Davvo

Poor lamb.

They can take as much care as they want, there's nothing they can do and they know it. People with money will always find loopholes. The only way around it is through franchising, and that will never happen. FFP should help to stop things like Portsmouth, and will possibly limit the City's and PSG's of this world, but it wont stop them.

I think we were wrong to let him go to be honest, should have been a loan. Not convinced buying him back is good business mind.

He's looked good at B'Pool to be honest, but so did Charlie. I mean, he's improved out of sight since he first arrived at Blackpool, but still, he'd be be a young risky signing on low wages, rather than a proven player on bigger wages.

Of course. Saying ' I want that player', is not the same as saying 'here's £35M for a pretty much unproven forward' or ' Here's 16M or so for this unproven young English midfielder' or 'Here's £20M for Stewart f***ing Downing, hehe I know it's ok, just take it we're loaded'

That was good of them. To be honest I'm amazed he left before selling him, given the cut he would have got. Must have negotiated something similar for the young lads at Palace.

No. If Villa pay 5 million we get 1.75 million. If we pay 5 million, we get a 1.75 million discount. I don't see how the selling club would be remotely interested who buys him, as they would get the same money. I suppose you could argue that if we paid 6 million, it would give Bpool more cash, and we would still only spend 3.9 million, ie less than other teams, but why on earth would we be that dumb.( Sorry, answer = Karl Oyston,plus the fact we gave him away for nothing in the first place) Balls being as likely as anything quite frankly.

“You never know when new managers go into clubs,” he said. “We will see what happens over the course of the market for us. Hopefully we can get a few in." That is clearly a response to a question about Sturridge, given the context of the piece. Hopefully, Rafa fancies the lad and keeps hold of him, or doesn't and decides to do us a favour and keep hold. None whatsoever, they would trouser the same amount no matter who buys him. Either give us a discount, or pay us a fee, it's the same either way. Just shows how the press like to make s*** up really. As much as I think he's improved hugely since he went there, and I wish we'd loaned him, buying him back just sounds like a really bad idea. He has done well, but that 's no guarantee at Premier League level.

Not every week we weren't, we were very inconsistent. This 'we fell off a cliff on January 1st' nonsense needs addressing quite frankly. KD knew he was gone when DC went , although that was April wasn't it ? The interview with Kelly was as clear as you like, infact I think I said it on here at the time, he knew then his time was up.

Hopefully he stays long enough to help them implode. They're a horrible f***ing club with horrible f***ing fans, I just hope Rafa leaves with some dignity. I think he can do that, with the help of some of the non-English players there. Agent Benitez.

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Have any of the Italian clubs got proper Sugar Daddy's, prepared to burn cash in the form of bogus sponsorship arrangements ? I really don't see how UEFA or whoever can legislate against this aspect, not in a way that would hold up to legal scrutiny. You only need to look at the influence of GAZPROM to see how flimsy UEFA are going to be about this. Clubs need protection, no doubt about that, but UEFA are more concerned with ensuring the money is spread around to more than one league, they don't really care enough to follow this through.

That sounds a million miles from what I've been reading on here. I've seen plenty of concern and caution, but I'm struggling to think of more than one person coming even close to what you're imagining. Think you're having a mare on this one tbh.

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I really wish they'd laminated them.

I think SG can play in a couple of the roles within this system no problem at all. I could understand BR sacrificing Allen's best position to fill in for Lucas, if he was doing it to allow SG to play up off the striker. As he's not, then it seems both SG and Allen are playing roles that don't suit them in this system, and sacrificing SG's attacking completely would be a better fit, freeing up Allen, and allowing SG to run less. Used correctly, Stevie has a lot left in him.

This is pretty much how BR switched to when he sent Shelvey on for Henderson. Prior to that, it was 1 holder (Allen) and 2 roamer/AM hybrid's. That can work if the 2 are both full of energy, mindful of the responsibility to track back and help, and influential in attack. Playing Stevie here is provng a problem for his legs, the crux of the midfield issues I think. This is why, if he wants to play that way, SG is better off as the deepest lying of the 3, where legs are less of an issue. Again, I'd rather see him higher up attacking but that doesn't seem to be on the agenda. When he switches to the system you mention above, like after Shelvey came on, again there is a problem as both Jonjo and SG are better suited to the AM spot, and both are lacking something for the roamer role. That was evident from the 2nd goal YB scored midweek, I don't like how we look with those 2 in the midfield 3.

Playing Gerrard in the front 3 would allow for more opportunities to rest Sterling/Suarez. It would also allow the midfield 3 to press as they are supposed to, something the younger lads have seemed much more adept at, not surprisingly.

I think the reason for playing him that high up was to use his energy to lead the pressing, similar to how Rafa often deployed Momo. It didn't work for me, as like you say he seemed pretty lost. Rodgers ideal, I think, is to have Allen as one of the front 2 CM's, harrying and trying to win the ball back high up the park. If that's the case, and given he's not deploying SG high anyway, I'd be tempted to let SG sit as the deepest of the 3, especially as he's playing him so much he doesn't have the legs for much more, and push Allen to where Henderson was today. In an ideal world, SG would play no more than 90mins per week, and spend those up supporting Luis, but if not then he's better as the deepest. In between is too much for his legs at the moment. In short, I think BR just hasn't got the right combinations/chemistry in the 3 CM's. There has to be a workable unit out of the half dozen players at his disposal, and his use of SG is proving an issue.

The pressing seemed to stop after half a dozen games. It's there occasionally, but seems pretty half arsed, and that was where we were actually creating chances early in the season, winning the ball high up the pitch. Gerrard looks 10 times better with a full week's rest behind him. The International was a pain, and then having to give him 60 or so against YB. I'd have benched him today, saved him for Spurs. The way Swansea play, Sahin and/or Suso would have been more than capable I think.

People always disagree with these. I thought Suso and Sahin for Henderson and Gerrard was what was needed. Gerrard was looking leggy after what, 4 games in 10 days, and we needed a little more craft in the final 3rd.