To the other LFC supporters on here....

[77dave]

Baron i have heard rumours of Aimar for 5.5m would you like is to bring him in?

[The Baron]

Signing Gareth Barry will not close the gap on the teams above Liverpool last season.

You've said what I've been trying to for 2 pages in one line.

[bobby1]

Signing Gareth Barry will not close the gap on the teams above Liverpool last season.

Probably not but thats isnt a reason to not sign him is it?

Dos Santos wont turn Spurs into title contenders will he but you still want him don't you?

The prob that Pool have re squads is that the gambles that Benitez has tried havent paid off, Man Utds reserve winger is Nani or Andersson, Liverpools were Kewell ( i know he didnt sign him) and Pennant for example, who exactly would say Carragher dislodge from the Man Utd or Chelsea first teams etc, so even tho he is first choice and done a great job there he isnt really that good is he?

[bobby1]

Baron i have heard rumours of Aimar for 5.5m would you like is to bring him in?

Aimar s a relly good player, 5.5 mill sounds like a good deal to me.

[The Baron]

Baron i have heard rumours of Aimar for 5.5m would you like is to bring him in?

Pablo Aimar is a funny one. When Benitez first came he was thee player I wanted us to sign from Valencia. At the time though he would have cost 20-25 million.

Raineri went there and dropped him for being lightweight. He's never been the same since. Very good technically, creative as hell, but he plays where Gerrard does and he wont get in over Gerrard. He's too small, which isnt a problem in Spain. As a winger he could work I guess - for 5.5 million he's worth a punt but he's basically the same player as D'Alessandro who Harry Redknapp has a Pompey a year or two back. A little schemer but not Kaka/Ronaldo/Ribery type level that we need.

He worked so well with Baraja and Albelda at Valencia but had no defensive duties. I really dont now how he'd fare at Liverpool. It tells me something that Benitez hasn't gone for him already though.

[celtic]

I've always backed Benitez unquestionably. We've gone from 5th best team in England and unsure of what European competition we'd be playing in and how much our income would be, to being ranked number one in Europe next season. For me, we're back amongst the big boys.

Benitez has gotten in wrong in the transfer market, particularly when he first came to this country, but by and large he's got it right in the transfer market - especially after the first year.

However, I simply cannot understand how Alonso for Barry (+ about 2 mil for Liverpool) is good business.

Alonso has done it at the highest level. He's dominated the midfield against sides like Chelsea, Juventus, Milan, Inter, Barcelona, United and Arsenal and on his day is one of the best central midfielders in the EPL. Barry, although more suited to the rough and tumble of the league, is generally untested. The ONLY department he wins in Vs Alonso is goals and form as Alonso has had a mediocre season up until the CL quarters.

I'm not happy about it at all and feel this is a backward step. Barry is simply an inferior footballer IMHO.

Does anyone really see this as a good move?

can you explain this bit?

[The Baron]

I've always backed Benitez unquestionably. We've gone from 5th best team in England and unsure of what European competition we'd be playing in and how much our income would be, to being ranked number one in Europe next season. For me, we're back amongst the big boys.

Benitez has gotten in wrong in the transfer market, particularly when he first came to this country, but by and large he's got it right in the transfer market - especially after the first year.

However, I simply cannot understand how Alonso for Barry (+ about 2 mil for Liverpool) is good business.

Alonso has done it at the highest level. He's dominated the midfield against sides like Chelsea, Juventus, Milan, Inter, Barcelona, United and Arsenal and on his day is one of the best central midfielders in the EPL. Barry, although more suited to the rough and tumble of the league, is generally untested. The ONLY department he wins in Vs Alonso is goals and form as Alonso has had a mediocre season up until the CL quarters.

I'm not happy about it at all and feel this is a backward step. Barry is simply an inferior footballer IMHO.

Does anyone really see this as a good move?

can you explain this bit?

Not very well no. We aren't ranked number 1 as such but the first seed in the draw due to our recent Eurpean campaigns. Whatever that means. Rod would know a lot more about the system than me.

[celtic]

ah right, group 1 in the seeds?

[77dave]

its all about the uefa coefficient Vinny Liverpool have been the best performing side in Europe over the last 5 years.  Im sure someone else will explain it better.


I also heard that Joaquin might be avalible. He was again hailed as the best RM/RW in the world a couple years ago, but i hear he can be picked up for around 8mill

I think we are going to be very strong defensively next year. i think Skertel had a great 6  months.

Id like to see Insua given a chance next season along with Leto. We do need another striker. I have no idea how RB feels about Pennant.

[The Baron]

ah right, group 1 in the seeds?

Yeah we're seed 1 as we've won it once, reached a final and reached a semi.

Milan are seed 2 with a very similar record. 1 win, 1 final etc etc.

[The Baron]

Id like to see Insua given a chance next season along with Leto. We do need another striker. I have no idea how RB feels about Pennant.

Apprently Pennant has been a shining example to the kids. (No joke) He asks to play in the reserves when he's not in the team and is really good helping to train the youths. I dont know if he'll stay but Rafa loves him.

I dont like Leto, as for Insua I dont know. The gap between reserve team footy and first team is huge now. The ony reserve I think will definately make it is Nemeth. He's class.

[celtic]

cheers jim & baron, i get it now.

[mondatoo]

Signing Gareth Barry will not close the gap on the teams above Liverpool last season.

Probably not but thats isnt a reason to not sign him is it?
Dos Santos wont turn Spurs into title contenders will he but you still want him don't you?

The prob that Pool have re squads is that the gambles that Benitez has tried havent paid off, Man Utds reserve winger is Nani or Andersson, Liverpools were Kewell ( i know he didnt sign him) and Pennant for example, who exactly would say Carragher dislodge from the Man Utd or Chelsea first teams etc, so even tho he is first choice and done a great job there he isnt really that good is he?

I would say that it definitly is a reason not to, liverpool should only be looking to sign players who they feel are good enough to help them challenge for the title so if people dont think barry will do this then they shouldn't want him to sign imo barry is a really good player but he wouldn't get in man utd team or chelsea team and probably not arsenal eiither.If the fee is say £15mil do ppl not think there is midfielders out there who are better than barry at that price.I hear alan smith may be available ...

[kinboshi]

Signing Gareth Barry will not close the gap on the teams above Liverpool last season.

You've said what I've been trying to for 2 pages in one line.

I agree as well.  If it was 'in addition', rather than 'instead of' Alonso, then it would be a good move (IMO) - but I'm not sure if it's the area of the team/squad that needs to be addressed as a priority.  Still, Benitez knows more than I do, and I'm sure he knows what he's doing.

[Rooky9]

Baron - what would need to change at LFC for you to trust the current owners?

Ownership. Simple as really. It's gone past being about money. It's about lies. Sucking in the fans who only read the London rags etc and believe what they say.

If they were to stay a few things need to happen.

1) Parry must go

2) The stadium must be built as a priority

3) Regardless of what is spent in transfer funds the truth must be told. Not "we spent 50 million" when the truth is closer to Benitez spent 40, gained 23-25 in income and didn't even spend that seasons earnings from TV rights! The fans aren't stupid. We know what an EPL season is worth financially. Dont say stuff like "we'll never borrow money against the club" and then go and do it!

4) We shouldn't ever hear about the wrangles in the press. Hicks in particular needs to shut up.

5) If they cant agree to work together Hicks need to consider that either his partner or both of them must sell for the good of the club. Whilst this goes on and we keep competing on an uneven playing field financially we're risking doing a Leeds. Either back us together or do one. The one time Benitez had money he bought Torres and Babel (and Mascherano) - good investments and we made another step forwards.

That list is too long. In a perfect world they'll go. If they dont I dont now if they'll ever win our trust back - too many lies.

great point re transfer fees.

Generally in football fans don't understand the transfer market at all and Chairman these days are getting away with it. When a team spend 20 million on one player and 30 on another the chaiman has spent precisely none of that. The club usually pay for the player in installments over the length of their contract so it is the club paying for the player and has nothing to do with the chairman in most cases(Chelsea excluded). If Liverpool pay 4 million a year for 5 years to pay for Torres what exactly has the the chairman spent? and in the books he has an asset that is worth 20 million before its even been paid for. So in the books this year we owe Athletico 4 mill in one column, in the other column we have a 20 million asset.

Sam Hamann and Mandaric have tried the same trick at a couple of clubs, buying into them at their low ebb and turning them around finaincially with prudence and cuts behind the scenes while still appearing to be spending money on players( they are oking the signings but arent paying for them directly) but in both cases all they have done is quick hit the clubs with new optimism, raised the value of the playing squad at no cost to themselves and then sold on when the value of their investment as increased. Mandaric has got it badly wrong at Leicester but got it very right at Portsmouth.

Prob Liverpool have is it looks like these two Yankee boys are trying the same thing there which is a shame as a club of that size don't deserve it.

Luckily there are accounting standards to prevent this! There are two separate things going on with football player accounting.

A player is held as an asset, and their value is taken to P&L over the course of their contract.ie Michael Owen costs Newcastle about 4.5m a year in their P&L account - but in terms of cash he is paid for (bar 1m which I don't think has yet gone through for his first team appearances)

If there was an installment payment plan (which actually don't cover that big a % of most deals, except where unproven or injury prone)then it would all be accounted for, being held as a liability to match off against the asset.

The actual cash out the door would be shown in the cashflow. The majority of transfers I have seen have large lump sum payments at the time of the transfer. I'd say they have spent (in terms of what fans are interested in) the cahs out the door and the liability that they have commited the club to - ie the whole figure that you tend to see. (though I think this should include the deal that has been gven to the player as these are often as big as the transfer fee)