? As well as multiple changes of manager so they really need to get a grip. Leipzig are happy to lose 30mill over the sake of 1 more season from Keita and Saints are happy to let a 50/60mill player rot in the reserves.

Problem is the fans hate us treating them as a feeder club and the owners have to keep the fans on board hence the stance.