They’d have more chance if they held onto their best players. Don’t get me wrong, Dortmund are a brilliant club and I don’t think there’s anyone that doesn’t like them. Their yellow wall is iconic and fans are great. They have a model that works, but that model also means they’re constantly changing their team by selling a couple players and reinvesting in next up and coming youngster that takes a couple seasons to bed in before them moving on. They can’t get a settled side with 4/5 top players because they’re built this model of being ‘happy’ to move players on at a profit. Who knows if they changed that if they could compete with Bayern. Maybe not given bayerns financial and reputation advantage over everyone else. Point still remains that in the last 12 years they’ve got 2 domestic cups to their name and for the 2nd biggest team in Germany you’d expect a bit more.
1 league title. 2 champ leagues. 1 club world cup 4 fa cups 5 league cups 1 uefa cup 3 uefa super cups Not really about liverpool as not sure can compare the German and prem league as prem has far more teams that compete at top of the table and don’t have the same type of model etc. but we’ve done alright in the last 33 years. 1 trophy every couple years.
And they beat Manchester United to Bellingham. They do pick some unknowns but mostly it is the cream of the top plays in Europe who are not quite ready for a move to the likes of Real Madrid or Bayern
Dortmund have had FIVE league titles in that time. THREE DFB Pokal (German FA Cup), a Champion's League, and a Club World Cup. So that's 10 major trophies to Liverpool's 16. However, seeing as their is no equivalent of our League Cup in Germany, we can discount those from Liverpool to make it fair. So; Dortmund 10 Liverpool 11
12 for Liverpool isn’t it. But 5 leagues have more weight anyway I’d say. And I’m sure Liverpool fans would as well as until Manchester United took over from them they talked about their (at the time) 18 titles a lot. But this just shows that you can manipulate things in either way by changing the parameters and isn’t really helpful It is difficult to deny that what Dortmund does works and if more higher tier clubs (including Liverpool) had been trying it they might be even better off in the trophy department And for a club like ours - we can only dream of a fraction of what Dortmund have pulled off with this. I get that a Liverpool fan might turn their nose up at their record. Entitlement will do that to you. But for pretty much any club below that level it is the stuff of dreams
Tbf you guys brought up comparison and 33 years (which is a really random time frame and obviously only used as it was the last time won league). In those 33 years, I can’t say I’ve followed German football but I’m not sure you can compare Dortmund model now to what it was 25 years ago? Maybe it was the same but Bayern weren’t the all conquering side and teams weren’t paying 100m for players. Wont drag it on as distracted from your main point of this thread, but I’m not denying Dortmund model works for them from a business perspective but it doesn’t bring sustained success. I’m not saying shoukd change as they may not attract the bellinghams haalands if they don’t promise they can move on. I think it can definitely work for a period but at some point I think as a club you have to realise that that model will only get you so far before have to put your foot down and say no to the bigger clubs and actually try keep hold of your best players for a couple years to try win something.
Yeah fair enough. Let's face it, one season in Dortmund's shoes for Saints would be the best season we've had for a couple of generations, sadly. Anyway, haven't you heard, Jack Stephens has signed a new two-year contract!
What happens if Liverpool get their act together and put in a sensible bid for Lavia today. We lose him from the match day squad and as it’s a travelling one we are one short? Am I right that the travelling squad is usually enough to fill the subs bench and then a couple more ?
Regardless of who leaves, good recruitment is the key & with players who can impact immediately. We need a first 11 that can compete & don’t have the luxury of developing those players; fringe yes. A lots going to happen in the next 4 weeks. Hope it’s positive.
“Mentally shot” seems a bit over the top. Maybe conflicted. But really - if the concern is he won’t put the effort in for fear of injury then we shouldn’t play him regardless of a bid
I think if he is assessed to be in the right frame of mind we should start Lavia and say “go on son show them why they need to meet your value”. If it’s not working out sub him off. And for Alcaraz- none of this nonsense about not playing him on tv. Pick the best team to get points on the board
