02 Dec 2024 16:19:09
With the way we are playing at the moment, I don’t see any other team posing the biggest threat to our title challenge.
I actually think the biggest threat is ourselves.
The constant chatter about contracts before, during and after games is overwhelming.
I feel for Slot because he’s doing his side and saying all the right things. However this will soon reach a point where either the players re-sign or they sign for another club.
If all 3 players pen deals at other clubs in January (including our captain, and our top scorer) I think this is the biggest threat to our title challenge.
I know we’re discussed contracts to death on here already but the way we are playing I don’t see any other team being as much or a threat as our own management team which is equally frustrating and disappointing.
02 Dec 2024 16:36:54
If they sign a pre contract all three of them, then their motivation drops off. I don’t think we will ever replace a player like VVD. The most complete center back I have ever seen in the last 20 plus years. People are still scared to go to his side. Can’t believe the hasn’t been offered an extension. The posters here are drooling things are happening behind the scenes, what scenes I don’t know. VVD more than one occasion has said he has no contract on the table.
02 Dec 2024 17:04:52
I agree that Slot has had to front up and face these contract questions from the press while those responsible for the negotiations enjoy their anonymity in the shadows. That would perhaps be understandable if Slot was the manager, but no, he's the head coach.
Edwards and his team are doing a great job of beginning a villain arc.
02 Dec 2024 17:24:20
What’s a ‘villain arc’? General question - why does the club conducting business, in this case contract negotiations, in private and with discretion, lead to people becoming stressed or angry? One final question - why does people start from a position of assuming that the players all, want to stay at Liverpool and the club are just choosing to gnome their wishes, seemingly to stress and anger the fans? Just because we are not privy to what’s going on doesn’t m an that things aren’t actually going on.
02 Dec 2024 18:19:12
I would rather they turned down a rubbish deal than simply not offer them one at all.
There’s simply nobody in the premier league playing better than Salah or VVD right now.
02 Dec 2024 18:29:59
The only people who seem affected by these contracts are the neurotic fans on here.
The team are doing just fine regardless.
{Ed001's Note - so far, but distractions are always an issue over time.}
02 Dec 2024 19:17:52
None of us are aware of the extent and status of contract negotiations. Who knows what "not in front of me" or not on the table" means - it could mean that no contract has been presented that meets all my demands or it may not mean that - negotiations may have been going on for some months between the club and the players representatives - or they may not. Chill guys and enjoy the ride.
02 Dec 2024 19:22:43
Hi eds1.
Just out of interest could you put in order most important of the 3 player that we should get to sign a new contract please.
{Ed001's Note - I am not sure you can put an order of importance to them.}
02 Dec 2024 19:26:50
Regardless of what’s going on behind closed doors WDW, the bottom line is you don’t allow three of your top players to enter the final, final, final stages of a contract where they can sign for other clubs. It should have been resolved in the summer and the fact you’re prone to defending the ineptitude at the top makes fans like you part of the problem. Call it for what it is… rubbish from the club.
02 Dec 2024 19:30:33
Arsenal is looking strong as well when Odengard is back. If we win at Anfield against Arsenal, we stand a good chance. I am just worried about dip that is coming, i don't think we can keep it up til end of season on all fronts.
02 Dec 2024 20:25:37
Salah looks like the best player in the world right now and has well and truly made me eat my words, long may it continue. Virgil is back to being the best. Miss either of them and we are not top of the league and I am not sure we will find like for like replacements.
We already have Trents replacement if he goesz so that dictates the order of importance for me. Hope they all stay though.
02 Dec 2024 21:23:31
In terms of a distraction to the team, it will only really become a distraction if Trent, VVD or Mo start to become distracted and then that filters to the team. That is obviously a function of how the negotiations so understand it's all connected.
In saying that, I feel like there may be an element of Last Dance about the contracts. for all 3, even Trent at his age, they are almost the signal of the ending of an era having won everything for the club. My overall feeling is that if it ended up that any of them were to leave, that the team would approach it in that Last Dance kinda way.
Now, at the end of the day the table won't lie at the end of the season. We will have a tricky period where things aren't going our way. the key for any title winner is how well you manage those periods. We haven't really hit ours yet I don't think so be interesting to see how we handle adversity if it comes. We may very well end up having a season similar to Xabi's first year last year and then adversity comes the following year.
02 Dec 2024 21:41:05
@Frode, over the past two or three years there have been times when people on this board have wanted rid of VVD and Mo out of the door for loss of form, wanting more money or for believing that the players wanted to play for someone else. To a lesser extent there is a groundswell of opinion that thinks Trent should be off if he wants to play for RM and chase the Balon D’Or.
This months ‘top’ player might be an old has been in 2 or 3 months time …
Your assumptions as to what is (or from your perspective isn’t) going on are simply that - assumptions - and from there you have made a massive leap to apportioning blame without having any actual knowledge of what’s going on.
It did make me laugh though that as a fan of the club I am part of ‘the problem’ - do you think I’m negotiating for the club or for the players or their agents.
03 Dec 2024 00:23:48
It should’ve been resolved in the summer ?. Like the club are just sitting there saying ‘nah we’ll do it in December, let’s go and play golf whilst the sun is shining’.
It’s a negotiation.
The players think if they let it run on as long as they can then the club will panic and bow to their demands.
The club knows the players want to stay so they think that they will cave and reduce their demands.
Let’s see who blinks first.
Of course there’s always a possibility that the players can call the club’s bluff and sign for someone else. That will either force the club’s hand or they’ll let them go.
Either way we don’t know jack about any of it so the silly blaming and name calling is pointless.
Honestly it’s like some of you can’t complain about the team’s performance so you just find something else to criticise the club for instead.
Let’s just support the team, this could be an amazing season for us. The contract situations will all be clear in time.
03 Dec 2024 08:33:04
So nobody knows jack about what’s going on at the club and yet you say things are happening behind the scenes and it’s called Negotiations @Becker? You are speculating as much as the other guy.
Engaging with you is as pointless as Lukaku trying to control the ball. Good day.
03 Dec 2024 09:53:33
It's pretty obvious to most that there's negotiations going on "behind the scenes".
Poor Harry throwing a strop because the club thoughtlessly sought not to notify him personally that negotiations are going on.
BP is on the money.
03 Dec 2024 10:07:05
@MJJ, I think it’s fair to say that the club knows what is and isn’t going on. On the subject of contracts didn’t the club renew Konate and Quansah and didn’t they only speak about it after the contracts had been signed. Like I say, just because we don’t know what’s going on doesn’t mean that things aren’t happening.
03 Dec 2024 10:13:20
Mango, BP isn't speculating he is just aware of business and the way that things in business work.
Each player has spoken to the fact their agents have been in talks with the club. Those talks just haven't progressed to the stage of submitting an offer onto paper and put in front of the players and their representatives.
During the talks their agents are looking for a big payday and looking after the best interests of their client.
Meantime, the club are looking after it's finances and what it can do responsibly to meet the ever growing rules of profit and sustainability rulings. After all it has been mentioned on this page quite often that Ward and Edwards made mistakes in contract lengths and payments for aging players the first time around, maybe they have learnt from their mistakes.
Somewhere in the middle of both their is either a deal to be done or not.
leaving it to last chance saloon gives the players and agents more power as they are hoping the club will bow out and fall on their swords.
VVD and TAA agents are likely looking at the Salah deal and thinking, see what he is offered first and we can then judge what the club perceive a fair rate for it's top players. Giving them a ball park figure to suggest, well that's how you value Mo, so why shouldn't my client be offered similar.
That is of course if they all want to stay at all.
03 Dec 2024 10:27:23
The club has released many players in the past. Didn’t they @Wdw? Beckers on what authority is shutting other posters off may I know? He has zero facts / stats on what’s happening behind the scenes. In our defense we have the interviews of the players that there are no contract on their table. Yet he say they are all lying and somehow he is the trustable source.
@Flash you are a classic one liner and I can see not even one person is engaging with you on any meaningful debate on this forum for ages.
03 Dec 2024 10:34:42
Meantime, the club are looking after it's finances and what it can do responsibly to meet the ever growing rules of profit and sustainability rulings
Cheslea, City, United and Arsenal says Hai. Do you wish return the gesture?
03 Dec 2024 18:25:06
You seem very angry, Mango for a supporter of a team in a position such as Liverpools right now.
ABL right?
04 Dec 2024 13:07:57
@Semi, was going to say the exact same thing. Starting to seem like this Mango guy is Harry's lil' cousin.