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

Hollister11

I don't want Cavani he is average. Overated nothing's special.
If we got
Falcao on loan do it but at 28/29 I wouldn't pay 20+million for him.
Jovetic injury free would be a great signing!

Strongbow10

Cavani would be an amazing signing, exactly what we need more so than Falcao.

Younger and definately more versatile (can play wide and interchange with Sturridge). He also provide a Kuyt-like work ethic.

Falcao and Cavani would both be excellent in England, but Cavani has more of what we need.

Calvin

Would love to see Jovetic signed. Don't know why, but I reckon this is his breakout season with no injuries. Reckon he'll be a class player for City/Liverpool in the coming season.

Muahahaha

Not sure if this was posted but if anyone wants a free Liverpool 2014/15 fixture wall chart then like this page. https://www.facebook.com/KonicaMinoltaBusinessSolutionsUKLtd/app_432387213452269
They have a desktop version too.

mormank

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

I can see why we don't want him around but also can see why Bayern are willing to pay to have him on the bench. Their goals are obviously bigger than ours, they are more serious about the business of winning the CL than we are ultimately.

Ah I see, so maybe they plan on playin both Neuer and Reina to counter act their bigger goals!! :P

mormank

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Falcao
Liverpool fans who even mention signing Falcao need their heads examined. In my lifetime I can recall Liverpool signing 1 player from the top bracket and that was Torres and even then people had doubts about him.

Torres was 100% not in the top bracket when we signed him. Don't know why people keep saying he was. He joined the top bracket after he signed for Liverpool and broke goal scoring records for a foreign player's first season in the PL. If he was in the top bracket at the time we would not have gotten him. After his first season with us everyone assumes he was some sort of no brainer at the time of signing which he was not.

mormank

Mr Alan wrote: »

Everything changes.

Remember Utd used to win the league or come close every year? Then last year happened. Change.

This year they're hopeful of challenging again. Change.

Everything changes but you Alan!!

ush

Do players of the quality of Cavani go out on loan?

mormank

the kelt wrote: »

Decided to do a quick look at the stats, damned lies and statistics!

Conceding goals is too simplistic a comparison, players dont concede goals, teams do. You cant lay the blame of conceding a goal on 1 or 2 players. I believe when it came to minutes played together and goals conceded Agger and Toure were our best partnership for example. What i looked at was defensive errors being errors that lead to a shot on goal or a goal, all of these premiership games (this doesnt include own goals)

Its funny but Toure is seen as our weakest centre half, yet he made exactly as many appearances as Agger last season and had exactly the same amount of defensive errors as Agger. Both had 3 errors in 20 games.

Skertl had 4 in 36 games while Sakho had 2 in 18 games. So basically Skertl and Sakho had one error every 9 games compared to Toure and Agger with one every 6.5 games roughly.

On top of that Lovren actually had 1 error in 31 games which is quite interesting.

When it came to defensive duels Sakho, Agger and Skertl are almost identical at 59%/60% and 60% respectively. Toure was down on 52% with Lovren up there also at 58%

And then passing which is essential for a Rodgers team Sakho was top at 92% completion rate, Skertl had 91% while Agger had 89% with Toure at 86%. This is where Lovren will need to improve at 82%.

So basically Lovren is up there with our current centre backs in everything but passing but crucially makes far fewer mistakes than any of our current centre backs based on last season stats.

Is the bolded part a West Wing reference by any chance? Season 1 episode 21 is called lies, damned lies and statistics.

mormank

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

That is one side of the Chelsea player acquisition strategy and they're very good at it. The other side of their strategy is the side that has secured 10 major trophies in the past 10 seasons. Chelsea are a club that knows how to win stuff that is important though.

'Chelsea is a club that knows how to win stuff'. Wow. Yup they learned that if you throw 100's and 100's of millions at the team you will win stuff. I suppose in 5 years time you'll also have totally forgotten how poor Man city were before their sugar daddy owner came in. :rolleyes: Chelsea were basically Tottenham before their takeover in 2003.

~Rebel~

ush wrote: »

Do players of the quality of Cavani go out on loan?

Andy Carroll.

Hidalgo

mormank wrote: »

Is the bolded part a West Wing reference by any chance? Season 1 episode 21 is called lies, damned lies and statistics.

Former British PM Benjamin Disraeli is credited with coining that phrase

mormank

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

I'd say it's far easier to come onto a football discussion board and be positive tbh.

Who thought we would finish top four on this thread this time last year? Not more than a couple would have called that out. We were all bearish on our chances - to varying extents of course.

If it is easier to be positive on this discussion board surely quite a few of us would have predicted top 4 finishes last season don't ya think??

K-9 wrote: »

Most of us have called it wrong over the last couple of years tbh, I wont bring up what you said about Rodgers at the time!

Last season was such an outlier it probably is skewing things. A lot of us thought Suarez would stay another season too. :mad:

I've got a fair few things wrong, giving Rodgers actual time to change things and not wanting EL football last season about the 2 I got bang on!

Tbh I think we are in rebuilding mode and because of the way things have worked out with managers and what not, we'll have a fight to make 4th this season. City and Chelsea for the obvious reasons will be ahead of us, Arsenal if they keep the injuries at bay are ahead of us and United have LVG and no EL distractions.

We should have had the squad we have now built up by last season, that's why you are right when you say we should have bought last January. Because a few transfers didn't work out (which is natural and Rodgers gets harsh criticism on that front) and limits on finances we just couldn't get there.

Personally when Suarez broke down into tears on the pitch, I think in the last game of the season, was the first time I got that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that he was leaving! He was so inconsolable imo because he does have a certain amount of love for this club and really wanted to win the league here, which he knew he wouldn't have another chance to do.

osnola ibax

Cavani will not want to come to Liverpool, end of story

Underpaid Mike

Looks like we can rule out the Falcao stuff. Monaco Chairman speaking to LEquipe

Monaco sporting director Vadim Vasilyev told L'Equipe despite having had close, recent links to Madrid in relation to the sale of James, Falcao's name never came up in talks. "I have met Real officials many times, and the Falcao dossier was never discussed. There are no talks, and we really are counting on him. I think he's happy to come back from injury and re-find his teammates," Vasilyev said, adding he had watched Falcao's return to action in north London with interest.

http://www.espnfc.com/story/1975893/monaco-insist-radamel-falcao-wont-join-real-madrid

dogbert27

Underpaid Mike wrote: »

Looks like we can rule out the Falcao stuff. Monaco Chairman speaking to LEquipe



http://www.espnfc.com/story/1975893/monaco-insist-radamel-falcao-wont-join-real-madrid

Also the articles I read said for a loan move his preference is still Real so if he's not interested don't waste time in pursuit.

Underpaid Mike

BR comments on when he thought the league had slipped from us.



Probably one of his motivations for buying 8+ players in a spree over the summer, cant allow a lack of strength in depth to screw us again.

Such a stupid challenge looking back on it.

Kirby

That's just the sort of thing good managers say to deflect the blame. Of course losing Henderson was a blow but it was still well in their hands. Losing to Chelsea is what did it.

And it's a minor thing and a bit of a personal pet peeve but I wish people would stop saying Gerrard "slipped" to allow Ba in. He didn't. He miss controlled the ball and it got away from him. The "slip" that occurred afterwards is irrelevant as he had already lost the ball and was never getting back to tackle Ba. It was a control error, not a slip that cost him. You can see it clearly here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBuOEI2Kk5o

Similar to when John Terry "slipped" against Arsenal a few years back. It's not a slip, Terry just goes down when he realises that he is never getting there.

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

Ignore the obnoxious laughter. :P

NukaCola

mormank wrote: »

Personally when Suarez broke down into tears on the pitch, I think in the last game of the season

That was the Palace game.

noodler

Underpaid Mike wrote: »

BR comments on when he thought the league had slipped from us.



Probably one of his motivations for buying 8+ players in a spree over the summer, cant allow a lack of strength in depth to screw us again.

Such a stupid challenge looking back on it.

It was but remember it didn't happen in a vaccum.

We were hanging on for dear life in stoppage time in a game that I really thought winning (although never publicly admitted) would make us champions.

Sigh.

How many more years before we get ourselves in that situation again?

Francie Barrett

Borini move still on according to Poyet.

Hopefully it gets done soon and provides us with more incentive and ammunition to get a replacement.

dogbert27

osnola ibax wrote: »

Cavani will not want to come to Liverpool, end of story

It depends. All players have egos and I'm sure if he had a chat with Suarez he'd be told he'd be idolized at Anfield as opposed to being just another expensive player in PSG.

Suarez had a goal to get to Barcelona for family reasons with his wife being Catalan so it was inevitable that he would leave.

Underpaid Mike

noodler wrote: »

It was but remember it didn't happen in a vaccum.

We were hanging on for dear life in stoppage time in a game that I really thought winning (although never publicly admitted) would make us champions.

Sigh.

How many more years before we get ourselves in that situation again?

im gonna say 1! :eek:
And yes im an eternal optimist :D:D

rob316

I'm firmly in the Henderson fan club and know what he brings to the team. We had to replace him with Allen who unfortunately isn't as good but I don't think that finished our league chances.
A lack of decent overlapping full backs against Chelsea to stretch there back 4 cost us. An ordinary chelsea team we really should of beat.

Dickerty

Francie Barrett wrote: »

Borini move still on according to Poyet.

Hopefully it gets done soon and provides us with more incentive and ammunition to get a replacement.

I read from his comments that it's all done, but we are waiting for a replacement before we will let him leave. Which would suggest we are working hard on a striker, and should be well in excess of the £14M we are collecting for Fabio...

mosstin

Dickerty wrote: »

I read from his comments that it's all done, but we are waiting for a replacement before we will let him leave. Which would suggest we are working hard on a striker, and should be well in excess of the £14M we are collecting for Fabio...

If we are actually scrambling around looking for a striker now - I'd like to think our approach is more measured - it's a pretty ridiculous situation to be in. I'm assuming we didn't put all of our eggs into a Remy shaped basket.

Underpaid Mike

mosstin wrote: »

If we are actually scrambling around looking for a striker now - I'd like to think our approach is more measured - it's a pretty ridiculous situation to be in. I'm assuming we didn't put all of our eggs into a Remy shaped basket.

How exactly is it ridiculous ? Is every club not in the exact same situation every window? Outside of huge marquee signings which take months and perhaps years to nail down ?

We have signed 8 players and counting, we will sign more. If we pulled out of the Remy deal maybe it was because of Martinez new contract which slashed his buyout clause? Maybe it was because Cavani/Benzema/Falcao/Insert any name here became available and we reacted?

Everyone would love to have all deals done and dusted second day of the window and have everyone do our full pre season. This is the real world though so thats never going to happen. We have done very well so far and if we sign a quality striker (along with Moreno which im counting as done) then its been a very good window for the club. If we sign a marquee name then I would argue its been an exceptional window

Harry Palmr

mosstin wrote: »

If we are actually scrambling around looking for a striker now - I'd like to think our approach is more measured - it's a pretty ridiculous situation to be in. I'm assuming we didn't put all of our eggs into a Remy shaped basket.

Its August the 8th, not August 31st.

ratracer

dogbert27 wrote: »

It depends. All players have egos and I'm sure if he had a chat with Suarez he'd be told he'd be idolized at Anfield as opposed to being just another expensive player in PSG.

Suarez had a goal to get to Barcelona for family reasons with his wife being Catalan so it was inevitable that he would leave.

This^^^^

LFC fans have a duty to show Reus just what a great place Anfield can be during this weekends friendly. Show him the love people, show him the love!! ( assuming he travels to the game)

Dickerty

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Its August the 8th, not August 31st.

Spot on Harry. Even if you consider our first game, it is 9 days away. Once you agree a fee, a transfer can be done VERY quickly - we have seen than on many deadline days.

I think our only deals in the last weeks will be outgoing loans or surplus players...

PhiloCypher

Francie Barrett wrote: »

Borini move still on according to Poyet.

Hopefully it gets done soon and provides us with more incentive and ammunition to get a replacement.

I imagine they will wait till we bring someone in, otherwise we'll get bent over looking for a replacement because people will know we are desperate.

If Borini leaves then we need 2 forwards.

Come on lads get the finger out.

I have this feeling of dread that Sturridge will pick up a niggle and we'll go into the start of the season with only Lambert as a striker

Kimbot

ratracer wrote: »

This^^^^

LFC fans have a duty to show Reus just what a great place Anfield can be during this weekends friendly. Show him the love people, show him the love!! ( assuming he travels to the game)

Ah sure he is bound to be travelling to the game since LFC are going to unveil him as their new player right after the game :P

Underpaid Mike

The Spanish rag El Confidencial who have gotten every part of the Moreno deal wrong so far are saying we are in talks with Real Madrid for goalkeeper Diego Lopez and have made an offer.

He would be coming in as a direct challenge to Mingolet rather than as backup if there was any truth to that. Real v United last year he was just exceptional

S. Goodspeed

Underpaid Mike wrote: »

BR comments on when he thought the league had slipped from us.



Probably one of his motivations for buying 8+ players in a spree over the summer, cant allow a lack of strength in depth to screw us again.

Such a stupid challenge looking back on it.

I felt very uneasy after the City game because of that red card. I'll never forgive Moses for giving the ball away first off.

rob316

Underpaid Mike wrote: »

The Spanish rag El Confidencial who have gotten every part of the Moreno deal wrong so far are saying we are in talks with Real Madrid for goalkeeper Diego Lopez and have made an offer.

He would be coming in as a direct challenge to Mingolet rather than as backup if there was any truth to that. Real v United last year he was just exceptional

Fantastic goalkeeper, he would be our number 1 in no time.
That's the right idea, competition not back up, not a single player at the club should be confident of there starting place.

Underpaid Mike

S. Goodspeed wrote: »

I felt very uneasy after the City game because of that red card. I'll never forgive Moses for giving the ball away first off.

Lets be honest, I dont think Moses can be forgiven for his entire Liverpool holiday. Lazy and unmotivated every time I saw him. So infuriating because he was brilliant with Wigan.

Underpaid Mike

rob316 wrote: »

Fantastic goalkeeper, he would be our number 1 in no time.
That's the right idea, competition not back up, not a single player at the club should be confident of there starting place.

Except Reus and Cavani obviously :rolleyes:

Dickerty

rob316 wrote: »

Fantastic goalkeeper, he would be our number 1 in no time.
That's the right idea, competition not back up, not a single player at the club should be confident of there starting place.

Isn't he Real's #1 now? Why would he come to Anfield to potentially be #2 initially?

Raif Severance

S. Goodspeed wrote: »

I felt very uneasy after the City game because of that red card. I'll never forgive Moses for giving the ball away first off.

Are you Serious?

Yes, Moses did Lose it, But we've gotten it back. It was Unfortunate that Hendo, miscontrolled the Ball.

But even then, he could have just played it Safe, get back into the Defense. Instead, he Lunged in wildly, and gotten a Red Card because of it.

Yeah, it was a Rush of Blood and all that, when he was trying to Redeem himself. I'm not a Moses' Fan (Who is?) or anything, but nothing in there was his Fault, aside from being Bloody Awful that is.

rob316

Dickerty wrote: »

Isn't he Real's #1 now? Why would he come to Anfield to potentially be #2 initially?

He would be our no.1, a seriously underrated goalkeeper.

Real are forcing him out, they are keep Casillias and bought Navas. He is the best goalkeeper at the club but I guess he isn't Galactico enough for Real.

I thought I read he is pretty much nailed on to go to AC Milan though.

Dickerty

rob316 wrote: »

He would be our no.1, a seriously underrated goalkeeper.

Real are forcing him out, they are keep Casillias and bought Navas. He is the best goalkeeper at the club but I guess he isn't Galactico enough for Real.

I thought I read he is pretty much nailed on to go to AC Milan though.

He couldn't go to Milan for football reasons, they are shocking, and I am sure we could offer a bigger package (ooh er missus!)

brevity

So Guardian are doing season previews for each team and Liverpool are up...

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 5th (NB: this is not necessarily Andy Hunter’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 2nd

Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker): 12-1

The houses that lined Lothair Road behind the Main Stand at Anfield are all gone now, their bricks and histories bulldozed into oblivion in readiness for a new 21,000-seater construction that is due to rise in 2016.

Rebuilding will follow the demolition and, so put-upon residents plus Liverpool City Council desperately hope, regeneration will follow the rebuilding. What is envisaged outside Anfield is mirrored within, minus the hard hat for project leader Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers’s wrecking ball arrived via Barcelona, dropped £75m and swung away with Luis Suárez clinging on by his big, busy teeth. How Liverpool cope with the damage is the great conundrum of pre-season, answers ranging from another title challenge – foreseen on this occasion – consolidation in the top four or squeezed back to the margins all carrying weight. And all influenced by the club’s ability to sign another leading striker before the transfer deadline and tighten up at the back afterwards.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/aug/08/premier-league-2014-15-preview-liverpool

joe123

mormank wrote: »

Torres was 100% not in the top bracket when we signed him

I am sorry but thats a load of non sense. He was one of the most sought after strikers in the world. Already a starting striker for Spain and scoring goals. By all accounts we gazumped United for his signing.

Signing him was on the same level as City signing Aguero.

Honestly, people just tend to skew the truth to suit their own view.

gafferino

brevity wrote: »

So Guardian are doing season previews for each team and Liverpool are up...



http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/aug/08/premier-league-2014-15-preview-liverpool

It's a decent assessment of the team in fairness.

Underpaid Mike

Wish I could argue with any of that Guardian article but I cant
As much will depend on Lovern, Moreno, Sakho as it will on Sturridge, Sterling etc
Roll on Sunday week

Vicxas

gafferino wrote: »

It's a decent assessment of the team in fairness.

Was always gonna be a tough season after Luis left.


But I'm still confident

joe123

gafferino wrote: »

It's a decent assessment of the team in fairness.

Hard argue with it. Arsenal and Chelsea will both be considerably stronger next season as will Utd with Van Gaal at the Helm. City are City.

We are the only side of the top 4/5 to be going into this season considerably weakened as it stands.

Liverpool must have known Suarez was on his way and it seems they had no contingency plan in place.

It is quite possible we could start this season with a not fully fit Sturridge and Lambert as our only strikers.

Underpaid Mike

joe123 wrote: »

Hard argue with it. Arsenal and Chelsea will both be considerably stronger next season as will Utd with Van Gaal at the Helm. City are City.

We are the only side of the top 4/5 to be going into this season considerably weakened as it stands.

Liverpool must have known Suarez was on his way and it seems they had no contingency plan in place.

It is quite possible we could start this season with a not fully fit Sturridge and Lambert as our only strikers.

Sturridge is fully fit and will play v Dortmund. Stop being dramatic :rolleyes:
I would have no problem facing Southapton with just two strikers if it means the extra time afforded to Ayre means we get the best striker we can as opposed to the next Andy Carroll to keep fickle supporters happy.

Harry Palmr

brevity wrote: »

So Guardian are doing season previews for each team and Liverpool are up...



http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/aug/08/premier-league-2014-15-preview-liverpool

I wonder if the guardian would have moved Liverpool up a place or two if the club had signed Falcao or Cavani yesterday.

That's why these pre-season previews are just click bait really. The true shape of the contenders isn't known yet.