Downing to Liverpool?

alastair

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Feck knows, however Veron cost closer to £28mil. And it's not really comparable, the transfer market at the time was at an all time high, Zidane moved for a world record fee, Nedved went for Juve for an astronomical fee, Veron was hardly an extortionate price in comparison. Yes, we over paid perhaps, but he was in the same league as Zidane in 2001, a proven world class midfielder. Andy Carroll has barely proven himself at any level, and the fee you overpaid by is far, far greater.
You don't know that yet. If Carroll scores 25 league goals for 5 consecutive seasons, in this day and age, £35m won't seem too extortionate.
 

Plechazunga

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Annoying things Liverpool have done the last few years:

Come back from 3-0 down in a CL final in a most unlikely manner

Get rid of Hicks and Gillett without much fuss or expense

Pick up Suarez

Hopefully defenders will know a bit more about him next season and he'll find things harder.
 

crappycraperson

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You don't know that yet. If Carroll scores 25 league goals for 5 consecutive seasons, in this day and age, £35m won't seem too extortionate.
But his whole point was that we paid 28m for someone who was being compared to Zidane while Liverpool have paid 35m for someone who could be next shearer or end up in championship in 2 seasons.
 

WireRed

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You don't know that yet. If Carroll scores 25 league goals for 5 consecutive seasons, in this day and age, £35m won't seem too extortionate.
Whether he does or he doesn't, £35m at the time was an extortionate sum. You can pay a slight premium for future potential as they did with Henderson and as we did with Jones but that premium must have cost about £15m in relation to the ability Carroll had previously showcased in a grand total of 6 months of PL football across his entire career.

He's a good player with further scope for improvement IMO, but no chance was he worth more than Suarez let alone worthy of a British record fee. Whether he goes on and produces enough to justify that price tag shouldn't detract from the fact he was worth nowhere near that at the time and that better/more proven players are moving for much less.
 

SmashedHombre

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You don't know that yet. If Carroll scores 25 league goals for 5 consecutive seasons, in this day and age, £35m won't seem too extortionate.
Well obviously. But you might as well apply that argument to anybody. If we signed som 17 year old Brazilian for £35million, and he then went on to score 30 goals a season for 10 seasons he would be a bargain. However at the time he wouldn't be worth £35mil, and nor was Carroll. You can say you are paying for potential, but I haven't seen anything from Carroll to even suggest he will be worth 35mil and you pay top price for top talent, you don't pay top price for hypothetical potential.
 

alastair

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Whether he does or he doesn't, £35m at the time was an extortionate sum. You can pay a slight premium for future potential as they did with Henderson and as we did with Jones but that premium must have cost about £15m in relation to the ability Carroll had previously showcased in a grand total of 6 months of PL football across his entire career.

He's a good player with further scope for improvement IMO, but no chance was he worth more than Suarez let alone worthy of a British record fee. Whether he goes on and produces enough to justify that price tag shouldn't detract from the fact he was worth nowhere near that at the time and that better/more proven players are moving for much less.
Ever since the 25 man squad rule, English player prices have become even more extortionate. This wasn't a usual transfer either - Torres had just left and Liverpool had one day to sign a new player, and thus the fee was very high. It's impossible to compare Carroll to Suarez.

Well obviously. But you might as well apply that argument to anybody. If we signed som 17 year old Brazilian for £35million, and he then went on to score 30 goals a season for 10 seasons he would be a bargain. However at the time he wouldn't be worth £35mil, and nor was Carroll. You can say you are paying for potential, but I haven't seen anything from Carroll to even suggest he will be worth 35mil and you pay top price for top talent, you don't pay top price for hypothetical potential.
At the time you signed Hernandez, he wasn't worth £7m. But he's worth 4x that now. Bizarre argument. Carroll has shown unbelievable potential - most exciting English striking talent by a mile.
 

alastair

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Al, your IQ does you no favours.
It doesn't take an IQ of 150 to work out that Carroll could well prove his worth. I do get the impression that ever since United have stopped buying big, people here don't get that fees have got higher and higher as a whole. £35m for players will not be the exception anymore, they'll be happening every summer.
 

peterstorey

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Be that as it may, it still doesn't make them "shit" or the joke figures they are made out to be.
You're mistaking a bit of hyperbole for the serious point (much like people do when I say Fletcher's shit). Most people are impressed with what fatboy did for Blackpool they also think he's not the right calibre for Man Utd and probably not for Liverpool or Spurs either. Basically he's a £10M player.
 

Lance Uppercut

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Ever since the 25 man squad rule, English player prices have become even more extortionate. This wasn't a usual transfer either - Torres had just left and Liverpool had one day to sign a new player, and thus the fee was very high. It's impossible to compare Carroll to Suarez.



At the time you signed Hernandez, he wasn't worth £7m. But he's worth 4x that now. Bizarre argument. Carroll has shown unbelievable potential - most exciting English striking talent by a mile.
:lol:
 

Plechazunga

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:nervous: er... have to say I agree with alastair here. If he went on to score 25 goals every season, clearly those people saying Liverpool overpaid would be wrong. It would prove in retrospect a very good judgement of what his potential was worth.

Let's hope none of that fecking happens, and he proves to be a bit of a hamfisted cockfaced Geordie oaf.
 

peterstorey

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:nervous: er... have to say I agree with alastair here. If he went on to score 25 goals every season, clearly those people saying Liverpool overpaid would be wrong. It would prove in retrospect a very good judgement of what his potential was worth.

Let's hope none of that fecking happens, and he proves to be a bit of a hamfisted cockfaced Geordie oaf.
Yeah, but he won't so it's a shit point.
 

SmashedHombre

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:nervous: er... have to say I agree with alastair here. If he went on to score 25 goals every season, clearly those people saying Liverpool overpaid would be wrong. It would prove in retrospect a very good judgement of what his potential was worth.

Let's hope none of that fecking happens, and he proves to be a bit of a hamfisted cockfaced Geordie oaf.
Well yes, but it's such a retarded argument. You may as well apply it to anybody. Let's sign Santa Cruz for £35 mil too whilst we're at it, if he goes on to score 25 goals every season he would be a bargain! Flawless.
 

alastair

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Well yes, but it's such a retarded argument. You may as well apply it to anybody. Let's sign Santa Cruz for £35 mil too whilst we're at it, if he goes on to score 25 goals every season he would be a bargain! Flawless.
Yeh, but Santa Cruz wouldn't do that, because he's average. Carroll isn't. I think your argument wins on the retardation stakes.
 

SmashedHombre

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The point stands. Having a decent scoring record in the Mexican Primera doesn't make you worth £7m. But he's worth excessively more than that, because he's proved his worth. You have to give Carroll a chance.
Stupid point. I think you're missing the whole argument here. With promising young players, you take a gamble. That goes without saying. £7 mil is a more than acceptable price for a young player who may, or may not, go on to be a fantastic purchase. £35mil is not. I would have thought Arsenal fans above all would recognise this
 

Lance Uppercut

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The point stands. Having a decent scoring record in the Mexican Primera doesn't make you worth £7m. But he's worth excessively more than that, because he's proved his worth. You have to give Carroll a chance.
I don't even know where to start with this one. Truly miraculous.
 

Sam

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Carroll has shown unbelievable potential - most exciting English striking talent by a mile.
:lol::lol:

He's average at best. Newcastle couldn't even sell him for a million a year ago. Oh and as for your 'most exciting English striking talent by a mile', I think both Sturridge and Welbeck would have something to say about that.
 

alastair

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Stupid point. I think you're missing the whole argument here. With promising young players, you take a gamble. That goes without saying. £7 mil is a more than acceptable price for a young player who may, or may not, go on to be a fantastic purchase. £35mil is not. I would have thought Arsenal fans above all would recognise this
But the key word is gamble here - Hernandez was more of a gamble than Carroll. In six months in the PL, Carroll had demonstrated that he was good enough to cut it at a high level, and was causing defences no end of trouble. He might never show that he's worth £35m, but it's not like he'll prove to be a dud worth less than £10m.
 

Lynk

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Carroll will only get about 12-14 a season, if that. If I'm right I'm gonna quote myself back and gloat.
 

Spoony

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It doesn't take an IQ of 150 to work out that Carroll could well prove his worth. I do get the impression that ever since United have stopped buying big, people here don't get that fees have got higher and higher as a whole. £35m for players will not be the exception anymore, they'll be happening every summer.
Look at his record and then tell me he's got the potential to be a great goalscorer. You don't pay that sort of money on a player who's only had a decent 6 months. I think that's why most people believe Liverpool were fleeced...back in January. Could and if, come on....if he goes on to become the best player ever...then 35mil will have been peanuts.
 

Sam

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Hernandez was more of a gamble than Carroll.
So Hernandez at just £6 million was more of a risk then Carroll at £35 million? Seriously?

Oh god, the whole Welbeck is the best English striking talent argument again. I thought that had died.
Himself and Sturridge both have far far more technical ability then Carroll has, or ever will have.
 

SmashedHombre

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I love how when a sensible, and non-bitter point, is made about a player, posters just post a smiley and claim that the other person is retarded. It doesn't exactly win the argument.
I've made my point, re-iterating it would just be pointless and I haven't the patience of the Chief to do so.

You obviously think Carroll is some world beating talent, I do not.
 

alastair

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Look at his record and then tell me he's got the potential to be a great goalscorer. You don't pay that sort of money on a player who's only had a decent 6 months. I think that's why most people believe Liverpool were fleeced...back in January. Could and if, come on....if he goes on to become the best player ever...then 35mil will have been peanuts.
Well I'm more than willing to stake money on it, because it's obvious he's got goals in him.

I've said already that Carroll will probably prove to be a tad overpriced simply because of the circumstances surrounding his transfer. It was hardly conventional. But making out that he's a £15m player is bizarre in my view - Spurs put a bid of £25m in apparently, so obviously multiple managers rate him.
 

alastair

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I've made my point, re-iterating it would just be pointless and I haven't the patience of the Chief to do so.

You obviously think Carroll is some world beating talent, I do not.
I can't wait to bump this thread next summer. Surprised no-one's put their money where their mouth is, though.
 

CnutOfAllCnuts

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Oh god, the whole Welbeck is the best English striking talent argument again. I thought that had died.
Whatever way you want to look at it, paying £35m (£35m!) for Andy fecking Carroll is and was shocking!

Even if he goes on to become the new Pele.

Even a Liverpool loving Arsenal fan like yourself must be able to see that.
 

alastair

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Whatever way you want to look at it, paying £35m (£35m!) for Andy fecking Carroll is and was shocking!

Even if he goes on to become the new Pele.

Even a Liverpool loving Arsenal fan like yourself must be able to see that.
What would you pay, hypothetically, for a striker with a 1 in 2 record? And what would you pay for a striker with a 1 in 2.5 record?
 

Spoony

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Well I'm more than willing to stake money on it, because it's obvious he's got goals in him.

I've said already that Carroll will probably prove to be a tad overpriced simply because of the circumstances surrounding his transfer. It was hardly conventional. But making that he's a £15m player is bizarre in my view - Spurs put a bid of £25m in apparently, so obviously multiple managers rate him.
How's it obvious he's got it in him to score bucketloads? Can someone post his scoring record? I can't because I'm on my flipping phone.
 

Lance Uppercut

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Tbf, 'Arry would bid for a pringle were it to be available at the right price.
Didn't he also bid £30 million for pretty much every striker in Spain around the same time?