PaulPowersTash
Player Valuation: £15m
Stand up that man and take a bow!
Someone in the media has finally come and said what everyone knows and is thinking.
Good on him for that!
ECHO Comment: "Fears of Witch-hunt Against Liverpool FC" part 3
- Thread starter cronullasharks
- Start date
Stand up that man and take a bow!
Someone in the media has finally come and said what everyone knows and is thinking.
Good on him for that!
wandyr79
Player Valuation: £30m
Standing ovation for Craig Burley, superbly put.
Also Frank, no, people would not think a manager stupid for saying they would still 'give it their best shot'. That is the minimum that they would expect from a manager. I mean, what is the problem with saying 'We are outside favourites, for sure, but we will keep plugging away and do our best to put pressure on them.
How is that hard to understand.
I am glad there is at least one channel (even if it across the pond) allowed to say the obvious, the mask has indeed slipped and he is showing his true self.
rxyzyxr
Player Valuation: £750k
Blueclouds
Player Valuation: £35m
It's crazy, they have spend decent money in the summer.
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £90m
It will never be enough. If they’re not winning the mob demands world class players in every position for an instant return. If it doesn’t happen there’ll be unrest. Winning regularly will be the worst thing FSG ever did for that club. Their fans gave it so large to everyone else that they’re now receiving it back in spades and they’re a group of people who cannot take a shred of criticism or even humour in their direction. If they have a bit of a lean period they’ll get irate.
catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
Yes they did. And in fairness I did cover that as part of the arrangement. When a big signing goes out, allied to a much lower wage bill and an unusually high level of success (getting to a CL final) there was enough fat in the system to justify to world record fee signings (namely VVD & Alisson). That summer I also believe they spent 60m (+all the additional fees that come with a player from RB franchise as standard) £50m on Fabinho and £40m on Oxlade Chamberlain (who I believe had only 1 year left on the contract). So he did go heavy, but on his side of it they had sold Coutinho for £100m and over performed in Europe.
What they have done since, is essentially back on a heavy CL run, arguably getting to the final. Thats what a budget of £340m (now likely to be higher is). They haven't sold any big players since then, the squad sales have dried up and they have given most of those players hefty contracts instead.
So Klopp has been backed, in a different way to other managers. He's been allowed to keep the squad together, turn down big bids for Mane/Firmino and instead been able to reward both (and others) very handsomely. I actually think FSG went out on a limb for him last summer, and that will now not happen again.
As a final aside, ESPN I have watched a little bit recently and I have to say I am very impressed. I wasn't expecting it, but Shaka Hislop I thought spoke really really well in his segment (as did Burley too). I remember suggesting as early as last autumn, that his tantrums and having a go at journalists wil have been spilling over onto the training ground and affecting players. Hislop confirmed that, and said it's exactly what happened with Keegan. Much is spoken about they lost due to their poor defence, but actually what happened with Newcastle was the goals dried up. They went onto the pitch carrying the anxiety of their manager and it stifled creativity.
Whether this is right or wrong, when you start annoying the media, and belittling (and what is bullying) what are junior reporters trying to make their way in the industry it is not going to end well. The one at Brighton, if he's angry with the schedule he needs to take it up with the scheduling managers ane execs at the TV company, not the journalist on the ground. Likewise yesterday whatever you think of the question, asking the current champions if the title race is now over is not an illegitimate question. It's probably the question 90% of Liverpool fans will ask one another and reflect on. They will want to hear what their manager thinks of it. You might not like the question as a manager, or having to concede the title, but it was a perfectly fair question.
The situation reminds me a bit of Mourinho and his treatment of that dector. Picking a fight with a senior pro, or another manager, or a high profile ref (essentially someone your own size) is ok, but picking a fight with someone who holds a lot less power than you isn't on, and even people who are quite supportive of you will turn. Like trying to be objective, I can see that people would love to play for Jurgen Klopp in general. When he came he had a big personality, very personable, great reputation, seemed quite reflexive. I saw him with a couple of Evertonians in a petrol station and he stopped and wished her son well, and had a joke about him being an Evertonian which was tasteful and done well. Thats a million miles away from the man who takes his anger out on a journalist though, and I'd imagine even in that dressing room some will be quite shocked by it (as Chelsea were with Mourinho).
catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
I saw as much today. A similar story was in the Sun (I don't read that rag, but saw the headline on the BBC rumours page) so this smacks of a leak that will probably be across all the papers.
As I think I said to you yesterday, this feels like the emergence of a civil war in the club, with both sides starting to brief friendly journalists and editors.
It also hints at, if Klopp wanted Koulibaly, in what world did he even think that was vaguely realistic. They spent £4m in the window, yet he wanted a player who would have likely cost £60m+. It seems to me, just from the outside he hasn't really understood what the new financial realities mean.
As I believe I said yesterday, someone along the line, over recent months, it appears Klopp has changed his outlook and is now a lot less patient. Whether he fels after what he's won he should get what he wants? Whether he is frustrated to see that Pep has overtaken him again after the single season Klopp has finished above him which rankles? Whether he feels this side doesn't have much longer left in it, so it would be better to maximise the next year or so? Or whether he knows he will be leaving soon, so he's not overly concerned about the medium-long term picture? It could be any or all of the above, but he has certainkly changed his outlook.
I am still flabbergasted though, that he felt Koulibaly was in any way a realistic option. I undrstand the thinking, he is a VVD level centre back, and following VVD's injury possibly better than him now. But there was zero chance of it happening.
catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
It's the Thiago signing that is odd. Washed up, not really suited to the PL, not suited to their style, and in honesty a downgrade on Wijnaldum, yet they have spent £30m and huge wages on a guy who had a year left on his deal. He took until January to become fully fit and they could have got him for a nominal fee in January had they waited.
Jota is more forgiveable. They made circa what we did for Sigurdsson for him, and more than we did for Richarlinson. He's always been a bit injury prone, and has never scored more than 7 league goals in a season. He started well, but I do start to think it was just a hot streak. I didn't fancy him to get 10 league goals (which in fairness for the fee spent out is a bare minimum of what you would be after). I still think Werner- signed for a similar fee will be a much better signing long term. I mean Jota hasn't been an awful signing, but I do think he's been slightly overblown how good he is.
The reality is, we probably got the above 4, and Brainthwaite, Nkounkou and King for the same money as they signed the above 2. You really don't have to be a genius to see who got the better haul from that.
They looked closely at Godfrey too, and I'll be honest I'm very surprised they didn't sign him. I always felt he was a bit of a clone of Gomez, quick, strong, powerful, good on the ball. Like Gomez he lacks a bit in terms of football IQ and defending ability, but he's not as poor as Gomez is in that regard. I actually think he's an upgrade on Gomez pre injury (never mind post injury). While the injury is unlucky for Gomez, the lad is injury prone, so it is to be expected. Godfrey is also versatile, can play across the back 4 to a good level, and in midfield. I'm amazed they didn't pull the trigger on that deal. They'd have been better paying £20-£25m than £15m for that left back, who is poor. Godfrey is a lot better left back than him already and could have covered centre back.
Toffeeslam
Player Valuation: £40m
FSG need to balance the books and the red scum have been hit badly with the pandemic.
If there is no money then he has to just get on with it and stop moaning but Esther Rantzen teeth will use it as an excuse.
no club spent big in January and that’s just the way it is right now
If there is no money then he has to just get on with it and stop moaning but Esther Rantzen teeth will use it as an excuse.
no club spent big in January and that’s just the way it is right now
Jota was a very good signing, on paper, though they overpaid, so was Thiago, but after signing Jota, they were overloaded in midfield, that could have waited, they should have signed a centre half, even if it was an up and coming centre half to bed in. This go is a luxury for them, that they didn't need because usually they cut out the midfield and play the long ball. Thiago will finish up with a plaster cast round his neck, he will strain it looking up at the ball sailing over his head, continually, heading for their strikers.
MrGrumpy
Player Valuation: £50m
The whole Koulibaly sounds like a manager trying to save face, an sends a message, a poor one mind. He trying to get the fans on his side in a fight he won’t win.
If they bought me Kouli we would have won and not been in this position, instead they got me 2 defenders I don’t want(that’s why there not in the squad).
Think back to his Ben Davis statement and the WOW, that was said as a dig not a compliment.
Loved CB having a dig and “The mask has slipped” line that said on here all the time
catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
Yes I would agree. It's either a manager who has no idea of the financial constraints his club is going to have to work under, or a manager who is aware of it, and is cynically looking to make an easy excuse for himself.
This article though, looks to be leaked by the FSG wing not the Klopp wing. It's interesting why they have chosen now, to leak this information. We have seen a number of stories, from respected journalistssaying how unhappy Klopp was and how the board have left him out to dry. This looks like a riposte for that.
Just other take outs from the Mail article- that they were "looking to make cost savings" with the insinuation they haven't to date, but they will moving forward.
Anyway just seeing what has happened over the last few days/weeks in terms of journalistic coverage, in now small order I would conclude;
1) The club have little money, and are facing serious financial pressures/problems
2) This goes over and above the average pressures clubs are already facing
3) FSG ignored their instinct, avoiding selling players last summer to support Klopp
4) They will not make that "mistake" again
5) Klopp is unhappy with the previous situation, never mind what is coming. Potentially looking to facilitate an exit.
6) On top of this, he may be in complete denial about the severity and depths of the problems they face.
7) Both sides are now leaking to the media to win a PR war.
barneygumble
Player Valuation: £60m
They're £32.5m net spend up, during a pandemic.
The whole charade of FSG being monsters is mental. Are they in it to make money? 100% but how do they make money? By being successful and expanding their revenue.
That new stand is worth over £2m a game to them, in 10-years of ownership have spent £250m net, built a new state-of-the-art training facility, renovated around the stadium for a better match day experience (arguably the worse thing they've done to the area).
What more do they want? Look at Hicks and Gillett, they took them to the brink of death, and they've got a cheek to moan about them being money grabbers.
So to conclude, 8,000 more fans can now attend, overseen first title in 30 years, a Champions League and backed the manager no end... sound like utter monsters.
The whole charade of FSG being monsters is mental. Are they in it to make money? 100% but how do they make money? By being successful and expanding their revenue.
That new stand is worth over £2m a game to them, in 10-years of ownership have spent £250m net, built a new state-of-the-art training facility, renovated around the stadium for a better match day experience (arguably the worse thing they've done to the area).
What more do they want? Look at Hicks and Gillett, they took them to the brink of death, and they've got a cheek to moan about them being money grabbers.
So to conclude, 8,000 more fans can now attend, overseen first title in 30 years, a Champions League and backed the manager no end... sound like utter monsters.
It's never ever been enough with Liverpool though, they always want more..
Welcome
Join Grand Old Team to get involved in the Everton discussion. Signing up is quick, easy, and completely free.
Shop
