Liverpool are a massive club.
Yes, they have been crap the last few seasons but even so will enjoy a huge reputation world wide.
They have some talented players and a new (exciting) coach who plans to push them among the big boys.
We on the other hand have had a great few years, but wont enjoy the 'kudos' Liverpool do, are also in a situation where we have a new manager looking to push us among the elite.
Are the choices so clear cut?
Especially when the player in question has a good working relationship with the Liverpool manager.
If money offered and aspiration of the clubs are of similar levels - what do you base your choice on?
I do understand the choice is close, Liverpool are also a big club and that there may be some pull for him, but really I think it will be a little embarassing if we made a big push to get him, offered him better money and I'm sure presented him the plans of the club (whether that means investment, likely managers, stadium, training ground, etc) and he decides to not bother coming our way.
It used to be annoying when we'd lose out on players because we wouldn't match the wages. When Damien Duff joined Saudi Sportswashing Machine he would have been perfect for us at the time, but you can understand why he went there and why we didn't break our wage structure for him. Saudi Sportswashing Machine had money, and if spent well maybe they could have challenged us even though we just finished above them. He wasn't to know they'd fudge it all up. So annoying, but I understood it.
Now we are in the position of swooping in, offering the higher wages. Only now we are also the club finishing higher, and we have better players in our squad. And yet we are still likely to miss out. Very frustrating.
Would he rather knock in crosses from Bale or Downing? Be partnered in midfield by Henderson or Sandro? I know Liverpool also have some good quality players too, but is he even going to start there every game? He's very similar to Gerrard, but even if Gerrard is deeper, there's still a few guys to compete with. I just can't see why the pull of Rodgers is that great. Yes he played well in Rodgers team that he had some time to build up, but Rodgers is going to have his work cut out incorporating the likes of Downing and Carrol into that system. It may not all be instantly well functioining for a couple of seasons. Maybe if we had a manager that could go all out and tell him how he would be utilised we could also change his mind again.
I guess maybe I'm freaking out because I remember what it was like pre-Harry, we wouldn't sign players in the positions we need. If the deal went, we wouldn't do it. I'm worried that we are doing this because it's a deal, and that if we pass it by there may not be another one of similar value. But I should also remember that back then we had the thoroughly unproductive Commoli signing us talented players that didn't fit the system of play we wanted. We then had Harry who was able to play talented players in the right way, but couldn't make decisions on riskier signings. I'm hoping AVB will have the decisiveness to make decisions on riskier players, knows which positions need filling and makes an effort to do so, and has the scouting knowledge to find them. I'm actually pretty confident that he does to be fair, so maybe I needn't worry. Siggy won't be the be all and end all of our club.
