this thing about to get messy…and embarrassing.
Big call that, not so sure myself.
Rumor has it, Hendo’s PR team has hired Odemwingie as an advisor…
Embarrassing for who?
All of this is pretty normal stuff. Player gets head turned by offer, club looks to sort a deal, can’t reach a consensus, everyone goes on about their day.
No one can begrudge him for accepting that offer. He’s done the right thing by letting the club know he’d like them to explore a deal and the club have been firm but fair in their stance.
If he stays he’ll still be the captain and Klopp will still pick him. It’s all just part of the usual football world. I think we sometimes try and put ourselves in the shoes of those involved but without really appreciating how normal all this trading of players and players exploring opportunities that come their way really is.
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Maybe its just me but I still don’t really get it. Yes it’s a lot of money but they seem to have a habit of not paying. It’s also a shit team, with shit players, in a shit league in a shit country. Obviously I don’t know Henderson but he just doesn’t seem like the type to be wanting out but also wanting to go to them. What the fuck do I know though eh?
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This seems to be taking a turn. Now the Saudis don’t have money? 
Maybe Stevie’s team are chancers, and not backed by big money? Maybe the team that’s supposedly in for Fabinho has the dough because they are backed by the PIF?
We will have to see how it all pans out, but I hope it is quick. If any deals are done for either veteran midfielder, get the money up front and strengthen the midfield, with at least one more good player. Then hopefully a defender, too.
If Hendo stays, then for me he remains captain. An offer came in, it was considered, it fell through. Doesn’t change a thing. Hendo will give his all, be a good influence, and likely diminish on the pitch as we go. But as a proud and hard working player, he will do his utmost to stave off the timing of that reality, which is coming. It’s as it should be.
PS - on another note, that clip of Stevie’s coaching? Shades of Tony Adams there, when he was a big time philosopher and coach, doing eccentric drills with his bemused players. I very much doubt he learned that stuff from George Graham 
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Or he feels their level is so low that he has to go back to effectively youth level coaching.
He was a perfectly fine U18s manager and did well with Rangers. Villa went wrong and he’s now ostracized as a David Brent of management. Meanwhile the actual David Brent, Brendan Rodgers, just got Leicester relegated and walks back into the easiest job in world football
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I think they are just acting like bullies but effectively when you ask where is the cash they run.
I would say most players that had signed are resellable value the rest were free.
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This seems to be taking a turn. Now the Saudis don’t have money?
So the only Saudi organisation that doesn’t have bottomless wealth behind it wants a Liverpool player?! You couldn’t make it up lol
Well Al Nassar also seem to have issues keeping up with payments.
And suggestions all 4 of the PIF clubs have faced embargoes.
I think this might go the way of China.
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I read a piece not long after the PGA/LIV merger that LIV were being bled dry and needed the resolution more than the PGA did, the PGA just didnt realize what a strong hand they had. I couldnt connect all the dots that were being used to argue this claim, but it was an argument that for all of the outrageous wealth there is backing up these enterprises, there is still a limit if the enterprise itself cannot provide a return.
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100% spot on. Even if they splash the cash for a few years there is no infrastructure or legacy that will be built and ultimately players strive to compete at the top level against other elite clubs, not play a closed league of sandcastle non entities. The Chinese league ~5 years ago did the same think with a few big money signings of Chelsea (again! - talk about jammy gits) players until Xi decided that money shouldn’t be wasted on this anymore. Ultimately the sand sides will face reality at some point and there is no way that Saudi will become the football pinnacle as some were crazily suggesting on here earlier.
Aye I am far less concerned about competition and more about they further unbalance the market, or even more problematic, get under the hood at FIFA and further drive football away from its bread and butter into more showy foreign exhibition like commitments for the players.
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Are these players, who’ve lived in Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Milan etc going to enjoy living in Saudi Arabia for 4-5 years? Are the wives of footballers going to want to live over there, or stay long term?
I see lots of players making the jump for short term, massive pay deals, but I can’t see them rivalling European football because they won’t be able to build the sorts of teams that Bayern, Madrid, ourselves etc can.
I think they’ll have a better crack of it than China, but I’d be surprised if this really takes off. It’s too hot to play good football over there anyway.
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It’s why I expect they will do a year or so out there and come back.
Neves and Jota probably retain value and the others are near retirement.
What months does it run?
How many good players play in those teams 3 perhaps. The rest of team will be made up by players who could get get a job in League Two.
Good luck playing there Henderson, you will enjoy it … 
Dubai , Greece etc is close by. They can easily go to the weekend/days off over there and meet up with their friends and families even if their families don’t make a jump.
It will probably be written into their contracts that they are allowed to do so as well.
There are loads of people who live away from their families for a much longer amount of time. I doubt these footballers will feel the pinch at all.
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That explains a lot. Goodison must have its own microclimate.
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I envisage them trying to build a Champions League rival from the CWC and having the team’s eventually play a travelling schedule where they jump from NY to Paris, London to Tokyo etc and no one actually lives in Saudi Arabia.
But the current idea of just buying N’Golo Kante at the end of his career for £500k a week is a bizarre waste of money.
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