Liverpool Thread - Premier League Champions* 2019/20 (Part 2)

The mental hoops people will jump through to try and justify why they couldn't win. Keep them coming!

Nah. Of course a player is going to pick Liverpool over Basel but Liverpool would pay their players way more. If Liverpool offered a player as much as he is getting at Basel then they would probably stay at Basel.

My original point was just that Basel have a huge number of competitive advantages compared to Liverpool.

I don't think it's a weird argument at all. CL games are a massive pull for any player as it increases their worth to their sponsors and increases their chance of endorsements. The Spurs reference regarded 2-3 players we tried to buy the season Spurs did make the CL. The common factor of choosing Spurs over 'Pool was CL Football.

As a LFC fan it's hard to say BUT we actually don't have the pull of the top English clubs as we used to. Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelski will be a 1st choice for players moving to England with Pool, Spurs and Everton the next tier down. 

Why would a player choose poor little Basel over cash rich LFC?

• 17 league titles including a current run of wins in 04, 05, 08, 11, 12, 13, 14
• They have made CL or Europa for the past 10 seasons on the trot

And Liverpool play in the Premier League, which beats everything else that comes with playing in the Swiss league. Let's not try and invent reasons for why you shouldn't be able to beat Basel.

I'm not inventing reasons, we should have beaten them, especially at Anfield but I also think people underestimate how good a team they are. Sure, they are one of only 2-3 decent teams in Switzerland but that's no different from Benfica, Porto, Galatasary etc in their respective leagues.

Take note of some of these decent results vs Premiership teams though...just 2 losses, both to Chelski in the 12/13 EL semis. They got a win or draw in 80% of matches in that period against 'BIG' Premiership teams 

2014/15 - Drew with LFC 1 - 1 and beat LFC 1 - 0

2013/14 - Beat Chelsea 1 - 0 and 2 - 1

2012/13 - Drew with Spurs twice and knocked them out out EL

2011/12 - Drew 3 - 3 with United and beat United 2 - 1 

But nah, they're rubbish, just play in the Swiss League. Get a grip.

Clearly they are not rubbish but you have effectively said that players would choose to go there over Liverpool. They wouldn't.

So we come back to this statement.

Are you seriously, honestly, 100% claiming that if you offer a player identical contract terms to play for either Basel or Liverpool, you think he's going to pick Basel?

Dude this is getting silly.

Nobody said Basel were rubbish at all either, you're creating strawmen now in desperation. Liverpool are just obviously a higher profile and more famous club around the world, and 99% of players would choose them any day of the week over Basel, no matter their success. 

I'm going to slink out of this thread now, apologies to the other Liverpool fans putting up with this weird argument!

Basel apparently generate just 36 million pounds in revenue a year whereas for Liverpool it is 260 million pounds. I think that indicates along with Basel's results that some very good players are willing to stay in Basel for less money than they would get elsewhere. Liverpool's squad is currently far superior to Basel's but only because they pay their players more. Most players would pick Basel over Liverpool if the money was the same. Playing in a nice city, with Champions league football, at a lower intensity would be enough to counter Liverpool's fame for most non-English players.

So true. Who the hell wants to live in Liverpool?

I'm going to miss Liverpool TV on Sommet Sport now that Sommet have gone bust.

I thought it was the best club channel of the ones broadcast here on Sky and Sommet. 

The commentators weren't irritatingly biased as they are on Man United TV and Chelsea TV on Sky.

And had some good extra features in the three hour broadcast time.

I was going to ditch Sky Sport soon and watch the Phoenix games at my parents' since I usually do that anyway.

So I was going to rely on Sommet and TV One for my Premier League fix.

Darn....

Dude. Dude. Dude.

Unfortunately your black and white formula that apparently applies to 99% of footballers might be a touch off the mark.

No desperation at all and I stand by my theme that it's not a given that LFC should have beaten Basel and this is a case where money isn't the largest factor at play. 

if you knew anything about Basel, about their history, about the city or the country you would see it's an insanely brilliant lifestyle and also a team that wins trophies hand over fist. The football world does not just revolve around the Prem, Serie A, Bund. and La Liga.

Top level football players don't go somewhere for lower intensity football. They want to be the best. That's how they get to these levels.

I maintain right here right now that if you offer every single current Basel player the same contract at Liverpool, 99% of them would take it in a heartbeat. Having Liverpool on your cv is going to be better for your career regardless of anything else. Yes they will get paid more anyway, and their agents would laugh at them accepting the same terms and get it increased, but the point still stands.

I should've left when I said I was but this is honestly ridiculous stuff being spouted round here.

But this was not your theme. Go back and read the words you wrote. Your theme was that Basel is a more attractive club for potential signings than Liverpool.

Played for LFC - played in 6 CL games, came 2nd last year and also a League Cup a few years ago.

Played for Basel FC - won the league for the last 5 years, won the Swiss Cup several times and I've also played about 30 Champs League games

Decent CV comparison there...

My comment: Finances yes, but it's relative to the league we're in. Despite a lack of massive names in their team, the are actually chock full of players who have extensive CL football experience and can not only offer players great wages (tax free status) but also guaranteed CL positions which Liverpool can't. 

The main point is that they have huge CL experience and they can hold onto players who may otherwise move on due to guaranteed CL experience. It's arrogant to think "they're Swiss so they're crap" and the best Swiss team should get beaten by the 6th/7th/8th best English team at the moment. 

Basel should get in quick to offer Winston Reid a contract before he signs the Liverpool one IMO.

West Ham saying they will sell him for 20 million if anyone is interested.

20m with 6 months left on his contract and wanting $150k+ wages?

Wow.

Basel don't need him, they still have all of their players due to Champs League :p

But they can still offer CL this season, which Liverpool can't. Plus all the titles, tax free, all but guarantee CL next season, great city etc. :P

I doubt Gerrard will re-sign if Basel is an option. 

Surprised Suarez didn't go there this season ;)

Better off playing for Auckland City than Liverpool too then. Few titles recently, Club World Cup appearances, nicer weather. 

Not allowed opinions on here.  :)

You've had an absolute Lovren these last few pages Leighbo.

Wellington Reds (and all you Manc fans who spend a lot of time on this page)

LFC v MUFC

Come join us at Four Kings

Doors open 1am, kick off 2:30am

Crud...

Well beaten by a pretty average Man Yoo team (De Gea & RvP were excellent) but last year, we would have won this game 4 - 2. 

At a loss to explain the spectacular fall from grace, surely FSG must be losing patience. BR and team could have been forgiven for having a hangover from last season if they were sitting in 5th or 6th and had gotten out of the CL group, but 10th and won 1 from 6 in CL?

I've always defended BR but I'm starting to run out of Brendanism's of my own.

We got dicked by an average Manure. But they had a goalie who is absolutely top class and a striker who knows how to score. We had a third rate keeper and no recognised striker.

Fair play to the Mancs , a 6 goal turn around from last season.

Jr is on holidays now and is absolutely steaming. He's compiled three lists this morning; who he wants to keep , wants to sell and wants to come in.Guess which is the shortest list?

Oh , I've never said this about a "pool manager ( 'cept Woy and he doesn't count) but it is know time for Rodgers to shuffle off. Clearly doesn't know how to get these impostors playing as a team. And from all accounts , he may have lost the dressing room, in particular Gerrard.

I'm not all that angry , this result was very predictable. I think we'll lose in the League Cup as well.

Tell us who is on Jazz Jr's list, he seems to be the authority on such matters around here!

I'm a fan through and through and always try to look at the positives and put a decent spin on things...but I'm struggling. Really struggling.

We could do with some of that Red Sox money!

[/quote]

I'm a fan through and through and always try to look at the positives and put a decent spin on things...but I'm struggling. Really struggling.

We could do with some of that Red Sox money!

[/quote]

To be honest, I think we'd just throw it away (Sox $).

We appear to be a long way from being competitive right across the park. No quick fix here sadly. Real shame after last season.

Merrrrrrrrrrrr.

In a perfect world...

Keep...

• Gerrard (of course)
• Coutinho
• Henderson
• Sturridge
• Moreno
• Manquillo
• Lallana
• Lucas
• Can
• Suso
• Sterling
• Flanagan
• Sakho

Lose...

• Jones
• Mingolet
• Johnson
• Skrtel
• Lovren
• Balotelli
• Allen
• Borini

Bring back from loan...

• Ilori
• Ibe
• Wisdom
• Teixeria
• Alberto

Buy...hahahaha

• Messi
• Ronaldo
• Neuer
• Bale
• Neymar
• Suarez

You forgot Markovic who needs exterminating.

I have been pondering the whole Stevie G thing. I wonder if we would be better to let him go now.

I reckon other players look to him to create something (ie vs Basle) and as a result maybe don't take the initiative themselves. I seem to remember when he was last injured players like Henderson and Allen contributed a lot more.

I would be gutted to see him play for another EPL team but imagine he would head over to MLS or something like that. 

Stevie would agree that no one person is bigger than the team. I'd like to see both Stevie and Carra involved together behind the scenes at the club in the future. Last season was his big chance and the way this season has started, he'll now know that Premiership title will always elude him which is a massive shame. I reckon he'd give up the CL Trophy from '05 for the Premiership mug.

Whispers of player unrest...Rodgers now defending them. Smoke/Fire and all that......

Step 1....... that.

Step 2, Rodgers has the full support of the board.

Step 3, gooooone.

The dreaded vote of confidence from the board! Usually means gone by lunch time.