Liverpool FC Forum

by **laza** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:22 am

Really when its comes down to 100k to 120k a week to kick a ball around , its no longer about the money and just about the ego

by **Ciggy** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:26 am

Sorry guys, but there is too much smoke from too many places for there to be no fire.

Fresh Gerrard doubts as contract talks stall Jul 4 2005

By Richard Williamson Daily Post Sports Editor

STEVEN GERRARD'S Liverpool future was left hanging in the balance last night after talks over a new contract stalled.

The inspirational Anfield captain and his advisers SFX have withdrawn from further discussions after an initial meeting to explore the possibilities for an extension to Gerrard's present agreement, which has two years to run, failed to produce an immediate response.

That has heightened fears in the Gerrard camp that the delays in delivering a formal offer could spell an end to his association with the team he skippered to success in the Champions League final in Istanbul just over five weeks ago.

However Liverpool insist they are determined to keep hold of the England midfielder, although any more delays will only serve to fuel further speculation over the future of the 25-year-old.

Weekend reports suggested Gerrard feels he is being forced out of the club because they have not responded to his request to resolve his new deal sooner rather than later. Gerrard was keen for matters to be sorted out before the new campaign gets underway and is understood to be losing patience over the slow progress.

A meeting with his representative Struan Marshall and Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry was held last Wednesday, with both sides describing it as "constructive".

But the lack of a concrete proposition arising out of that get-together has re-ignited concerns that Gerrard has played his last game for the club.

Gerrard indicated his desire to stay at Anfield in the immediate aftermath of Liverpool's stunning final triumph over AC Milan in May and thought the issue would be dealt with almost instantly.

Instead, just 10 days away from Rafael Benitez's men beginning the defence of their trophy against Welsh minnows Total Network Solutions, Gerrard is no nearer agreeing a new deal.

But a speedy resolution also suits Liverpool, who would see his substantial market value begin to tumble if matters drag on, and a positive response could be enough to repair the damaging rift between the two parties.

Chelsea and Real Madrid are both monitoring developments, with the new Premiership champions ready to mount a recordbreaking £30million bid for the player.

Liverpool spokesman Ian Cotton insists the club do not want to lose their talisman, saying: "Our position is very clear. We want Gerrard to stay at the club."

If the impasse continues, it will cast a shadow over Liverpool's launch of the defence of their Champions League trophy.

If Gerrard plays in the first leg of the TNS clash it would cup tie him and substantially reduce his market value.

If he sits out the game, as Michael Owen did against AZ Grazer last season, it would heighten speculation he was on his way out.

Meanwhile, Boudewijn Zenden and Jose Reina will today become Liverpool's first summer signings.

Zenden, who has signed on a free transfer from Middlesbrough, passed his medical over the weekend. Liverpool spokesman Ian Cotton said: "Bolo Zenden has passed his medical. We have reached an agreement and expect the contract to be signed on Monday morning.

Goalkeeper Reina, meanwhile, has returned from a holiday in Ibiza and is poised to complete his £6million move from La Liga side Villareal.

by **dawson99** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:28 am

stevie G arrives at melwood for training. so who knows... hes ready to train so maybe.... well we'll soon find out

by **LFC #1** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:29 am

SFX

by **Ciggy** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:36 am

I swear to god if I ever come face to face with this :censored:

Struan Marshall Id :censored:

kill him, I would punch him everywhere, Id cut off his hands, break his legs that he could'nt spend none of this money he's trying to get out of Liverpool, any one know where he lives :angry:

by **2520years** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:41 am

As I understand it SFX would make money out of:
1) Getting the best deal for Stevie
2) Even more if he's transferred (as part of the deal)
My guess would be Stevie's being manipulated by his agents for their financial gain. It does seem odd that EVERY paper had the story, like someone wanted to stir things up.

by **tubby** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:54 am

A close source of his in i think the mirror has quoted SG as saying "I cant deal with them any more"

Rick Parry needs to get this sorted ASAP

Just a few minutes ago on SPN they showed SG entering Melwood. I honestly hope he is right now sorting this out. I think they may possibly sorting it out now in time for todays lunch time press conference for Zenden.

by **LFC #1** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:55 am

SFX is feeding the stories to the papers I would gather, they are this source that is continually mentioned. If Stevie leaves then these :censored:

have will have a large say in it I think.

Agents, absolute cancer on the game. :angry:

by **tubby** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:56 am

Your right there is no loyalty left in football. And if he does move after moaning about "challenging for major honours" and saying after the final "how can i ever leave this club" then im afraid he has no love for Liverpool left.

In fact i think the only loyal footballer left today is Alan Shearer

by **LFC #1** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:00 am

bavlondon wrote:In fact i think the only loyal footballer left today is Alan Shearer

Jamie Carragher

by **tubby** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:01 am

A few months ago some of you may rememebr there was a few Sunday papers that done a Story on how Liverpool were set to offer SG £110K a week and he was set to take it. Where it gone now?

by **7_Kewell** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:03 am

How why are you reading this paper ?

Do not ever quote that rags name or contents on here.

i'm not quoting the newspaper, that quote is from the BBC website, hence it's in the 3rd person....and hence i'm dubious of these 'story's'

it's starting to look like SFX want Gerrard to move....they will make a lot of money from a big contract, but they would make a HUGE amount of money froma 35+ million transfer, hence these 'leaks' are coming out, aimed to unsettle Gerrard. The way i feel is this:

If gerrard wants to stay, he will....he's on a good contract now and a new one would be even better....i mean how much money does a guy need? Let's not forget Stevie is an England international, and gets paid various sponsorships deals that earn him a lot more money.

but if his heart isn't in it, he'll go now and so be it. Rafa is no fool, and won't let one man disrupt his squad or make him lose face. If Stevie turns up late to training...then he has to take the punishment like anyone else! He's the Captain and should set an example, if he don't like that then he can fook off now. :angry:

by **A boy call flower** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:09 am

Come on guys... actually liverpool did done better without gerrad last season.. we did won more games without him.. yes he's a very motivating and full of energy when he's on form but it's not the sort of players we cannot do without. I don't know maybe when he's playing everyone started to focus on him and made every passes to him.. which happen when owen was around ... just contantly pushing long balls forward hoping he will burst into space and get it.
I don't think this rely on one person mentality is good for any soccer team.. so actually i kinda happy if he ever leave us.. a big change for pool is a gamble we must take..

by **lakes10** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:13 am

Radio 5 are saying that it is RB's fault that Stevie will leave , they said somthing about the bust up but said that untill then Stevie was begging for he talks and to make a new deal

by **lakes10** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:17 am

ok how about this paper then

The Times
Gerrard fuming towards exit
By Oliver Kay
Liverpool are playing with fire if they are attempting to prove the captain is bigger than the club

THE LEAVING OF LIVERPOOL, IT SEEMS, is becoming a bitter reality for Steven Gerrard. Barely five weeks after leading his team to glory in the European Cup final, the inspirational hero of Istanbul has angrily broken off contract negotiations with his hometown club, who now face the prospect of selling their crown jewel to the highest bidder, most probably Real Madrid or Chelsea.
At the club’s Melwood training ground on Saturday afternoon, Gerrard informed Rafael Benítez, the manager, that he has “had enough” of their casual approach to contract negotiations, telling the Spaniard that he had been ready to sign a new deal since the final on May 25 and that, in the absence of an offer, he has concluded that there is a hidden agenda to force him out of Anfield.

It is an astonishing twist in a saga that had appeared to be heading for a happy ending after Gerrard, having prevaricated about his future for so long, sat alongside Benítez in the glorious aftermath of victory over AC Milan in Istanbul and asked “How could I leave after a night like this?” But, he has grown so frustrated at the silence from the club over his contract negotiations that he informed Benítez that all talks were off and, according to a close friend, “he won’t change his mind now”.

Gerrard’s present contract, worth £80,000 a week including bonuses and signing-on fees, runs until June 2007, but, after the events of the past 48 hours, the relationship with the club seems damaged beyond repair. The greater issue for the club surrounds the 25-year-old’s market value, which will plummet from £30 million to nothing over the final two years of his contract. Nowhere in the Premiership has the impact of the Bosman ruling been more harshly felt than at Anfield, where unhappy memories linger from the departures of Steve McManaman and Michael Owen — for no fee and for a cut-price £8 million — both, coincidentally, to Real.

Having made two informal inquiries about Gerrard to Benítez last month, Real will require little encouragement to make their move. They signed a similar type of player, Pablo García, from Osasuna last week, but even in the past few days, the Spanish club have been briefing their favoured media outlets that Gerrard is their choice to become the next galáctico and, more dubiously, that he has already told Benítez of his desire to move to Madrid.

Gerrard has never had any great desire to play abroad. At his most restless last season, he imagined Chelsea, rather than Real, to be his most likely destination. Sources close to the player indicate that he “wouldn’t be against” moving to Spain, but his preference has always been to stay in England, which is all the encouragement that José Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, will need in his pursuit of a player who famously rejected his advances a year ago.

Rick Parry, the Liverpool chief executive, said in February that Gerrard “is above money — it doesn’t matter if it’s £30 million, £40 million or £50 million, we won’t accept offers” — but something in the club’s stance has changed. Gerrard’s advisers, SFX, have been aghast at the lack of urgency the club have shown. His agent, Struan Marshall, was on honeymoon at the start of June but, after weeks of chasing, a meeting was finally arranged for last Wednesday and the Gerrard camp were dismayed that no offer was forthcoming.

Sources at Anfield responded last night by asking why they should be rushed into offering a new contract for a player whose present deal has two years to run. Certainly Gerrard’s hastiness is hard to reconcile with the patience he demanded of Benítez and supporters throughout last season by questioning his long-term future, but, if this is an attempt by Liverpool to remind their captain that no player is bigger than the club, it is one that could backfire horribly unless the Spaniard can put the likely £30 million proceeds to spectacular effect.

There has been a growing suspicion in recent weeks — not least at SFX — that Benítez, lacking the financial resources to buy Dirk Kuyt from Feyenoord, may prefer to raise funds by selling Gerrard, whom, in any case, he has always seemed to regard as an inferior player to the imperious Xabi Alonso. A £30 million fee would enable him to sign Kuyt, a top-class central defender and, ideally, a replacement for Gerrard — perhaps Ruben Barája, who served him so well at Valencia — but at what cost to the club’s traditions, with native Scouse accents already being drowned out by Hispanic voices in the corridors of Anfield?

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