Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

leninbenjamin

Karmafaerie wrote: »

That's what Rafa brings to the club.

with respect, Rafa isn't unique in this department. managers everywhere have been doing this for years.

Boom_Bap

I see that Keane is the latest Liverpool player who has been burgled.

Robbie Keane has become the latest Liverpool player to fall victim to burglars, sources said on Tuesday.
The Republic of Ireland striker's penthouse apartment was broken into while he was away on international duty for his country's 2-1 win over Georgia on Saturday.
The thieves sneaked into the flat he shares with model wife Claudine, 25, and are believed to have stolen an expensive watch and jewellery.
Keane, 28, had been using the city centre property in Liverpool while he searched for a home after his £20million move from Tottenham.
Over the past two years six Anfield stars, including Steven Gerrard and former Red Peter Crouch, have been burgled while playing.

The inauguration to the 'Capital of Culture' is now complete

missingtime

Boom_Bap wrote: »

The inauguration to the 'Capital of Culture' is now complete

Ahhh he has to go to x in the city first

Karmafaerie

leninbenjamin wrote: »

with respect, Rafa isn't unique in this department. managers everywhere have been doing this for years.

But Rafa does it better.
Rafa flew to Spain to meet Gerardo Brunas family when he was 15.
(Gerardo, not Rafa!:p)

He doesn't send agents, or scouts.
He meets with the players, and their families, and convinces them personaly.
That's why the young players turn down bigger offers from other clubs.
They feel better treated, or more important with Liverpool.

It's why Bruna left Madrid.
Why Pacheco left Barca.
Why Saric turned down Barca.
Why Valle turned down Chelsea

Everyone of those players mentioned positive talks with Rafa as being one of if not the main reason they came.

That's not common in the big clubs at all to be honest.

missingtime

It would be really really depressing if rafa is not there to see these players develop.

Mitch Connor

Karmafaerie wrote: »

But Rafa does it better.
Rafa flew to Spain to meet Gerardo Brunas family when he was 15.
(Gerardo, not Rafa!:p)

He doesn't send agents, or scouts.
He meets with the players, and their families, and convinces them personaly.
That's why the young players turn down bigger offers from other clubs.
They feel better treated, or more important with Liverpool.

It's why Bruna left Madrid.
Why Pacheco left Barca.
Why Saric turned down Barca.
Why Valle turned down Chelsea

Everyone of those players mentioned positive talks with Rafa as being one of if not the main reason they came.

That's not common in the big clubs at all to be honest.

But when Fergie personally goes to meet the players its tapping up! PAH!

monkey9

Tauren wrote: »

But when Fergie personally goes to meet the players its tapping up! PAH!

Intercepting players at airports while they've only been given permission to talk to their cross city rivals. Yes, it is!

gixerfixer

missingtime wrote: »

It would be really really depressing if rafa is not there to see these players develop.

Agreed. There would be something brilliant about seeing him with a big smile on his face in a few years time with the young players matured and winning the league. Here's hoping.

Mr Alan

Tauren wrote: »

But when Fergie personally goes to kidnap the players its tapping up! PAH!

fixed that for you

missingtime

Even just seeing how he went over to mash when he was sent off. He really ****ing cares about the players like.

Karmafaerie

missingtime wrote: »

It would be really really depressing if rafa is not there to see these players develop.

What would be more depressing would be some new manager coming in, and disregarding the youth system altogether!
Like it was before.

Karmafaerie

Tauren wrote: »

But when Fergie personally goes to meet the players its tapping up! PAH!

There's a difference between talking to a non-contracted player like all the ones I mentioned above (bar Saric, but we had permission from his club), and a contracted one!;):p

Mitch Connor

monkey9 wrote: »

Intercepting players at airports while they've only been given permission to talk to their cross city rivals. Yes, it is!

So Spurs gave Berbatov permission to talk to City and travel to manchester by plane about an hour and a half before City made contact with Spurs. Psychic!:D

Ruskie4Rent

Karmafaerie wrote: »

But Rafa does it better.
Rafa flew to Spain to meet Gerardo Brunas family when he was 15.
(Gerardo, not Rafa!:p)

He doesn't send agents, or scouts.
He meets with the players, and their families, and convinces them personaly.
That's why the young players turn down bigger offers from other clubs.
They feel better treated, or more important with Liverpool.

It's why Bruna left Madrid.
Why Pacheco left Barca.
Why Saric turned down Barca.
Why Valle turned down Chelsea

Everyone of those players mentioned positive talks with Rafa as being one of if not the main reason they came.

That's not common in the big clubs at all to be honest.

I'm pretty sure it's very common with big clubs.

Very similar stories involving SAF with giggs/beckham, wenger with fabregas, and clough with keane. I'm sure there's loads more. You'd think rafa came up with the idea of going out of his way to ensure his team signed an in demand youngster.

Mr Alan

SAF lost out of Ramsay because he wouldnt meet with him afaik.

anyway this is a stupid conversation. it doesnt matter, Rafa is doing excellent work attracting some of Europes top young players to Liverpool. that is all.

Boom_Bap

Ruskie4Rent wrote: »

I'm pretty sure it's very common with big clubs.

Very similar stories involving SAF with giggs/beckham, wenger with fabregas, and clough with keane. I'm sure there's loads more. You'd think rafa came up with the idea of going out of his way to ensure his team signed an in demand youngster.

Did Man U not fail to sign Ramsey recently by sending Neville to meet him and show him around?

Not denying that other managers dont do this but it looks like Rafa is consistent in his approach and meets everyone.

Karmafaerie

Ruskie4Rent wrote: »

I'm pretty sure it's very common with big clubs.

Very similar stories involving SAF with giggs/beckham, wenger with fabregas, and clough with keane. I'm sure there's loads more. You'd think rafa came up with the idea of going out of his way to ensure his team signed an in demand youngster.

Look into it.
You'll see it's ost deffinately not the case.
Wenger was one of the first proper man management experts to employ the policy across Europe, and Rafa uses it even more.

Of the list I mentioned above, every one of them mentioned the surprise at how Rafa personaly convinced them.
Very, very, few managers tavel to another country to meet with a 15 year olds parents and grandparents (Rafa had tea with Bruna's extended family).

I'm fairly sure that the stories tou're reffering to with Ferguson, are from the players talking about how he influenced the players once they were at Utd, or after the had come to Manchester.

AF didn't exactly fly to Madrid to meet Giggs' family now did he?!;)

Ruskie4Rent

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Did Man U not fail to sign Ramsey recently by sending Neville to meet him and show him around?

Not denying that other managers dont do this but it looks like Rafa is consistent in his approach and meets everyone.

Well that's a major cock up if it's true, because SAF has gone out of his way for lesser player's than Ramsey, i'm sure.

Still though, there's no point praising rafa as some sort of pioneer in the art of aquiring youngsters, as i said, there are plenty of examples of managers doing it before.
And there is no point praising him untill these lads come good(not saying they won't). How many 'next zidanes' did houllier take in?

missingtime

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Did Man U not fail to sign Ramsey recently by sending Neville to meet him and show him around?

Baaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Imagine opening your door and seeing Neville standing there.

monkey9

Ruskie4Rent wrote: »

Well that's a major cock up if it's true, because SAF has gone out of his way for lesser player's than Ramsey, i'm sure.

Still though, there's no point praising rafa as some sort of pioneer in the art of aquiring youngsters, as i said, there are plenty of examples of managers doing it before.
And there is no point praising him untill these lads come good(not saying they won't). How many 'next zidanes' did houllier take in?

I don't think Karmafaerie is saying that Rafa is a pioneer, just that he's doing a great job by going about it this way.
Why people can't just accept it, i don't know. Why feel the need to say "well, he wasn't the first..." So what??

missingtime

monkey9 wrote: »

Why people can't just accept it, i don't know. Why feel the need to say "well, he wasn't the first..." So what??

Welcome to the internet.

Karmafaerie

As Monkey said, I'm not in anyway saying Rafa was the first, in fact I even mentioned Wenger doing it before Rafa a few posts ago.
I'm simply saying that Rafa is doing a great job.

AF did I'm sure too, but nearly all of the great players to come out of Man Utd's youth policy, are British.

Wenger started scouring Europe, and now Rafa is being even more thorough.

Rafa's youth aquisitions range from as far afield as Spain, Argentina, Brasil, Morocco, Denmark, Hungary, Finland, Bulgaria, Australia, etc...

And Rafa is doing a lot of the leg work himself.
Often even leaving the country to convince a promising player.

Never said he was a pioneer, just that he was doing a great job, and I think it'll be his legacy to the club.

herbieflowers

Great job? Most of Pool's youngsters have failed to make it / been moved on.

Melion

herbieflowers wrote: »

Great job? Most of Pool's youngsters have failed to make it / been moved on.

Such as?

Of the youngsters that Rafa has gone out of his way to sign, who has left the club?

herbieflowers

Gonzalez and Paletta off the top of my head.

mike65

Bearing in mind the policy has been pursued seriously for the last 3 years its a bit too soon to be writing it off!

Mike.

missingtime

herbieflowers wrote: »

Gonzalez and Paletta off the top of my head.

Gonzalez never was a youngster.

Melion

Gonzalez was a first team regular in Spain, wouldnt call him a kid. Paletta was swapped for Insua

raven136

if only two of them make it to the top level then its a success.If pacheo or bruna fulfill their obvious potential then that saves Liverpool at least 40m(the Torres price is the quality these players look like they might reach)

Karmafaerie

herbieflowers wrote: »

Gonzalez and Paletta off the top of my head.

Gonzales and Paletta both came straight into the first team!
Paletta was 20, and Gonzalez was 22.

Calling Gonzalez a youth team player is like calling Torres one, so if that's the case, then Torres is the best youth signing in the history of the game!:p

Charlie

Heads up to all you Pool fans. Jamie Carragher is going to be on talkSPORT (Sky channel 0108, and available to listen on their website) pretty soon, to be interviewed on Adrian Durham's show. If any of you don't know who Durham is, he is an arrogant ****, and is the bloke who called Carragher a bottler a year ago after Jamie retired from international football. Carra, then rang in to the show, and had it out with him over the air.

I am sure they will cover this, and obviously Jamie's book, so it should be a good listen.

Karmafaerie

charlie mchugh wrote: »

Heads up to all you Pool fans. Jamie Carragher is going to be on talkSPORT (Sky channel 0108, and available to listen on their website) pretty soon, to be interviewed on Adrian Durham's show. If any of you don't know who Durham is, he is an arrogant ****, and is the bloke who called Carragher a bottler a year ago after Jamie retired from international football. Carra, then rang in to the show, and had it out with him over the air.

I am sure they will cover this, and obviously Jamie's book, so it should be a good listen.

Cheers for the heads up.
God I hate being at work!:(

Charlie

Karmafaerie wrote: »

Cheers for the heads up.
God I hate being at work!:(

No bother mate.

I would imagine they will archive it for their media player, they usually seem to do so with anything of interest.

Charlie

Alright he's on now.

Boom_Bap

He mentioned how he has been a lifelong liverpool fan. I heard that he supported the dirty blue side as a youngster until he joined the Pools academy and the reason he wears long sleeve shirts is because he has a everton tattoo on his arm.

anyone heard anything like this or have i been dreaming about Jamie Carraghers forearms again?

On another note, its a great interview so far, talking about Houllier and Evans, caps on forgein players.

Mr Alan

Tattoo thing is bull****, sure he's been wearing short sleeves lately.

He was a hardcore everton fan as a kid though, hes very open about that.

Malice

Boom_Bap wrote: »

He mentioned how he has been a lifelong liverpool fan. I heard that he supported the dirty blue side as a youngster until he joined the Pools academy and the reason he wears long sleeve shirts is because he has a everton tattoo on his arm.

anyone heard anything like this or have i been dreaming about Jamie Carraghers forearms again?

Carragher doesn't have an Everton tattoo. He probably wears long sleeved shirts while playing football for the same reason I do. It gets cold sometimes .

These images might have been photoshopped...

Boom_Bap

Cheers lads, i guess the tattoo thing is nonsence so.

Karmafaerie

The Carra tattoo thing is a bit of an urbane legend.
They even had a bit about it in the Echo before.
TB laid it to rest with that pic of the sleeveless top above.
Everton fans have been saying it for years though.

Tony Barret wrote:

Carragher Everton Tattoo Shocker
After all those years of hearing the "Carragher wears long sleeves cos he's got an Everton tattoo" the myth can finally be nailed once and for all.
As this picture, taken by Echo photoghrapher Colin Lane, shows, Carragher hasn't got any tattoos, never mind an Everton one.

colly10

Mr Alan wrote: »

He was a hardcore everton fan as a kid though, hes very open about that.

Its so hard to believe, you get the impression that Carra cares mores about Liverpool that any other player cares about any other prem club.
Ye'd wonder how he could go from one extreme to another

Jazzy

colly10 wrote: »

Its so hard to believe, you get the impression that Carra cares mores about Liverpool that any other player cares about any other prem club.
Ye'd wonder how he could go from one extreme to another

simple, he saw the light

Mr Alan

3/4 way through Carras book, just wanna say i think its a let down that he has written this book.

Things in it he says that he shouldnt be saying while still so involved at the club, poor form Jamie (not talking about his mates or the Song incident, couldnt care about those things)

Good read and very honest though.

Pyjamarama

Any chance of some elaboration Mr. Alan? I know some guys won't want to get it spoiled on them so maybe in spoiler friendly mode. (i.e blacked out...)

Mr Alan

basically, in one of the early chapters he discusses his feelings on the treatment of Steve Heighway in the youth set up, and the way it has now been changed and how we are now getting young talents from around Europe, enticing them with nice financial packages, uprooting their families to England, he talks about how he fundamentally disagrees with this practice. while that in itself that is fair enough, i dont think he should be saying anything like that while still playing there.he namechecks people like Pacheco and Nemeth as players he expects to play a considerable part in the first team btw

mike65

Methinks Carra should play football and STFU.

Mike

Mitch Connor

Have read liverpool have not named Hyppia in the CL squad - I know with Agger Skyrtel(sp) and Carragher he is down the pecking order and that his ommision is forced by the lack of youth products, but still...

woodyg

I still can't undertsand how current footballers are allowed to write a book while still playing! I don't get the logic behind it at all that a club/manager allows it, as it all ways causes trouble. Keane, Stam, Fowler, Owen are just a couple of examples in modern times. Fair enough a player who has hung up the boots but a current player should have it written in to a contract that they are not allowed to write a book as it cause to much crap.

monkey9

malice_ wrote: »

Carragher doesn't have an Everton tattoo. He probably wears long sleeved shirts while playing football for the same reason I do. It gets cold sometimes .

These images might have been photoshopped...

The reason Carragher wears long sleeved shirts is so he can wipe the snot from his nose. Simple!

Mr Alan

Actually its because he thinks he has skinny arms.

Dave!

Wow it's amazing how effective those tattoo removal procedures can be