I don't think Rodgers wanted Balotelli. He probably preferred to have Balotelli than no one. However i don't agree with Rodgers being forced to have first team players when he didn't want them. He may have been persuaded to have them as he probably doesn't do the scouting himself but i can't imagine he has ever been forced into any transfers. As for Rodgers preferring faster more mobile strikers, i'm not sure we can say that for certain. He bought Danny Graham for Swansea and i don't imagine he's the prototype for a running and pressing striker.
Rodgers: Guys we need a striker, who's available? Committee: Balotelli? Rodgers: No, he doesnt fit my style. Committee: Ok will look some more... Sanchez? Rodgers: Yes! Committee: He chose Arsenal. Rodgers: Crap. An one else around? Committee: Balotelli still? Rodgers: Ofcourse he is, keep looking! Committee: Ok we have it, your going to agree to this for sure! Rodgers: Who who who who!!!!!!!!!! Committee: Remy. Rodgers: Yes! Club doctor: No! Committee: Balotelli or no one boss! Rodgers: At least we have Sturridge! Club Doctor: No! Committee: Give Balotelli a chance. Rodgers: Fine...
What about all the other dross he's wasted £200m on? He's only made 2 top drawer signings - Sturridge and Coutinho. The rest have been shades of average. Whatever your transfer policy has been for the last 3 years it's failed drastically. Maybe this summer has seen a shift, as 3 Bosmans is prudent and pragmatic
Sakho has been a good signing. Mignolet is coming good to. Ilori is young and yet to be seen but looks a real talent, if a bit injury prone. Toure has been a solid addition as a free signing added needed experience. Aspas and Alberto were notable flops but not to big financially. Moses was a low risk loan. Markovic has shown flashes of top potential but had a slow start and has been out of position a lot. Emre Can looks like a potential star. Lallana is a talented player but has struggled with injuries (we also probably over paid). Alberto has been inconsistant and at times sloppy, but at times skillful and exciting, he is young and will improve. Manquillo looked good when used but I think some thing was going on behind the scenes. I'v said my bit on the rest. Our main issue last season was our squad was unbalanced and a couple of new signings did not fit our player style (Balotelli and Lovren), which caused huge disruption. We also struggled for goals when Sturridge was out.
They're welcome to the Spanish Danny Ings for 15m given that we're getting the English Vietto for a tribunal fee.
I should have included Can in fairness, so that's 3. I'm not having Sakho as a £20m CB, Moreno can't defend, Alberto and Aspas were mince, Allen - meh, Manquillo looked alright but then never got a sniff. Markovic - £20m? Not for me. Just a whole bag of average mate. He's not brought in players who improved your first XI, and before you come back with 'we needed depth' how it's supposed to work is that you sign better than you've got and the existing first team players become squad players if they're successfully displaced. Signing average just to make up the numbers is pure folly - as has been proved.
A number of reliable journos close to the club have said Rodgers is the one who wants a big target man.
Markovic was signed for the future. The person who SHOULD have come into the first team and delivered was Adam Lallana. Same applies to Dejan Lovren - a player brought in to replace our best centre back in Sakho, but ended up only getting a sniff once Sakho was injured. The young signings like Can, Moreno, Markovic aren't the ones who let us down - it was the like Mario, Lovren and Lallana - and even then I'll defend Mario because he wasn't' utilised properly.
Cech is already based in London and will be going to a team that is 3 players short of title challenging with him being one of them. From a footballing perspective anyone who is not a boyhood Liverpool fan would join the gunners over us unfortunately.
Agreed. Not comparing the two players or the context - just highlighting how we're overloading our team with mid table/championship level players. We've talked so much about how this window is crucial - but it's arguably been one of the worst starts to a window in recent history.
Like it................the fact is though he will probably see very little football (bar some LC action,maybe a little more) and when he does will probably be adequate. Cech will not be cheap for the gooners,that's for sure.
