Topic: The Men in Suits behind the scenes

[rob1966]

The only points that count are league points...


Let’s se

Yep. The club have provided the tables, lamps and sofas the manager asked for, now he needs to make this work on the pitch.

I do love the way the club is running, right people in the right jobs, not crippling ourselves with debt to buy players, using business brains to get the best deals to provide the finance to get what we want. I'd much rather we did it the way we are, than have a sugar daddy come in and lash money at us, then one day get bored, demand his £1.3 billion back and fuck off crippling us.

[So… Howard Philips]

The only points that count are league points...


Let’s se

I think you can only judge the quality of any team's summer buys after about 13 league matches, the early stage of CL and the League Cup.

Player's should have settled in and the early season unexpected leaders will have fallen back to norm.

[Giono]

Its like him and Klopp are pretty much the exact opposite of Rodgers and Ayre/Transfer committee.

We can now attract top players, sell for massive fees every single time and bring in great players, with a very high success rate. We've basically lost nothing in value on every single player Klopp has brought in. Even Klavan and the much maligned Karius would go for more than we got them. Every big money signing has been a success. When your 'worst' signing is Wijnaldum, you're doing a ridiculously good job, cause Gini is fucking ace.

The sell on fees speak volumes about the training these players have been getting here. They are not being sold after spending months in the manager’s dog house. Rather they have been physically and tactically improved and are not psychologically in a bad place. Sothampton are getting a Danny Ings that can come in and play with confidence immediarely. He is not bitter. But rather a happy warrior looking for match time. That is one of the reasons we are getting those fees.

[riismeister]

€65m wasn't it? Which works out to £59m roughly.

€65m + €10m in possible addons?

€65m ~ £58m
€75m ~ £67m

[CraigDS]

€65m + €10m in possible addons?

€65m ~ £58m
€75m ~ £67m

The article states £59m max with addons.

[Boaty McBoatface]

Roma had indicated the transfer was worth 75million Euros (£66.8million) but Anfield sources insist the figure is in fact £65million.

Around £56million is guaranteed with £2.2million of that to be paid to Internacional, who had a sell-on clause when Alisson left his homeland for Italy in 2016.

Liverpool will potentially pay a further £9million in add-ons dependent on Champions League qualification and trophies won.

Lets hope he costs us the full £65 million.

[riismeister]

The article states £59m max with addons.

Ah. I missed that.

[istvan kozma]

It pretty ridiculous how so many various media outlets keep getting Alisson's fee wrong, Roma announced to the world the fee when it was agreed, which they have to because they're a public limited company.

http://www.asroma.com/en/news/2018/7/transfer-agreed-for-alisson-to-join-liverpool

AS Roma can confirm that an agreement has been reached with Liverpool for the permanent transfer of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, in a deal worth up to €72.5 million.
Alisson, 25, will join the Premier League side for an initial fee of €62.5m, the most expensive transfer fee ever paid for a goalkeeper.

LFC will pay up to £65m for Alisson, not hard to figure out for the media, just go straight to Roma's website.

[Dim Glas]

As far as I can see, it's exactly the same template: the manager having the last word. But this manager is comfortable with the system rather than being threatened by it. The new 'finaliser' (Edwards rather than Ayre) then gets the deals done as quietly and efficiently as possible.

but wasn't the reason there was that daft committee, was cos Rodgers wouldn't work with a sporting director. Although that is baffling to me, as he shouldn't have been given the choice.

Anyway, that mess is in the past thankfully, from hearing the words 'transfer committee' about 30218 times every season, to now hearing barely anything about how this it all works with Edwards and Kloppo.

Says it all, by not saying it all!

[the_red_pill]

He's done very well so far this window. Few more to sell. Wasn't his fault the Fekir deal fell through. If not would have been perfect window imo.

He's done well in selling unwanted and want-away players since Klopp started here to be fair.
We "made a killing" two seasons ago with our sales- not just talking about the big two, but even players who are not up to standard in general.

[harleydanger]

From a business strategy viewpoint, football probably has more low lying fruit than most other industries, it’s great we’re no longer the low lying fruit.

[MNAA]

Has to be said that since Caulker loan and Grujic -most if not all our signings have been spot. Some struggled initially, criticised and even derided, they eventually came good and exceeded expectations. Bringing in the right players that fit like a glove and to some extent became better players than before is the key to success. I used to be envious of Ferguson’s United and to a lesser extent, Wenger’s Arsenal for the signings they were making relative to the duds after duds that we made

With Edwards, Klopp and the recruitments guys very much in-sync, I believe we’re now in a fantastic shape when it comes to signings and recruitments

[No666]

Grujic was a Buvac buy, iirc.

[Kelvinlfc]

Is Buvac still employed by the club?

[Dim Glas]

Is Buvac still employed by the club?

seems so on an 'official' basis, it's so weird, must be a reason they can't announce he's gone!

As for Grujic, even though I don't think he'll make it here long term, there is something about him as a player I like! I think he should be back fit and playing very soon, he's back in training at least, shame he got injured after a nice start to his loan spell.  Can't put him down as a bad buy anyway, he was a cheap punt for a talented young player. Sometimes they work, sometimes not.

[pathetic]

seems so on an 'official' basis, it's so weird, must be a reason they can't announce he's gone!

As for Grujic, even though I don't think he'll make it here long term, there is something about him as a player I like! I think he should be back fit and playing very soon, he's back in training at least, shame he got injured after a nice start to his loan spell.  Can't put him down as a bad buy anyway, he was a cheap punt for a talented young player. Sometimes they work, sometimes not.

I like him too. He has a knack for scoring goals as well whenever he plays (even though it's friendlies usually). Let's hope Mr Edwards uncovers some hidden gem who goes on to become the next Messi next summer ;-).

[Caston]

Story doing the round:

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/true-philippe-coutinho-clause-revealed-15444878

[Ciara (with a capital "C")]

So for 1 more year?

Would have been more impressed had it been 2/3 years more to be honest.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

still impressive

[Dench57]

So for 1 more year?

Would have been more impressed had it been 2/3 years more to be honest.

Yeah, hardly a 'remarkable' clause. I'd hope we'd lay off selling anyone else to Barca for a while just from a common sense perspective. The fan backlash if we'd sold them our best player in 3 out of 6 years wouldn't be good PR would it?

[CraigDS]

Yeah, hardly a 'remarkable' clause. I'd hope we'd lay off selling anyone to Barca just from a common sense perspective. The fan backlash if we sold Suarez, Coutinho + 1 other in 5 years wouldn't be good PR would it?

It should stop then unsettling a player by putting bids in too though, regardless of if we sell or not.

[So… Howard Philips]

Yeah, hardly a 'remarkable' clause. I'd hope we'd lay off selling anyone to Barca just from a common sense perspective. The fan backlash if we'd sold them our best player in 3 out of 6 years wouldn't be good PR would it?

Don't worry, won't be one of ours. Richarli-La is playing for his dream move to Barcelona, why else would Barcelona feed Everton?

[Rhi]

I'd get Michael Edwards on negotiating Brexit, to be honest.

[So… Howard Philips]

I'd get Michael Edwards on negotiating Brexit, to be honest.

That's a very low bar.

Muffin the Mule would be an improvement on what we've got now.

[88_RED]

So for 1 more year?

Would have been more impressed had it been 2/3 years more to be honest.

I'd be more impressed if we simply tell those c*nts to fuck off.. and if the player is unsettled, then tell him to fuck off in the reserves..

[CraigDS]

I'd be more impressed if we simply tell those c*nts to fuck off.. and if the player is unsettled, then tell him to fuck off in the reserves..

We lose either way.

At least this way we prevent them unsettling a player in the first place.

[88_RED]

We lose either way.

At least this way we prevent them unsettling a player in the first place.

Agree.. then it should have been till 2030, not 2020..

[Charlie Adams fried egg]

What this shows is that we are being a bit more creative in our negotiations which bodes well.
For too long we have appeared a pushover when dealing with external bodies; other clubs, FA, UEFA, Refs etc.

If we can get Edwards to compile something on the shite refereeing that we've had to endure next.........

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

Our most important signing.

[Keith Lard]

Smart to negotiate sufficient time to get into a position where the clause is an irrelevance.

Man - the players we have lost in recent time through being in a position of a weakness due to poor long term planning - Alonso, Suarez, Coutinho, Mascherano, Sterling, Torres, Owen, McManaman. Only success and being on a good long term path (so being strong on and off the pitch) stops that rot. And we are indeed on that path now.

[sinnermichael]

The man has 2020 vision. Must be the glasses.

[Lfsea]

I'd be more impressed if we simply tell those c*nts to fuck off.. and if the player is unsettled, then tell him to fuck off in the reserves..

I'm sure someone can set me straight on this, but I think EU law actually prevents this now. Will make a meal of this, but I believe a club is compelled to play a player for the purposes he's signed to them for - i.e. a first team, high profile signing can't be relegated to the reserves for no reason because it then becomes a breach of contract meaning that the player can basically tear up what he's signed and leave anyway - and I believe that's why these transfers almost always happen in the end.

[realtarragona]

still impressive

Nothing against Edwards but it means nothing. If they bid £20m for Mignolet we’d accept and if they really want a player, they’ll unsettle him like they always do until we can agree a price.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Nothing against Edwards but it means nothing. If they bid £20m for Mignolet we’d accept and if they really want a player, they’ll unsettle him like they always do until we can agree a price.

Right but I'm not arsed about them signing Mignolet.

[G Richards]

If both sides want a deal on a player it will be done smoothly. Generally speaking, Barcelona are only interested in players we don’t want to lose, so at that point the clause adds a layer of protection, though obviously it’s not insurmountable if there’s enough desire for them to plough ahead anyway. On our end it buys a couple of years of relative peace (from Barcelona at least) while we try to build up to a level where we are winning, or at least competing for, the biggest prizes.

[drmick]

Smart to negotiate sufficient time to get into a position where the clause is an irrelevance.

Man - the players we have lost in recent time through being in a position of a weakness due to poor long term planning - Alonso, Suarez, Coutinho, Mascherano, Sterling, Torres, Owen, McManaman. Only success and being on a good long term path (so being strong on and off the pitch) stops that rot. And we are indeed on that path now.

Xabi had just signed an extension though.

Plus we got good values on Torres, Sterling, Mascherano and Coutinho.

Both Owen and McManaman did the dirt, so to speak. Suarez was robbery, but I think FSG wanted rid to be honest.

[lionel_messias]

If both sides want a deal on a player it will be done smoothly. Generally speaking, Barcelona are only interested in players we don’t want to lose, so at that point the clause adds a layer of protection, though obviously it’s not insurmountable if there’s enough desire for them to plough ahead anyway. On our end it buys a couple of years of relative peace (from Barcelona at least) while we try to build up to a level where we are winning, or at least competing for, the biggest prizes.

Yes, it has no downside and is smart negotiation. People should also remember Barcelona's finances are not the best of health and for them a £100 million surcharge on any GOOD player of ours is effective a blocker.

They can't even look at Mane, Firmino or Salah - Mo would be more than double the World Transfer record* and even Bobby would be approaching Mbappe levels of cash with this clause.

It buys us time to build a winning team, and I'd say we're more like to buy the next £80 million player than Barcelona at the moment.




*okay maybe not quite, let's say 250 + 100 = 350 million. 

[JackWard33]

I mean the clause is cute and all but the central deal is phenomenal. Selling him mid season wasn’t great but looking back holy fuck 140 million quid for a non top 5 player in the world was amazing
It’s funny looking back how much ire Edwards used to get...  “something something laptop bellend, not a football man something” ... and the reality is he’s one of the top 2 or 3 in the world at his job

[deFacto please, you bastards]

I mean the clause is cute and all but the central deal is phenomenal. Selling him mid season wasn’t great but looking back holy fuck 140 million quid for a non top 5 player in the world was amazing
It’s funny looking back how much ire Edwards used to get...  “something something laptop bellend, not a football man something” ... and the reality is he’s one of the top 2 or 3 in the world at his job

I agree and Coutinho has yet to do anything to show that he was worth the money they paid for him. Imo he made a massive mistake moving. He could have gone another level in terms of his performances here before moving there.

[killer-heels]

Coutinho definitely isnt worth £140m. The other thing I find funny is that Barcelona dont trust him in midfield either.

He is absolutely a front 3 or 4 player.