sterling contract

I share your concerns.

Sterling and his agent are knobs. We know that.

But, an introspection into the club doesn't look very good. I was always pretty optimistic about things but the more I think about it, the more I'm worried.

To attract and keep players, you need 4 key things:

1. Money
2. Prestige
3. Top Players
4. Top Manager

Money

We don't spend as much as the "Tier 1" clubs. We may not have the capacity to (at least under FFP rules).

Prestige

We've won one trophy since 2006, been in the CL once since 2009, and haven't won a title since 1990.

Top Players

We no longer have Suarez or Gerrard. We also have lost the likes of Alonso, Mascherano, Reina, Torres, etc over the years.

Top Manager

Rodgers is a young and talented manager but his profile is not one of a top manager (yet).

The question becomes... how are we to compete with the Tier 1 clubs?

For example, Man City may still lack some prestige but they've got a truckload of money, top quality players, and can cycle through top managers. Thus, the likes of Silva and Aguero aren't exactly in a hurry to leave (Silva and Aguero have spent more time at City than Torres or Suarez did at Liverpool). Their two title wins also show the world that they are gaining in prestige and have been successful. Man United, on the other hand, even with Moyes for a year, didn't get hurt in player recruitment or retention as they have the money, prestige, and quality players. Sure they'll get burned with De Gea this summer, but their financial clout, prestige, and managerial recognition will get them pretty far during the summer transfer window.

PSG is similar to City while Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea have all four components in spades. Arsenal's a weird one but is probably below the top tier but above us.

The problem is we seem to be lacking on all four fronts.

We've literally asked Brendan Rodgers, an ambitious and talent yet still and inexperienced young manager, to outduel Jose Mourinho, Manuel Pellegrini (soon to be Carlo Ancelotti maybe), Arsene Wenger, and Louis Van Gaal with a worse squad and less money.

I mean, what are we honestly expecting?

The thought that in 3 years, with Coutinho, Sterling, Can, Henderson, Sakho, Moreno, Markovic, Ibe, Origi, a healthy Sturridge, a couple of new signings, and a more experienced Brendan Rodgers will lead Liverpool to past glories is an idealized romanticized view. The fact is, we've become a stepping stone club. Rodgers could take us to 3rd next season but that may not prevent Coutinho from going to Barca to play with his best mate Neymar and his friend Suarez (oh and Messi), Sterling from leaving, Sakho from partnering Varane at Madrid, etc. Emre Can might love Liverpool and love Rodgers, but when treble winners Bayern Munich come calling, it's curtains for us.

Suarez left us after we got 84 points. Alonso left us after we got 86. Torres left us after we got new owners and the King back. Sterling is 20 (20 FFS!) but he's already got visions of grandeur elsewhere.

I wish football was like the old days but it isn't. It isn't even the supporters becoming more impatient. It's the players. They want it all as soon as possible. Under Shankly, did his top players bang on his door all the time demanding to leave? Even when Liverpool weren't winning trophies? Would a 20-year old Ian Rush do an interview with the BBC demanding Paisley and LFC raise his wages to astronomical amounts? Would Barnes after 2 seasons tell Kenny "sorry boss, Barca/Bayern/Madrid came calling, I'm leaving"? No they wouldn't. They had loyalty and affinity. But they also saw Liverpool as the pinnacle of their careers. The pinnacle of football. We are unfortunately far removed from that. The lack of forward vision in the 90s and 00s did us in.

Is modern football shit? Of course it is. What right does a brat like Sterling have to demand more than £5M a year? He's 20! Yet, it's not the craziest thing is it?

Mario Gotze, before a CL final, decided to move from 2-time Bundesliga winners and CL finalists Dortmund... to their *bleep* rivals. Before a CL final against said rival. If you didn't laugh, you'd cry at the absurdity. You really would.

Welcome to football 2015. If you're not tier 1, even if you're winning, your players are still being picked away. What was Atletico's award for a La Liga title and a CL final? Bye-bye Diego Costa and Filipe Luis. Dortmund's? Bye-bye Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski.

Heck, if football was like this in the 80s, Ferguson would've never succeeded at Man United. If he somehow survived the sack after finishing 11th or after finishing 6 seasons with 1 FA Cup, he still would've lost out on players. What would've happened if Chelsea threw a bunch of money at Steve Bruce? Or if Man City outbid Man United for Keane? Or if Arsenal/PSG/Bayern threw obscene money at Cantona before he joined Man United? Or if Real Madrid and Barcelona were tapping up Ryan Giggs?

It all seems absurd but in modern football, this is actually what you get.

It's shit but you want to be a successful club again, you have to be ambitious and you have to spend. Whether that's players, managers, DOFs, you have to show intent. Players want money, prestige, quality teammates, and quality managers. You're going to have match some of these criteria or be prepared for your top players leaving for greener pastures on a consistent basis.

Sterling is a right little arse but he won't be the last one. It's a *bleep* shame but it's a reality.

If FFP rules are relaxed, then FSG have got to spend more. You don't need to spend like Man City all the time but you better put in a lot of money if you want a successful club. Otherwise, we'll just challenge for the title once every 5 years (maybe) and then get our best players plucked. If Suarez didn't want to stay after THAT season, what's going to convince another top footballer to stay in the future? Ambition. If you don't want to be a stepping stone, then ambition is your answer.

Yes, it's a pessimistic view from a normally optimistic individual but I'm getting worried about the club. Even if you're not doing a lot of things wrong, you're still getting screwed by modern football.

Welcome to 2015.

Natalie Portman wrote:We hold all the cards...so I'm fine either way.

mr-r34 wrote:Honeslty whats he got besides pace, when SAS isn't there to make space for him to exploit his got nothing. He can't soot, and has shown no signs of improving, his got no footwork and dribbling and has shown no signs of improving, kick and try to beat the man can only work in certain situations.

Great brides maid when the Brides are in full swing but nothing more, and in my book he ain't WC for shit if he can't be a main man somewhere.

Ibe might not be at his level now, which from this year is arguably not that much higher than Ibe, but Ibe has shown glimpses of what he can actually do, which if nurtured properly, he can reach higher ceilings than Sterling.

BusterLfc wrote:

mr-r34 wrote:Honeslty whats he got besides pace, when SAS isn't there to make space for him to exploit his got nothing. He can't soot, and has shown no signs of improving, his got no footwork and dribbling and has shown no signs of improving, kick and try to beat the man can only work in certain situations.

Great brides maid when the Brides are in full swing but nothing more, and in my book he ain't WC for shit if he can't be a main man somewhere.

Ibe might not be at his level now, which from this year is arguably not that much higher than Ibe, but Ibe has shown glimpses of what he can actually do, which if nurtured properly, he can reach higher ceilings than Sterling.

What more do you expect from a 20 year old?

mr-r34 wrote:

BusterLfc wrote:

mr-r34 wrote:Honeslty whats he got besides pace, when SAS isn't there to make space for him to exploit his got nothing. He can't soot, and has shown no signs of improving, his got no footwork and dribbling and has shown no signs of improving, kick and try to beat the man can only work in certain situations.

Great brides maid when the Brides are in full swing but nothing more, and in my book he ain't WC for shit if he can't be a main man somewhere.

Ibe might not be at his level now, which from this year is arguably not that much higher than Ibe, but Ibe has shown glimpses of what he can actually do, which if nurtured properly, he can reach higher ceilings than Sterling.

What more do you expect from a 20 year old?

What so all 20 year olds only have pace?

BusterLfc wrote:

mr-r34 wrote:

BusterLfc wrote:
What more do you expect from a 20 year old?

What so all 20 year olds only have pace?

I won't even reply to this silly comment..