Big Red Machine

Make an offer for loan with option to buy. See the Italians like it for a change.

Yeah have to think it's no go now. Clubs will want a premium if they've got no time for a replacement

I think it's being unable to accept times have changed. Back 5, 6,7 years ago we had an edge in our analytics that let us find value in great players and a manager that could get the best out of them. Our hit rate with singings was pretty mental when you look back at it, and it had to be for us to stand a chance. City could spunk 50m on full backs every summer, but we couldn't. Then obviously clubs developed their own and caught up. Now it's a level playing field in that regard but we're behind on willingness to spend on fees and wages, and the decision makers haven't woken up to the new reality, instead just whinge that there's no value in the market and convince themselves that they're so clever and brave for not "overpaying". While the team stagnates and doesn't achieve the success that a small amount of extra money could have brought.

The whole waiting thing is b******s anyways, because it means we still need someone either in January or next summer. So find who that is and buy them now. Deciding VVD is worth waiting 4/5 months for isn't the same as just giving up and saying "Oh well someone might pop up next July, its going to be so brave for us to wait"

God is there anything more infuriating then the constant briefing thst not signing players is "brave" Like we did such a good job wasting 2 years under Klopp being so brave going into one season short in CBs and another short in midfield. So brave. So amazing. So worthwhile.

I wonder is FSG even care enough to give us an open letter this time around

How long did Clark have on his contract? Just seems a weird one not to loan him out for a year. Don't see how his value could have gone down and it potentially could have shot up.

Sky are saying £25m+5m for VDB from Brentford. Thats pretty mental.

£25m for VDB is mental if he really goes for that. Makes not singing new players even more frustrating as we've brought in good money.

It's arrogance beyond belief that there's only 1 midfielder on the planet available that would improve us. We've got a fundamental problem with the owners and the people they've put in charge that they always think they're the smartest people in the game.

Good video on tactics we've used in pre season so far.

I mean you could play devil's advocate and say teams don't sit back against Newcastle the way they do against us, so he has more space and time to play.

Barca are completely skint aren't they? They can't even register Olmo yet. Can't see them getting an offer together we'd accept

I think most of assumed Ali would be our number one for at least the next 3 years. So it's a bit of a s***trr that it looks like he may be of next summer.

When Edwards was, himself, director of football one of his big strengths was succession planning, which enabled Liverpool to have a signing in through the door before a void needed filling. Some balls briefing that about yourself when it's blatantly false. Our squad planning has been awful for years and years. Has there been a single season were we didn't have atleast one big hole in the squad?

Think without the 2 terrible seasons we had Klopp would still be here. And we had those 2 season because FSGs transfer policy was bonkers. Still is.

Thought selling Endo even when bringing in a 6 was a mistake in terms of depth. Would be even crazier to do without an actual replacement. Have a feeling he'll stay and within a month he'll be back starting and be boss.

I've watched nothing of pre season apart from goal highlights. What system have we been playing?

The problem with doing a mass sell off our youth players is the long term effects. We've had multiple highly rated youngster specifically chose to come to us over others because we have a reputation of giving youngster a path to first team. There's a balance between selling off a couple of young player every year to make profit (like City do), and a mass clear out which we seem to aiming for this summer.

Players like Mane and Salah don't really exist though. How many wide forwards have ever got the numbers they have in the EPL?

I thought Diaz was gonna be a star and he started last season really well but then never really clicked. His injuries were massive though.

Reckon it'll depend on how much he tries to force a move.

Was all on the drip though. Zero upfront, the rest over 5 years, stupid bonus criteria etc Same reason they couldn't pay Williams release clause, they've got no money to spend now.

Given Konates injury record we should be trying to buy someone as good if not better. Replacing first team starters with better and/or more consistent players and relegating the previous starter to more of a squad role is what we should be doing every summer.