The Torres transfer should have taught us many things....
...No one footballer is bigger than the club.
I doubt there is much truth to the stories. But If and when any player says they want to go, they're as good as gone in my book, and all I care about is getting a decent wedge for them to bring in an equal replacement or if possible replacement + someone else.
All you need to know. The Keegan, Souness, Rush, McManaman, Owen departures should have taught us that the individuals only matter when they are at the club. As soon as they go we should forget about them. The key to a successful football club is stable and supportive corporate structure and quality coaching and management.
True, you can't do anything without good players, but there is plenty of quality around as long as the person spending the money knows what he is doing and the people provding the money provide it.
The Torres saga should have reminded us not to get hung up on individual players so much. The last few years have been an abortion because of the club's boardroom anarchy despite the presence of the then world's best striker. This season has been a hangover from that not helped by the appointment of an unsuitable management team, despite the fact he has still been there. Our improvement has come as a direct result of a change in mindset and coaching despite the loss of a great, great player.
Just to clarify, I don't want Pepe to leave or think Pepe is leaving. However, if he wants pastures new, that is his perogative as long as we get our price as he has a contract with us. Same as it's our perogative to off Christian Poulsen, Paul Konchesky and Joe Cole if we don't think they're up to it and they get a move that suits them as they have a contract with us.
Whoever leaves I believe we have the structures and personell in place running the club to compete with the very very best.
