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First Team
Four goals conceded in our last eight League games.Originally Posted by ianlfc
Buying a centre-back at a premium for the end of the pitch that is actually performing respectably well in the most raw sense (conceding goals) who may take time to adapt when we are pretty stacked with foreign players (Home-grown quota) during the current circumstances may not be the best use of our funds.
Plus we have to consider where additions need to be made in future - assuming that we are trying to tinker with a Squad that works overall, rather than tearing up the script. At some point we need an extra forward (they're often very expensive) and I'm sure some would, in the cold light of day, take us having a top number 8 who is almost always fit in place of any two of Ox/Keita/Shaq. It would be prudent not to eat too far into money ear-marked for this and especially given player amortisation - we'll have only this season (I don't know exactly when) paid the third of the three £25m instalments for Van Dijk to Southampton. When we no longer "owe" as much for some of our top players (be it agent fees, contract boosts, instalments) you'd think the so-called Purse Strings will loosen a touch - these are the type of "bills" Klopp refers to - same as the Anfield expansion project and the new training facilities.
Paying a £50m fee now for a player who will get no pre-season time with us to adjust, versus maybe paying £30m for the same player in the Summer could be the difference between having a bit spare for an addition or not.
Plus Wijnaldum needs replacing it seems. Plus we must think ahead as to who will take Milner's spot.
We're definitely approaching something of a cross-roads for a few players and Summer seems a wiser time to assess the post-Brexit, closer-to-vaccinations market.
Also, while thinking of finances - much as FSG's financially conservative strategy has been criticised in here by many, few seem to flip the scenario. Supposing the Covid situation drags on for longer than expected due to mutated strains. Some of our rivals could end up putting themselves into pretty big debt having commited financial instalments on players, plus big wages. I wouldn't for example want us to be paying £200k+ a week for Werner say, with instalments going out over a few seasons, if we faced two more seasons without matchday revenue and a reduction in pay-outs from the Broadcasting folks.
We simply don't have a massive read of the future and perhaps this (calculated) gamble of believing we have enough for Top Four and anything else being a bonus (heresy for us as fans of sport, but annoyingly somewhat logical from a financial perspective) may yet prove to be a blessing.
First Team
Very smart post Sid.
I dont know if I can be bothered with more seasons without fans its not natural and is just shit.
Ive started to really not enjoy football not just results things like EVERY other league allowing five subs but our selfish league saying no.
I hope we go down the road of European super league or LFC PPV fuck all the small teams they tried to screw us last season with null & void too.
Squad N0 1
The way he’s playing Booby is more appropriate
First Team
Agree fully on the enjoyment aspect. I'm not enjoying watching our games at all and I've barely watched many others.
First Team
It's certainly an easy time to feel jaded with Football.
Between inconsistencies with the application of VAR rules, the lack of fans in grounds and the ongoing frustration with financial doping going relatively unpunished (watch City attempt to buy Haaland AND Mbappe) it's a tricky time anyway.
Then this is compounded by some players either being out of form (Trent, Firmino) or not quite at their scintillating best (Salah, Mane) with lingering issues (Wijnaldum's contract) and injuries that crippled the season (Thiago, Matip, Gomez, Van Dijk, Jota) then you have something of a hot mess.
Still - in spite of all this and our current (hopefully temporary) inability to win matches, we somehow find ourselves 3 points off top and we still, technically, aren't halfway done yet.
At one point we had TEN first-teamers out injured. Imagine that scenario during the Rafa years (I picked those as they were our best time in the "Premier League era" and I sadly am not old enough to remember anything else) where an injury to Torres for example meant the whole system could fall apart.
I think we have coped admirably overall, unfortunate as this run is. It's a long season - we didn't kill Tottenham's season by beating them and if the unthinkable happens and Burnley beat us, that won't kill ours - there'd still be 50% of the season to go and we have Champion's League football to look forward to. People get very hung up on League position rather than the points gap and it currently isn't a massive one. By all means we should have concerns, but calls to ring the bells or abandon ship are still premature - though the loudness of the cries from those who despair does indeed add further apathy and depression to the situation.
It's not an overly fun season thus far. But it is just one season. We survived the first half of 10/11 for crying out loud - we can definitely survive this!
First Team
Very good point about Spurs Sid, they are right back in the mix and have a lot of poor results. Doesnt take much for things to look a lot different.
It is only halfway but we really need to snap out of this lull, to me though it doesn't have a feeling that we will. We've been poor from the off barring about 4 games.
First Team
Only blessing is we've got Burnley at home next, dreading the fixtures after mind you if we carry on how we are, could be a catchup to 4th jobby
Burnley H
Man utd FA cup (can we just concede i cba)
Spurs away
West ham away
Brighton home
man city home
Leicester away
Rb Lepzig home
Everton home
Then gets easier shef utd away fulham/home
We've had a easy run of games apart from Utd at home, that's the worrying thing good job jota and matip hopefully will be fine for these games, should have managed without them with recent games though bar today...
Last edited by Kev0909; 18th January 2021 at 12:42 AM.
First Team
don't worry lads, i've emailed FSG
a CB is on the way
there's still hope it's not a right off this season
First Team
Its about time you had a word with them !
Old Codger
I once watched every televised game that I could, whoever was playing, regardless of the competition. I now only watch our games and that’s becoming tiresome. No fans and VAR results in such a sterile experience.
I bet you can squeal like a pig!
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