Liverpool Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2014 - Mod Note in OP 28/8

SlickRic

Tusky wrote: »

Really curious to see how Balotelli, Sturridge and Sterling will play together. Surely that will be the first choice front three?

you have to assume so, as long as Mario is in the right frame of mind.

our first choice midfield 3 will then be:

Henderson

---

Gerrard

---

Coutinho/Lallana.

all IMO of course.

Harry Palmr

---

Mignolet
Manquillo-Skrtel--Lovren--Moreno

---

Gerrard

---

Hendo--Coutinho

---

Sterling

---

Sturridge

---

Balotelli

Width from the full backs, Hendo the runner from the middle.

Jones, Sahko, Flano, Can, Lallana, Markovic, Lambert

Francie Barrett

You'd think so.

Lambert will probably be ok with being a squad player. Markovic is young, so I doubt he will be too upset at not starting every game. However, Coutinho will be in a major battle with Lallana for the AM role, that is unless Rodgers does something crazy and plays both Lallana and Coutinho.

BoardsMember

SlickRic wrote: »

you have to assume so, as long as Mario is in the right frame of mind.

our first choice midfield 3 will then be:

Henderson

---

Gerrard

---

Coutinho/Lallana.

all IMO of course.

That's asking so much of Henderson in midfield, in that he's the only one of the three that will be trying to close people down, or track players. Grand against weaker opposition but in bigger games or against better opposition away from home you'd be worried.

DrumSteve

Francie Barrett wrote: »

You'd think so.

Lambert will probably be ok with being a squad player. Markovic is young, so I doubt he will be too upset at not starting every game. However, Coutinho will be in a major battle with Lallana for the AM role, that is unless Rodgers does something crazy and plays both Lallana and Coutinho.

Going from Markovic's quotes, I'd say he would want to start every game.

brevity

Harry Palmr wrote: »

---

Mignolet
Manquillo-Skrtel--Lovren--Moreno

---

Gerrard

---

Hendo--Coutinho

---

Sterling

---

Sturridge

---

Balotelli

Width from the full backs, Hendo the runner from the middle.

Jones, Sahko, Flano, Can, Lallana, Markovic, Lambert

Ah...the T formation. Looks good!

Utopia Parkway

BoardsMember wrote: »

That's asking so much of Henderson in midfield, in that he's the only one of the three that will be trying to close people down, or track players. Grand against weaker opposition but in bigger games or against better opposition away from home you'd be worried.

Lallana did a lot of pressing and running for Southampton.

SlickRic

BoardsMember wrote: »

That's asking so much of Henderson in midfield, in that he's the only one of the three that will be trying to close people down, or track players.

you obviously haven't seen Coutinho or Lallana play.

NEDDURC

We've started the season playing one striker with 3 behind. That seemed to fit in well the new and old players we had like Countinho, Sterling, Lallana and Markovic behind Sturridge.

HOwever, we saw last year and in the first game, two up top and Sterling in behind is very effective also.

It becomes harder to see where Markovic, Coutinho and Lallana will play in that system as Rodgers seem to like playing Gerrard, Henderson, Allen / Can / Lucas in behind that front three.

I think games will start to come up fast once Champions league and other cups come in. Will probably be a case of tinkering for a while to see what works.

woodyg

is it actually possible for Mario to sign today?
are the FA offices not closed being that it's a bank holiday in England?

jaymcg91

woodyg wrote: »

is it actually possible for Mario to sign today?
are the FA offices not closed being that it's a bank holiday in England?

He can't be registered until tomorrow, no.

BoardsMember

SlickRic wrote: »

you obviously haven't seen Coutinho or Lallana play.

I have seen Coutinho plenty of times, and that's what I'd be worried about. Lallana not so, admittedly.

Gbear

BoardsMember wrote: »

I have seen Coutinho plenty of times, and that's what I'd be worried about. Lallana not so, admittedly.

Coutinho's work rate improved dramatically as the season wore on.

He was a huge part of our run at the end of the season and worked his balls off.

Agent Coulson

5pm on LFCTV is all over twitter so I'm guessing that something is going to be shown then.

Agent Coulson

http://instagram.com/p/sIH4o8rj_S/

http://instagram.com/p/sIHzpFLj_F/?modal=true

Vicxas

Agent Coulson wrote: »

http://instagram.com/p/sIH4o8rj_S/

That close enough, welcome you gloriously mad bastard!

happyoutscan

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

googled eyes

https://twitter.com/JohnHenryKSDK/status/503683163429027840

BoardsMember

Gbear wrote: »

Coutinho's work rate improved dramatically as the season wore on.

He was a huge part of our run at the end of the season and worked his balls off.

I must look at him again, I had made my mind up that he was not particularly interested in tracking back, putting in tackles, adding to the general grunt work of the midfield. I didn't notice him much against Southampton in that area either. But I'd be happy to change my mind.

Agent Coulson

https://twitter.com/FinallyMario/status/503934390943371265

Agent Coulson

googled eyes

http://instagram.com/p/sIHzpFLj_F/

Talisman

Recorded interview on LFC TV now.

Hangballlouie

https://twitter.com/kingflanno/status/503903864916299776

Cartman78

Cautiously optimistically-excited like pretty much everyone else about Balotelli.....undoubtedly a huge talent so hopefully B-Rod can harness his potential in the right way.

A quality option to have if/when Sturridge gets injured (or with Sturridge when they're both available)....the thoughts of Lambert leading the line on his own was nightmarish imho. Lambert seems like a nice fella, but don't get the instant cult status he seems to have acquired without kicking a ball in anger for us

Knex*

When was the last time we had this many decent attacking options?

At least two good players are going to have to sit on the bench each week, providing everyone is fit. That is awesome.

Vicxas

He'll wear number 45

Red Pepper

Vicxas wrote: »

You're not gonna get better value in January. Ballotelli is a gamble, no one here would disagree. But why the hell not. He's a fantastic talent which we're all hoping Rodgers can mold.

Liverpool FC isn't a rehab centre for spoilt footballers.
Liverpool FC is a professional football club and should be buying true professional footballers that will not sulk or bite people.
I wonder why Milan offloaded him so soon.

Knex*

hangballlouie wrote: »

https://twitter.com/kingflanno/status/503903864916299776

You wouldn't be able to post it on boards then, though.

Harry Palmr

googled eyes wrote: »

https://twitter.com/JohnHenryKSDK/status/503683163429027840

Hope the real thing has a sense of humour about this sort of thing.

Tipsy McSwagger

Agent Coulson

Leaning maybe.

Raif Severance

I think this is definitely one, if not the outright Best Transfer Window we had.

Sure, we did lose Suarez, but I was always Resigned to him leaving for La Liga.

Now we just need a GK, to make it Perfect.

SlickRic

i think it's safe to say we can't fúck the transfer up now.

Knex*

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Leaning maybe.

Just look at the man. He's a bloody tank.

Really hope he starts throwing his weight around. Imagine if he played with anywhere near the same aggression as Suarez? He'd flatten defenders :pac:

eyescreamcone

Raif Severance wrote: »

I think this is definitely one, if not the outright Best Transfer Window we had.

Sure, we did lose Suarez, but I was always Resigned to him leaving for La Liga.

Now we just need a GK, to make it Perfect.

Sneaky bid for Petr Cech anyone?

SlickRic

the man does no bullshít.

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/169498-mario-balotelli-the-first-lfc-interview

Gbear

SlickRic wrote: »

i think it's safe to say we can't fúck the transfer up now.

LET THE SNARKY COMMENTS DIRECTED AT LLOYD COMMENCE!

Vicxas

Red Pepper wrote: »

Liverpool FC isn't a rehab centre for spoilt footballers.
Liverpool FC is a professional football club and should be buying true professional footballers that will not sulk or bite people.
I wonder why Milan offloaded him so soon.

Probably because they wanted Jackson Martinez.

And i never said it was a rehab club, but people said that Sturridge was a gamble when he came in, why not Ballotelli?

woodyg

0 last day madness this season i suspect.
maybe a few out the door but i very very very much doubt anything coming in.
Clubs done some good work this Summer.

SlickRic

Gbear wrote: »

LET THE SNARKY COMMENTS DIRECTED AT LLOYD COMMENCE!

it wasn't meant as snarky towards Lloyd at all.

i was one of those who was skeptical if we could close it out.

rob316

Read his interview no BS just nice and honest.

Zapp Brannigan

Wonder will he have anything to say to Can after he flattened him in the friendly.

Raif Severance

Gbear wrote: »

LET THE SNARKY COMMENTS DIRECTED AT LLOYD COMMENCE!

Someone will be having Wine, at LL's Expense.

SlickRic

i'll say this now, if we could get in Alex Song, or someone to properly cover a midfield spot, then this will have been a near-perfect window in terms of what we could reasonably expect after the sale of Suarez.

well done to all involved tbh.

Harry Palmr

Its official

Fescue

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Wonder will he have anything to say to Can after he flattened him in the friendly.

"Why did you flatten me in the friendly?"

SlickRic

"I can categorically tell you Mario Balotelli will not be at Liverpool"

Brendan Rodgers last month.

:cool:

PhiloCypher

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Its official

Do all clubs have the obsession with leaning that ours has ??

Dont be at yourself

So where does this leave Sturridge? Both Sturridge and Balotelli are very similar players; both can play wide, but are more effective up top, and both prefer to play there. Are we going to go 4-3-3 with either Sturridge or Balotelli out wide, or a diamond with Sterling in behind the two of them?

From the Southampton game, it looked like we were going to be a bit more conservative this year, but I think that could be out the window now.