Landon Donovan: What's Next?

Where has this thread gone? Plus we are at #1225, time for a new one?

And Liverpool have a world wide "brand" that clubs like Leeds and Forest simply don't have. That "brand" guarantees revenue streams that the aforementioned clubs could only dream of.

They have Torres, Kuijt, Babel, N'Gog and Jovanovic, who all have decent to very good speed.

Of course, a lot will depend on who stays, who goes and what system Roy will have.

Traditionally, he's a 4-4-2 guy.

They would be pissed. Understandably, yes. Rightfully, no.

The "brand" only lasts for as long as the team is seen as relevant. There is a reason that already huge companies spend millions and millions of dollars every year on their branding to keep it in the public eye. And that reason is that they know if the brand wanes, it is harder to get it back than to keep it in the first place. Liverpool has revenue streams now that others don't have but they are not guaranteed in perpetuity just because of amazing successes 30 years ago. Fans are fickle. Look at how many "fans" of Manchester United we have now. How do you think their fan base looked 30 years ago? Fans go to winners. And if clubs like City and Tottenham begin outperforming Liverpool regularly (in addition to the other aforementioned ones that already are), their star and branding will fade. That's life.

The Sheffield clubs are a better example of old teams that can slide into obscurity. (not as good as Torpedo Moscow, obviously)

That said, 'Pool has too high a revenue to do likewise.

Should it begin a downward slide, there'll be plenty of buyers perfectly willing to return it to its old glory.

Of course, but having a historic brand like Liverpool makes it a hell of a lot easier for a soccer team to stay relevant and competitive. Spurs and City still have a long way to get to where Liverpool is (at least from a brand/franchise value perspective).

Did you mean Man City and Chelsea?

Arsenal have been in the top division in English soccer for longer than anyone (more than 90 years now), have won and appeared in the second most FA Cup finals (one win behind Man U), and have won the third most top division titles (13, behind Man U and Liverpool; outside of Everton, who is next, nobody else has won more than four in the past two centuries; those clubs are well in front of everyone else the past 110 or so years)

Before the CL and Premier League money came around, they had some lean periods like anyone else, but to suggest their success is new is simply incorrect.

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And to those suggesting Liverpool could slip through any means other than catastrophic financial distress, that's also off; they have one of the better and more loyal fanbases in the world.

IF you watched the WC, you saw the maturation (read the slowing down of Dyrk K). He has clearly lost many steps. Babel cant get playing time on teh dutch team and couldnt get it for 3 years under Benitez. N'Gog is not very good and they are trying to loan him for the year. Jovanovic does not a CL team make.

Torres is well injured.

They have no speed. Hodgs 4-4-2 will negate the need for speed of course, but he needs pace somewhere on the field to change the complexion of certain matches if he is going to compete with a powerful chelsea, a fast and powerful man U, and a lighting speed Arsenal.

Right now, this Liverpool team is not scaring Bolton much less the top teams.

That's because Stuart Holden plays for Bolton.

Yes, rightfully. They welcomed him with open arms when practically no one else would. If he went to Liverpool it's smacking the only people outside of America who believed in him right in the face.

It'd show a major character flaw if he even thought about it. I think he's "posturing" as well, maybe.

True, but in fairness all he'd said was "I don't know." We can take that to mean anything, and apparently we have. I know to an Everton supporter he's supposed to say "When hell freezes over," though.

I'm not sure your analogy works here since Juventus was formed before Torino, won a championship before them and more importantly has won more titles than any other team in Italy. They are by far the most successful team in Italian football. If history were everything Juventus would be the best team in Italy right now.

"When hell freezes over" would be a pretty bizarre response to the question of whether Liverpool had expressed any interest in him, assuming that they had.

Ah, I misremembered the question. I thought it was whether or not the following clubs were realistic options or not.

what if LD wants to go to Europe(top league, top club) & Everton aren't able to pony up any sort of transfer fee? Should LD just stay with MLS & the LA Galaxy?

Liverpool have been constantly one of the elite clubs of the English top divison for almost 50 years and they're also one of the best supported teams in English football. It'd take a lot to alter their status.

As for Donovan, shouldn't worry about what the Everton faithful think, leave sentimentality for the fans.

FYI, their is a big rumor that Mascherano is going to Barcelona for £12 million and Aleks Hleb

if that happens, then this Liverpool talk is dead

why? he wasn't going to play anyway... might as well get money and a player for him

I was talking about Hleb to Liverpool

Landon and Hleb would take up similar positons

and hleb and cole as well. like cole, i think hleb's best position is in the center.

Meh. Donovan is better than the current Hleb.

BTW, who's excited for Rafa vs. LD tomorrow? I know I am.

Here's what Rafa said about him today on the MLS website:

“Great player,” Márquez said of Donovan. “People love him here in the United States. I have a lot of respect for him.”

Two legends going at it.

that's cool, but what Hleb provides Liverpool needs (hold up play in possession, movement, technical ability, creativity) more than Landon's skillset