épieur

Because he wants to win things. We know this, he came close to leaving us twice because of it. He's the only player in the team who will have in his mind that he could realistically be playing for the top trophies right now instead of being part of yet another rebuilding job (how many of those has he been through by now?) and most likely yet another season with no CL. Others might have a shot at doing the same, but they would not exactly be coveted the same way if they asked for a transfer and are by no means assured of moving to a top club if they should choose to leave (Reina excepted). I think we did ok, fairly good given the circumstances this window and I am encouraged. We might even have overall strengthened the team. If we finish this season strongly and strengthen properly in the summer, I think we'll be back in the mix next season. But I don't think it looks quite the same for a player like Gerrard. He's looking at this knowing he could be in a better side and knowing he doesn't have years to wait for titles. We're fans, we have no choice but to wait and be optimistic about whatever good comes our way. I don't think he is gonna leave, although if we fail to improve on Hodgson's form he might (I don't see that happening). I am not quite sure where I am going with this, tbh. Just musing a bit on our captain. edit: To Gerrard's credit, he was one of very few who looked like he was actually playing for his manager when Hodgson was still here. Hopefully, Dalglish will know how to get the very best out of him.

Love that picture. Can't wait to see him in action on wednesday (fingers crossed). Think he'll take to this like a duck to water. You can tell he is dead excited about this.

To be honest, I wonder what is going through Gerrard's mind right now. Torres just went and did what he contemplated doing twice. This team is in a worse position now than when he was thinking of jumping ship and he's still here. I know he's to be commended for staying, but as the only other player we have of that quality, just seeing your main sparring partner making a perceived step up to win trophies must be a bit of a kick in the gut. As a club we are in a very delicate place right now. If we don't make the most of the last part of this season, we face irrelevancy on the big scene. Really hope Gerrard mans up to pull out a stormer of a finish to this season. We need to start thinking and feeling like winners again. f*** this, win our next two games and we're in contention for fourth.

Warnock would qualify as properly homegrown though, doesn't he?

can we not confine further Torres talk to the topic in the general football forum? I don't want to hear about this in the lfc room.

No way. Forcing a player to leave AND making him take a paycut to do it? More likely we didn't receive a quite chronological account of events as they developed in all the madness.

Yup. Tell you what though, he must be aching to play right now. He is playing with vastly better players now and Liverpool FC just thought he was worth 35m. That's the kind of confidence you'd otherwise need a Mourinho to install. Please don't screw it up by being a nutter, andy. You too Luis.

Was he pushed into handing in a transfer request too? f***, he is big. I'm having spontaneous Drogba fantasies now. stop it. stop it.

The mail reporting that Obertan has now handed in a transfer request. Think he probably should have timed that a wee bit better.

One was a player we definitely wanted and a necessary marquee signing (f***, I actually 'Carroll' and 'marquee signing' in the same sentence. Didn't see that one coming when I woke up). The other was a punt.

I'm not exactly pissed, but I can understand if Adam is disappointed and feels unfairly treated because I think he was. The way I see it, he is a player we'd be taking a punt at. If he proves himself good enough, fantastic. If only so-so, he falls into the squad ranks and we look to strengthen further in the summer. Offload Poulsen and a midfield of Meireless, Lucas and him could still do with a bigger name thrown into the mix. Which imo is also why we weren't willing to bid more. Hoping for a strengthening of the position but not convinced enough to pay top money.

Anelka would fall into the prodigous youth category and was an obvious talent. Adam might well be good enough for us in the summer, but he is not an obvious talent. He has question marks hanging over him about how much of this is a run of form due to supreme confidence, will he maintain his level and build on it? I think for many, he is seen as just as likely to drop his level significantly once his confidence isn't sky high. In the summer, I think we'll be looking at more obviously talented and better players than him first. He may still be on the shortlist, but right now he is top of it and I don't think he will be again. This was a case of us wanting him to fill a gap in the squad right now and reckoning that could be done for a reasonable amount of money by signing him. And that window of opportunity just closed. Of course, he may finish the season even stronger and stay relevant.

I think they have. He signed for them for 500k. He played a pivotal part in their promotion helped stabilise them in the prem and now they won't release him for less than 28 times that amount. If he were a youth prodigy or something I could udnerstand them holding out, telling him there will be plenty of opportunities later as well. That is far from a given for Adam.

This is key, imo. Fernando did a number on us with this. If we had two weeks to act on this, we could have gone to south america, sounded out Italy and Spain properly (might work better than Redknapp's last minute bids). We needed someone this window. Suarez on his own was never going to be a strong enough reply to losing Torres and we needed a reply for the good of the team right now and for the good our attractiveness as a competitive club in the summer. Carroll was top of the list of the players we could get now so we paid what we had to. And damn the fact that it was Carroll and we overpaid and whether he will live up to it or not. Splashing the cash on him will have signalled to Europe we mean business. That's gonna mean a lot in the summer when we can't lure people in with the prospect of playing with someone like Torres. This is also why we need to win the Europa League. It may not be the level of competition we've grown accustomed to of late but it keeps us alive on the footballing map and right now we need that.

"Liverpool have a long listed of legendary strikers. From Rush, to Fowler, Owen and now Carroll.1" 1One Fernando Torres was allegedly better than all of them bar Rush.

How? Pacecho isn't even getting games right now. Much less someone like Suso. Hammill would add nothing we don't already have.

Ajax must be absolutely fuming. Bet they have their lawyers looking into a way to cancel the deal and re-start negotiations.

he was overrated anyway. FORLAN. I say again, we should be all over him like a fat teenager on a sugarcoated nipple.

We'll probably have to sign him too as chaperone.

Will someone other than his mum please think of Konchesky.

For once, the world 'literally' applies.

they can f*** off. This is our transfer madness. I don't want even one dent in my giddiness.