Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 11/12 - Mod Note 4153

Super-Rush

opr wrote: »

Is Kelly playing CB ?

Flanagan, Morgan, Coady and Andre Wisdom all started for England U19's tonight!

Opr

Yes. Won a tackle on the halfway line then another and ran half the length of the field before smashing it home.

Henderson is playing CM.

daithijjj

He has always played centre mid for them afaik. The whole right side midfield tag he got at Sunderland was just a case of a young player coming through and Bruce dovetailing the position between him and Elmohamady last year. Bruce told Capello not to play him as holding mid as he is a box to box centre mid.

This whole right winger role ...............well, ive said enough about it in the past.

YouTookMyName

super-rush wrote: »

Yes. Won a tackle on the halfway line then another and ran half the length of the field before smashing it home.

Henderson is playing CM.

Kelly is boss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG3Xo3YJaqY

YouTookMyName

YouTookMyName wrote: »

Kelly is boss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG3Xo3YJaqY

That was pure quality from Kelly.

YouTookMyName

I think he's be a going to be a cracking centre half for us, we would actually be able to play a high line because he has pace and he's aggressive.

mike65

We all dream of a team of Martin Kellys

D'Agger

He's a tank and better still, looks like he could be a leader in the team

PaulieC

PaulieC wrote: »

He's a tank and better still, looks like he could be a leader in the team

He'd be in my starting XI everytime tbh.

Phoenix Park

rarnes1 wrote: »

He'd be in my starting XI everytime tbh.

Where though.. why not give him a run now alongside a fit Agger. Some players only need a few games to be comfortable at centre half..others a couple of seasons. I know RB is still a more likely position for the foreseeable future but i'd like to see him play 5 or 6 in a row alongside (a hopefully fit) Agger and see how he gets rather than bringing Carra back in. Although maybe not for the City game.

Cartman78

rarnes1 wrote: »

He'd be in my starting XI everytime tbh.

Deffo, would have him ahead of Johnson every day of the week.

Carroll, Henderson and Downing are getting a huge amount of stick from all angles. Yet Johnson seems to be immune from any criticism whatsover despite being over-priced, over-rated and generally looking and acting like he couldn't be arsed

opr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmfrpJOaO-U

Opr

ilovelamp2000

Cartman78 wrote: »

Deffo, would have him ahead of Johnson every day of the week.

Carroll, Henderson and Downing are getting a huge amount of stick from all angles. Yet Johnson seems to be immune from any criticism whatsover despite being over-priced, over-rated and generally looking and acting like he couldn't be arsed

Johnson looks a bit overweight too

Cartman78

Cartman78 wrote: »

Deffo, would have him ahead of Johnson every day of the week.

Carroll, Henderson and Downing are getting a huge amount of stick from all angles. Yet Johnson seems to be immune from any criticism whatsover despite being over-priced, over-rated and generally looking and acting like he couldn't be arsed

I think Johnson has done ok under Kenny though tbh.

I also think he works best with Kuyt in front of him as he gets more cover.

Defensively, I'd go with Kelly over him though, 100%.

It's not an area we are struggling with and neither is LB which is great. We had a serious problem with fullbacks for a long while under Rafa etc.

rarnes1

rarnes1 wrote: »

I think Johnson has done ok under Kenny though tbh.

I also think he works best with Kuyt in front of him as he gets more cover.

Defensively, I'd go with Kelly over him though, 100%.

It's not an area we are struggling with and neither is LB which is great. We had a serious problem with fullbacks for a long while under Rafa etc.

He was very unlucky not to win the game for us the last day too with that volley.

I was at the game looking right down his wing in the first half half and in fairness he got forward a lot and had to do most of it himself as Henderson was drifting inside so much.

Cartman78

rarnes1 wrote: »

I think Johnson has done ok under Kenny though tbh.

I also think he works best with Kuyt in front of him as he gets more cover.

Defensively, I'd go with Kelly over him though, 100%.

It's not an area we are struggling with and neither is LB which is great. We had a serious problem with fullbacks for a long while under Rafa etc.

He's been ok but his development seems to have stalled big time.

When he joined I think it was generally accepted that he was savage going forward but dodgy defensively. Now, he doesn't seem to get forward at all and there's still question marks over his defensive capabilities.

Henderson and Carragher have got a lot of criticism for our weakness on the right but Johnson should surely be taking some of the blame too(?)

NabyLadistheman

Johnson was brilliant at left back for last season when we needed him. Don't recall him doing too much wrong since he came back from injury this season either.

D'Agger

I'd like to see Kelly given a chance at CB tbh leave Johnson on the right - he's done fine so far this season, considering the injuries he's had.

The only problem I have with GJ is that sometimes he appears completely brainless on the ball sometimes and takes the wrong option, on top of that his crossing could do with some work imo

Tusky

I don't think Johnson is nearly as defensively weak as people make out. I think he would look a lot better if we had a quality winger/right sided attacker playing in front of him to link up with - something he has never had.

ilovelamp2000

Tusky wrote: »

I don't think Johnson is nearly as defensively weak as people make out. I think he would look a lot better if we had a quality winger/right sided attacker playing in front of him to link up with - something he has never had.

If we played an attacking right winger in front of Johnson he wouldn't look any better defensively.

He rarely stops a cross from coming in, is routinely out of position and doesn't offer enough going forward to make up for his inability to defend well.

He's one of the most overrated players we've had recently.

tok9

ilovelamp2000 wrote: »

If we played an attacking right winger in front of Johnson he wouldn't look any better defensively.

He rarely stops a cross from coming in, is routinely out of position and doesn't offer enough going forward to make up for his inability to defend well.

He's one of the most overrated players we've had recently.

A player who isn't rated can't be overrated. I have never seen anyone here in the last year say that Johnson is excellent.

I think he's a good player and would also like to see Kelly CB. The worst part is that both Kelly and Johnson seem to be injury prone!

ilovelamp2000

tok9 wrote: »

A player who isn't rated can't be overrated. I have never seen anyone here in the last year say that Johnson is excellent.

I think he's a good player and would also like to see Kelly CB. The worst part is that both Kelly and Johnson seem to be injury prone!

I think saying Johnson is a good fullback is overrating him.

He's a good footballer but he's never been a good fullback.

Tusky

ilovelamp2000 wrote: »

If we played an attacking right winger in front of Johnson he wouldn't look any better defensively.

I was talking about going forward.

He rarely stops a cross from coming in

Not true.

tok9

ilovelamp2000 wrote: »

I think saying Johnson is a good fullback is overrating him.

He's a good footballer but he's never been a good fullback.

Your being extremely harsh on him imo.

livinginkorea

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/982424/barcelona-midfielder-seydou-keita-flattered-by-liverpool-talk?cc=4716

Keita considers his options
November 11, 2011
By ESPNsoccernet staff
Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita says it is "fantastic" to be linked with a move to Liverpool, but he will not take any decision on his future until the end of the season.

Seydou Keita will not make any decisions on his future until the end of the season
• Suarez eyes extended stay
• Eriksen in dark over Barca interest

El Mundo Deportivo recently reported that Liverpool had made contact with Barca over a January move for Keita, while Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala are also said to be keen.

Mali international Keita, 31, says he is flattered by the interest and would relish the chance to play in the Premier League but, as he remains happy with life at the Camp Nou, he will leave any decision until the summer.

"Liverpool is a great club - it is fantastic to hear that they are interested in me - but you know how I feel about Barcelona," he told skysports.com. "However, we are in football and nothing is an absolute, so let's wait until the end of the season.

"I want to play more games than last season. Playing regularly in a winning team is very good for the player, but the Premier League is very attractive and exciting for any player. My contract runs until 2014 - at the end of the season we will see."

Keita has made 16 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions so far this season.

----
Not even the silly season yet!

mike65

31? Seems unlikely what type of MF is he?

livinginkorea

mike65 wrote: »

31? Seems unlikely what type of MF is he?

Seriously hope you're not asking me that! My football knowledge outside of Liverpool is limited :P

I know there maybe a team nearby but not sure

Sir Gallagher

Cartman78 wrote: »

Deffo, would have him ahead of Johnson every day of the week.

Carroll, Henderson and Downing are getting a huge amount of stick from all angles. Yet Johnson seems to be immune from any criticism whatsover despite being over-priced, over-rated and generally looking and acting like he couldn't be arsed

And after Johnson who can we pick on for no good reason then?

Kess73

mike65 wrote: »

31? Seems unlikely what type of MF is he?

He turns 32 next summer. Good player but no thanks. There are younger players who can do the job better than him and who would probably cost less in wages as well.


He is a bit of an old fashioned central midfield player. He can play in the defensive midfield role very well, but is also good enough to join in on attacks and is pretty much an all rounder in the centre.

Give me Yann M'Vila, Moussa Sissoko, Gary Medal, or Javi Martinez over him.

D'Agger

Kess73 wrote: »

He turns 32 next summer. Good player but no thanks. There are younger players who can do the job better than him and who would probably cost less in wages as well.


He is a bit of an old fashioned central midfield player. He can play in the defensive midfield role very well, but is also good enough to join in on attacks and is pretty much an all rounder in the centre.

Give me Yann M'Vila, Moussa Sissoko, Gary Medal, or Javi Martinez over him.

Martinez would be the perfect midfielder for us but we'll never get him

Dreams of a pipe nature me thinks with the price he'll command

YouTookMyName

Kess73 wrote: »

He turns 32 next summer. Good player but no thanks. There are younger players who can do the job better than him and who would probably cost less in wages as well.


He is a bit of an old fashioned central midfield player. He can play in the defensive midfield role very well, but is also good enough to join in on attacks and is pretty much an all rounder in the centre.

Give me Yann M'Vila, Moussa Sissoko, Gary Medal, or Javi Martinez over him.

Sounds like a man who could win us trophies.

Cartman78

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

And after Johnson who can we pick on for no good reason then?

There's plenty of reasons why Johnson's performances should be subject to some level of scrutiny.

Yes, he's had injury problems but he also seems to have a huge amount of potential which he hasn't come anywhere close to fulfilling

Just find it odd that Henderson and Carroll in particular are getting slated left,right and centre and he seems to be trundling along under the radar despite being average at best imo.

Ilovelamp - genuine question.

Do you ever have anything good/positive to say about LFC ?

Everything you post seems to be a moan or a whine about something.


In fact I'd be fairly confident you aren't a Liverpool fan at all.

SlickRic

Martin Kelly IMO, will have to start being tried at CB, especially as Johnson is playing pretty well under Kenny.

or else, they'll have to both be happy with bit-time roles, with Johnson maybe filling in at LB if and when Enricky needs a rest.

D'Agger

Kelly and Coates for the opening FA cup games I'd say

Sir Gallagher

Cartman78 wrote: »

There's plenty of reasons why Johnson's performances should be subject to some level of scrutiny.

Yes, he's had injury problems but he also seems to have a huge amount of potential which he hasn't come anywhere close to fulfilling

Just find it odd that Henderson and Carroll in particular are getting slated left,right and centre and he seems to be trundling along under the radar despite being average at best imo.

Johnson has played well since Kenny came in, actually improved a lot. The only issue i have with his is his fitness. You mentioned his fee and his wages before, the fee we paid for him means nothing now those who paid it are gone and he didn't set the price. Also his wages can't stop him from getting injured which i see as his only obstacle to reaching his full potential.

ilovelamp2000

rarnes1 wrote: »

Ilovelamp - genuine question.

Do you ever have anything good/positive to say about LFC ?

Everything you post seems to be a moan or a whine about something.


In fact I'd be fairly confident you aren't a Liverpool fan at all.

Rarnes1 you'd be wrong. Couldn't be more wrong in fact.

I do have good things to say about LFC, I just tend to prefer tempering some of the ridiculous /over optimistic opinions I see here. I won't be dragged into the happy clappy brigade. It's just frustrating to see the club continuously make the same errors over and over again. We've wasted incredible amounts of money on signings which anyone with a brain could have seen a mile off were bad ideas.

On the current topic ... Martin Kelly is already a very good player and should play ahead of Johnson at RB. Johnson is clearly suited to playing RM in a 4-4-2, much more so than Henderson or Kuyt. I love Dirk. I think Henderson will be a very decent Gerrard replacement down the line. I still love watching Stevie. Suarez is easily one of the best players I've ever seen in the flesh or on TV.

I think Jonjo is going to be a massive player for us. He's way too talented not to make an impact. I like Charlie Adam, a hard working talented play maker in the middle of the field. Enrique has been a very pleasing signing too.

I'm delighted we've gone down the road of DOF / Manager rather than empowering one man with everything. It's been proven time and time again to be the most effective way of doing things. I just wish we gave Comolli complete control over transfers.

I'm indifferent to Skrtel and Agger, I hope Andy Carroll gets his act together - he could be a 13-17 goal a season target man if he applied himself correctly.

I think defenders that can't defend are pointless, modern day fans seem to love ball playing defenders because they look nice on telly. At the end of the day they're all overpriced and completely ****ing pointless ... cf David Luiz at Chelsea. Which is why I don't like Johnson too, one of the worst deals we've ever done.

I think Lucas is a patently average footballer whose inclusion hurts us because his position could be given to someone who does something useful on the pitch. I hated the Downing signing at the time, but thought it would be about 18 months in before he went ****.

So in summary:

Good: Management Team, Most of the Squad.

Bad: Johnson and Lucas' continued inclusion in the team, the Downing signing. Sticking to 4-4-2 when we don't have the CM's to pull it off.

How's that for you ?

Kess73

PaulieC wrote: »

Martinez would be the perfect midfielder for us but we'll never get him

Dreams of a pipe nature me thinks with the price he'll command

Yeah he would probably be the most expensive of the quartet I mentioned.


Sissoko or M'Vila would be excellent as they are top notch at the physical side of things and defending, plus are good at going forward/passing as well.



Medel would be in the Mascherano mould but come January he will only have been in Spain 12 months and his club may not sell him/player may not want a move. Good player and very combative.


Would love for us to try for 19yo Markus Henriksen of Rosenborg as well, before he starts drawing the sort of attention the equally excellent Christain Erikssen of Ajax (who is also 19) is getting all around Europe.


Just as Hummels and Subotic look ridiculously accomplished and experienced International centre backs at 22 years of age, Erikssen and Henriksen look similar as attacking and central International midfielders at only 19.

YouTookMyName

PaulieC wrote: »

Kelly and Coates for the opening FA cup games I'd say

Flangan-Kelly-Coates-Robinson

If we get the right draw at home.

Cartman78

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

Johnson has played well since Kenny came in, actually improved a lot. The only issue i have with his is his fitness. You mentioned his fee and his wages before, the fee we paid for him means nothing now those who paid it are gone and he didn't set the price. Also his wages can't stop him from getting injured which i see as his only obstacle to reaching his full potential.

Fair enough....he's frustrating to watch at times though.

Hopefully a good run of games will see him develop a bit of form and confidence.

D'Agger

YouTookMyName wrote: »

Flangan-Kelly-Coates-Robinson

If we get the right draw at home.

Would be all for that

Devilman40k

Cartman78 wrote: »

Fair enough....he's frustrating to watch at times though.

Hopefully a good run of games will see him develop a bit of form and confidence.

I don't see why we can't give Johnson a run out on the right hand side of midfield, he can defend and attack , can cross a ball, has plenty of pace not bad at getting himself into goalscoring positions and with Kelly at RB it solves the problem of who to play there. Plus it frees Henderson to get a run at CM

D'Agger

Devilman40k wrote: »

I don't see why we can't give Johnson a run out on the right hand side of midfield, he can defend and attack , can cross a ball, has plenty of pace not bad at getting himself into goalscoring positions and with Kelly at RB it solves the problem of who to play there. Plus it frees Henderson to get a run at CM

That's dependent on us playing a 442 formation which I'm fairly certain quite a few of us on this thread want to see changed to 443 to accommodate Adam and Gerrard/uninjured player in midfield and Suarez and Carroll in attack

Fowler87

Kess73 wrote: »

He turns 32 next summer. Good player but no thanks. There are younger players who can do the job better than him and who would probably cost less in wages as well.


He is a bit of an old fashioned central midfield player. He can play in the defensive midfield role very well, but is also good enough to join in on attacks and is pretty much an all rounder in the centre.

Give me Yann M'Vila, Moussa Sissoko, Gary Medal, or Javi Martinez over him.

Best Mascherano replacement IMHO

djfitzerjnr

ilovelamp2000 wrote: »

I like Charlie Adam, a hard working talented play maker in the middle of the field.

I think Lucas is a patently average footballer whose inclusion hurts us because his position could be given to someone who does something useful on the pitch.

Really??

Charlie 'MOTD' Adam is a better player than our best player last season? Get real.

Did Kelly play at CB for the U21's ?

YouTookMyName

rarnes1 wrote: »

Did Kelly play at CB for the U21's ?

Yep, rarely if ever plays at right back.

YouTookMyName

YouTookMyName wrote: »

Yep, rarely if ever plays at right back.

I wonder will he be tried at CB this season.

Would like to see it myself. Although, he's a cracking RB.

Kelly and Coates could be the future...

Next season??

Johnson----Kelly---Coates---Enrique

D'Agger

rarnes1 wrote: »

I wonder will he be tried at CB this season.

Would like to see it myself. Although, he's a cracking RB.

Kelly and Coates could be the future...

Next season??

Johnson----Kelly---Coates---Enrique

AGGER!!!!

djfitzerjnr

Rafa gave Kelly his debut at RB.
Hodgson gave him his first first-team run of games at RB.
Kenny plays him RB.

There is a trend.

PaulieC

PaulieC wrote: »

AGGER!!!!

I love Agger but he's made of glass !

If fit he's a certain starter of course