Polarboy

It still all seems very weird. We're supposed to believe that Barca offered him the deal over five years, then suddenly realised that it would have left them up shit creek with the government/FFP and or their long term financial stability, he then offered to take a more than 50% cut, only to be told that it wasn't legal to do that in Spain, which in terms of wage laws you'd think the money men would have been instantly aware of before it was even floated as an idea. Either something else is going on, or Messi's agent and the finance people at Barca are running around like Benny Hill.

As far as I'm aware it was going to be a five year contract at Barca, so in reality he'd have been getting what he's getting for his two year PSG contract. Obviously we're not privy to all the ins and outs, but it seems to me that he had a number for the amount of money he wanted, he couldn't get it at Barca, so left. I don't see what Spanish wage laws would prevent him from taking a wage of some sort, whatever figure that was going to be, but perhaps I'm wrong.

I thought his blubbing at his farewell presser for Barca was a bit much. The only reason he's leaving is because PSG are the only people willing and able to pay his ridiculous wages.

Where Everton and Spurs finish will be interesting, but I wouldn't bet against Espirito Santo. He at the very least has better squad depth at Spurs if not flat our a better squad compared to Wolves, and if Kane leaves it looks like they'll be spending the money on Vlahovic or Martinez. If they get one of those two along with Son, who's obviously a quality player, and Nuno gets Dele Ali into some form, which wouldn't surprise me, then Spurs could have a surprisingly decent season.

Yeah but they are at best sideways moves, if not backward ones when you consider that James is likely on his way out. There is literally no excitement about any of those signings, at least at present. The only hope is if that Rafa can get Townsend and Longstaff playing as well as they did under him. And of course Everton fans were only a short while ago under the impression that they were in the big time with Ancellotti and an owner who supposedly has big pockets. I can only assume that the pandemic has hit the clubs finances hard. Then again I thought fair play rules were more or less suspended at present.

Gray, Townsend, Begovic, and maybe after Longstaff. In fairness to Everton fans I'd be pretty fucked off with their transfer business so far. Not that we are pulling up any trees obviously, but at least Willock's signing is an exciting prospect for the future. Of course maybe Rafa can work his magic on Longstaff again and turn him back into the player who Man U were looking at.

Steve Nickson, genius that he is, likely told Ashley that it was a sure thing we could flog him after a few years for double the price. That of course is what all this under 25 craic is about.

Yeah the only thing I can think of, whereby we could actually get him, is if we get him on loan with an obligation to buy next season. Fatley might be thinking it will be someone else's problem by then, please God. Or I suppose we could try to structure the payments over a few years. The least likely is perhaps Bruce being told to plead absolute poverty in order to try and not get fleeced over fees in the window.

We'll find out by tomorrow that Villa have signed Willock by offering the actual asking price instead of less than half. But yeah it definitely seems like he's going, but again given past and present experience it's best not to bet the house on it.

Nice mess for Rafa to deal with straight off. This reminds me, I should probably take Sigurdsson off my watchlist for fantasy football. He's going to be on a very different watchlist from now on.

Bruce looking respudlent in his new Castore grear.

I want the takeover to happen as much as anyone else, but the way Staveley was talking on Sky it seemed as if without help from the UK government, in terms of making the Premier League act in a more transparent way, it's not going to happen, or she at least has big doubts. She basically said it could all fall by the wayside if the PL are allowed to keep acting in the way they have been. I sincerely hope I'm wrong but I think it could be a case of these media moves by Ashley, Staveley and co as being acts of desperation, as opposed to the acts of people confident that they'll eventually get the result they're after. Maybe I'm making too much of the by the wayside comment, hopefully I am.

Rafa iirc, has said in the past that he likely wouldn't take the Everton job because of his allegiance to/history managing Liverpool. If I were him my code of honour would be being seriously tested right now. He wants a job in England close to his house in the Wirral, and a job that could be a decent project with decent money behind it. Past allegiances or not it may be too good an opportunity, in these uncertain times, to turn down if they come knocking. Edit. 😄 Never mind, just read Rafa's quotes from his recent appearance on Monday Night Football. Seems as though he definitely would consider the Everton job for a few of the reasons I mentioned.

What's the bet that Bruce has asked one of his crony "sports journo" mates to ask him about beating Rafa's points total. Bruce - Yeah look, we've had to dust ourselves down a fair bit this season, but we've beaten the mighty Rafa, so it can't have been that bad eh?

Ref on just saying that the Wilson goal wouldn't have stood even next season. Apparently the rule is to stop an accidental goal in off someone's arm. So the rule will be that you can score from an accidental handball as long as the person who's arm it struck isn't the person who scores it. Still fucking stupid, for how little it would happen that it would be accidental and go straight in off a players arm.

At least they are changing that horrendous handball rule for next season. Doesn't help us much now though. Just as well Willock continued his purple patch.

Surely Joelinton has to get the hook at half time for Wilson. Wilson should be capable of 45 minutes at least in this stage of his recovery. Wilson is a professional footballer, so he can actually receive the ball and pass it.

I used to think, well at least American billionaires who buy clubs aren't the heads of theocratic and or authoritarian regimes, but I'm starting to thaw on the latter when it comes to who's worse for football 😂 At least they most likely just want sportswash their reputations by showering clubs with money and pumping money directly into the community like with Man City's owners. And obviously Citeh were one of the six, but this whole thing has the American's stink all other it, franchises, no relegation etc. Seems as if Chelsea and City didn't want to be odd man out. Not that it absolves them of blame.

Eh, no. You're not afraid of hyperbole are you. What I'm saying, and my comments are directed towards what he said after the match, is that he could have been a lot stronger instead of equivocating and obfuscating on behalf of the Liverpool owners. He criticised UEFA, which is fair enough given they're just out for what they can get as well, but he also defended the Fenway Group saying that they must have a reason for what they are doing, they aren't gamblers, and that they are good people. They do have a reason for doing it, money, and the latter two are objectively false given what's transpired. There is no grey area here, and that's what Klopp was trying to aim for like a weasel.

He can't exactly say I've had serendipitous change of heart can he. What he didn't do is come out in strong terms again, and what he did do, when he really didn't need to, is back the owners of Liverpool.

Klopp - "The owners are great people" Well that puts paid to any one who's still under the illusion that Klopp had integrity.

Carlton Cole just unironically called it a game of two halfs 😂 Cole's not exactly a raconteur.

I don't know why I torture myself. As if anxiety levels weren't bad enough through covid, we have to watch matches that seem to be specifically written to wind us up, and then maybe give us a little reach around if we're lucky. The commentator was already giving Bruce his sound bite, saying he was some sort of genius for putting on Willock, our only well rounded, athletic midfielder on the bench.

Ritchie doing well there.

Willock has been vintage Shearer with those last two headers coming off the bench.