Summer Transfer Window 2014

[Tes]

No idea how true it is but but I've seen a few comments from people who went to school with Erin O'Neill, his fiancee, and apparently she's just the sort to have refused to live in Sunderland permanently. I've no idea about London.

His agent certainly seems to have an inflated view of his client, or he's making excuses.

It certainly seems that he was offered more by both clubs than he's on now, so money wasn't the motivation.

It's a shame Swansea didn't get rid of Boney and come in for Borini. That would have been an interesting one.

He seems set on Inter. Being a model, maybe O'Neill fancies living in Milan to further her modelling career.

He'll end up back in Italy, I'm sure, with the club taking the hit. The club and manager got it wrong signing him in the first place, for the fee they did, then buying Aspas and loaning Borini out. It's been an expensive first transfer all round from the manager.

[the dude abides]

No idea how true it is but but I've seen a few comments from people who went to school with Erin O'Neill, his fiancee, and apparently she's just the sort to have refused to live in Sunderland permanently. I've no idea about London.

His agent certainly seems to have an inflated view of his client, or he's making excuses.

It certainly seems that he was offered more by both clubs than he's on now, so money wasn't the motivation.

It's a shame Swansea didn't get rid of Boney and come in for Borini. That would have been an interesting one.

He seems set on Inter. Being a model, maybe O'Neill fancies living in Milan to further her modelling career.

He'll end up back in Italy, I'm sure, with the club taking the hit.

yes, he (and/or his agent) seems to have an inflated view of his skills level in the premiership.

maybe it is his girlfriend...but why go down to London to speak to QPR - surely he would have known beforehand, the whole package that was on offer.

I always get the vibe that we (the club) are always expected to take the hit.

As you and Edward say, I reckon he will be off to Italy on loan, in the January window.....with us taking the hit, when he leaves for good next summer.

I think he is placing all his eggs in one basket.  A poor run of form in the reserves.....an injury (and he is prone to them), will ruin his wage demands (and our transfer fee).

The lad needs to play football this season - not sit in the reserves.  Sunderland would have been a great move.

[Tes]

yes, he (and/or his agent) seems to have an inflated view of his skills level in the premiership.

maybe it is his girlfriend...but why go down to London to speak to QPR - surely he would have known beforehand, the whole package that was on offer.

I always get the vibe that we (the club) are always expected to take the hit.

As you and Edward say, I reckon he will be off to Italy on loan, in the January window.....with us taking the hit, when he leaves for good next summer.

I think he is placing all his eggs in one basket.  A poor run of form in the reserves.....an injury (and he is prone to them), will ruin his wage demands (and our transfer fee).

The lad needs to play football this season - not sit in the reserves.  Sunderland would have been a great move.

Dude, you're right, the club always takes the hit. I find it hard to understand how someone can't be satisfied with £1M+ a year salary and be able to do their job (if you even call football a job). Apparently both QPR and Sunderland were offering more than he's on now. I can understand the reluctance over QPR, as even with such an experience PL manager as 'Arry, they've still got a huge job on their hands staying up. Sunderland are a level above. I don't know about it as a place to live but the cost of travel is a drop in the drop in the ocean to footballers and modelling is hardly a 9-5, home every night type of job, so there's got to be options not to have their 'main' home in the area. The fans absolutely took to him last season and it must be great to play in front of such passionate fans. Factor in the extra cash and it's hard to see his reasoning unless he'd made his mind up it was Italy or stay put, but it hardly helps his career or his chances of getting back in the Italian squad.

The only way the club can avoid taking a hit is not to buy the likes of Borini at an inflated price or the the likes of Aspas or the Assaidis of this world in the first place. That takes better scouting, but we've said for a long ass time that that's an area we need huge improvement in.

He could have put himself in the shop window at Sunderland. He could have insisted on a 3 year deal, rather than a four or five, which may have allowed him more chance to move back to Italy if he delivers the goods next season.
He's just in limbo now. Rodgers has shown that if he doesn't fancy the player there's not much else they can do, and his opportunities will be limited and he's now put himself under huge pressure to actually contribute a goal, an assist, win a penalty etc in every match he plays. Just working hard won't be enough.

[Tes]

Loic Remy, still unsure why he is not a Red

http://www.lfcdaytrippers.com/2014/09/07/loic-remy-still-unsure-red/

From the article:

"I did not understand myself. A problem during the medical examination? I do not know. They put it, that must be it," he told the Daily Star.

"Liverpool instead signed Mario Balotelli who coincidentally was in America with his club AC Milan at the same time that Loic Remy was undergoing his medical with the Reds."

This gets stranger and stranger. I can understand Remy saying this if still at QPR. He would want to be 'diplomatic' and play a straight bat at the question so not to jeopardise the move to a bigger club he sort, but now he's at Chelsea, four year contract safely signed, there's no reason to anything other than truthful.

With him bang in form as he showed for France against Spain, and Sturridge getting injured, it would have been perfect timing for the Villa game, and probably easier for Balotelli, still very much getting used to everything, to have partnered Remy than whoever, if anyone, against Villa.

I find it strange that Remy wasn't under the impression there was a question mark over anything in his medical. Surely, at least you'd have thought, the club would keep him right up to date and informed on any such issues. If not him personally, then at least his agent/representative(s).

I think the medical issue was a convenient excuse the club allowed the media to come up with and were happy for them to do so, so they didn't have to reveal the real reasons behind pulling out. I still think it's most likely down to the owners getting cold feet over the heart issue. They have form for this sort of thing with the Redsox, and it's unlikely that they initially knew of it, as I somehow don't see them being the sort to follow "soccer" in general to that level of depth and interest.

Or was Remy not 'marquee enough' whereas the chance of Balotelli became more concrete at the same time so the decision was made to switch target, so the 'online' section of our fans, the ones that FSG are more likely to be acquainted with, could be 'appeased'. Or am I just being 'old and grumpy'? (Inserts little crooked man smilie). 

[Edward224]

Who cares that we didn't get Remy now though? Balotelli is by FAR superior to Remy in every way. So all in all whatever the reason I suspect you may well be right Tes, in the end we get the better player.

We wouldn't have signed both so no reason to theorise what a Balotelli-Remy partnership would have done with Sturridge injured.

[Tes]

We wouldn't have signed both so no reason to theorise what a Balotelli-Remy partnership would have done with Sturridge injured.

What else I'm I to do whilst sat in my corner? 

[Edward224]

I can think of one or two things 

[Tes]

I can think of one or two things 

I'm really not going there. 

[Tes]

From:

Origi shows Liverpool what they’re missing with Lille masterclass

http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/origi-shows-liverpool-theyre-missing-lille-masterclass,61145.html

" The 19-year-old went on to rub salt in Red wounds by scoring once and setting up another as Lille beat Nantes 2-0 to hit the top of the Ligue 1 standings after five games.

In total Origi has bagged two goals and one assist in four appearances for Les Dogues, and his all-action contribution against Nantes was a stark contrast to Balotelli’s lethargy against Villa. "


It's good to see he's developing nicely, and we have his arrival to the club to look forward to next Summer  already.

[Tes]

I'd love Balotelli here and more specifically what Brendan can do with him.

SO SO HAPPY 

Balotelli dirt cheap for £16m. 

Lovren, Markovic and Balotelli are terrible signings. Absolutely terrible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4RjJKxsamQ ??   

[Gurdeep]

It's good to see he's developing nicely, and we have his arrival to the club to look forward to next Summer  already.

Don't worry Tes.  We'll put a stop to all that once Rodgers and his back room staff get a hold of him...haha

[Gurdeep]

pmsl @ post 459.  Tes you naughty ol bugger you

[Tes]

pmsl @ post 459.  Tes you naughty ol bugger you

 

[Tes]

Brendan Rodgers casts doubt on Daniel Sturridge’s future at Liverpool

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/24/brendan-rodgers-daniel-sturridge-liverpool

Whilst the body of the article doesn't exactly back up the headline (surprise, surprise), you get the jist.

[Gurdeep]

Brenda continues to dig himself deeper and deeper into a hole.  3 years on and he's still spouting stuff off in the media. Will he ever learn?