17 Jan 2025 09:43:44
Hello eds, good morning.
Are there any legs in the milos kerkes rumours at the moment?
Thanks.
{Ed001's Note - at the moment? Highly unlikely anything will happen there in January.}
17 Jan 2025 10:48:06
Hi Ed001 - do you still think we will try and get something done in this window or is it getting to the point of only if we have an outgoing like Nunez or Elliot? Feels like we could do with a midfielder or defender at the very least.
{Ed001's Note - sales are not needed to bring in new players, just competent recruitment.}
17 Jan 2025 11:22:50
Ed001 - will anything happen in January do you think?
{Ed001's Note - I did think Hughes would pull out all the stops to make sure he got someone in, as it would relieve a lot of the pressure off Slot and himself. I am beginning to think nothing will happen now though, because I am now not convinced he is capable of pulling out any stops at this level.}
17 Jan 2025 11:55:14
Question is. Who recruits the competent recruiters?
17 Jan 2025 11:56:40
God,
It sounds like a disaster.
Nothing on the contracts either!
Are you aware of him even trying Ed?
Like, have we pushed for anyone?
Any negotiations?
{Ed001's Note - no, but that doesn't mean there haven't been any as I am not that in the loop these days.}
17 Jan 2025 12:00:16
Cheers Ed.
{Ed001's Note - very welcome JTR.}
17 Jan 2025 12:15:44
Unfortunately Ed001 sounds like you were right about Edward’s and Hughes being the wrong men for the jobs they were recruited too. I just hope we have enough to get over the line to win the league this season.
A few weeks back I was convinced that the three would sign contracts, now I fear they might all leave. If they were too, Hughes would have a mammoth task replacing them and also improving the other areas of the squad, ie. MF, CB and LB. The next 12 months will be huge in terms of the direction of the club. We have all seen under Klopp’s reign how crucial player recruitment is to success!
{Ed001's Note - hopefully I am wrong. If Edwards was doing the recruitment, I would be confident. I am not confident in Ward and Hughes to be any more than assistants.}
17 Jan 2025 12:37:25
C’mon Edwards save us ?.
17 Jan 2025 12:47:40
The same person who selects the best cherry pickers el bob!
17 Jan 2025 13:15:20
There's only one thing Dick Hughes has been pulling since he arrived at liverpool and its not all the stops.
17 Jan 2025 12:42:02
Would you ed believe this was part of the reason klopp deciding it was time for new pastures? Not saying the whole reason as I believed him when he said he tired and lost the motivation. But maybe things were being brought in and he didn’t like that. I’m still lost for words how we can be 1 of the biggest and most successful clubs in world football when our spending is limited most transfer windows. Fear slot will be hung out to dry if none of 3 sign contracts, and even if mo and vvd do sign as I think Trent is leaving, a year later they are going to have to replace them anyway.
{Ed001's Note - I doubt it had anything to do with Klopp's decision.}
17 Jan 2025 12:44:24
Lol we might go and sign another keeper Ed1 ;) imagine that, everybody would lose their sh*t!
The way these two fellas are doing business (or lack of) we'll go and sign another keeper and give Diaz a new contract - the player who wants out, instead of one to the three lads who want to stay.
Mind boggling!
{Ed001's Note - it would at least give us something to laugh about if we signed up a bunch of keepers!}
17 Jan 2025 12:48:33
Ed 01.I unfortunately tend to agree with Man of Todd and your reply. so. just in your opinion. would you see, or could it happen, that Edwards would step in to get things completed if he saw or thought that things were going tits up so to speak? . I know it would perhaps be embarrassing or make the other positions untenable, but for the good of the club and all that? .
{Ed001's Note - I very much doubt he would do that. I just can't see it happening at all.}
17 Jan 2025 13:18:52
I’ve never really bought into the Edwards cult stuff. I just think pre-Ljinders Intensity™ Jurgen was one of the best managers of all time
Most of Edwards signings (Mane, Coutinho, Gini) completely failed with they left the club
Others became great players once Klopp changed their position (Gini, Bobby) and quite a few got ridiculously overpaid contracts to the point where they became impossible to sell (Divock as much as I still love him, Nat Phillips)
Also worth mentioning the dithering after we won the champions league and in 2021 where we only signed Ibou is a big reason why we had to do such an extensive rebuild in the first place
Just my 2 pence anyway. Every chance I’m way off the mark so feel free to shoot me down if that’s the case.
17 Jan 2025 13:23:11
What was the point in giving hughes a job. He’s done nothing of any real importance since he joined and we could have saved them money and let the tea lady’s do what he has done which is zero. Talk about stealing a living!
17 Jan 2025 13:58:58
I dunno Ed, Ward and Hughes as assistants is far too much responsibility. I don’t think I’d trust them licking the stamps in the post room, as they’d be spending too much of their time eating crayons.
17 Jan 2025 14:04:48
One thing we don't seem to be taking into account is how much possible Saudi interest in VVD and Salah could be distorting their contract requirements.
For Trent I think it's a simple case of achieving all his personal and team goals already at Liverpool and when you're at that stage it's hard to resist the lure of new less labour intensive league where defending will be easier, the fixtures will be less congested and the weather will be significantly better.
Question for all - if VVD and Salah had asked for 500k per week would people still want the contracts renewed?
17 Jan 2025 14:15:55
I’m not convinced the lack of recruitment is down to Richard Hughes (irrespective of whether or not he’s good enough) . More likely he’s been told there’s not much to spend. Maybe he feels he’s having to do his job with a lot of restrictions.
{Ed001's Note - then he should not have signed a keeper we didn't need and there would be some in the pot.}
17 Jan 2025 14:23:04
Viktor I think they’ve got Chiesa licking the stamps, that’s why he’s ill every every week.
17 Jan 2025 14:37:53
Fair point Ed01. FSG seem willing to buy ‘assets’ - players whose value is likely to increase - hence the purchase of the goalkeeper (he was available for a reasonable fee at the time) . They’re clearly not too keen to spend where that’s not the case - the lack of contract renewals being an obvious example!
17 Jan 2025 15:11:17
I can’t see FSG not backing them they don’t really get involved in day to day running and transfers also we have seen in the past that money is spent when needed maybe not as much as people would like but that’s our model and we work with what we generate.
I’m sure money is there but where it is spent is down to the internal hierarchy and not FSG.
17 Jan 2025 15:12:13
The only time they will be worried is in a few years when we can’t qualify for the CL. We are closer to Leicester in terms of contracts and recruitment than RM or City.
{Ed025's Note - closer to Leicester Mark?, come on mate give your head a wobble will you mate..
17 Jan 2025 14:58:00
Ed, do you believe there is a lot of restrictions on how much we can spend etc? It doesn't seem that way though.
{Ed001's Note - no mate, other than trying not to spend beyond our means, there is little to restrict us.}
17 Jan 2025 16:42:05
I think people forget that we have actually spent money, the club is run to be self sustainable and has to fall within PSR, I would also suspect that big salaries to Virg, Salah and Trent can do a lot to our spend limits. If there could be a criticism it might be where we spent the money and not what we have actually spent.
People are looking at Arsenal and Chelsea and wondering why we don’t spend like them but Chelsea are constantly fighting against PSR and selling their own assets like hotels and woman football team in order to remain compliant, whereas Arsenal can’t buy what they need a proper striker because they are too close to PSR and need to move people on 1st. I have full faith if we find the right player we will do the business, we were ready to get zubimendi and worked hard in the deal but he pulled out, we went in for Lavia and Caicedo but were rejected that isint a spend issue that’s finding the right player who fits the bill and is available.
{Ed025's Note - spot on for me mate..
17 Jan 2025 17:48:52
Nevada, can you please stop pretending you're in the know? Its so cringe.
17 Jan 2025 18:02:25
I would also add to Downey's post that we haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon of ridiculously long contracts to stretch out costs. Hopefully we won't either as I think is a very shortsighted approach.
17 Jan 2025 18:39:51
Why have city done that with Haaland, they’ve closed that PSR loophole haven’t they. We don’t look for loopholes so we wouldn’t be doing it, rightly btw.
17 Jan 2025 19:21:42
I agree, and without dipping to far into financials. I believe we currently spend approximately 63% of income on wages. I think for the 2025/ 26 season new FFP rules will be a max of 70% of income can be spent on wages, which means we need to be careful what we spend. So as much as giving new improved contract to VVD Mo and Trent seem no brainiers any increase to wages will have an impact on what we can give to players like Konate Bradley etc when them renewals come up, and limit what we can offer new signings coming in, so contracts and signings are not as straightforward as we think, as whilst other clubs are in a worse position I would expect any new contracts negotiations to be lengthy and new signings extensively scrutinised. if you think of it in relation to the fact we can only spend another 7% of income on signings and new contracts, its at least should be considered with fans expectations of what we can, can’t or should spend…. its more complicated then we think.
17 Jan 2025 21:47:03
Did we pay up front for the keeper, or was it deferred until he arrives I wonder.
17 Jan 2025 21:52:28
If Chelsea and utd etc are not failing psr then there I'd not a hope were anywhere near it. We've spent absolute buttons compared to them last 2 or 3 years. We definitely could do with fresh legs in January. I think still being involved in 4 comps will be our undoing.
17 Jan 2025 22:43:00
Liverpool don't spend 63% on wages. All our accounts and finances are available and public knowledge if you have the time and understanding to read them. The most we ever spent on wages (whole club not only players) was 58% and since then Fabinho, Milner, Henderson, Keita, Chamberlain and Firmino have all left and been replaced by players who earn a lot less.
17 Jan 2025 23:35:34
Fair enough @Fiskesprett II’m happy to concede I don’t have the time to plough through the finances I wouldn’t admit it if I did tbh, but I do have the understanding sadly its my job. My point is, if its 50% for arguments sake and there's a 20% margin to remain compliant, which is a hell of a lot of money, but in football terms, a few players renewing contracts on top end wages, and a few on lower wages that on renewal will increase considerably if we want to retain them, and with any new quality signings coming in that margin will quickly shrink, as much as I want new signings and new contracts for key players, my point was just in football money terms its not as simple or as much money as some believe, not defending or damming the situation…. yet.