Liverpool FC Forum

[SupitsJonF]

What if all leagues had the same capping system? Surley that is the solution?

Aren't all the leagues their own system?  Or does FIFA or the FA have some sort of control on all the leagues themselves.

Probably a stupid question, but I never knew

[bigmick]

The answer is for FIFA to stop swanning around the World staying in the best hotels in order to pick up their bungs which will decide who hosts the next World Cup, and get off their erses. There should be parity in terms of maximum salary caps between England and Spain, with Italy and Germany in the second tier. Remember, it's the TEAM salary cap, so if Bayern wish to pay Ribery 1/3 of their overall budget, that's fine. It should be brought in over a four year period to allow contracts to be renegotiated, and the objective should not necessarily be to ensure that every club in the Prem is able to "max out" the budget. Gerrard is now on around 9 mill a year, so looking at it that way a budget of around 40-60 mill or so should be about right.

Doing it will do three things, it will firstly put a ceiling on the ridiculous amounts of money players can earn. Ronaldo in the last year of his Madrid contract will be on over 500K pounds per week, which is obscene. Secondly it will ensure more clubs remain viable as businesses, which can't be a bad thing. Equally, it may even meen that there is occasionally some money to spend on upgrading facilites for the fans. Finally, it will mean that the league is more even. That doesn't mean Bolton could win the Premiership, but it will still be closer.

You must also though limit the number of players which can be used during the course of the season. This should be brought in straight away IMHO.

[Kharhaz]

How does the american capping systme work, anyone know?  Joe??

Robert Kraft didnt bid for the club because of the lack of salary cap.

Every franchise has a maximum they can spend each year on wages, not all teams max it out but most do. The whole league is built on the concept of parity, the teams share out the merchandising and TV money equally, the best teams get the toughest schedule the following year and the worst teams get first dibs on the best talent coming out of the college ranks at the annual draft. Unfortunately it's a bit late for all (or any) of that in the football world.

Added onto the fact that in America, it's just that one league.  If the players were could enough to leave the MLS, they would.  If the premier league is capped, more players will go to Spain/Italy/Germany to play for money.  Sad truth

The capping in America with the MLS, was to stop another Cosmos team dominating the game. Back then Cosmos were so rich they enticed the worlds best players because of the amounts of money they made through being a success. Generally, they made the scottish league look like a major competition. That is why so many changes were made when the MLS was formed. When America got the world cup, a deal was made to ensure football continued afterwards. From top to bottom, not one person was put in a position to have sole influence over the league. Right across the board, it was a group decision,and thats why the americans have improved massively over the years. The capping on transfers and wages was to ensure no one team can get themselves in the position the NY Cosmos were.

[agoodmentality]

I've been racking my brains, thinking who Gerrard 'as a striker' reminds me of.

watch this  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2XbYOtX1Ss

Am i the only one who can see it??

[SupitsJonF]

I heard Gerrard scored yesterday in a game against Tranmere Rovers.  This true??

[Emerald Red]

I heard Gerrard scored yesterday in a game against Tranmere Rovers.  This true??

No.

[SupitsJonF]

Got my lazy to google it , appears it might be true.

clicky

Pretty simple goal..Video is kind of fuzzy so it's possible its not Gerrard.

[Tophatman]

Yes Gerrard did score against Tranmere, i witnessed it with my own eyes..

[Greavesie]

I heard Gerrard scored yesterday in a game against Tranmere Rovers.  This true??

25 yarder 

[Bad Bob]

Got my lazy to google it , appears it might be true.

clicky

Pretty simple goal..Video is kind of fuzzy so it's possible its not Gerrard.

It's definitely Gerrard, the way he shapes to shoot is pretty recognizable.  Nice one Stevie--straight from the dock to the pitch and getting on the scoresheet as well...not a bad day's business, really. 

I want to know why the caption for the video reads that it's an international friendly, though?

[Redman in wales]

Benitez fears for Gerrard fitness

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed he does not know when captain Steven Gerrard will be able to return to first-team action.

Gerrard, 29, has missed two games with a groin injury, and Benitez has not ruled out the possibility of surgery.

"Gerrard is improving but the next week will be crucial in terms of what we will do with him," said Benitez.

"His progress is slow, we will have to decide what to do if he is doesn't progress as quickly as we would hope."

Gerrard picked up the injury while on England duty earlier this month and had to be taken off in the first half of Liverpool's Champions League game against Lyon on 20 October.

He is definitely out of Liverpool's Premier League match against Fulham on Saturday and is a major doubt for their return trip to Lyon next week.

With an operation looming if Gerrard's condition does not improve, the influential midfielder could be looking at a much longer absence.

"I do not know yet whether Steven will play in Lyon, we must work with him. But it is true there is a problem," added Benitez.

"We do have an issue if he is not fit for Lyon, it is a crucial time. In three days we will maybe have a better idea.

"He has had this problem for some time but when he has a lot of games for his club, as well as the national team, it is not easy to give him a rest.

"I do not believe he will have this problem for the rest of his career but we certainly need to find a solution now. We have a good medical staff, I have confidence we can manage this problem."

Benitez is frustrated that Gerrard picked up the injury while he was away on international duty and says he is desperate for the Reds' captain - who has been shortlisted for the Fifa Player of the Year award, along with team-mate Fernando Torres - to return.

"Steven picked up this injury while playing for England. He lasted only until half-time of the game (in Ukraine)," said the Spaniard. "He rested for two days and then had the same problem in his next training session for England.

"We rested him for one game and then he lasted just 25 minutes of the next match, against Lyon. Since then he has not been able to train or play.

"We now have to be careful. He is working with the physios and I have talked with the doctor. The decision is to continue with the same treatment for a few days. Then we will see.

"We do not want to put him under any further risk. He was unable to play against Manchester United and we won but we obviously need Steven to be fit and available.

"He has just been nominated for world player of the year, along with Fernando, and they both deserve it. And it also shows the quality we are missing when they cannot play."

-------------

   doesnt sound too good

[Sabre]

It sounds awful, I have cold sweat thinking of the perspective of a surgery at this point of the season. This season is being a nightmare.

[maguskwt]

we could use a fit and on form aquilani right about now...

[maypaxvobiscum]

Steven Gerrard was "devastated'' when Xabi Alonso left Liverpool and believes the club's current troubles are evidence of the size of the hole Alonso has left in Rafael Benitez's engine room.

Liverpool captain Gerrard, who is currently injured, forged a good understanding with Alonso in midfield and paid him perhaps the biggest compliment by suggesting Alonso's absence has been the "difference in us from last year".

Alonso moved on to Real Madrid in the summer, since when Liverpool have struggled for form in the Premier League and Champions League. It was a move which hit Gerrard hard.

"Devastated, yeah. Devastated. But there was nothing I could do about it,'' he told FourFourTwo magazine. "Xabi said a long time ago that he wanted another chapter in his career and finally he got it and his team-mates and the coaches couldn't stand in his way. We just have to say thanks and move forward without him.''

Liverpool recouped around £30million for 27-year-old Alonso, and spent most of that on bringing replacement Alberto Aquilani to Anfield from Roma. Aquilani missed the first two months of the season due to injury and Liverpool have already lost seven matches.

Gerrard knew it would take Liverpool time to adapt to life without Alonso, who in a deep-lying playmaker role had a vital duty in Benitez's team.

Gerrard said: "It's always going to be different when you lose one of the best players in the world - and people are finally realising that's what he is, on the back of his form for Real Madrid and the difference in us from last year.

"We've got other midfielders here doing a good job but it will take a while before Alonso's out of our system because he was such a top player.''

[Sabre]

Gerrard said: "It's always going to be different when you lose one of the best players in the world - and people are finally realising that's what he is, on the back of his form for Real Madrid and the difference in us from last year.

Well, not everybody Stevie, not everybody.

I don't like to read this article because it's not good to see that the captain's confidence doesn't seem to be 100% due to that transfer.


In this link, there are a few more quotes

http://fourfourtwo.com/news/england/41433/default.aspx

"We've got other midfielders here doing a good job but it will take a while before Alonso's out of our system because he was such a top player.

"Defensively, because of his intelligence at picking up his positions, he was so good at protecting the central defenders.

"And going forward, he was one of the best passers of the ball I've ever seen; someone who could create something out of nothing.

"He was sometimes underrated when he was here because of Torres, but when you play with him and without him you realise how much he meant to you, both as a player and the team as a whole."

Underrated? only by some. I wouldn't say he was underrated.