Liverpool would be ‘insane’ to pay £150m for Alexander Isak, while their supporters are called out for having ‘memories of goldfish’…
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Too many cooks at Liverpool…?
Whilst I am delighted at Liverpool going big in the transfer market and the old adage of strengthening whilst at the top being perfectly sensible, I’m a little concerned about how all this will turn out. Arne Slot has given himself huge headaches (nice one’s to have as the saying goes) as to his selections. formations and tactics. Isak signing would add to this, not saying don’t get him btw.
A 4-3-3 as used last season, when we became Champions if any readers didn’t know, would see Frimpong and Kerkez in as full backs, if Isak comes in as a definite 9 replacing Diaz, but where does Wirtz go? If he takes Gakpo’s place that’s the second and third highest scorers out of the team so he needs to weigh in heavily there. I’m also of the opinion that this is not his best/preferred position as I’m sure Slot is, he has said that part of his decision to join was Slot’s vision for him and I’d bet my house, car, kids and granny that it wasn’t wide left side of a 3. Gravenberch and MacAllister will be definite starters and Szboszlai is another Slot favourite and essential to the way we played, he’s also looked our best player in pre-season with Gakpo not far behind.
If Isak doesn’t come does Wirtz become a Firmino type 9 which seems unlikely given the Ekitike signing and Isak pursual. I’m confident Arne has a plan and am also sure it will work, I’m just a little concerned that getting it to work may take too long and too many dropped points. On the other hand, we just might win all our games 6-3.
On another point, Carragher is talking out of his backside, we have lost Nunez, Diaz and sadly Jota from last seasons squad and only bought 2 replacements so far, if you have the money surely you buy the best available.
Howard (Chiesa wouldn’t count if he left) Jones
READ: Liverpool pivot to Barcola exposes Isak ‘chase’ as extraordinary opportunism
Liverfools
Gotta love the humility and self awareness from Liverpool fans talking about hierarchies in football and not holding on to unhappy players, players move on etc. when talking about Isak.
Was only 2 months ago they were booing one of their own, burning jerseys and having a general meltdown/head loss for actually seeing out his contract in full and moving to a much bigger club.
This is the reason other fans can’t stand Liverpool fans. Holier than thou, with memories of goldfish.
Weldoninhio, BAC
£150m for Isak is ‘insane’…
OMG, so after almost 15yrs I feel compelled to submit something, I just can’t take it anymore!
Aman’s edit resonated with me because after a childhood of following Liverpool and winning nothing (ex. Istanbul) I know as well as anyone that there’s no golden signing when a club needs to build. Having been clearly knocked off our perch, I proceeded to watch year on year the arrival of many the valiant donkey! I too am amazed at the savvy financial management that has become the norm at Anfield, and then suppose as league leaders they’ve earned the right to boss the market a little. But beware, things change fast, and Isak, whilst effective is untried, and 150M is insane.
NFC should take the money and run, and build for the real future, which won’t be this season.
When I reflect on the last record transfer, from Newcastle to Merseyside, you wonder why they even try!
Ciaran, LFC, Sri Lanka (currently)
MORE ALEXANDER ISAK COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Liverpool ‘sweating’ over Isak ‘transfer date’ as Newcastle ‘roll out new plan’ with ‘team-mates support’
👉 Liverpool told to sign ‘loan’ Isak alternative as Newcastle star ‘not worth’ over £120m amid one concern
👉 Newcastle must get over unavoidable transfer hijacks and inevitable Isak sale to ‘stupid’ Liverpool
The business of football…
I want to see the conclusion of the Isak-Liverpool saga. It all boils down to a number of factors from the point of the club, business and pride.
The club business should be about winning trophies and profits. Trophies brings money. Alexander Isak was signed in 2022 to bring in trophies and that he has been able to do last season for Newcastle United and they should have done the smart thing and that is to tie up the player fast but they allowed it to drag this far.
Pride will not let the club be swayed either like the manager said “we are Newcastle and no player is bigger than the club”, they will want to hold the player down but for how long?
Isak as well is a tough nut to crack and he’s a go getter who is also invested in his game and wants the best for himself. He will do whatever he thinks is best for his career development and if he thinks that Liverpool is his best choice at this point of his career, he’s going to go for it.
So what’s it’s going to be?
Will Newcastle play hardball and keep Isak, knowing that the longer they keep him, his monetary value reduces based on his contract or channel their business side and seek maximum profit while they can? Or will Isak mellow down and aim for more trophies with Newcastle United Football Club?
Paul, Nigeria
Newcastle and the glass ceiling
Loathe as I am to provide sympathy for a brutal dictatorship government I do feel some sympathy for them.
Having your target robbed by Liverpool must have been annoying but they are the champions so at least it’s understandable. To then have your target robbed by someone who barely stayed in the league (United).
Ive never been a “FFP protects the big six” kind of person but I’m starting to think so now. In Newcastle’s position how are they supposed to progress when teams outside relegation can steal their transfers?
Newcastle’s argument would be that if they could spend the (considerable) sums of money at their owners disposal they’d probably have signed sesko and ekitike while still keeping isak and wouldn’t be watching their targets choose a relegation fight instead of champions League football.
I feel sympathy. But it’s also not entirely due to salary/football either. We’ve seen a lot of players want to move away from Manchester and Liverpool because the player doesn’t like the city. And this is two of the best cities in the UK. So imagine how hard it is to persuade someone to move to a city where the local cuisine is a pie butty and the culture is drunken wife beating (joke, Newcastle residents!)
The more I see teams get their targets taken by under performing big six clubs the more I think perhaps there’s some truth to the idea that actually ffp protects the big six rather than helps everyone else.
Lee
READ: Liverpool seventh in five-year Premier League net spend table after Luis Diaz sale
Tottenham’s momentum, or lack thereof…
Hi all.
I’ve really enjoyed Tickner’s Spurs articles this week. They’ve been a lovely backdrop to the creeping dread that’s now settled in. With a week to go until the season starts, and on the back of being walloped in Munich, all Europa League victory momentum has been lost. It really is quite something.
Everything that’s happened since has been a little micro aggression toward progress. Lose 4 – 1 a few days after in a very expected but not ideal way. Check Sack Ange. Check. Appoint pragmatic, likeable but somewhat lacking in star power manager. Check. Get mugged off by Marinakas. Check. Cringe interviews. Check. Injuries. Check. Sell the talisman. Check. Big defeat. Check.
At this point you probably wouldn’t bet against Spurs finishing 10th and doing nothing in any cup. Away from home there’s going to be some nasty mid week embarrassments.
Momentum is a funny old thing isn’t it. You could argue that McCullum and Stokes put too much emphasis on the vibe, and the promise of what might be, in managing the England cricket team. Levy has put zero emphasis on the vibe in the manager replacement. Zac Crawley continues to open the batting for England on the premise of what might be. We will never know what might have been under Ange. Granted, there’s a strong likelihood in would have been ugly. But I can’t help but wonder what sort of a message this has sent to potential players. The ones who don’t seem to be looking at a move to Spurs very favorably. Sandwiched in between a lovely cup win and the promise of champions league football is this shiny but meaningless and failed relaunch of Daniel. No one is buying it.
He doesn’t ‘get’ Spurs. He doesn’t ‘get’ momentum. He doesn’t ‘get’ letting a story play out. He only gets NFL pitches under football pitches.
Enjoy the weekend
Andrew
Clarity on Barcelona
Hi,
While I agree with the gist of Aman’s post, I do have to pull up one point. Barcelona absolutely did not choose to cash out on their biggest asset. I’m assuming Neymar is the subject in question. La Liga rules mean every player contract has to have a buyout clause and they are always set prohibitively high (£200m in this case). The player is also supposed to pay the fee to release themselves from the contract, this almost went to court because it was clear PSG essentially paid the release via a pre-contract signing on fee.
Barca didn’t bank on PSG actually meeting it and were blindsided and not in a position to do much about it. That deal also massively distorted the transfer market as Barca had to spend silly money on Dembele, Coutinho and Griezmann because every club knew they were cash rich. How times have changed!
Thanks,
Darren, Swansea
Mystery Link XI
Just a little bored, nice breeze at the beach bar, transfer tittle-tattle being re-hashed as drama. So I’ve put together an XI, mailboxers simply need to guess what links all eleven players.
I reckon this one is a piece of cake, yet my hope is that others can do curioser ones until the footie kicks off for real.
So: Aaron Ramsdale
Conor Bradley, Dean Huijsen, Simon Kjaer, Andy Robertson.
Christian Norgaard, Jordan Henderson.
Kevin De Bruyne, Mijailo Mudryk
Florian Wirtz
Harry Kane
Peter ( I’m not interested in nit-picking about my link ) Andalucia.
