Football

You should have bought Ben Gibson.

with a bit of luck, this year might be our year to move up to 3rd

I find your lack of Klopptimism disappointing.

Assuming we don't lose anyone in the next few days, the back line is probably as solid as last season and that is the foundation for us.

The quality of our replacements is probably a bit less of an issue than for other clubs as everyone is drilled on what they should be doing, the players are less important than the system.

Having said that, I'd be surprised if we were top 10 this season. Teams will have a bit more idea on how to counteract our system and we'll still find scoring goals a challenge.

Lolz. 50 hours to go before the window SLAMS shut. Still vaguely hopeful Jack will stay.

Played pretty badly by all accounts last night, but a 1-3 win is a solid start. We even appear to be buying players which is a surprise considering where we were a couple of weeks ago and ongoing FFP issues.

We still need a Fekir/Coutinho shaped replacement for the long season ahead. I do wonder why folk are quick to forget we haven't just spunked all this dough thanks to sovereign wealth or stolen national property; we had our best player taken. FSG are still staring down the barrel of a negative spend we've gained more in sales than we've spent on new players. The only difference is we're spending money well, have proper plans and organisation. That warms my heart. Remember Christian Poulsen, konchesky, Cole, Carrol, Adam et al....? ::shudders::

City are still favourites, they've strengthened with yet another attacker and PL winner.

I suspect Shaquiri will be the buy of the season. He carried Stoke. Watching him under Klopp will be fun plus long range specialist against the bus parkers goes and little way to reolacing Phil.

Jack apparently had a medical with a '' 'top' club.... Sorry Roo.

Really? Off the top of my head Van Dijk, Keita, Fabinho, Shaqiri and Alisson must be something along the lines of £240m. I don't remember Liverpool selling another £100m of players on top of Coutinho.

Have Spurs signed anyone yet?

Ah. There was a rumour Chelsea would come in and hijack the deal.

Pretty sure there will be some financial wizardry around when payments banked, cost of player, amortization (it's a thing! I posted on here about it tonks ago. Swiss ramble),money out etc etc.

I don't know what it costs per point in the EPL, but that's what success should be measured against.

Manc_Ronnie in reply to @WornCleat

It's like the 1970s all over again, apart from the fact that Liverpool aren't Champions

But like then, the media have no fucking clue whom we're in for until they'r pictured touching the sign and leaning. Seems to be no low balling then running to media to say, "well we tried signing pele..." bollocks that's gone on in the recent past.

I think of you were to compare the "top 6" and the way they're run,make transfers, and squad unity, it'd be something like:
City
Liverpool

Chelsea
Spurs

Arsenal
United

When viewed from the outside

the only thing missing for a liverpool top season is an unhappy manc ronnie moaning about the lack of progress, the poor signings and the manager losing it in a similar way to the rest of the top 6 fans
sadly it's all quiet down the east lancs road

i'm like a pig in mud after this summer good signings, some promising youngsters, good team spirit, a good preseason, a manager the whole club is fully behind from the tea lady to the ceo, sadly unless citeh implode it'll be like 2013/14 season
just failing, who will be the slippy g this season i wonder

It's looking a little like Shaquiri will be playing centrally or he's at least being tried out there... Will see more tonight I guess

Thanks mostly to palace and bournemouth
Sahko 26mil
Ward 12mil
Ibe 15mil
Benteke 27mil
Allen 13mil
Lucas & skrtel 5mil each

That wasn't too tricky.

But if you're going back that far Liverpool spent another £130m+ on Mane, Wijnaldum, Salah and Oxlade Chamberlain (plus probably another £30m+ on a few others I can't remember)

Yeah - the transfers from this window (Fabinho, Shaqiri, Alisson and Keita) have come at a net deficit. The previous two or three windows have been B/E for Liverpool. They might still sell some players - Origi, Ings, Markovic, Karius etc which will likely net £70m (judging by recent Liverpool success in getting good prices).

That said still pretty good going to have totally transformed the squad from dogs dinner to top class with only a net outlay of c. £100m

@MultiGrooves I still can't quite work out why you didn't go through with the Fekir deal, he looked like the perfect player for you given his pressuring stats, dead ball skills and ability to play anywhere across a front 4.

Apparently Fekir has a long standing knee issue that came to light during the medical and the deal was aborted.

Don't hate me but I don't agree with you about Shaqiri. I think he's a good addition for the price but I think there are plenty more likely 'buys of the season'.

I wouldn't have been against it!

I know thats the reason given but to me it still doesn't make sense - he missed 10 games in the last 2 years (both knee related, different knees). Considering they bought Ox-C the season before who has a markedly poorer injury record.

Anyway, ignoring all this transfer speculation, I am off to tonight’s big match: Chelsea v Lyon. Expecting an open and entertaining game.

@MultiGrooves I still can't quite work out why you didn't go through with the Fekir deal, he looked like the perfect player for you given his pressuring stats, dead ball skills and ability to play anywhere across a front 4.

Not sure I should be saying this given I don't know for sure and I hate to add this kind of rumour regarding some else's career but AFAIK the medical team feel his previous surgery is somewhat botched and as it stands he has a finite amount of time before it goes again (2 years). Supposedly it could be redone and he'd miss about 3 weeks for recovery. They don't feel it worth the gamble. Remember all the press and PR stuff had been pictured and recorded; touching the sign, the lean...the whole shebang. So to pull out from that suggests it's a non-starter. It is a shame; had we gotten him, I would be talking the title.

Nearest we've been in this situation was Loic Remy. Chelsea turned up after we pulled out, paid the money....we all remember how that worked out right?

He got shifted on and Chelsea won the league?

Did the double?