Yes, time changes the face of football. Previously, only the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid and maybe Barca can spend big money to get the players they wanted...and now the likes of Chelsea, Man City all comes up with a bottomless pit of transfer funds.

This didn't happen to the EPL 10-20 years back, so back then we still can use our faith to traumatize our opponents. Now look at us...our bank balance is on a negative now! We can hardly tussle with the likes of Spurs, Villa and even West Ham in the transfer market...we can just hope for free agents or aging, cheap bargain transfers. Back then our $$$ was pretty healthy and we can buy some pretty good players, and there is no yanks to ruin it for us

I dare say Chelsea and Man City just inflate the market and changed the face of EPL for at least this decade. Money talks in this millenia, and money has effected our transfer plans where it has taken away :

Notable Players we missed
1.Gareth Barry - he signed for Man C instead...for $$$
2.David Silva - Rafa wanted him but Valencia want to sell him for loads of cash to Man C
3.David Villa - We almost got him when he was in Zaragoza, but Valencia willing to meet the price and we couldn't
4.Carlos Tevez - We could get him if we can meet the price his agent offer. Heck, he MIGHT even make Masch stay!
5.Sergio Aguero - admits he was cheering for Liverpool back then, and likes Liverpool but due to the interest from Chelsea and all...his price shot up to the roof and it is now out of reach for us

Missed Players that MIGHT make a difference
1. Ruud Van Nistelrooy - wages too high
2. Gabriel Heinze - Fergie didn't want to sell him to us, but I think with the right $$ we can get him
3. Simao - Rafa failed to get him season after season because of the tight transfer kitty
4. Micheal Owen - We could have got him back after Madrid wanted to sell him...but we were outbid by Newcastle, and now he's in Man Utd

I'm sure there are many other quality players that we may possibly have, but this is what that I have in mind now.

I just hope in the future, LFC have enough cash to get the players they wanted...we don't need to be like Man C of Chelsea who buys and tries all possible prospective big names and sell them the season after if they aren't good enough.

This post has been edited by kazuki85: Aug 25 2010, 10:38 AM

Talk about our stadium....sigh....we are like 2 years behind schedule. Imagine how much $$$ we can rake up from tickets, advertising banners, sponsors, Stadium naming rights, etc. Who knows that we might sign more quality players back then.

Damn you Yanks!

This post has been edited by kazuki85: Aug 25 2010, 10:59 AM

Dude chill, I'm not blasting anyone here. I'm just comparing the financial situation and spending power of your Chelsea club, Man C and us.

This post has been edited by kazuki85: Aug 25 2010, 11:16 AM

Fair Play. You guys didn't spend huge for the past season or two, unlike earlier when Roman first came in. Probably because the spine and teamwork of your team is already there (Drogba, Lampard, Terry, Cole, Cech).

But for Man City, their owners just want to get started. Even Mourinho admits the rich Real Madrid lost their bid to get Kolarov, which is too expensive and not worth it for him. Man City offering players too much $$ that any player's agents will turn their heads to them if there is an offer on the table. This makes the price of players whom they are interested in automatically shoots all the way up to the roof and rendering the other poorer/medium teams unable to meet the transfer price.

As mentioned earlier, remember how we lost out on Barry, Silva and possibly Tevez to them. Sorry to Keane fans, but if we we're to get Barry, the Liverpool boards wouldn't have force Rafa to get Robbie Keane. Rafa did drop hints about "I asked for a table but they give me a lamp instead" comments. We're not only negative on cash, but we have bloody blood sucking owners who broke their promise and didn't finish up the stadium, controlled the players and staff transfer of the club (Rafa only got the transfer rights like last season....but sadly it was his last). I personally think HnG deliberately screw Rafa by limiting his funds and pushing him to the exit door due to his constant moaning and complaints.

We lost a good tactical manager, new stadium was 2 years delayed and we are on the brink of administration. Yahya Kirdi, our potential new owner's comments doesn't seem like he is a fan as well, he seem more like a puppet of HnG. Kenny Huang has just pulled out recently, Mascherano is not in a "right frame of mind" to play, Torres has yet to pick up his form, Joe Cole got a harsh red card and missed a penalty last week, and WE DON'T HAVE A PROPER AND FIT LEFTBACK (Insua still looks likely to leave and Aurelio is nowhere near match fit). We're at a pretty low morale right now...so let us moan a bit will ya.

This post has been edited by kazuki85: Aug 25 2010, 11:42 AM

Man City may spend like over 100m now, but I'm sure they will slow down after a few seasons like Chelsea once they settle with a good manager and stick to the spine.

I forsee Tevez, Milner (?), Toure brothers, De Jong (?) and Joe Hart as their future backbone of the team, with plenty of quality in the benches.

Back to topic, I hope Liverpool recovers quickly and sort out the new owners A.S.A.P. If we get a proper owner/s who can at least get the new stadium ready and avoid administration, we might be in for a good recovery.

Back then most of the players were only < 20m price tag so virtually most EPL clubs can get the players they wanted. It just boils down to the player's preference and choice to go to which club they want. It was more competitive and its up to the players to perform and managers to flex out their tactics and put up a good healthy fight.

Time changes and now the new fans are comparing us with big spending clubs, and hating our financial misfortune and losses. I've seen fans blasting LFC in the LFC facebook pages/forums and some even want to walk away. It sure is not easy to ask a new fan to cheer a losing team though...

But i agree with demio, I will keep my faith with LFC always. Touch wood, doesn't matter if we happen to be relegated or what...I will still support them till the very end.

YNWA

This post has been edited by kazuki85: Aug 25 2010, 12:11 PM

Yes I do hope under par players or players who haven't perform yet will step up their game like Babel, N'gog, Maxi Rodriguez, Jovanovic and Joe Cole can find their scoring boots and give us the cutting edge to grind results in the absense of Gerrard and/or Torres.

I feel they are the key to the success of Liverpool this season, for I do not want to put too much burden on Stevie G or Torres to do it themselves....

When Mickey Owen left I also felt that we'd not be the same anymore...but things change and there are more emerging clubs out there who are more attractive than LFC, either by the number of trophies they have, the players/manager in the club or by $$$.

Arsenal too also lost all their players in their 'invinsible' era and they rely heavily on their youths to rebuild the team. Time for our youth and fringe players to buckle up then? The likes of Pacheco, Babel, Wilson, Darby, Kelly, Spearing (?) must step up their game and start by stopping Tranzponsbor in their tracks.

Yes I hope to see a big change in the squad. I hope to see Babel, Ngog and Pacheco start banging in goals more often. Let the young 'uns step up and rely lesser on Torres n Stevie G.

If they can build up their credibility and get a top 5 position in EPL this season, I'm already proud LFC fan.

Dude even if they score 1 also we win by away goal rules la

Unless they score 2...which is almost impossible for the time left

I think Torres, Kuyt, Maxi did OK today. Just that central part of Gerrard, Lucas isn't passing well and closing people enough times. We let them took control of the midfield and wasting away our time...that's why we weren't able to do much in the 1st half. Seems like Gerrard/Lucas didn't link with Torres and the other attacking players well enough.

The ref didn't have the best of days as well, Skrtel's incident, Jovanovic being pulled down using an arm, the obvious hand ball incident, and maybe it's just me..but I felt the red card to Morrison was a little harsh.

Anyways welcome Meireles! Another combatant midfielder who can score some goals as well. That means is Lucas going out now?

Last time I used to defend Lucas and all due to his age...but now I know what's his real problem : INCONSISTENCY. In a big club like LFC who is in a rebuilding process, I feel it is necesarry to get another central midfielder who is more experienced, isn't wasteful on the ball and reacts fast to situations. Roy Hodgson signed Poulsen and now Meireles which both is decently priced and strong midfielders. Lucas should be loaned out to the smaller clubs to get more experience with the other teams or else he won't get much play time here to improve himself....

This post has been edited by kazuki85: Aug 30 2010, 12:58 AM

Llorente did quite well for Spain in the WC, he can hold up play and threaten people with his physicality and height, that's why he is nicknamed the "Spanish Peter Crouch". He may add more dimension in our attacking method.

I hope he comes though. He's young still learning....it's a bargain if we can get him below 15m pounds.

I think the tough and all rounder Raul Meireles is a indirect placement for Aquilani who has been loaned out. Meireles can run into attacking positions and track back/defend in the central midfield...which maybe in Hodgson's eyes is more versatile than the more attack minded, softer and injury prone Aquilani.

Once RH gets a Konchesky and striker, I guess our lineup is solid with some options and better depth than last season...provided our players stay healthy. Plus don't fret so much as Joe Cole is coming back soon...there will be creativity coming right at ya.

After putting Liverpool 2-0 ahead from 12 yards on the stroke of half-time, he fired the ball past debutant Brad Jones as Yakubu prepared to take an Everton spot kick in the second period.

He explained: "I don't score too often, but I actually wanted the first penalty to be for Michael Owen to score - I'd totally forgot people would want me to take it.

"As for the second penalty, I was a big Everton fan as a kid and always wanted to score a goal for them, so I've done that as well now and I was pleased with it."

Source

Carragher himself confirmed that he was an Everton fan..and the penalty was probably setup by him and the ref

You can see both Brad Jones and the ref smiling all the way. Carra did achieve his childhood dream of scoring for Everton afterall.

Plus I heard that some part of the crowd was boo-ing Owen in the beginning...but after the game progresses the boos slowly disappeared. I still hope the fans forgive him for his decision...and remember all the good things he done for us before.

I'm not the one who hold grudges for those players who left the club in a not-so-nice way, like Owen, Masch or even Riera. They've gotten results for us and they have been a good servant for the club when they are in top form. YNWA.

This post has been edited by kazuki85: Sep 6 2010, 11:15 AM

Poulsen and Lucas shouldn't play again together in midfield! They are the same type of players...steady, back passes a lot and slowing down play. We only need one of them in any team, not two.

It should be Meireles and Poulsen/Lucas instead, or drop Gerrard back in the middle and play Babel/N'gog with Torres...I know both Poulsen & Lucas provides stability and possession in the middle, but we're suppose to bomb forward and start being more offensive.

This post has been edited by kazuki85: Sep 13 2010, 09:30 AM

On the other hand, Konchesky and Raul Meireles did pretty well when he come on...an all rounder midfielder like him is very welcomed in the rough and tough BPL, especially us!

More on Raul Meireles from a Portugese Journalist :

Source

This post has been edited by kazuki85: Sep 13 2010, 09:39 AM

Thanks bart. He's got a point here, we have rather difficult matches earlier in the season which isn't kind to our new managers and players cause they need time to settle down especially after a tiring World Cup. Most important is to rack up as much points as we can, you can't expect our rebuilding phase Liverpool to come out with many wins away from home.

And about our scrappy 1-0 win against WBA, its ok. I remember Man U's title winning season 2 years ago when we got 2nd, they was pretty scrappy as well. They were outplayed in a quite a number of matches but they manage to scrap a 1-0 or 2-1 victory against lesser teams. Whereas us, we dominated quite a lot of matches, but still come out short in the end. I'm happy not to lose to Birmingham the 2nd best defensive team in the league and let's move on and try to kick their butts when they come over to Anfield.

We drew with potential title contenders Arsenal, lose to moneybags Man City who have a great record at home, won WBA at home for 3 points, drew away to Birmingham who has the 2nd best defensive record at home whole of last season where they haven't lose for almost a year.

Not too bad I suppose...

The problem is...Aurelio is barely fit for playing at least 5 matches in a row! He's always having problem after that...

Plus with Konchesky's good debut at St. Andrews, RH will stick to him for the time being.

Yes Alonso and Arbeloa is very grateful to Liverpool for turning them into what they are today...I think if Madrid decided to sell either of them and Liverpool came back for them, they wouldn't hesitate to resign for us.