02 Jul 2026 09:27:25
Quote from Zlatan Ibrahamovic on Yan Diomande:
"People will say £150 million is too much. I say it’s their player, their price. But after this World Cup, I think everyone has seen the truth about him. Some things are better left unsaid.
That’s the beauty of the World Cup. In just a few weeks, it can double a player’s value or cut it in half. For some players, it’s a stage to shine. For others, it’s a stage that exposes them. (laughs)".
02 Jul 2026 10:42:27
True. And some players wet their pants when they hear the Champions League anthem. ??♂️
02 Jul 2026 11:09:51
World Cup players bring me back to the nightmare that was Hadji Diouf (spelling), rather see players week in week out for a cpl of years bfr declaring them brilliant or worth £150 million. Wonder how many teams have bought duds after a World Cup.
02 Jul 2026 11:44:40
Just for clarity, we started work on the Diouf deal before the World Cup, off the back of a recommendation from Patrice Burges, Houllier's former coach.
Too bad Houllier didn't think to ask Burges why Diouf was on his third club at just 21.
02 Jul 2026 12:09:31
I am shocked how many times the club has failed to complete due diligence on a player's temperament (both in-game and outside of football) over the years.
As for Zlatan, brutal comments, but RBL's position has been significantly weakened by Diomande's performances during the WC. He has hardly set the world alight.
02 Jul 2026 12:11:07
No decent club are swayed towards buying someone because of how they are doing at a WC.
02 Jul 2026 12:21:24
My thoughts exactly, SR. We'd actually agreed a deal to sign Diouf before the World Cup so his performance at the World Cup had nothing to do with it.
The one that sticks out to me is James Rodriguez who looked amazing at the World Cup but got his move to Real Madrid and was absolute garbage.
He couldn't even nail down a spot in Everton's team in the end.
I'm sure there are many more though.
02 Jul 2026 12:32:22
Phil Babb was another.
02 Jul 2026 13:23:37
? Brilliant quote by Zlatan.
02 Jul 2026 13:26:28
Bloody hell, Patrice Burges must have really hated Liverpool, because that's two players he shafted us on. I never knew that he recommended The Spitter, but I did know that he certainly recommended Bruno Cheyrou, unfortunately.
02 Jul 2026 14:26:18
I would agree with that, Florian 100%.
02 Jul 2026 14:40:43
Stromsgodset, I was living in France when Diouf was in his final season before he signed for us playing with Lens, and I can tell you, he was an outstanding player who had an outstanding season with club and country.
Lens do not come to the brink of the title w/o him. Ask any Senegalese person. They don't make the WC (let alone excel in it) without El-Hadj Diouf at the very peak of his powers.
And he is a living legend in Senegal and happens to be Sadio Mane's idol.
I know a lot of people don't like him, and rightly so, but let's call a spade a spade. Diouf was levels before he came here even tho I would have taken Anelka over him all day long.
02 Jul 2026 14:44:39
Something red, yeah, but after the World Cup he looked like a future legend. Should have kept Annelka.
Florian, of course, teams buy players from performances from World Cups etc, called a shop window, n some decent clubs buy them.
02 Jul 2026 16:08:57
Diouf had ability, Oli. Not world class ability, but he had the potential to be decent. You just couldn't tell him to do anything. His effort in training was allegedly crap (compared to in games where he would put in work), so it's little surprise that he stopped improving in his early 20s and never lived up to his potential.
02 Jul 2026 16:13:51
Yeah, Strom. We should have kept Anelka regardless. It seemed like he had finally found a home (where he was truly loved) with us esp. with all the crap he had gone thru previously at PSG (twice) and at Madrid.
02 Jul 2026 17:36:10
Oli, I admit id never really seen him bfr the WC, n when he lit the WC up, I was like wow he's amazing, but he one of the most disappointing players iv seen in a Liverpool jersey, n my pet hate is spitting, so his name spit the dog is perfect for him...
Anelka did look like he found a home here, kept his head down, one of Houllier biggest mistakes.