Amazed that almost 20 years after the event, some are still keen to pin all the plaudits of Istanbul on Gerrard.
3 Likes
I’m glad we rejected it so quickly.
4 Likes
He did have a big part to play but so did a couple of others. Overall it was a great team effort that won it.
1 Like
I think the key difference is where the squad is today.
If Gerrard played in todays team, he would still be the best player. However we would still be the best team if he left. I dont think the back lash would be that bad. With TAA he is probably the 4th best ? player in our team.
Back then, we were as close to a one-man team as you can get. We were losing that one man. He provided the drive to that team, which was bang average (besides the defence and Alonso).
1 Like
8.13am…
Has he left yet?
1 Like
Honestly I am not sure, even if he had agreed with Real, it will be announced now. And if I am TAA, I absolutely am not in a hurry, I have the upper hand in negotiation. Focus on the title push, by April, if he still wants to leave, he can sign on then.
Which is a very valid point. Trent stays till the end of the season and gets double (ish) what he’d get if he goes now. The only loser there is our bank balance but him helping us to win the PL and CL would be a nice consolation.
2 Likes
The word on the grapevine at the time was that he was “persuaded” to stay at the club by people of a persuasive nature.
Might be BS but was considered common knowledge.
3 Likes
If the offer in January is £25m then keeping him is a no brainer.
Challenge on all fronts and let him go in the summer.
If the offer is £100m in January (which it won’t be) then start thinking.
1 Like
Totally forgot about a sign on fee which in Alabas case was €17,7m. So 2025 in Trent’s case we would probably be talking about £20m before even kicking a ball for them.
Agree he was the best player back then, but not the most important with regard to how we’d cope without him.
Alonso was a far more intelligent player, and as shown in Istanbul, Didi Hamman was a vital player for us as no-one else was as effective in the holding midfielder role
2 Likes
I always got the impression that Benitez fancied the £40m Chelsea were willing to pay for Gerrard rather more than he fancied Gerrard.
3 Likes
Shame Benitez only worked that out after we’d conceded 3……
2 Likes
Two points jump off the page here…
- It is not the first time RM have offerd to buy a player, then backed out, either through having no funds to back up their offer, or playing for time to get the player on a free.
- TAA is not 29yrs old yet… This gives him another 2/3years at Anfield, if he then wants to repeat the David Alaba scenario.
Personally, I think he stays
2 Likes
£100m is a hell of a lot of money. Begs the question who do we buy to replace him? Hopefully another rabbit out of a hat be right now, he’s be a hell of a loss. But why would he agree to the £25m deal now when he can probably pocket that in 6 months.
1 Like
For me, it’s all very simple.
Don’t need to search for many deep reasons why certain things happen.
Certain stuff gets leaked to the media, certain stuff gets found out.
Real are interested, they tried for January, he almost surely stays for now (why would we do it, there’s things to win and end on a high), possibly or probably leaves next summer.
All those theories and maybes… there’s nothing special in it I don’t think.
Don’t think Real are trying to unsettle Liverpool (there’s nothing to gain, only if we face them again in the CL), it’s impossible for a deal like that to be 100% quiet.
They might have competition for his signature, even if they’re clear favourites (I guess so).
All normal links. It’s not like, I don’t know, Barca putting that pressure on Arsenal and Cesc when they were buying him, putting him that Barca shirt (that was disgraceful) at Spain’s celebrations.
2 Likes
According to Paul Joyce, it was €15 million, so about half that.
I wonder what the Spanish for “fuck off” is?
That isn’t even an offer. That’s an attempt to upset a rival.
7 Likes
I never got that impression, to be honest. Rafa frequently spoke about how Stevie was the best player he had coached - and I would agree (fuck off, Cristiano). Liverpool were in financial dire straits at that moment but he was the one player we couldn’t have lived without.
Like @ISMF said, Trent would be the fourth best player in this team at best - looking strictly at everyone’s form so far this season, I think it wouldn’t be unfair to say that he’s not in top five.
I think he’s a magnificent football player but not a magnificent right back on the form of past two years. I also think that Slot would be able to take him back to his previous heights if he extended but I also think that he would have less defending to do at Real Madrid, which would help him focus on his biggest strengths, i.e. creativity.
Trying to look at it from both points of view, I can understand why he’d want to sign for Real Madrid but I hope he extends, no matter how slim those hopes are. Call me naive but maybe a PL title would sway his view if he decides to wait until the end of the season to make a decision? “How can I leave after a night like this” and all that…
8 Likes
How is it that Real Madrid is so flushed with money???
??? Eh