I Need Help! Where's Astro?

It is about investment. There is no shortcut I am afraid.

If we want to be at the top and stay there, we need the best players. And to do that we have to invest. The owners must pay top dollars and sink millions into the club. Chelsea and City showed how it can be done. Pay big fees AND big wages. The reality is that most (not all) players will follow the money not the CL.

Without CL you need to pay even more. The mancs found that last year.

 

The main problem for the Liverpool fans is that John Henry is probably more than happy spending a limited amount on transfers to maintain a Europop position in the table. The alternative is risking £150million of his £300million return in the hope that it buys him a CL place which wouldn't be guaranteed. He's a businessmen, Liverpool finishing 6th every season is a nice, risk free business investment for him.

 

But we can afford it imo but FSG don't want to do it because they're concerned about self sustainability (not commissioning about that)

I think it is about managing the budget better. Each player is signed on a package that includes transfer fee, wages, bonuses, etc. In theory, spending a bit less on the transfer fee should mean there is a bit more for wages (and vice versa)

 

He has a history of turning sports clubs into Champions - so keep up with your #fear posts.

 

So you think he'll spend the £150million+ needed to get into the top 4 and then another £150million to challenge for the title? Good luck with that!

 

Yeah and thanks

 

Not sure if it is FSG. Look at how much Rodgers has had to spend (reinvestment + extra funds). In terms of wages total up how much you'll save if you stop buying waste (mediocre players) and instead use that towards paying an extra 50k pw to a couple of top class players.

Imo you should trim your squad of the fat (no jokes about Shaw thank you very much) and really focus on a great first team with a few talented squad players to add some depth. Keep it tidy just looks all over the place atm with no clear strategy.

 

Liverpool have a history of being Champions too

 

So do United

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He's got a history of binning them off when he's done with them an all

He's a business man looking for a financial return, you're on planet Zog if you think he's got a genuine passion for LFC. It's an investment to him, as soon as the opportunity arises to make a tidy profit he'll be off.

 

Surely that's true of the majority of owners of the bigger clubs? The takeover dragged us from the brink, so if JH improves the business aspect of the club and then, when the time comes, sells it to a similarly competent owner then we can't complain.
It's rare these days for top clubs to be wholly owned by people with a long-standing affinity for them.

 

Same for the Glazer's isn't it? And they got the club to pay for the purchase too

 

Not the same at all - our club actually increased in value. Yours is still worth a little more than a bag of peanuts. Salted not even dry roasted or those honey coated ones which are all the rage these days!

 

Value of the club as no relevance to the conversation

UIR was claiming our owners would happily sell us if a decent profit was on that take (not disputing that, I think they would) but that applies to majority of owners. There aren't many that wouldn't.

 

Tobes not UIR. Surely value of club is relevant as it affects "opportunity to make a tidy profit he'll be off" scenario. In which case you should take comfort that you're safe for another 100 years at least

 

Tobes or UIR, same thing, just accounts

Do you think the Glazer's wouldn't sell up if the opportunity of a tidy profit were to arise?

If you're going to talk about realism then neither of going anywhere.

 

Why sell for a one off profit when they are making millions each year from the club?

 

Still avoiding the question

 

As much as I loathe them the Glazers are lucky visionaries. Lucky because Fergie won them loads of trophies on a limited budget and visionaries because they have so far made about £1.2billion out of United without risking much of their own cash. They're now at a point where they can spunk a stupid amount of money on players while still protecting their profit. John Henry has around £300million to play with. He'd have to gamble at least half of that to try and get into the top 4. For a savvy businessman that's too high risk.

 

Smalling and Jones are mid table standard all the way.

Rooney, Mata and Depay will either get in each others way or limit each other.

The midfield pass the ball well, but Rooney is not the type of striker that pretty passers like. Depay will like it but I dont see him as a big goal scorer.

Midfield has not more DM cover than ours do, so Jones and Smalling will get exposed at times.

Is that enough?

Its a near solid group of players but lacks some balance.