20 Mar 2023 12:55:04
Wow. Since when has everyone become so happy with accepting defeat and mediocrity?

Why not applaud the clubs vision and cojones for going after the very best talent? Applaud Klopp for taking a risk this season so he could get a midfield player that would be our heartbeat for the next 10 years? Applaud the ambition of the club to not accept any players but the best players?

The small minded, small club mentality of some fans is just astounding to me. We are European royalty for gods sake. We should be going after the very best players in the world!

Instead we have fans accepting that our top targets won’t want to come to little old Liverpool and asking us to sign Mount, Nunes and Branthwaite!

Like it or not if you want us to compete at the very top level then at some point we have to start signing the very top players. That means missing out on targets to other top clubs sometimes. It’s the nature of the beast.

If you are happy for us to allow City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Utd, Arsenal, Madrid, PSG, Bayern to sign the best players without us even being in the conversation then you need to be happy with us being a step below them competitively.

Show some guts, stick your neck on the line and support the club in what they are trying to achieve. Trying to sign Bellingham, whether it happens or not, was done in the absolute best interests of the club and if it comes off could be the next step in our forward development.

Stop using our ambition as a stick to beat us with.

1.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 13:30:03
I’d call it a lack of ambition we didn’t sign a midfielder in summer. Again in January.
I think we’ve gone about things like a small club since we won the champions league and added only Harvy Elliot that summer.

2.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 13:34:19
We’d have won the premier league last season and had a better chance in the CL final had we brought in a top midfielder rather than sitting around waiting for Bellingham. Big club by name not by nature.

3.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 13:40:05
We'd have won the league and Champs league if we had given up on the FA and worthless mug, and focused on what was really important. The players looked spent after a record breaking amount of games.

4.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 13:47:21
If we’re so ambitious, why do we never end up getting these players? It’s all well and good pretending to court these global superstars for a bit of good PR mid-season. But when push comes to shove and the transfer window comes round, we are never serious about coughing up.

5.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 13:55:50
We perceive ambition in different ways. Ambition needs to be backed up with a plan and resources for it to be fulfilled.

My feelings are that we voluntarily went into the last 4 seasons, at least one player short in crucial positions. In two of those seasons we have had absolute nightmares - literally history making in the bad way.

Having one season is bad, but having two in four is traumatic for the group and the fans.

I've got no problem with the Bellingham chase this summer. He would be an excellent replacement for Henderson.

I do however have a problem with going 4 windows without signing a midfielder and now being in a position where we need a mini-overhaul.

I also have a problem with these dumb tactics.

You can decide on whether that is ambition, with a plan, or not.

6.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 14:25:38
I should add, signing Bellingham will not be a tonic for what we have experienced this season, just like signing Ibou was not for 20/ 21.

7.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 14:26:04
All I’m hearing is, we would’ve done this if, we would’ve done that if.

How do any of you know that we would’ve won anything if we’d signed a midfielder last summer or the summer before? What midfielder are you talking about?

We’ve had loads of mids in the squad for years but still tried to add to it with top talents in Tchouamemi and Valverde plus there’s probably a few that we’ve been unaware of.

The way I look at it, when you are challenging for champions leagues and titles there’s only a few players that will actually improve the first 11. We have tried to sign some of those players but have been unsuccessful so far. That does not show a lack of ambition it’s quite the opposite.

Sometimes you get your man, VVD, Ali, Keita, Thiago, Nunez, Gakpo and Diaz all had other big clubs sniffing around them but chose us. Tchouamemi and Valverde didn’t choose us but does that mean we just go and sign players that are no better than what we already have just for the sake of it?

No, you wait for you targets to become available and try to sign them. It’s the only way to improve!

8.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 14:40:46
We signed Arthur on loan less than a year ago.

Was finishing third two seasons ago literally history making in a bad way with four or five centre halves injured?

9.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 14:45:06
What vision,?

10.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 14:58:26
Look at the points we dropped first half of the season last year and the midfields we put out Brentford 3-3. Henderson and Jones Brighton 2-2. Henderson Keita Jones Ox. West Ham 3-2 Henderson and Ox. Spurs 2-2. Keita Milner Morton. Leicester 1-0. Henderson and Ox. Chelsea 2-2 Henderson Milner. Thiago would be missing and we had no other players close to his level to fill in. A good midfielder that summer and Liverpool win the title. It was all choosing to wait for the right player who ended up being Arthur on loan apparently.

11.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 14:59:29
Beckers, a well run club should have a plan B, C, D, E and F. There is a massive gap between our current crop of midfielders and the likes of Tchouameni. There are probably over 100 midfielders who are better than what we currently have available. What exactly is the purpose of signing players if not to win trophies? We’ve had that chance, a team almost capable of doing it, and we’ve decided to blow it.

12.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 15:20:56
What good midfielder wins us the title last season, Oney?

thomas, what if Plan B jeopardises Plan A? Plan C jeopardises Plan B?
What if Plan B, C, D, E or F turns out to be Arthur Melo?

13.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 15:35:38
Wow, even if the club were to admit it messed up on recruitment, it seems that some people would not be willing to accept it.

I really don't see the issue with saying that we have gone into multiple seasons a player to two short - and in at least two of them, paid for it dearly.

14.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 15:53:15
We had the best team in the world and didn't invest in the top top players though. It's been a poor showing since then, the strategy has been shown to fail, maybe, hopefully, the United bidders get annoyed with them and turn to us, wishful thinking though, the current owners haven't finished using the LFC name yet i don't think.

15.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 15:55:05
If Plan F is Arthur Melo then that is a terrible indictment of the club’s recruitment strategy. If they can’t come up with a shortlist of six players more suitable than Arthur Melo, that is seriously poor.

16.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 15:57:14
thomas194 - don't apply logic. Some people are allergic to it.

17.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 15:59:41
Nothing wrong with saying that, FPF. That is actually the case on a couple of occasions in 19/ 20 and 21/ 22 come to mind.

18.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 16:09:30
The issue, for me, is fans saying we didn't try to sign a midfielder in the summer. We did try and we did sign someone. These are facts.
We took a gamble to go with what we had in midfield (+Arthur) and it didn't pay off. The same midfield did ok last season but injuries and a loss of form have left us where we are. What midfielder (s) could we have signed last summer that would have improved us and without spending money that could be earmarked for this summer?

I also remember, last summer, fans talking about us needing someone to put the ball in the next. We sign Nunez and Gakpo to do this.
How would this season have looked had we not signed them when you consider the injuries to Firmino, Diaz and Jota?
Salah, Elliott and Carvalho up front but at least we'd have had a good nameless midfielder or two.

19.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 16:33:37
I'll ask again, who could we have signed last summer and could that have affected this summer's budget?
Who are the realistic Plans D, E and F?

20.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 17:28:28
Rigsby - you do waste everyone's time with your nonsense.

21.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 18:01:29
Rigsby. What are you on about mate?
Ed001 isn’t going to love you any less if you come up with your own thoughts you know.
Have you decided Injuries is now the excuse? Suprised your not still blaming an hangover from last season at the back end of March.

22.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 18:20:40
You're speaking for everyone now, Pelican? And I'm not stopping you from doing something else.
It's a fair enough question, isn't it? I'm asking who you think we could have realistically signed last summer.

23.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 18:21:44
Beckers Pecker, we really aren’t in with a realistic shout of signing Bellingham. That’s not defeatist, that’s looking at our owners, looking how they’ve historically operated in similar situations and assessing the probability of it happening.

Add to that probability that our budget will be much reduced if there’s no champions league football we’re going to be reliant almost entirely on sales to make ends meet and there’s no Coutinho to sell and no ridiculously flush Barcelona to sell to in order to make up the coffers.

As for wanting Mount, Nunes and Branthwaite, I don’t want any of them, but that’s who we’re looking at as they’re seen as cheaper.

I know they won’t improve our starting 11 or make us title contenders, but that won’t change the fact we’re interested in them or the reality that we’re more likely to sign them than Bellingham. Quite honestly though I’d be surprised if there are major changes, we’re already looking at renewing Milner’s contract and I’d imagine that Morton and Clarkson will take Ox and Keita’s spot.

It’s going to be a very underwhelming summer transfer wise. Hope you enjoyed the champions league this season, because if we don’t qualify this season it’ll be a very long time before we see it again.

Just remember this, we didn’t spend big when we were in the champions league, we didn’t spend big when we won it, we didn’t spend big when we won the league, we have only signed one centre midfielder in nearly four years, who was already at the tail end of their career and injury prone (and there’s no point counting Arthur as he’s injury prone, has barely played two games and is unlikely to play at all for us and he was a badly judged panic loan) . When you say we’ve shown ambition, I’d say the facts would tend to say something different as it seems clear that we’ve not shown any ambition other than doing the bare minimum to get by.

24.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 18:49:54
We didn’t try to sign a midfielder though Rigsby. Did we make an offer for Tchouameni? No. Did we make an offer for Bellingham? No.

What did we do? we acted with incredible hubris based on the events from season before, thinking that the same group of players would do the same again and when the we got into an injury crisis, we made one of the worst signings in club history out of sheer panic.

I have no confidence in the owners fixing it, the targets we’re looking at aren’t anywhere near good enough (Mount, Nunes, Rabiot, Tielemans and Berge) . I’m not mentioning Bellingham as I genuinely don’t believe we were ever seriously interested as the owners knew the money would be too much.

25.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 19:48:19
Any midfielder who brought any sort of control to a game so we weren’t playing end to end basketball and Liverpool win the title. Thiago was the only top midfielder we had last year. We dropped points in 9 games, he didn’t start 7 of them, the other 2 he started were draws away to City and home to Spurs. Fab was good the first half of the season the rest had good games here and there. They didn’t get bad overnight it was an issue last year and the year before.

26.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 22:41:33
Rigsby. Bruno Guimaras, Enzo Fernandez (to Benfica), Matheus Nunes (not a fan myself but we could have signed him last summer and still want him now for some reason), Fabian Ruiz, Joao Palinha and Carlos Soler all examples of players who have moved on for fairly nominal fees over the last 18 months, would have been fairly easy for us to convince to come to Anfield if we wanted to and would have gone straight into our starting lineup.

27.) 20 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023 23:22:48
Victor your attitude literally turns my stomach. I am actually offended that we have fans that think of the club with as much contempt as you do.

You will never be happy no matter what we do. You sound like a glory hunter that will only be placated by an oil rich owner who blows billions on shiny new players every window.

My honest suggestion is that you should find a club that matches your expectations. Leave the rest of us to actually support Liverpool Football Club.

28.) 21 Mar 2023
21 Mar 2023 01:27:58
Old Dirt's problem has never been about signings or transfers but the owners. He just uses signings as a way to bash the owners. He is still a Liverpool fan and wants what he thinks is best for the club. In this case, it is rich owners who can spend and buy any player the manager wants. And that, I think, is his own opinion and he is perfectly entitled to that. We don't necessarily have to agree with it. Telling him to support another club just because opinions differ is not right.

Just my thoughts though, I do think there has been an over-emphasis on transfers that has been exacerbated by social media. I have never seen "transfer deadline day" to be a huge thing but the media plays it up, hypes it, and fans all over just eats it up. And when it closes, the conversation almost immediately shifts over to who clubs should target for the next transfer window. Victor/ Old Dirt's posts are just indicative of this.

Don't get me wrong, I do think transfers are a key component in a club doing well but it is not the only one. Call me old-fashioned but I miss the discussions we used to have on tactics. Nearly everything now is centered on personnel, who we should sell and who we should buy.

Frankly, I think that our players are not as bad as some make them out to be but are just not utilised properly. There is no quick fix solution and merely buying 5-7 players as some people are suggesting would not fully solve our issues if we still persist in the style of play we are currently playing.

29.) 21 Mar 2023
21 Mar 2023 08:51:39
thomas, can you tell me about the transfers of those players, please?
When would we have signed them and would they have helped us win the League last season?
I'd not heard of them before this season, so I couldn't say whether they'd have helped us win the League, last season.
Can you?

30.) 21 Mar 2023
21 Mar 2023 11:27:19
Surely you had heard of at least some of those players Rigsby? They weren't exactly unknown quantities

Bruno Guimaraes - Already had a massive reputation, a player we were keeping tabs on at Lyon according to reputable journos. Newcastle are a totally different side with him, he's transformed their midfield

Enzo - Another player we supposedly kept tabs on at River Plate (although I think we're giving the scouting team too much credit) . Available for £20 million, we passed. He looks every bit a £100 million player

Nunes - No I don't think he's good enough, I don't rate him at all. But clearly the club do and plan on making a move for him this summer, why did we not do it last summer when we were already aware of him and he was available for £15m less

Ruiz - Very good player, performed well against us a couple of times for Napoli - was shocked when he went for around the £20 million bracket. Undoubtedly better than Arthur Melo

Palinha - Can't say I knew much about him at all, but he looks like just what we're missing and Fulham got him for £20 million. Clearly we're scouting in Portugal a lot, so I'm not sure how we missed this one

Soler - Pulled up some serious trees in an awful Valencia side, regular for Spain and was sold to PSG on the cheap because Valencia are in a financial mess. Never linked but he would have been the dream bargain signing for me.

31.) 21 Mar 2023
21 Mar 2023 12:12:59
No, I'd not heard of them before the start of last season, thomas. Or were you going to buy them in January 2022?
A couple more questions: were these players available and how would they have helped us win the League, last season?
I realise the second is very difficult, if not impossible to answer but you seem to know that they could.
Well?

32.) 21 Mar 2023
21 Mar 2023 13:52:47
Rigsby, are you capable of critical thinking by any chance?

Question 1) yes the players were obviously available, I specifically listed players who have been transferred between clubs in the last 18 months - so that answers that one

Question 2) they would have provided more quality in midfield, which we have lacked for 2 seasons now. Could I guarantee that they would have won us the league? Absolutely not. But that would be the case for any player we ever sign. Would you suggest we never buy another player ever again?

33.) 21 Mar 2023
21 Mar 2023 14:37:27
Why were they obviously available to us for 21/ 22 season, thomas?
I've no idea, so can you explain that they were, please?

So we could have signed one of them and ended up in the same position as we were at the end of the 21/ 22 season?
Or in a worse position?

34.) 21 Mar 2023
21 Mar 2023 15:25:31
Because they were literally sold, how is this complicated?

That is the same for every signing. Every player ever signed by a club could turn out to be a total flop. Should we just put a hold on all future business and ask James Milner to cancel his Scottish Widows pension plan so we can keep wheeling him out in the 2054/ 55 season?

{Ed002's Note - So you think Liverpool should concentrate on buying players they have no interest in?}

35.) 21 Mar 2023
21 Mar 2023 16:27:24
No, the question was just to list some midfield players who were available and would have been an improvement on what we have. So I pulled a few off the top of my head.

My point is much more simple, Liverpool should have signed midfielders over the last couple of years and there is no justifiable reason for them not to have done. To suggest there was nobody available who is better than Arthur Melo but not quite as good as Bellingham or Tchouameni is a total nonsense.

We did also have an interest in both Enzo and Bruno G as far as I'm aware.

36.) 21 Mar 2023
21 Mar 2023 17:24:30
Were they available to us, thomas?

I like Guimares at Newcastle but was he willing to sign for us in the summer of 21 or January of 22? Could we afford him? How would he have affected the balance of the team that accrued over 90 League points and reached the CL final?
I really don't know, mate.