Why spurs finishing 4th is bad for us
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 10:22 am
(I didn’t quite know where to put this, but because it affects us, I thought I’d start it off in here, but if mods want to move it to general etc then that’s fine.)
My thoughts on why Spurs finishing 4th ahead of the money bags of Manchester City finishing 5th is bad for us.
We were all dreading the thought of Manchester City finishing forth and getting into the champions league as we anticipated they would spend big and have the attraction of the champions league to entice big name stars. I fear is that they will still attract big names, and they still have a big wallet to pay them handsomely.
The truth is that with our current ownership we can not compete with City’s spending power. Whether they finish 4th or 5th – they are likely to buy players and bid for players that are out of our financial reach. There’s still talk of them interested in Kaka, Ribery etc, and I bet that where they finished last season would have no bearing on the players we are interested in – it only has an influence on players considering Man City as a destination.
With all their money, Man City would have strengthened whether they finished 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th, and will now be genuine contenders for a top 4 finish next season. I honestly think our main pathway of getting back into the top 4 next season is finishing above Arsenal, as I believe City will be in the mix next season once they’ve spent another £100m.
What worries me more, and what affects Liverpool Football club more is Tottenham Hotspurs increased leverage of the Champions league to attract players. – The same calibre and price range of players that we are trying to strengthen our squad with.
Examples:
Spurs are VERY close to signing Arda Turan. A player we’ve been linked with and who would no doubt improve our first 11. The deal is rumoured to be Dos Santos + £4m, and even with little money, we could have struck something similar with Babel. But spurs now have the attraction of the Champions league, and are able to steel a march on players like this.
Another common target is 20 year old defender Simon Kjaer. Although we have Danny Agger to try and persuade his Danish compatriot to choose Liverpool as his next destination, Kjaer has publicly stated (quote):
"I want to play in the Champions League, and if we [Palermo] reach that objective then I have no reason to leave."
Palermo did not qualify for the champions league, but it seems one thing driving him is playing in that competition. Spurs have also been linked to him in the past and if he does come to the UK, it may well be to sign for the London based team rather than us.
Yes, had Man City finished forth they would have undoubtedly spent millions on attracting BIG names, but and possiblely become league contenders for next season up there with Chelsea and Utd. But as they finished 5th, they will still spend millions on securing a top 4 berth next season.
For me a greater worry is spurs, who we all might think can not reapet the achivement of finishings 4th again next season, and have the “distraction” of champions league football. They are / will be strengthening their team with players we should be / could be going for even with our financial contraints; making it harder for us to improve, and making them a stronger, and more established contender for a top 4 spot.
I honestly feel that there is no longer a top 4. The way our owners have cut off our spending power, the way city have, and will continue to spend and Wengers under acheivers. I belive next season, it could be a top 2 pulling away, followed by a group of 4 (us arsenal, city and spurs) then villa and everton not far behind. City will undoubtedly spend their way into contention whether its next season or the season after. For the time being, until we get new owners and we don’t have to seel to buy, I feel our main rivals for finishing places in the league are Arsenal (who look to be losing Fabregas) and Spurs.
Discuss. (if you want to)
My thoughts on why Spurs finishing 4th ahead of the money bags of Manchester City finishing 5th is bad for us.
We were all dreading the thought of Manchester City finishing forth and getting into the champions league as we anticipated they would spend big and have the attraction of the champions league to entice big name stars. I fear is that they will still attract big names, and they still have a big wallet to pay them handsomely.
The truth is that with our current ownership we can not compete with City’s spending power. Whether they finish 4th or 5th – they are likely to buy players and bid for players that are out of our financial reach. There’s still talk of them interested in Kaka, Ribery etc, and I bet that where they finished last season would have no bearing on the players we are interested in – it only has an influence on players considering Man City as a destination.
With all their money, Man City would have strengthened whether they finished 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th, and will now be genuine contenders for a top 4 finish next season. I honestly think our main pathway of getting back into the top 4 next season is finishing above Arsenal, as I believe City will be in the mix next season once they’ve spent another £100m.
What worries me more, and what affects Liverpool Football club more is Tottenham Hotspurs increased leverage of the Champions league to attract players. – The same calibre and price range of players that we are trying to strengthen our squad with.
Examples:
Spurs are VERY close to signing Arda Turan. A player we’ve been linked with and who would no doubt improve our first 11. The deal is rumoured to be Dos Santos + £4m, and even with little money, we could have struck something similar with Babel. But spurs now have the attraction of the Champions league, and are able to steel a march on players like this.
Another common target is 20 year old defender Simon Kjaer. Although we have Danny Agger to try and persuade his Danish compatriot to choose Liverpool as his next destination, Kjaer has publicly stated (quote):
"I want to play in the Champions League, and if we [Palermo] reach that objective then I have no reason to leave."
Palermo did not qualify for the champions league, but it seems one thing driving him is playing in that competition. Spurs have also been linked to him in the past and if he does come to the UK, it may well be to sign for the London based team rather than us.
Yes, had Man City finished forth they would have undoubtedly spent millions on attracting BIG names, but and possiblely become league contenders for next season up there with Chelsea and Utd. But as they finished 5th, they will still spend millions on securing a top 4 berth next season.
For me a greater worry is spurs, who we all might think can not reapet the achivement of finishings 4th again next season, and have the “distraction” of champions league football. They are / will be strengthening their team with players we should be / could be going for even with our financial contraints; making it harder for us to improve, and making them a stronger, and more established contender for a top 4 spot.
I honestly feel that there is no longer a top 4. The way our owners have cut off our spending power, the way city have, and will continue to spend and Wengers under acheivers. I belive next season, it could be a top 2 pulling away, followed by a group of 4 (us arsenal, city and spurs) then villa and everton not far behind. City will undoubtedly spend their way into contention whether its next season or the season after. For the time being, until we get new owners and we don’t have to seel to buy, I feel our main rivals for finishing places in the league are Arsenal (who look to be losing Fabregas) and Spurs.
Discuss. (if you want to)