24 Jun 2015 12:03:52
I've got to say if from here we get in kovacic I'm pretty extatic. if we add bacca to that I'm over the moon. full backs have been mentioned but I don't think it's vital although I do like clyne as a player and would be very happy with him although he needs good coaching to improve defensively which I'm not sure is at Liverpool at the moment unfortunately! But would still improve the team and squad for sure.

I would like to take the time though to actually congratulate the board as on paper (I'm assuming from here as if kovacic and bacca will sign) we have done fantastically.

Forget about finances as the eds keep pointing out we don't have the information to discuss it properly and all I can say is that the club will have very intelligent financial advisors who will not be stupid enough (at least I hope) to bankrupt the club or breach ffp. Fsg are not ignorant enough to be 100% sure we will be in the cl or win the league or anything next season so they wouldn't budget on the basis if we don't make cl then we close the gates etc.

Anyway back to my actual point.

Ings - it's a good bit of business no matter what happens really. Worst case scenario he doesn't settle at all and probably would be sold for a profit next summer. Btw thought the way he spoke about earning a "iconic" number at Liverpool was fantastic and he seems a top lad. Let's not forget also at 21 in his first prem season what was it 13/14 goals?? Not have bad for the lowest scoring team in the league I'm pretty sure. And a lot of people who would probably know a lot better say he was always a better prospect than Kane so it's obviously possible for ings to bang in 50 odd goals too ;)

Milner - Underrated signing on a lot of levels for me. Pretty good from a dead ball which is a plus. Has experience we definitely need. Always gives 110% (and supposedly took wage cut to come which is more than you can say about some players). Also he has played in a very multi cultured team that has won the league. After this summer Liverpool could have a very multi cultured team and we don't really have any English or premier league experienced leader of note and Milner brings all of this so I think it's a great signing and he's almost guaranteed to contribute 15+ goals from either scoring or assisting which is a return not to be sniffed at.

Bogdan- okay I really don't get this one. Ed001 summed it up saying ward who has signed a new contract can easily do the job that bogdan will be asked to do. I would have loved the big keeper to really push us on cech or handanovic but it didn't happen and I'm glad at least we didn't go out and spend 10 mil on a back up on 100k wages or something ridiculous like we have done with some other positions before!

Gomez - honestly know zilch about him. I gather from some on here he can play rb as well as cb? If so possibly he will be looked more so as a rb but I'm not going to comment much here.

Kovacic - I haven't again seen much of him so I will not judge to much but I will say he does have ability that's undeniable and he has one of those powerful presences on the ball which I like in this position a player who can nearly run through people with pace and powerful legs! And again a deeper 2 of Henderson with Lucas or kovacic possibly all three in tough games looks very solid!

Firmino - woke up yesterday morning saw the reports and was like yeah yeah whatever wake up today deal basically done. I'm thrilled is all I can say. He is a player we have needed aswell as a striker imo we need a number 10/wide player who has the potential to score 20 +. Modern day football almost demands it if you look at top teams and this is the one thing I think coutinho and sterling were missing combined so firmino looks tasty and he links up well with coutinho and I think his movement up top is potentially clever enough to play up top for a run of games also.

Bacca - almost costa-esque I would say. Never really seen him bury them from 30 yards or anything but wow the last season or two he knows where the net is in and around the area. We were linked with him a couple years ago and started watching him around then and wasn't that impressed but he has seriously improved and would be a 1 in 2 striker for us me thinks!

Add to this I ed001 says skrtel could be on the way out with agent looking around and ilori staying and saying he'll be given a chance. It seems like a lot of what almost every fan wanted has been done. And bacca firmino and coutinho would just be magic I think it could be a magical trio them playing together.

So I would like to congratulate them on getting
firmino. And if they do manage to get kovacic and possibly bacca well then thank you fsg as not only would you have bought some top players but collectively players who at least look like they fit in a team together and with some quality experience to go alongside the developing players like ibe markovic can etc.

One think I'm curious to ask ed002 as you said Liverpool came in and offered more than other teams were willing to for firmino which surprised me somewhat. Also earlier in the season you said he'd been watched but highly unlikely. I'm just wondering was this a transfer that did take you a bit by surprise ( in general and with the seemingly quick negotiations also) or had it just been quite a well kept closed deal that had been in progress for the last number of weeks possibly as I know you also keep saying the owners are trying to keep things much more behind closed doors?

And honestly are people at this stage against fsg just because they kept Rodgers?? Seems to be the impression I get when yet again we really don't know what happened. I'm sure after klopp left Dortmund they would have been allowed to ring him up and ask Liverpool? Interested? He could have said no there and then we really don't know. Apart from that I'm genuinely interested to hear any other bits and pieces against them as the way I see it they're not ideal but they seem to learn from mistakes and be willing to reevaluate when things don't work!

{Ed002's Note - I had explained that Liverpool had rekindled interest. The only surprise was Liverpool making an offer as high as they did.}

1.) 24 Jun 2015
24 Jun 2015 16:05:54
Sorry ed just to clarify I wasn't implying (meaning to anyway) that the information you had given was false. More so as you already answered with it that you were surprised they did go in and bid so high. Fair enough then mate hopefully you'll be surprised that bacca has signed tomorrow ;)

2.) 24 Jun 2015
24 Jun 2015 16:32:22
This maybe a bad shout or Maybe I am optimistic. having a big name striker would be great but I am not sure we need to spend the money. Ings works really hard to get himself in the right positions and score goals. I am not saying he's amazing but the kid can score and I think with PC, RF and AL/IBE feeding him, I think he will deliver. Creativity is not our problem it's having that poacher/predator in the box to put games away. I Would like to see the money spent on our defensive game.

3.) 24 Jun 2015
24 Jun 2015 17:40:04
Ed, does that mean we overpaid for him?

{Ed001's Note - it depends on your viewpoint. If we had just wanted to negotiate a deal and leave a possibility of someone like United nipping in, we could have bid less, yes. If we just wanted to get the deal done and make sure he was ours, then no we paid what we needed to.}

4.) 24 Jun 2015
24 Jun 2015 18:09:45
But do we have that poacher predator at the moment? I don't think so, bar sturridge and I wouldn't be sure he can do this either he's not that player. And while ings certainly has the potential and possibly origi/sinclair they simply aren't there yet which is why I would like bacca he's at the peak of his career at 29 when the season starts and we can get 2 seasons out of him or longer still have the potential to recoup a portion of whatever fee and then have a readymade ings/origi/sinclair and if in the mean time any do excel quickly then great problem to have!

5.) 24 Jun 2015
24 Jun 2015 19:00:02
Thanks Ed. I know you don`t talk money BUT was the fee just over or way over his release clause? Thanks!

{Ed001's Note - way over because it only applied to Bundesliga clubs. It was quite a lot lower than anyone was bidding mate.}