DJS

Just so I know I'm not being blind here - there's no mention of Ticketmaster on the LFC link, is there?

It's not just gonna be one though, is it? Suarez and probably Sterling, in consecutive seasons. Do you think that paints a good picture? Especially when said players are irreplaceable or aren't replaced properly. It's not what a top club does. Why haven't City sold Aguero or Silva? Or Chelsea Hazard? It's not assumption that selling your best players doesn't help you win titles, nor that it doesn't send the right message. I'm not draining it to the dregs, I'm saying what I fear and what could happen. We've consistently missed out on numerous transfer targets recently and we've begun what COULD be a trend of consistently selling top players. I hope you're right and there's nothing to worry about but the evidence doesn't suggest we can/will buy the top level of player and it's beginning to suggest they we can't keep them either.

Suarez last season, Sterling this summer, maybe Coutinho next? Really sends a message about our ambition, that does!

The problem is, buying players and then selling them when they reach a certain peak, isn't really conducive to trying to challenge for league titles. We've all laughed at Arsenal for selling their top players over the years. Don't think we are in a position to laugh anymore.

The point about wages isn't to do with Sterling, I meant we don't pay good enough wages to get top players. Consequently, we only challenge for the title once in a blue moon and we don't compete in the CL, other than also once a decade maybe. Players want to play in the CL and we're neither in it that often, nor are we signing the top players that could suggest we'll start qualifying for it regularly. Sterling thinks he could get a move to a club that is in the CL often, and I think he could too. So he wants out. It's really that simple.

You, as a fan who has gotten used to supporting a club which hasn't looked like challenging for the title and is usually not in the CL, think we are on the up. To a player, who is probably likely to have an option to move to a club which challenges for the title every year or is in the CL every year, thinks there's a difference between our version of 'on the up' and what else might be available to him. It's not that complicated to see the difference.

Playing devil's advocate, I'd say it takes more than a 'decent ' amount and that we've just sold one of the best players to ever play for the club. Furthermore, after nearly winning the title, we're very likely to not be in the CL next season. Anyone can spin things how they want, but the fact is we're not consistently in the CL and have a title challenge once a decade, if that. Compare that to a player's chances of success and CL football at clubs like City, Arsenal and Chelsea. Being honest, you could say we're a perennial also-ran, rather than a genuine contender most seasons. Bingo. Whatever else can be said Begbie, we are usually not in the CL and top players want to be. That's the long and short of it mate. Sometimes you can bridge that gap with some players, by paying them big wages. We don't really do that either.

Where have you heard that? Didn't see any mention of ticketmaster here: http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/announcements/potential-fa-cup-semi-final-ticket-details

Wow. That's a hell of a statement to make. Ranks up the pressure, very rarely hear a manager say that. Could work for us or we could fail to step up. Personally, I don't think it's must win or even must not lose. Want to win, don't want to lose but whatever outcome, I don't think out top four hopes are gone regardless.

If he just wants to go back to London, why wouldn't he say that? It's easy enough - "my family are all down in London and I want to be closer to my family" - no issues about money, nothing unreasonable and it'd arguably lead to him getting less flak. Who can have a go at someone for wanting to live near their loved ones? I don't think it's about London at all. I think he wants to play for a club that is consistently in the CL and that he considers able to challenge consistently for honours. Our transfer activity doesn't suggest that's us, unfortunately. The two things sit side by side. You pay good money, you get class players. Class players generally help to get into the top four. Keep doing that and you become more attractive to other top players. It's all related.

Sorry, I didn't see the presser, did Brendan actually say it's a must win game?

It's not essentially about Reus or any specific player - more that we don't, as a club, tend to sign 'top quality' or highly coveted players. We sign younger players who haven't reached their peak or aren't really seen as 'top level' players, and hope they develop into it - upon which, we then often sell them. All things combined, it isn't generally the kind of MO that consistently wins/competes for top honours. If Sterling has decided that he wants to play for a side which at least is always in the top four and/or consistently contests top honours, and feels that LFC don't fall into that category, I'd find it hard to disagree with him. And therefore, my frustrations are more about the fact that we don't have that mentality or MO, than aimed at Sterling for (allegedly) maybe wanting out.

I hear Brendan saying that wanting to win trophies and be successful is aligned with what the club wants and that LFC is a 'super power' - none of that correlates with how we do things in the transfer market though. As a club, we need to walk the walk as well as saying it, and I don't think we do that. If it's the case that we're waiting for the stadium development to complete and that'll then enable us to actually BE that super power, then that's fair enough but I'm unconvinced, personally. I think the reality is that we have an ownership group who do want to win, but think it can be done on the cheap. Sadly there's no evidence to support that theory and I don't think it's possible, certainly not sustainable over a period of time at least, to be successful at the highest level, without spending big money.

If our owners were the sort who'd go and get players like Reus, I doubt Sterling would even be thinking about where his future lies in the first place. The fact that we don't sign players like Reus, is the crux of the issue IMO.

Imagine if it turns out to be an April Fool's joke.

All the repeated mentioning of 'my dreams and ambitions' are sending a very obvious message - added to by the 'I would've signed last season when we were going for the title' bit - he wants to be challenging for top honours on a consistent basis. Don't want him to go but what's wrong with being ambitious & wanting to win things? That's what I want the club to do as well. If Sterling ends up going, as I think he will this summer, the more accusing fingers need to be pointed at the reasons why his ambitions couldn't be fulfilled at LFC. And being very simplistic here, but it rests squarely at the idea that the clubs seems to have that it can try and succeed but without spending the money that it normally takes to do so.

He's posted this on Twitter in the last 45 minutes... @sterling31: If you want to know me listen to this song tells you everything about me... https://www.youtube.com/embed/tlnMVb2XVVk

Much as we obviously want to win, even a defeat here and the gap going to 8 points still doesn't kill our top four hopes. Normally, 8 points behind with 7 games left would signal the end but the following two games see United playing City & Chelsea. So it could go to 8 and then very quickly go back to 2 points. Having said that, if we beat Blackburn, our game vs Hull will get postponed so we wouldn't theoretically be able to reduce the gap to 2 points on the weekend of 18th April, as we would've hoped.

Kovacic

Can't rely on his fitness whatsoever. New first choice striker needs to be bought this summer. Sturridge is a crock, unfortunately.

Well Sturridge is out for a month (again) so Sterling likely to go back upfront. How's that for a tweak?

Completely conclusive, that is... We should just foreit the last 8 games.

Yes but you need to take into account the order of the games. They have City, Chelsea away & Everton away consecutively, whilst our corresponding games are Newcastle h, Hull a (notwithstanding FA Cup semi final) & West Brom a. Even if we lose to Arsenal & the gap goes to 8 points, it could easily swing back to just 2 or 3 within the next two league games. And if the gap gets that small, even United's 'easy' games will get tricky, as they'll be under pressure. Whilst seeing the gap increase isn't good, there's significant scope for it to be reduced again very quickly. This ain't done yet. We have to keep our heads up & keep believing.

Loads of people seem to have given up on top 4 now. If United lose to City & Chelsea, very possible, and we're either back breathing down their necks or ahead of them, it's suddenly on again. They're by no means safe and neither are Arsenal or City. Can't get my head around thinking it's all over. Not yet anyway, still plenty to play for. The complete swing in optimism, should we actually claw out a win from the Emirates, will be monumental

Penalty for Spurs. Leicester defender in idiot shocker. Kane scores.