30 May 2015 15:57:49
The owners (FSG). We cannot expect them to do anymore than they have. They bought the club, took on most of the debts, have committed to the ground expansion and above all have ploughed in a fortune on players - a quarter of a billion under Rodgers alone. You can't ask for any greater support than what they have already shown. Admittedly, they've obviously been given poor advice at various stages which in turn has led to poor decisions that have had a cascade effect, but the reality is they have more than done their par and we are lucky to have them and their patience (which must be sorely tested by now).
The players. They can only do what players do - kick a ball and run about and that is all. To be winners they have to be trained, drilled, coached, motivated and given belief and purpose. They have to have a hunger to win trophies, be good enough to win them and the belief that they will win them with us or they will go because they would be stupid to stay. Sterling springs to mind - I actually believe him when he says he wants to win things therefore the real problem is why doesn't he think he will win them with us and what are we doing to address that - because of we don't and things stay as they are then slowly but surely we will lose the likes of Henderson, Coutinho, Can, Ibe, Sakho etc for exactly the same reason and again for exactly the same reason we will lose the better youngsters such as Sinclair and we will struggle to replace them. We have some very good players, but across the squad our average is to low and that is all there is to it. As a result the better players leave and the better replacements won't come so the average gets lower as a result.
The directing, managing and coaching staff. This is where the problems are. Not with the owners, not with the players.
So two questions for you to think about and answer (possibly even think of a couple of your own questions to add):-
a). Do you think, given the money that we have spent on players over the last 5 years under Dalglish and Rodgers that we would have been better off spending the same amount of money but on fewer but higher quality players than most of the ones we ended up with.
b). Do you think (in hindsight) that Michael Laudrup would probably have been a better appointment than Rodgers, given that in order to attract higher quality players a coach/manager needs to have a certain personal charisma and a certain respect amongst the potential signings. That Laudrup, given the same financial backing that Rodgers has had, would have produced a smaller but higher quality squad with a more focused winning mentality.
It's not just Rodgers that needs replacing - it's the day-to-day people around him as well. And it needs doing by the end of June or next season will be a write-off as well.
30 May 2015 16:29:18
I seriously believe we are on the verge of collapsing further than we did under Souness. I think decisions made over the next four weeks are going to have a far bigger impact on the club than anything since the appointment of Bill Shankly in 1959. We are quite simply at a 'pivotal moment' - a fork in the road. Choosing one route will lead us to regular top four, choosing the other will lead us to mediocrity.
30 May 2015 16:49:20
Jesus ! Somebody talking sense on this site? Are we back in 2010?
Great points Lenin
A) yes
B) yes
30 May 2015 16:56:16
Good piece, thanks
30 May 2015 16:39:07
They have a wage structure that means the few players for the money spent angle your intimating couldn't possibly have happened. £35million for Carroll £75k a week, £38million for Aguero £190k a week, Llanna £25million £65k a week, Fabregas £28million £170k a week. See the difference? They give the upfront fees but won't pay the big wages hence the quality of player we attract. I'd actually like to see there NET spend on transfer fees only since they took over, I'd be surprised if it reaches £100million in 5 years.
So don't give me the brilliant financial backing for players cobblers, they have and are doing it on the never never through finance company's banks and personal loans to the club, at the end of it all they'll come out of it smiling don't worry about that mate.
{Ed002's Note - You cannot grasp any of this can you - the club was losing £1M per week for the first three years. Do you have the slightest idea how much money has been spent on agent fees by Liverpool? It is simply hopeless discussing money at all.}
30 May 2015 17:49:59
One question to ask though was that considering only one of those seasons we had CL football, would we have been able to attract top quality players? I'm sure we could have done better with the money but I have my doubts about what kind of player would still have been signed.
30 May 2015 17:50:21
Agent fees ed002? No I don't to be honest and I'm not suggesting I do.
As a layman I'm simplifying it to the players bought and sold since they took over and the fact they don't pay top wages across the board, now unless I read the op wrong ( and I may well have ) then he's praising the owners for the money ( transfer fees only ) they have given managers and why we haven't bought quality over quantity, and the reason we haven't done that is because they don't pay the big wages, surely you agree with me on that small part.
Agents fees I don't understand and I wouldn't pretend to and I'm not privvy to the books before they bought the club and in what state they are now, but what I do know is they bought the club at way below market value and if they didn't drill down into the numbers when they bought the club then there more incompetent then they've shown already.
{Ed002's Note - People need to look at the much bigger picture and all of the costs involve din running a club the size of Liverpool. Agent fees have taken a significant bite out of the available funds. You will get a real shock when you see the cost in fees of last summers dealing.}
30 May 2015 18:07:16
thats the best thing I've read on here in a long time
30 May 2015 18:34:57
I'm sure I would ed002, and as I say I've simplified it for the common supporter such as myself. What I wanted to ask you ed002, why are we getting our Keck's ( pants ) pulled down with these agents, because were not going for the world class champions league player who all the top teams in Europe are after, if it was I could understand why there so high I.e. they would ask for a massive fee to broker the deal because of the monies involved and complexity's of said transfer. With the greatest respect to the players we've signed ( Suarez aside ) there mid Tier signings with potential who we didn't appear to have much competition to sign. Cheers 002.
{Ed002's Note - I am not familiar with you Polari terminology here Waro but when you head for some of the high-end players with "Super Agents" that is what you need to do to ease through some of these deals. The Balotelli costs are through the roof. The rest is down to the sheer number of players, the amount invested etc.. Markovic costs would be a real shock as well. Keep in mind there are also signing on fees for players who the club pays for - less than would be given to the likes of Milner and Ings, and Joe Cole, but nonetheless another cost. The club needs to be way smarter in the market.}
30 May 2015 18:44:00
I hope FSG reads Red Lenin's posts?
I doubt whether the agent's fees would have amounted to £210 million.
For that amount of money spent we have only Coutinho as a success.
30 May 2015 19:10:30
Thanks ed002, I won't take up anymore of your time on this mate. I will finish with this though, I assume all top sides have a significant deficit on agent fees yet there owners seem to absorb these costs, why people on here bleat about the same costs for are owners as a way of defending them is a non defence in my book, and if we are paying significantly more on agent fees than every other team, then that's there own fault for being naive
{Ed002's Note - Liverpool have been either table topping or close to table topping the agent fees tables in recent years - perhaps something to celebrate. Different clubs have different arrangements with agents - some are rather more creative. Have a great evening sir.}
30 May 2015 20:45:47
Cheers ed002, as a good republican I'll be on the Guinness so an enjoyable evening ahead thanks ed, hope you have a swell night ahead to.ðŸ¹ðŸºðŸ´ðŸ˜‰
{Ed002's Note - Thanks.
30 May 2015 20:46:52
The owners are always to blame,,,,as it's always the bosses fault. FSG chose Brendan Rodgers, FSG chose the Committee, FSG threw money at the people they trust to waste, time and time again. The owners will be to blame should BR not be sacked and we finish 10th