Since Fenway Sports Group took over at Liverpool football club, their main focus has always been on the youth and long term success. For that purpose, Liverpool have signed numerous young players over the past two years but they all need time and that has left the club with little short term success.
Blend of both youth and experienced players is exactly what is needed for progress. However FSG has perhaps made Liverpool’s over 30’s policy that prevents them from spending a penny on player of that age bracket.
Liverpool managing director claimed:
“If the right more senior player became available and was the right person to contribute, and the manager made that point strongly, we would definitely consider it.”
As far have things have gone, they might have considered few top quality players over the age of 30 but the manager never had the final say. In fact they only gave permission to sign players over 30 that were available for free.
Yes, that is exactly what Liverpool’s over 30s policy is all about for now i.e. made for free transfers only. Other than that, even though their net spending this summer has been just 3 million pounds, yet FSG are reluctant to sanction a deal for top target Mkhitaryan.
Whatever happens there is another matter, coming back to the point. In 2011-2012 season, under FSG, Liverpool signed their first two stars over the age of 30 namely Craig Bellamy, 32 from Manchester City and Alexander Doni 31 from Roma. Of course, both free transfers.
Dalglish spent a lot of $$$ on average players while his best capture in 2011 summer was clearly Bellamy, signed on a bosman. Yet, FSG do not understand the value of experienced players in their 30s, also when the examples of Gerrard and Carragher are there as well.
Now, Liverpool have recently signed another over 30 player for a free transfer, former Arsenal star, Ivorian Kolo Toure, 32 from Manchester City who still has a lot left in him to offer.
Reports suggest that Liverpool are linked with their former star midfielder, Xabi Alonso, again a player in his 30s and again it seems that FSG are not going to alter their policy to bring a player that Liverpool have not been able to replace since he departed in 2009 for Real Madrid.
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No sensible team breaks the bank on over 30s. It’s called a smart transfer policy.
who is talking about breaking the bank, 10 odd million for proven quality is More sensible than the same on Adam Allen etc. United spent 20 million on 29 year old RvP and the rest is no mystery
“…again it seems that FSG are not going to alter their policy…”
What information is this statement based on? The whole article is pivoted on this statement and this statement is just plucked out. Pluswe ignore the fact that Alonso will be on more than £100k a week. That’s part of the package too. Without a fit stadium and without CL football the player has to be a game changer to pay those wages. Is it not best to use that money on an emerging player that will be making the difference in games for years to come? Or do we again blow our budget on trying to shortcut our way to history? The bottom line is that NOBODY on here let alone the writer of this piece knows FSG’s transfer policy or the manager’s transfer targets.
“Without a fit stadium and CL football the player has to be agame changer” how do you even attract game changers without CL football?
Glad we found Coutinho but that after signing players like(Allen, Borini, Hendo, Downing, Adam) so basically 60-70 odd million plus the wages spent on “hoping that they will be game changers” , if that is the scenario wed rather sign “one proven player” and pay his wages than to sign 5 average and pay theirs (surely thats more costly)
Now one can come up and say that young players need time, Allen and Borini should be given time but please keep this into perspective that LFC have not qualified for CL for 4 years, since you are not looking for short cuts than how many more years will it take from a long route.
Neverhtless, you do not pay 15 odd million for a player so that he plays above average after 3 years.
Lastly, try writing comments without abuse, as that does not add weight to your argument
But surely that’s the manager’s fault and not anything to do with an age policy? Dalglish bought poorly. The jury is still out on Allen and Borini. But surely there is no suggestion that either manager preferred over 30 players but were instructed to buy Henderson or Downing (who was 27 by the way)? And even if they were why didn’t they opt for say Mata or Diame? At what point do we stop blaming FSG for everything?
“…how do you even attract game changers without CL football?..”
You scout for them. Ask Borussia Dortmund about it. We’re not in the position to attract the big names but the emerging world talents? That should be our focus. But if a player like Xabi Alonso comes up at the right price then I’m sure FSG will listen. But recognise, the reported £100k PW is a lot for any team outside the Champions League.
This ones written in daily mail saying the same thing and literally how many over 30 players have we been linked with and how many did we sign?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2357491/Liverpools-30s-policy-scupper-10million-Xabi-Alonso.html
You can find many articles on that written in previous years near transfer market. Also they have clearly stated about their youth policy and long term planning but do they even know the ABC of football.
They should just back Rodgers and give him the chance as they did to Dalglish. he will do better
And the gospel truth lies in the Daily Fail right? And if I linked you to Rihanna does it mean that you’re an idiot if you fail to bang her? Do I blame some policy you have of not banging cokeheads? This way of thinking based on linkbait rumours to judge FSG is absurd. How does anyone know if we were actually interested in any of the players we have been linked with by agents struggling to get an improved contract for their player?
And how do you know that they were reluctant to sanction a deal? They sanctioned deals on Allen, Downing and Henderson. Where is your basic evidence of this?
those were the initial times, they realized exactly how much money was actually wasted there, so makes sense if they are reluctant
But where is there any information to suggest that they were reluctant to go for Mkhitarayan or Alonso? People are just coming up with fiction in place of facts or information. Clint Dempsey is the only known ‘older’ player that Liverpool have stepped back from under FSG and guess what? They were right. Stop going on about them being reluctant or not when you don’t know what the hell is going on behind the scenes. The Liverpool Way applies to the fans as much as it does to the players and staff.
Once bitten, twice shy…..they still fear downing,hedo and carrol….but please buy xabi….he is missing piece in jigsaw puzzle
You sound confused. Are you blaming FSG for sanctioning transfers or chastising for not sanctioning imaginary transfer scenarios? The bottom line is that they have dished out over £150M for players in the three years that they’ve been here. If you are unhappy with the results blame the guys who spent it. They’re apparently loose ‘policy’ is just a practical guideline where you pay big money and big wages for players entering their prime. If Xabi Alonso is the exception to the rule I’m sure Brendan Rodgers will put the case forward to them and they will be willing to listen. Any information to the contrary is childish and petulant hysteria.
All you need to know about this article:
http://metro.co.uk/2013/07/08/chelsea-and-liverpool-target-xabi-alonso-will-not-return-to-premier-league-3873700/
Wait, what’s that? Alonso says that there’s no chance of him returning to the Premiership? That’s weird, I was under the impression that he was begging to join us and it was only Liverpool’s over 30 policy that was stopping us from wrapping this deal up. I mean this article was certain of it. It was all FSG’s fault weren’t it? I’m confused. If it isn’t FSG’s fault then someone has been talking out their waste pipe. So confusing.