Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2014 - Mod Warning in OP, 10/12

SuperTortoise

martyos121 wrote: »

And he's officially gone now. Would make a great defensive coach for us, and would add some much needed character and authority in training. Can see Hyypia taking Sakho under his wing.

Sod that! Get him to tog out!

Harry Palmr

Presumably Teixeira will be on his way back then!

From north stand chat

A step in the right direction if true, but our problems are not resolved until Burke and the wretched "recruitment policy" is binned as well.

sounds familiar!

---

U21s played today against Sheffield Wednesday

Liverpool U21s team: Ward, McLaughlin (Randall 65), Smith (Cleary 45), Maguire, Jones, Stewart, Brannagan, Madger Gomes (Pelosi 45), Sinclair, Kent (O'Hanlon 65), Dunn (Trickett-Smith 60).

FT score 4-1 Dunn (x2), 1 apiece from Sinclair and Stewart. Jack Dunn was nearly the forgotten man of the U21s but that's three goals in two games since his return from injury.

Magder Antonio Gomes was signed from from Villarreal in September.

Sir Gallagher

Ohh, Colin Pascoe. He puts the cones out for the team.

“He wears shorts when it is ******* freezing.

“We don’t care ‘cos his legs are a dream.

Agent Coulson

Pascoe was a lower league journey man midfielder.

To those who get easily offened it's not meant as an insult.

whatawaster

Mr Alan wrote: »

You have to admit that there is incredibly large question marks over our transfer strategy? And that if we persist with a strategy indefinitely with a strategy that is clearly not working, we could potentially be even worse off again? That's a scenario you're not mentioning above & is just as likely imo.

Question marks, yes. Nobody is asking to persist with this strategy indefinitely. At the very least I'd wait until the end of the season and make a judgement. If our form and our results have improved, it is maybe a sign that some of our transfers are starting to work out, that our confidence is back and that next season should be better.

Transfers are the biggest problem for me.

I genuinely can't recall a manager at a top club who has spent so much on transfers & having so little to show for it.

Maybe in time it'll improve hugely, but that aside, for the nearly quarter of a billion spent under Rodgers tenure to date, we should be seeing so so so so so much more.

As i've said before, I wouldn't judge this season's signings yet. His previous signings have been a very mixed bag, with only Sturridge and Coutinho as outright successes. Allen remains at the very least a good squad player. There are obviously disasters in there such as Borini.

It's not unreasonable that if we spend well over £100m in a single window, we expect to get a real return from those players pretty quickley. If we were messing about in the bargain basement like we were forced to do so often under Benitez & Houllier I'd be much more forgiving, but we're not. We are spending monstrously large sums of money. While getting rid of people like Danny Agger & Pepe Reina for nothing, or sometimes at a cost to LFC. Mind bogglingly bad stuff.

We got rid of Pepe Reina in the summer, and it cost us money. Now Brad Jones in our first choice keeper. Let that sink in.

getting rid of Reina was the right move. Not getting a better 2nd choice keeper than Brad Jones was criminal. It has been criminal every summer since he arrived here.

Similarly, I wouldn't lament the loss of Agger. He was just as bad as any of our defenders in the last couple of years.

Lovren, Lallana, Sakho, Lambert, Ballotelli.....these are not players we bought for "potential", this is not a "long term strategy", we bought these players to make an impact & they simply are not - Lallana is the best of the bunch, but for the money paid it's still not an acceptable level imo. And being totally honest, it's very unlikely any of the above, other than Lalanna as a squad player will ever have much of a career at Liverpool.

Those are not young players like the others we have signed, but they still deserve time.

I think if some of them had come in last season they would have settled a lot better. As it is, they've come into a team completely lacking in confidence and going through a really rough spell. You don't have to be 19/20 to find that difficult.
The difference with those players is they probably only have this season to impress. Lovren is dangerously close to being a write-off. Sakho simply has to make the most of this run in the team and make the position his or you could see him being sold in the summer. Lallana should be fine. Balotelli is another who may just have 6 months to save his Liverpool career.

Hyypia has resigned from Brighton.

Could he do a job as defensive coach?

D'Agger

rarnes1 wrote: »

Hyypia has resigned from Brighton.

Could he do a job as defensive coach?

Let's go through it again for the giggles :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U0AqxlxfBs

mosstin

rarnes1 wrote: »

Hyypia has resigned from Brighton.

Could he do a job as defensive coach?

Pretty certain that Rodgers has consistently maintained he doesn't need a defensive coach (he clearly does). Would be a very smart appointment - he loves the club and would have so much to offer. That analysis Carra did on Lovren on MNF for instance - Sami would get that and help Lovren (and others) eradicate most of his brain farts you'd imagine.

EDIT: Ah, that was one of those rhetorical questions wasn't it?

Jesus Wept

Mr Alan wrote: »

You have to admit that there is incredibly large question marks over our transfer strategy? And that if we persist with a strategy indefinitely with a strategy that is clearly not working, we could potentially be even worse off again? That's a scenario you're not mentioning above & is just as likely imo.

Transfers are the biggest problem for me.

I genuinely can't recall a manager at a top club who has spent so much on transfers & having so little to show for it.

Maybe in time it'll improve hugely, but that aside, for the nearly quarter of a billion spent under Rodgers tenure to date, we should be seeing so so so so so much more.

It's not unreasonable that if we spend well over £100m in a single window, we expect to get a real return from those players pretty quickley. If we were messing about in the bargain basement like we were forced to do so often under Benitez & Houllier I'd be much more forgiving, but we're not. We are spending monstrously large sums of money. While getting rid of people like Danny Agger & Pepe Reina for nothing, or sometimes at a cost to LFC. Mind bogglingly bad stuff.

We got rid of Pepe Reina in the summer, and it cost us money. Now Brad Jones in our first choice keeper. Let that sink in.

Lovren, Lallana, Sakho, Lambert, Ballotelli.....these are not players we bought for "potential", this is not a "long term strategy", we bought these players to make an impact & they simply are not - Lallana is the best of the bunch, but for the money paid it's still not an acceptable level imo. And being totally honest, it's very unlikely any of the above, other than Lalanna as a squad player will ever have much of a career at Liverpool.

Kenny.

Jesus Wept

mosstin wrote: »

****ing hell, I have seen it all now. Someone actually went to the trouble of researching this? Jesus wept.

Jumped the shark. Mad place.

pmy.murphy

I see a few rumours are surfacing of jack butland as a potential goalkeeping option come January

5live

Turtyturd wrote: »

Yep, completely bottled it. Never should have 'played' for the club again after it.

'FYP'

jasonb

whatawaster wrote: »

Not getting a better 2nd choice keeper than Brad Jones was criminal. It has been criminal every summer since he arrived here.

I couldn't agree more. Jones has never been good enough, but has never been replaced. And now, when our 'No. 1' has been dropped due to bad form, we're left with Jones. It should have been addressed ages ago...

J.

Milkers

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

I would be very confident that the thread velocity is generally much higher when we're doing poorly or when things go tits up on transfers. As such, the fact that he posts more during those phases is not necessarily all down to agendas. I reckon it's also partly down to posting more when the topic is faster moving and more interesting.

You would be confident and you would be wrong. Higher velocity = more frequent new threads and you can see the frequency of the threads was highest during the good run last season.

Closing of the transfer windows also tends to show a smaller micro-spike.

brevity

We're being linked with Mattia Perin

https://twitter.com/JackSear/status/547086442015776768

Edit: Funnily enough, we've also been linked with his opposite number in the vid above.

Mr Alan

i heart chewy louie wrote: »

Kenny.

Rodgers makes Dalglish look like a genius in the transfer market tbh.

Carra talking about yesterdays match now on ss1

rob316

Mr Alan wrote: »

Rodgers makes Dalglish look like a genius in the transfer market tbh.

Damien camolli you mean

Mr Alan

rarnes1 wrote: »

I think there should be a Mr Alan Superthread!

It's actually beyond creepy how obsessed some people on this thread are with me. So ****ing creepy.

What that strange individual's research has shown is that i post year round in this thread. The opposite of what was being claimed.

However, shockingly when we do really poorly, I post more. Nothing to do with it's having more to get off my chest when there is so much wrong. Nothing to do with 50% of my posts being in response to weirdos stalking me or claiming I only post when we're losing. Nothing to do with every criticism I type is pounced on.

Some weirdos in here need to get a life.

Mr Alan

rob316 wrote: »

Damien camolli you mean

Yep. Our existing transfer business makes Damien Camolli look like a genius. How scary is that

5starpool

rarnes1 wrote: »

Hyypia has resigned from Brighton.

Could he do a job as defensive coach?

side from the fact that Sami was a fantastic defender for us over the years, why do people think he'd be a great defensive coach? His Brighton team have hardly the best defensive record and they sit near the bottom.

5starpool

5starpool wrote: »

side from the fact that Sami was a fantastic defender for us over the years, why do people think he'd be a great defensive coach? His Brighton team have hardly the best defensive record and they sit near the bottom.

Well it was more of a question really.

I'm guessing he knows more than Rodgers about defending though :pac:

5starpool

rarnes1 wrote: »

Well it was more of a question really.

I'm guessing he knows more than Rodgers about defending though :pac:

My missus seems to know more about defending than him.

Alonso77

Mr Alan wrote: »

It's actually beyond creepy how obsessed some people on this thread are with me. So ****ing creepy.

What that strange individual's research has shown is that i post year round in this thread. The opposite of what was being claimed.

However, shockingly when we do really poorly, I post more. Nothing to do with it's having more to get off my chest when there is so much wrong. Nothing to do with 50% of my posts being in response to weirdos stalking me or claiming I only post when we're losing. Nothing to do with every criticism I type is pounced on.

Some weirdos in here need to get a life.

Why not just ignore em?

ush

Mr Alan wrote: »

It's actually beyond creepy how obsessed some people on this thread are with me.

Speak for yourself.

5live

5starpool wrote: »

side from the fact that Sami was a fantastic defender for us over the years, why do people think he'd be a great defensive coach? His Brighton team have hardly the best defensive record and they sit near the bottom.

Get Carra in for 1 session and we would be halfway there.

The defenders aren't defending as a unit and crappy individual errors make a poor job worse.

Chucky the tree

Threads delivered today. I always love seeing people go that extra mile. Credit Milkers. I don't agree with it, but you stepped up to the plate and put the effort in. Gotta respect those qualities.

Agent Coulson

Alonso77 wrote: »

Why not just ignore em?

The question should why be don't they ignore Mr Alan they are ones that seem to have the issues.

NukaCola

Mr Alan wrote: »

Yep. Our existing transfer business makes Damien Camolli look like a genius. How scary is that

I dont know, 55m for Downing and Carroll is hard to beat to be honest. The 35m spent on Carroll is the worst piece of business this club has ever done on a single transfer. Then again we also brought in Suarez and Henderson in that time.

We are still wasting a lot of money, the only bargain we have got is Sturridge. I suppose Coutinho would go for more than we bought him but I'm not sure any other player BR brought in has actually increased in value since his time here. Well Borini may last summer but not likely now at this stage. I think thats the most scary part of our transfer policy.

NukaCola

Agent Coulson wrote: »

The question should why be don't they ignore Mr Alan they are ones that seem to have the issues.

To be honest if people take issue with stuff he says why should they just ignore him? Its a discussion forum after all. If someone posts an opinion then its open for discussion no matter who it is.

Unless your talking about people bringing up how much people post. That is getting annoying for everyone to be honest.

Chucky the tree

Rodgers transfers fees paid have been shocking. But for the most part I can see the players being part of a squad capable of top 4. That was never going to happen with Carroll, Downing and Adam.

rossie1977

i always laughed when rodgers said carroll didn't suit his style then spent the next 12 months telling his players to cross the ball high into the box

really hard to make fun of carroll and downing given how well they are performing right now..didn't rodgers want to get rid of henderson for peanuts too!!

Chucky the tree

rossie1977 wrote: »

i always laughed when rodgers said carroll didn't suit his style then spent the next 12 months telling his players to cross the ball high into the box

really hard to make fun of carroll and downing given how well they are performing right now..didn't rodgers want to get rid of henderson for peanuts too!!

It's not really. It's still actually very very easy.

Everytime I think of Adam I think of Bellamy's assessment of him

I met Charlie a couple of times before pre-season training began, and he seemed a nice lad.

He wasn't the brightest but then footballers rarely are. I consider myself to be among the cleverer footballers around.

Charlie is a true Scot, and he loves his beer. It's all he ever talked about at the start, having had a brutal close season with a series of lads holidays abroad.

Charlie wasn't a shy lad and told the squad all about his escapades, including vomiting into the swimming pool at 2pm one afternoon.

He was a fat bastard too, Charlie, and he could eat for Scotland.

Some of the lads called him 'Rab', after the TV comedy character Rab C Nesbitt.

The first day at training and Charlie had a 'mare. He couldn't control the ball to save his life, couldn't get his breath and kept falling over while trying to run with the ball.

Players are always judging others, never more so than on the first day - first impressions count and though some of the lads found it hilarious, most were not impressed.

"Who's this ****?", one respected player said to me.

"I can't believe we've signed this useless ****", said another.

While one of the club's iconic players said to me, "I'd played against him last season and I knew he was ****e, you're gonna need to step it up this season, Craig - cos this ****'s ****."

Charlie didn't have the best of seasons and he was sold on to Stoke. I wish him well.

NukaCola

rossie1977 wrote: »

i always laughed when rodgers said carroll didn't suit his style then spent the next 12 months telling his players to cross the ball high into the box

really hard to make fun of carroll and downing given how well they are performing right now..didn't rodgers want to get rid of henderson for peanuts too!!

Not making fun. Its a fact that they were awful for us. Downing was decent before he signed but flopped at Anfield majorly. Carroll was awful and cost at least 4 times what he was worth. Absolutely mental transfers.

They are working well in the system they are playing and fair play to them. But i wont remember their time here fondly.

Charlie19

Benitez claims another cup in a very eventful super cup final by beating juventus on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

NukaCola

Chucky the tree wrote: »

It's not really. It's still actually very very easy.

Agent Coulson

NukaCola wrote: »

Unless your talking about people bringing up how much people post. That is getting annoying for everyone to be honest.

Going back through someone's posting history over months and years is quiet weird to try an prove how much someone has posted.

If you are that upset with a poster it's probably better to block ignore.

ush

rossie1977 wrote: »

i always laughed when rodgers said carroll didn't suit his style then spent the next 12 months telling his players to cross the ball high into the box

The next 12 months? You missed the bit in the middle with 101 league goals scored.

Mr Alan

The Carroll transfer has never riled me like it does some. I think he is an excellent player & the fact we brought in Suarez in the same window for a fee that now gets us the likes of Joe Allen, Markovic, Lallana, Lovern etc

Don't get me wrong, it was stupid money. But not much more stupid that the fees we're paying for lesser players now.

SM01

Downing and Carroll have a purple patch and people pause for thought? Seriously grab hold and throttle yourselves. Downing is spineless and when Carroll manages to be fit he's consistently fücking brutal. Singularly the worst transfer Liverpool have been involved in (though no fault of the player.) And yeah Lambert and Carroll aren't that different and I'm no fan of the Lambert acquisition either.

Gits_bone

SM01 wrote: »

Downing and Carroll have a purple patch and people pause for thought? Seriously grab hold and throttle yourselves. Downing is spineless and when Carroll manages to be fit he's consistently fücking brutal. Singularly the worst transfer Liverpool have been involved in (though no fault of the player.) And yeah Lambert and Carroll aren't that different and I'm no fan of the Lambert acquisition either.

Carroll is definitely not brutal. Watch him play. He's good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ0PQWRwOuo

klose

Should have only loaned shelvey too. Might aswell go for the full house while we're at it.

SM01

Gits_bone wrote: »

Carroll is definitely not brutal. Watch him play. He's good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ0PQWRwOuo

I've watched him play loads (well when he's not injured). He's gash. Do you think he fits in a team that (try to) play fast flowing football? He does in me bollix.

Talisman

pmy.murphy wrote: »

I see a few rumours are surfacing of jack butland as a potential goalkeeping option come January

I'd rather sign a player with experience than another with potential. The Russian league should be ripe for the picking given the financial circumstances of the country. Igor Akinfeev is only 28 and has been playing first team football for over 10 years. He has a wealth of experience with CSKA and has won everything he is likely to at the club so might be keen on a move.

To be honest I'm kind of dreading the transfer window because I don't trust those involved in the transfer decisions not to screw it up. In the summer they were quite happy to offload the players with experience (Agger, Toure to Trabzonspor, Lucas to Napoli). Agger is gone but the moves for the other two fell through and they are partly responsible for stabilising the team performances. The rumours regarding Lucas being sold started again recently - If he goes then we need another defensively capable midfielder. The club was strongly linked with Yann M'Villa but instead signed the player with potential in Emre Can who has barely featured.

We need leaders and experienced players on the pitch and we're short on both, the transfer policy suggests we're not likely to sign any either. This will lead to the players increasingly looking to Gerrard to provide the experience and leadership which will only cement his place in the first team. If the club transfer policy is to offload the experienced players, then they may as well bite the bullet and jettison Gerrard in the process. Signing a player who could replace him now rather than potentially replace him in a few years would be the smart move. But players of that calibre are hard to come by and may need an extra financial incentive which goes against the transfer policy.

Will we sign a striker in January? The tabloids have us offering £50M for Benzema, which is the same pie in the sky stuff as the supposed moves for Falcao, Cavani and Lavezzi in the summer. From the way Rodgers spoke yesterday we are pining our hopes on Sturridge returning from injury with the form he showed last season.

Gits_bone

SM01 wrote: »

I've watched him play loads (well when he's not injured). He's gash. Do you think he fits in a team that (try to) play fast flowing football? He does in me bollix.

Is that why Balotelli and Lambert were signed?

SM01

Gits_bone wrote: »

Is that why Balotelli and Lambert were signed?

I don't see sense in either of those two additions.

slingerz

Welbeck & Sanchez would have been a way better double act to sign that Balotelli & Lambert

Agent Coulson

Talisman wrote: »

I'd rather sign a player with experience than another with potential. The Russian league should be ripe for the picking given the financial circumstances of the country

I agree totally with this the likes of Witsel, Gracia, Yarmolenko, Konoplyanka, Garay are all getable if we can offer them decent wages.

martingriff

slingerz wrote: »

Welbeck & Sanchez would have been a way better double act to sign that Balotelli & Lambert

And your point is? 1 never wanted to come to Liverpool and the other from our greatest rival. Would never have got either