Liverpool expansion list: If Reds could only keep 11, who would they be?
By Tom Bogert
In the MLS when an expansion club enters the league, every incumbent team can only make 11 players untouchable. Who would they be for Liverpool?
There are so many things that differ Major League Soccer from European football. Namely, the quality.
After that, of course, is no promotion/relegation and the idea of playoffs, in which more than half the teams in the league qualify for. Which naturally begs the question, what’s the point for the regular season? But that’s not what this is about.
Echoing the country that hosts the MLS, the league lives in excess and expansion. It continues to grow and add teams. When they add teams, they’re called expansion teams.
For expansion teams, there’s a draft. For instance, before Orlando City and New York City entered the league with only Kaka and David Villa on the books, they participated in an expansion draft. They get to pry players off other MLS teams.
To placate the established teams, they’re allowed to render 11 players off limits. Everyone else is liable to be drafted. Then if one of their players are poached, they get to keep safe another player.
This is what happens when a league is formed after the boom into modern football. Owners would never, ever vote for the chance that their club could get extremely devalued by relegation, so this is the way new teams will enter the MLS.
It’s semi-interesting to think about. So, what if it was like this in England? What if that club, Salford City, owned by the Neville brothers, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes were to get a direct route to the big time? What if the FA pandered to the old Class of ’92 and allowed them entrance into the Premier League via an expansion draft, who would Liverpool keep safe? What 11 players would they make off limit?
I suppose it comes down to what players are the most valuable. James Milner was important for Liverpool this season, and will be next season, but why use one of your precious 11 slots on a 30 year old midfielder?
It’s about the future as well as next season.
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