Alexander Isak will ‘cheat’ with Liverpool like any other ‘greedy’ player unless Newcastle stop being ‘cringey’ and fight back with a World Cup argument.
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Liverpool have holes in their squad and aren’t favouritesIt’s nice when pundits positively assess the bizness LFC have done this summer. (Jason Soutar’s EPL clubs ranked by how, er, ready they are 2 weeks before curtains up)
But i’m not sure i agree that they have “strengthened like no champion has done before.”
On a longer basis (2-5 years), there is no doubt LFC are in a better place: the squad has gotten fresher and younger. LFC were also able to act decisively to secure their main targets, aided in large part by Slot’s showing his mettle and credentials: dark horse winning the league, and more importantly, massive improvement to multiple starters in first 11.
However, the enforced changes at multiple starting positions, also presents an uncertain risk factor. This is a squad in transition. Transition in defence (LB, RB, and CB if in addition Konate leaves). That’s 2/4 or 3/4 of a defence that has played together for a good 7-8 years! (Minus konate) – huge loss of continuity in an area of the squad that does best with continuity.
Besides the 2-3 changes in defence, we’ll also have to bed in new players Hugo and Wirtz. And possibly even a change in system, with Luis Diaz’s departure. That’s a further loss of continuity in squad and system.
For those who argue continuity is overrated: Slot did come in to tweak the system last season, but he didnt have to add new players who would have to learn to get used to each other. Now there are many new players, potentially starters, at 4-6 starting positions , as well as very possibly a change in system due to the new players with different capabilities compared to the ones we replaced.
Not to mention holes at LW (Diaz – starter) and CB (Quansah – reserve) becos we’ve sold but are yet to get replacements.
It was nice to get our first choice targets for once – our pulling power ahead of Real, Bayern, City for Wirtz, and ahead of City for Milos Kerkez.
But our lack of continuity in system, large turnover in starting players, new players who’ll need time to gel, as well as lack of replacements for the departing players… add that all up, i doubt we’re overwhelming favorites for the title.
At the very least, i dont think we’re all set in our preparations until we minimally at least get some depth in our current lacking areas: at LW and CB.
Otherwise, i’m not sure i can stomach us playing our 6th and 7th choice CBs yet again. A miraculous Alisson headed winner against West Brom bailed us out; i’d like it if we dont have to rely on such rare events 😅
Gab YNWA
PS i hope i’ve sufficiently reverse jinxed our chances! Cant wait to see Wirtz in action – hopefully he copes well with the physicality.
READ MORE: Premier League title contenders: Why this is Liverpool’s year
By the horns
In response to SC, Belfast’s ‘correction’ of the young bull analogy, now I’ll correctioner the correction.
In your scenario of a married couple at the bar, Isak (the hot wife) is in fact very very keen. It is the husband (Newcastle) who are holding out for a higher price.
This situation with Pool/Ncastle/Isak is in fact A Dangerous Proposal and Liverpool are Robert Redford. Not a bad thing to be.
To conclude, Isak will leave Newcastle anyway and denying the fact is just cringey. ‘She’ will probably cheat on them, if she hasn’t already.
Dan, Spurs (for my sins) Shout out to Roy. See you Son, you were great
Sadly, as a Newcastle fan, this is just another episode of a greedy footballer having his head turned and unsettled by another club. Liverpool were probably never going to stretch to £150 million when they can attract decent players for much less.
Once again we see a potential “Legend”, showing his true colours and trying to desert the club that has made him. If he goes, he will be hated by Toon fans (especially if it is to another Premiership team), if he stays, he will receive a very mixed reception from the fans who one idolised him.
Ted Wilson.
A football World Cup next year which Isak will be desperate to play in, so if Newcastle stand their ground and don’t sell him to Liverpool or any other club for that matter Isak will have to pull up his black and white socks and get on with it.
The Swedish manager isn’t going to pick someone who isn’t playing never mind performing well
Graeme
To the Geordie nation: it’s still going to happen you know. Probably on deadline day. But happen it will.
Start building the effigies. Save you some time later.
Andy H, Swansea.
MORE ALEXANDER ISAK COVERAGE ON F365
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👉 Newcastle ‘go back in’ to hijack Liverpool deal as Howe ‘holds Isak crisis talks’
Cartel jealousyI don’t believe in the Big 6 cartel which in itself seems to have conflicting objectives with the red cartel despite sharing members. But hearing the harlem globe trotters comparison and describing the rest of the league as fodder does seem a fair criticism. Never put down to conspiracy that which can be explained by incompetence but it does seem broken.
To see my Liverpool, a team historically on the wrong side of buying their success, trying to drop quarter bill on two players does seem odd. Even last year they couldn’t buy Caicedo ahead of Chelsea. This save and spunk, or farming of pure profit youth players just seems unsavoury.
City and Chelsea need their fines and point deductions, otherwise PSR is a joke. Chelsea got effectively a 500m PSR credit when they got sanctioned and a sale forced through as Abramovics shareholder loans were written off. That’s before their Clearlake funded PSR busting splurge. Everyone else should get a £500m PSR credit. That should solve the handicap of the starting positions of PSR.
As for Newcastle’s location being a drawback when signing new players, why don’t they have their training ground in Portugal or Saudi and fly the players in for games? Is there any requirement for them to actually have the players live in the north east?
Newcastle’s problem seems to be that they have canned their leadership team and they have no actual strategy beyond being better than the Ashley regime. Being the Prems version of Dortmund is a better position that they have now and is at least a medium term strategy. Half that stuff doesn’t count towards PSR anyway. Where is their new training ground, or 500 prospects on loan? Where is the new ridonkulous hospitality stand or the multipurpose event schedule?
Trouble is Newcastle got into the Champions League but so did everyone else. Its not a USP so it’s not enough to attract or retain players over the clubs they want to over take.
Newcastle fans aren’t upset that there is a Big 6 cartel, they are upset that they aren’t in it.
Alex, South London
Joao factorWhile I’m fond of both Cunha and Mbuemo as signings, I can’t help but wonder if bringing in both might not have been the wisest move.
Watching Ugarte struggle against Everton in pre-season brought back all too familiar memories of 24/25 — the man just loves giving the ball away, whether through stray passes or getting caught in possession. It’s not exactly reassuring.
With Casemiro looking off the pace in the Premier League, Bruno limited in this deeper role, Collyer seemingly not fancied by Amorim, and Mainoo being preferred/better suited as a No. 10, we suddenly look very light in central midfield. Again.
Yes, we did look more dynamic going forward against Everton — and that was certainly a major problem last season — but with Mount returning, Amad looking lively, and both Bruno and Mainoo capable of playing advanced roles, I can’t help but feel we could’ve got by with just one new No. 10 while focusing our spending on the engine room.
And really, how we didn’t go in for Palhinha is beyond me.
Should be better than last season. But probably not enough to trouble the top six.
— Chris, Stourbridge
Ok i’ll bite. There’s something ironic (but unsurprisingly arrogant) about a Man U fan telling another club that they have been poorly run and shouldn’t be whingeing.
Your club has been and continues to be incredibly poorly run. If you’re stating garnacho mainoo and collyer as examples of a great youth system (2 of which you want to sell) and 2 of the other 4 who you have sold you sold for a tiny % of their latest transfer fee/value, then that sums up your club really (and rashford a 100m player 2 years ago whose value your managers have decimated). Either rubbish at producing players good enough for your first team or failing to identify them when they are good enough.
Oh and the glazers didnt invest in your training ground or stadium over a 20 year period despite this not counting towards PSR. And you finished 15th vs Newcastles 5th…
“maybe turn that reflection inward and ask why it is your club isn’t producing the very best of the best”
rojapy
Sonny’s goodbyeTen years is a long time in sport – especially one such as football. Few players stay at one club for so long, and fewer still get to leave having hoisted aloft the clubs first trophy in almost a generation, and their own very first club trophy.
So it’s the right time to move on….probably.
But it’s difficult as a fan who’s been fortunate enough to have seen him in person more times than I can remember. A player the like of which feels fewer and farther between – a smile on their face, capable of doing things which leaves the crowd, and team mates (and opponents) with jaws left open. The trend for more robotic, functional footballers led by data and metrics, mean these types of players have been tossed aside, or had their spirits broken (Grealish).
He’ll be incredible in LA and deserves to have his semi-retirement in the MLS.
I’ll just miss him, and millions of other football fans will too.
Dan
Salary cap > abolishing transfer fees
I loved John Nicholson’s article on abolishing transfer fees; they are absurd and more than a little gross. However, when he says “I don’t see how anything would change” I think he’s being both deliberately naïve and unambitious.
The obvious thing that would change is the best/most in form players would flock to the richest and most historically successful clubs. As a quick example, in Australia the “elite” universities charge the same as all the others due to legislation, but they attract the top students because of their name and history; I can assure you the education they provide is not any better than the others. Now it’s a self-fulfilling cycle: the best students go these institutions, get a piece of paper with an “elite” name and get jobs because that paper. The other unis can’t break that cycle.
Back to the football: yes, this movement already happens – but now it would be without any sort of benefit to the clubs they leave and without any sort of jeopardy as they could be let go after one year. The “big” clubs would have even more of a competitive advantage, locking out all other clubs forever more.
All of the above is to say, be more ambitious John. Scrap the transfer fees if you want but we need to salary cap the biggest leagues if you really want change.
Ziggy
Crazy suggestionsSomething that feels very much an off-season topic has been noodling around in my mind and I thought I’d share. Especially as I am fed up with talking about Isak and PSR.
I think most people would agree that the league format is generally fair with everybody playing each other twice, and the prevailing wisdom is that the best team wins which is hard to argue with. Having said that, there are obviously things that go on during a season that give an advantage or disadvantage to one team or another. Referee/VAR mistakes as well as the ebb and flow of team form.
Some possible examples from last season – playing Everton before Moyes returned vs after, playing Villa after a midweek Champions League as opposed to not, playing Brentford at home in the first half of the season or Man City before/after Rodri was crocked.
Again, the prevailing wisdom is that these things even themselves out over the course of a season. Anyone who knows any statistics would be aware that it is highly unlikely that things will exactly even out over a season. If there is no systematic bias, then things will tend to even out over many seasons, but within a single season it is much more likely that some teams have had it easier and some harder.
I postulate that this is an argument for having some sort of potential playoffs at the end of a season to determine the champion. Maybe living in the US is affecting me but the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. I’m not suggesting play-offs every year, you would have some sort of threshold. Perhaps teams finishing within 3 points of top of the table go into the playoffs. I’d also limit to a maximum of 4 teams. I would also like to weight this in favour of the team in first place.
My suggestion is if there are 2 teams involved; they play a one-off decider at the home of the 1st place team. If there are 3 teams, 3rd plays 2nd at the home of 2nd and then the winner plays 1st at their home.
Ozzy AFC DC
Root mathsI know this website was championing Chloe Kelly for SPOTY for scoring a couple of penalties.
Sorry to say that it’ll be going to one Sir Joe Root.
Adam