John Keyes

Am I disappointed Sterling has left Liverpool?

Of course I am. He’s already an excellent footballer (despite some recent revisionism) and has plenty of potential to still unlock.

Am I disappointed he’s joining Manchester City?

I am. As with most players who leave the club, I don’t want to see them playing against Liverpool. I did make an exception for Fowler, when I went to the home game against Manchester City, as I hadn’t seen him playing in the flesh. Unfortunately he didn’t turn out that day.

A move abroad would have been a preferable option for me, but it is what it is. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do next season. It’s going to be interesting to see the path his career takes from here.

What do I make of how the transfer went through?

Look, there are plenty of people commenting on what happened, and none of them really know what has happened. They are not privy to the private conversations between Sterling and Ward (his agent), and they have no idea what was said during the discussions between Rodgers and the board.

I’d have preferred if it was done in a quieter manner. There’s no need to do unsanctioned interviews, and there’s no need to leak stories to the press. Just sort it out properly and with maturity.

It’s interesting that Berahino has sacked Ward as his agent. Berahino was another player who participated in a dodgy interview, and I don’t think it’s a conincidence that the same agent was involved.

It’s done now though so move along.

Is Sterling worth £49m?

Something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Manchester City have parted with an awful lot of money, so they must think he’s worth it.

Trying to logically apply worth to a players transfer fee is not a sensible task I think. History will judge the worthiness of all players.

Are Liverpool a selling club?

Gah! This talk does my head in. All football clubs are selling clubs. There are less buying clubs, especially at the top end of the market. It’s lazy and childish to jump on these efforts to troll.

Anything else on the matter?

Nah, I’ve enough said.

I finished the ten week novice training plan a few weeks ago. I’m leaner and faster as a result, but I’m not sure if I achieved that any quicker than if I went about it in the same manner as last year.

Having a plan was a positive and a negative. On one hand I was more inclined to do specific work because it was prescribed. On the other hand some rides were a chore, and some of the joy of riding was removed.

In saying that, there is now a different type of joy, when you are pushing as hard as previously but your speed has increased.

When I’d completed the plan I took a week off to do my own thing, and then decided to do the Intermediate one. Let’s see where this takes me.

My discipline at keeping this diary up-to-date has been poor to say the least.

With that said, I just finished Week 9 today, a grand three hour spin. My total time on the bike this week was just over six and a half hours.

I have one week to go to complete the plan, and the last week is handy enough compared to the last couple.

It’s a pity I didn’t have an FTP based on power to compare my starting level to now. I’m definitely in better condition than I was, but it’s knowing how much better is the question.

I’m going to evaluate TrainerRoad next to see how that performs. I’ll post my observations in due course.

I took advantage of the rest day to do some maintenance on the bike. The drivetrain is crud free thanks to a detailed degreasing and cleaning.

I also put some new tyres on, and the bike looks very different now as it’s riding on black rubber rather than white. I stuck with Vittoria Zaffiro Pro tyres as the other set performed well for me. It’s time to order some spares.

I’m also considering buying a workstand to make these maintenance jobs easier. Being crouched on the floor cleaning every link in the chain can literally be a pain in the arse.