Just read out what was written in that report to my missus and straight away she said it's trying to insinuate that there was something going on between Klopp and the other fella. She also said otherwise why was the a need to mention that bit.
Don't forget just how frustrating Mané could also be. For me, as I said, the pay rise was a reward for services rendered not in the season it was being renewed but for the seasons since his last contract renewal which was in 2018. Between contract renewals 2018 - 2022 Salah's stats buried Mané's. He broke so many records in that time and gave us some immense goals. I don't want to do Mané an injustice because I love him equally but how many of his goals made you hold your breath like Salah's did? I know we tend to go with the eye test and he was missing chance after chance and had a big dip after the AFCON but even so in the 6 months you went on to say Salah was rubbish, he still scored 13 league goals and had 7 assists. Despite his overall play not being easy on the eye during that time unlike Mané (who was invigorated after the AFCON), he still outscored and out-assisted him. Our 3 'Red Arrows' were the envy of world football but it was Salah whose numbers topped every category. It's true he couldn't have done it on his own but I can't judge him on the months just prior to the new deal and ignore the 3 previous years when deciding if he'd earned it. For the record, I would have given Mané a big pay rise too even so far as splitting the difference and putting them both on the same wage.
Which was exactly the point I was making. Why would a football reporter need to mention it? They wouldn't unless they confused their job role with that of a gutter tabloid hack. BTW, Fergie did the same with the BBC after comments about his son.
it's simple. Pearce feels the need to look like he knows everything that's going on with lfc. he's over reached and is now persona non grata with klopp. this guy had access on the literal plane to talk to anyone. this is a great test of klopps standing now. the guy is not much more than a website blogger so if klopp can't get lfc to stop talking to him then he is toast.
I was surprised to hear Didi Hamann backing Pearce and saying Klopp should apologise to him, and that someone within the club should have a word with Klopp to tell him he was wrong. Also very odd!
hamann is nothing to do with lfc either. he's a blinks pot stirrer who is also out to get attention as it serves him Pearce has built his post echo career on being in the know and has a need to state things nobody else could know unless told by insiders. he'd be useless to the atletic if he hasn't got his in any more. it's literally up to lfc staff and directors now to back klopp again or not. if they keep on briefing Pearce they are sending a strong signal
This was on Talksport and what I was surprised by is that nobody actually addressed what The Athletic had printed that had got that reaction from Klopp. They didn't raise it at all (even without the insinuation the article made). I know about Pearce and the Echo. I also think The Athletic (and Ormstein in particular) want to be considered as reputable, so I expect some reconciliation will be made behind the scenes.
Yeh I know what you mean - controversy brings readers, but usually they know where to draw the line i.e. football, players and the club.
the athletic depends on being able to write what others cannot so they look a serious journalistic set up who are worthy of the pay wall they expect people to pay. yet... not one solitary investigation into corruption. no willing to pick up the baton on clubs breaching all sense of fair play. they are in effect trying to look good but sell itk type stuff to look that way.
I don't think there's much love lost between Hamann and Klopp. There have been spats before. I've no idea what's behind it.
I liked Didi as a player, but he's irrelevant now. As are all ex-players involved in punditry, imo. I have very little interest in their opinions and rarely listen to any of them. I switch on just before a game, go and make a cup of tea or something at half-time, and switch off after the final whistle.
I can't listen to them cos they rinse and repeat. it's always the same tried stuff. never come up with genuine insights.
My experience of football growing up was: go to a game, watch game with no commentary, go home. Talk about it with your mates but that was all. TV coverage was minimal and there was only a little bookending chat. Today it's a never-ending procession of people rabbiting on about anything and everything. Occasionally I've put the programme back on an hour later and the buggers are still talking about it. I don't care what they think, and I don't need what I've just watched explaining to me.
I've long since given up on any sort of TV punditry and avoid any and all gambling ads as well as a result. win/win there's some guys in YouTube etc that do a better job of analysis
My dad used to gamble with what little money he had and, I saw first hand what a mess it can get you into, so I'm immune to gambling ads - no interest in it. If it were up to me they'd be banned, but if it were up to me the world would be a different place. Probably just as big a mess, but a different one.
Gambling illegal here (unless the Government is the house.. aka the lottery) . I have mixed feelings on it. On one hand is the "peoples right to do stupid things with their money" on the other hand, I had a good friend in University whose father had destituted the family playing video poker machines (for a handful of years in the late 90's people found a loophole in the no gambling laws to set up a thriving business installing video poker machines in bars and truck stops). Often the biggest victims arent the gambler but their family. I've never felt the desire to gamble though, so law doesn't really impact me.