I rarely take anything personally on here, JB. Cue a load of nasty comments from the usual suspects now.
Zubimendi. Normally I'd say if he doesn't want us we don't want him, but this scenario might be slightly different. It's not like a Caicedo situation where there were two suitors for him - I don't think it's all that disrespectful that a player might want to stick with a club he has strong emotional ties to. I read just after he'd turned us down that we'd offered a far better deal than he would get at RS, so it wouldn't be that much of a surprise if he changed his mind again. So, if the deal is back on, and LFC still want him, I might be able to accept it. Tbh, I don't know much about him apart from what I've read, but if there's substance in that then it seems like a good move.
Nah, he turned round to his supposed boyhood club he wanted to stay at and demanded a huge pay rise. Let him rot.
I haven't read anywhere that he demanded a huge pay rise. The club seem to have talked him out of a move with a promise of much improved contract and reneged. But what do we know.
I have. He's turned round and demanded a new contract of real sociadad based on what we supposedly offer. Apparently his own manager has been sent out to say he could have to be sold.now cos they won't be paying it.
I’ve said above that I personally wouldn’t now as he wasn’t 100% in, but think you’re putting the emotion of it on the player. He’s representatives wouldn’t be worth a penny if given this scenario they didn’t go back and say ‘right you wanted him to stay so bad, let’s review the terms’ That’s football
I won't hold it against Zubi if he flip flops again. It's a big decision and leaving your hometown club is a big deal. It doesn't mean because he didn't chomp at the bit to come here that his heart won't be in the move or that he won't give his all. If he comes he comes, if he doesn't he doesn't.
Indeed. It's ironic that you have a picture of Stevie G as your avatar as this is almost a carbon copy of the summer of 2005 caper when he was a tug-of-war between the two clubs. Iirc though, Gerrard's beef was not that he wanted a contract as big as the one Chelsea offered him (which was way and above what we could pay - he would have been even pre-FFP* Chelsea's highest-paid player), but that he'd never been offered a new contract at all. Bottom line is, had Gerrard then been told by Liverpool "Er, actually we don't have the money for a new contract". I would have expected Mourinho to have swallowed his pride and said "here we are again Stevie - not quite as much as we offered last month, but still well more than your current deal at Liverpool", or if that didn't happen the likes of United (Fergie was a huge fan at the time), Arsenal, and the Spanish and Italian giants to nip in - he wouldn't have stayed that summer, that's for sure. And this is the point - he'll almost certainly leave now, and if we don't swallow our pride all the other big clubs he's knocked back recently will be straight back in for him. So I say get him, if possible. But if they don't pay him and he dithers again - well, yeah - **** the little ****ing ****er.
On the Zubimendi saga, do people really think players give a monkey about where they play? Do you really expect a Spaniard to have a life long affinity with Liverpool, would it make you feel better if he came out with the usual drivel. "I've supported them since I was a kid" " it's always been my dream to play for them", or God forbid joining and kissing the ****ing badge. I'm playing at home, my wife and kids are settled, it's OK here v what are you offering to up root my entire life? It's a business transaction, nothing more nothing less. It's not about swallowing pride, or moving on because he's not 100% committed. If he's good enough, for the right price, sign the bloody lad.
He denied all that in his autobiography, you know? Especially all the stuff about gangsters and so forth.
Indeed. I'm reminded of how Torres said he loved Liverpool, walked his dogs every day on Formby beach, was proud his kids were growing up with Scouse accents, then... put in a transfer request to go to Chelsea.
It goes both ways. Henderson is a great example. Absolutely derided for a number of years, then he's a pressing machine, captain fantastic, under rated by everybody but us Liverpool fans who know how good he is, he's to old can't run, get rid. The changes in attitude towards him where rapid. And fans wonder why players don't have any loyalty
