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Totally Unofficial 2023/24 Premier League Thread

I mean, it’s probably borderline, and sinister is probably strong — it’s all part of the game — but who knows.

Typed a bunch of shit out but it was rambling and it’s less conspiratorial than just disappointed at normal soccer stuff, so whatever.

Think Henderson threw a bomb rather than accepting an altered/reduced role, even though he knew the Saudi club didn’t want to pay for him despite the reported wages, and he knew that it could then come down to him or Fabinho and was cool fucking up the club’s window just for his own gain.

But I also believe Liverpool should have been better prepared for this and one of the reasons they aren’t is the fallout from the semi-drama around Henderson’s last renewal, which I think he manufactured.

There, that’s a little more succinct.
 
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Good summary. I read your initial post before you edited it and you make a ton of valid points.

My assumption has been that it’s complete amateur hour from the Saudi club. Offer a big wage to get the player to bite and force a move, but have no funds for a transfer fee. I thought the leaks were all coming from the Saudis in an effort to cause some chaos at Liverpool with the hope they would give him away.

I wasn’t aware the leaks were coming from Henderson’s side as you mentioned. If that’s the case, your scenario.makes more sense. Pretty big gamble for Henderson if it doesn’t play out how he wants.

Funny thing is I’ve never been a big Henderson fan. Good leader, good enough player, but time is up. I’m indifferent if he leaves. I’m a huge fan of pre-22-23 Fabinho, but obviously last year was a trainwreck. If you can get $40M for him as rumored, you take it and run. Don’t want to lose both in the same window, particularly given where we are in the window, but if you can get $6OM combined you do it in a heartbeat and reinvest the funds (and then some) in more bodies.

So the big question for me is what do Liverpool do now? Go buy a big hitter 6 who can step right in for Fabinho? Or buy a project (I.e. a Lavia or similar) and make do this year with Henderson, Thiago, and Bajcetic at the 6? If Henderson ends up staying, which I think he will, my guess is next year will be his last at Liverpool. Thiago is already gone next year, so they need to get a few more inbounds regardless.
 
Yeah, I’m right there with you on all this. And I think the Saudis leaking is a totally plausible explanation and there’s nothing nefarious from Henderson, the previous contract games and Dom King being the main source had me thinking though.

I’d be fine losing both Fab/Hendo had that been the plan and they had someone lined up.

I think if they’ve done the groundwork they need to go ahead and grab Lavia. I’d ideally like a different mix, but Lavia makes a lot of sense long term no matter what. Caicedo seems to be a non starter and apart from that I’m not sure who’d be worth it. Don’t think I want an Amrabat, Alvarez, Sangare, K Phillips or someone like that, though all solid. Think you want to leave yourself some flexibility in case any of the Madrid guys become options late, though I don’t think that’s likely.

I did not want him as a prime midfield target when it was unclear what the system would be, but Teun Koopmeiners suddenly starts to make a lot more sense. Lefty who could prob do a lcb thing in a 3 in a pinch as well as fill a couple of midfield roles.

Then you can maybe see where you are and revisit Thuram/Kone/Gravenberch who maybe aren’t perfect fits but high upside guys who can maybe be molded.

They also still need to get in the left sided centerback, so extra midfield drama doesn’t help.

If most everything goes right it’s still a pretty talented squad. I really like the Mac A and Szoboszlai signings, I just wonder if the priorities would have been different had they considered losing one or both of Fabinho/Henderson.
 
Has anyone ever tweeted out that they'd had their armband taken? Sad times for Harry.

 
It was a hilarious decision from Ole to double down on a bad purchase so I enjoyed every step of the journey from the punches in Greece to not playing at all to that tweet
 
Sounding like the contract extension for Rashford and the Onana signing will be announced today or tomorrow. Nice business before the US tour

Will be very interesting to see which, if any, players don't get on the plane to the US after the friendly in Edinburgh on Wednesday
 


He was so good in the World Cup but I put a lot of that down to the emotion of playing for his country. His club numbers aren't nearly as impressive. Would be a risky signing, IMO. That said, if it is cheap and he's happy to just be a guy that fills in for Casemiro as suspensions or match rests are needed here and there through the season, then it would become a lot more palatable to me should it happen.
 
Yeah, I think that's about where I am with Amrabat. He's solid, but not a high ceiling.

Got a feeling most of his links are his agent fishing, though, just has that kind of vibe.
 
OGB, are you seeing anything about possible incomings at Liverpool? It's incredibly quiet right now and with Fabinho and possibly Henderson leaving, there has to be more coming, right?
 
Not much chatter at all. Think everyone's been thrown for a loop, even the guys who just love to come up with stuff for fun with no basis in reality (which is fine!).

The "official" list the Liverpool journalists were briefed on after the Fabinho/Henderson stories seemed to be Lavia, Gravenberch, Amrabat, and Kalvin Phillips, I think? Seen Florentino Luis and Koopmeiners thrown around, Edson Alvarez some, too, but there hasn't been anything that seemed serious in quite a while. No idea what's up. Not sure why Thuram and/or Kone's names haven't bubbled back up.

You'd think the Henderson/Fab things would have put things in overdrive, but instead it's gotten kind of quiet. Kind of weird.
 
They gotta wait for one person to come up with the bullshit first then they can all say that their EXCLUSIVE sources are saying, "blah blah blah"
 
BTB said:
OGB, are you seeing anything about possible incomings at Liverpool? It's incredibly quiet right now and with Fabinho and possibly Henderson leaving, there has to be more coming, right?
Click to expand...
Saw Kalvin Phillips name floating around this morning...
 
this just in...
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Oh that sweet sweet Saudi oil money! Nom nom nom



Any chance Donny VDB wants to melt in the eternal sunlight?
Or Martial? Surely Tony is worth a 50mil fee to these sheiks....
 
Domestic abuse charges dropped against Ryan Giggs just 13 days before the retrial was set to begin

If I'm reading this right...his alleged victims testified in the first trial, which didn't result in a verdict, and are now refusing to testify in the retrial so the prosecution dropped the charges with no plausible path to conviction.

So either he was wrongfully and maliciously accused of domestic violence without it ever taking place OR he is getting away with beating up two women.

Both possibilities suck.
 
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