Liverpool fans continue the net spend chat while wondering aloud if they should have signed Marc Guehi rather than Alexander Isak.<\/p>\n
The mails continue to fly in on both transfers but we are open to other subjects.<\/p>\n
Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Did Liverpool complete the wrong deal? Isak looks like \u2018bit of a d***\u2019<\/p>\n
Cards on the table; like Mat, I\u2019m a glass half-empty type when it comes to football, always expecting the worst. This summer has been surreal, watching Liverpool splash cash like never before, after years of (mostly) conservative spending. Granted, in perspective it\u2019s less insane than it looks, given the loss of Trent and Diaz, the continued of Robertson, the inevitable decline of Salah, and the tragic death of Diogo.<\/p>\n
But I can\u2019t help but think that we got the wrong transfer done in the end, with Guehi potentially far more important than Isak. Konate hasn\u2019t developed the way I\u2019d hoped, despite his considerable gifts, he hasn\u2019t matured, makes far too many obvious mistakes, in particular his tendency to grapple unnecessarily with players, rather than remaining focused on the ball. Add in his proneness to injury, and I know I\u2019d feel far more comfortable with him as the 3rd CB, than one of our two starters.<\/p>\n
My gut feeling is that he\u2019s not quite good enough for a club that wants to win the CL, an injury to him would be bad news for our title challenge, and an injury to VVD would be catastrophic and leave us struggling for top 4.<\/p>\n
Last thoughts? I hope Wirtz settles, he does seem very light-weight, yet without the silky touch of someone like David Silva. Isak seems like a bit of a d***, I hope he scores lots of goals, then I suppose I\u2019ll have to forgive him. READ: Man Utd\u2019s second-choice keepers, Liverpool\u2019s Guehi-shaped hole and other post-window squad gaps<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Transfer history repeating at Liverpool?<\/p>\n There was once a transfer window when Liverpool smashed their transfer record to sign Newcastle\u2019s star striker, while also acquiring a young forward from a Germanic team for a non-trivial fee. The Newcastle striker had enjoyed a couple of seasons scoring roughly a goal every other game (although prior to that, he had been far less prolific), whereas the player from the Germanic league had, in the eyes of Premier League punters, never truly proven himself at a top club in a top league.<\/p>\n Everyone assumed the striker from Newcastle would be a roaring success, while the one from the Germanic league was seen as more of a gamble.<\/p>\n What actually happened was that the Newcastle striker turned out to be injury-prone, overrated, and lacked the character required to thrive as a top striker at one of the world\u2019s elite clubs. He was eventually sold at a huge loss.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the player from the Germanic league went on to become one of the best strikers the Premier League has ever seen. Liverpool later sold him for three times what they paid, and he went on to form one of the most iconic partnerships in club football history\u2014winning league titles, the Champions League, and starring at World Cups.<\/p>\n For me, Isak has a lot in common with Andy Carroll: injury-prone, overrated relative to his goal-to-game ratio across his career and at international level, with lingering questions about his mentality. Ekitike, on the other hand, looks extremely talented and has the potential to become a world star \u00e0 la Su\u00e1rez\u2014possibly even a \u00a3200m+ player for Real Madrid or a similar club.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see how this pans out\u2026 \u00a0<\/p>\n Normal service can now be resumed<\/p>\n I wrote in previously to say how the Isak transfer could have been handled differently by all parties and a much more amicable scenario played out. Newcastle issued a statement that \u201cthey did not foresee the criteria being met\u201d, it was eventually but how hard did they really try? They will have known that upwards of \u00a3110mil was incoming but did their efforts reflect this.<\/p>\n Bidding less than 50% of the eventual fee for Wissa was a great example, they missed out on other \u201ctargets\u201d so clearly were unwilling to meet criteria set by the selling clubs or players. Players ALWAYS say that \u201cthis was the club for me\u201d once signed but this can\u2019t always be true, did Utd approach Gykores, even given the shitshow that they currently are they are still one of the biggest clubs in the world and probably a \u201cbigger draw\u201d than Arsenal. \u201cAlways the club for me\u201d translates to \u201cthey\u2019ve offered me the best deal and terms my agent could get\u201d. In Isak\u2019s case there were no other suitors and club wants player, player is happy\/wants to go should have been dealt with asap.<\/p>\n Which brings me to Marc Guehi, he\u2019s being praised for not acting like Isak and Wissa, but maybe he should have done. Palace also had \u201ccriteria\u201d, how hard did they try? Scrambling around on the last day of the window doesn\u2019t seem to be \u201cvery hard\u201d, I think Liverpool acted arrogantly in this case and believed that Palace were not serious about the criteria<\/strong><\/a>, Guehi will be disappointed but did he believe Palace were trying hard, there was no evidence, maybe Palace have privately agreed to re-visit this in January but will probably now have \u00a310-15 mil less to find replacements.<\/p>\n One thing seemingly overlooked is the Newcastle fans hypocrisy, I get they don\u2019t want to lose their player but are happy to accept Wissa\u2019s identical stance. Many have said \u201cbut he\u2019s in the middle of a six year contract, he should honour that\u201d, their club then approaches and bids for a player who signed a four year deal less than 2 months into that contract! Woltemade was 1 year into a 4 year deal also, Ekitike signed permanently for Frankfurt on 26\/4\/2024. Elanga 2 years into 5 the list goes on.<\/p>\n I\u2019m glad it\u2019s all over, delighted with most, disappointed by others and can\u2019t wait to see it pan out. we can now also resume normal service and fill the mailbox and comments section with \u201cFlorian Worst, Yoane Missa, Jokeres and Mbumo\u201d barbs depending on weekly results. \u00a0<\/p>\n Anything less than a Liverpool Treble a disaster? Really?<\/p>\n Already since we\u2019ve spent big in this window the narrative is out everywhere that Liverpool must win the treble or it\u2019s a failed season. As if spending big means success. If it did, arsenal would have won more than one fa cup.the truth is spending big doesnt mean success but even if it did, Liverpool aren\u2019t big spenders overall.<\/p>\n In the last 19 transfer windows Liverpool have spent \u00a30 four times. No other Premier League title chaser has done that. We spent less than \u00a330m four times.<\/p>\n So for half of the last 19 windows we\u2019ve spent less than relegated teams.<\/p>\n Taking into account money recovered from sales Liverpool are actually the 7th highest spending club since 2016. Just below the financial giants of\u2026west ham. Since fsg took over we\u2019ve been a sell to buy club. A club run within it\u2019s means and only spending what it generated. When Wenger did that arsenal stopped winning trophies, We\u2019ve won two titles, a champions League, an fa cup and a league cup while living within our means.<\/p>\n In fact we won a title twice spending less than \u00a315m. That\u2019s less than leicester. So we are the only title winners to win a title spending next to nothing, if we win this season after spending the most it makes little difference and it\u2019s telling that it\u2019s only fans of clubs who don\u2019t win anything despite outspending Liverpool pretty much every year who push this narrative we must win.<\/p>\n I agree, and every Liverpool fan agrees. We must win, but not because we spent the most, but because it\u2019s just our expectations. We\u2019ve proven you don\u2019t need to spend to win, it does help significantly but arsenal and Chelsea are active examples that you can still win nothing even while spending big every year. \u00a0<\/p>\n Scouse maths for 2025<\/p>\n Wow what a window for Liverpool<\/strong><\/a>. Never seen anything like it. Pointing at first-choice targets, saying we want them, and getting them ahead big hitters including City. It was only last year that we couldn\u2019t sign Caicedo or Lavia despite bidding Chelsea money. Not getting Guehi is disappointing but if he is lined up to replace Konate when he Bosmans to Real Madrid<\/strong><\/a> at the end of the season then that still seems positive.<\/p>\n This is the first season in the Premier League era that Liverpool have been able to spend the money to add to the squad without having to sell Coutinho first. Goes to shows what a new half a stadium with lovely hospitality suites, a strong marketing department and competition prize money can do. The net spend\/having to do more with less argument really is out of the window. Avoiding injuries to Gravenberch and\/or VVD and we should be expected to do very well this year.<\/p>\n The one piece of the net spend<\/strong><\/a> puzzle that isn\u2019t being taken account of is the loss of Jota. Strikers this season are costing \u00a370m for a good half a season in a foreign league and \u00a3125m for a proven premier league striker. So yes we have dropped \u00a3400m this window, but a quarter of that is to replace Jota. He may have been insured or there is some other PSR calculation, I don\u2019t know, and we\u2019d all rather celebrate his life rather than talk about the financial implications of his death so I am going to stop there. With Isak signed, from a footballing perspective, we do not need to list him as a missing player although he will be missed.<\/p>\n If net spend is scouse maths, is missing players Gooner maths? A couple of counts of missing players from Norbit Arteta apologist Gooners. All with different counts obviously. One even counting playing their first choice right back in their missing player count! Rice has been guilty of it too.<\/p>\n It really is up to Arsenal and Arteta if they are happy with their approach. Against their direct rivals for places in the Premier League, they are negative, time-wasting, physical and purposefully reliant on Saka delivered corners. They are time wasting, nearly cheaters who are warriors in a box until they turn into randy salmon throwing themselves in the air and on the floor.<\/p>\n Somehow, they had Kerkez on toast whilst not getting past him once and creating zero chances whilst he kept a clean sheet. They tactically set up with the seven players of defence and midfield whose job it was to get the ball and pass it back to the goalkeeper. Who said it was Arsenal\u2019s responsibility to play pretty football? Arsene Wenger did. For 20 years, whilst Chelsea, United and Liverpool won leagues and champions leagues, Arsene Wenger bemoaned physicality and unpretty football whilst polishing their fourth place trophy.<\/p>\n And the Norbit Gooners lapped it even creating their own football tournament settled by not goals, but who made the most passes. Now they are team of cloggers and hoofers preying on set pieces. Instead of counting trophies, they count missing players. Gooner maths. \u00a0<\/p>\n RIP to scouse net spend accounting<\/p>\n Extorting \u00a3140m from Barcelona for Coutinho didn\u2019t make Van Dijk, Alisson or Naby Keita any cheaper. Nor did it make Klopp any better or worse.<\/p>\n Now we\u2019re at the \u201cwell, we\u2019ve earned the money\u201d stage, after a whopping two league titles in 30 years.<\/p>\n Can\u2019t think of another club that used its success to fund player transfers. Completely unheard of.<\/p>\n Anyway, enjoy the shiny new toys and trophies before City\/Chelsea figure out how to blow a billion next summer*. *\u00a370m for Jackson\u2026 Thanks for that Bayern<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n No, Liverpool net spend chat still alive and well<\/p>\n Weird of fans of other clubs to bring up net spend after a summer window in which Liverpool\u2019s net spend was lower than the club literally one place below them in the league last season and lower than Newcastle\u2019s over the last five years<\/strong><\/a> despite chucking them \u00a3125m yesterday. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2026Lovely to see Chris, NUFC, taking time out of his day today to send his caring thoughts to Liverpool fans as we are \u201cNo longer holders of the net spend trophy\u201d.<\/p>\n Of course, I quickly realised there is no such trophy anyway (I see the humour there) and he was just being silly. But then I realised \u2013 Chris is a comedy genius. Slapstick letters could be a new genre that he is very much at the forefront of.<\/p>\n Chris, of course, knows full well that Liverpool have won lots of proper trophies in recent years ( 2 Premier Leagues, a Champions league, a World Club Cup, a UEFA Super Cup and an FA Cup all in the last 6 years, for instance) so his jest really was quite clever.<\/p>\n Chris knows how important trophies are to clubs as his team recently won their first trophy in 56 years (albeit a minor one mostly contested by reserve teams etc) with the League Cup (oops, just realised Liverpool have won 10 of them and two in the last 3 years alone!!) but he clearly also appreciates good humour, hence his email today.<\/p>\n
Henry, LFC<\/strong><\/p>\n
Paul K London<\/strong><\/p>\n
Howard (Salah was Arsenal\u2019s best player, sort yourself out Mo) Jones<\/strong><\/p>\n
Lee<\/strong><\/p>\n
Alex, South London<\/strong><\/p>\n
Simon MUFC<\/strong><\/p>\n
Micki (don\u2019t let the facts get in the way of a good narrative) Attridge<\/strong><\/p>\n