Jimmy_D

Looks like Liverpool are about to lose Coutinho to Barcelona. If I was VvD I'd be thinking twice about whether forcing a move to them was really worth it.

Right from the start I've thought this stance was weird. When they're signing a new contract, they're signing it to play for US. They're less likely to if we've been selling our best players. VvD himself signed the 6 year contract because he could see the club was improving.

Liverpool will only bid if Southampton ask them to... Easy for them to say now they've tapped him up and turned his head already. Utter ****s.

It could just as easily be argued it could have the opposite effect. Players see that we're building something long term and are more willing to commit long term themselves. In the past we've certainly seen the opposite effect, players leaving makes other players want to leave themselves, most notably Schneiderlin.

The same as happens if a player goes on strike you mean? We got an extra year out of Schneiderlin and Wanyama and doing that didn't stop VvD signing a long term contract.

As has been pointed out on the Liverpool forum, back in January it seemed like they shafted us over a deal with Sakho when we needed a defender. Maybe it was a pride thing, not wanting any player to go the other way, but in any case it seemed like they basically gave us a two finger salute and bundled him off to Palace. If they hadn't done that, they may well have found us less hostile. Especially if Sakho had done alright with us, we, as well as Sakho himself, might have been more open to a part exchange deal.

There's no point in caving in to strikes that break long term contracts so that players will keep on signing long term contracts.

Reckon VvD is in catch 22 here, if he really does have his heart set on a move only to Liverpool. Liverpool won't bid unless we ask them to, because of the backing down and apology. We won't ask them to, because of the actions that led to the backing down and the apology, and how it'd look to us fans, not to mention actually wanting to keep hold of him.

Aye, some things above the rivalry. RIP.

We can choose to accept or turn down any offers we like, regardless of the value of the offer and the acceptance or rejection of any other offer.

Club won't be losing any fans if they stick to that. Might make it slightly more difficult to sign players on long contracts, especially if they have Wasserman as agents, but if players are just going to get out of those long contracts by going on strike, there was little point in them anyway. Stick to our guns here and any player that signs a new contract with us will know there's a good chance he'll have to stick to it right from the start.

We've never sold a player with 5 years left on his contract. Once, maaaybe twice, one with 4 years left? I'm remembering just fine how we sell players.

We'd be weaker on the pitch this season, if it did come to that (although I don't think we'll have to make him rot in the reserves). I'd personally be backing the club 100% if it did come to that though.

The fact he was not playing for us and training on his own a few hours after a slew of articles about how he was Liverpool's only target says to me that Liverpool have probably had something to do with the timing. Personally I'd be absolutely disgusted if he ends up at Liverpool.

Jeez, their ****witted excuses for fans are still going on about how unfair it was being called out on their illegal tapping up. They really do earn the victims tag don't they.

That's a pretty short list in football.

Aye, 'swept under the carpet' comes to mind.

In which case he's choosing to stay then.

We can only accept offers from other clubs though, denying him the opportunity of joining Liverpool, and only giving him the choice of staying here or joining a different club other than Liverpool.

It's utterly ridiculous that a player with half a decade left on his contract should expect to leave, or that any club should expect to be able to get him, if the club doesn't want to sell. Has that EVER happened with ANY player?

He'll probably move on at some point in the future, but he's still the best choice for it now I reckon.

Personally I'd give it to Romeu. He GETS it with Southampton.

Pfft, he has a history of winding people up with crap like that and it's not always been right. Wouldn't surprise me if he's guessed on this too from VVD's twitter and happened to be right this time.

If it was me personally, I'd be telling he can move on a free in five years time, but I'm not sure the team would end up better off by doing that...

It's not just about van Dijk and this window or this season though. We've suffered more than most from tapping up, usually to Liverpool. If we can do something about that we'll be far better off for it.