Honestly I’m not saying that because of their recent ‘success’
Most of those signings came in during a time they were not qualified for CL.
We were 7th in the Premier League.
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You do realise that four of the mainstays of our time at the top were signed when we didn’t have CL football either, right? Why on earth do we need to copy someone else when we’ve been there and done that.
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Guessing you weren’t laughing your arse off at aftv when they were winning nothing. All barrels pointed at the owners.
There is some waste of money filth at the top of that list!
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Fair enough, it’s very tight around those positions, deals are often estimated, exchange rates etc. However the additional point was that this was true for the Premier League. Also true for Europe as well, but that says more about the Premier League and the winter transfer window than Liverpool, and puts an slant on the original statistic that hides an important context.
Correct but it also puts into context the idea that we spend “peanuts” or are “looking down the back of the sofa for a few quid” which are both quotes from just above my post. The Premier League is ridiculous with it’s spending but we are still clearly competitive within it.
Chelsea have blown expectations away but they’ve literally spent more money this season than every other team in Europe put together and at the end of it they’ve gotten worse.
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And it is not sustainable. In fact the very tactic that was used to enable such high short term spending is what will restrict their future spending. It might have created a short term distortion, but the idea we now have to deal with on an ongoing basis a return of the early 00s Chelsea I think misunderstands what they’ve done and why.
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This may depend on how much of a haircut they have to take on the players they have just bought. If they can resell them at anything close to what they have paid out, the fun may continue longer than we think.
Mathematically, sure. In a practical sense, that is incredibly unlikely. That model doesnt really work at the end of the food chain Chelsea operate at. The long contracts may go some way to mitigate losses on players move on, but it’s not going to fund repeated cycles of this sort of spending.
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If Chelsea takes a 5-10% hit on every fair valuation of a player they don’t want, it is gonna be a sound model if the revenues from other sources is more than able to cover the losses.
If they hit another or two Hazard jackpot, fuck me, that model can go on a few more good years.
Finding a few quid down the back of the sofa is wide of the mark, and Twitter is full of that sort of nonsense.
But will we be able to shop at all levels of the market, as before, to finish the rebuild of Klopp’s next great Liverpool team?
On the face of it, we should be able to, with our revenue. But reasonable fans also have some legitimate doubts as FSG are quite cautious.
Time will tell.
In the past we have shopped at the top of the market and set records on a couple of signings that were real game changers. Jude Bellingham would represent that sort of signing this summer.
In the past we have shopped at the middle of the market and spent a decent sum on good players, many times over. (Some misses here too, but generally we have bought well). Someone like Kone would represent that sort of player. (I see a midfield trio of Kone, Bellingham and Bajcetic conquering all before them).
In the past we have shopped at the lower end of the market and picked up astute Bosmans, or low cost signings, or kids who have a decent chance to make it, or be sold on at profit to a club lower down than us if they develop but not quite to the very top level. I fully expect our business moving forward to continue to have players in this category.
I don’t want financial cheating. None of us do. I want owners who will enable Klopp to shop at all levels of the market, as before, in building his next great team.
If that’s what we get moving forward, then FSG will be quite fine.
But there are lots of question marks, not least because they are actively looking to sell, in whole or in part. And while all that plays out, the team, and the club, has some big needs.
Apparently, FSG were just testing the waters when they leaked news of them wanting to sell the club. Kinda like an employed person going on LinkedIn to put himself as available on the market.
They will not be recouping 90% of the cost on the players they bought if they have to move them on. On the other end, the market is so small for them making a profit on players who have been successful that it is also nothing more than a theoretical scenario.
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I don’t know if we have dipped to lower standards yet, but there is definitely the need for us to be at the top in that regard. It’s our only weapon against these financially doped monsters.
I want that too, and agree with that part of your post. However, Arsenal have rather looked at us and are trying to emulate us now. WE have been exemplary in that regard these last years, and it’s normal that other clubs are looking at us, and are trying to do the same.
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Precisely. One of the most admired clubs in the world last couple of years I would argue. I have a hard time understanding the urge of some to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
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I’d agree with that, they are willing to spend when needed and the right player is available. Prudent and sustainable.
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Damn straight!