"That July, Liverpool paid Roma about $41 million for Salah. Graham’s data suggested that Salah would pair especially well with Firmino, another of Liverpool’s strikers, who creates more expected goals from his passes than nearly anyone else in his position. That turned out to be the case. During the season that followed, 2017-18, Salah turned those expected goals into real ones. He broke the Premier League record by scoring 32 times. He also became the symbol of Liverpool’s revival. His crown of curly hair and infectious grin, and his stubby legs that somehow ate up ground as he raced across the turf, made him one of soccer’s most recognizable players. In what turned out to be a harbinger of this year’s progress, Liverpool made an unanticipated run to the final of last season’s Champions League. That provided the first tangible evidence that the strategies put in place by Henry and his Fenway group were working. This season, Salah was one of the three players who led the Premier League in goals. (His teammate Sadio Mané was another.) The website Transfermarkt, which tracks player valuations, estimates his current value at $173 million.
Another acquisition may have been even more important. Soon after arriving at Liverpool, Graham was asked to research a left winger at Inter Milan, Philippe Coutinho. His data strongly endorsed Coutinho. Liverpool bought Coutinho’s rights for about $16 million. Over the next five years, Coutinho’s play contributed to Liverpool’s revival. But his most important contribution was to accrue value. Last year, Barcelona paid Liverpool about $170 million for Coutinho. Soon after, Liverpool spent more than $200 million on three new players: Alisson Becker, the goalkeeper; the midfielder Fabinho; and the fullback Virgil van Dijk. All became crucial contributors this season. These were known commodities, and none came at a bargain price. But without the profit made by selling Coutinho, Henry assured me, those players would not have been acquired."
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/maga ... rpool.html
Champions League Final 2018: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Moderator: bbmods
Liverpool, Tottenham's secret to Champions League success? Systems over stars
http://www.espn.com/soccer/uefa-champio ... over-stars
"When Spurs beat City without the aid of Harry Kane, and Liverpool came back at Anfield even though Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were not in the lineup, they taught us something important about these teams: that the philosophy guiding them is more important than any individual player.
...
The key to the versatility of most modern sides, and their ability to win games even when their best options may not be available, is of course fluidity; of using systems where players can perform multiple roles if needed. The most extreme example of this is Georginio Wijnaldum, a sort of footballing Swiss Army knife who was deployed by Jurgen Klopp against Barcelona as a centre-forward, despite being mostly known as a midfielder.
...
That is the compelling thing about this year's Champions League finalists: the spotlight so often alternates, so many players have come forward to play starring roles. Son Heung-Min has been magnificent, taking up Kane's goal-scoring mantle with aplomb, but Moussa Sissoko has arguably been even more effective this season, taking on responsibilities far beyond those once expected of him.
That these players have felt empowered to do so is great credit to both Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino. It also suggests that while we may be leaving the era of the superstar player, we may be returning to the era of the superstar coach, when tactical innovation rather than individual brilliance is decisive at the highest level.
...
And in the near future, we can celebrate whoever wins in the final -- despite the resources at the disposal of both teams -- as a triumph for tactical mastery."
http://www.espn.com/soccer/uefa-champio ... over-stars
"When Spurs beat City without the aid of Harry Kane, and Liverpool came back at Anfield even though Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were not in the lineup, they taught us something important about these teams: that the philosophy guiding them is more important than any individual player.
...
The key to the versatility of most modern sides, and their ability to win games even when their best options may not be available, is of course fluidity; of using systems where players can perform multiple roles if needed. The most extreme example of this is Georginio Wijnaldum, a sort of footballing Swiss Army knife who was deployed by Jurgen Klopp against Barcelona as a centre-forward, despite being mostly known as a midfielder.
...
That is the compelling thing about this year's Champions League finalists: the spotlight so often alternates, so many players have come forward to play starring roles. Son Heung-Min has been magnificent, taking up Kane's goal-scoring mantle with aplomb, but Moussa Sissoko has arguably been even more effective this season, taking on responsibilities far beyond those once expected of him.
That these players have felt empowered to do so is great credit to both Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino. It also suggests that while we may be leaving the era of the superstar player, we may be returning to the era of the superstar coach, when tactical innovation rather than individual brilliance is decisive at the highest level.
...
And in the near future, we can celebrate whoever wins in the final -- despite the resources at the disposal of both teams -- as a triumph for tactical mastery."
Liverpool win Champions League battle of budgets
https://www.ft.com/content/9ede30d0-84c ... cea8523dc2
"Eight of the past 10 titles have been won by either Spain’s FC Barcelona and Real Madrid or Germany’s Bayern Munich. The trio have been regularly among the world’s richest five clubs over that period, using this wealth to invest heavily in their teams.
...
Six English teams, including Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, are among the world’s top 10 highest earning clubs.
Still, by the standards of others, this year’s Champions League finalists are frugal. FC Barcelona spent €562m in player wages last season, according to KMPG Football Benchmark, a research division within the consultancy. This compares to just €297m spent by Liverpool and a measly €167m by Tottenham Hotspur.
...
The club’s analysts have successfully acquired cheap, undervalued players from pools of talent that are relatively untapped by their rivals. In recent seasons, Liverpool has signed players from bottom-half Premier League teams, such as Mané from Southampton and Andrew Robertson from Hull City.
Liverpool have also pried away the best players from smaller European sides unable to compete with its ability to pay higher wages. This includes Mohamed Salah from Italy’s Roma ...
Meanwhile, Pochettino has been masterful at getting the best from relatively meagre resources at Tottenham Hotspur. The club did not even make a significant player signing this season, spending nothing on transfer fees. In response to injuries throughout his squad, Pochettino has given at least 1,500 minutes of playing time to 14 different outfield players, the most among the Premier League’s biggest six teams."
https://www.ft.com/content/9ede30d0-84c ... cea8523dc2
"Eight of the past 10 titles have been won by either Spain’s FC Barcelona and Real Madrid or Germany’s Bayern Munich. The trio have been regularly among the world’s richest five clubs over that period, using this wealth to invest heavily in their teams.
...
Six English teams, including Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, are among the world’s top 10 highest earning clubs.
Still, by the standards of others, this year’s Champions League finalists are frugal. FC Barcelona spent €562m in player wages last season, according to KMPG Football Benchmark, a research division within the consultancy. This compares to just €297m spent by Liverpool and a measly €167m by Tottenham Hotspur.
...
The club’s analysts have successfully acquired cheap, undervalued players from pools of talent that are relatively untapped by their rivals. In recent seasons, Liverpool has signed players from bottom-half Premier League teams, such as Mané from Southampton and Andrew Robertson from Hull City.
Liverpool have also pried away the best players from smaller European sides unable to compete with its ability to pay higher wages. This includes Mohamed Salah from Italy’s Roma ...
Meanwhile, Pochettino has been masterful at getting the best from relatively meagre resources at Tottenham Hotspur. The club did not even make a significant player signing this season, spending nothing on transfer fees. In response to injuries throughout his squad, Pochettino has given at least 1,500 minutes of playing time to 14 different outfield players, the most among the Premier League’s biggest six teams."