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As much as fans must find a way to shore up their resolve twice a year when the transfer window rolls around and beloved and not-so-beloved players move on from their clubs, players too must come to grips with their departing teammates. If it's tough for fans to let go in some instances, it can sometimes be harder for those who spend nearly every day with players who for one reason or another have decided to move on.
But it's not all doom and gloom. Transfers are a part of the game, and as consummate professionals those left behind are tasked with picking up the pieces and moving on as best they can. In the wake of Raheem Sterling's flight to Manchester City, former teammate Lucas Leiva pointed out that attempts to paint Liverpool as being in the exact same position they were last summer are grossly overstated.
"Every season you lose players," Lucas said while on tour in Thailand. "I think it would be unfair to put Raheem in the same bracket as Luis [Suarez]. He is only a young player. He is only 20 and has to develop. Of course he was very important for us for two seasons. But Suarez is one of the best players in the world at this moment in time. Raheem is probably one of the best young players so there is a gap. He decided to move on and the club felt that they got a good deal.
"We shouldn’t start the season again talking about the players that we lost. Last year I think something that distracted us was losing Luis. We knew it would be hard but we just need to focus on the players who arrived. We need to make sure we help them settle. I think the team just has to adapt. I have been very impressed with a lot of the new players. The club has to move on."
If there's one person at Liverpool who can help new arrivals settle quickly and feel at home in their new surroundings, it's Lucas "Gamesmaster" Leiva. Luis Suarez may have left a bigger hole in the squad than Raheem Sterling will, but having gone through something like this once already, the team will have far more experience from which to draw in order to better channel the disappointment of losing a talented colleague. And if Liverpool know what's good for them, they'll schedule an episode of Kop Kids immediately so that we can find out if Roberto Firmino is a more of a wheelbarrow or racecar kind of guy.
