I think Liverpool’s dealings to keep up with City have been fantastic. Not many have flopped. The only one I can recall from recent memory is the Minamino.
Board - “so, Steve, what’s the latest scouting reports?” Nickson - “there’s a couple of lads could be a decent shout.” Board - “go on?” Nickson - “young kid out of Germany has some potential, goes by the name of Jude Bellingham. Also found this up and comer in France, Mbappe. Should be able to do deals, but failing that I’ve heard of someone called Vlahovic who’s fairly decent.”
And I mean look at this list of player sales. Over half a billion. You guys have mugged off some teams for average players. That’s called the Liverpool tax. https://www.lfchistory.net/Transfers/ByManager/28/0
I think he’s part of the problem. 5 months on Ekitike, then a series of names you could pluck from playing Football Manager or FIFA, all of whom are well beyond our budget. Basically this Summer we’ve gone for Pope, and that’s it. Botman was a Jan target, Targett was at the club already (more or less). I’m going to stay frustrated until it changes. Sorry.
Keita has been a bit of a let down. mini was a funny one. Didn’t quite find a position for him, but cost 7.5m, got double figures in goals last year as effectively 7th choice forward, and then sold for 17.5m so can’t really complain with that one.
Eddie Howe been brilliant for us. £19m for solanke. £6m for Brad smith. £15m for Ibe. Hoping he might come in for some more youth players
Ha ha, but he's been even more brilliant for us! Bruno cost up to £40m. He must be worth double that. £80m in January for a bunch that turned our form from 2nd bottom to 3rd top. Fair enough the jury's still out on Wood's cost.
Thing is he took over in November, I wonder how much say he had in the January signings? Not sure what structures like at Newcastle but maybe Bruno was lined up to come in despite Howe… now Howe has his feet under the table and is having more say, your struggling to get players because he’s just generally not very good at buying players?
Howe seems to want to avoid anyone exciting at all costs, but it's worked so far and there's still a few areas like up to and am position where the foundationd nerd laying. Newcastle were criticised in January for the same activity, but they got it spot on. The future will see them adding a sprinkle of real quality here and there
I think Howe will rank 3rd or 4th in that department to be honest. Our best signing in the last year has been Dan Ashworth, he'll be overseeing everything i suspect.
That’s the reason we are not buying forward players. You have nailed it. HOWE is useless at identifying them. Ha ha
Just spotted a private jet coming in from Rome, Bellotti maybe? It can't be the Pope he's already here. Lol
Eddie Howe was appointed head coach in Nov 21. The team got its first win of the season in December, before going on a great run from the end of January. Don't know or care how the player acquisition process runs, but the net result incl Eddie Howe's contribution was a great run up the league - bottom to 11th is IMO a worthy achievement. He might have personally selected Targett, Trippier (who he knew from his Burnley days) and Burn. But even if he had no part in buying them, he's got them performing. Just like Joelinton's sudden change - it's like having a new player, plus a few others improved under his tutelage. If you look at EH's past, the history that he's help make for Bournemouth really can't be ignored. I've lived there - in the 80's it was a footballing backwater where the local rags hardly mentioned the sport. But from near liquidation, he took them through the leagues to have a good run in the Prem. I'm not going to dig out the purchases made to Bournemouth during that time, but on balance there must have more good ones than bad? Surely? And the Cherries wouldn't have had a recruitment team to do all the scouting - EH's judgement overall must be pretty good in player appraisal. But even the best judges get caught out with the odd dud from Liverpool! I'm sure those were school days for him.
