14 Aug 2020 08:27:46
Going to cause a bit of a ruption here, maybe Klopp feels he has no choice but to try and tap players up as he knows we have little to no money each season so needs to try this tactic? The world of football has enough (to much) money in it for the players and agent in it not to all use dirty tricks, players talk to players and managers talk to managers, not everything, like in life, is by the book as much as it should be.

{Ed001's Note - so you think he costs us money each season paying off teams to save us money? Some people are so desperate to make excuses that they talk utter crap! He does it because he wants players that want to play for him and he wants to assess them and sell them the project. There is no reason he couldn't do that after permission is given at all. Except, of course, that we then wouldn't have players doing the dirty and forcing their way out of their current club to join, something we are all quick to criticise when a player does it to us.}

14 Aug 2020 08:40:41
Agree with that, that's why it was a question, it makes it uncomfortable that a player would force a move as they could easily do it to us and have, Couts an Suarez spring to mind, its clear that agents have big influence on this too, until caps come in, salary, agent fees and transfer fees, we are open to many dirty tactics.

{Ed001's Note - it annoys me because we are acting like bullies riding roughshod over the little clubs to keep ourselves on top. It is not what Liverpool as a city stands for, nor should it be what the club representing the city does. We are better than that. The thing fans should do is step back and think about how they would feel if other teams were using the same tactics against us. Treat others how you would like to be treated yourself and drop the whataboutery, which is my pet hate.}

14 Aug 2020 08:47:34
Klopp is not going to change now ed, like it or not. Would you rather he left and we got someone else in who followed the rules?

{Ed001's Note - why can't he change? He has changed tactically on the pitch, why can't he do the same off it? Sorry but there is no reason to choose one or the other. It is a perfectly reasonable request to ask him to change this one aspect of his job.}

14 Aug 2020 08:52:40
We had to more money for VVD not less because klopp tapped him up!
If this was a ref cheating in a game or a player cheating by diving in a game against us we would all be going ape **** but because it’s klopp some of us dream up all kind of excuses to make it ok. It’s not ok it’s CHEATING and making the club look bad!

14 Aug 2020 09:31:11
Longthing, Cheating is City naming the stadium "The ETIHAD" for £300 million to cook the books, football is a dirty game and any advantage good or bad seems usable, like most things in the world these days.

{Ed001's Note - that is not cheating. It was perfectly within the rules to do so. You seem to misunderstand what cheating is. Gaining an advantage within the rules is not an issue but doing so outside of the rules is cheating.}

14 Aug 2020 09:53:02
This is not about morality (we all have different moral values) . This is about staying within the boundaries, rules and regulations set by whatever authority has jurisdiction over the club's activities (whether it's Premier League, FA, UEFA or FIFA or whatever) . All of the activities. It's black and white. These rules and regulations are signed and agreed to by every single club (that's how they get to play football after all, right? ) . What's all the debate for?

The only caveat is that it has to be proven. Whether the rules have been broken or not. And that's not so difficult to do, once you ask the players in question. One event can be overlooked. But once the same thing is repeated again and again it becomes a pattern of behaviour.

{Ed001's Note - that is a moral issue. Whether you cheat or not is about morals.}

14 Aug 2020 10:01:00
I'd call it creative cheating Ed, I see the EFL are discussing caps, any plans for the Prem? Its desperately needed imo.

{Ed001's Note - how can it be cheating if no rules are broken? That is pushing rules to the limits, but not cheating. If you call it cheating you just sound like you are bitter. There are already caps in place under FFP for sponsorship etc.}

14 Aug 2020 10:07:43
Wonder how everyone saying this isn’t a big deal would feel if some of these clubs we did it too got serious with there complaints and lfc got a ban.

14 Aug 2020 10:13:35
Jordz it wouldn't make much difference to Liverpool, we hardly spend anyway lol, not bitter Ed just wish we had owners like City.

{Ed001's Note - we could have had if it were not for Moores and Parry. They were only interested in lining their own pockets rather than in what deal was best for the club, so we ended up with G&H instead.}

14 Aug 2020 10:40:05
Totally agree with Ed01 on this. I find it embarrasing that Klopp is constantly tapping up players. We're Liverpool, we shouldn't need to unsettle players. If we want a player just speak to the club to see if we can talk to the player and make an offer. It's not rocket science!

Just to what's right and then the respect will follow. It really makes my sh*t itch because I love Klopp and everything he does with on and off the pitched - APART FROM THE TAPPING UP! - JUST STOP DOING IT!

14 Aug 2020 10:41:36
It is difficult to comprehend people are defending Klopp over this. I see no reason why Klopp could not ask permission from a players club first, then sell the vision to the player to join Liverpool. Klopp is obviously a persuasive, big personality, so why spoil it by using dirty, underhand tactics.

Liverpools reputation across Europe must be in the gutter, it will get to a point that clubs would rather sell their players to anyone but Liverpool.
Van Dijk transfer fee would have been much lower had Klopp not tapped him up. I am certain Man City and Chelsea would have paid significantly less for Van Dijk than Liverpool did.

In the last few months Liverpool have been accused by 2 top German teams of underhand tactics regarding Werner and now Alcantra. The list of complaints against Liverpool is seemingly endless.
I recall how us fans were enraged at the antics of Coutinho and Suarez, who were desperate to join Barcelona. Yet it is ok when Liverpool unsettle opposition players, double standards.

It would appear that now Klopp has brought us success, some fans think he can do no wrong. The reality is that his conduct in transfer dealings is dreadful. If this continues Liverpool will be the pariahs of European football, if not already.

14 Aug 2020 10:46:53
Respectfully disagree, Ed001. It's a horrible example but it explains my point; sleeping with your sister is reprehensibly and morally wrong, however it is not against the law, rules and regulations everywhere (depends on the country you are in) . So my point was that while you can find arguments and debate over something governed by morals, you can't argue against something governed by rules and regulations that are in black and white. Anyways, enough of this. Looking forward to an exciting game tonight.

{Ed001's Note - your example is completely wrong and unrelated. Makes no sense or is in no way relevant.}

14 Aug 2020 10:48:43
Shame Ed, was there not a Chinese billionaire and UAE interested at that time too? What a side Rafa could of created.

{Ed001's Note - the Chinese guy was a scam artist, which Ed002 was very good at informing the site about at the time. The UAE interest was from Abu Dhabi's cousins in Dubai, via their DIC investment vehicle. The worse thing for the rest of the league was that Abu Dhabi would almost certainly not have bought Man City if it had happened, as they are not keen on being in direct competition with each other.}

14 Aug 2020 09:51:25
Ed was Klopp notorious for doing this during his Dortmund or Mainz days?

{Ed002's Note - I do not want to get in to dealing with that.}

14 Aug 2020 12:01:26
is it like the difference between exaggerating contact (pushing the boundaries) and faking contact (breaking the rules)? can of worms there.

My guess is that Klopp genuinely thinks he can just talk to players off the cuff about their ambition, dreams, his vision for them at Liverpool etc. I have no idea if this is sinister or whatever but it seems to be just part of his general approach to his management. he seems pretty upfront and perhaps this is how we approaches convos with these players.

14 Aug 2020 12:07:20
Tapping up players is cheating, nothing more, nothing less, Liverpool fans wanted city's heads for cheating, but its OK if we also cheat? Nope, we should be punished.

14 Aug 2020 15:53:59
It’s easy to hang, draw and quarter someone when we’ve only heard one side of the story. Not saying Klopp is innocent but it’s easy to jump onto the he’s 100% guilty bandwagon when no charges have been brought towards him by governing bodies regarding Werner and Thiago. In every case there’s an accused and defendant. I’m sure Klopp would be pleased to see the support he’s getting though from his own fans. Who needs enemies hey.

{Ed002's Note - There have been no complaints to UEFA about either of those players. To suggest he has not been illegally tapping them up is of course laughable.}

14 Aug 2020 16:10:46
Ed002 I’m not suggesting I’m just saying the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. I thought that’s how all laws worked.

{Ed002's Note - So you want him charged?}

14 Aug 2020 16:21:24
Ed002 I try not to worry about things I have no control over mate. If he was charged and found to have broken the rules then so be it. No one is above the law. But until he is charged and found guilty then I think he doesn’t deserve his own supporters throwing him to the wolves. I’ve seen comments of embarrassing and lost cause on some of the comments. These coming from the same fans who throw a hissy fit if anyone else questions or criticises a player.

14 Aug 2020 16:53:15
I couldn't have articulated how morally bankrupt this tapping up is from our beloved Klopp the way Eds001 and 002 have. It's funny how pained we are when we get a sniff that it is happening to us, and then we turn around and enjoy it when we do it to others.

14 Aug 2020 21:41:15
JK23, Klopp is cheating and that is a fact. It not about about defending/ not defending Klopp and I disagree with using the "innocent until proven guilty" schtick you want to use to divert from this fact. Klopp has been doing this for the past 3 years now and did it twice this summer again with Werner and Thiago.

And the only time I have seen a complaint filed is when Saints did it for VVD. Normally, the club will just make you pay a higher fee for the player like we did for VVD so you can forget Bayern reporting LFC to UEFA as they still want to do business with us.

14 Aug 2020 22:18:38
Rm perhaps it’s best if Klopp leaves then and you take over. You seem to have all the answers 💪.