Leicester’s Transfer Situation Explained - Rob Dorsett - Worth Reading!

[moore_94]

Seems like the media are actually starting to get a bit more clued up on our situation now

 

A very good write up of everything as well

 

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11712/12669775/leicester-transfers-owners-investing-in-infrastructure-to-close-the-gap-on-the-big-six-in-the-long-term

 

Leicester’s Transfer Situation Explained

 

Leicester are yet to make a signing in this summer's transfer window, while key players such as Wesley Fofana and James Maddison are targets for other clubs; Foxes' owners are instead investing in training ground and stadium for long-term progress.

 

Leicester City remain the only Premier League club yet to sign a new player in this transfer window. 
 

Even more worrying for supporters is the fact that some of their biggest stars - Wesley Fofana, James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes - are being targeted by some of the richest clubs in the Premier League.

 

So what's the problem? Is the club in financial trouble? Have Leicester lost their ambition? Are they now a selling club?

The answer to all of those questions is 'no'. It's all part of an unwavering plan which, whilst unpalatable to many Leicester fans, is consistent with their long-term strategy.

 

Let's deal first with the possible 'outgoings'. Leicester fans are understandably mortified at the prospect of losing one (or more) of the jewels in their crown - especially with no signs of new blood coming in.

 

They've already lost a favourite in Kasper Schmeichel, remember, with no prospect of a like-for-like replacement.
 

But so far, Schmeichel aside (who was given special dispensation because of his outstanding service to the club) the owners have rejected every bid that's come in for one of their best players. Chelsea's second bid for Fofana was more than double the one that Leicester paid St Etienne for him less than two years ago.

 

To sell now would sound like sensible business, no? Double your money in just over 18 months? Not if, like Leicester, you believe Fofana's value will grow still further after another season or two in the Premier League.
 

That's why they're very reluctant to sell now - unless Chelsea really are prepared to go big (and possibly eclipse the world record fee that Manchester United paid Leicester for Harry Maguire).

 

Leicester's approach might be more difficult to sustain if Fofana himself is desperate to leave. His cryptic Instagram message, saying he will annoy a lot of people if he does "what's best for him" has been interpreted as him favouring a move to Stamford Bridge.

 

But my understanding is that, whilst ambitious, he is happy at Leicester - hence him signing a contract extension just five months ago. And it's hard to see a player of Fofana's character going on strike, or agitating for a move like Riyad Mahrez did in 2018.

 

Leicester's success in recent years has been in selling one of their best players for top dollar and re-investing that money wisely. Look at the departures of Mahrez, N'Golo Kante, Ben Chilwell, and Maguire.

 

If they are to sell any of their superstars now, it will only be if the buying club is prepared to pay a premium. Whilst the pandemic hit King Power very hard as an international duty-free business, Leicester City is not in any financial trouble.

 

So no player will be sold on the cheap. And to that end, I've been told that privately, Leicester's bosses have found Newcastle's offers for Maddison verging on the offensive.

 

Furthermore, the price of each of those stars is rising by the day: a buying club will have to pay more for Youri Tielemans in the final week of the window compared with now because Leicester would then have little time to re-invest that money in a replacement.

 

Another key point to make is one of brutal reality: Leicester cannot compete, financially, with the 'Big 6'. Right now, no one (not even Liverpool, probably) can compete with Manchester City and Chelsea, in terms of financial clout.

 

Leicester have a plan to start to address that - but it will take years. Decades maybe.

 

At a cost of £100m, they built a quite brilliant new training ground which opened at Christmas and which, many feel, is as good as any other club facility in world football.

 

That was money which could have been spent on the squad. But Leicester's bosses felt it was more important to build something more lasting. Something which will help attract world-class signings in the future and help further develop the home-grown talent which has served Leicester so well already (see Barnes, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Luke Thomas, for examples).

 

Almost exactly a year ago, they unveiled plans to build a new 220-room hotel, an events and entertainment venue, and plans to expand King Power Stadium by 8,000 seats to a total of 40,000.

 

Ambitious stuff. But - and here's the rub - when finished, the stadium will still be only just over half the size of Old Trafford.

 

At the time, in August 2021, the club's announcement read: "To continue competing in the Premier League…..requires a disciplined, sustainable and innovative business model…" And that statement perhaps best sums up Leicester's approach. To compete on the pitch with the best in the Premier League, you have to get closer to competing with them off the pitch.

 

So it's been a conscious plan to invest more of the club's finances right now in the club's infrastructure, rather than the first team. Tottenham did similar - and were similarly criticised - when they built their mesmeric Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

 

But this isn't the only reason Leicester have been so quiet in this summer's transfer market. There is money for Brendan Rodgers to strengthen the squad, besides all the investment in buildings. But before any of that money is spent on new players, there is a determination that the squad must be trimmed.

 

Leicester's best team is very strong, as evidenced by the line-up Rodgers picked for the season opener against Brentford on Sunday, even without the injured Barnes and Ricardo. But they don't have the depth of quality throughout the wider squad that the 'Big 6' enjoy.

 

And yet, Leicester have a lot of 'senior pros' on big money who aren't part of Rodgers' plans going forward. Look at the likes of Caglar Soyuncu, Ryan Bertrand, Jannik Vestergaard, Ayoze Perez, Dennis Praet and Hamza Choudhury - three of whom weren't even in the matchday squad on Sunday, and watched from the stands.

 

It's tough to keep those players happy, if they're not playing. And unhappy players can affect the unity and positivity of an entire squad - characteristics that have served Leicester so well in winning the Premier League six years ago and the FA Cup in 2021.

 

And remember, Leicester don't have European football this season when some of those 'squad' players could get a runout.

 

The strategy is very clearly to get as many of those 'unwanted' players off the wage bill as possible, as soon as possible, before thinking of replacing them with new faces.

 

Another problem is that Leicester only want to buy players who are as good, if not better, than players in their starting 11. And they're both difficult to find and expensive.

 

More than that, players of the sort of quality Leicester are interested in will want guaranteed football. Who's prepared to sit on the bench at the King Power Stadium, when you could be on more money, sitting on the bench at the Emirates, or St James' Park?

 

Add to this, the fact that Leicester had so many injuries last season. Vardy, Fofana, Wilfred Ndidi, Jonny Evans, Ricardo, James Justin, Timothy Castagne, Barnes, Maddison, and Soyuncu all had lengthy spells on the sidelines. This meant that players who might have been sold sooner, are still on the books.

 

Quite simply, Leicester needed the numbers last season. They don't this season.

 

So to sum up: Leicester's bosses hope the supporters can remain patient. That the manager - hugely ambitious and coveted as he is - can remain patient too, and still buy into 'the Leicester way'. Rodgers, of course, would like to have more funds for players. But he understands and respects the Leicester model.

 

There's little doubt that - whilst Leicester's squad has stood still - the clubs they're competing with in the top half of the Premier League have progressed and strengthened.

 

The fans' fears are predictable and totally understandable. And an opening day home draw against Brentford did little to boost the expectations.

 

But it's a stark fact that, with the spending of the likes of Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs - and almost certainly Manchester United too by the end of the window - Leicester could spend £150m this summer and still be no more likely than they are now to break the top six.

 

It's a tough sell to explain that to Leicester's fee-paying public, who understandably want to see their squad getting stronger every year, with exciting, quality (expensive) new additions.

 

Leicester's bosses have to hope that the supporters understand and trust them that the clever management and strategy that has got Leicester to where they are will stand them in good stead for the future too.

Edited 10 August 2022 by moore_94

[LVFox]

Really good article..in fact, so detailed that I do wonder if it’s been completely handed over to Sky from inside the club. Quite clever if so. Explains our issues and plans in a sensible way. 

[Ric Flair]

We now have 25 first team players, whom of which are long term injured in Ricardo and Bertrand. If what is being said that we have money available then for every additional player that leaves between now and 1st September I'd expect to see us look to bringing players in, otherwise it runs a bit deeper than that.

[Dames]

Great read but with Hamza leaving I think there is space now for us to consider at least bringing in one of our targets to strengthen, this team is crying out for a winger.

 

If 2 or 3 go and we've still not made any move then the whole squad trimming defence no longer stacks up.

[when_you're_smiling]

18 minutes ago, LVocey said:

Really good article..in fact, so detailed that I do wonder if it’s been completely handed over to Sky from inside the club. Quite clever if so. Explains our issues and plans in a sensible way. 

That’s what I thought. Looking at it objectively though, that would mean it falls under propaganda than a ‘good article’.

 

Obviously I do hope that in decades we are among the biggest in the country, but it’s almost as optimistic as hoping that fans ‘be patient’.

 

 

[ealingfox]

3 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

We now have 25 first team players, whom of which are long term injured in Ricardo and Bertrand. If what is being said that we have money available then for every additional player that leaves between now and 1st September I'd expect to see us look to bringing players in, otherwise it runs a bit deeper than that.

 

If we have too many players then it needs to be a permanent reduction, if we just replace the ones we get rid of then we'll be in the same position. It needs to be 5, 6 or even 7 out and a maximum of 3 in. Clearly that's not happening this summer.

[LVFox]

1 minute ago, when_you're_smiling said:

That’s what I thought. Looking at it objectively though, that would mean it falls under propaganda than a ‘good article’.

 

Obviously I do hope that in decades we are among the biggest in the country, but it’s almost as optimistic as hoping that fans ‘be patient’.

 

 

I’d argue it’s good communication rather than propaganda. The alternative is to let a (hopefully false) narrative fly around that we are skint.

 

7 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

We now have 25 first team players, whom of which are long term injured in Ricardo and Bertrand. If what is being said that we have money available then for every additional player that leaves between now and 1st September I'd expect to see us look to bringing players in, otherwise it runs a bit deeper than that.

agree with you on this. I’d take Vestegaard and Soumare leaving with just a right winger coming in. Anything more dramatic would be a worry

[fazzyfox]

His piece on Sky Sports news this morning echoed that and was such a refreshing contrast to yesterdays tweedle dum and tweedle dummer guys on there. 

With Hamza and Kasper out the cogs are beginning to turn slowly now and as clubs assess their squads weaknesses in the next couple of weeks and we get closer to deadline day there could be more movement. 

[foxes_rule1978]

The club felt the offers for maddison were offensive, damn right. They were laughable 

[davieG]

Nothing there that hasn’t been said by people on here. It all seems fairly obvious.

[apollo4joe]

If the club had just communicated this at the end of last season they could've saved themselves (and us) a whole lot of negativity and worry amongst supporters. We can't guess this stuff it needs to be communicated

[LVFox]

7 minutes ago, apollo4joe said:

If the club had just communicated this at the end of last season they could've saved themselves (and us) a whole lot of negativity and worry amongst supporters. We can't guess this stuff it needs to be communicated

Would of shown us as a selling club too early, I imagine the hope was decent offers came in for a couple of squad players and we could then make our moves.

[foxes_rule1978]

3 minutes ago, LVocey said:

Would of shown us as a selling club too early, I imagine the hope was decent offers came in for a couple of squad players and we could then make our moves.

Yeah I would guess we were hoping to move on tielemans, cags and soumare. This hasn’t happened yet so we have been unable to complete any deals we would like. We aren’t just going to sell all our best players for peanuts and don’t need to 

Edited 10 August 2022 by foxes_rule1978

[CosbehFox]

8 minutes ago, apollo4joe said:

If the club had just communicated this at the end of last season they could've saved themselves (and us) a whole lot of negativity and worry amongst supporters. We can't guess this stuff it needs to be communicated

Partly there were probably hoping that some transfers could get done early and the outlook is then better. They wouldn't want to give their position away for any potential transfer negotiations (we will have certain had transfers lined up to the point of near agreement, may still do). The cat is out of the bag now with so much focus for the last week on the club. 

 

To be fair, Percy at the Telegraph did write something similar a month ago but understandably that's behind a paywall, so not as many people get to see it. 

[Ric Flair]

31 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

 

If we have too many players then it needs to be a permanent reduction, if we just replace the ones we get rid of then we'll be in the same position. It needs to be 5, 6 or even 7 out and a maximum of 3 in. Clearly that's not happening this summer.

But we haven't got too many players unless we no longer want to carry 25 players in our first team squad. Maybe we want ro reduce that to 20-22 and support that with several academy players but the narrative around this season is we've got too many first team players not going to be in the 25 man squad which is why we aren't signing anyone yet. However, we are now at 25 first team players and 2 of those are long term injured so I actually think it's because those 25's toral wages are too high for us which is then less an amount of players issue but more the wage structure of our club and that will have to be seriously rectified.

 

Essentially what I'm saying is and have been saying all summer, the notion we aren't bringing any players in because we've too many players is a red herring.

[AKCJ]

25 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

We now have 25 first team players, whom of which are long term injured in Ricardo and Bertrand. If what is being said that we have money available then for every additional player that leaves between now and 1st September I'd expect to see us look to bringing players in, otherwise it runs a bit deeper than that.

Ward, Iversen, Stolarcyk

 

Ricardo, Justin, Castagne, Thomas, Bertrand

 

Evans, Fofana, Soyuncu, Amartey, Vestergaard

 

Ndidi, Soumare, Tielemans, Mendy

 

Maddison, Perez, Praet, KDH

 

Albrighton, Barnes

 

Vardy, Daka, Iheanacho

 

That's the current squad now that Kasper and Hamza have left. I still think we need to get rid of Vestergaard and replace him with a winger to make it a more balanced squad. If Ricardo wasn't injured then i'd want to get rid of Bertrand too and replace him with a winger also which would leave us with 3 keepers, 4 fullbacks, 4 centre halves, 4 defensively minded midfielders, 4 attacking midfielders, 4 wingers and 3 strikers which I think would be perfect.

 

 

[MarriedaLeicesterGirl]

1 minute ago, AKCJ said:

Ward, Iversen, Stolarcyk

 

Ricardo, Justin, Castagne, Thomas, Bertrand

 

Evans, Fofana, Soyuncu, Amartey, Vestergaard

 

Ndidi, Soumare, Tielemans, Mendy

 

Maddison, Perez, Praet, KDH

 

Albrighton, Barnes

 

Vardy, Daka, Iheanacho

 

That's the current squad now that Kasper and Hamza have left. I still think we need to get rid of Vestergaard and replace him with a winger to make it a more balanced squad. If Ricardo wasn't injured then i'd want to get rid of Bertrand too and replace him with a winger also which would leave us with 3 keepers, 4 fullbacks, 4 centre halves, 4 defensively minded midfielders, 4 attacking midfielders, 4 wingers and 3 strikers which I think would be perfect.

 

 

My guess is Bertrand won't play for us again, even if he takes a squad place for numbers 

[Ric Flair]

7 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Ward, Iversen, Stolarcyk

 

Ricardo, Justin, Castagne, Thomas, Bertrand

 

Evans, Fofana, Soyuncu, Amartey, Vestergaard

 

Ndidi, Soumare, Tielemans, Mendy

 

Maddison, Perez, Praet, KDH

 

Albrighton, Barnes

 

Vardy, Daka, Iheanacho

 

That's the current squad now that Kasper and Hamza have left. I still think we need to get rid of Vestergaard and replace him with a winger to make it a more balanced squad. If Ricardo wasn't injured then i'd want to get rid of Bertrand too and replace him with a winger also which would leave us with 3 keepers, 4 fullbacks, 4 centre halves, 4 defensively minded midfielders, 4 attacking midfielders, 4 wingers and 3 strikers which I think would be perfect.

 

 

Vestergaard, Perez and Soumare out.

 

Diop and Blas in

[BWRL]

18 minutes ago, LVocey said:

Would of shown us as a selling club too early, I imagine the hope was decent offers came in for a couple of squad players and we could then make our moves.

hello old friend 

[los dedos]

30 minutes ago, davieG said:

Nothing there that hasn’t been said by people on here. It all seems fairly obvious.

I'd imagine the club felt they needed to spell it out  the wider world. 

I know we joke on here but Foxestalk can be pretty much on the money with all things Leicester. 

[The People's Hero]

7 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Vestergaard, Perez and Soumare out.

 

Diop and Blas in

Issa Diop? The big noise from West Ham is he's off for about £12m; but I thought it was to Fulham?

 

Have to admit I didn't pay much attention.

 

Or are you talking a different Diop?

[SixtiesFox]

The club is taking control of a narrative which was becoming quite damaging. Rodgers not sticking to the script with his 'refresh' assertion must have been extremely annoying to a club that is trying to implement a long term strategy to stay competitive in the Premier League despite the huge economic advantages enjoyed by the rich 6 plus. Yet again our owners are ahead of the curve. Rodgers' motives, however, are laid bare once again. He will spin his own narrative to protect his own reputation even if it conflicts with that of the club. As a consequence the club might decide that he is not the best man to be part of achieving their longer term goals. Time will tell, but our Brendan is treading on thin ice methinks! 

[The Year Of The Fox]

1 hour ago, moore_94 said:

Seems like the media are actually starting to get a bit more clued up on our situation now

 

A very good write up of everything as well

 

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11712/12669775/leicester-transfers-owners-investing-in-infrastructure-to-close-the-gap-on-the-big-six-in-the-long-term

 

Leicester’s Transfer Situation Explained

 

Leicester are yet to make a signing in this summer's transfer window, while key players such as Wesley Fofana and James Maddison are targets for other clubs; Foxes' owners are instead investing in training ground and stadium for long-term progress.

 

Leicester City remain the only Premier League club yet to sign a new player in this transfer window. 
 

Even more worrying for supporters is the fact that some of their biggest stars - Wesley Fofana, James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes - are being targeted by some of the richest clubs in the Premier League.

 

So what's the problem? Is the club in financial trouble? Have Leicester lost their ambition? Are they now a selling club?

The answer to all of those questions is 'no'. It's all part of an unwavering plan which, whilst unpalatable to many Leicester fans, is consistent with their long-term strategy.

 

Let's deal first with the possible 'outgoings'. Leicester fans are understandably mortified at the prospect of losing one (or more) of the jewels in their crown - especially with no signs of new blood coming in.

 

They've already lost a favourite in Kasper Schmeichel, remember, with no prospect of a like-for-like replacement.
 

But so far, Schmeichel aside (who was given special dispensation because of his outstanding service to the club) the owners have rejected every bid that's come in for one of their best players. Chelsea's second bid for Fofana was more than double the one that Leicester paid St Etienne for him less than two years ago.

 

To sell now would sound like sensible business, no? Double your money in just over 18 months? Not if, like Leicester, you believe Fofana's value will grow still further after another season or two in the Premier League.
 

That's why they're very reluctant to sell now - unless Chelsea really are prepared to go big (and possibly eclipse the world record fee that Manchester United paid Leicester for Harry Maguire).

 

Leicester's approach might be more difficult to sustain if Fofana himself is desperate to leave. His cryptic Instagram message, saying he will annoy a lot of people if he does "what's best for him" has been interpreted as him favouring a move to Stamford Bridge.

 

But my understanding is that, whilst ambitious, he is happy at Leicester - hence him signing a contract extension just five months ago. And it's hard to see a player of Fofana's character going on strike, or agitating for a move like Riyad Mahrez did in 2018.

 

Leicester's success in recent years has been in selling one of their best players for top dollar and re-investing that money wisely. Look at the departures of Mahrez, N'Golo Kante, Ben Chilwell, and Maguire.

 

If they are to sell any of their superstars now, it will only be if the buying club is prepared to pay a premium. Whilst the pandemic hit King Power very hard as an international duty-free business, Leicester City is not in any financial trouble.

 

So no player will be sold on the cheap. And to that end, I've been told that privately, Leicester's bosses have found Newcastle's offers for Maddison verging on the offensive.

 

Furthermore, the price of each of those stars is rising by the day: a buying club will have to pay more for Youri Tielemans in the final week of the window compared with now because Leicester would then have little time to re-invest that money in a replacement.

 

Another key point to make is one of brutal reality: Leicester cannot compete, financially, with the 'Big 6'. Right now, no one (not even Liverpool, probably) can compete with Manchester City and Chelsea, in terms of financial clout.

 

Leicester have a plan to start to address that - but it will take years. Decades maybe.

 

At a cost of £100m, they built a quite brilliant new training ground which opened at Christmas and which, many feel, is as good as any other club facility in world football.

 

That was money which could have been spent on the squad. But Leicester's bosses felt it was more important to build something more lasting. Something which will help attract world-class signings in the future and help further develop the home-grown talent which has served Leicester so well already (see Barnes, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Luke Thomas, for examples).

 

Almost exactly a year ago, they unveiled plans to build a new 220-room hotel, an events and entertainment venue, and plans to expand King Power Stadium by 8,000 seats to a total of 40,000.

 

Ambitious stuff. But - and here's the rub - when finished, the stadium will still be only just over half the size of Old Trafford.

 

At the time, in August 2021, the club's announcement read: "To continue competing in the Premier League…..requires a disciplined, sustainable and innovative business model…" And that statement perhaps best sums up Leicester's approach. To compete on the pitch with the best in the Premier League, you have to get closer to competing with them off the pitch.

 

So it's been a conscious plan to invest more of the club's finances right now in the club's infrastructure, rather than the first team. Tottenham did similar - and were similarly criticised - when they built their mesmeric Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

 

But this isn't the only reason Leicester have been so quiet in this summer's transfer market. There is money for Brendan Rodgers to strengthen the squad, besides all the investment in buildings. But before any of that money is spent on new players, there is a determination that the squad must be trimmed.

 

Leicester's best team is very strong, as evidenced by the line-up Rodgers picked for the season opener against Brentford on Sunday, even without the injured Barnes and Ricardo. But they don't have the depth of quality throughout the wider squad that the 'Big 6' enjoy.

 

And yet, Leicester have a lot of 'senior pros' on big money who aren't part of Rodgers' plans going forward. Look at the likes of Caglar Soyuncu, Ryan Bertrand, Jannik Vestergaard, Ayoze Perez, Dennis Praet and Hamza Choudhury - three of whom weren't even in the matchday squad on Sunday, and watched from the stands.

 

It's tough to keep those players happy, if they're not playing. And unhappy players can affect the unity and positivity of an entire squad - characteristics that have served Leicester so well in winning the Premier League six years ago and the FA Cup in 2021.

 

And remember, Leicester don't have European football this season when some of those 'squad' players could get a runout.

 

The strategy is very clearly to get as many of those 'unwanted' players off the wage bill as possible, as soon as possible, before thinking of replacing them with new faces.

 

Another problem is that Leicester only want to buy players who are as good, if not better, than players in their starting 11. And they're both difficult to find and expensive.

 

More than that, players of the sort of quality Leicester are interested in will want guaranteed football. Who's prepared to sit on the bench at the King Power Stadium, when you could be on more money, sitting on the bench at the Emirates, or St James' Park?

 

Add to this, the fact that Leicester had so many injuries last season. Vardy, Fofana, Wilfred Ndidi, Jonny Evans, Ricardo, James Justin, Timothy Castagne, Barnes, Maddison, and Soyuncu all had lengthy spells on the sidelines. This meant that players who might have been sold sooner, are still on the books.

 

Quite simply, Leicester needed the numbers last season. They don't this season.

 

So to sum up: Leicester's bosses hope the supporters can remain patient. That the manager - hugely ambitious and coveted as he is - can remain patient too, and still buy into 'the Leicester way'. Rodgers, of course, would like to have more funds for players. But he understands and respects the Leicester model.

 

There's little doubt that - whilst Leicester's squad has stood still - the clubs they're competing with in the top half of the Premier League have progressed and strengthened.

 

The fans' fears are predictable and totally understandable. And an opening day home draw against Brentford did little to boost the expectations.

 

But it's a stark fact that, with the spending of the likes of Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs - and almost certainly Manchester United too by the end of the window - Leicester could spend £150m this summer and still be no more likely than they are now to break the top six.

 

It's a tough sell to explain that to Leicester's fee-paying public, who understandably want to see their squad getting stronger every year, with exciting, quality (expensive) new additions.

 

Leicester's bosses have to hope that the supporters understand and trust them that the clever management and strategy that has got Leicester to where they are will stand them in good stead for the future too.

A very good read, apart from the last but one paragraph. 
 

It makes us sound a whiny needy bunch, when most of us appreciate we don’t need new players to be a better team than last season. We just need ‘something else’ to happen instead. 
 

 

[Les-TA-Jon]

3 minutes ago, SixtiesFox said:

The club is taking control of a narrative which was becoming quite damaging. Rodgers not sticking to the script with his 'refresh' assertion must have been extremely annoying to a club that is trying to implement a long term strategy to stay competitive in the Premier League despite the huge economic advantages enjoyed by the rich 6 plus. Yet again our owners are ahead of the curve. Rodgers' motives, however, are laid bare once again. He will spin his own narrative to protect his own reputation even if it conflicts with that of the club. As a consequence the club might decide that he is not the best man to be part of achieving their longer term goals. Time will tell, but our Brendan is treading on thin ice methinks! 

Correction on the timeline here: Rodgers talked about the refresh in February. UEFA announced new financial control rules in April, which came into effect in June. 

 

For all we know BR and the Club were on the same page about a rebuild in February. 

[BKLFox]

1 minute ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

Correction on the timeline here: Rodgers talked about the refresh in February. UEFA announced new financial control rules in April, which came into effect in June. 

 

For all we know BR and the Club were on the same page about a rebuild in February. 

I wouldn't even bother mate, some will blame Rodgers for the sun being out for so long just so his teeth will twinkle & gleam in his post match interviews.