Poor transfer dealings leave Liverpool FC stuck in mediocrity

By Rob Dean @robdean321

After today’s news that England winger Stewart Downing has signed for West Ham, it struck me that Liverpool have given a big lesson in how not to run a football club.

Most would agree that Downing does have good qualities, such as crossing, decent pace, and his ability to provide width but when Liverpool decided to pay £20m for the former Aston Villa and Middlesbrough man, the common perception was that the price was a tad excessive.

What followed was a hugely underwhelming 2011/2012 season under Kenny Dalglish, where Downing famously failed to tally a single goal or assist in 36 league appearances. The following year saw new boss Brendan Rodgers come in and, for the most part, saw Downing fall out of favour.

So now after two seasons of little or no productivity, Liverpool have decided to cut their loses and have shipped him to East London for an estimated £5m. Despite his heavy criticism, at 29-years-old and with 34 England caps under his belt, Downing still has plenty of football to play and this could be seen as below his market value.

After all, Buying high and selling low is certainly not what the economist’s hand book recommends.

This twisted logic was also evident in Andy Carroll’s career on Merseyside. A £35m layout, 6 goals in one and a half seasons, a season out on loan and then a £15m sale. That means a net loss of £35m on these two alone.

When you add in to the mix Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen, both squad rotation players at best and signed for around £35m combined, it appears Liverpool have fallen foul of the added premium you pay for British talent.

All this adds up to Liverpool being in the purgatory that is the battle for fifth or six sixth place, rather than the Champions League promised land to which they have become accustomed.

On the plus side for LIverpool the signings of Phillipe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge look to be very smart pieces of business and these two, along with teenager Raheem Sterling, could be the start of a potent attacking line for years to come.

(And yes that was a whole article about Liverpool without mention of a certain Uruguayan)

Summer Transfer Window Heats Up as Deals and Rumours Keep Flying In – Part 2

By Rob Dean @robdean321

With the summer sales staring to heat up, each team’s squad and season ambitions are starting to take shape.Here is the second installment in my weekly series judging how the big deals will affect the clubs involved.

Isco, 21, from Malaga to Real Madrid

• Status – £23m done deal
• Benefit to Real Madrid – Madrid receive one of the games most exciting young talents for what, in modern day terms, is a very reasonable fee. Isco was the standout star of the UEFA Under-21 Championships this summer and new real coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will be hoping he can recreate that form in the Spanish capital. However, playing time may be limited early on as Los Blancos already have the like of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, Angel Di maria and Luka Modric in his position.
• Affect on Malaga – Malaga were enjoying a swift rise to prominence under manger, Manuel Pellegrini, and were unlucky not reach the Champions League semi-final this season. However, ongoing financial troubles involving chairman, Sheikh Abdullah ben Nasser Al Thani, and a subsequent ban from European competition, has meant star name departures have become inevitable. Isco was their prized asset and will be a big loss to the squad but in truth they have more important things, such as staying in business, to worry about.

Paulinho, 24, from Corinthians to Tottenham Hotspur

• Status – Undergoing medical on a £17m deal
• Benefit to Tottenham – Whilst Paulinho might not be a household name in England, he does have considerable clout in his home nation of Brazil. Paulinho was the star of a hugely successful Corinthians team that won the Brazilian Serie A, the Copa Libertadores –  the South American equivalent of the Champions League and the FIFA World Club Cup in a two year period. He has also received 17 caps for the Brazilian national side and came third place for the Player of the Tournament at this summer’s Confederations Cup. Paulinho is a physical, box-to-box midfielder who has an all action style and also scores his fair share of goals.
• Affect on Corinthians – Corinthians are a storied club in Brazil, who were interestingly inspired by lowly Isthmian League side Corinthian Casuals. They have now lost their star man and will now be looking to former AC Milan prodigy, Alexandre Pato to pick up the slack.

Jonjo Shelvey, 21, from Liverpool to Swansea

•  Status – £5m done deal
• Benefit to Swansea – Swansea get a player who has shown bags of potential in his short career. Whilst he has not always been the pillar of consistency, he has at times shown an expansive passing range and the ability to score exceptional goals. He also seems perfectly suited to Swansea’s famed style of play.
• Affect to Liverpool – Many Liverpool fans might feel like they have given up on Shelvey too early. Maybe Brendan Rogers did not fancy the uncertainty of a player who might never make the grade but could just just as easily become an England regular. He may one day rue this decision.