Topic: Farewell day, sponsored by Sterling

[cox3100]

Whatever happens I hope it happens as early as possible,can't be arsed with this dragging on for the whole of summer

[PhaseOfPlay]

Exactly my point.
To be honest, if my boss spoke to me the way Rodgers did to Sterling, I'd be off at the first opportunity

Don't play for any teams then. Because worse than that goes on all the time. Watch a few "behind the scenes" documentaries on football clubs. Regular occurrence in competitive football.

[L666KOP]

Could get a bit awkward if FSG are going to sack Brendan.

[QC]

That'll be the plan. Two options:

1) Keep him & let him run down his contract: He earns £35k/pw, and by refusing our £100k/pw offer, stands to lose around £6m in wages over 2 seasons (65k/pw x 52). We'll still get a "market value" fee from a tribunal, determined by arbitrators, when he leaves after the 2 years.

2) He signs the deal & we throw in a release clause: Sterling gets his money, but FSG throw in a release clause above what they think he's worth; if he wants to leave and his agent leaks the clause to other clubs, FSG will point to the figure.

No way the Club loses here.

You're right on both counts.

We still lose the player though, and Sterling will end up a top player at a CL club. It's hard to see a way back into the CL elite at this stage to be honest; especially if the talent dont either.

[CraigDS]

All the legendary players we've had and Raheem fucking Sterling is embarrassing us.

Christ alive.

He is?

All I see is a 20yr old demanding £150k a week when we are offering £100k.

Standing our ground and not giving it him is far from embarrassing.

[Samie]

Could get a bit awkward if FSG are going to sack Brendan.

Will be a crazy summer in the STFU. 

[Studgotelli]

His agent is also the agent of Berahino and remember how he also gave an unauthorised interview with sky?? and threw his toys out during the January window.
his agent is toxic and for as long as he's Raheems agent these things are going to happen, he'll be looking for the next big pay day.

Sure but surely Sterling should at least respect the club. He can make his own decisions. Or is he really that stupid and dopey. And the same rhetoric about the club's ambitions keeps getting repeated with every star player we have for at least a good 15 years now.

[Michel]

If he leaves he''ll be the new Jack Rodwell-Scott Sinclair.

[rafathegaffa83]

I'm not so sure. Mourinho was very publicly scathing of the idea of Luke Shaw coming in on £100k a week (for a £30m fee).

And for that reason, I think he'll end up a City. They need homegrown players and have been linked with offering Milner £165k a week to stay. Mourinho wouldn't give Shaw that type of money, because of how it would disrupt the dressing room and damage the club's future wage structure.

[Haggis36]

It's going to be a long summer... The true value of the player will emerge not-so-slightly off expectations, the shit stirred will continue to stink up the air all the way to London, and at the end of it all nothing of significance will be achieved by either the player/agent pair, or the club. I think that what's most likely to happen is that, if we don't tie him up to a new contract, some club will get a deal of the year in January.

The value of the player is whatever we say it is. It always is when a club doesn't want to sell. Sterling isn't worth anywhere near £50m in footballing terms, but if the club doesn't want to sell, then that's what we can set it at. Other clubs can pay or fuck off. If Sterling sulks next year he loses his place in the England squad for the Euros, and if we wanted to be vindictive we could quite easily waste the next 2 years of his career (where he really should be kicking on) and still get a fee for him.

Ultimately I think the £50m figure is posturing on the clubs part, but the onus is on the interested parties to come in and make us an offer we can't refuse, not for us to be sourcing the best possible deal.

[PhaseOfPlay]

Could get a bit awkward if FSG are going to sack Brendan.

It'll be awkward for them if they sack Rodgers and keep Sterling. It makes Sterling the most important person at the club. It's a bad road to go down.

[CraigDS]

Could get a bit awkward if FSG are going to sack Brendan.

"Raheem, this is John, so we heard what you said and we've sacked Rodgers. He's gone. So that £100k offer on the table is ready to be signed now"

"Ah, you actually bought that?"

[RK7]

If he leaves he''ll be the new Jack Rodwell-Scott Sinclair.

Not a chance.

[Bird Bird Bird The Bird Is The Word]

Could get a bit awkward if FSG are going to sack Brendan.

Perfect situation for Sterling, he has to leave either way.

Keep Rodgers and Sterling has to go. Sack Rodgers and Sterling has to go too, otherwise you've got a serious play power problem.

[Fiasco]

If he leaves he''ll be the new Jack Rodwell-Scott Sinclair.

But if he stays he'll be the next Garrincha. Except, you know, for the shagging a goat bit.

[bodhisattva]

You're right on both counts.

We still lose the player though, and Sterling will end up a top player at a CL club. It's hard to see a way back into the CL elite at this stage to be honest; especially if the talent dont either.

not sure about that bit, for the level he's at currently i don't think hes going to be one of the main players at any of those top clubs.
he has the potential to develop into that but he's not there at the moment.

[Ste08]

and how do you know that it is due to ambition?

The lad wanted £150,000 per week and turned down £100,000 per week,how the fuck can he say its ambition and not about money,he's a greedy little c*nt that thinks he is better than he actually is,he has the potential to be world class but he is nowhere near that level yet

I think its about both. You can get paid more at another team with a much higher chance of winning things. He doesnt support us. Its the same reason he came here in the 1st place.

[Michel]

Not a chance.

He is brainless.

[B0151?]

You're right on both counts.

We still lose the player though, and Sterling will end up a top player at a CL club. It's hard to see a way back into the CL elite at this stage to be honest; especially if the talent dont either.

I think Sterling is a massive talent but it's far from sure that he'll develop into a top player if he makes the wrong move. More talented players have stumbled.

[Studgotelli]

He is?

All I see is a 20yr old demanding £150k a week when we are offering £100k.

Standing our ground and not giving it him is far from embarrassing.

IMO he's embarrassed us by doing an unauthorised interview. And borderline dragging our managers and clubs name through the dirt with all these leaks. He and his team.

Personally I'm pretty embarrassed that the guy can even hold us to ransom like so.

[Fiasco]

And for that reason, I think he'll end up a City. They need homegrown players and have been linked with offering Milner £165k a week to stay. Mourinho wouldn't give Shaw that type of money, because of how it would disrupt the dressing room and damage the club's future wage structure.

You wonder how much the 'London factor' is an issue. If he's desperate to go home that much then maybe he'd be happy with 80k a week or something.

[Samie]

But if he stays he'll be the next Garrincha. Except, you know, for the shagging a goat bit.

With the amount of Shisha he has, he'll be fucking a goat in no time.

[spider-neil]

Don't play for any teams then. Because worse than that goes on all the time. Watch a few "behind the scenes" documentaries on football clubs. Regular occurrence in competitive football.

Steady.

[cox3100]

Perfect situation for Sterling, he has to leave either way.

there is no way he can stay now,definitely gonna get his move now,a should.


The fucker has made it nigh on impossible for him to stay at the club

[CraigDS]

IMO he's embarrassed us by doing an unauthorised interview. And borderline dragging our managers and clubs name through the dirt with all these leaks. He and his team.

Personally I'm pretty embarrassed that the guy can even hold us to ransom like so.

He's done nothing but embarrass himself IMO. The club, as much as it's made mistakes, isn't the one looking worst here.

[nuts100]

Sure but surely Sterling should at least respect the club. He can make his own decisions. Or is he really that stupid and dopey. And the same rhetoric about the club's ambitions keeps getting repeated with every star player we have for a good 7-8 years now.

He's a modern day footballer, thick as pig shit. Ask any impressionable youngster these days what they want in life, if it's a girl, wanna be like that fat fuck kardashian, ask a boy- wanna be like wooney.  Worlds gone fucking insane to be honest

[bodhisattva]

The value of the player is whatever we say it is. It always is when a club doesn't want to sell. Sterling isn't worth anywhere near £50m in footballing terms, but if the club doesn't want to sell, then that's what we can set it at. Other clubs can pay or fuck off. If Sterling sulks next year he loses his place in the England squad for the Euros, and if we wanted to be vindictive we could quite easily waste the next 2 years of his career (where he really should be kicking on) and still get a fee for him.

Ultimately I think the £50m figure is posturing on the clubs part, but the onus is on the interested parties to come in and make us an offer we can't refuse, not for us to be sourcing the best possible deal.

But if we're dealing with a club like City you could see it getting to 50 million if they have a player or two we're interested in (Jovetic maybe??) and they need to bring in some home grown players. I think we could get top money for him if we dealt with City.

[L666KOP]

Will be a crazy summer in the STFU. 

Indeed.

That comment re Sterling possibly staying if Brendan left has left a bad smell. Can you imagine the fucking circus if we sack Brendan now ?

FSG need to think very carefully now, that, and get onto 118 for Red Adairs phone number.
 

[Haggis36]

You wonder how much the 'London factor' is an issue. If he's desperate to go home that much then maybe he'd be happy with 80k a week or something.

I suspect once City come in swinging their dicks about it will be a very quick decision for Raheem. Not that he's motivated by money, or anything..

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

You are not wrong, but i think most people in this forum realise that Liverpool's status has fallen somehwat.

This doesn't excuse Sterling though. McManaman, Fowler and Owen all left, but only after giving at least a couple of seasons at the highest level of performance. Gerrard only contemplated leaving after establishing himself as one of the world's finest midfielders (and stayed, of course). Xabi Alonso, Torres and Mascherano only left once they reached the world class level. Others, like Reina, and only left after we wanted them to leave. Suarez left only after giving us the greatest season of his career.

All of the above players performed excellently in key moments in big games that led to trophies or nearly. Sterling has not done any of the above. He has in no way outgrown Liverpool.

Yeah, and there's also a sense of the quality of key players wanting to leave (or potentially wanting to leave) is beginning to decline as well. We had world class talent moving away to compete for the biggest prizes, now you have potentially top quality players doing the same, and further down the line if say Coutinho does so, he's another in the latter bracket. There's a real sense of the team not having any top players anymore. Even though we haven't really competed consistently for the big prizes since my start in the mid 90s, at no point did I feel the team to so lack in quality as we do now. We always had 2 or 3 players who were genuinely top quality for their position. Right now, not one, though there are a few very competent performers in Sakho, Henderson, Skrtel etc.

[stromsgodset11]

I think its about both. You can get paid more at another team with a much higher chance of winning things. He doesnt support us. Its the same reason he came here in the 1st place.

Plus he's a 20 year old multi-millionaire who was brought up in London, now living in Southport. I don't want to live in fucking Southport and I'm skint. The bright lights of London must be very tempting for him.
Modern footballers... 

[kkjellquist]

Could get a bit awkward if FSG are going to sack Brendan.

Unless they sack Rodgers and Sterling passes Klopp going out the door on the way to Chelsea's bench

[Bird Bird Bird The Bird Is The Word]

there is no way he can stay now,definitely gonna get his move now,a should.


The fucker has made it nigh on impossible for him to stay at the club

He could come out tomorrow and issue an apology, sign a new contract and get new agents. But that isn't going to happen. Unless there is a drastic change in the noise coming from Sterling's direction, he simply has to go, which is exactly what him and his team seem to want.

[Anywhichwayicant]

They all left for good reasons. This one isnt.

Yeah, they all left because we're no longer the club we once were.

As mentioned.


Gerrard - Chelsea

Torres - Chelsea

Suarez - Arsenal

Sterling - City/Chelsea/Arsenal/Man U?


They've left because the club hasn't won anything in a decade, and are no longer competing regularly in the Champions League. These top players look around the dressing room and they see fodder around them.

Suarez, Torres, Alonso, Masch, Kuyt, Agger; some of the the finest players the world has seen in the last decade or so have all joined Liverpool, and with the exception of Alonso, have fuck all to show for their time here.

Players want to win things. Liverpool no longer wins things.

Sterling may very well money hungry, but he also wants to win things. If I saw the club in the market for some real quality, I'd say fair enough say what you want about him. But we're not. We're in the market for Danny Ings and James Milner. As a Liverpool supporter, that depresses me. Imagine being one of the world's top young talents with no affiliation to Liverpool, would you want to hang around?

Imagine playing for AC Milan. Great club, paying you great wages, but you see them signing Europe's cast offs or players passed their peak. You then look at the likes of Juve. Would you turn down Juve if they came calling?

We need to stop looking at things from the perspective of being Liverpool supporters. Every one of us on this site would play for the club for minimum wage and stay even if we never won so much as a coin toss. But these players aren't Liverpool supporters. Even Gerrard, as Liverpool as a man can get, wanted to move to Chelsea. Did he do that because he wanted more money. No. He wanted to win trophies.

Top players want to win the top prizes. They aren't interested in celebrating a second place finish, and getting to two cup semi finals.

[Kopenhagen]

Indeed.

That comment re Sterling possibly staying if Brendan left has left a bad smell. Can you imagine the fucking circus if we sack Brendan now ?

FSG need to think very carefully now, that, and get onto 118 for Red Adairs phone number.
 

Both will probably go.

FSG has their valuation for Sterling and if someone exceeds it, adios.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

Would people genuinely prefer Rodgers to be sacked so Sterling would stay to Rodgers staying and Sterling going?

Seems like its been designed, because a) its either true or b) they realise it would never happen and therefore they won't called on it.

Also, the reports saying that he was willing to sign a contract but doesn't want to 'after all of this', just stinks of "I was going to do this before you did that", the classic bullshitters line.

Sick of this already.

Have to add, one of FSG's finest achievements was the handling of Suarez, hopefully they'll excel again with Sterling.

How about both leaving honestly.

Give the new guy the 50m plus the original budget and start with a clean slate.

Sick of this to be honest.

[rafathegaffa83]

It'll be awkward for them if they sack Rodgers and keep Sterling. It makes Sterling the most important person at the club. It's a bad road to go down.

Completely agree, which is why I cannot see him staying regardless of what happens with BR. It would set an extremely unhealthy precedent.

[Studgotelli]

He's done nothing but embarrass himself IMO. The club, as much as it's made mistakes, isn't the one looking worst here.

Fair.

[L666KOP]

It'll be awkward for them if they sack Rodgers and keep Sterling. It makes Sterling the most important person at the club. It's a bad road to go down.

It's a mess.

Can you imagine the scenario where FSG had planned to sack Brendan, and make Raheem see out his contract on 35 to teach him a lesson ?

If FSG had any idea of sacking Brendan then Raheem has to go this window.

[Miltonred]

Take the money and run. There is a chance, a smallish one, he ends up as good as his "potential" and a huge chance he ends up as Tony Daley.
Plus,  fuck him. He is a stain on the shirt with this attitude.