SOCCER SPORT !

[GaryF]

Lovren was a cock-up. No argument.

Balotelli was a gamble and one made at the last minute after the transfer committee had failed to secure someone better. It's hard to blame Rodgers for thinking he could get something out of Balotelli. Who would believe that "run into that space there!" would be impossible for a grown man to get his head around?

My doubts are all about FSG at this point. They seem slow, incompetent and unnecessarily constricted by dogma. Time and again we miss out on players after protracted negotiations while our competitors go straight in and get business done. They've been in football for a few years now but are still looking very much like amateurs.

[scottjc]

No mention of West Brom's 3-0 demolition of Chelsea on Monday night. Ha!

[Raza]

Ancelotti out, Rafa in at Real. Interesting development.

Edit: I misheard...this is a rumor/leak. Not official yet.

[Raza]

And it looks like Xavi is heading to Qatar. Man, at his age, I would not want to play in that heat.

[OTGabe]

No mention of West Brom's 3-0 demolition of Chelsea on Monday night. Ha!

That was a bizarre one. I have it on DVR and would be tempted to delete it except I want to see for myself what the heck Fabregas was doing.

As for Benitez at Real, it's hard to see that as a long term solution. Rafa has a knack for winning tournaments, but he's not proven to be a manager who can keep a team at the top of the league table for an extended period.

[Steppy]

I just hope the Liverpool Board/FSG are pulling out all the stops to tempt Klopp to come. I kind of suspect that the FSG "project" (read - idiocy) will scare him off

[GaryF]

I just hope the Liverpool Board/FSG are pulling out all the stops to tempt Klopp to come. I kind of suspect that the FSG "project" (read - idiocy) will scare him off

Well, he's used to having his best players sold to direct rivals...

[Raza]

Rodgers said he plans on playing Sterling out until his contract expires.



What an idiot. A player who wants to leave and gets continued selection is a morale cancer. Fire Rodgers, sell Sterling.

[GaryF]

I'd love it if Aidy Ward lost his big payday. I'd love it if a footballer was shown that a contract is a contract.

Again, this isn't going to be a Rodgers decision. This will be about the message John Henry wants to send.

Ultimately, Liverpool can keep Sterling on 35k for two years saving 65k per week if we estimate his value at 100k. They then get a development fee of 10mil when he goes.

At this point, who is going to pay more than 30mil for a player with this kind of baggage (agent)?

Sterling can't slack off or he won't get his dream move anyway plus he'll lose his England place.

Or.

Liverpool sell him and then have to bring in another player of the same value plus undoubtedly higher wages who may or may not work out in the team.

IMO, the agent has turned the situation into a car crash and created exactly the set of conditions where Liverpool CAN say "See out your contract". Unless someone offers 50million or so, it seem like a no-brainer to me.

The only thing that is worrying me at the moment is the story that Rodgers wants to sell Lucas because he prefers Joe Allen. Joe Allen who played how many games last season?

[Steppy]

Not how many games did Joe Allen play last season, its how many effective games has Joe Allen played at LFC? Lucas isn't as good as he was before the injury a few years ago but I still prefer him to Allen. This is possibly making room for the anticipated Milner signing (on huge wages by the sounds of it).

personally I would be quite happy for LFC to keep Sterling for another 2 yrs and let him rot in the reserves, obviously thats a supporters point of view and will never happen. My opinion is if a bid 50m came in, then sell him, but honestly after a couple of seasons watching him, I really can't see it, he's not good enough to warrant that sort of fee. (Rodgers has sort of created this issue himself by constantly praising him in interviews - "best young player in Europe" - I don't think so).