Liverpool FC Forum

Owzat wrote:I think selling Babel could be a mistake, he isn't 23 yet and while he may not have set Anfield alight (unless he commited arson last night and I haven't heard!), but he is a useful on the bench as he can play wide or up front. So he is a '2 in 1' player, and while not great in either role, he is still young and it isn't as if our bench is brimming with players who would do much better.

I'd sit on him, wait on and consider any bids that do come in on merit. The issue of losses is a funny one, we can have a player like Crouch for a few seasons and sell him at a £4m profit. But what about the value to the squad in those seasons? We surely must have made a loss on Cisse, but what about his contributions that were not fantastic, but he did make some? I hear Sunderland won't sign him despite him being their second top scorer and scoring something like 11 goals in 32 appearances which isn't bad for a club like them surviving the drop on the last day.

And if we ever sell Torres, would we rather sell sooner for say a £10m+ profit, or in a few years time at a loss? Would it be a loss? We've got 50 goals out of him in two seasons, I reckon that is worth £10m+ in its own right.

But the bottom line is we should buy the right players at the right price and not worry about losses on players. We can't sell a player for more than is offered, we can be a bit more careful before spending money on players like Babel, Keane and Dossena but what's done is done. For every £4m loss we might make on a Dossena we will make £4m on a Crouch - not including services provided. I guess one flaw in discussions between fans over transfers and profit/loss is we think of a player as a possession more than them as a servant/service - in a way they are both. We pay say £20m for someone's services, they can run their contract down and go elsewhere for nothing, or someone else comes in and offers more or less than £20m to terminate the contract and take their services elsewhere. You could argue Bosman changed player transfers from an ownership to a contracted service.

heimdall wrote:Babel is , just let him go even if its on a free transfer.
He simply doesn't have toughness to play in the premiership plus his tricks are very 1 dimensional and he's ridiculously one-footed. I was pushing for him to get a start earlier  in the season but the more I've seen of him lately the more I think he is complete garbage. Hopefully there is some idiot manager out there who is willing to give us some dosh for him.

Owzat wrote:I think offloading Babel could depreciate his value more than he already has through his performances. We might only get £5m or £6m for him and he hasn't exactly been given loads of opportunities in the starting XI to prove himself. If you sell Babel, you need to fill his 'empty kit' and frankly unless we got £7m+ for him I think it would be a mistake. He's had a poor season, but he's still only 22. Give him one more season then look to sell, otherwise we're just asking clubs to take him for next to nothing and we might as well keep him. It's not as if he's any less use than Degen, Diego, Itandje, Plessis and others. BUT Babel could increase his value, I really can't see those four doing the same. Would you sell your house when it was at its lowest value or would you stay put and wait until the value rises? As I say, it would depend on offers but we make it clear we want rid and how many are going to offer top dollar?!?!

simolonge wrote:

heimdall wrote:Babel is , just let him go even if its on a free transfer.
He simply doesn't have toughness to play in the premiership plus his tricks are very 1 dimensional and he's ridiculously one-footed. I was pushing for him to get a start earlier  in the season but the more I've seen of him lately the more I think he is complete garbage. Hopefully there is some idiot manager out there who is willing to give us some dosh for him.

The irony in that post is beautiful.

In terms of me supporting him earlier in the season you mean? In any case it's not irony but i will always put my hand up and admit fault and I was very very wrong about Babel.   

Owzat wrote:I think offloading Babel could depreciate his value more than he already has through his performances. We might only get £5m or £6m for him and he hasn't exactly been given loads of opportunities in the starting XI to prove himself. If you sell Babel, you need to fill his 'empty kit' and frankly unless we got £7m+ for him I think it would be a mistake. He's had a poor season, but he's still only 22. Give him one more season then look to sell, otherwise we're just asking clubs to take him for next to nothing and we might as well keep him. It's not as if he's any less use than Degen, Diego, Itandje, Plessis and others. BUT Babel could increase his value, I really can't see those four doing the same. Would you sell your house when it was at its lowest value or would you stay put and wait until the value rises? As I say, it would depend on offers but we make it clear we want rid and how many are going to offer top dollar?!?!

So you'd play a player just to try and increase his value for next transfer period! 

This was the season that Babel had to prove himself and he failed, ship him out, must be some youngsters who had show a bit more passion and commitment than him plus maybe they can use both their feet. 

SupitsJonF wrote:Sell Gerrard!!! 

That has to be a take surely, half his team are spanish but he is going to them and all the supporters off by supporting the mancs. Nope don't believe it.

bigmick wrote:First time he doesn't score an equaliser in the dying seconds next season, or doesn't display the right "body language" he'll not only get "Stevie me" he'll get "fecking Manc lover" as well now. Such is life.