KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Could you please explain?

He is applying pressure on the owners i think and despite that, we already knew it was a big ask.

I am not trying to cause trouble at all, but I really don't for the life of me, see where you get this idea english isn't his first language. I really honestly don't. I think his english is impecable. I don't think anyone else thinks english isn't his first language, so it is so obvious for you is beyond me.

P.S. Are yo offering me your season ticket for free? I will flog it within 10 minutes of getting it, no problem!

For a step change (this is what I think is required now to bridge the gap because other clubs already better than us are also improving/progressing), you need to invest, unless of course you have a unique recipe for success that is very difficult to copy, in business you will call that a USP (Unique Selling Proposition), it is your competitive advantage. You seem to believe that LFC/FSG have it today through BR's management/coaching skills and the scouting team/committee and you seem to think that what we have is so unique that it can bridge the huge gap between us and the top 5 teams despite having 3 of them namely City, Spurs and Chelsea outspending us.

Seriously, I don't know what makes you believe this, our manager has never shown to be much better than their managers, in fact, he has never finished above them, not even Moyes, let alone winning trophies more tgan them. The only benefit of the doubt that I could give is the purchase of Coutinho and to a lesser extent Sturridge (Benteke for instance is better value for money paid by Villa to bring him in), but then, even with these players and those brought in, I feel top 4 will be difficult. Do you honestly feel that we have right now the team including the manager to get into top 4 this season? I am saying top 4 because this is the stated intent of BR.

Stop trying to pretend you're teaching me. I studied business. I understand how they work. Businessmen have different opinions like anybody. An USP is really not that complicated, not alien to me and it is not at all what I was suggesting.

What I believe is that there is always a limit to what can be done on a football field. For all the best talent in the world, success isn't guaranteed. You need the right strategy, versatility, commitment, player understanding and ability to beat specific types of teams over a percentage of the time.

Look at Barcelona, a team that until the demolition by Bayern were seen as almost invincibles. Their first team consists of players like Valdes, Puyol and Pedro, three players I think are not in the top category for quality. Canizares was better than Valdes in his prime, and both Reina and Casillas have been for extensive periods, Puyol is integral to Barcelona, but his abilities as a player are still limited. He offers a lot of alternate qualities but does still make mistakes other "better technical" defenders wouldn't. Pedro is a good player, don't get me wrong, but there are maybe 10 players, at very least, in the world that are a step up from him. It is not always about having the most expensively assembled squad, and this is exactly where my opinion differs.

In Aspas, we have signed a good player. Very good recent record and a player on the back of a slow-burning career approaching his peak. He is judged, by people like you, on his price-tag and his "well known-ness" rather than his quality. In fact, it is fair to say that few people do know of all of his qualities, because Celta haven't exactly been a team everybody watches on TV. And yet, despite this, they have judged him already. I don't think a good player who cost £2m, and a good player that cost £20m have different quality attributes directly associated with price. They are about talent. They are not about being more or less expensive.

Ultimately, belief in FSG can come down to several things. For me, I believe Rodgers has a strong strategy (not unique but very good), I believe our scouting department is one of the best around (Hunter, Aptroot, Troiani, Harper, Fallows etc.), and I think that Rodgers' forte is motivation and coaching with the ball at the centre of training. In spite of financial restrictions some may see which I don't, they are capable of finding hidden talent, and integrating it into the new Liverpool playing style, and I think Rodgers can motivate and bring together those into a collective, driven and potentially successful group.

For someone who spoke of taking stats out of context being silly, you're doing so by saying Rodgers hasn't finished above Moyes. I think we need 2 players to be probable challengers for fourth. I am not going to do the whole, "2 players and we have it in the bag." I think it is going to be difficult as it stands, one signing on the wings would be an essential, and one defender would be good business too. I'd like to see the club sign an AM, W, CB and ST, but I seriously doubt that will happen. Expectations vs realism summarise this post up completely.