Liverpool Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2014 *mod warning linked in OP 26/07*

Knex*

The Incredible Hulk wrote: »

I think the thing I'll miss most about Luis Suarez is his song tbh.

I never liked it as much as Torres' chant.

Demosthenese

Cannot lose a world class player and NOT be worse off thats just the way it is. BUT, if you look at the Bale/Spurs situation last season they never had another guy like Sturridge for example that could come in and pick up some slack for the team. This is a HUGE season for Sturridge, it is clear he is now our No.1 and it is time for him to prove that he can stay fit for a season and deliver. It is surely what he's always wanted .... to be THE MAN.

Now what we need to do is fill the gaps around him with quality and make up the rest of it with the same type of attacking football we did last year. We "Should" be better equipped to defend better as a team when not trying to fit in 2 strikers as well so even that should help us at least concede less.

Goals have to come from all over the park, i'd expect Lallanna and Sterling to chip in with their share for starters. We have the nucleus of a team shape there to begin with so i am not expecting us to do a Spurs next season without our star man.

Gona be interesting either way ... looking forward to it and hopefully 1-2 more decent FIRST TEAM signings.

viper006

El Inho wrote: »

I was thinking the opposite. Think it's being blown out of proportion. Sure he's a big loss, but we've got the second best striker from last year...who missed a large section through injury.

Gotta wonder how many games you watched last season if you think this. His ability, will to win and contribution to our performances last season is hard to quantify he was just that important to us. There were many times last season we werent the best or under pressure but his magic got us over the line.

Its a huge blow to our starting 11 losing him.Felt like rodgers was on the cusp of something great with the team he was building and now we have taken a huge step back. Sturridge is a fantastic player no doubt but with his injury record and amount of games we have this season coming , it wouldnt be mad to assume hel miss a chunk of next season as well with his usual niggling injuries he picks up. Lambert, borini and remy/bony are not going to remotely be able to contribute as much. I dont expect BR to 75m on a striker but if we dont get a top quality replacement, its going to be hard to stay in top 4.

The real kick in the sack however is that while we lose our best player, Barca funded the transfer by selling afew of their own.Arsenal get Sanchez and chelsea get Cesc , 2 very good additions of real quality that only makes them stronger. Theres a huge swing there no matter what way you look at it. Just wouldnt have imagined at the end of the season things would have played out so badly for us.

Louvren, remy, moreno,davies, for another 50-60m only makes me even more concerned to be honest

DrumSteve

Grayditch wrote: »

I've never made a panda, sap or Doni joke.

I'm currently working on a whole new bunch of Spurs and Fellaini stuff, though.

I enjoyed the original Panda jokes things,but the whole Panda Saps thing, I don't get it.

Francie Barrett

No Rossiter in the squad going to the US. A bit disappointing to leave him but take Coady.

Knex*

martyos121 wrote: »

I still don't get all the disappointment about Suarez leaving. Sure, he was an amazing player and his goals will be sorely missed, but we've recovered from far bigger blows than this. When Alonso was sold in 2009, the spine was ripped out of our team and our midfield fell to pieces. The difference here is, that we just need someone to bang in the goals, and Sturridge can fill that role with the service of Lallana, Markovic, Coutinho and Gerrard.

I definitely think we are in a far, far better position this summer than we were in 2009.

Night and day, almost, in terms of a comparison. So I certainly agree there.

But we won't be able to replace Suarez. He's probably in the top 5 or so players to have ever played for the club. One of the best players in the World right now, which is saying something when you consider the accepted top two are possible two of the greatest to have ever played the game.

His will to win was as infectious as Vicxas claims your optimism to be. He's the standout player on the team, clearly the most talented player on the pitch, and he broke his balls from the 1st second to the last, regardless of the score or the match.

That alone is huge. Dirk Kuyt made a damn fine career from the above alone, with half the talent of Suarez.

Then you add in his sheer brilliance, and his ability to turn a game on its head in an instant. That Norwich game when we won 5-0 and he got 4? That was going nowhere before he decided to fuck shit up. Nil all stamped all over it, and he was the difference, as he was on countless occasions.

And, finally, you add in his ability to produce moments that left me laughing like a school kid who's seen his mate get a ball in the nads, and its quite sad to see him leave. But I'm not too disappointed, as it was inevitable. It was a privilege to watch him for the 3 and half years, for sure.

So, while I do think we are in a much better position than before, especially when the likes of Coutinho, Sterling and even Sturridge and Hendo are all young, and have bags of potential, I don't think our status as a Top 4 team is solidified by a long shot.

But, we are a relative unknown as we don't know how the above will progress, along with the additions of players like Markovic and Can. And we will see Sakho improve, and hopefully sign another CB to partner him (which is possibly harsh on Skrtel).

So, once again, I am cautiously optimistic for the season ahead. But that stings a little, as with Suarez I would be bullishly optimistic.

googled eyes

To paraphrase indykaila

Chip Whitley

Knex. wrote: »

I never liked it as much as Torres' chant.

Oh I agree. Nando leaving broke my heart, as such I never took to Suarez. Unbelievable player, but I never took to him and always saw him as a short-term signing. Hence why his song is the thing I'll miss most about him.

The club will go on and I have every faith that someone will improve and step up to the plate. Keegan, Kenny, Fowler, Owen, Dundee, Torres... we'll be ok!

/glasshalffull

OwaynOTT

Okay, if people feel that the whole panda/sap/doni/cohen etc in jokes are ruining the thread, I'm outta here.

Underpaid Mike

Optimus Caesar wrote: »

Jesus, you'd swear we had to play all games with 10 players this season the way some lads are going on about Suarez.
Super player and made a massive contribution to LFC but its not like whoever plays in his place is going to do absolutely nothing.
Going on and on about Suarez's goals and assists completely ignores that there was goals throughout the team last season.
He's a massive loss but we are not the one man team we are being made out to be.

Suarez scored or assisted nearly half of our goals last season

Sturridge was great last season but his injury record is hugely worrying

Description Start Date End Date
Hamstring 13/04/14 24/04/14
Ankle Ligaments 26/11/13 08/01/14
Hip/Thigh Injury 01/09/13 14/09/13
Ankle Ligaments 29/05/13 04/08/13
Hamstring 19/02/13 08/03/13
Hip/Thigh Injury 03/02/13 15/02/13
Hamstring 18/11/12 11/12/12
Hamstring 16/09/12 18/10/12
Broken Toe 12/08/12 17/08/12
Viral Meningitis 02/07/12 23/07/12
Knee Injury 20/09/11 26/09/11
Suspended 21/05/11 27/08/11

We will struggle to maintain a top 4 position without another 20 goal a year striker in my opinion.

LuckyLloyd

Pilsbury Doughboy wrote: »

I love it!, someone spelt Aspas wrong yesterday, now you're gonna keep spelling it Aspaz, so funny, your wit is legendary Sir! Keep it up along with 'The Rodgers' stuff all top top banter, hopefully the thanks should keep pouring in for you.

Pilsbury Doughboy wrote: »

Baton down the hatches, here comes the cavalry.

Pilsbury Doughboy wrote: »

Let's talk tactics lads, I firmly believe that if you want your post to be thanked then a great way to go about it is to thank everyone elses posts, then they will hopefully return the favour, thoughts?

It's Friday dude. Lighten up!

8-10

Underpaid Mike wrote: »

Suarez scored or assisted nearly half of our goals last season

Sturridge was great last season but his injury record is hugely worrying



We will struggle to maintain a top 4 position without another 20 goal a year striker in my opinion.

And Suarez never missed a game for either Ajax or Liverpool through injury. Staggering. (though he did get a couple of bans of course)

We need Bony!

MonkeyTennis

Is this a teaser meltdown?

Pilsbury Doughboy

Ok if doom and gloom merchants are telling me to chill then I must be bad.

Cheer me up Lloyd, tell me how good BR is, that will perk me right up, a list of 10 bullet points will suffice.

martyos121

8-10 wrote: »

And Suarez never missed a game for either Ajax or Liverpool through injury. Staggering. (though he did get a couple of bans of course)

We need Bony!

By the time this ban finishes, (unless it gets wiped, which it obviously will) he will have missed an entire 38 game season, never having missed a game through injury. Ridiculous.

smileyj1987

8-10 wrote: »

And Suarez never missed a game for either Ajax or Liverpool through injury. Staggering. (though he did get a couple of bans of course)

We need Bony!

But then you have to consider this . If a player gets a big ban it's his own fault . Injury is part and parcel of the game but players getting banned for acts of stupidity really isn't . The Evra thing I don't know what went on but two bites is a big problem !!

Optimus Caesar

Underpaid Mike wrote: »

We will struggle to maintain a top 4 position without another 20 goal a year striker in my opinion.

We absolutely need another striker but I don't necessarily think we'll struggle. Sterling is 19 and will only get better. If he keeps progressing at the rate he did last season he can be as good as he wants to be. We have a number of very good young players like Coutinho and Henderson who will no doubt improve also.

That's without talking about new players coming in.
I believe Lallana will be a great addition to the squad and he should hit the ground running as his role in our team shouldn't be massively different from what he was doing in Southampton's.
Lambert gives us a different option which we didn't have last season.
I have never seen Markovic play so can't comment on him.
This is without dipping in to the Suarez money so we know there will be a number of other players coming in.

And lastly we shouldn't forget Rodgers. The coaching job he has done at LFC has been exceptional. He is very good at coaching young players so I'd trust him to bring guys in and get the best out of them or improve them.
He does need to sort out the defence but he's earned the right to be the man to do it.

googled eyes

The team not only needs to bring in defensive players, I'd also like to see a full time defensive coach. May not be everyone's cup of team though. But the lads need to sort their act out.

Too many errors last season.

Knex*

Pilsbury Doughboy wrote: »

Ok if doom and gloom merchants are telling me to chill then I must be bad.

Cheer me up Lloyd, tell me how good BR is, that will perk me right up, a list of 10 bullet points will suffice.

1) •
2) ○
3) -
4) ◙
5) ->
6) *
7) ►
8) →

I can give you 8. That do?

Happy Friday!

8-10

smileyj1987 wrote: »

But then you have to consider this . If a player gets a big ban it's his own fault . Injury is part and parcel of the game but players getting banned for acts of stupidity really isn't . The Evra thing I don't know what went on but two bites is a big problem !!

3 bites

smileyj1987

8-10 wrote: »

3 bites

2 as a Liverpool player I don't really care about his time at Ajax .

Iused2likebusts

0028673 wrote: »

Southampton (H)
Man City (A)
Spurs (A)

That is a tough start to the season and underlines to me that it's vital to get the W against Southampton because it's conceivable that we will have no wins after 3 games. Sorry but I'm a pessimist at heart

I can see United get off to a rocket of a start. Very possible to see them on 18 points after 6 games.

Swansea (H)
Sunderland (A)
Burnley (A)
QPR (H)
Leicester (A)
West Ham (H)

On paper it's a great start but a lot of the time playing promoted teams early on is the worst time as they are full of enthusiasm and there confidence hasn't taken a battering yet. Utd lost to burnley the last time they were in the Pl at the same point in the season.

Nuri Sahin

Pilsbury Doughboy wrote: »

I love it!, someone spelt Aspas wrong yesterday, now you're gonna keep spelling it Aspaz, so funny, your wit is legendary Sir! Keep it up along with 'The Rodgers' stuff all top top banter, hopefully the thanks should keep pouring in for you.

Pilsbury Doughboy wrote: »

Baton down the hatches, here comes the cavalry.

While you are a bastion of light, making out like you get everything right, going around referring to a poster continually as 'The Turd', ie: a piece of crap, all the while getting away with it bizarrely, and further more thanking anything negatively said about him obsessively is what we should aspire to be, correct?

Knex. wrote: »

People thank what they deem to be either interesting or funny. There's no science to it.

It's a conspiracy.

Tusky

Spanish papers reporting a fresh bid for Moreno - €20m plus add ons and a friendly between the two clubs.

Nuri Sahin

Underpaid Mike wrote: »

Thoughts on Bakkali that we are being linked to a lot?
Searing pace, plays anyway across the front three and a knock down fee of £5m being mooted because he has 1 year on his contract and has fallen out with his coach
At 18 years old it would seem very smart business even if its just to sell on in a few years

Not a chance he'll go as low as that much, and if he somehow does, there'll be some big clauses in any deal. PSV will keep a hold of him than sell him for that, especially if there is a chance Depay could be off at any moment.

I'd be okay with signing him, I just don't think we need him.

martyos121

Tusky wrote: »

Spanish papers reporting a fresh bid for Moreno - €20m plus add ons and a friendly between the two clubs.

That friendly is going to be a tough game. We'll need to keep a close eye on that Aspas fella, I hear he's deadly at corners.

5live

smileyj1987 wrote: »

2 as a Liverpool player I don't really care about his time at Ajax .

1 as a Liverpool player.

1 as a Uruguay player.

*splits hairs*;)

Underpaid Mike

Very interesting article here on Mingolet
He made more individual errors leading to a goal than other goalie in the premier league last year
5 goals is a lot of goals. Surpising because I thought he had a decent season
https://www.bsports.com/extratime/201314-numbers-goalkeepers-cech-mannone-szczesny-mignolet#.U8kT1PldWGM

Soft Falling Rain

martyos121 wrote: »

That friendly is going to be a tough game. We'll need to keep a close eye on that Aspas fella, I hear he's deadly at corners.

I assume we demanded a no compete clause when we loaned him.

Underpaid Mike

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

I assume we demanded a no compete clause when we loaned him.

Or a clause that says he has to play against us if the game is in any way competitive

martyos121

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

I assume we demanded a no compete clause when we loaned him.

Nuri Sahin

@GFN_France
RMC: Javier Manquillo likes Arsenal (loan offer w/ option) and Marseille, but Liverpool are negotiating with him today. #OM #LFC #AFC

Atleti youngster, plays RB.

Underpaid Mike

Looks like Shaqiri is definitely gone now. Has agreed terms with Roma, a pity

http://talksport.com/football/reports-roma-agree-personal-terms-liverpool-target-140718102508


Goal.com saying we are now linked with Isco. Super player but first it was reus, then vidal then pogba and now Isco ? Silly season in full swing
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2557/news/2014/07/18/4966949/liverpool-on-isco-alert

Underpaid Mike

Echo have a decent profile of Remy. Little more excited about him after reading this

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/reds-analysis-remy-would-provide-7453520

Brendan Rodgers is armed with £75m - and he’s not afraid to use it.

The Reds boss has confirmed the club’s four signings this summer were independent to Luis Suarez’s departure to Barcelona, meaning the money raised by the Uruguayan’s sale can be reinvested in the squad.

Liverpool want another striker after bringing Rickie Lambert to the club, with Loic Remy the latest player to be targeted after initial interest in Wilfried Bony ended.

The French international, who has an £8million release clause in his contract at Queens Park Rangers, scored 14 goals on loan at Newcastle United last season.

*READ: Rodgers plans to spend more as interest in Remy emerges

Initial reaction ranges from bemusement to indifference.

After Liverpool finished second and qualified for the Champions League, there was an expectation that it would prove a game changer in the transfer market; the bright lights of Anfield on a Tuesday or Wednesday night would see the world’s best dance beneath them.

Momentarily ignoring that the Reds have signed two England internationals, a Germany Under-21 international and one of the most respected youngsters in European football – somewhat challenging the perception of the summer so far – Remy would bring goals, both scoring them and creating them, to the side.

The 27-year-old notched 14 goals in just 26 appearances, and was a big positive in a Newcastle season which had few of them.

His direct running, pace and finishing ability would appear to make him – at £8million, at least – a smart target, especially given it has been proven in the Premier League since his arrival in January 2013.

Bought by QPR in an attempt to salvage their Premier League status, Remy bagged six goals in just 14 appearances, including a brilliant effort in the relegation six-pointer with Wigan. Receiving the ball on the counter attack, 25 yards from goal, he generated awesome pace and swerve on the ball to lash it past the goalkeeper.

QPR went down, but his performances saw him stay in the top flight with the Toon; he repaid their faith handsomely with goals of all sorts – close-range headers, curlers from outside the area and individual skill in crowded penalty areas.

The inclination is that Remy plays a similar style to Daniel Sturridge – quick, skilful and revelling in grabbing goals.

A cursory glance would support that. Remy scored a goal every 150 minutes, while Sturridge was more frequent with a goal every 108 minutes – but the excellence of Sturridge should not detract from the Frenchman’s own efforts, whose goal-to-game ratio was only bettered by Suarez, Sturridge, Sergio Aguero, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie.

Their performances were similar in other aspects, too. Their shots per game average is near identical, while Remy created an average of 1.2 chances a game to Sturridge’s one. Their successful dribbles average – Remy 1.1, Sturridge 1.3 – was also close, while their shot accuracy of 49% is the same.

Sturridge is more clinical in front of goal, converting nearly 25% of his chances compared to Remy’s 21.5% hit-rate (excluding blocked shots) – but again, this should not disparage Remy’s work. His form in finding the net was better than Philippe Coutinho (7%) and Suarez (20.4%), as well as Rickie Lambert's season at Southampton (16%), but admittedly worse than Raheem Sterling (27%).

There would be other benefits in pursuing Remy. He has more Champions League experience than most of the Reds squad having taken part in two full campaigns with Marseille, including games against Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund. Remy would score both home and away against the Bundesliga champions as Marseille did the double over them.

He is not the perfect player, of course. Questions about his attitude arose towards the end of the season, with a strong belief he refused to play for Newcastle on the final day – poetically, against Liverpool - in fear of injuring himself ahead of the World Cup.

Remy himself alluded to that, telling French publication L’Equipe: “The coach Alan Pardew understood my point of view. We had nothing to play for and I didn’t want to risk getting hurt again.”

Pardew refuted the claims, naturally. “The reality was that Loic had sustained an ankle injury in our game against Cardiff the previous week.”

His injury record was also of some concern for the Toon last season, starting just 24 games; niggles became knocks, and knocks became problems.

On the pitch, he assisted just three goals last season compared to Sturridge’s seven, while his performances in the North East were a by-product of him being the focal point of attack – a luxury he would not be given at Anfield.

Remy was also found offside more than once a game on average, something that would be detrimental to Liverpool’s fast, intelligent surges up the pitch.

But it is those surges and that style of play which makes Remy a decent option up front. His movement, combined with finishing ability, could either ease the burden on Sturridge or even complement him – Remy’s best performances came in a two alongside Shola Ameobi, and Liverpool need squad depth ahead of a busy schedule.

He also spent some time on the left wing for Newcastle, but with the options at the Reds’ disposal in the positions in attacking midfield, he is likeliest to feature up front.

He would be no replacement for Suarez – but only a handful of players would be. Rodgers wants strikers and Rodgers wants goals.

No surprise then, that Rodgers is interested in Remy. At £8million, it’s a relatively inexpensive gamble that may or may not pay off.

Agent Coulson

Underpaid Mike wrote: »

Echo have a decent profile of Remy. Little more excited about him after reading this

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/reds-analysis-remy-would-provide-7453520

Brendan Rodgers is armed with £75m - and he’s not afraid to use it

I must say I found the first line very funny!

googled eyes

Tusky wrote: »

Spanish papers reporting a fresh bid for Moreno - €20m plus add ons and a friendly between the two clubs.

Wasn't that what we originally offered before Ayre tried to play knifey spoony

Agent Coulson

googled eyes wrote: »

Wasn't that what we originally offered before Ayre tried to play knifey spoony

His cunning plan worked though pay the original price but let them think they are screwing us by taking Aspas off our hands and getting the first offer as well.

Soft Falling Rain

martyos121 wrote: »

.

I think subtlety is lost on you my friend.

Vicxas

God, can we sign someone today please.


I mean only 4 people so far.... who are we, spurs?

martyos121

Agent Coulson wrote: »

His cunning plan worked though pay the original price but let them think they are screwing us by taking Aspas off our hands and getting the first offer as well.

As I understand it, it was either £20 million for Moreno, or £25 million and Aspas for Moreno.

We really screwed them with the loan.
Ian Ayre is a bloody genius.

MonkeyTennis

We should all just post pictures of ourselves leaning against a wall to ease the cravings

martyos121

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

I think subtlety is lost on you my friend.

Yeah, it probably is to be honest with you. :pac:

Underpaid Mike

googled eyes wrote: »

Wasn't that what we originally offered before Ayre tried to play knifey spoony

Think our initial bid was much lower with add ons which they were not interested in
Hopefully this time we just throw the cash at them

Cartman78

MonkeyTennis wrote: »

We should all just post pictures of ourselves leaning against a wall to ease the cravings

This might keep us going for a bit....until Reus arrives

martyos121

MonkeyTennis wrote: »

We should all just post pictures of ourselves leaning against a wall to ease the cravings

It's not as easy as it looks, you know.
There's a delicate science behind it.

Chip Whitley

Cartman78 wrote: »

This might keep us going for a bit....until Reus arrives

I prefer this myself.

Mwah ha ha ha haaaaa

Vicxas

The Incredible Hulk wrote: »

I prefer this myself.

Mwah ha ha ha haaaaa

No, Noooooooooooooo!

Chip Whitley

Vicxas wrote: »

No, Noooooooooooooo!

El Inho

Underpaid Mike wrote: »

How many of sturridges goals were the result of Suarez?
This stat sums up his contribution to the team



Suarez also won 5 penalties which are not included as assists

I think its completely impossible to over estimate how important he is to Liverpool. He is double marked constantly which gives other players far more space leading to easier chances for other players.

but how many goals and assists were game changers?

he could win a game on his own, ill admit that. and he is a big loss. but im simply saying if he's a big a loss as some make him out to be, we may as well pack it in now.

Kirby

I'm pretty sure winning a penalty counts as an assist unless the player takes it himself.