09 Apr 2025 20:59:15
Apparently something ain't right behind the scenes at Anfield.
Since the whole Trent - Real craziness during the international break, there has been a rumour floating about over a falling out. I have no idea who the other person or persons are involved. There is also a rumour of someone having a "word" with him outside of the club similar to what was supposed to have stopped Gerrard moving to Chelski.
Now I ain't saying Trent is staying but I believe there is more twists and turns to go with this one.
09 Apr 2025 21:50:29
How much of the "word" that was had with Gerrard in 2005 was something that actually happened, and how much is the sort of nonsense that's regularly made up around the city though? Particularly when it comes to local players of both clubs.
09 Apr 2025 22:02:22
TBF, there is bound to be a bit of angst associated with a prize asset refusing a contract and walking away without a transfer fee, couldn’t be otherwise. The root cause would not be the behaviour of either player or club since the international break, it is the negligence of the club in not tying TAA down to a long term contract 2 years ago. No one can blame him for going to RM, a lot of blame can be attributed to the bone headed performance of those responsible for player contracts.
09 Apr 2025 22:18:00
D-day, the bone headed performance of the person responsible for contracts appears to have tied down VVD and Mo. I don't blame Trent for going to RM, neither do I blame Julian Ward for not tieing down Trent to a new contract. He'd obviously made his mind up to join RM. In my humble opinion.
09 Apr 2025 22:19:31
Well said D-day.
09 Apr 2025 22:20:18
SR,
With Gerrard it was different because his wider family have links to that sort of person. Gerrard was also known for going to the kinda places these people would be. It was more believable with him, than it is with Trent as you don't see him doing the same sort of thing, more about the brand ain't he. Now as for him falling out with a person or persons, I wouldn't be surprised by that.
All the same its a rumour and nothing more.
09 Apr 2025 22:40:23
Honestly guys, can someone explain how a club “ties a player down 2 years ago”.
Kidnap their pets? Gun to the head? Blackmail?
If a player doesn’t want to sign how do you tie them down to a new contract?
09 Apr 2025 23:45:28
I sort of don't blame anyone for the Trent situation. That is him leaving on a free. Everyone seems to need to blame someone. But those blaming the club do you honestly believe Trent has not been offered a massive contract on numerous occasions, he's a local lad, has rare qualities that can win you games (granted a lack of some that lose the odd game too) and is still young. And then do we blame trent? Well nobody really blames him for wanting to go to Madrid. He's done it with Liverpool. Madrid is a once in a lifetime chance now too. And if he'd of signed a contract that meant Madrid would have to pay 150 million or so let's be honest they aren't going to do that.
10 Apr 2025 05:57:35
Rome, though signing hasn’t been confirmed yet, delaying negotiations until after 2/ 3 vitally important players have entered the final year of their contract is nothing other than bone headed (if memory serves me right TAA began in 2023, then stalled for a year when Ward/ others left the club) LFC are weeks away from their best three players walking, for free. You might think Ward/ LFC deserve kudos for getting it done, I think they were damn lucky they did, the cost alone of replacing those three would likely be hundreds of millions, on top of the other signings needed this summer. Of course they will need to be replaced in the coming years, but contract extensions would have allowed more longterm strategic planning for their replacement/ other signings. I can’t be the only one who thinks it was nuts that the club didn’t even begin negotiations until recently with Virg/ Mo.
10 Apr 2025 06:01:41
Kloppdog, do I honestly believe he hasn’t been offered a massive contract on numerous occasions? Yes, I would point to negotiations with Virg/ Mo not starting until recently as evidence of inertia in the club to negotiating contracts.
10 Apr 2025 07:52:33
D-day, as a supporter I honestly couldn't care less how long things have taken. I don't think Ward deserves kudos for hopefully getting things sorted, he is, after all, just doing his job. But neither have I been slagging him off. The same goes for Hughes. I will judge him after the summer window closes. It's yours and every other supporter's right to be annoyed, I'm not. I'm too busy looking forward to the next 8 weeks when we hopefully get back on our perch again.
10 Apr 2025 09:03:52
Simple truth is unless a gangster threatens to kill your family if you leave you can't stop a player leaving. There's literal laws which prevent you from controlling where they work.
10 Apr 2025 10:01:39
@D-day how do you know when the club attempted to start negotiations? How do you know that the club didn’t try to talk to the players two or even three years ago? You have no idea (like the rest of us) of what has gone on over the past 24 months. It’s your opinion that some sort of worst case scenario has played out and you are looking to blame the club for something that probably hasn’t happened. The club can’t make players either sign a new contract or even negotiate a new contract if they don’t want to and it’s also fair to say that all three players know their worth both to the club and in the market place. There is a possibility that by waiting to negotiate they might just have bargained their way to a better deal. In business terms they may have negotiated very well.
10 Apr 2025 11:07:31
Ron Keague . that an easy one to answer . if he doesn't sign . u sell him. if he digs his heels in, you never ever play him. clubs have got to take control back from these greedy pizz takers.
10 Apr 2025 11:11:41
If the 2 key ones stay it’s a win, win. We don’t have close to replacements thus far for them and, despite age, they are world class! Trent has a world class attribute we know, but his whole game is far from world class and I don’t believe it will become that with Madrid. He’s a good lad he’s been a decent servant and I wish him well whilst I hopefully can delight at the retention I personally wanted. Both of these guys are also team first and after all it’s a team game.
10 Apr 2025 11:16:18
People have to understand players hold all the cards and
their agents advise them on everything. The club can offer the player mega contracts but if their heads are turned then the club can only leave their offer on the table all the convincing in the world will do no good . Real Madrid have this down to a fine art they get the top players by telling them to run their contracts down it seems every season they get a new player on this out of contract scam that's why they need investigating as a club they sold their training ground to the local council who then gave it back to them for free and people have a go at city they have been at it for years backed by the king of Spain?
10 Apr 2025 12:38:42
Seems like a nice way to treat fellow humans Strom, maybe you could kidnap their first born too.
10 Apr 2025 17:25:59
D-day,
Some valid points. I do believe he has been offered a contract and "negotiated" it ?. Also on the other 2, it has never been about the money per se with them but the length of contract. We have a policy for players over 30 and that needed to be broken for them to get the deal they want.
10 Apr 2025 21:20:29
Stromsgodset:
So you “sell the player”.
Against his will? You’re back to the initial problem, but now you also have to force another club to buy an unhappy player at a premium price.
Remember Michael Owen? £8m for him from Real Madrid.
You just have to accept it, players decide their own futures and the clubs have to suck it up.
10 Apr 2025 21:58:03
D-day, coming close to an agreement doesn't mean negotiations have just started. Yes we know virg and mo came out and said they haven't spoke to anyone at the start of the year. Their agents will have though. But also as said by someone above those two are very different to trent. A lot of fans would have been happy to take Saudis money for Salah last season. Now he's had another good year he's untouchable again. Same with Virg. They are at an age where it's probably okay for a club to question giving them a massive contract. They are now paying solely for their performances to stay at the very top level for a few more years, the contract won't protect market value, their next move if they move on will be for free. Another reason trent will likely have been offered that big contract.
10 Apr 2025 23:18:55
The biggest thing in the timing of these contracts surely had to be Klopp announcing he was leaving last summer. They must of been having conversations about extending before his announcement, all the upheaval and not knowing how it was going to play out must of contributed to the situation we are in. It certainly would if I was one of the 3. If trent goes fair play to him he's won everything, can you really knock him. I know where I'd rather spend my days off. But the grass isn't always greener plenty of careers eaten up at the bernabue.