Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Guy:Incognito

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

Well Rafa did reveal last season that he had a choice between a 12 million Owen and a 20 million Torres and chose Torres.

Adding Owen to the ranks now for a relatively small fee would be a great move in my opinion.

Not going to happen.

looder

i really hope that little money grabbing cnut owen never puts on a red shirt again!!

he left us when rafa needed him badly, he had the chance to sign but hadn't the balls to sweat it out over money we were willing to pay real madrid and opted for newcastle.

please robbie, don't let rafa's surprise signing be owen!

Guy:Incognito

looder wrote: »

please robbie, don't let rafa's surprise signing be owen!

The only surprise sgning Rafa will have is the leccy bill. I'd say he's safely tucked up in bed the last hour or so.

zing

DaBreno wrote: »

I didnt know the physios were that bored.... :pac:

Well they need a new hobby now that Kewell is gone ..

PHB

copacetic wrote: »

would've given phb's right ball if we could've signed SWP and robinho tbh.

I'm not sure it'd cover the transfer fee.

copacetic

PHB wrote: »

I'm not sure it'd cover the transfer fee.

it must be worth a few bob since you gave up the other one for berbatov!

5ForKeeps

Well if proof was needed Liverpool FC, we are now in the poor man's league. The yanks need to go before we fall further behind in the finanical stakes. Overnight Man City have been transformed into a superpower.

FunkZ

I'm glad we signed Riera, a left winger. Class!

So what position do ya reckon Rafa will play him in? I reckon defensive midfield, and occasionally dropping back for Carragher to get up front a bit. He'll be a great partner for Mascherano though, they'll be great alongside each other!

/sarcasm :P

LuckyLloyd

looder wrote: »

i really hope that little money grabbing cnut owen never puts on a red shirt again!!

he left us when rafa needed him badly, he had the chance to sign but hadn't the balls to sweat it out over money we were willing to pay real madrid and opted for newcastle.

please robbie, don't let rafa's surprise signing be owen!

That is pure bollocks imo. Owen gave great service to this club and acted with a lot of class off the pitch. A bigger club came in when he had one year left of a contract he had fulfilled to a very high standard of professionalism. He was perfectly within his rights to leave and then pursue other options on the other side. I can't understand how any Liverpool fan could wish him ill.

As an aside, the money we paid for Torres last season is looking a relatively better price on the basis of today's proceedings!!

~Rebel~

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

As an aside, the money we paid for Torres last season is looking a relatively better price on the basis of today's proceedings!!

Heh, if we made Torres available to city today, we'd have probably funded the new stadium!

slingerz

What a disappointing end to the transfer window. I'dreally like to know what our net spend for the window was.

According to Sky..

Riera - 8
Keane - 19
Dossena -8
Degan - Free
N'Gog - 1.5

Crouch - 11
Finnan - Undisclosed
Riise - 4
Kewell - Free
Voronin - Loan

I dont have them all but I reckon its around 20 or so. Man City spent more than it today alone. Wonder about Robinho's ambition though. Liverpool are in dire need of DIC providing similar money for players as Liverpool dont need to spend as much as Man City would to have a great team.

Quaresma to Inter for 15m?! Super business if we could have stolen in there for him.

Torres' injury may be a blessing in disguise if it means Keane and Gerrard will have to focus on each other more and bring on their games for when Torres returns

BTW Torres for 20m looks superb business by Benitez given tonights transfers

~Rebel~

slingerz wrote: »

Quaresma to Inter for 15m?! Super business if we could have stolen in there for him.

I wouldn't go near Quaresma at 15mill. Im almost certain he'd be an expensive dud. Hate his attitude and he goes missing in more games then he does well in. England would be the last league that would suit him as well, would just get bullied weak in weak out and lose interest. Was a joke against us last season at Anfield, Finnan had him in his pocket all game and still managed to join the attack regularly. Has never proven anything at any sort of high level bar the odd flash in the champions league, where still more often then not he's invisible. For every spectacular outside of the right boot curler there's 100times that he's just knocked off the ball or runs himself into trouble.

PHB

Indeed. He's Ronaldo 2-3 years ago and hasn't progressed that much.

For a player who didn't want to sign for Liverpool because he'd have to adjust his style of play (defensively I assume), signing for Mourinho is an hilarious move.

siochain

FunkZ wrote: »

I'm glad we signed Riera, a left winger. Class!

So what position do ya reckon Rafa will play him in? I reckon defensive midfield, and occasionally dropping back for Carragher to get up front a bit. He'll be a great partner for Mascherano though, they'll be great alongside each other!

/sarcasm :P

sad thing is you could be right !!!

Dub13

AN OPEN LETTER FROM JOHN ARNE RIISE

John Arne Riise 02 September 2008
After bringing seven successful Anfield years to an end to take up the opportunity of a new challenge with AS Roma, John Arne Riise has penned a letter to Liverpool fans all over the world.


Dear fans of Liverpool FC,

After seven seasons at Anfield, it's time for me to "walk on". In many ways it feels inspiring and exciting to be familiar with the pressure of a new employer, meet new fans, meet a new culture and play a new kind of football. I look forward to this new adventure, but I travel with a loss.

Because, it's not easy for me to leave you - the world's best supporters! I've been thinking about this almost every day this summer. After seven wonderful seasons, and more than 340 matches for Liverpool, I never had the opportunity to make a real and proper goodbye with you - the world's most motivating fans. You have always supported me and the team and I want you all to know how important you've been to me and the other players.

I've been giving my "thank you" to the club, the staff and the players and they'll always have a special place in my heart. And this is my thank-you letter to all the fans out there that have been supporting me during these years. I will follow the team closely from Italy and will stay in touch with many of the players and many of my friends in Liverpool.

With respect to the many hundreds of great moments I have experienced in red, it will be unfair to draw up one highlight rather than another. There has always been the highlight of wearing the red shirt at Anfield. It's always been a privilege to have the initials LFC on the space closest to the heart. As you all know I was a player who always, no matter what, gave 110 per cent in every training session and every game. I always tried to give you the entertainment you deserved. Even in the bad moments you were there for me and the team.

To play in front of the red crowd, every minute has been a privilege. Even after my unfortunate own goal against Chelsea in the Champions League semi last April - where all our dreams were crushed - I felt the support and sympathies from you as real and important. When I signed seven years ago, I couldn't in my wildest dreams expect the journey you all gave me. I will always be grateful for that. A big thank-you to you all.

I'm 100 per cent sincere when I say that I will always remember all the great moments we've had and you - our fans - have such great importance for these great matches and great moments. Liverpool FC will have a lot more great moments like this in the future and I hope that I will experience great things with my new team - AS Roma. I hope you will continue to follow my career.

Therefore, I do not say goodbye, but so long. Arrivederci - Walk on!

Sincerely,
John Arne Riise
"The ginger".

monkey9

Jamie Carragher exclusive: I want to be Liverpool's manager.. I just hope Fergie's still around to be knocked off his perch
By Brian Reade 2/09/2008


The Liverpool skipper reveals why he has unfinished business at Anfield


There is one ambition more than any other which drives Jamie Carragher on: "To knock Sir Alex Ferguson off his f****** perch".

To consign Manchester United to a title wilderness, just as Fergie did to Liverpool.

And if he achieves it he doesn't want to be wearing a red shirt with 23 on his back, but a suit and tie.

Because although Carragher is confident he will win the Premier League as a Liverpool player, his real desire is to win it as a manager. And set up a new Anfield dynasty.

"It would be more of an achievement as manager because it would come about through my decisions," says the 30-year-old, talking in his restaurant Cafe Sports England ahead of the launch of his book: Carra My Autobiography.

"It's like the ultimate football man's dream to be better than Ferguson because he is the master.

"I just hope he hangs around long enough to wait for me."

If Carragher's desire to finish his coaching badges and set about the enemy as Liverpool manager comes as a pleasant surprise to Kopites, his motives may not.

The ambition to emulate Anfield's biggest bogeyman is not down to hatred - but respect.

"I've got more respect for Ferguson than anyone else in the game. He's like a Scouser, really.

"He's funny, doesn't mind telling people to f*** off, and he even votes Labour. I love him."

As the most high-profile convert on Merseyside, Carragher is well used to looking clinically at both sides of a tribal divide and telling it like it is.

That is why Evertonians will be shocked to learn how the one-time self-confessed 'Biggest Blue in Bootle' now wants to beat Everton more than any other side.

"Losing the derby is worse than losing any other game. My passion has gone full circle. I was made up on the first day of the season when Blackburn scored that late winner at Goodison. We were getting ready to play Sunderland and it gave me a big lift."

This from the 11-year-old who, when Michael Thomas scored the last-gasp winner at Anfield in 1989 to deny Liverpool the title, celebrated in delirious fashion, applauding lads who scrawled "Thank You Arsenal" on the wall of a Bootle pub.

"I was a total Everton fanatic right through my childhood and teens," says the defender who went on to play over 500 games for Liverpool.

"Everton controlled my life and dominated my thoughts 24/7. I went to the away games, followed them across Europe and in the mid-80s went to Wembley so often it began to feel like Alton Towers.

"When I talk about that Everton team I still say 'we'. Even when I was playing for Liverpool reserves I'd want Everton's first team to win the derby every time."

His change from fanatical Blue to passionate Red was gradual. The more he established himself at Anfield the more he found himself defending Liverpool against Evertonian jibes. But one incident signified the death of his Everton love affair.

In January 1999 after Liverpool had thrown away a lead at Old Trafford and were knocked out of the FA Cup by two late goals, he walked into his local Bootle pub The Chaucer, expecting banter but also sympathy. What he got was laughter and derision. "I was drained and demoralised that day and good mates didn't think twice about treating me like any other 'dirty Kopite'.

"And that did it for me. I couldn't take it any more. People who I thought loved me, were getting off on my misery. The penny dropped. I turned around and walked out.

"They hadn't done anything wrong. They were just being themselves and they're still my mates. But it was over. When I walked out of that pub I turned my back on Everton for good."

Any doubts he may have had about making the wrong decision vanished in the increasingly ugly atmosphere of the Merseyside derbies when mates like Steven Gerrard and Robbie Fowler were subjected to loud personal abuse.

"I hate what they sing about Steven and his family.

"It's disgusting and goes way beyond the kind of banter that's acceptable in life, not just football.

Robbie suffered the same type of scandalous taunts which really hurt him and his family. I'm not saying Liverpool fans are blameless because they're not. They dish out abuse during games with our rivals too. But it ends when the game ends.

"Evertonians spread the lies around the streets of Liverpool and chant them whether they're playing us, Reading or Portsmouth.

"I even hear it on the telly when they're playing away in Europe and I think that could be my family they're singing about."

Carragher has more reason than most players to demand respect for the family. When his mother Paula was pregnant with him, she was told he had spina bifida and given the option of an abortion.

The staunch Catholic woman refused, and the love she showed still moves Jamie deeply today.

"She was willing to bring up a disabled child. She was prepared to sacrifice her life for me. I owe everything I've ever done in the past 30 years to that decision."


It turned out he did not have spina bifida but a condition called gastroschisis, and was born with his bowels outside his stomach (it's why he has a big scar there and no belly button) and spent his first six weeks battling for survival in hospital.

And he has never stopped battling since. As a kid his hatred of giving in and his all-out desire to succeed became a problem. He was a better player than everyone around him and he would let them know.

"I couldn't understand or accept that others weren't as good and I couldn't get off their backs. I was always getting dragged aside by managers and told to treat my team-mates better. It still happens today. Rafa often pulls me up about being too harsh on other players.

"I've had to send a text message to Pepe Reina apologising for what I'd said during a game. I say things to players and afterwards think 'what have I done?' And sometimes after I've had a stand-up row I think 'Oh God, do they hate me?' "But I can't let people around me switch off. Having said that, if someone tells me what to do on the pitch there's a good chance they'll get told to f*** off. That's my job," he says, laughing.

It may surprise those familiar with Carragher's career statistics to learn that as a teenager he was a prolific striker who played up front for England schoolboys and started there for the reserves at Anfield.

During the run towards FA Youth Cup glory in 1996 he dropped into midfield then centre-back, his natural position. "Compared to John Terry, Rio Ferdinand or Ledley King, I'm not that big, quick or strong. It's my reading of the game that'smy biggest strength. I love to pull the strings, drive everyone on." If Gerrard is the heart of Liverpool, Carragher is its soul.

He epitomises the Scouse spirit in a team packed with foreigners. And although he believes the foreign invasion has benefited English club football, he feels it has gone too far.

"There's definitely too many foreigners in the game. What's the point of spending all this money on the academies if we're not pushing local kids through? Liverpool FC is our club. It's a big part of our city and you've got to give young Scousers with aspirations the chance to succeed.

"It's not just football. I've got two brothers who find it hard to work in Liverpool in this Capital of Culture year. One of the reasons is we've made it too easy for foreigners to come here and take the jobs."

His passion for his city and his people is immense. "If I was given the choice between winning the World Cup with England or doing what we did in Istanbul, I'd take Istanbul simply because I know how much it meant to Liverpool.

"People have told me that we gave them the greatest night of their lives and if they died next week they'd die happy. That's some thought."

He married Nicola, his Bootle childhood sweetheart, three years ago and they have two kids James, 5, and Mia, 4. Nicola, three years younger than Jamie, was his first and only girlfriend, and he finally plucked up the courage to ask her out when he was 18.

His reasoning: "Why chase the rest when you can wait for the best?"

Loyalty is a big word in Carragher's vocabulary. During the frenzy over Gerrard's possible move to Chelsea in 2005, he was asked if he would ever leave for a club bigger than Liverpool.

His response was immediate: "Where's bigger than Liverpool?"

But he is under no illusion about the warped spin many modern fans place on loyalty. The lowest point in his career came in the second season under Gerard Houllier after the French manager brought in centre-backs Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz.

"I'd just been voted Player of the Year but didn't start the season very well and fans were calling for Henchoz to play in my position.

"I thought 'hang on, a few games ago I was your best player'. I was only 21 back then and I struggled to get my head round it.

"It angered me and it took a while to get myself together after that.

"When the fans eventually started singing about dreaming of a team of Carraghers I thought 'you weren't singing that six years ago'.

"I'm under no illusion. No matter what I've done over the years as soon as someone better comes along it'll be 'f*** Carra off'. But that's football.

"People go on about how loyal I am to Liverpool. But it's not a question of loyalty. It's a question of 'where am I going to go from Liverpool?' "We're one of the best teams in the world and I'm playing every week.

"I'm not saying I want to leave Liverpool, but if Liverpool weren't that good and a great team like Real Madrid or Barcelona came in for me I might go, because I've always driven myself to play at the best level I can."

So what does the future hold for Jamie Carragher? "I've got three years left on my contract and I want to be playing 50 games a season.

"There's competition for my place and I'm prepared to fight for that because I've been fighting all my life.

"There will always be technically better players around than me, but no-one will be able to match my passion or drive. I'll be fighting for another contract after this one and I'll be happy then to accept 25 games a season."

And if, after that, Fergie is still sitting on his perch, he had better watch out.

pesireland

Dub13 wrote: »

AN OPEN LETTER FROM JOHN ARNE RIISE

John Arne Riise 02 September 2008
After bringing seven successful Anfield years to an end to take up the opportunity of a new challenge with AS Roma, John Arne Riise has penned a letter to Liverpool fans all over the world.


Dear fans of Liverpool FC,

After seven seasons at Anfield, it's time for me to "walk on". In many ways it feels inspiring and exciting to be familiar with the pressure of a new employer, meet new fans, meet a new culture and play a new kind of football. I look forward to this new adventure, but I travel with a loss.

Because, it's not easy for me to leave you - the world's best supporters! I've been thinking about this almost every day this summer. After seven wonderful seasons, and more than 340 matches for Liverpool, I never had the opportunity to make a real and proper goodbye with you - the world's most motivating fans. You have always supported me and the team and I want you all to know how important you've been to me and the other players.

I've been giving my "thank you" to the club, the staff and the players and they'll always have a special place in my heart. And this is my thank-you letter to all the fans out there that have been supporting me during these years. I will follow the team closely from Italy and will stay in touch with many of the players and many of my friends in Liverpool.

With respect to the many hundreds of great moments I have experienced in red, it will be unfair to draw up one highlight rather than another. There has always been the highlight of wearing the red shirt at Anfield. It's always been a privilege to have the initials LFC on the space closest to the heart. As you all know I was a player who always, no matter what, gave 110 per cent in every training session and every game. I always tried to give you the entertainment you deserved. Even in the bad moments you were there for me and the team.

To play in front of the red crowd, every minute has been a privilege. Even after my unfortunate own goal against Chelsea in the Champions League semi last April - where all our dreams were crushed - I felt the support and sympathies from you as real and important. When I signed seven years ago, I couldn't in my wildest dreams expect the journey you all gave me. I will always be grateful for that. A big thank-you to you all.

I'm 100 per cent sincere when I say that I will always remember all the great moments we've had and you - our fans - have such great importance for these great matches and great moments. Liverpool FC will have a lot more great moments like this in the future and I hope that I will experience great things with my new team - AS Roma. I hope you will continue to follow my career.

Therefore, I do not say goodbye, but so long. Arrivederci - Walk on!

Sincerely,
John Arne Riise
"The ginger".

Damn you dub13 beat me to it :mad:

spockety

The biggest event that happened to Liverpool FC this summer was not the arrival of Robbie Keane, it was the purchase of Manchester City by an Abu Dhabi consortium. In the late 90's and early 00's, 2 of the top 4 places were up for grabs, as you would assume that Manchester United and Arsenal would already be taking two of them year in year out (as it has proved). Then came Abramovich, and Chelsea bought a guaranteed 3rd of the 4 spots. No matter what way you paint it, money can and does buy a place in the league. With the ink barely dry on the news that Man City were in the process of selling, they were launching audacious bids of 30m+ left, right, and centre.

In the end they got a trophy piece player in Robinho, a statement of intent.

Nowhere else in the Premiership should that statement reverberate more than at Anfield.

Manchester City are coming over the hill, with a talented manager who looks to be backed by massive cash reserves. Logically, Liverpool are first in their sights, but they will not want to stop there and who knows what they can achieve?

As Rafa scraped the barrel this summer, and Liverpool end the transfer window having spent only 20m pounds (if even that), along with news that the new stadium has been shelved, a crisis has unfolded on front of our horrified eyes.

If they have any sense, George Gillett and Tom Hicks will have seen the risk in their investment increase dramatically with yesterdays dealings. They should have only one choice: Step aside, and sell up to owners who can afford to invest, and can afford to deal with banks without being brushed off.

zAbbo

The biggest transfer news is still to come for Liverpool...

Dave!

September 13th lads

Are ye scared?

mike65

Carra would take a bullet for the club!

Pity the transfer window ended with a bit of a damp squib, "we are (best Blackadder voice) as poor as church mice the day after the cheese ran and out and the church burned down".

Mike

gixerfixer

spockety wrote: »

The biggest event that happened to Liverpool FC this summer was not the arrival of Robbie Keane, it was the purchase of Manchester City by an Abu Dhabi consortium. In the late 90's and early 00's, 2 of the top 4 places were up for grabs, as you would assume that Manchester United and Arsenal would already be taking two of them year in year out (as it has proved). Then came Abramovich, and Chelsea bought a guaranteed 3rd of the 4 spots. No matter what way you paint it, money can and does buy a place in the league. With the ink barely dry on the news that Man City were in the process of selling, they were launching audacious bids of 30m+ left, right, and centre.

In the end they got a trophy piece player in Robinho, a statement of intent.

Nowhere else in the Premiership should that statement reverberate more than at Anfield.

Manchester City are coming over the hill, with a talented manager who looks to be backed by massive cash reserves. Logically, Liverpool are first in their sights, but they will not want to stop there and who knows what they can achieve?

As Rafa scraped the barrel this summer, and Liverpool end the transfer window having spent only 20m pounds (if even that), along with news that the new stadium has been shelved, a crisis has unfolded on front of our horrified eyes.

If they have any sense, George Gillett and Tom Hicks will have seen the risk in their investment increase dramatically with yesterdays dealings. They should have only one choice: Step aside, and sell up to owners who can afford to invest, and can afford to deal with banks without being brushed off.

I agree that this is the biggest news of the summer in the football world. The fact that these guys put in bids totalling 300m yesterday is frighting.I really think this will be the final nail in G&H's coffin. No way we can compete for the league with the kind of money on offer at the bridge,city stadium and OT. I have a really bad feeling that if we dont seal this takeover soon D.I.C. will say boll*x to this and buy the likes of Everton or Arsenal. Doesnt bare thinking about TBH

mike65

Abu Dhabi Investment and Dubai International Capital are huge rivals, if one announces a floating hotel made of crystal the other with declare the funding of a sports stadium carved from a single lump of Italian marble. So if anything the purchase of Citeh is exellent news for Liverpool.

Mike.

DeadSkin

gixerfixer wrote: »

I agree that this is the biggest news of the summer in the football world. The fact that these guys put in bids totalling 300m yesterday is frighting.I really think this will be the final nail in G&H's coffin. No way we can compete for the league with the kind of money on offer at the bridge,city stadium and OT. I have a really bad feeling that if we dont seal this takeover soon D.I.C. will say boll*x to this and buy the likes of Everton or Arsenal. Doesnt bare thinking about TBH

What players did they bid on for the £300m, all I know of is Robinho £32m/Berbatov £34m?/Villa £40m??

Boggles

DeadSkin wrote: »

What players did they bid on for the £300m, all I know of is Robinho £32m/Berbatov £34m?/Villa £40m??

Appartently Gomez aswell, still not anywhere near 300m thou.

gixerfixer

DeadSkin wrote: »

What players did they bid on for the £300m, all I know of is Robinho £32m/Berbatov £34m?/Villa £40m??

Hey ask Mark Hughes and sky sports. Thats what they've been saying all morning

DeadSkin

gixerfixer wrote: »

Hey ask Mark Hughes and sky sports. Thats what they've been saying all morning

Well it's just that you stated that it was fact, I thought you might've known.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

zAbbo wrote: »

The biggest transfer news is still to come for Liverpool...

You know something we don't....?

Dave! wrote: »

September 13th lads

Are ye scared?

Nope. Be another dour 0-0 draw. Villa Park revisited.

PHB

Has Rafa given any indication to whether he sees Riera as a starter or whats the story?

--Gerrard

---

Keane

---

Riera----

---

Torres

---

Not only doesn't look back, it looks like a natural enough formation with players in their good positions.

DeadSkin

PHB wrote: »

Has Rafa given any indication to whether he sees Riera as a starter or whats the story?

--Gerrard

---

Keane

---

Riera----

---

Torres

---

Not only doesn't look back, it looks like a natural enough formation with players in their good positions.

^^^ I think that's what most Liverpool fans would like to see.

Rafa:
"Riera has the qualities we were looking for. He's a left footer who normally plays on the left wing," said Reds boss Benitez.

"He's good in the air, strong, powerful and a good crosser of the ball.

"He's the kind of player we have been talking about. He can beat players and get good deliveries into the area for our strikers.

ibh

PHB wrote: »

Has Rafa given any indication to whether he sees Riera as a starter or whats the story?

--Gerrard

---

Keane

---

Riera----

---

Torres

---

Not only doesn't look back, it looks like a natural enough formation with players in their good positions.

Yea and i would hope that Babel keeps all 4 players on their toes in terms of competition and with Kuyt likely to play quite often as an alternative to one of the 3 players. Possible that N'gog will get a chance as sub from time to time.

Should see very little of Yossi in the league from now on.

missingtime

I think we definately need to see players put into their preffered positions. I would imagine that gerrard and keane will move about. as will torres and keane.

DeadSkin

From the Echo:

The only disappointment for Benitez was Jermaine Pennant’s failure to agree terms with Blackburn , causing the proposed £4m transfer to collapse.

mike65

Ah I was going to post about Pennant, so the reserves for him until January.

Mike

ibh

DeadSkin wrote: »

From the Echo:

What a little prick.. No interest in actually playing football.

newbie2

spockety wrote: »

The biggest event that happened to Liverpool FC this summer was not the arrival of Robbie Keane, it was the purchase of Manchester City by an Abu Dhabi consortium. In the late 90's and early 00's, 2 of the top 4 places were up for grabs, as you would assume that Manchester United and Arsenal would already be taking two of them year in year out (as it has proved). Then came Abramovich, and Chelsea bought a guaranteed 3rd of the 4 spots. No matter what way you paint it, money can and does buy a place in the league. With the ink barely dry on the news that Man City were in the process of selling, they were launching audacious bids of 30m+ left, right, and centre.

In the end they got a trophy piece player in Robinho, a statement of intent.

Nowhere else in the Premiership should that statement reverberate more than at Anfield.

Manchester City are coming over the hill, with a talented manager who looks to be backed by massive cash reserves. Logically, Liverpool are first in their sights, but they will not want to stop there and who knows what they can achieve?

As Rafa scraped the barrel this summer, and Liverpool end the transfer window having spent only 20m pounds (if even that), along with news that the new stadium has been shelved, a crisis has unfolded on front of our horrified eyes.

If they have any sense, George Gillett and Tom Hicks will have seen the risk in their investment increase dramatically with yesterdays dealings. They should have only one choice: Step aside, and sell up to owners who can afford to invest, and can afford to deal with banks without being brushed off.

Good Post. Agree totally.

noodler

Well im no fan of Pennant. However, given the poor starts of Yossi and Kuyt-I guess he is as deserving of a chance as anyne else.

missingtime

At this stage now with torres out kyut and keane should be automatically up front.
I know we dont play 4-4-2 normally but now that we have riera we can.

~Rebel~

missingtime wrote: »

At this stage now with torres out kyut and keane should be automatically up front.
I know we dont play 4-4-2 normally but now that we have riera we can.

we still shouldn't though, Riera is a very attacking player, not one to really be relying on to cover the flanks defensively. As Eze and Ballague were saying, he fits best on the left of a 4-2-3-1. but yes its an option to use him and Pennant as proper wingers who would put in crosses. Always it is good to have options, no?

For Utd though, id expect;

---

Masch--Xabi

Kuyt---Gerrard---Babel/Riera

---

Keane

missingtime

Keane definately needs to be up front. He is a confidence player and if he doesnt get a goal soon, his performances and attitude will suffer.

We cant afford to have him out on the wing.

mike65

Everything suggests Pennant won't get a game Rebel.

Mike

Handsome Bob

ibh wrote: »

What a little prick.. No interest in actually playing football.

I wouldn't necessarily say that. Pennant knows that this could be his last chance at playing at the highest level. Maybe he wants to stay and fight for hisplace, like Yossi turned down Ajax for the same reason.

ibh

LZ5by5 wrote: »

I wouldn't necessarily say that. Pennant knows that this could be his last chance at playing at the highest level. Maybe he wants to stay and fight for hisplace, like Yossi turned down Ajax for the same reason.

The time when Pennant may have been useful was when we had a 6ft7 striker in the box.

I see no place for him in our team. I actually think he turned down the moves because the clubs weren't big enough for him (Stoke & Hull)

Handsome Bob

ibh wrote: »

The time when Pennant may have been useful was when we had a 6ft7 striker in the box.

I see no place for him in our team. I actually think he turned down the moves because the clubs weren't big enough for him (Stoke & Hull)

He probably did turn down Stoke, Hull, and Blackburn because they weren't big enough. But that's what I'm saying though, Pennant is fully aware that Liverpool FC is most likely his last shot at the big time.

To be honest I don't see a place for him in the team either, but now that he's still our player until at least January he has one last chance to buckle down, stay out of the gossip pages and concentrate on his football.

ibh

LZ5by5 wrote: »

He probably did turn down Stoke, Hull, and Blackburn because they weren't big enough. But that's what I'm saying though, Pennant is fully aware that Liverpool FC is most likely his last shot at the big time.

To be honest I don't see a place for him in the team either, but now that he's still our player until at least January he has one last chance to buckle down, stay out of the gossip pages and concentrate on his football.

Yea he juist doesn't seem the type to buckle down though.
He's a petulant little fcuker on the field and i can't imagine he's much nicer off it.

The whole "it's his last shot at the big time etc" was widely used when he signed. If he's going to wait to the last year of his contract to grasp this, then i think he's not worth waiting for.
I really don't think he is fully aware that he is at a club above his level. Sheltered footballers and all that..

Handsome Bob

ibh wrote: »

Yea he juist doesn't seem the type to buckle down though.
He's a petulant little fcuker on the field and i can't imagine he's much nicer off it.

The whole "it's his last shot at the big time etc" was widely used when he signed. If he's going to wait to the last year of his contract to grasp this, then i think he's not worth waiting for.
I really don't think he is fully aware that he is at a club above his level. Sheltered footballers and all that..

He does come across as a prima dona, I've seen him more in the gossip pages than the sport pages lately.

I think Pennant has had his moments. The CL Final in 07', the 2-0 victory over Chelsea in the 06/07 season and he seemingly had a good understanding with Arbeloa. I don't think injuries have helped either.

The Rooster

slingerz wrote: »

Quaresma to Inter for 15m?! Super business if we could have stolen in there for him.

The actual transfer fee announced by the club for Quaresma was €24.6m possibly rising to €30.6m depending on performances. Included in that was some dude calling himself Pele (valued at €6m) moving in the opposite direction.

Tusky

Posted this in the Keane thread, probably better suited here as that thread is pretty much dead.

While Keane is a v.good player and a decent signing, he isnt really the answer to our problem. Our two big attacking signings were Riera at 8m and Keane at 20m. So lets just round that up to 30m to keep it simple.

Last season our best lineup was as follows.

---

Torres

Babel

---

Gerrard

---

Kuyt

If we had 30m to spend on improving that line up, Its pretty obvious to me that we should spend the majority (around 20m) of it on the RWF position while spending about 8-10m on replacing Crouch.

That would give us this -

---

Torres

Babel

---

Gerrard

---

20m

With a 10m pound replacement for Crouch on the bench.

It would be keeping Gerrard in the position he played so well in last year, also keeping the same formation and dramatically improving our right hand side. In regards to the left hand side, obviously it would be preferable to get in some backup for Babel. However, if we couldnt afford it, Benayoun is a decentish backup.

Keane is kind of the answer to a problem we didnt have. Playing him means one of the following.

a) Keane playing in the right attacking slot (not his natural position)

b) Gerrard playing in the right attacking slot (breaking up his partnership with Torres)

c) Changing the formation to 4-4-2 which really doesnt suit Torres or our wide men. It also means dropping Alonso.

I was happy when we signed Keane BUT I assumed we would be able to sign a top class wide right player.

I still think he'll do well here but I think he creates extra problems rather than solves our problem from last season. I just think the below would have been much more preferable.

---

Torres

Babel

---

Gerrard

---

Natural right sided attacker 20m

---

Masch--Alonso

Bench:

10m replacement for Crouch.

herbieflowers

the thing I don't understand is this: Benitez signs strikers. He sees them play as strikers, score goals as strikers - then he signs them and plays them out of position. Is it just me? Does he have some grand plan that I'm missing here?

mike65

I kinda adressed those points about er 8/10 pages back I think, when I noted that a very expensive player would always end up on the bench and we are not so wealthy a club for that to make much sense.

As for Keane wide left, clearly thats nuts, hopefully Riera means we won't see that again.

Mike.