Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Mr Alan

coming from you that is quite hilarious.

The Rooster

Mr Alan wrote: »

he was dropped because he was for sale?! wats bad out about that? you also think Voronin and Pennant were treated badly? maybe Intandje too?



Arbeloa has been better than finnan for us since he has arrived.

Deegan is now there too who can act as Arbeloas back up, and I expect Carragher to play out there a bit this season to. I think Rafa has made a good decision.

If he had said "dropped because I'm trying to sell him", it would have been a lot better than lying about him being injured.

Anyone who thinks Carragher is a better right back than Finnan is a loon.

noodler

Really, you should think about who was getting rave reviews at right back for Liverpool the season Arbeloa arrived.

Just because you reckon Arbeloa is currently better than Finnan doesn't mean you should lie about how they compared 2 years ago.


machiavellianme: The end product of Finnan getting games in Sunny Spain isn't so bad for him. Its more the process that got him there.

monkey9

The Liverpool takeover and the billion pound investment



Thanks to everyone who has been posting comments and asking questions in the blog, please keep them coming in.

Over the last week or so it seems that the majority of questions from Liverpool fans relate to news of a potential takeover at Anfield.

As one reader, KK, from Malaysia asks: "Surely the most important news that LFC fans would like to know if whether DIC is still interested and intend to buy LFC. Also we'd also like to know if USA are indeed willing to sell?"

And Lee in Liverpool makes a very valid point when he says: "Guillem have you heard anything about DIC? Now that Man City have had there influx of Arabian cash we could start to find ourselves struggling to finish top four!"

In fact, the points that you guys have raised about Champions League qualification, the takeover at Manchester City and the position of Gillett and Hicks are all very relevant.


To begin with, we need to get away from the idea that it will be Dubai International Capital that ultimately takes control of Liverpool football club. DIC have, until now, been operating on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum as the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai Government. However, DIC represents just one of a number of financial vehicles available to Sheikh Mohammed and it is highly likely that an alternative one of those will end up leading the bid to take control at Anfield.


DIC had been leading the negotiations over a proposed takeover of Liverpool - through intermediary Amanda Staveley, of London based PCP Capital Partners - for the last couple of years.

However, the financial situation surrounding the club has changed dramatically since DIC's initial £220 Million bid 24 months ago, and the current climate is now less favourable for such a private equity fund to become involved.

To begin with, a new bid would have to cover the £350 million debt and Gillett and Hicks will also walk away with a profit of £75 million each from the sale. Add to those figures the costs of building a new stadium under the 'current global financial climate,' as Hicks put it last week, and it becomes clear that something close to a billion pound investment will be required to fulfill the club's ambitions. For an equity fund, like DIC, that would need to see a return on it's investment within 8- 10 years, rather than generationally, that kind of massive investment may be prohibitive.

However, while the talks have been low key, 'they have been ongoing' with Dubai - as Staveley told an Arab magazine a couple of weeks ago - and both the Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his right-hand man, Mohammed Al Gergawi, have been personally involved in negotiations.

Nothing has been agreed yet, and Gillett and Hicks are still resisting the sale of the club to Sheikh Mohammed, leaving it until as late in the day as possible - after all, that is their game as high level debt poker players. However, the pressure is mounting on them to sell as the credit crunch continues to undermine their ambitions for the club: it was only last week that they blamed the global financial climate for the postponement of building work on the new stadium at Stanley Park. The pair are now aware that they simply do not have the resources to deliver upon their lofty ambitions for the club that they promised when they took control in 2007.

They are also likely to come under pressure to sell from the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia, the banks with whom they secured a £350 million refinancing deal a little more than seven months ago. That deal is due for renewal this coming January and neither bank is certain to grant them the option of a six month extension: a situation that would force a sale as the banks would effectively become the club's owners and they would be looking to quickly sell the club to the highest bidder.

It is easy to understand the banks position in all of this. After all, with the club owing annual interest payments of £30 million, Liverpool's financial security, under Gillett and Hicks, is almost entirely dependent upon future Champions League qualification. The Abu Dhabi takeover at Manchester City, and the increased competition for places in Europe's elite club competition that it will surely bring, makes Liverpool's future dependence upon Champions League revenue look even more precarious than it already was.

The irony is, that as the Americans at Liverpool appear increasingly more helpless in the face of the massive injection of Arab wealth at Manchester City, the new owner at Eastlands, Sheikh Mansour, is married to the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai. Those family ties, however, are purely anecdotal and the fact is that the two Arab states are in competition with each other as rivals for status and international prestige. There is no collusion, and the Premier League could provide a platform for the two Arab states to go head to head on the world stage.

Nevertheless, the Abu Dhabi takeover at City could certainly help pave the way for a similar takeover at Liverpool from Dubai. The RSB and Wachovia have not yet put pressure on the Texan pair to sell, but they are aware of the bid from Sheikh Mohammed and if they fear that the Americans are unable to fulfill their pledges under the current financial climate - and with Arab wealth in Manchester jeopardising Liverpool's place at the top table of European football - it may only be a matter of time before the banks have no other option but to force Gillett and Hicks to relinquish control at Anfield.

monkey9

I fairness, Arbeloa has been quality since he's signed. Hasn't had the best starts to a season so far, but i expect him to get back to the standards we've seen from him

missingtime

Jazzy wrote: »

wats the likelyhood of Torres being fit for the Utd game? i know gerrard will be out for it. will berbatov being playing btw ?

I was reading in the Sunday times that torres looks or gerrard look unlikely but thats probably rafa telling them to say that.

Not sure about Berbatov. Apparently playing he's not the fittest so Utd have him on a no cakes diet.

Mr Alan

The Rooster wrote: »

If he had said "dropped because I'm trying to sell him", it would have been a lot better than lying about him being injured.

Anyone who thinks Carragher is a better right back than Finnan is a loon.

Carragher decent at RB, Sunderland last season an Anfield off the top of my head he was very good there.

noodler wrote: »

Really, you should think about who was getting rave reviews at right back for Liverpool the season Arbeloa arrived.

Just because you reckon Arbeloa is currently better than Finnan doesn't mean you should lie about how they compared 2 years ago.

I reckon Arbeloa has been better than Finnan for 12months pretty much. Finnan is on a downward slope, he is now old. **** happens, he got moved on.

noodler

Arbeloa can tackle well and is pacey. However he is not great in the air, has poor positional sense and certainly can't cross worth a damn. Finnan was injured for alot of last season-so that made Arbeloa better by default.

Not the best comparison is it?

Carra was solid at RB, he will always give you that. You lose alot going forward though.

Alan, Im glad you are changing your tune from 'Arbeloa has been better since he arrived' to 'Arbeloa has been better for the last 12 months while Finnan was mostly injured'.

Good stuff.

The Rooster

Mr Alan wrote: »

Carragher decent at RB, Sunderland last season an Anfield off the top of my head he was very good there.

He hit a very good cross that led to a goal, but to say his performance was "very good" is well over-stating it. He'll only play right back in an emergency. And hopefully Arbeloa won't continue his current poor form and so it won't be required.

Jazzy

missingtime wrote: »

I was reading in the Sunday times that torres looks or gerrard look unlikely but thats probably rafa telling them to say that.

Not sure about Berbatov. Apparently playing he's not the fittest so Utd have him on a no cakes diet.

i thought he was "mentally unfit"? in that case wont the cakes help?
i think we can live without gerrard against Utd but we really need torres

Karmafaerie

Glad to see I'm not the only one who is seeing things straight regarding the Finnan deal.

~Rebel~

Right now, if it were an option, id start Finnan ahead of Arbeloa. I like Arbeloa and think he will be a great player but imo hasn't surpassed Finnan yet.

As for his treatment, i have no problem with Rafa wanting to sell him, it was just that from any interviews i saw, he didn't have a notion where he future lay. As it turns out, he got a nice move to a good club in a beautiful city, but it could just as easily have been far worse. He seemed very very much in the dark over what was happening. Someone said Rafa had spoken of his plans, but in a fairly recent interview Finnan said he had no idea where he would be playing next season or if he'd be getting his game at pool, even after speaking with Rafa.

Mr Alan

the most recent interview i saw Rebel, was out in malahide, and Finnan said him and Rafa had spoken and outlined his plans, but wat was said was between them.

this is the same one where he said he was in limbo.

~Rebel~

Mr Alan wrote: »

the most recent interview i saw Rebel, was out in malahide, and Finnan said him and Rafa had spoken and outlined his plans, but wat was said was between them.

this is the same one where he said he was in limbo.

yeah, he said he'd spoken with Rafa but didn't want to elaborate. And in the same interview he said;

"Limbo sounds about right.

"I haven't got a clue, to be honest with you. I haven't played many games recently, so I honestly can't say.

Doesn't sound like things were particularly cleared up...

Mr Alan

as i said, i think its fair to take that as meaning he was in limbo cause Rafa didnt fancy him anymore (hadnt played much) so they were waiting for offers.

in a perfect world perhaps he could have been informed of more, but if there wasnt any offers in at stage, dont know wat more people wanted from the club.

~Rebel~

Mr Alan wrote: »

as i said, i think its fair to take that as meaning he was in limbo cause Rafa didnt fancy him anymore (hadnt played much) so they were waiting for offers.

in a perfect world perhaps he could have been informed of more, but if there wasnt any offers in at stage, dont know wat more people wanted from the club.

Given his service and the fact that whatever people say he didn't actually have this big drop in quality, was still fantastic last season the majority of the time that he played, I would have expected someone at the club to say there was still a place for him if a move didn't happen, or if the opposite was the case to say that he was definately leaving. Instead he seemed to be in no mans land. It seems Rafa was more speaking to him with actions rather then words. Rather then Finnan ever saying something like "I was told i was surpluss to requirements" he instead says

"It was totally out of the blue," Finnan told the Liverpool Post.

"It's exciting to be going to a great club in Spain but I didn't want to leave.

"But it was obvious that I wasn't going to get a game by staying so I didn't really have much choice."

I know its business or whatever, but i get the impression that it could have been dealt with better and just told there was no future at the club.

missingtime

Jazzy wrote: »

i thought he was "mentally unfit"? in that case wont the cakes help?

Maybe we could send some cakes. With potassium benzoate on them

Jazzy wrote: »

i think we can live without gerrard against Utd but we really need torres

Yea torres is a must really. i wonder how he and riera will get on?

Karmafaerie

missingtime wrote: »

Maybe we could send some cakes. With potassium benzoate on them



Yea torres is a must really. i wonder how he and riera will get on?

Liverpool new boy Albert Riera admits he cannot wait to get the chance to play in the same team as Fernando Torres.

Riera told the offish site, “I can’t wait to play alongside Fernando. To play with one of the best strikers in the world is perfect for somebody like me who likes to cross the ball.”

“I am sure we will do well together and I hope to create many goals for Fernando and the team.”

Riera completed his move from Espanyol just before the transfer deadline and he is expected to make his debut against Man Ure.

Seems eager.

missingtime

somebody like me who likes to cross the ball

Hurray!

Now Albert can you clear the first man when taking corners?

Karmafaerie

missingtime wrote: »

Hurray!

Now Albert can you clear the first man when taking corners?

Yes, yes he most certainly can.

zing

Karmafaerie wrote: »

Yes, yes hen most certainly can.

They'll have to beat that out of him in training then. Can't be having someone capable of taking a decent corner in the team.

Karmafaerie

zing wrote: »

They'll have to beat that out of him in training then. Can't be having someone capable of taking a decent corner in the team.

Don't worry, I'm sure that Gerrard will still insist on taking them!;)

~Rebel~

a decent corner taker for players like skrtel, agger, Hyypia, kuyt and torres with Gerrard and Alonso waiting for lose balls should really be adding 10goals a season for us. We've been missing that side of our game for so long.

monkey9

Riera and Kuyt for the corner kicks !!!

oobydooby

Karmafaerie wrote: »

Don't worry, I'm sure that Gerrard will still insist on taking them!;)

Drives me mad. It's like when kids play and there's one talented kid who has to do everything. The same kid who never learns the more subtle things like discipline and positioning:mad: Anyway Gerrard should be the guy hovering on the edge of the box for the breaking ball, smashing volleys at the target from every cleared corner.

missingtime

oobydooby wrote: »

Anyway Gerrard should be the guy hovering on the edge of the box for the breaking ball, smashing volleys at the target from every cleared corner.

And then bitching about being played in the wrong position.

Karmafaerie

I do love Gerrard.
But it really is time that he grew up a bit.

He's ben a giant on the pitch for us.
Now he just needs to learn to be captain.

mike65

*controversial opinion ahead*

He's a terrible captain in truth, they only have one job in footie - to lead and he doesn't do that. If he's having a good game its grand but if he's not then he offers nothing to the rest of the team - Bryan Robson was probably the ultimate captain (though some would say Souness naturally!) but both had the same full bloodied approach regardless of the circumstances.

Mike.

Dont be at yourself

I don't think Gerrard should be the captain either. Wasn't he only given the armband around the time he was negotiating for a new contract?

I'd much rather Carra was captain. He's much more talkative on the pitch, and more of a leader.

Tusky

Pepe Reina for captain! If Mascherano could control his temper a wee bit more he would be perfect.

DeadSkin

IIRC last year at Old Trafford, when Mascherano was acting the gobsh!te, I don't think Gerrard stepped in to try and control the situation. I remember Alonso trying to pull back Mascherano at one stage but that was it.

ButcherOfNog

I do hope Riera can take corners. I tend to use our corners as opportunities to go to the bog, or make a coffee, or tidy up, no point watching them.

raven136

Does Gerrard not sum up all that is wrong with the modern english player.
He knows the media have been on about his position for liverpool and england and a week before a massive game he whines about it in a hugely read paper.

Carra would be a better captain and also because Gerrard seems to suffer so bad with the pressure before games and lets it affect him badly.

Maybe im insane but im not too bothered that he might not make the united game.He never seems to play well against them and masch and xabi might do a job with yossi floating ahead(does he play that way for israel?).
Its late at night and im open to correction on this but he wont be that big a loss on saturday.
Mind you i wont be uttering this opinon on the way in to the game on saturday:D

DeadSkin

ButcherOfNog wrote: »

I do hope Riera can take corners. I tend to use our corners as opportunities to go to the bog, or make a coffee, or tidy up, no point watching them.

LOL. I asked that same question a few pages back and Karmafaeire assured me he can and does

copacetic

ButcherOfNog wrote: »

I do hope Riera can take corners. I tend to use our corners as opportunities to go to the bog, or make a coffee, or tidy up, no point watching them.

I use them as a chance to close my eyes and chant 'beat the first man, beat the first man' to myself over and over.

Doesn't work though.

leninbenjamin

raven136 wrote: »

Does Gerrard not sum up all that is wrong with the modern english player.
He knows the media have been on about his position for liverpool and england and a week before a massive game he whines about it in a hugely read paper.

Carra would be a better captain and also because Gerrard seems to suffer so bad with the pressure before games and lets it affect him badly.

Maybe im insane but im not too bothered that he might not make the united game.He never seems to play well against them and masch and xabi might do a job with yossi floating ahead(does he play that way for israel?).
Its late at night and im open to correction on this but he wont be that big a loss on saturday.
Mind you i wont be uttering this opinon on the way in to the game on saturday:D

*more controversial opinion follows*

Gerrard in some ways reminds me of both Beckham and Henry; they both became bigger than the team. i think in some ways the same can be said of Gerrard; particularly when compared with Henry. Wants the team built around him, has a fairly whiny attitude, has to be on the end of everything. in the end Arsenal performed a lot better when they let Henry go. i think the same would happen if Gerrard were let go. i've always thought Pool looked a much more balanced side when Gerrard isn't playing anyway. take him out of equation and you'll be giving a lot more room for Alonso, Benayoun, Babel and Keane among others for them to impose themselves on the game and show us what they can do.

mayordenis

Over the last few seasons our results tend to be better when Gerrard is missing, I remember when we went like on winning streaks when he'd be missing. He's a phenomenal player no question but he needs to just get on with it and play iff he's to have a positive impact on the team.

prendy

leninbenjamin wrote: »

*more controversial opinion follows*

Gerrard in some ways reminds me of both Beckham and Henry; they both became bigger than the team. i think in some ways the same can be said of Gerrard; particularly when compared with Henry. Wants the team built around him, has a fairly whiny attitude, has to be on the end of everything. in the end Arsenal performed a lot better when they let Henry go. i think the same would happen if Gerrard were let go. i've always thought Pool looked a much more balanced side when Gerrard isn't playing anyway. take him out of equation and you'll be giving a lot more room for Alonso, Benayoun, Babel and Keane among others for them to impose themselves on the game and show us what they can do.

i do not for one second think Liverpool are a better team without Gerrard. He's our best player and along with torres our only match winner. anyone saying we'd be better wothout him needs their head examined IMO. I agree that Carra should be captain though.

mike65

There was a period when Liverpools points average was higher when Gerrard was injured, just can't remember when that was though. As he looks to be out of the game on Saturday it'll be interesting to see who, if anyone leads the line.

Guardian headline

Parry shock leaves Toshack high and dry

Just for a moment I thought the Welsh wizzard/windbag was reacting to Rick Parry standing down...sadly not.

Mike

gixerfixer

prendy wrote: »

i do not for one second think Liverpool are a better team without Gerrard. He's our best player and along with torres our only match winner. anyone saying we'd be better wothout him needs their head examined IMO. I agree that Carra should be captain though.

That's just the thing. Liverpool are of course a better team with stevie in the starting 11, but againest Man U he just never turns up (well at least not in the last few years).I think the Masherano incident last season said it all about him for me. Mash had every right to protest about the disgusting treatment Torres was getting from Ferdinand. Problem is this is the captains job and our captain failed to turn up. I think at this stage he is intimadated by the United players and needs to show some aggression as a team leader. Do you think for one minute the United captain whoever that is would stand by ideally if Rooney got kicked about the pitch by Carragher or Agger? Like hell he would. This is where in my opinion Gerrard falls down as a player and whilst i agree the armband needs to be taken from him i would rather see it given to Masherano than Carragher.

Boom_Bap

Liverpool are a better team with Gerrard in the starting 11. He offers drive and competitveness to the team and the rest of the team seem to react on this. I think Keane has a similar attitude and when the 2 of them strike a understanding we will see better link up play and more goals.

The one place where Gerrard can be criticised is his wild ambitious shots. He is very selfish at times and should be feeding other players in better positions in scoring opertunities. Kuyt is one of these players, he always takes up great positions around Gerrard....the only problem is that the likelyhood of Kuyt scoring is slim although he may be in a better position to score.

prendy

Boom_Bap wrote: »

The one place where Gerrard can be criticised is his wild ambitious shots. He is very selfish at times and should be feeding other players in better positions in scoring opertunities. Kuyt is one of these players, he always takes up great positions around Gerrard....the only problem is that the likelyhood of Kuyt scoring is slim although he may be in a better position to score.

True about the selfish side to his game but using Kuyt as an example??? I wouldnt pass it to him if he was in front of goal.

I think if you try to curb that side of gerrard's game you will lose something else. look at lampard, he shoots from everywhere and always ends up high up the PL goals table. As far as I'm concerned as long as it doesnt get too out of hand its not a problem. I mean Stevie is constantly our player with the highest assists over the last few years and he gets a lot of goals.

Malice

gixerfixer wrote: »

That's just the thing. Liverpool are of course a better team with stevie in the starting 11, but againest Man U he just never turns up (well at least not in the last few years).I think the Masherano incident last season said it all about him for me. Mash had every right to protest about the disgusting treatment Torres was getting from Ferdinand. Problem is this is the captains job and our captain failed to turn up. I think at this stage he is intimadated by the United players and needs to show some aggression as a team leader. Do you think for one minute the United captain whoever that is would stand by ideally if Rooney got kicked about the pitch by Carragher or Agger? Like hell he would. This is where in my opinion Gerrard falls down as a player and whilst i agree the armband needs to be taken from him i would rather see it given to Masherano than Carragher.

That's an excellent post! I was also quite annoyed with Gerrard during the Mascherano sending off incident. As soon as bloody Steve Bennett gave Torres the yellow card for attacking Ferdinand's foot with his ankle Gerrard should have been over to the ref asking him (politely) what he was at, not Mascherano. The only player to try to restrain Mascherano was Alonso and if I remember correctly, Mascherano charged across most of the pitch to confront the referee.

I wouldn't bother giving the captains armband to Carragher as he's going to do a captain's job marshalling the defence regardless. If he was given the armband I would hope that his game wouldn't suffer the way Hyypia's did when he was made captain.

missingtime

mike65 wrote: »

Rick Parry standing down...
Mike

missingtime

malice_ wrote: »

As soon as bloody Steve Bennett gave Torres the yellow card for attacking Ferdinand's foot with his ankle Gerrard should have been over to the ref asking him (politely) what he was at, not Mascherano. The only player to try to restrain Mascherano was Alonso and if I remember correctly, Mascherano charged across most of the pitch to confront the referee.

I wouldn't bother giving the captains armband to Carragher as he's going to do a captain's job marshalling the defence regardless. If he was given the armband I would hope that his game wouldn't suffer the way Hyypia's did when he was made captain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4qQTiC0I-c

Exactly its ****ing disgusting that gerrard is nowhere to be seen in that video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQUr0g7M5hk

lol

missingtime

Anyone hear of this lad...Lauri Dalla Valle.
He scored recently for the under 18's - apparently he supposed to be the sh!t

mike65

He's the next Dani Pacheco

Mike.

Cyrus

missingtime wrote: »

Anyone hear of this lad...Lauri Dalla Valle.
He scored recently for the under 18's - apparently he supposed to be the sh!t

the finnish italian

he is deadly in fm08

missingtime

Cyrus wrote: »

he is deadly in fm08

so i hear.

Karmafaerie

I have a special place in my heart for Valle.

He came over from Inter (who signed him when he was 13!) cause he never settled there.

Liverpool offered him a one year trial in the youth academy.
Neither him or his father wanted him to leave Finland again, cause he had such a bad time at Inter, but they came ove to look around, and were so impressed that he agreed on the spot.
The father was supposedly so impressed, that rafa took the time to meet them personaly (God I love Rafa!:D).
After the trial he was offered a 3 1/2 year deal, and a signing on fee of €750,000 rissing to €1,500,000 (for a 15 year old!!!).
The coaches were really impressed.

The best part however is that he had a trial with Chelsea aswell, and Chelsea said to his agent that they'd double any offer that Liverpool made, whatever it may be (would have been €3,000,000 signing on fee for a 15 year old!:eek:), but he chose Liverpool!

That's what Rafa brings to the club.