Of course 30m is beyond stupid. But you're right about overpaying. Allowing that geriatric who should've been put out to pasture 20 years ago sign Carroll for 35 million contorted the market out of all sense of order. I think that shambles did a lot of damage to your reputation resulting in every half-wit with a decent player at their Club, even four years on, thinking they can shake you down like a pissed-up mong in a casino. Every time I hear these clowns using the Andy Carroll fiasco as a template to what every other player should be valued at, I feel like bursting into tears
The Carroll transfer should be (though isn't always) remembered in the context that a broken Torres also went for £50m The only way to fix these inflated values is to say no to clubs, and of course when that happens fans say "why not just pay the extra millions!?" #cantdorightfordoingbloodywrong
Ah come on man, it was for Carroll fgs Astro. Jaysus wept, it's not like they bumped up the price for a player in demand who had just emerged on the world stage through some European run or something and was being eyed up by clubs all over Europe. It was a striker hitting a bit of form. Nobody held a gun to your heads. You should have looked at what they asked, realised the player wasn't worth that and said PISS OFF. Not bent over and pulled your pants down. You want context for Carroll's signing. I give you Charlie Adam. There's your context.
Believe it or not there was actually fear at the time that without Torres we wouldn't score and could actually go down. We were that bad at the time - and it was felt, with the money in the back pocket, we needed to get the man whatever. It proved unfounded however, as Carroll was then injured and we were okay. Completely agree with the general sentiments though. It was amateurish to the extreme, just like what its been recently too. That whole period was just embarrassing to be a fan - but a period which made you diehard to be fair. Everyone hated us, and took the piss.
I agree but every time Newcastle upped their price for Carroll it was forwarded to Abramovich. It was a mistake to be so high in the first place, and it was a mistake in terms of appearance (the natural pressure on the player, and the cost of future transfers). It was short term thinking, both the literal deadline day, and future windows, but there is no way it would have ever been paid without Torres also being bought "at any cost" by Chelsea.
I remember it well Bow. Don't forget Torres was doing fck all that season for you anyway. Double knee operation in the summer should have rung alarm bells and had Liverpool doing their homework for a replacement anyway. There was a bit of form already with the Robbie Keane signing a couple of seasons earlier so ppl saw another opportunity to take the piss tbf. Everyone will take the piss regardless. United have had it countless times with stupid transfers and it comes with the territory
I don't agree with that. He scored a few even in his final season (9 in 23 in the league) which is not bad, and was a proven goal scorer as opposed to risking on other players. I meant piss taking with our entire plight, losing to Northampton, Blackburn, Blackpool, record low points, first lost in 30 years to this and that team. The whole era was just horrendous. You lot haven't had that for a while!
OK "fck all" was the wrong term. But he wasn't playing well and I don't think the 9 out of 23 is the standard you expect from a top striker, or was a fair reflection of the dejected figure he looked on the pitch for most games. Hence why I don't think it was wrong to sell him. Good decision by Liverpool. Just don't understand why you put all your eggs in Carroll's basket and didn't spunk £35m on a proven forward? Ah I see what you mean. Well we had it last season and here's something I don't say very often, it brought back the uncertainty of Big Ron's era, what it was to follow United back then, and just how reliable Fergie was. So much so that even now I worry about what the future holds. What I will say though is that I am relieved as fck that Liverpool don't look to be leapfrogging us.
I agree that he was sulking. No way would I have sold him though. Almost 1 in 2 is not bad, and far less risk than buying. It was horrific timing right at the end of the window which heavily contributed to us splashing all that money on Carroll, and generally confirmed our declining stature in world football. I mean Torres pretty much forced the move which I won't forgive him for - but we blocked Suarez' move and it almost won us the title last year! All eggs in one basket as we hadn't the time to start scouting - it was right at last knockings and we had already shown interest in Carroll. And I agree about us not leap frogging you. Our terrible transfer dealings (again) has put pay to that.
I'll never understand how Liverpool Football Club is so bad at signing players, year after year after year. Is there summat in the water up there or what?
In recent times we've had tight owners who couldn't keep up with the changing costs of Prem football and got out when they could, we then had the worst owners possible who forced the management to scrimp and save in order to buy anyone even if they were ordinary players. We moved onto a Chief Scout who wasted money with a blank cheque book on average players and now we have a committee and manger who seem to be doing much the same but on a budget. Basically its one calamity after another when it comes to the people either responsible for spending the money or handing out the money.
I think the issue is much deeper. david moores in 1996 whined and bitched about having to spend 3.5mil on patrick berger.. then sought to sell up since then. it took the gobshite 12 years and piled up debts. from top to bottom a lackadaisical amateur hour ethos pervades the club. G&H were the same and i want to be very frank FSG's hands off approach is as bad as it encourages the exact same stupidity.. the evidence is clear for all to see. Bow has pointed to it. LFC need to have a root and branch total restructure to fix this.
I think there were rumours at the time that we ad a bid for Mario Gomez rejected by Bayern. We almost bought him in the summer as he wasn't getting game time at Bayern, but then injuries to Klose and Olic meant that Bayern ultimately blocked the move as they would have been short on numbers. He then got a run in the time, found his form and became their number one striker, so when we did a last minute bid in the January window, they just refused. Not sure how much was just paper gossip though. The 35 million was expensive, but then it was a last minute panic buy and we knew the 50 million was coming in. Horrendous yes, but very slightly understandable. What I can't understand is, if a striker for the second half of the season was so important that it couldn't wait til the summer, we spent so much on someone who we knew was going to be out for at least another month or so and would thereby miss a decent portion of the remaining games?
Also, who's Largo Espas? But good thread Bow You can quibble on the subjective judgements, but whatever the final verdicts, it's not good reading.
it still cost comolli and dalglish their jobs and the list on this thread shoudl cost fallows and rodgers theirs... end of.
