um pahars

Over a full season (where you get a true picture of the quality and depth of a squad), we came 8th. A really decent finish considering some of the teams who finished above us (eg The smaller of the big 6/7, Spurs had a Turnover double ours, and those nasty Scousers commercial revenue alone is one & half times our total income). Where would the funds have come from to (a) buy these new players and (b) fund their wages? Ramirez and Osvaldo have shown it's not easy landing these quality players and when players at our level show themselves to be real quality, it's not that easy keeping them either, particularly when the big fish are offering huge sums in wages. We never had and never will have the financial muscle or pull to break in to the big boys club. Just how much of Markus' legacy would you have wanted spent chasing the dream?

In which case it doesn't say much for "most on here" as they've won the Bundesliga 5 time in the last 20 years. They are behind Bayern in terms of "massive" status but they are up there in much the same way as our top 4/5 are. And as for Atletico, well since they last won La Liga in the mid 90s I think only Valencia & Deportivo have challenged the dominant two teams in Spanish football. They cant hold a candle to Real and Barcelona, but they're up there as the next best.

Just find Liverpool a strange move if you claim you want to win things. Average finish over last 10 years is 5th and without Suarez, can't see anything better than a top four finish. In the last 8 seasons, they've won more than us that's for sure, but they're on a par with Birmingham and Swansea. They overachieved last year in a season when 2 of the big 4 were in rebuild mode. Presume Champions League or European football is an attraction, as is playing for a more high profile club, but also presume the money is also a big issue here. I also think that as we found out at the World Cup, being good enough to play for England does not mean you are good enough to play for the top clubs, and presume no one else was really interested in him. He will be a big miss for us, so his replacement will have a big influence on how future seasons pan out (Tadic & Pelle look promising). A year ago I wouldn't have been over fussed, but last season think along with Lambert he had a a big influence in our forward play. Lambert handled the situation regarding the move well, Shaw was low key and hadn't been around long, but the way Lallana has done his business has left a sour taste in the mouth. Poorly advised, or oblivious and arrogant??

It's risible to compare us with those two teams (and that has nothing to do with accepting mediocrity). Dortmund is the powerhouse of the Ruhr area and it's football club regularly pull in 80,000 (the highest average attendance in Europe!!). They are not a club who have been punching above their weight, instead they are one of the mainstays of The Bundesliga. And we've done Atletico Madrid before. They've won the League in almost every decade (and the Copa Del Rey) and are the second team in one of Europe's finest city's.

I know for definite that Lukaku was (at least he was mid May) right at the top of our wanted list, but we didn't have (or want to spend?) the money to bring him in. It might be a different financial situation now, but have no idea if he would want to come, or Chelsea would off load.

Defoe Lesley King Dawson Huddlestone Jenas??? Lennon Scott Parker Crouch

Cue the Monty Python quotes!!

Is it the wrong time to admit that for a while he was in my Adrian Heath drawer for hated players after hauling David Platt back, then Conning the ref to only give a free kick and then going up the other end and scoring??? Wonder what Lawrie will have to say when they meet LOL. but being serious, think it's an appointment that makes a statement. Hope it all works out well.

Without June 6th, could there be an argument that they might not have stopped at the Rhine?

Length of tenure has changed and even though MoPo wasn't even with us for 18 months, he was still the 7th (I think) longest serving Premiership manager! Although the main reason for that was Clubs sacking managers, as opposed to managers moving on!

Was an icon through our recent resurgence and typified everything that was good about the Club during that enjoyable time. Great bloke off the pitch as well. So no problem staying on that banner (particularly when others up there also left us).

Losing MoPo for me was always going to happen. Never got the sense he was here for the long run (but replacement is key) Lambert going is just about acceptable given his age, his service and going back "home" (think £4m is a piff take though). Resigned to losing Shaw, but think he is one of the least influential of our players, (and his head has already been turned). Then after that I would begrudgingly accept any one of Lallana, Lovren, Morgan. ANY MORE THAN ONE AND I WILL BE IN MELTDOWN LOL!!!!!

Have to say I agree that £4m is a **** poor effort. Even if we only got 1 season out of him, his value to the team is more than £4m. As you say I do have a degree of empathy with the lad going back to his roots, but with Liverpool being flush from TV monies and a Champions League spot, we really should have twisted their arm for more. He's contracted for two more years and we really should be making one of the top four cough up more than £4m.

No tax due to Image rights, paid offshore, paid to his Andorran company!!!!! imagine it will be a bit different to Jan Portakabin who had to buy himself out of his £30,000 contract with his Dutch outfit, but was never reimbursed LOL

But I think it would be safe to say that his signing on bonus will be £2million more than originally anticipated. ?

Pretty much answered all the criticisms about "not offering a contract", "not trying to keep him", "lack of ambition", "no forward planning", "inactivity over a replacement/the situation" etc and a fairly honest interview. Confirms my position that I'm not going to knock the Board for MoPo leaving, BUT they have to get the replacement right! PS thanks to Saint Armstrong for the linky thingy

Being honest, if they looked at the resources and standing of the top 4/5/6 then they must have been a tad naive to think we were the sleeping giant who would be able to establish themselves in the top 4 on a regular basis.

I think that when that table is combined with the thought that in 3 years they will be filling a 60,000 stadium (think there ST waiting list is in the tens of thousands) and looking at things such as merchandise and commercial pull (close to 10x what we make), then I would say they are much bigger than us. Throw in the bright lights of London and a mega contract (in terms of £££s and length) and I struggle to see how we could have made him stay. By comparison we are a small provisional team. (But I'm more than happy with our standing in the game and 80+ league clubs would only be too happy to be in our shoes).

https://mobile.twitter.com/sportingintel/media/grid?idx=0&tid=471286552191336448 In case anyone is in any doubt about where Spurs sit in the footballing pyramid, then this table makes for an interesting read. Now of course, nothing is set in stone and the status quo is always there to be challenged, but a dash of realism is sometimes needed before we launch in to emotive responses.

Happy to admit that Spurs are a bigger pull than us, but think Shaw and Lallana would be mad to go there. The big 5 at home or a big club abroad is where they should be aiming for (if we can't keep them of course).

As I said earlier, I don't think there is much they could do with regards MoPo leaving (certainly harder to keep a want away manager than it is a want away player), so I'm not going to give them stick about it. BUT, what will be interesting and what they will be held to account for is who they get in to replace him. That's their big test, so I'll leave my judgement until I see how that pans out. I actually woke up quite excited about who we will get in (definitely in a The King is dead mode), but tinged with a dash of worry about who else might walk!!

What's the odds on clauses in a couple of key contracts?? And whilst I take your point, in that it might be possible to play it a bit more hard ball if a player pushes for a move (aka Suarez), the reality is that most eventually get there move if they really push it.

The Board wanted him to stay, they provided him with commitments regarding transfer kittys, players not needing to be sold and other promises, but his head had already been turned by Spurs and not even a flimsy contract or a £2m+ clause was going to stop him from making the move that he thinks will progress his career and meet his ambitions. It would have been quite funny if they somehow tried to put a restraint on him and told him to manage the youth team for his last year here, but that would never stand up. We're a mid ranking Premiership Club who pick up players and managers from 80+ clubs in the pyramid, but conversely will be pillaged by 10 or so above us.

I'm sure that might be used as a smokescreen to justify his lack of loyalty, but don't think anything has materially moved with regards what our budgets were since his arrival. And the same with regards players, in that we don't want and have to sell, but it would be impossible to say we would be able to keep everyone (as his walking away from a contract has proved).

I had a hat, but I've just dropped it.