Who would you buy?

Different attributes mate. If we’re needing to replace Mo’s goals then Haaland or Mbappé are the obvious ones. If we’re looking to replace Firmino linking everything together then Martinez…or I guess Bowen might be putting himself in the equation here.

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Up till the year before last the club was running at profits, despite revenues being lower and those spending costs being on the books.

Financial year 2019/20 and year 2020/21 are the years that will face losses related to covid. The wage bills are going up but are also incentives based and 2020/21 probably won’t be as high as 2019/20. We are into Financial year 2021/22 now which isn’t set to have any covid impacts (at least significant ones).

As it stands 2021/22 is likely to return to being in profit. Revenues back to normal, in fact probably increased. Possibly increased as much as the wage increases we won’t know till February 2023, which is the whole point. By the time the accounts come out people have forgotten.

What I’m concerned about is the club not spending money it can, whilst running at a profit, the owners receiving huge cash incomes repaying their investment in us, whilst there are issues within the squad which can be overcome in the transfer market.

I don’t want us to spend money for the sake of spending money. But some problems need the transfer market to fix them.

People will have forgotten what? That previous years accounts exist?

And if all of what you say is true, and the expert analysis does disagree somewhat with that, why do you think they aren’t spending more?

I’m honestly trying to understand your point here. Is it that you think the expert assessment of the financial situation is wrong? That the club are deliberately sabotaging Klopp by not letting him spend? Or that we’re saving for a big outlay like Mbappe/A.N. Other (something you’ve previously hypothesised)?

Could it just be that Klopp is broadly happy with what he has unless someone goes he feels needs replacing and not being able to move on Origi or Ox perhaps negates the need to go into the market further than we did this summer?

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  1. I’m not disagreeing with the analysis. The latest analysis was from 2019/20 and showed a loss. However that was a) the last year with likely payments from the big spending years included b) including large payments towards academy and infrastructure costs that don’t need to be taken into account when it comes to FFP etc. c) included a loan that we took out and paid back (without needing to) within the same year.

  2. It’s not the previous year though. We are talking about summer 2021 and that’s not going to show till the accounts in financial year 2021/22 that aren’t released till around Feb 2023 which is when the analysis goes on.

  3. I think the owners are being overly cautious. There is uncertainty over civid still and revenues but not really much. The owners have always acted on the provision that LFC runs itself on its own revenues. That’s not always worked as they have “loaned” us money in the early, rougher financially, years which was paid back. But with the investment into FSG (mostly driven by the increased valuation of LFC) has fully paid back what they have invested into buying and running us. It’s not unreasonable to allow the club to spend projected revenue and, if something goes wrong with that revenue (unlikely), cover that like they did in those earlier years. See it as investing into their asset. Something they’re going to get back at some point like this time.

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I think it’s just regurgitating the same bullshit over and over again. and it’s getting tired having to scroll past it over and over again.

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And there’s the issue. In the early years when the club was fucked they loaned money and the club paid it back. They were confident they could make the necessary improvements so that the club could still improve but also pay back their loans. Those improvements were also hugely needed at that time.

In the here and now you want them to invest money we aren’t certain of and if it goes wrong for them to cover it out of their pockets. Even though it’s been clear from day one, as you point out, that they were going to run us as self sustaining.

It’s easy to say it’s not unreasonable when it’s not you on the hook should it go wrong. And just because City got away with it doesn’t mean FFP is done with either.

Of course there’s still the question of whether Klopp feels there’s the need to spend at the level you feel is possible. There’s quite a bit to suggest that he doesn’t and therefore what we can spend and what he chooses to spend could well be vastly different by choice rather than design.

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I’m not wanting them to spend their own money. I’m wanting them to allow the club to commit to future payments that should, and almost certainly will, be met by future revenues. If, and its actually a pretty big if, those revenues then become disrupted again they can do what they’ve already done with us several times which is loan the money to us which we would then pay back when revenues return to normal. Thus their asset (LFC) continues to be a successful entity and increase in valuation and maybe sometime in the future they may sell another minor share having another massive payday or even sell us (not something I want because they’re mostly good owners it’s only their caution on spending I disagree with).

What appears to be happening instead is that they are waiting till there is no longer any uncertainty on revenues and just allowing the club to continue increasing in value naturally anyway as it has Klopp in charge and even when undercut like last winter over CBs he’ll still be amazing enough to keep the club relevant and revenues high without the need to spend.

I think it’s daft to think Klopp wouldn’t like to strengthen further, every connected journalist was going on about CM and attack this summer and CB last winter, although they won’t know names it seems clear they were being briefed on club recruitment desires.

On FFP we are miles away from needing to worry. Years of profits and hundreds of million spent on infrastructure that doesn’t count towards FFP along with whatever academy costs. As far as FFP is concerned we’d have still been in the green last set of accounts which showed the first covid effects.

Anyway I’m going to stop clogging up the threads. Sorry everyone. If anyone wants to continue responding please do it by messaging me.

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But do you not see the issue in that suggestion. Spend future revenue and if it goes tits up they lend us the money to cover the future revenue that then still needs paying back using more future revenue.

On one side there are the blokes who have made unfathomable wealth by judging investment risk and won time and again. They’re so good at it they made enough money to buy two sports teams where they’ve achieved pretty solid success. These people also have access to all the most up to date financial information and a direct line to Klopp to determine what he thinks. Then there’s the guy on the internet with a questionable understanding of finance calling for the club to spend millions we don’t yet have with the safety net of someone else’s money to bail the club out if it goes wrong. You can see why that’s a little jarring right?

Also, you repeatedly say journos know nothing on our transfer business but then say they were being briefed on not who we wanted but positions we wanted. Either they’re connected or not, you can’t pick and choose whenever it suits.

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this is why I scroll right by it.

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I’m happy enough with some general guidelines with regard to how the club is run, because as soon as you get into the details you don’t have enough information, much less knowledge of the intent of the owners, or the manager for that matter.

So guidelines:
The owners run the club to live off its own means
They will spend, but not so much as to jeopardize the health of the club
Covid has added uncertainty, but the picture is now at least clearer moving forward
Klopp runs a tight unit and won’t spend for the sake of it
Klopp likes to coach players, and improve them that way
We like to identify top class talent and get it at the club as early as possible, with two of the latest being Elliot and Gordon. This will be part of our strategy for the duration.
We will spend money, though spending bigger may be linked to also selling top talent
Our wage bill is high, and we want to reward proven performers
Some big decisions to make in contract renewals right now

Apart from all that lot, I wouldn’t have a clue where it leaves us, exactly. We know we aren’t paupers and we know we can’t spend like the artificially inflated clubs. There’s probably a bit of a range where we operate, hence the discussion.

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With Martinez signing a new deal last month makes me wonder if FSG would even sanction a move for £80M+ for his services.

SportBild have revealed release clauses for some Leipzig Players for next summer:

  • Szoboszlai between €60-70m

  • Klostermann, Laimer, Haidara, Adams, Brobbey can all leave for €40m

  • Angeliño around €50m

Real, PSG, City and Juve have enquired about Nkunku but he doesn’t have a release clause until 2024.

Same for Dani Olmo.

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Bribery is probably Brobbey. :slight_smile:

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Corrected.

I think our biggest purchase needs to be on a Bobby replacement, whilst he can frustrate from time to time he is so important to us playing as a cohesive team, he links midfield to attack and he creates the space where Mane and Salah flourish… It was no surprise when Bobby doesn’t play Salah is swamped by 2 + players all game.

This isn’t a slight on Jota, he’s an excellent player and once he adds consistency to his game he’s going to be even better… But what he isn’t is a false no.9. He’s a wide forward who plays off the shoulder of a defender and I rarely see him with his back to the goal linking midfield/attack. I see Jota as rotating with Mane on the left, but I think he will excel with a Bobby type through the middle creating space for him to attack.

Another element Bobby brings is his defensive game, I’m sure everyone knows his excellent pressing but I’m talking about the key headers he does in defense. Massively missed v’s the likes of West Ham.

Vlahovic is the one for me, think he’d be amazing here… Even though its Di Marzio, he’s saying his agent is refusing Arsenals calls…

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I don’t see Vlahovic replacing what Bobby does.

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Midfield needs to be sorted.

Question marks over Thiago, Milner, Keita and Ox. Gini wasn’t really replaced.

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Any suggestions? Vlahovic looks to be a good player with his back to goal and has the added bonus of scoring all types of goals consistently.

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i dont think we replace Bobby, i think Klopp just gets a player that suits the changing of the team and moves his tactics slightly.

i just cant see a Bobby 2.0 in world football anywhere, although admittedly i dont watch a lot of non LFC football, so i cant scout players, but if Klopp needs to replace Bobbys quality, i dont think hes getting the same traits.

the team will end up adapting, which is no bad thing to be honest, every team needs to evolcve, if you know what i mean.

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