The Liverpool Thread

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Personally would sell him if we can get a buyer .....

Not sure who has any significant value in the current market to off-load? Anyone they do want to move (Origi/ Grujic/ Wilson/ Shaqiri etc), they'll have to bite the bullet and take a hefty drop. Edwards will have to swallow his pride and take the hit.

At least Phillips form is boosting his value for the summer.
 
Not sure who has any significant value in the current market to off-load? Anyone they do want to move (Origi/ Grujic/ Wilson/ Shaqiri etc), they'll have to bite the bullet and take a hefty drop. Edwards will have to swallow his pride and take the hit.

At least Phillips form is boosting his value for the summer.
Should've taken money for Origi when his stock was at its highest post-CL final. I still maintain there is a good player in there but he needs consistent game time at his age now. Those you've mentioned as well will be hard to shift with a fee ( with Wilson Edwards made a mistake pricing him out of a move he isn't anything special should've taken the money and ran). If we don't get CL footy it will be a lot harder but personally would keep Phillips for a season longer as we need a CB we can trust as no one knows how Virgil and Gomez will return. Kabak is a sticky one as he has potential but would the 18 million or so needed to sign him outright be better placed in putting that forward for a better CB option in the summer? Who knows really but this summer will definitely be interesting. If we are interested in a forward for rotation or long-term replacement e.g like Jota. I hope to god we move heaven and earth to sign Raphina from Leeds.
 
..... Who knows really but this summer will definitely be interesting. If we are interested in a forward for rotation or long-term replacement e.g like Jota. I hope to god we move heaven and earth to sign Raphina from Leeds.

I wouldn't like to speculate on any specific name. I will say as for a certain young Frenchman, we are one of the very few SERIOUS players for him. Of that, there's NO debate. Not got a clue where he'll end up but anyone thinking there's zero chance it'll be here really doesn't appreciate the whole situation.

For all the mad doom and gloom being predicted, even if we were to dip out of the CL for a season it changes absolutely nothing so there is that.

We aren't losing any key players. There's WAY too much pride in this group and they are way too deep into the project to not want to turn around next season and prove all the naysayers wrong and show this season for what it is. A complete anomaly where most everything went against them. And Fenway have managed us through the pandemic superbly financially and aren't in any dire straights to need to sell anyone. Our financial structure isn't built to collapse with one season away from Europe's top table like say Arsenal's is.

As for signings, any footballer worth his salt will know it would only be a one-season deal if we do indeed miss out on the CL. You really can't understate the selling power of Klopp and the fact that footballers want to play under him and be a part of what he's built. No other manager working today has that single pull and it's arguable whether even Guardiola does to Klopp's extent.

And lest we forget the coffers will be swelled with the first returns of the Nike deal. Which aside from the initial down payment, they are ahead of their projections on sales to this point by all accounts so it'll be interesting to see just what that brings in.

We have a lot of scope for maneuverability at the top end of the market this summer whether we are in the CL or not.
 
I hope to god we move heaven and earth to sign Raphina from Leeds.
Must be bonkers offer to get us to sell him. + He loves Leeds, Bielsa, gametime he gets and has improved immense under Bielsa and with constant gametime. Think he will want full first team player role still. He has so much to offer and grow into. Seems also not to be diva and push hard for move from us
 
Must be bonkers offer to get us to sell him. + He loves Leeds, Bielsa, gametime he gets and has improved immense under Bielsa and with constant gametime. Think he will want full first team player role still. He has so much to offer and grow into. Seems also not to be diva and push hard for move from us
Playing for Bielsa is a big draw but I'm not sure you will be able to hang on to him if a top club comes calling. That's not me being arrogant it's just the name of the game and the same has happened with south Americans at Liverpool when one of the Spanish big two come calling. Players will back themselves to play at the top and Raphina definitely has it within himself to go up a level and the next step is a move upwards IMO.
 
After sitting through an absolute bore-fest of two bang mediocre sides last night as Utd squeaked past West Ham, it brought home again just what an absolute farce and the furthest thing from proper football this season has been when that was a contest for the top-4.

This is a season where absolutely ANYTHING can happen and anyone can take advantage of the unprecedented circumstances and change their fortunes in an instant.

Which has made it even crazier to me that SO many have written off L'pool's top 4 chances given, outside of City, next to nobody has found any consistency.

But what, without question, it has done is make tonight's game against a Wolves side that's fallen off a cliff under Nuno from great entertainers to now one of the most negative, sterile teams in the league, an absolute must-win, make-or-break game.

Win, and we bounce up to 6th, a mere 2 games (5 points) behind Chelsea in 4th. With 9 to play.

Lose, and that gap remains at 3 games. (8 points.). With a top 4 slot all but over with next to NO wiggle room left.

A Reds win over Wolves, coupled with Arsenal beating West Ham Sunday, and we're just 2 points behind the Hammers with a game in hand going into the break.

Lose, and we could be as low as 10th going into the International break. Sidenote- Since we came back up to the top flight in 1962, Liverpool Football Club has never finished outside the top 8 in 58 seasons. With only 12 of those seasons outside the top 5 teams in the Country. I personally don't want that remarkable record of consistency, that fills you with so much pride, to end in our 59th consecutive top-flight season.

That's how things can change in an instant in this absolutely mad season where ANYTHING can happen.

So let's start the right way on the run-in tonight aye Redmen?
 
Get the F in! 1 win down. 9 to go.

A lot to be said for grinding out a scruffy 1-0 when you’re bang out of form and totally off it on the night.

I wouldn’t give anyone higher than a 6 tonight. Kabak and Phillips probably the best on a collective team off night. Even the winning goal came from a goalkeeping howler. But man alive was that SUPER satisfying to see them battle and grind out the win. Not least through the very difficult injury time period where everyones minds were naturally not on the game but the goalies welfare.

Set’s the top 4 battle up superbly now going into the break.

Thoughts and prayers with the Wolves goalie. God speed mate. Good to see the protocol being used to full effect.

Up the FAR from out of it Reds!
 
One player that was terrible once again is Gini. He has been imitating a ghost on the pitch since Dec. Such a frustrating player when he plays within himself. Not committed to the cause ever since it looks certain he wasn't getting a renewal.
 
One player that was terrible once again is Gini. He has been imitating a ghost on the pitch since Dec. Such a frustrating player when he plays within himself. Not committed to the cause ever since it looks certain he wasn't getting a renewal.

With respect, that's utter B/S mate IMHO. He's just utterly physically and mentally goosed. Why I noted I'd personally have given him the night off given the Dutch will doubtless play him all three games through this break as he's the captain in Big Virgs absence.

Wijnaldum's barely missed a minute for L'pool or the Netherlands this season.

The only issue with Gini is his legs have absolutely gone through being overworked down to injury. Total commitment every time he plays, regardless of whether his future lies here or elsewhere, has never been a problem.

As for his future.....

I am not personally convinced he will leave the longer this rolls. I can see a middle ground being reached with him agreeing more in line with our thinking. We know Gini openly loves it here and doesn't want to leave. It's just a case of his idea of his worth, whether that be financially or down to the security of the length of contract at his age (I suspect its more the latter), you can't, to me anyway, be anything else but appreciative of both him and the club through all this.

Yet again, Gini has given absolutely every last ounce of sweat he has to give for the cause this year to the point he's now glaringly running on empty with his legs completely gone. Which was always a major safeguard the club had in weighing up Gini's worth to us this season/ doing the right thing by their players. Verses selling him last summer for a pittance of his value. Reduced even further in a COVID decimated market.

Like Bayern have with Alaba this year. And not standing in Thiago's way last summer to ourselves, you really can't understate looking after your key players that are leaders both on the pitch and in the changies. Something proper big clubs like ourselves and Munich, who do conduct themselves in a proper manner, fully understand.

Gini's always been open in his love for Liverpool. His commitment has never been in question, As noted yet again in glorious technicolour this season. He's really popular within the changing room. A fair contract from Liverpool's standpoint has been on the table for a good while now. For whatever reason, that hasn't tallied up seemingly with his thoughts so he's played the long game. Which is perfectly reasonable from his standpoint at his age. This contract may well be the last big one of his career and it has to be right for him from all facets. But if we'd have forced him out and tried selling him when he wasn't looking to leave, you then risk sending the completely wrong message to his peers and ultimately risk losing the changies.

It's a fine balancing act and I can understand folk who are narked if he does indeed walk away for no transfer fee. But all things considered, he was worth FAR more to the football club to let him go into the final year of his contract this season, both on and off the pitch. (I shudder to think how much worse we'd have been this year without Gini Wijnaldum.). So I'm personally sound with all parties with how this has played out.

Just like I'm sure many Bayern fans will be with how Thiago and Alaba played out the last two seasons.

There's a lot to be said in 'doing the right thing' by vet. players who have done the right thing by you right through their contracts. And the message it sends to everyone else, either here or looking to come here, about how we view the welfare of our players.
 
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