Linda Pizzuti's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread II

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

The kid hasn't performed well as CB or LB. And, I think we'll be signing another CB at some point.

Right now, we have Carra, Skrtel, Agger, and Kryg. If we buy a LB, where does that put Wilson? 4th choice CB and 3rd choice LB? He needs to play somewhere.

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

Money ball is as much about cost and length of contract as it is about age. You don't pay 30 mil and give him a 5 year deal. At 10 or 15m and a 2 year deal it may make sense financially. On a free at the end of his current deal and 1 yr deal with options to extend, i take it in a second. A great veteran to have around the squad.

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

Billy Beane notoriously buys old players at the downside of their careers if he can get them on the cheap. Its about all about value, not a specific player or skill-set.

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

Not exactly. Moneyball is about finding inefficiencies in the market and leveraging undervalued assets. It's about not wasting money, even smallish amounts, on easily-replaceable pieces (ie Konchesky). The version of the strategy used by the Red Sox (not by Billy Beane, b/c he has no payroll flexibility) and most likely to be used by LFC is to develop players from within, esp the depth/squad players, then use your money for superstars to put you over the top. Put yourself in a position with your development system that you don't need to spend 10mn every summer on roster filler like Konchesky and Poulson, and can instead direct that 10mn towards an impact player. The Red Sox have spent big on a lot of superstar players that a) are in their prime and b) fill a position of need. Manny Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, etc. They can afford to do that because they fill in the cracks of the team with cheap, homegrown talent and always keep room open for player development. Sometimes those homegrown kids turn into superstars themselves (eg Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Dustin Pedroia), but even if they don't they can fill out the squad cheaply (eg Jed Lowrie).

The trick is to not waste resources on filler when in-house options can do the same job (eg don't spend 4mn on Poulson when you have Spearing). That frees you up to spend big on game-changers. And if you have limited resources, better to spend them all on one or two excellent players than spread it over 3 or 4 mediocre players that are little or no upgrade over in-house options.

If they think that ball-moving CM is a big position of need, and the acquisition of a world-class player at that position could push the team from also-ran to contender, it would be perfectly within that philosophy to spend a pretty penny on Xabi. I don't think it's going to happen, because I think they believe they can get similar production from other players at lower cost and/or prioritize other needs, but the point is that it's not really about age. It's about production v. cost relative to need. Older players often cost more and produce less than younger players, largely because they are a known commodity and there's a big risk premium in sports, but when that isn't the case Moneyball would suggest targeting the older player.

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

he is, what, 21? a CB should be getting random appearances at a big club or a lot of minutes at a smaller club at this stage in his development. a move to Gers isn't bad for him, or the blue men. He'll have a year to develop in a similar league, and will be given a fair shot when he returns as a 22 yr old, playing for a new contract.

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

with all this talk about Rossi and Sanchez going to Barca, Afellay would have to be available. Give me Henderson, Afellay, Mata, and a LB and I'm satisfied...

Just me rambling here: I don't see a great partnership blossoming between Carroll and Suarez - I don't think they're compatible, unless one of them changes the way they play. Luis will be the man up top, getting 35 starts this season. Carroll will get 10-15 and be used as an impact sub or somebody to hold the ball up when we're ahead.

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

I think a triumvirate of Suarez-Carroll-??/Kuyt would be very effective if given time.



--------------------Carroll/Suarez
-----------Carroll/Suarez------------
????------------------------Kuyt
-----------Lucas-Gerrard-------------

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

If this basis is some type of sixth sense then fair enough, but if this judgement is down to 5 league starts having never played together before, with the other Liverpool players before, Carroll coming back from a long term injury and Suarez being new to the league then I have to say you're being a wee bit premature.

Suarez, Carroll/Kuyt and New Signing/Maxi should be our attack next season with one of Gerrard/Meireles playing infront of 2 CM's.

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

But, they don't actually buy players, do they? I thought all of them are grown as pods inside the La Masia Cloning Facility?

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

I just don't see their styles as compatible. It isn't due to what I've seen of them in their 5 games, it is just a sense I have.
Carroll is a big, old fashioned target man. Luis is hardly the type to play on the shoulder of the last defender looking for a knock down, a la Quinn/Phillips. Luis wants to drift around, create space for other players. Andy will only be occupying that space, negating the movement of other players. I just see it being messy, is all.

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

I agree that they don't necessarily pass the eye test. Carroll's mobility is the issue, so Suarez will have to adapt in some way to complement Carroll's skill set.

I don't like how they've played Andy "in the hole" with Suarez on the last defender in a few of their starts together. It seems counter-intuitive to how Suarez is best played (as a wandering playmaker).

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

well, thanks be to Les Dieux de Soccer that they only paid 600M Francs for the lad...

 

I am in for Linda's thread.

Wake me up when we actually sign someone

 

Re: John Henry's Summer 2011 Transfer Thread

That's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is that Andy will draw a lot of attention, giving Luis more space to operate in.

It might take some time to get a feel for each other, but the field is big enough for two players. If they can gel, they're a classic pairing.

 

We are being mooted for an awfull lot of good young English talent...if there is some kind of a two-tier policy to grab a handfull of solid ready-mades at weak spots like lb, lw whatever, and on the other track just load up on solid looking futures as well.....

well that would be good.

 

Kenny's been big on UK talent in both times he has managed.

they're going to form much of the core of the squad for years to come, and they are going to sprinkle in some other foreign talents.

I'm more than fine with it, as long as they come good.



Going to be a lot of money spent out, but it should be enjoyable.

 

Unless I see photos like this along with the note saying we've signed them. I'll just hang out with.

 

If you'd told me before the summer began that the Scum were going to sign Jordan Henderson, Mata, A. Young, and Johnson/Cahill, I would've been furious. Would love to close out some of those in the coming weeks.

 

Looking forward to some of the rumors becoming true.