"Suarez did it in a couple of friendlies"

even more annoying, I was watching the Gerrard charity match and Balo's finishing was aces. right in the corners

But I don't think it's something Sterling should be condemned for.
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Well, I personally haven’t, all I’ve said is that I want him to fvck off, because I’m only interested in the club, and I think he’s becoming a liability to it.

But for those that do condemn him, I don’t think that’s entirely an injustice, either.

At 60 hard-earned quid a ticket, sympathy is a little bit of a stretch for a 20-year-old who is unable to perform for 35k a week because he’s not all that happy with being offered 100k a week (or because he’s not winning trophies, whatever he thinks his birthright is).

As for the pundits, they are paid to give their opinions (so “don’t know” or “don’t care” aren’t really an option for them), but what most of them have said is that is that they think he’s “badly-advised”, because he’s not yet the finished article, and shouldn’t, for the sake of his career, move until he is.

That’s not really an astonishing opinion, it was said about Rodwell when he moved to City, and it was said about Sturridge when he left City.

comment by Wessie Road (U10652)
posted 3 minutes ago
But I don't think it's something Sterling should be condemned for.
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Well, I personally haven’t, all I’ve said is that I want him to fvck off, because I’m only interested in the club, and I think he’s becoming a liability to it.

But for those that do condemn him, I don’t think that’s entirely an injustice, either.

At 60 hard-earned quid a ticket, sympathy is a little bit of a stretch for a 20-year-old who is unable to perform for 35k a week because he’s not all that happy with being offered 100k a week (or because he’s not winning trophies, whatever he thinks his birthright is).

As for the pundits, they are paid to give their opinions (so “don’t know” or “don’t care” aren’t really an option for them), but what most of them have said is that is that they think he’s “badly-advised”, because he’s not yet the finished article, and shouldn’t, for the sake of his career, move until he is.

That’s not really an astonishing opinion, it was said about Rodwell when he moved to City, and it was said about Sturridge when he left City.
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Fair enough, I agree that is what he will be if he stays.

I can also see the frustration when you're watching a player who looks like he doesn't give a fúck wasting your money! Though, I don't think he's unhappy because he's 'only' been offered 100k, it does seem he wants to move to have a genuine chance at winning something. As I said the other day, with Liverpool he might finish his career with a League Cup or 2, and maybe an FA Cup.

With Chelsea or City he's got a chance of a league, or potentially a CL somewhere down the line.

I do agree that he probably feels entitled more than he probably should, I mean, afterall he's only had one and a half quality seasons... I think he should have accepted the 100k, stayed at Pool one or 2 more years, played well, then made the move at 22 or 23. More experienced, offered good service, and improved himself.

That said, if you've got the opportunity to go somewhere better, for more money, virtually everyone would.

With Chelsea or City he's got a chance of a league, or potentially a CL somewhere down the line.
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Even sympathy for that is a bit of a stretch.
It's a pathetically flimsy and shallow definition of 'ambition' to go to a club that's already winning trophies so that you can cash in, but I concede that it's the prevalent definition amongst footballers.

But ok, he has no childhood connection to Liverpool, and maybe thinks he can already cut the mustard at Chelsea or City (I'm not sure how he's gained that impression, but self-confidence is probably needed in such a competitive field)

But asking him, in the meantime, if he could see his way to getting his act together until he leaves, and put in one or two performances for 35k a week, doesn't strike me as particularly demanding either, and "oh, well he couldn't, because he wasn't happy" just sounds a bit lame.

comment by Wessie Road (U10652)
posted 11 minutes ago
With Chelsea or City he's got a chance of a league, or potentially a CL somewhere down the line.
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Even sympathy for that is a bit of a stretch.
It's a pathetically flimsy and shallow definition of 'ambition' to go to a club that's already winning trophies so that you can cash in, but I concede that it's the prevalent definition amongst footballers.

But ok, he has no childhood connection to Liverpool, and maybe thinks he can already cut the mustard at Chelsea or City (I'm not sure how he's gained that impression, but self-confidence is probably needed in such a competitive field)

But asking him, in the meantime, if he could see his way to getting his act together until he leaves, and put in one or two performances for 35k a week, doesn't strike me as particularly demanding either, and "oh, well he couldn't, because he wasn't happy" just sounds a bit lame.
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Swings and roundabouts really. He wants to win trophies, he's going to a club where he can help them do that. It's only the same as Shaw, or Herrera joining United - just that their contract disputes are less public. Everyone that wants to win trophies leaves to a team likely to win trophies.

I agree it does sound lame to say he wasn't happy so he couldn't play, but mentality plays a huge role for footballers. Prime example is Fellaini, under Moyes he was woeful. LvG has come in and he and Young look completely different players. Their abilities are unlikely to have changed, but their confidence is up and they're playing well.

He has no particular affinity with your club aside from being there for a few years, which is why I can't get my head around some fans (no you!) acting like Sterlings owes your club.

He has no particular affinity with your club aside from being there for a few years, which is why I can't get my head around some fans (no you!) acting like Sterlings owes your club
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I think most people can get their heads around the fact that he doesn’t have any affinity with the club. Suarez isn’t resented for going to Barcelona, for example. They are more puzzled by his assessment of himself as being ready to do that (ready to go and sit on the bench while they win trophies perhaps, which Torres described as a miserable experience).

But more importantly, if he’s that ready, why wasn’t he psychologically able to get his head together and put in some decent performances for us, beforehand? That’s what would have demonstrated his professionalism.

But like I said, the bottom line for me is that I’ve lost faith in his professionalism, I don’t really care what he thinks of playing for us, it’s water under the bridge.

His age is relevant to this: if he’d continued to develop with us, and reached the point where he was approaching his full potential, I think there would be less comment about him being at the stage where he wanted to demonstrate what footballers dubiously call “ambition” and win trophies with somebody else. Much of the comment has been about him deciding he’s already close to that point.

I don’t doubt there are people who think he should want to play for Liverpool and nobody else, but personally I haven’t come across too many of them.

Naturally, there are rival fans quickly arriving at that conclusion, because that’s the conclusion they want to arrive at (our fans are the heroes in the white hats, your fans are the villains in the black hats: standard stuff), but I haven’t seen to much evidence that that’s the issue, for most.

I understand where you're coming from Wessie and over the past few days you've softened my stance on him leaving.

It has to be noted that Brendan has said he's behaving perfectly well though.

Just as a footnote some really need to have a think about how they interpret the media.

Saying Sterling got booed when he picked up his award is erroneous. Lots were saying 'stay Raheem' as well. If it was reported 'fans plead with Sterling to stay'with a footnote of 'a few booed' no one would be talking about dogs abuse against Stoke. It moronic. Sterling gas done little wring, said nothing particularly bad bur his form has dipped a bit. Which it will.

Fair enough, Hoody, Ive been a bit more dogmatic about this than I normally am, but for some reason I have arrived at a firm conclusion that it's best for us if he leaves.

It's a fair point about the media, too, but they will always want to stoke it up, and they've become even worse in their online presence..McNulty's a joke.

I can't help feeling there is a growing consensus that we should feel sorry for people who are in no position to need sympathy....a 20-year-old kid being offered 100k a week, poor lamb.

I wonder if that's fed my attitude towards it?
It's subconscious, if it has...at a conscious level, I just came to the conclusion it would be a better outcome for us if he goes, because I've lost confidence in him.

comment by shortlightandugly. "You can't put fourth place on your mantelpiece". (U13938)
posted 3 hours, 59 minutes ago
Redinthehead.

Thanks for calling me a moron, but the fact that you've clearly misinterpreted what he wrote is a clear indication that you also lack brain sells.

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What "he" wrote?

It was you who wrote it you moron!

Case in point below:

comment by shortlightandugly. "You can't put fourth place on your mantelpiece". (U13938)
posted 4 hours, 44 minutes ago
Redinthehead.

You can't sell a player who refuses to leave. That's what Bosman was all about.

Of course that's not what Bosman was all about. Shortlight truly is a moron.

The Bosman case was about challenging a club holding a players registration after their contract is finished and the freedom of employment.

LASL Victim of a brain "sell" off

comment by Wessie Road (U10652)
posted 48 minutes ago
Fair enough, Hoody, Ive been a bit more dogmatic about this than I normally am, but for some reason I have arrived at a firm conclusion that it's best for us if he leaves.

It's a fair point about the media, too, but they will always want to stoke it up, and they've become even worse in their online presence..McNulty's a joke.

I can't help feeling there is a growing consensus that we should feel sorry for people who are in no position to need sympathy....a 20-year-old kid being offered 100k a week, poor lamb.

I wonder if that's fed my attitude towards it?
It's subconscious, if it has...at a conscious level, I just came to the conclusion it would be a better outcome for us if he goes, because I've lost confidence in him.
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Yes, you have influenced what I've thought as I was adamant we need to keep him. I simply don't think we'll sign a ten and ten forward. Why would I? I guess I've lost confidence in a different way.

I'd rather keep him one more season and sell for less. What gives me hope is the Euro's. I'd hope that will give the extra impetus to play to form. I know he shouldn't need it but he is young. That's not sympathy I just think that I myself would struggle. I prefer to think of it as empathy I guess. I've no doubt he loves his football and is a winner despite some performances lately.

I think a lot of people get offended by the amounts of money involved, but they are irrelevant really.

Even if you think Sterling is just a money grabber and nothing else, if someone is willing to pay him more (irrespective of how much money that is), then any human would consider leaving their job for another one.

When you add that he could get paid more (potentially) AND win more, AND learn from better players (a Silva, or Hazard, or Sanchez), AND more renowned coaches, it's hardly surprising that he might want that.

As Wessie has argued, more disappointing is his apparent downing of tools to get it, but has that really actually happened, or is it merely a loss of form that every young player has coming at a coincidental time?

I think a lot of people get offended by the amounts of money involved, but they are irrelevant really.
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I don’t care how much people earn, that’s just the nature of markets (although we’ve rigged them a bit so that more money flows to people who already have it).
I just think that some of the people who earn a huge amount should suck it up a bit more, it all sounds a bit wet and pathetic.

I’ve a lot of sympathy for people who’ve had some bad luck, and can’t cope...even if they’re rich... but my concern for the agonising choices faced by 20-year-old, healthy, fit, multi-millionaires is on a much shorter leash.

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more disappointing is his apparent downing of tools to get it, but has that really actually happened, or is it merely a loss of form that every young player has coming at a coincidental time?
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Yes, it’s not definite, and there’s no way of being sure, but with Suarez, for example, I absolutely knew 100% that he wouldn’t down tools when we made him stay (though of course there were plenty of people on here to tell us that he would).

With Sterling, I’ve got a lot less confidence, but it’s just an instinctive feeling that I’ve had from his body-language.It’s not provable, and may not be deliberate even if true, but it would be damaging to us whether deliberate or not.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Redinthehead.

Apologies for dyslexia, mate. Is there any learning difficulties you take the p1ss out of?

Redinthehead.
The Bosman ruling has greater ramifications than simply forbidding a club from holding a player's registration after their contract has expired.

If a player is nearing the end of his contract, the club will struggle to sell him because he knows he's in for a bumper pay deal once the contract has expired and the 'buying' club knows they can get him on a freebie.

Ergo, you can't sell him a player who refuses to leave.

I hope that's spelt it out for you.

Please let me know if you've spotted any spelling mistakes.

I've spotteded no spelling mistakes.

(I used capitalisation at the start AND a full stop at the end. I want my fooking gold star)

One fooking gold star coming your way, big man.

the love is back

Jolly Rodger;

I agree with all that. It seems split between what is good for the player and what's good for the club. Or both.

We hold all the cards, we can keep him on his current contract, savings us £6m in wages.

He will need to perform next year to reach the euros, so he inst going to sit around moping, he will be wanting to raise his prestige at that tournament, or hes not going to have any suitors.

My prediction is we force him to stay, when he realises hes not going anywhere he negotiates a contract with strong exit clauses like suarez did when he realises we can just keep him for the two years, save 12mil+ on the wages we offered and take the settlement fee, any player we bring in as a replacement will be in the 100k bracket anyway.

(based on wages, sterling earns 6x more than Ings (allegedly) whose compo fee is set at 5mil)

Its not even about whats best for the club in terms of playing staff, its about whats best for the clubs image, we need to show we wont be bossed around by star players, we did it with suarez, we need to do it for sterling, or all we will be seen as, is a stepping stone.

comment by Insert random username (U10647)
posted 29 minutes ago
We hold all the cards, we can keep him on his current contract, savings us £6m in wages.

He will need to perform next year to reach the euros, so he inst going to sit around moping, he will be wanting to raise his prestige at that tournament, or hes not going to have any suitors.

My prediction is we force him to stay, when he realises hes not going anywhere he negotiates a contract with strong exit clauses like suarez did when he realises we can just keep him for the two years, save 12mil+ on the wages we offered and take the settlement fee, any player we bring in as a replacement will be in the 100k bracket anyway.

(based on wages, sterling earns 6x more than Ings (allegedly) whose compo fee is set at 5mil)

Its not even about whats best for the club in terms of playing staff, its about whats best for the clubs image, we need to show we wont be bossed around by star players, we did it with suarez, we need to do it for sterling, or all we will be seen as, is a stepping stone.
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What you are saying meets a lot of sense

I think it all depends on what a club is willing to pay. If City came in with a bid over £40m, the club may feel this represents excellent value for a player who does have excellent ability and potential, but isn't the finished article yet.

comment by shortlightandugly. "You can't put fourth place on your mantelpiece". (U13938)
posted 1 day, 11 hours ago
Redinthehead.

Apologies for dyslexia, mate. Is there any learning difficulties you take the p1ss out of?

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Don't try and pass your idiocy as a learning disability.

Saying "he" instead of "I" shows you didn't remember which account you were signed in on.

What a sad act you really are...

Redinthehead.

I've no idea what your banging on about mate. I don't have another account.

Can't really converse with a c()nt like you. I sincerely hope you die a slow painful death.