timeEd32

I saw someone on a social platform share an “Eddie in or out?” question. I tallied every reply: - 46 in (most scoffing at the fact it’s being asked) - 1 out - 1 undecided Small sample, but I expected worse honestly. Happy to see that.

That’s fair and I agree. I’d love us to take this opportunity to combine a data led DoF with Howe’s abilities. I think the result, if they blended well, could be outstanding. But whether it’s data, old school scouting, or astrology signs it’s hard for me to say we strayed too far from a big part of Liverpool’s approach with the following: Trippier (value, experience), Bruno (value, elite), Pope (value, distressed, experience) Botman (value, potential), Isak (distressed, elite), Gordon (distressed, value), and Tino (distressed, potential). (I’d include Barnes but someone will likely nitpick.) The problems are our starting point, our revenue, and lack of salable assets, which leaves us with zero wiggle room, remaining gaps, and greatly magnifies any miss.

Let's look at that (going to start in 2015 since Edwards was technical director then and it includes a key signing): (Sold Suarez in 2014 for big money) 2015 Benteke - big fee for a PL striker Firmino - big fee for a 23 year old from Germany off one good season Clyne - moderate fee from PL Milner - free transfer; £140k/wk Other signings: Ings, Gomez, Awoniyi, Sold: Sterling for one of the biggest fees ever at that point 2016 Mane - Big fee for a player who spent two years at a smaller PL club Wijnaldum - Big fee for one of the best players at a relegated club Matip - Free transfer; £100k/wk Sold: Benteke, recouping 75% of the fee, and good fees for Ibe and Allen 2017 van Dijk - Record fee for a proven PL defender Salah - Club record fee (until van Dijk later that summer) Robertson - PL experience from a relegated club Other signings: Big money on Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke on a U21 free Sold: Coutinho for a British record fee; Sakho for big money 2018 Alisson - Most expensive GK of all time Keita - Massive fee Fabinho - Big fee Other signings: Shaqiri Sold: Solanke and Danny Ward for decent money 2019 Basically nothing Sold: Made a decent profit on Ings 2020 Jota - Big fee for a PL player Thiago - 29 year old from Bayern Tsimikas - Cheap Sold: Lovren for not much 2021 Diaz - Big fee Konate - Decent fee Sold: Harry Wilson and Awoniyi for cheap (which doesn't look great at the moment) --------------------------- Their early business shares two characteristics that ours has: Premier League experience √ Targeting relegated players √ They did dabble in the free transfer market, but should be noted that the wages (particularly Milner) were significant. They made a big mistake (Benteke), but were able to get out of it by recouping most of their money a year later. What they had, that we haven't had a chance of having, is massive money coming in every summer. Suarez > Sterling > Benteke redo > Coutinho. This allowed them to break their transfer fee record (and world records) multiple times for the likes of Salah, van Dijk, and Alisson (and they got them all right). I'm not trying to discount what they did - it's obviously excellent (though also not perfect) - but I don't really look at that and see a process that makes me feel like we're missing some big trick. If that's a blueprint worth following then I'd argue we've followed a couple of the core tenets.

Yeah, live event prices since Covid have gone to another level.

Because there's a narrative that Eddie only likes 'big, fast, can run' types.

I imagine the PL wants to avoid that scenario at all costs. Relegating someone after the fact would be a disaster. Now that the appeal is done I'd think they'll use that as a benchmark to quickly announce Everton's 2nd and Forest's punishments.

I like the idea of a young, versatile forward but if that is one of three top priorities I hope it's more like a 'a RW with the ability to play across the front three.'

So presumably they end up with something similar again (ie another 6 points)? That would currently put them 18th on 19 points, one behind Luton. But if Forest get similar then they'd be 18th. Going to be messy at the bottom.

My god, the prices for this. Arsenal v Liverpool in Philly $325 lower level midfield $150 behind the goals $115-$145 upper level midfield $85 cheapest in the door price That's before fees add another $30-$50 per ticket.

I think you’re partially right. We wouldn’t have fallen off a cliff if Pope had gotten injured in the first game of the season. First it was no Pope + no rotation options + increasingly tired legs. Then it was no Pope + no midfield rotation + no midfield athleticism. But I do think he’s the singular most important player that we’ve missed at any point this season because his absence makes other problems so much worse.

At minimum we need a backup GK that profiles like Pope.

I agree it’s not down to one thing and I think Howe would be the first to admit he bears ultimate responsibility. However, there is one player whose absence coincides perfectly with the collapse of our defensive form beginning at Everton. I think losing Pope at the exact same time the fixtures became too much with our injury situation was the killer one-two punch. And then energy levels pick up a bit, but we lose all athleticism in the midfield.

It was an interview in tandem with the release of our financial accounts. Makes perfect sense it was the CEO. My impression is the only person in the building who may be a bigger fan of Eddie than Eales is Staveley. There’s only one place a change in manager this summer would be coming from.

This feels like an extreme version of the common view that we control our own destiny in every match. We’ve been bad with the ball because they’ve pressed relentlessly, and then we’ve made bad decisions to make it worse.

I think we’ve been overrun more than not trying. Certainly haven’t been good though.

Honestly not sure the team or formation or anything else was going to matter much tonight. This is the aggrieved Arsenal I feared would show up.

I find him much more likable than Dubravka. Would be happy if he shocks us all.

Going to be fun on here when we concede two from set pieces. “Why did Eddie bench Burn here?!?!?!?!”

This isn’t Pardew. There’s no conspiracy here.

This event is being run by an Aussie company.

Arsenal, Liverpool, and Man United doing a "Rivals in Red" US preseason tour and I just gagged: "Arsenal, Liverpool F.C. and Manchester United are the three most successful clubs in English soccer history, boasting over 180 trophies between them. The Rivals in Red Series will be the first time these three clubs have competed together in the U.S."

The biggest thing in our favor is the overlap in the venn diagram of clubs who want/need him, clubs who can afford him, and clubs we'd sell him to is very, very tiny.

Games that could have gone either way mostly falling in our direction was my point. The opposite has happened this season.

The more I dig into the nuances of all FFP related things, the CL expansion and the implications of it, etc. the more annoyed I get at football journalists. There's an opportunity to answer some legitimate questions, shed light on things, almost certainly find gaps and loopholes in the systems, and yet 80% of them would prefer to write fantastical transfer stories and The Athletic is just waxing poetic about how the sky is now a bit bluer at Benton because the parking lot's been resurfaced.

They'll never do this because less games = less money, but scrapping the Conference League and combining all its teams with the EL into one big knockout only tournament would be a far more interesting alternative to the CL.