Liverpool FC Forum

[aCe']

Whats amazing is our squad is so unbalanced that we brought in 7-8 players last year - fail -  and here we go again with 4 already and most likely 3 more to come is 7 again. Zero consistency, @half the squad is new in the last 12 months. Strange strategic planning......

We actually brought in 9 players last season. A further 4 so far this season. I dont think any of the players signed since last season are good enough to start and make a difference for us.

At least we're being linked to better players: Illaramendi (would be a game changer for us), Kovacic (who paired with Illaramendi and Henderson could prove a fantastic buy) , Bacca (who I dont like that much but is a more proven name than anything we've signed recently), etc.

The 3 players above could be signed for under 60mill going by all the articles/published release clauses out there.  Get them signed and bring in Clyne or any RB and we'll have a much better side going into the new season than I thought we would.

[Reg]

I'll start celebrating once they're all in the bag mate!

[Buck Rodgers]

Why would you expect things to be any different Reg?

Same owners. Same manager. Same transfer committee. Same stupid moneyball strategy. Same idiotic youth policy. 

So the same owners , manager that were in charge when we got to second not so long ago

What's wrong with the youth policy ?

Why are you going on about money ball ? Name the last signing made using moneyball

[Reg]

Jeez Ben, we've made many moneyball signings... just last week there's 4 of them.... all punts, all unknown as to whether they can cope at top 4 level. Not a single proven quality player.

[Buck Rodgers]

Jeez Ben, we've made many moneyball signings... just last week there's 4 of them.... all punts, all unknown as to whether they can cope at top 4 level. Not a single proven quality player.

Well first of all Milner has shown he can cope with top 4 and also we are paying him over £100 grand a week so that's not a moneyball signing

The others aren't "moneyball signings" -

Moneyball can't and hasn't been able to transfer into football - moneyball was/is used in baseball using the multiple of statistics they create to pick players

We haven't been using moneyball and people keep throwing it about.

Scouting teams scout players using analysis and their own naked eye - it's complex but it's the way all teams scout players

[Reg]

Miler could be seen as Moneyball as he's a player on the way down and we paid him top dollar to come, which defeats the moneyball theory of getting players at their best at a discounted rate.

[maguskwt]

Miler could be seen as Moneyball as he's a player on the way down and we paid him top dollar to come, which defeats the moneyball theory of getting players at their best at a discounted rate.

Errr... Aren't you contradicting yourself there Reg...

[Reg]

Its late and you know what I mean !    

[kazza]

Just to clarify "moneyball" does not just mean buy young so they have a sell on value. If you remember the movie, they bought David Justice that was about 36 years old that no one wanted yet had been a great player, and he made a big difference (similar to Gary Mac for us). I think it is more about getting players that are undervalued for whatever reason. Could be age, a drug problem or an old injury for example.

This works more in baseball as they use statistics much more than they do in football. In baseball you have many more variables to use statistics for ie percentage of hits against left handed pitchers, right handed pitchers, how the players copes with fast balls, curveballs, sliders. They keep stats for how many times he gets on base and/or steals bases also a whole host of defensive stats. For example(simply) if there was a player that does not cope well with left handed pitchers and does not do well against curveballs and you are playing against a left handed pitcher with a great curveball, you know not to play him. I don't think football has that same dynamic.

The concept of buying undervalued players can translate in football but the religious use of statistics does not. An example of moneyball signings in football probably has more to do with contract status( contract running down) like Milner than youth and statistics even though buying Young is a valid moneyball strategy.

[damjan193]

Really hope we land Bacca now. Were he a bit younger it would have been a no-brainer for me (turns 29 in September), but still, he's a good player who knows where the net is and I'm sure he's still got 3 or 4 seasons in him. And most important of all, unlike the rest of our targets, he suits our style. How BR and the staff think that a target man CF with little to no mobility will suit our style is beyond me.

I say we get Bacca and we get it done with, there aren't many better around that we would be able to sign anyway.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

Really hope we land Bacca now. Were he a bit younger it would have been a no-brainer for me (turns 29 in September), but still, he's a good player who knows where the net is and I'm sure he's still got 3 or 4 seasons in him. And most important of all, unlike the rest of our targets, he suits our style. How BR and the staff think that a target man CF with little to no mobility will suit our style is beyond me.

I say we get Bacca and we get it done with, there aren't many better around that we would able to sign anyway.

I'm not totally sold on Bacca, especially at £20m but as you say at least he's not a Carroll type like Llorente and Benteke.
I'm not saying Llorente and Benteke aren't good players it's just that we saw last season what happened when we didn't have forwards that could run in behind defences.

[eds]

Why would you expect things to be any different Reg?

Same owners. Same manager. Same transfer committee. Same stupid moneyball strategy. Same idiotic youth policy. 

So the same owners , manager that were in charge when we got to second not so long ago

What's wrong with the youth policy ?

Why are you going on about money ball ? Name the last signing made using moneyball

We got second because we had Suarez in our side, stop deflecting and countering with stupid bs arguments.

What's wrong with our youth policy? More like what's right with it?

So now you are saying we aren't making moneyball signings?????

         

           

             

Haha ok then, I thought I had heard it all but this has to be a contender for whopper of the year!

[Buck Rodgers]

Ok Eds

Instead of posting smileys

What's wrong with our youth policy ?

And please explain which signings are moneyball and why ?

[number 8 ynwa]

not the best source, but from the Metro today...

Roberto Firmino is signing a five-year deal to join Liverpool with the transfer now close, according to reports.

Liverpool have made signing Hoffenheim ace Firmino one of their priorities for this transfer window.

And amid talk from England that Firmino is close to moving to Anfield, reports in Brazil say a five-year contract has been sorted and the deal is now poised to happen.

The news is a huge boost for Brendan Rodgers as he looks to mould together a new-look Liverpool team in the coming season.

and..

Liverpool have agreed to pay Southampton’s asking price to finally sign Nathaniel Clyne, according to reports.

Clyne, who looks certain to leave Southampton this summer, has already been subject of one £10million offer from Liverpool.

That was rejected, with the Saints holding out for £15m, and despite initially dragging their heels on paying that, reports say the Reds are now set to pay the money to bring Clyne to Anfield.

Southampton have already secured a replacement in Sporting Lisbon star Cedric Soares, which should help this deal happen quickly.

Got to be honest, made up if both of these come off...

Also...

Liverpool have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Alexandre Lacazette, after the striker’s agent admitted Lyon need to improve the new deal they have offered.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is thought to be keen on bringing the 24-year-old France international to Anfield in the summer transfer window.

Lacazette scored 31 goals in 38 games for Lyon last season, and according to his agent David Venditelli, was offered a renewed contract of £2.87million-a-year at the French outfit.

The club then announced that the deal would only increase from £2.76m to £3m if Lacazette is included in France’s Euro 2016 squad – Venditelli was, though, unaware of this fact.

Venditelli told Le Progres: "The figures divulged do not match those at the meeting that took place this week.

"I don’t understand because the president announced on Friday morning that the salary was a minimum of £2.87m.

"Do you think what the club is saying and their position on the numbers has been coherent in recent days?

"Ultimatums and media pressure won’t change our demands, which OL are aware of.

"The offers we’ve had from abroad are very significant in terms of finances, but they don’t give all the guarantees Alexandre will flourish with just a year to go till the Euros."

Would love this to happen but cant see any evidence that it will from this report...

[Doeboy]

Lacazette would be ideal for us but unfortunately for us his stock has risen so sharply this past season,  he will have the pick of the top club's. Sounds like he will stay one more season at Lyon before moving after the Euros next summer