Football: WORLD CUP 06 and close season/transfer discussion.

aureole · Post by **aureole** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:52 am 0

KevG wrote:Yeah: got to feel for Boro. I thought this time last year they were setting themselves up nicely. Now it's all going a bit pear-shaped

We always self-destruct: we specialise in a heady mix of our own incompetance and staggeringly bad luck: hence, we'll probably lose Downing for a pittance, and Yakuba won't recover, and Pogatez won't be able to play until Xmas - at which point the rest of our team will probably be out injured. You do get used to it after a while.

mac monkey · Post by **mac monkey** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:09 am 0

RE.SG saga- the agents always f*ck things up for everyone concerned but themselves.

If i he does go, which looks likely, we all thought it was a brave decision to get rid of Owen at the start of last season, and still managed to get to win CL league without him.
I agree that we should to try and hold onto SG, as these are the players you should be building the squad round.
When Owen went, we eventually signed Morientes, and there was a new hope with the fans.So if SG does go, don't think he will be replaced by some tin-pot has been.

Zoot · Post by **Zoot** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:15 am 0

i8manx wrote:RE.SG saga- the agents always f*ck things up for everyone concerned but themselves.

If i he does go, which looks likely, we all thought it was a brave decision to get rid of Owen at the start of last season, and still managed to get to win CL league without him.
I agree that we should to try and hold onto SG, as these are the players you should be building the squad round.
When Owen went, we eventually signed Morientes, and there was a new hope with the fans.So if SG does go, don't think he will be replaced by some tin-pot has been.

That's the spirit.

Benitez has done so badly so far.

By the way, all this press hype, training ground bust-up, will-he, won't-he nonsense is just like the Beckham departure and is, I believe, designed purely to make the fans believe that LFC have done everything that they can to keep their star player.

mac monkey · Post by **mac monkey** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:25 am 0

Zoot wrote: I believe, designed purely to make the fans believe that LFC have done everything that they can to keep their star player.

...i think so to Zoot, on the flip side i also get the feeling its (the club) making it look like SG had no choice but to leave, so to give him some protection specially as last time he & members of his family had stupid death threats against them!!

....i dunno just another thought

Zoot · Post by **Zoot** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:45 am 0

i8manx wrote:
Zoot wrote: I believe, designed purely to make the fans believe that LFC have done everything that they can to keep their star player.
...i think so to Zoot, on the flip side i also get the feeling its (the club) making it look like SG had no choice but to leave, so to give him some protection specially as last time he & members of his family had stupid death threats against them!!

....i dunno just another thought

Totally agree with you. It's going to happen, so everyone does everything they can to make the transition smooth.

By the way, in my original post, I meant to say Benitez HASN'T done badly

Sickboy · Post by **Sickboy** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:51 am 0

The Zenden press conference later today might be a little bit off-topic...

KevG · Post by **KevG** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:57 am 0

Sickboy wrote:The Zenden press conference later today might be a little bit off-topic...

Indeed. Bet Zenden can't wait

If this is the club engineering an SG departure, I hope they have their lines prepared for whatever transpires over the next 24-72 hours

If he's of, they're going to come in for some serious flak, especially after the financing dÃ©bacle. IMHO of course

*aaagh* I just want a bit of stability at our place - Evans, then Ged, then Owen, then Gerrard, more Gerrard and Gerrard

mac monkey · Post by **mac monkey** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:15 pm 0

oh well there you have it, just in Steven Gerrard looks to be on his way out of Anfield after his agent told Sky Sports News that talks over a new Liverpool deal have stalled, and are unlikely to be re-opened.

Liverpool are all over sky sports today, talk about 0-60!!

KevG · Post by **KevG** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:38 pm 0

The local press had that this morning so, yeah, the evidence is piling up now

What's intriguing is that Mr Parry allegedly went off to Italy on Friday afternoon ostensibly to some deal or other. Cue loads of speculation about who, etc. Theory is now that hew meeting RÃ©al officials to box of a deal for SG

If this is true then that would rather contradict the 'SG has fight with Rafa' spin as the reason why he's getting off. It's all getting a bit smelly this. Positioning of club v player v agents and all that.

*gah* Dunno why I'm still monitoring this. Roll on summer

Zoot · Post by **Zoot** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:46 pm 0

KevG wrote:The local press had that this morning so, yeah, the evidence is piling up now What's intriguing is that Mr Parry allegedly went off to Italy on Friday afternoon ostensibly to some deal or other. Cue loads of speculation about who, etc. Theory is now that hew meeting RÃ©al officials to box of a deal for SG

Either that or Abramovich has his Yacht parked in the med

Or, maybe the Glazers are over there on their way back from Blighty

Sickboy · Post by **Sickboy** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:47 pm 0

It all reeks of grasping agents shaking things up in order to nab the fattest fee.

Perspective - Gerrard played a blinding game against AC Milan and pretty much singlehandedly inspired the team to the European Cup. For the rest of last season, he was dead patchy, mind clearly elsewhere, only staying because (as publicly admitted) he'd received death threats. I really don't want another season like that.

Obviously, as an individual, he's irreplaceable (Lampard? - behave). But if we have to lose him, so be it. Let him leave on good terms so we can remember him with fondness - a la Fowler. I just hope they can put this out of its misery quickly and look towards rebuilding the team around the other key players and new signings.

aureole · Post by **aureole** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:05 pm 0

Yeah, the whole agent aspect of the game leaves me cold. It's a particularly nasty game of brinksmanship that uses the ire of fans to make money. Downing doing the same pisses me off for a very similar reason: he's a local boy, came through the youth system and is clearly very popular. Now the agent's making all sort of whines about money and demands. Result is that the player will either leave or stay with a reputation as a whinging greedy git.

KevG · Post by **KevG** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:10 pm 0

Zoot wrote:Either that or Abramovich has his Yacht parked in the med

*nervously peers out of window at Mersey* Nope. No massive yachts there. Good

Sickboy wrote: I really don't want another season like that.

Abso-flipping-lutely

Sickboy wrote: I just hope they can put this out of its misery quickly and look towards rebuilding the team around the other key players and new signings.

Local press are now quoting Parry directly. He doesn't know why they [SFX?] are fussing over a couple of days delay. Totally surprised by this mornings press, desperate to keep SG etc etc. Bottom line is: big face-to-face meeting right now between him SG and BenÃtez at Melwood. So, yeah. Looks liek the boil is going to get lanced soon, one way or another

mac monkey · Post by **mac monkey** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:23 pm 0

Interesting press conference just now on Sky sports about SG.
Rafa reckons he tried to get SG to extend contract at the beginning of last season but SG kept saying wait?
He wants him to stay, & to be manager when he leaves one day in 4 years time etc.

Rafa said he will be signing 3 more players this week.

Zendon in, so is Reina confirmed and Gonzalez confirmed.

wonder who others are??

Plot thickens

romanista · Post by **romanista** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 2:00 pm 0

isn't it benitez scheme to get rid of all the Liverpool stalwards, just so he can build his own team, and doesn't have to play with Owen and Gerrard to keep the Kop quiet?

my italian side, Roma, is in far more trouble.. they are banned from buying any player for a year, Serie B, here we come

oh and

football365.com wrote: The Holland international completed his transfer and was introduced to the media at Melwood on Monday lunchtime.

Zenden, international? not anymore he is!