The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - Arne to Slot right in?

[Main Street]

In the end there was no argument imo, Liverpool finished the stronger, the first goal was a beaut. For all Inter's good play they were a few morsels short of the quality needed to score  against Liverpool's defence. Money buys a good squad.

[brokencrossbar1]

In the end there was no argument imo, Liverpool finished the stronger, the first goal was a beaut. For all Inter's good play they were a few morsels short of the quality needed to score  against Liverpool's defence. Money buys a good squad.

But disingenuous to say that this is a 'money' squad. 9 of the squad that were togged out were either free transfers, academy graduates or cost less than £12m (which is peanuts in todays market). The top players were high end but bar VVD and Allison they were able under £50m with most under £40m. Keita is the outlier and he is producing top class stuff now that he is seemingly injury free. There are 5-6 world class players there now and they weren't world class when they arrived apart from VVd and Allison.

It was a cagey first 60-65 minutes and if Inter had a bit more quality up front they would have been ahead. Was very shaky after HT but the subs made a huge difference, particularly Hendo and Keita. Hendo brought authority round the MF, Keita brought style and quality. Over the game Konate and VVD were brilliant. The more I watch Konate, the more I see the oversized u14 pushing the wee lads about. He has the potential to be one of the top defenders in the world and has the perfect partner beside him. Diaz is looking a perfect fit.

An interesting fact,  I think LFC have scored more goals than any team this season in the last 15-20 minutes. There was something about that mentioned in the commentary at the weekend game. Basically we can wear teams down and hold our discipline and then pull away in the last 20. That's a great sign for hard to win games.

Anyway, onwards to Norwich, maybe a new Luis nightmare for the Canaries?

[J70]

Inter didn't have a shot on target

I suppose hitting the cross bar isn't exactly a shot on target, but Allison was waving at it going past him..

That goes in and it's a very different game.

I never understand why hitting the woodwork is dismissed in the stats in that way. Technically, it's not "on target", but it's a hell of a lot closer to a goal than some weak shot or something straight at the keeper which ARE counted as on target.

[Armamike]

Anyone thinking Liverpool were going to roll up and get a handy game against Inter in the San Siro, well....Inter showed themselves to be a very good side.  Probably lacking a bit of real quality up front, but they're physically strong, determined and direct.  They played a good brand of forward thinking football.  I don't watch them in the Italian league so not sure if they play this kind of fast tempo every week.  My guess is they raised their game against us and played at a pace they couldn't sustain for the full game.  It was a very accomplished performance by Liverpool to take whatever Inter could throw at them, dig in and come away with a 2 nil win. Can't ask for much more than that from an away European tie.

In terms of the line up - bit surprised to see Klopp go with Harvey.  Big game for an 18 year old coming back from a long lay off.  Henderson gave us a lot more presence physically in midfield and we  used the ball a bit better.  Still not convinced by Thiago - others may disagree but i thought again last night he was a bit too sloppy at times with his passing and generally not sharp enough.  Diaz tortured them with his directness and willingness to run at them and get behind the last line.  This immediately put them on the back foot a bit.

[J70]

I didn't see much of last night's game, but I think Thiago makes a huge difference to Liverpool overall. Once he got going last spring in tandem with the restoration of Fabinho to the centre of midfield, Liverpool were much better able to control games and create chances, and it was a big reason they could put that run together to get the CL spot. He keeps things moving, demands the ball, and can find passes between the lines much better than the likes of Henderson and Fabinho. Even just this past weekend, Liverpool eased through the last half hour against Burnley once he came on and they started to keep possession.

[Main Street]

In the end there was no argument imo, Liverpool finished the stronger, the first goal was a beaut. For all Inter's good play they were a few morsels short of the quality needed to score  against Liverpool's defence. Money buys a good squad.

But disingenuous to say that this is a 'money' squad. 9 of the squad that were togged out were either free transfers, academy graduates or cost less than £12m (which is peanuts in todays market). The top players were high end but bar VVD and Allison they were able under £50m with most under £40m. Keita is the outlier and he is producing top class stuff now that he is seemingly injury free. There are 5-6 world class players there now and they weren't world class when they arrived apart from VVd and Allison.

I didn't write that it was a money squad but that money buys a good squad. Liverpool have really only splashed out on transfers one season in Klopp's tenure but in these times, transfer fees are only a part of a top footballer's cost, even a modest enough Joe Gomez was on Gbp 4m p/a basic salary. Milner came in on a free,  but he ain't cheap

[Hound]

Well of course transfer fees are only a part of any footballer's cost, it's the same for all clubs and Liverpool pay less in wages generally than City, United and Chelsea. Ronaldo cost feck all, but is paid £26m a year.

Gomez is on £75k a week. Was a first teamer when he renewed. That's on the lower end of first team squad salaries for any of the so called big clubs.

Robbo, arguably one of the best left backs in the world, was only on £50k up to last season. He's now doubled his money. Mane is also on £100k (half of what Rashford is on), while Jota and Luis Diaz on £90k.

Liverpool's highest earner is Virgil on £220k a week. United have 6 players on more than that. City pay John Stones £250k a week.

There's a certainly a few Liverpool players like Thiago £200k, Milner £140k, where you could argue they get too much. But in general they seem to manage it well. "Too well" some would argue when you point to refusing to meet Wijnaldum's demands and dithering over Salah's.

[tiempo]

Liverpool seem to have got the balance on right on wage expenditure, there are top class players the world over who will play for Liverpool and sustain their success for a fraction of what City Utd Chelsea pay their players, there is no need to be cowered into paying galacticos rates, if the player wont sign move them on and find a replacement, and that goes for Salah too, though i also think they should be prepared to stretch their top end for him given his output

End of the day there should be ceiling out of common decency and respect for the squad as a whole and to ensure the club develops in an organic sustainable manner and not the Frankenstein model of the plastic clubs that City and Chelsea are

[thewobbler]

Liverpool no doubt have got it right for now.

Let's see if that remains the case in 12 months' time when Salah, Mane and Firmino are either renewed or jettisoned due to wage demands.

Common decency and respect to do not exist in professional football. FIFA are fully complicit in the aggressive greed that will continue to run rampant until the game is ruined. Man City just won a CL knockout game 5-0 away from home this week. This should be a warning sign to everyone that the game is on the precipice of being boringly uncompetitive. But no, instead, the media applaud how wonderful it is to see such an expensively assembled team obliterate opponents.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Agree with most of that Wobbler. The system works well to some boys has had a great few yrs then it comes to renewal time and the agent sticks his oar in.

Great time to be a pool fan and probably the best squad ever same time theres a good chance theyre still the 2nd best around. While the big teams have 2nd teams that would finish mid-Prem comfortably this problems just gona get worse and theres no appetite among the big boys to change it and why would they...

[tiempo]

Liverpool no doubt have got it right for now.

Let's see if that remains the case in 12 months' time when Salah, Mane and Firmino are either renewed or jettisoned due to wage demands.

Common decency and respect to do not exist in professional football. FIFA are fully complicit in the aggressive greed that will continue to run rampant until the game is ruined. Man City just won a CL knockout game 5-0 away from home this week. This should be a warning sign to everyone that the game is on the precipice of being boringly uncompetitive. But no, instead, the media applaud how wonderful it is to see such an expensively assembled team obliterate opponents.

Disagree on the first point, agree with the second, the 5-0 City result is a huge red flag, City are the Lance Armstrong of football, they can win all they want no-one is going to respect them with the exception of a few yokels

[Milltown Row2]

Agree with most of that Wobbler. The system works well to some boys has had a great few yrs then it comes to renewal time and the agent sticks his oar in.

Great time to be a pool fan and probably the best squad ever same time theres a good chance theyre still the 2nd best around. While the big teams have 2nd teams that would finish mid-Prem comfortably this problems just gona get worse and theres no appetite among the big boys to change it and why would they...

Sure second is the new first, I wouldn't worry about it

[From the Bunker]

Agree with most of that Wobbler. The system works well to some boys has had a great few yrs then it comes to renewal time and the agent sticks his oar in.

Great time to be a pool fan and probably the best squad ever same time theres a good chance theyre still the 2nd best around. While the big teams have 2nd teams that would finish mid-Prem comfortably this problems just gona get worse and theres no appetite among the big boys to change it and why would they...

Sure second is the new first, I wouldn't worry about it

Sure Utd finished (the new) first last season!

[Milltown Row2]

Agree with most of that Wobbler. The system works well to some boys has had a great few yrs then it comes to renewal time and the agent sticks his oar in.

Great time to be a pool fan and probably the best squad ever same time theres a good chance theyre still the 2nd best around. While the big teams have 2nd teams that would finish mid-Prem comfortably this problems just gona get worse and theres no appetite among the big boys to change it and why would they...

Sure second is the new first, I wouldn't worry about it

Sure Utd finished (the new) first last season!

It's like Utd won it! Bus ordered again

[J70]

Liverpool no doubt have got it right for now.

Let's see if that remains the case in 12 months' time when Salah, Mane and Firmino are either renewed or jettisoned due to wage demands.

Common decency and respect to do not exist in professional football. FIFA are fully complicit in the aggressive greed that will continue to run rampant until the game is ruined. Man City just won a CL knockout game 5-0 away from home this week. This should be a warning sign to everyone that the game is on the precipice of being boringly uncompetitive. But no, instead, the media applaud how wonderful it is to see such an expensively assembled team obliterate opponents.

Disagree on the first point, agree with the second, the 5-0 City result is a huge red flag, City are the Lance Armstrong of football, they can win all they want no-one is going to respect them with the exception of a few yokels

Sure they announced yet another "sponsorship" deal with Abu Dhabi very recently

https://theathletic.com/3120837/2022/02/17/special-report-manchester-citys-sponsors-the-links-to-abu-dhabi-and-what-it-means-for-newcastle-united/

On January 6, Manchester City unveiled a new global sponsorship agreement. The club website promoted the partnership with Masdar, a renewable energy and sustainable development company, by highlighting the launch of a campaign aimed at raising awareness around climate change.

What the City press release did not mention, however, is that Masdar is owned by the Mubadala Investment Company. Mubadala is a sovereign wealth fund of Abu Dhabi and the chief executive officer of Mubadala is a businessman named Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who is also the chairman of Manchester City.

Al Mubarak, 46, does not sit on the board of Masdar. Yet on the eight-person board, his sister Razan Al Mubarak has a seat, in addition to four senior personnel from Mubadala, plus two members of the United Arab Emirates federal government.

Three weeks later, City unveiled another partnership with an Abu Dhabi company. This time, Aldar Properties became the club's official real estate partner.

Mubadala, run by Al Mubarak, is a continuing shareholder in Aldar, along with other state-owned companies which include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi National Hotels and the National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels. The chairman of Aldar's board is Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, who is also the chair of the department for culture and tourism in Abu Dhabi. He also happens to be the brother of City chairman Khaldoon. Martin Edelman, a member of the Manchester City board, is also listed as a director of Aldar.

These two deals followed a previous announcement, on January 4, of a new luxury hotel partnership between Manchester City and the Emirates Palace complex in Abu Dhabi. The club's manager Pep Guardiola formed part of a recent promotional video filmed at the hotel and he posed for photographs with children training as part of a Manchester City scholarship programme in the Middle East.