Seriously guys, I don't think it's that bad...
Sure I was disapointed like the rest of you that we didn't sign Messi; but surely the point is we have been badly run for years, not just a few months. We knew that after our worst league season for decades there was no quick fix. We were never going to bring in a big name striker this summer, unless he was on his last legs or paid millions. The criminal reason for this is that despite being one of the most famous and successful teams in the world, and despite having spent amongst the highest total amounts in the premiership on players in the last decade, we are not currently in the Champions League or performing at the highest level.
Sure we didn't sign Dempsey - but I doubt it was over a mere million pounds or so. How do we know he wasn't demanding 150k per week salary? It would have been the overall package that the decision was made over, not the transfer fee. Sure he wanted to join us, but so did Joe Cole and that didn't exactly work out, and I'm sure BR didn't want a repeat of that. Just because he scored goals last season does NOT mean he would have solved out goal scoring problem last season, as the team would not have been set up around him to the extend Fulham was.
I think there have been positives in our transfers, especially as with the change of managers there was little time to scout;
1) We kept key and PROVEN players - Agger, and new longterm contract for Suarez and Skrtel.
2) We have bought some players that I feel are going to be class, whilst not spending the stupid money - Allen, Assaidi and potentially Borini.
3) We have loaned in Sahin - a player we know is class, for little financial risk to ourselves. After a season playing with us, getting to know the manager / players - he is far more likely to sign permanently if he performs than would have been the case otherwise.
4) We have removed players from our payroll who were likely only benchwarmers - thereby ensuring we have more funds to spend next year - Aqualiani, Adam, Maxi, Kuyt, Aurelio.
5) FSG are in my opinion steadying the ship and increasing our financial income with good sponsorship deals; thereby increasing our longterm financial clout.
I feel our team this season is much stronger than last season; who are Man U going to fear lining up against more:
Kuyt Adam Gerrard Maxi
Carrol Suarez
or
Allen Gerrard Sahin
Assaidi Borini Suarez
I also feel the latter team is more likely to attract big names next summer than the former.
I think the sticking point for many fans has been the loaning of Carrol; but that also makes sense to me. Imaging you had spent £35m of your own money on something, and then 18 months later seen it's value drop to £15m and you had two options:
1) Keep it, and likely not use it very much, as you also own a lot of similarly valuable objects, and see its value drop further or at best stay the same.
2) Lend it out, where it would get used regularly, potentially doing very well in a system set up to get the best out of it andd watch it destroy oppositions defences and regain confidence whilst gaining experience and maturing, take points off your opposition, thereby helping your own overall chances and then potentially sell it for £5-7m MORE the following year or if it really develops and works on the areas its weak in come back into your own team the following summer.
If Andy does well, his value WILL increase as more teams will want him and we will have £5-7m more to spend on players next season, or to offset against not making the Champions league should we fail. The same, to a lesser extend could be said of Jay spearing, so I feel his loan makes sense too. The players we sold were never going to go UP in value, so made sense to sell them.
I'm sure in an ideal world, Brendan would have signed a top striker; but if none were available / or willing to join for a reasonable fee then I would prefer we saved the money and took time to allow him and his team to scout a better replacement for January, rather than panic buy again. I feel, playing the right system, we do have players to score goals and do well - look at the strikerless Spain in the Euros.
So seriously guys... This transfer season was always going to be difficult for the reasons above, I think we did alright. Chill out and SMILE!!!!! We're Liverpool...
Sure I was disapointed like the rest of you that we didn't sign Messi; but surely the point is we have been badly run for years, not just a few months. We knew that after our worst league season for decades there was no quick fix. We were never going to bring in a big name striker this summer, unless he was on his last legs or paid millions. The criminal reason for this is that despite being one of the most famous and successful teams in the world, and despite having spent amongst the highest total amounts in the premiership on players in the last decade, we are not currently in the Champions League or performing at the highest level.
Sure we didn't sign Dempsey - but I doubt it was over a mere million pounds or so. How do we know he wasn't demanding 150k per week salary? It would have been the overall package that the decision was made over, not the transfer fee. Sure he wanted to join us, but so did Joe Cole and that didn't exactly work out, and I'm sure BR didn't want a repeat of that. Just because he scored goals last season does NOT mean he would have solved out goal scoring problem last season, as the team would not have been set up around him to the extend Fulham was.
I think there have been positives in our transfers, especially as with the change of managers there was little time to scout;
1) We kept key and PROVEN players - Agger, and new longterm contract for Suarez and Skrtel.
2) We have bought some players that I feel are going to be class, whilst not spending the stupid money - Allen, Assaidi and potentially Borini.
3) We have loaned in Sahin - a player we know is class, for little financial risk to ourselves. After a season playing with us, getting to know the manager / players - he is far more likely to sign permanently if he performs than would have been the case otherwise.
4) We have removed players from our payroll who were likely only benchwarmers - thereby ensuring we have more funds to spend next year - Aqualiani, Adam, Maxi, Kuyt, Aurelio.
5) FSG are in my opinion steadying the ship and increasing our financial income with good sponsorship deals; thereby increasing our longterm financial clout.
I feel our team this season is much stronger than last season; who are Man U going to fear lining up against more:
Kuyt Adam Gerrard Maxi
Carrol Suarez
or
Allen Gerrard Sahin
Assaidi Borini Suarez
I also feel the latter team is more likely to attract big names next summer than the former.
I think the sticking point for many fans has been the loaning of Carrol; but that also makes sense to me. Imaging you had spent £35m of your own money on something, and then 18 months later seen it's value drop to £15m and you had two options:
1) Keep it, and likely not use it very much, as you also own a lot of similarly valuable objects, and see its value drop further or at best stay the same.
2) Lend it out, where it would get used regularly, potentially doing very well in a system set up to get the best out of it andd watch it destroy oppositions defences and regain confidence whilst gaining experience and maturing, take points off your opposition, thereby helping your own overall chances and then potentially sell it for £5-7m MORE the following year or if it really develops and works on the areas its weak in come back into your own team the following summer.
If Andy does well, his value WILL increase as more teams will want him and we will have £5-7m more to spend on players next season, or to offset against not making the Champions league should we fail. The same, to a lesser extend could be said of Jay spearing, so I feel his loan makes sense too. The players we sold were never going to go UP in value, so made sense to sell them.
I'm sure in an ideal world, Brendan would have signed a top striker; but if none were available / or willing to join for a reasonable fee then I would prefer we saved the money and took time to allow him and his team to scout a better replacement for January, rather than panic buy again. I feel, playing the right system, we do have players to score goals and do well - look at the strikerless Spain in the Euros.
So seriously guys... This transfer season was always going to be difficult for the reasons above, I think we did alright. Chill out and SMILE!!!!! We're Liverpool...
