Dejan Lovren the latest to jump the sinking Southampton ship to join Liverpool

[Syn_13]

Come on- you don't honestly think Baldini would just tell Di Marzio everything about our transfer business- I don't doubt that he must have some good contacts in Tottenham but this whole Baldini thing is totally overstated.

Di Marzio's been utter shite this transfer window anyway.

No, I don't. Merely suggesting the possibilities. I have no idea how these journalists work, and I take the vast majority of it with a pinch of salt.

 

[walworthyid]

Crazy to think Liverpool have spent nearly £40m on Sakho and Lovren, esp when you take into account that the likes of Koscielny/Mertesacker cost £17m, Kompany/Nastasic cost £21m, Terry/Cahill cost £7m. Heck, even Vlad and Jan cost £18.5m

I dont think either are actually that great tbh. Not 40 million worth at any rate. Jan is as good as both s is Kaboul when fit. That being said they are a decent pairing on paper.

 

[kdem]

Is Toby Alderweireld still a possibility ? Suspect he may be a better buy than Lovren at £20m

How about Manolas for 5 M? I'd rather him than Lovren, Alderweireld, or any other CB mentioned so far. He was class in the World Cup and he's still quite young. He can play either CB position and he does it very well. He's one of the best options out there and he's extremely cheap. If we're not looking at him then we need to take the blinders off and cast a wider net for once. Not every top player comes from Spain/France/Germany/Italy/England.

I follow the Greek league (PAOK) and have really admired Manolas the last year. He's grown a lot. I would take him in a heartbeat, especially for the amount of money being tossed around the Greek papers. He's happy at Olympiakos, but we could triple his wages and he'd still only be around 24,000 PW...

 

[Flobadob]

Liverpool signing Lovren for 20m would take their summer spend to the 80m mark.

80m=
Lallana
Lambert
Lovren
Can
Markovic

'Liverpool aren't going to do a spurs' my Liverpool supporting friend told me. I'd argue that they haven't 'done a spurs', it's seems they're doing a Liverpool

 

[Air Jordan 3]

Liverpool signing Lovren for 20m would take their summer spend to the 80m mark.

80m=
Lallana
Lambert
Lovren
Can
Markovic

'Liverpool aren't going to do a spurs' my Liverpool supporting friend told me. I'd argue that they haven't 'done a spurs', it's seems they're doing a Liverpool

Absolutely agree, add Remy to that potential list as well.

I have to say other than the fact there is some prem experience in there I would rather have the 7 we bought.

 

[ButchCassidy]

Absolutely agree, add Remy to that potential list as well.

I have to say other than the fact there is some prem experience in there I would rather have the 7 we bought.

Eriksen > Lallana
Lamela > Remy
Capoue > Can
Soldado > Lambert

Paulinho/Chadli < Markovic
Chiriches < Lovren

At least that's what I think we'll see next season.

 

[Air Jordan 3]

Eriksen > Lallana
Lamela > Remy
Capoue > Can
Soldado > Lambert

Paulinho/Chadli < Markovic
Chiriches < Lovren

At least that's what I think we'll see next season.

Exactly, not sure about Markovic yet. Good player but think it may be a while before we see best of him. Agree with Lovren, although Vlad is not the worst.

 

[Flobadob]

Eriksen > Lallana
Lamela > Remy
Capoue > Can
Soldado > Lambert

Paulinho/Chadli < Markovic
Chiriches < Lovren

At least that's what I think we'll see next season.

I don't even rate Lovren higher than Vlad tbh. Especially seeing as Vlad is younger and by the looks of it up to 12m cheaper than Lovren. He wasn't great after his injury but before that he was pretty impressive with his defending and especially classy on the ball. I think Pochetinno could really like him as a player. We also haven't seen the best of Paulinho either (Charlie Adam saw to that), although I think Markovic might have a bigger impact like you say. I'm also of the opinion that we did alright getting Chadli for 7m, we could have done a whole lot worse, and he's still got a lot of time to improve

 

[Adam456]

As Wenger once said - a lot if technical risk in signing so many players at once. Hope we benefit from a now primarily settled squad and Liverpool have a 'transitional one'

 

[Toela65]

Liverpool signing Lovren for 20m would take their summer spend to the 80m mark.

80m=
Lallana
Lambert
Lovren
Can
Markovic

'Liverpool aren't going to do a spurs' my Liverpool supporting friend told me. I'd argue that they haven't 'done a spurs', it's seems they're doing a Liverpool

http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/07/liverpool-going-spurs-arent/

Could Liverpool be this year's Spurs ? Sold top player – lot of new ones to bed in. It's at least a valid question.

— Ian Darke (@IanDarke) July 21, 2014



Liverpool are doing the same as spurs with bale. Sell a worldie and buy in 100m of average. Say hello Europa league 2015/16

— generation spurs (@jackson1509) July 23, 2014

Liverpool doing what Spurs did last season. Selling an iPhone and buying a pager, a phone, a fax machine, a camera and a pen to replace it.

— Dave Bryant (@Dave797) July 20, 2014



LIVERPOOL are going to Do A Spurs, aren't they? In a word: no. Well, not in the way the people above (and plenty more besides) mean, anyway.

I say that with all the certainty you can have in July when a ball hasn't been kicked (jogging around in friendlies means f*** all), and when buying (and selling) is yet to be finalised. But just as there are plenty of people that have convinced themselves of impending doom in the surrounds of L4, I just don’t see the evidence that Liverpool will fall off a cliff in the Premier League next season. Others apparently do though… and repeatedly shout about it to the point of tedium.

“Doing A Spurs” – as the implication from this lot goes – is selling your best player; the fulcrum, the gem, the man that makes your team tick – and blowing all the cash on duds. Slipping down the table, sacking your manager, appointing a ‘top geezer’ from within who salutes people on football pitches, sacking him and appointing another ‘bloody foreigner’ (after undermining and sacking a ‘bloody foreigner’ in the first place) then preparing for a new campaign in the Europa League.

So, OK, like Spurs, Liverpool have sold their most talented player for a record fee to a club in Spain. Them Bale for £85m to Real Madrid, us Suarez to Barcelona for £75m. Granted, you can have that bit. In that respect, the Reds have Done A Spurs. But what did Spurs ‘do’? Did they Do A Manchester United? After all, they sold Ronaldo to Real Madrid for £80m. Or what about Doing An Arsenal? They sold Henry, Nasri, Van Persie…. It happens, and clubs survive and prosper.

Before examining Liverpool a bit more, let’s look at Doing A Spurs. The season before last (with Gareth Bale) Tottenham finished fifth in the Premier League on 72 points, scoring 66 goals.

Last season (without Gareth Bale) they finished sixth in the Premier League on 69 points, scoring 55 goals; three less points and 11 less goals. An early season slump – the highlight of which was the 5-0 White Hart Lane drubbing administered by the Reds – cost Andre Villas Boas his job and fingers are still being pointed about the use of the transfer kitty generated by Bale and the success of the buys, which included Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela, Christian Erikssen and Etienne Capoue. Couldn't they still come good? As could AVB for that matter, had he not made so many enemies within the club.

(As an aside – 5-0 at home? Is that part of ‘Doing A Spurs?’ Because the last time Liverpool lost by five at Anfield was 1937…)

Liverpool won 84 points in the Premier League last season, scoring 101 goals in the process. Like Spurs, the key man has left. Like Spurs, new signings have come in. Like, Spurs, Liverpool can turn in a similar league performance without their big star. Unlike Spurs, perhaps Liverpool can produce an even better one.

Rodgers – as far as we know – is not battling away with his staff like AVB was. If anything – reading between the lines – he appears to have improved his power base at Melwood and Anfield. Just as AVB did not see eye to eye with Franco Baldini over Tottenham signings, it’s pretty nailed on that Rodgers has experienced similar clashes with the other members of the infamous transfer committee and his paymasters in Boston.

Rumours persist around Rodgers’ involvement (or lack of) in the signings of Nuri Şahin, Oussama Assaidi, Aly Cissokho and more. And equally it seems clear his wants have been vetoed on more than one occasion during his tenure.

But looking at this summer’s signings, would the £4.5m purchase of 32-year-old Rickie Lambert – and the awarding of a two-year contract to the Kirkby-born striker – have previously been sanctioned by FSG? The Clint Dempsey situation suggests not. Short-term solutions and players with little resale value were resisted by the boss man in Boston. Now they’re not. Rodgers has earned the trust of those around him, it seems. AVB did not enjoy that backing at White Hart Lane.

Modern football being modern football, a poor start to the season for Liverpool wouldn't go down well of course, but Rodgers has earned himself some wriggle room with last season’s performance – from the fans, from the owners, from the staff and from the players. The club feels together – not an organisation dogged by infighting, cliques and negative briefing to the media. The same couldn't be said for Spurs under AVB.

It’s more than that though. Even without Suarez in the side last season, Liverpool looked different. The players were playing with belief, with confidence, with a swagger. Jordan Henderson’s game jumped a level, Raheem Sterling was a player transformed, Jon Flanagan stepped up and even Martin Skrtel briefly silenced his doubters. Suarez maybe played a role in that. But so did Rodgers. So did the coaching team. And so did the players themselves.

Whatever state Manchester United were in under David Moyes, to go to Old Trafford and boss the game like that and to, at the very least, compete and be within a chance of a result away to Man City and Chelsea represented progress; a huge shift in the mindset of Liverpool Football Club. Too often in the not so distant past, we’ve witnessed talented teams wear the red but lack the balls to get results when it mattered. The club almost felt like it felt sorry itself. Like it was doomed to failure for eternity. This group is different – the manager and the players looked to have cracked things mentally last season. The team played with freedom, with confidence, and Rodgers has emphasised the importance of bringing in players who complement that state of mind. It’s why we’re hearing new signings talk of challenging for the title and competing well in Europe. Sights are being set high again – and rightly so.

All that said, it would be churlish to suggest Luis Suarez won’t be missed on the pitch – 31 goals in 33 games is not easily replaced; not to mention his role in creating chances for others. He’s essentially the third best player in the world, despite the baggage and the circus that comes with. But while we've lost the Premier League’s top scorer – and would have until November regardless of the lure of Camp Nou – we've already got the division’s second most prolific striker within the ranks, bedded in and raring to go. Daniel Sturridge is still only 24. He scored 28 goals in 42 games in all competitions last season, even managing three goals in teams managed by Roy Hodgson. Not bad going.

He’s on course to be the fastest player to 50 league goals for Liverpool and when Suarez was sitting out games for biting Branislav Ivanovic, Sturridge scored 11 goals. He stepped up and revelled in the role of match-winner – even when not fully fit at the start of last season. Why can’t Sturridge do that again? Why can’t he score even more goals? And why can’t the team be set up to get the best out of him as it was set up to get the best out of Suarez? Sturridge has proved his worth in front of goal and Rodgers has proved his in getting the best of goalscorers. You get the sense the striker always wanted to be the No.1 man. Now he is.

In the coming season, unlike last, Rodgers will also have options – a squad with depth – potential match-winners on the bench as well as on the pitch. We saw many times last season that Suarez was blowing for tugs; he’d given it his all and the tank was empty way before the final whistle. Sturridge was the same at times. Yet when Rodgers looked over his shoulder to see Victor Moses, Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto and the like behind him there was only one possible response to Uruguayan gasps for breath or a Brummie plea for a rest: “Carry on, lads.”

Now, while Suarez’s fitness is not our concern, Sturridge could be replaced by, or rotated with, Rickie Lambert; a Scouser who is straining at the leash to go and fulfil a childhood ambition and a player who was basically one in two for Southampton and scored 17 goals in all competitions last season. In all likelihood, Rodgers will also be able to turn to Loic Remy – a player who scored 14 goals for an inferior side in the Premier League last season. Adam Lallana, who is two footed and scored 10 last season, earning him a place on the PFA Team of the Year, will be another option and a flexible one at that.

All three players are Premier League proven – and that could and should be four when they are joined by Dejan Lovren from Southampton. While that doesn’t negate the risk that comes with *any* transfer, it could help to guard against the lack of early-season impact made by Spurs’ not-so-magnificent seven in the last campaign, who all came from foreign leagues.

All this, without a mention for the exciting-looking talent of the jet-heeled Lazar Markovic, the Henderson-on-steds attributes of Emre Can or the fact that money – a lot of money – is still available for yet more reinforcements (even the much-fawned after ‘marquee’ signing).

Liverpool don’t look ready to crack, fall or collapse any time soon. They’re too good for that; the manager’s too good for that and the players are too good for that. There’s too much character already at the club and – by all accounts – that is being shown in bucketloads by the new recruits, too.

The new signings might not be whetting the appetite of the armies of Football Manager experts that roam online, but Rodgers insistence on ‘types’ of player breed confidence that he is a man with a plan, evidenced in his recent quotes:

“The types of players we bring in have the profile we want so the transition should be smooth. Of course it is strange for them coming into a new team, but you see it with Adam [Lallana] straight away, he presses for the ball when he does not have it and he has beautiful balance.

“He can score goals and create goals. He is a wonderful footballer. I have been impressed by his mentality and character. The character is important. It is not just about the player, but the right type of person.

“I want players that are committed to the cause to make Liverpool the best we can be. I want players resting when they should be resting, training hard and working hard and focusing on their life as footballers. We have brought in those types.”

That’s why Liverpool won’t Do A Spurs.
​

This sums up why I'm confident we "won't do a Spurs". Its not about the 'names', its about the player who the Manager knows will fit his why of playing the best. Lovren, in-particular after researching him a lot nd watching his games, will be brilliant for us next season.

Also, how can you know Capoue is better than Can? I bet you haven't seen much of him and he hasn't played enough yet to come to that conclusion. Capoue hasn't played enough either for you imo to know what his true ability is yet.

As usual seems a lot of tribalistic wishful thinking trying to make yourself feel better about your wasting of cash this time last year. Thats just MY opinion though.

 

[Toela65]

I think he's got his currency wrong. After banking £60m already in sales, I can't see them accepting £12.5m + £3m for a guy one year into his contract who cost something like £8m in the first place.

If that's GBP, then it seems legit.

He did.

Its £16m + 4m in bonuses/add-on if hits certain milestones according to Chris Bascombe who is very reliable.

 

[Toela65]

Crazy to think Liverpool have spent nearly £40m on Sakho and Lovren, esp when you take into account that the likes of Koscielny/Mertesacker cost £17m, Kompany/Nastasic cost £21m, Terry/Cahill cost £7m. Heck, even Vlad and Jan cost £18.5m

Do we just disregard inflation now?

English nationals and EPL based players are costing on average £7-10m more this Summer due to the new TV money.

If you think CFC wouldve got Cahill for £7m, even with his contract running out, youre deluded.

 

[Toela65]

Not bovvered.

You wouldn't think so reading the last few pages of this thread!

 

[Mr Pink]

http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/07/liverpool-going-spurs-arent/



This sums up why I'm confident we "won't do a Spurs". Its not about the 'names', its about the player who the Manager knows will fit his why of playing the best. Lovren, in-particular after researching him a lot nd watching his games, will be brilliant for us next season.

Also, how can you know Capoue is better than Can? I bet you haven't seen much of him and he hasn't played enough yet to come to that conclusion. Capoue hasn't played enough either for you imo to know what his true ability is yet.

As usual seems a lot of tribalistic wishful thinking trying to make yourself feel better about your wasting of cash this time last year. Thats just MY opinion though.

You keeping making the same point over and over which is getting ridiculous. Some of our signings will definitely improve this season. It hasn't been totally wasted. Integrating so many new players at once was the problem, not to mention under two different managers, its not that they're all poor players and the money has been wasted.

You keep saying it as if its done and dusted.

Can you not grasp that?

And I'd rather spend the money that we did than 50 million on Lallana, Lovren and an over the hill Lambert that's for fecking sure.

 

[yanno]

Also, how can you know Capoue is better than Can? I bet you haven't seen much of him and he hasn't played enough yet to come to that conclusion. Capoue hasn't played enough either for you imo to know what his true ability is yet.
As usual seems a lot of tribalistic wishful thinking trying to make yourself feel better about your wasting of cash this time last year. Thats just MY opinion though.

Toela - always enjoy reading your posts, and the fact you're up for the banter.

I'm a lifelong Spurs fan, and I suspect you're in for the lifetime too with your own chosen team.

But "tribalistic wishful thinking" could surely describe any true football fan.

Having said that, I think we made some very good buys last season, and Eriksen, Capoue and Lamela may be the first to prove it this season.

Based on his form in France, Capoue could be a dominant CM in the PL once he's fit and has adapted to the pace of the English game. He's also played 7 times for the full French national side which has lots of midfield depth. Emre Can is a bunch of potential. So, at this moment in time, Capoue is better than Can.

 

[THFCSPURS19]

http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/07/liverpool-going-spurs-arent/



This sums up why I'm confident we "won't do a Spurs". Its not about the 'names', its about the player who the Manager knows will fit his why of playing the best. Lovren, in-particular after researching him a lot nd watching his games, will be brilliant for us next season.

Also, how can you know Capoue is better than Can? I bet you haven't seen much of him and he hasn't played enough yet to come to that conclusion. Capoue hasn't played enough either for you imo to know what his true ability is yet.

As usual seems a lot of tribalistic wishful thinking trying to make yourself feel better about your wasting of cash this time last year. Thats just MY opinion though.

We didn't waste the cash though...

 

[YidNick]

Do we just disregard inflation now?

English nationals and EPL based players are costing on average £7-10m more this Summer due to the new TV money.

If you think CFC wouldve got Cahill for £7m, even with his contract running out, youre deluded.

please be so kind as to where I said Cahill would cost £7m in today's market? What I said still doesn't change the fact that Liverpool have / are buying two average / okay defenders for £40m , where as everyone around you has bought better for much, much cheaper.

 

[kdem]

This sums up why I'm confident we "won't do a Spurs". Its not about the 'names', its about the player who the Manager knows will fit his why of playing the best. Lovren, in-particular after researching him a lot nd watching his games, will be brilliant for us next season.

Also, how can you know Capoue is better than Can? I bet you haven't seen much of him and he hasn't played enough yet to come to that conclusion. Capoue hasn't played enough either for you imo to know what his true ability is yet.

As usual seems a lot of tribalistic wishful thinking trying to make yourself feel better about your wasting of cash this time last year. Thats just MY opinion though.

I was against signing so many players last summer, and I am against signing more that 4 players this summer. Why? Because it makes it more difficult to get everyone on the same page, especially with a new manager.

Do I think Liverpool will 'do a Spurs?' Possibly, if you intend to start all of your new signings at the same time. However you have Rodgers, and as was mentioned in the article he's quite good at getting his squad in line. I don't think he'll fall into the trap of playing everyone at the same time or trying to shoehorn players into different positions than they're comfortable with. It all depends on your first few matches - if everyone is doing well and playing together effectively in the first few matches, you won't be having many issues. If they seem unsure, can't connect, and don't know where they fit in in the squad things could get bad for the short term.

If you sign 7 players this summer, though, and intend to fit them into the first team things could again get a bit messy. But it seems like you're signing cover and, I assume, will integrate them slowly so that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

I always prefer 2-3 signing to perfect the squad than going on massive spending sprees. As much as I hate to admit it, Arsenal have been doing very well in the market these past couple summers. Careful, intelligent purchases. They know who they want and how they'll fit in, and they know what they can get from their homegrown players. In my opinion we need to do the same, we have a lot of talent to make use of.

 

[Blake Griffin]

We didn't waste the cash though...

not all of it anyway.

 

[sloth]

http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/07/liverpool-going-spurs-arent/



This sums up why I'm confident we "won't do a Spurs". Its not about the 'names', its about the player who the Manager knows will fit his why of playing the best. Lovren, in-particular after researching him a lot nd watching his games, will be brilliant for us next season.

Also, how can you know Capoue is better than Can? I bet you haven't seen much of him and he hasn't played enough yet to come to that conclusion. Capoue hasn't played enough either for you imo to know what his true ability is yet.

As usual seems a lot of tribalistic wishful thinking trying to make yourself feel better about your wasting of cash this time last year. Thats just MY opinion though.

Fair enough point re Can and Capoue. I also think that in the main Rogers' has signed players with PL experience, besides which the core of the team is already strong and less reliant on Suarez's brilliance than we were on Bale's; this is down to the coaching as much as anything afaic. I'd also add that we can't expect miracles from Pochettino in his first season, his kind of coaching, like Rogers', can take a while to embed itself; I think Rogers' first season showed this, albeit we're not coming from as far back as Liverpool were forced to.

I do think however, it remains to be seen whether we wasted money last year, I think we've a massive amount of quality in the squad and I'm optimistic that Pochettino will find the way to unlock it, at which point it will not look like wasted money at all!