Liverpool are doing some brilliant business this summer; this could be one of the best windows ever from Premier League champions.
Send your thoughts on all subjects – including the enduring lure of Man Utd – to theeditor@football365.com
Liverpool done some fine business
While it pains me to say it, the noises from Liverpool regarding signings are very exciting and quite a change to recent years. Since Sir Alex hung up his boot kicking boots, I can’t really recall another manager or club winning the league and then properly capitalising on that success. Haaland maybe, but that was long planned.
United of old used to win, then cut out what wasn’t quite up to the very high standards and replace it with best in class. Not always, of course; there was more than one Djemba Djemba. But the idea of Liverpool replacing Trent with Frimpong and bringing in Wirtz among others is exactly what you love to see as a fan.
And as a rival – historically, anyway – it pains me to see such sense from that lot. On the positive side, Arsenal may have felt they were close this year; if Liverpool do make those signings, it won’t be close next.
Badwolf
MORE ON LIVERPOOL’S BIG SUMMER FROM F365:
👉 Wirtz next? Ten greatest signings by Premier League champions obviously dominated by Manchester United
👉 Liverpool can easily make top five first transfer windows for Premier League champions this century
👉 Florian Wirtz to Liverpool next? Van Dijk tops ranking of all 17 £70m-plus Premier League signings
Liverpool, gentlemen and pirates
Matt Stead writes a thoughtful and insightful article on Caoimhin Kelleher’s cut price transfer to Bournemouth (Brentford – Ed) and the reasons for same: possibly as a result of previous good relationships between the clubs and possibly as a 4D chess move to keep Leverkusen sweet on the Wirtz deal by releasing Flekken into their possession.
Besides now wanting Matt to sit down another writer on the Football365 staff (who I won’t name) and teach him basic journalism, a phrase came to mind which I think reflects Liverpool’s current approach to transfer dealings.
When dealing with others Otto Von Bismarck used the maxim “with a gentleman a gentleman and a half, with a pirate a pirate and a half to guide his behaviour.”
Liverpool appear now to act in the same way enjoying good relationships with clubs such as Bournemouth, Leverkusen and tons lesser extent the Red Bill clubs and Brighton who could be considered “trading partners” to use the modern parlance.
Conversely Liverpool take a dim view of predator owl clubs such as Real who almost certainly tapped up Trent and encouraged him to run down his contract. With such pirates Liverpool are happy to extract the maximum income (witness the 10mil Trent fee) with little regard for maintaining good relationships.
With pirates (morally bankrupt people and clubs) you adapt a pirate plus policy and with gentleman (people and clubs who behave in a morally sound manner) you do the same and more to foster an ongoing relationship.
Almost worth adapting to real life and has in recent years served me well in work and outside.
Dave LFC
Reel in shock as Liverpool fan declares that a great seasonIn my opinion this season has been one of the best in Premier League history. The mid-table teams have all had such a jump in quality that they’re not just taking points off the top teams they’re actually out playing them too.
Now into the summer with no football, luckily I’m moving to Brasil literally tomorrow so hopefully I can take in some football while I wait for….more football to come back.
I genuinely think next season could be the best there has ever been. The gap between middle and top is smaller than it’s ever been and with pretty much everyone improving their squad in the summer it could be superb next year. I’m genuinely excited about Liverpool signings I’ve been a big fan of Wirtz for ages and wanted him to be Salah’s replacement last time we considered selling him.
Despite having no money and no European football, United have made two very good signings already in Cunha and Mbuemo so it’ll be great watching them suddenly turn into 0 goal strikers next year. Arsenal will spend all summer talking about a striker then inevitably sign three more midfielders and a left back and spend all year saying PGMOL and injuries are the reason they won’t win a title.
I think City’s winter signings are actually very good and with a proper pre season and the return of Rodri, they should be an excellent team.
Chelsea are buying…well everyone I think. It seems clearlake water (can’t remember their name) approach is if you can’t sign one good player then sign 6 bad ones instead.
I think the league will be closer and we might even see the end of one club dominations of the Premier League trophy and it might change hands regularly
Either way I’m excited even though I’ll have to stay up until 2am to watch games next season.
Have a great summer yall.
Lee
Biting Stewie on Enrique and Arteta
Ah Stewie, I can imagine your sheer glee when you google “how much does Arteta get paid at Arsenal” and the first result said £15m. Unfortunately, the vast majority of sources quote this around £10m per year. Luis Enrique does earn less, fair enough, but no great chasm that needs emoticons. If we are going to compare their abilities as a head coach, surely it’s fairer to compare their relative experience, no? Or would that not suit your argument given Enrique has managed since 2008, 17 years to Artetas 5? Thought not.
Alas, it’s easy to congratulate the young minnows of Europe isn’t it. What’s that? PSG spend over €650m per year on wages. Oh it’s ok Arsenal spend…oh €381m, less than Chelsea, Man Utd and €70m less than Liverpool.. Luis Enrique has the most expensive squad in Europe?! No your right, He has done more with less…
Surely Arsenal have spent more on transfer fees then? No? PSG have spent over £2 BILLION since 2011 with a net transfer balance of over £1b. Arsenal have spent half and have a net transfer of £280m.
Some things can be true at the same time, Enrique is a great manager who has done great things with this PSG team. They were the best team in Europe this season. They have some incredibly exciting young talents. They are the most expensive team in Europe, by a considerable distance. Them winning the treble isn’t that impressive (their wage budget is over £100m higher than the next highest in Ligue 1).
Rob A (can’t we just say well done without bringing in other managers? Actually no this is Stewie of course he can’t) AFC
…Haven’t been on the site in a while, and after recently pursuing, wondered if Stewie had used the Champions League win for PSG as a stick to beat Arsenal – and lo and behold…
A sportswashing pioneer, a club who has spent 2.3 billion euros on transfers since 2011, with an operating loss of one billion euros. A club who has broken the Ligue Un and been instrumental in the collapse of the TV deal due to their sheer financial supremacy over the rest of the league rendering it a damp squib.
Managed by a (now double) treble winning manager*, who has spent a bit under €700 million assembling his young side in just two years in charge – which is not far off the little under €800 million Arteta has spent during his tenure.
This is not to say Arsenal’s season has been a picnic – although I believe myself and Stewie will always have contrasting opinions on what constitutes as a successful/fun/enjoyable approach to football/our free time – but to suggest that PSG finally winning the Champions League is a reason Arsenal are shite is just absolute lunacy!
Although I’m spending my free time replying to it, so, what does that say about me?
Neill, (*Lee, you need to widen your circles, mate; Enrique has rightly been considered one of the best coaches around for donkey’s. This is just another string in his magical bow)
Looking on the bright side
In response to David Williams, and his request for some positivity, as a West Ham fan I feel I can help out here.
The season is over.
Uncle Albert
His name is Rio and…
The only time you should mention the word Rio is when enjoying that Macarena song. To think about Rio ‘I am a stud’ Ferdinand is an abomination, using up memory space for no good reason.
Please let it be the last time we give this guy space to ruin football.
Jamo, Nairobi (good player though)
To Mike and BlueBaz…
Why don’t you both meet up for a pint and cry about Spurs some more (assuming you’re old enough to do so)?
Dan Mallerman