The Barclays Premier League Thread 2014/2015

[Hobo]

I'm not totally convinced by the "players want to play in London and have guaranteed Champions League football" argument. I think it's a bit of an excuse really. You could sacrifice buying one player who might be great in 2 years to buy someone who'll be great now. You just need one. I don't think it's that impossible if you really go all out to try and get a player.

[Lineker]

Wilfried Bony has signed a contract through to 2018.

[Nerf]

Daniel Sturridge will miss a further six weeks following his injury in training yesterday.

Must be really horrible for the guy, he can't catch a break.

[brenchill]

A break is about the only thing he hadn't had on his injury list.

[Ant]

Bony would have been perfect for Liverpool. He is kinda wasted at Swansea

[Dan]

Yeah, he'd be great for the side who are in the bottom half. No idea why he'd want to play for the team who are currently sitting 5th.

[Rich]

I find it amusing Liverpool did the exact same thing that Spurs were ridiculed for.

With the Suarez money, all Liverpool needed was a world-class forward to replace him (someone in the £30m - £40m bracket. Sanchez would have been perfect), a quality CB and Lallana. They didn't need to spunk all their money on bits and pieces players. Why they signed Rickie Lambert I'll never know.

"The Suarez Money" from what I've picked up was not what fueled 100% of Liverpool's spending. I'm not even 100% sure the fact Suarez was getting sold was a certainty until after he went and bit someone again. It might have been the case that that bite altered Liverpool's transfer plans midstream. When Lambert is already signed. Signed to be a squad player who can come in and play off either Suarez or Sturridge because they have the legs he doesn't. I think a lot of Liverpool's summer signings make more sense if they were designed to be in a team that contains Suarez and Sturridge. The exception being Balotelli who was designed to come in and not replace Suarez but to give Sturridge a partner (which is what he was doing on his debut against Spurs).

I do think it might have been better, to say, forget Lazar Markovic and throw that 20 million along with what was already being bandied about in order to get Alexis Sanchez. When it comes to stuff like that Liverpool haven't done that well. Liverpool tried to get Deigo Costa and Willian and others and they didn't go all out for them.

January windows recently have yielded Suarez and Sturridge (and Andy Carroll but but two out of three ain't bad). Although, who that "world class" striker would be I don't know. I can't think of someone who would be available in January. I'd love to see Liverpool nabbing an impressive January signing but I don't know who it would be!

All that is a bit more nonsensical when you've had it fairly widely reported Real and Barca were in discussions with Liverpool as far back as feb/mar about buying Suarez, it seems fairly obvious to me that the timing of the announcement if the deal that talks had happened pre-World Cup so Rogers was surely planning his team sans Suarez for a good deal of time.

[peteypirahna]

Well, at least they're consistent.

[Hobo]

Well, at least they're consistent.

It's cute that you think that.

[The Lusophone]

With Liverpool it's a case of not building on good positions - and not for the first time. 2008/09 you come second, but you don't/can't build on that because you sell a really important player for you (Xabi Alonso), and and replace him with a player who doesn't work out for whatever reason (Aquilani). The seasons after that are your worse for years, you come 7th, 6th, 8th and 7th again. The next season you come 2nd again and already the signs are there that you're not able to repeat that. You've lost a very important player, you've replaced him with a player that isn't working out.

[brenchill]

Bony would have been perfect for Liverpool. He is kinda wasted at Swansea

How is he "wasted" playing for Swansea exactly?

[Ant]

As in he should be playing for a team who are consistently pushing for titles/competitions. Don't get me wrong Swansea are a good club but unless they have significant investment they won't be pushing for any European places.

[The Lusophone]

Why should he transfer to Liverpool then?

[Ant]

Touché

My point still stands though. He is too good for Swansea

[brenchill]

I don't think he is "too good" personally. He's hardly banging in a goal a game, is he? He's playing well for a team who will more than likely be in the top 8 heading into December.

For what it's worth, Siggy has been far more impressive this season for Swansea.

[Ant]

Bony has an excellent goal scoring ratio. Everywhere he has played and gone he has scored and produced.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfried_Bony#Career_statistics

[brenchill]

Cech to Arsenal has been agreed in principle appaz

[Ant]

I can't see that being at all true. They have Scezeny (sp) and Ospina already.

[EddieG]

BBC reported it too, except they tagged 'Arsenal Music' on their Facebook post.

[brenchill]

Cech would be a steal for any of the top European clubs really. Could be an Edwin Van Der Saar type signing, I'm sure he's got a few good years ahead of him.