I think I alluded to this as being a real challenge to our business model in an earlier discussion around Chelsea’s loan system. They have so many players available, it takes opportunities away from other clubs. And they aren’t the only club that do this…
It’s interesting to see even Chelsea couldn’t sell enough in time to close deal for Kounde, and PSG were complaining they couldn’t sell players (excluding Mbappe) to afford Camavinga.
What does the club do if the market continues this way and it can’t sell players for the sum we thought possible…
It’s an interesting thought, as it is possible the system is changing and needs reform.
If we have unwanted players around who previously had some value, but we can’t sell them, then it’s either a loan deal, or keep them here until the end of their contract. If they are way down the pecking order they will be back ups to the back ups.
If the whole system gets clogged up and we can’t do much business, I see a greater emphasis being placed on young players, and growing our own from within. Elliot, Jones, maybe Gordon or Mussie, as they start to emerge. More of that ilk.
My view is that the loan system needs to be reformed, as a few giant clubs are gaming the system and have players all over the place to both stop rivals acquiring them, and also to generate revenue… even though the players have no chance of getting near the first team set up of the parent club.
Complacency is what exactly this looks like, when we had generated significant revenue w/o reinvesting into the squad while others made significant and continued improvements…
Players, and not just any players, but high quality players ready to contribute as part of a winning team. Of those:
Jota is a reliable backup and contender to the starting slot
Thiago have been solid when available
Jones and Elliot have grown a lot and looked on track to be a solid starter in 2 years
Konate is rightfully a question mark now
The rest have not made any significant contribution in the 1 year
All the above after winning both CL and PL. We’ve also lost Wijnaldum and the rest of the squad is on the verge of declining
Everyone else are making significant moves, so are we really fighting for scraps? I sure hope not and hopefully we’ll get smarter and do what’s best for the squad, else we may risk staying a one time PL winner like Leicester and Blackburn.
How long will that be sustainable, imo your vision is very much LFC and EPL orientated however even here there has to come an end. This leads to players just getting released like what happens in othe countries and the lower leagues in the UK.
I really don’t know much about the loan system or the youth system for that matter however I do feel there’s something not quite right in the latter. I mean Chelsea have been buying up youths for donkeys years. I would like to propose the implimentation of youth exchanges so that youths get to clubs academies that suit their level. Then again we can rest assured some big powerful clubs will fuck it all up.
Another big issue: the front 3 are 29-30-29 now. 2 years later they will be 31-33-31, and we will not want to have a 31-33-31 attack for the whole season.
Don’t want to think or hear about incoming transfers until around March. In terms of outgoings, I could see one or two leaving in January, at least on loan.
But all I want now is just give me silence in the media and games in a row after this international break.
I don’t disagree with the premise you state, because I feel we need to refresh the front three in a year or two anyways; however, the age thing is DRASTICALLY overexaggerated. Professional athletes don’t fall off a cliff physically. And you look at the RM team that won the CL 3 years on the trot and they were not a young team…
In terms of the “our style causes more wear and tear argument,” in 2020 we were 7th in distance covered, with stats heavily skewed towards Bobby’s running stats him coming in at #5 in the PL and our next closest were #21 and #22. We don’t drastically differ compared to other PL teams.
I think we do refresh soon, but if we decide to tie Salah down until he’s 34 I will be more than ok with it from a sporting perspective.
If you are concerned about complacency you need to address it wider than FSG and the board, including Klopp.
This is actually my biggest gripe with the people annoyed with the lack of business. It’s a fucking huge leap to assume that Klopp is desperate for signings and FSG are withholding cash. That’s completely out of whack with everything we know about how recruitment works at the club.
You might as well criticise FSG for starting every board meeting with the ceremonial kicking of an orphan. Of course they are going to sound bad if you’re just making shit up.
Of course, and that’s why it should be easier for us whose baseline was just a top 4 finish… Two other clubs finished higher and made more positive signings…
