Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Mr Alan

oh they cared. full strenght (or pretty close to it) team and no one holding back.

and yes they booed Keane every touch

gucci

Mr Alan wrote: »

oh they cared. full strenght (or pretty close to it) team and no one holding back.

and yes they booed Keane every touch

Ah thats nice!! Now i feel very justified when i enjoyed seeing the result was 4-0! Friendlys "dont matter" but when they sicken people like that, then fair play.
Hopefullys Ngogs is first goal of many

CantGetNoSleep

Anyone think this team would work?

---

Mascherano

---

--Gerrard

---

Alonso

---

Barry--

---

Keane

---

---

Torres

---

Would allow Gerrard more of a free role, wouldn't necessarily have to stay on the right, could become more of a 4 3 1 2 with 3 fairly defensive midfielders and no wingers (considering Liverpool don't really have any decent ones)

Mr Alan

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Anyone think this team would work?

---

Mascherano

---

--Gerrard

---

Alonso

---

Barry--

---

Keane

---

---

Torres

---

Would allow Gerrard more of a free role, wouldn't necessarily have to stay on the right, could become more of a 4 3 1 2 with 3 fairly defensive midfielders and no wingers (considering Liverpool don't really have any decent ones)

i think it would work against the vast majority of teams we come up against.

eZe^

Lads, why did ye leave go of Momo Sissoko? I've been watching him towards the end of last season and in this pre-season and he is looking absolutely brilliant. I know he was quite terrible at passing, but defensively he was a rock, he was a great backup DMF for the team behind Mascherano. However, he has transformed himself for Juve, his passing has actually become quite good. Obviously not Kaka defense splitting style, but very solid nice passing, he looks now like the complete DMF, I can see him only getting better. Dare I say it, by next summer I think he could be in the top 3 DMFers in the world...

He was the best player against Barca in the CL tie 2 years ago, and has put in alot of stellar performances. I ask this because again today against Arsenal I thought he was the best player on the pitch, plagued the opposite team and made a couple of lovely short passes when under alot of pressure.

mike65

eZe^ we don't want to hear how explayers have stepped up a level!

They did indeed boo Keane. Still I doubt he cared too much.

Mike.

Mr Alan

eZe^ wrote: »

Lads, why did ye leave go of Momo Sissoko? I've been watching him towards the end of last season and in this pre-season and he is looking absolutely brilliant. I know he was quite terrible at passing, but defensively he was a rock, he was a great backup DMF for the team behind Mascherano. However, he has transformed himself for Juve, his passing has actually become quite good. Obviously not Kaka defense splitting style, but very solid nice passing, he looks now like the complete DMF, I can see him only getting better. Dare I say it, by next summer I think he could be in the top 3 DMFers in the world...

He was the best player against Barca in the CL tie 2 years ago, and has put in alot of stellar performances. I ask this because again today against Arsenal I thought he was the best player on the pitch, plagued the opposite team and made a couple of lovely short passes when under alot of pressure.

short answer, i dont think he as suited to the PL as he in Europe or on the continent.

and we have tommy mascherano

eZe^

Mr Alan wrote: »

short answer, i dont think he as suited to the PL as he in Europe or on the continent.

and we have tommy mascherano

When he was at Liverpool he was an absolutely atrocious passer and a great hustler, I don't understand how that would make him any less suited to La Liga and Serie A.. =P

Mascherano is amazing, and arguably the best DMF in the world, but it couldnt be any harm having Sissoko as a back up.

I would love Sissoko at Barca... Can't believe I've said that compared to my feelings towards him last season.

Sorry for bringing up ex players who are shining... How about we talk about Dudek instead? :P

Mr Alan

eZe^ wrote: »

When he was at Liverpool he was an absolutely atrocious passer and a great hustler, I don't understand how that would make him any less suited to La Liga and Serie A.

my rationale would be that in the hustle and bustle of the PL he was great until he got the ball, but when he did, he had no time on it because of the frantic pace of the game, this would inevitably lead to his conceeding posession.

it wasnt really exposed in the same way in the CL due to the lesser pace, and it wont be exposed in the same way in Italy or Spain.

I like Momo, but it made sense to get rid for the money we got when we had Mascherano who was far better, Alonso who can play a similar role with Lucas and Plessis coming through.

mayordenis

eZe^ I think in fairness the liverpool fanbase is split and I think rafa probably was not sure himself, he is the best at what he does.
as a destroyer he's quite possibly the world greatest, people say he can't play football, which isn't true he actually can but he has to keep playing to do that - he's needs a run of games to be able to play properly and rafa's rotation policy didn't allow for taht - so that's basically why he's gone.

rosboy

eZe^ wrote: »

When he was at Liverpool he was an absolutely atrocious passer and a great hustler, I don't understand how that would make him any less suited to La Liga and Serie A.. =P

Mascherano is amazing, and arguably the best DMF in the world, but it couldnt be any harm having Sissoko as a back up.

I would love Sissoko at Barca... Can't believe I've said that compared to my feelings towards him last season.

Sorry for bringing up ex players who are shining... How about we talk about Dudek instead? :P

Sissoko showed great potential, but was never consistent enough. He was top class at breaking down play, but couldn't pass to save his life. He was one of our weakest links. A footballer who can't make a 10 yard pass is a liability.

The pace of the premiership didn't suit Momo at all. He seems to have more time on the ball in Italy.

At the time, we had the Gerrard, Mascherano, Alonso, and Sissoko, with Lucas showing a lot of potential.

IIRC, Sissoko was unhappy with Rafa's rotation policy, and was getting vocal about it. He wanted to be playing first team football every week. He was never going to get that at Liverpool with our other players in that position.....so goodbye Momo

Edit: Mr Alan and mayordenis got ther before me with the same points pretty much.

eZe^

Cheers for the info lads, keep an eye out for him at Juve, because his passing has improved immensely How much was he sold for? People saying he isn't a footballer are silly, he also looked giant on tv... You shoulda sold him to us..

zAbbo

The argument on Sissoko is much simplier than skill etc., we needed the money, having been bought for £5.3m we sold him for €13m, more than likely to finance Masch.

jimmyboy

haha pepe u genius.
Bunch o' feckin bigots.
no offence Eirebear

Chardee MacDennis

anyone got any links to the goals?

The Rooster

Great shot by Plessis for Torres's tap in.

Super goal by Ngog. Looks good, albeit never passed the ball if there was any chance of going himself. I'm not sure if he's right or left footed, which is a good sign.

Spearing, Nemeth, Insua and Darby all did well when they came on.

Alonso looked very classy again. Very good pen, keeper went the right way but it was hit with pace just inside the post.

N'Gog
http://101greatgoals.magnify.net/item/7X4TLVDSDZGY70L4


Torres
http://101greatgoals.magnify.net/item/VVY7J3H4600MKC2T

Thanx 4 The Fish

Great finish by Ngog alright.

Malice

Just to go back to Momo, I think injuries were a factor in his departure. Up to the time of that eye injury he was outstanding and the same when he did his shoulder. He seemed to take a long time to get back into the swing of things and his passing and first touch seemed to just get worse and worse.

When Momo was good though, he was very, very good . This video of the Chelsea Charity Shield game is a good example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa4N-ypfPGw

Gelio

malice_ wrote: »

Just to go back to Momo, I think injuries were a factor in his departure. Up to the time of that eye injury he was outstanding and the same when he did his shoulder. He seemed to take a long time to get back into the swing of things and his passing and first touch seemed to just get worse and worse.

When Momo was good though, he was very, very good . This video of the Chelsea Charity Shield game is a good example:

A great defensive midfielder at his best

dardoz

zAbbo wrote: »

The argument on Sissoko is much simplier than skill etc., we needed the money, having been bought for £5.3m we sold him for €13m, more than likely to finance Masch.

Why do people mix currencies to make the difference look bigger than what it is...

bought for £5.3....sold for £10ish

HashSlinging

he never looked right after the eye injury. Also never a fan of the fans IMO.

zAbbo

dardoz wrote: »

Why do people mix currencies to make the difference look bigger than what it is...

bought for £5.3....sold for £10ish

Because the buying club's local currency is usually used for the quoted price.

leninbenjamin

HashSlinging wrote: »

he never looked right after the eye injury.

that's bull tbh. he was MOM yesterday.

Guy:Incognito

leninbenjamin wrote: »

that's bull tbh. he was MOM yesterday.

Did we resign him?


Never looked right after his injury is specifically relating to playing for Liverpool.

leninbenjamin

Stekelly wrote: »

Did we resign him?


Never looked right after his injury is specifically relating to playing for Liverpool.

some people seemed to be suggesting that he was never capable of being the same player after that injury, which just isn't the case but was a real concern at the time i remember. maybe that's not what they meant, but that's what came across.

Mr Alan

Nemeths blog, nicked from another site.

I'm back with the translations of the Nemeth blog. I hope you enjoy the next two parts of it.

---

Nemeth: "Thats how I made my debut in the Liverpool first team" (2008.07.31.)

I have many unbeliveable feelings now as we are heading back to Liverpool from Spain. We are heading back to the airport, but I can only think about the game agains Villareal. I'm incredibly happy, because I was waiting for this moment all of my life, to make my senior debut in one of the greatest teams in europe.

I have been with big stars for some days now, and It's quite a difference to how I lived my life . If someone would ask me about this, I would say I don't want to be such a star like Gerrard and Torres. People in Spain are mad about football players, this is not normal what they are doing to them. They were always there srceaming for autographs and trying to touch them. It's like in the movies. It's strange, because in England Torres and Gerrard for example can go to the streets, and nobody disturbs them, english people keep one's distance.

But let's start from the beginning. After thuesday's training Rafa Benitez announced his squad. While I was expecting that in my hearth, I was still very happy about getting the chance. And then came the first surprise, when guys in uniform came to the dressing room to examine my bags. I tought this was an initiation, but elder members of the team explained, that when the team goes abroad, we do not check in at the airport, because all of this work is made at Melwood. I simply could not belive this professionalism.

In spain the weather was great and the fans were excellent too. I shared my room with Yossi Benayoun, who is one of the best guys in the team, he is very straight and nice man, everybody likes him. He was great to me by helping and encouraging me.

I made some calculations, and we were 26 of us in spain. I tought I will not play and I only came here to get used to the life at the first team. But Rafa Benitez came to me and told, that I would come in at half time and I will be substituted by Torres later. He told me he wants to play the spanish players, but they can only play 20 minutes as they started training recently, and that's true for me too, because I was absent with the U19 national team.

I tried to do everything exactly as I used to, but I was a little bit nervous. Of course this feeling has gone as I stepped onto the pitch. There were moments when I think I should have been more calm as there were 3 situations I would do differently now.

Firstly I was in a good position to score, but Pacheco did not pass the ball, then I made the same mistake by not passing to him. And there was that shot that went away by centimeters. It would have been great to score on my debut.

Of course I am really happy and motivated, because this showed me where I can get and it gives me strenght to continue my work and I know exatly how hard I have to train and improve to get there.

---

Nemeth: "It's a pitty that shot was saved." (2008.08.03.)

Life goes very fast for me nowdays. I'm on my way to Glasgow airport, and I'm fretting about not scoring my first goal at Liverpool senior team. Everybody told me to be happy with my performance, but I'm disappointed as that shot have not gone in. I don't know how the keeper could save that shot.

I was on the pitch for 1 or 2 minutes and Insua passed to me in the box, and I strucked that shot with my left foot. I saw it going in but that keeper made a fantastic save. Fortunately the ball fell in front of Yossi and he scored from the chance. By the way it was a great feeling to be on the pich, the atmosphere was great and I enjoyed the game.

The penalty was a good decision by the ref. Alonso's ball was a little bit short and I had to move back a bit, and there came the defender who fouled me. I was thinking about asking for shooting that penalty, but when I saw Xabi Alonso to move for the ball I did not say anything, but supporting him. He is European Champion, one of the greatest penalty takers in the world, who I respect very much, so I was happy with his goal.

After the match everybody said some good words to me, even Rafa Benitez did, but I think his words do not behove to the publicity. I'm instead enjoying his words in myself.

As for the experience in Scotland it was great. We were in a nice hotel and we were napping a bit. We had a nice walk in the mountains, where the scenery was beautiful and the air was clear and fresh. After the technical discussion Rafa Benitez told me he will bring me in after 50 minutes an I will play to the end.

From that I was only thinking about the game, witch was fantastic. I have never played in front of 55000 people. It was great to see, that Liverpool is going to be a strong team this year, as the others were playing well together. Ngog played very well and Dossena was really good also. As for me It would be great to be close to the first team this year.

rosboy

Thanks Mr Alan.

He seems like he has his screwed on. Has a lot of respect for Rafa, and the more experience players.

Tusky

Nemeths blog is really interesting. It sounds like it is written by a fan, wide eyed, excited and amazed to be getting a chance to play for Liverpool.

Mr Alan

After the match everybody said some good words to me, even Rafa Benitez did, but I think his words do not behove to the publicity. I'm instead enjoying his words in myself.

i especially like this bit. i think we'll him him feature quite a lot next year

shotamoose

Do footballers still all share hotel rooms when on tour then? Seems a bit odd in this day and age, apart from helping young 'uns like Nemeth get used to things. Of course I now can't help speculating about whether Stevie G and Nando room together ...

rosboy

shotamoose wrote: »

Do footballers still all share hotel rooms when on tour then? Seems a bit odd in this day and age, apart from helping young 'uns like Nemeth get used to things. Of course I now can't help speculating about whether Stevie G and Nando room together ...

All part of the team building process. Encouraging bonding between players (please no joke about Gerrard, Torres and bonding:pac:).

Didn't Gerrard and Barry share a room at some English tournament (World Cup in Germany?). I think thats part of how they became such good friends.

JPA

rosboy wrote: »

All part of the team building process. Encouraging bonding between players (please no joke about Gerrard, Torres and bonding:pac:).

Didn't Gerrard and Barry share a room at some English tournament (World Cup in Germany?). I think thats part of how they became such good friends.

Barry wasn't at the WC. I think they are friends from U21 level.

Mr Alan

one of the things Rafa did when he arrived was he tried to break up clicks that were in the squad, whereby international team-mates stuck with eachother and roomed together.

Think that he banned people from the same country rooming with eachother.

rosboy

JPA wrote: »

Barry wasn't at the WC. I think they are friends from U21 level.

Charleroi, 17 June 2000, the European Championship. England lead Germany 1-0. Inside the packed Stade du Pays, Gareth Barry watches from the bench as head coach Kevin Keegan replaces Michael Owen with Steven Gerrard, Barry's room-mate and the player he shared an international debut with against Ukraine the previous month

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/mar/18/newsstory.sport

Karmafaerie

HashSlinging wrote: »

he never looked right after the eye injury. Also never a fan of the fans IMO.

Are you kidding me?!"
Momo loved the fans.

Dear Liverpool fans,

As soon as I arrived in Liverpool I realised how much this team meant.

Now, after two and a half years I have to say goodbye and I can't hide the great sorrow I feel in leaving one of the best clubs in Europe.

Liverpool FC as a club, its fans, its coaches and my team-mates have together helped me to become a better player and, above all, a better person.

Liverpool FC is one of the greatest. The Liverpool fans never desert their team.

Even in the worst moments you have a strong sense that the fans are with you, supporting you as much as they can, never giving up, those fans make Liverpool even stronger. I really want to thank them for helping me to feel and to understand what football means in its purest form.

I also think Liverpool FC functions this way because of its leaders; Rafael Benitez works from dawn to dusk, and the players know they must fight for the red shirt in every second of every match.

Now I am beginning a new adventure in another big European Club in Juventus. They have also now put their faith in me.

I shall play to my best in every single match, I shall fight hard for my new shirt to the end, but when every match is finished, I know what I'll do first - I shall ask about the results of Liverpool FC.

Everybody knows the legend "You'll Never Walk Alone" and I shall never ever forget the experience and the team.

I want to thank everyone for the opportunity and wish everyone all the best for the future.


With my best regards,
Mohammed Sissoko

To say that he never was a "fan of the fans" is highly disrespectful to a player who gave his sweat and blood for the team.
I wish Momo nothing but the best, and wouldn't be at all opposed to him returning someday.

rosboy

Reds 'pleased' with Alonso

Spanish midfielder unlikely to make Juventus move

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez insists he is not looking to sell Xabi Alonso in order to raise the necessary funds to sign Gareth Barry.
Benitez has conducted a summer-long hunt of �18million-rated Villa midfielder Barry, but it was believed the pursuit had come to an end when the Reds failed to meet a recent deadline for the deal.
However, Villa boss Martin O'Neill has confessed Barry could still leave and that it is up to Liverpool to meet the set asking price.
It has been suggested Benitez is considering off-loading Alonso to Juventus in a fundraising exercise, but the Anfield boss is not keen to see the Spanish midfielder leave.
Ranieri rejection

When asked if he is looking to sell Alonso, Benitez said: "It's simple. He is a very good player who is playing for us and I am really pleased with that."
It appears even more unlikely that Alonso will be moving to Juventus after the Serie A club's manager Claudio Ranieri ruled out interest in the 26-year-old.
"No," Ranieri replied when asked if he was looking to sign Alonso. "Not at all."
Meanwhile, Benitez is adamant that ending Liverpool's 18-year wait for a league title is not his number one priority.
Important

"Everything is important," he said. "Europe is important, the Premier League is important, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, so we will try to win every trophy and you never know.
"We will try to win from the first game and then see the situation. We started really well and finished really well last season.
"Clearly we have confidence in ourselves and have the quality to try to win every game but you never know what can happen in any competition.
"If we can do the same this time then hopefully we will be better in the middle of the season. But we will be working really hard to be as competitive as we can."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3906412,00.html

rosboy

Leto To Leave Reds?

Liverpool winger Sebastian Leto’s future at Anfield hangs in the balance with news that his Italian passport could be revoked. According to The Mirror, the Italian authorities are investigating a series of passport applications after uncovering a number of irregularities in several cases.

The investigation prompted the home office to reject the Argentinean’s work permit application on Friday, meaning that he is still ineligible to move to play in England.

The work permit issues forced Reds manager Rafa Benitez to move the youngster to Olympiakos on loan, though such an agreement would have to be ended should his Italian passport be removed.

The 21-year old moved to Anfield from Argentinian side Lanus, but without a work permit he was restricted to a handful of non-competitive games.

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=803431

mike65

Well I think we can say Alonso will stay unless a very tidy offer is made, which looks unlikely. Quite how Barry will fit is another matter.

I mean

--Carra--Agger--Dossena

---

Masch
---Gerrard----Barry
Kuyt----Keane----Babel

---

Torres


Degan--Carra-Agger-Dossena

---

Masch

---

Alonso--Barry

---

Gerrard

---

Keane---Torres

Kuyt/Keane/Alonso could be spending quite a bit of this season on the bench.

There are so many possible formations and starting 11s I get dizzy thinking about it.

Mike.

Tusky

Ive said it before - spending 18m on Barry and keeping Alonso would be retarded.

Central midfielders - Gerrard, Mascherano, Lucas, Alonso & Plessis

Wide players - Kuyt, Babel, Benayoun, Pennant

Which looks in more need of an upgrade ?

Peyton Manning

Tusky wrote: »

Ive said it before - spending 18m on Barry and keeping Alonso would be retarded.

Central midfielders - Gerrard, Mascherano, Lucas, Alonso & Plessis

Wide players - Kuyt, Babel, Benayoun, Pennant

Which looks in more need of an upgrade ?

I'll have wide players for 200 please! :P

event

JPA wrote: »

Barry wasn't at the WC. I think they are friends from U21 level.

was euro 2000

did gerrard play much at u21 level, id say he was called straight up to the first team

zAbbo

event wrote: »

was euro 2000

did gerrard play much at u21 level, id say he was called straight up to the first team

Not really (4 or 5 games), but himself and Barry made their England debuts in the same game

jesus_thats_gre

From the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/7540179.stm

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is on the brink of signing Liverpool's £16m-rated midfielder Xabi Alonso. (Daily Star)

Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry's hopes of completing his £18m move to Liverpool now lie in the hands of the Anfield club's American owners. (Daily Star)

RasTa

Surely you boyos can afford 16 million.

gixerfixer

Sounds like B.S. Hope so anyway.Think Alonso is class and it would be a huge step backwards if he went and Barry came in his place:(

jesus_thats_gre

gixerfixer wrote: »

Sounds like B.S. Hope so anyway.Think Alonso is class and it would be a huge step backwards if he went and Barry came in his place:(

Jesus... It has been said a million times!

Malice

If Alonso does go I hope it's not to another English club. Send him off abroad where he's unlikely to hurt us in the future!

Watch, for example, as Peter Crouch scores the winner in at least one Portsmouth v Liverpool game next season (hopefully now I've jinxed it so it won't happen ).

mike65

Selling Alonso to a Prem team would a no-no in a fair world! (its not a fair world).

Mike.

stick-dan

Christ you think it would end already. This is no good casting doubt on alonso and he doesn't know wheather he is coming or going and the longer liverpool leave villa waiting say if they buy barry on the 29th of this month what use will the money be to villa in this transfer window so. Bad business all round.

rosboy

Wenger says he's not interested in Barry:

"I don't know if Gareth Barry will leave Aston Villa or not, but I am not on his case," said Wenger."I like Gareth Barry and I like two or three other players. It is better I don't speak about names, I said that yesterday. It is better I leave things to your imagination and creation.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3908622,00.html

Rafa's take on Leto's inability to secure a work permit:

He said: "I’m really disappointed. I feel that the system clearly needs to change.

"I cannot understand how an Argentinian player who has been in the squad for the Olympic games and has different coaches and managers talking about how good he is, who has been playing in the Champions League and playing for a club like Liverpool (cannot get a work permit).

"Some people say that they know more than the managers and that (what Leto has done) is not good enough but it is a surprise.

"You cannot understand why.

"It’s crazy. Eight or 10 managers in different countries like Spain, Italy and Greece are asking about the player, they want the player but some people sit down on a chair and in front of a table and say it’s not good enough."

Benitez added: "We know that we need to find a solution and we need to find a good team for him and hopefully in the future if he’s playing in the Champions League maybe someone will say ‘oh, we made a mistake’.

"At the end of the day, they are playing with the future of the player and I don’t think it’s fair.

"I was talking with them (the committee). We showed them some DVDs and a lot of information about how good a player he is for different managers but they said the same (not granting him a work permit).

"They were nice people but maybe some of them think that they know more than the managers."

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2008/08/04/rafa-benitez-angered-over-sebastian-leto-s-work-permit-snub-as-gareth-barry-deal-draws-near-64375-21460697/

He really seems to rate Leto highly from his comments here. Hopefully we get to see some of what Rafa sees in him in the champions league for Olympiakos, and in the 09/10 season for Liverpool.