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

smileyj1987

Mr Alan wrote: »

All the other teams have shown substantially more than us IMO. They're much more likely to put a solid run together. We need to go back into the transfer market to have any chance.

I'll judge that when Daniel Sturrigde is back playing . Get him fit get him games and see how LFC look in the table .

The thing I love about Sturridge apart from his goals are his goalkeeping skills, central defensive organisational skills, midfield defensive duties & play making, corner taking and full back discipline.

So glad he's nearly back

smileyj1987

rarnes1 wrote: »

The thing I love about Sturridge apart from his goals are his goalkeeping skills, central defensive organisational skills, midfield defensive duties & play making, corner taking and full back discipline.

So glad he's nearly back

I honestly do believe he will fix one problem with the lack of goals and hopefully him and ballotelli can strike up some sort of partnership too .

Agent Coulson

On Sturridge..

He is not the answer to all that is wrong with the team at the moment.

BenEadir

martyos121 wrote: »

It's not ridiculous to think we'd have a chance of signing Reus. Dortmund were bottom for 24 hours and aren't too much better off now, and apart from their CL run, their season is pretty much over.

If he doesn't come to us in January, he'll go to Munich. Dortmund are a sinking ship.

There are at least 10 clubs in Europe who Reus (or any other top player) would prefer to sign for than Liverpool due to bigger financial clout and/or location and/or ability to consistently challenge for top honours such as:-

Barcelona
Real Madrid
Munich
PSG
Marseille
Juventus
Chelsea
Arsenal
Man United
Man City


If any of the above clubs want to sign a player we're also interested in they'll get him, simple as.

We need to be pragmatic about how we focus our recruitment resources. Putting time and effort into chasing a player who'll have his pick of top clubs may keep some fans happy that we're "competing" for the best players but in reality it's just a PR exercise and a waste of time. We have to identify raw talent which we can develop (Sterling, Moreno, Origi, Suarez, Markovic, Manquillo, Can), recruit talent which is flawed and capable of being harnessed (Balotelli) or is simply not on the wish list of clubs mentioned above such as Mingolet, Lovern and Sturridge and hope we've identified something in those players that the other clubs haven't. I guess one out of three isn't too bad

We really do need to stop fooling ourselves when it comes to transfers.

kfallon

If we sign Reus I'll eat me prick!

Wish people would give up on this story, no way will he come to us!

benny79

Can people tell me why he took Can off for Joe fcuking Allen! He was our best people by far on sat absolutely shocking Sub and I heard Rodgers was getting Booed when he subbed Courtinho and rightly so! I have lost all faith in Rodgers now, There's no way Johnson or Lovern should of started especially since the other lads put in a great performance Tues like what do they have to do to get a start!

Mumha

mosstin wrote: »

When Sturridge is back, at least then there can be no more excuses.

Sturridge is part of the solution, not all the solution. You look at last year and Suarez/Sturridge/Sterling were all busy frontmen, putting in a huge amount of movement off the ball - defenders were run ragged trying to stay with them. That isn't what Balotelli is about. We're basing our hopes on Balotelli and Sturridge clicking on the Spurs came, but it could be that Spurs were just crap that day. If they haven't clicked by the opening of the Jan transfer window, Liverpool need to take a view on it, and go and pay the big money for a top class Reus type character.

Agent Coulson

Just a thought on the whole Suarez leaving affecting the team..

Costa leaving Atletico Madrid hasn't seemed to affected them and he is a player that shot them to a title and a CL final.

They seem to have replaced him quite well and they wouldn't have the kind of money we have to spend and also they wouldn't have the biggest squad.

rgiller

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Just a thought on the whole Suarez leaving affecting the team..

Costa leaving Atletico Madrid hasn't seemed to affected them and he is a player that shot them to a title and a CL final.

They seem to have replaced him quite well and they wouldn't have the kind of money we have to spend and also they wouldn't have the biggest squad.

They've got a good manager though

Mumha

rgiller wrote: »

They've got a good manager though

So have we.

Agent Coulson

Steven Gerrard.

What are your plans after you retire, are we more likely to see you in the studio or on the touch-line?

We'll have to wait and see, I'm keeping my options open. I've started my coaching badges: I've just passed my C-license, and I'm going onto my B as we speak. So I'll get all the qualifications needed and then we'll see if I'm good enough. I will probably do some media work in the beginning; I think if you love the game you always want to stay involved. Of course, the dream scenario is to one day manage Liverpool but that's easier said than done, time will tell.

http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2014-11/04/steven-gerrard-picks-his-best-ever-liverpool-eleven

Cantona's Collars

Mumha wrote: »

So have we.

Have you read the last 10 pages or so?

Like it or not,Suarez & Sturridge papered over a lot of cracks last season and between the 2 they provided not just goals but the creativity and workrate (Suarez) which helped to beat teams.
Rodgers spent the Suarez money on a lot of average players,in truth his first season wasn't great and it took an amazing season from a couple of players to make the team look more than the sum of it's parts,now one is gone and nobody is there to carry them so it's back to square one.
Looking in it seems he's very arrogant and the way he dismissed the idea of working under a DOF reinforced this yet now it's come back to haunt him,he can blame nobody but himself for the state the squad is in.

People laughed at United last season & proclaimed we'd get nobody after that,Di Maria & Falcao are superstars & they joined,of course things are far from perfect but at least there's signs of improvement.Liverpool just aren't as attractive to the big names and don't have the wage structure to entice them from going to United,City or the bright lights of London.

To be brutally honest,Rodgers wasted a couple of hundred million on squad players when a few top notch ones were needed,I doubt he's going to be backed as much financially again.

Harry Palmr

zerks wrote: »

Have you read the last 10 pages or so?

Like it or not,Suarez & Sturridge papered over a lot of cracks last season and between the 2 they provided not just goals but the creativity and workrate (Suarez) which helped to beat teams.
Rodgers spent the Suarez money on a lot of average players,in truth his first season wasn't great and it took an amazing season from a couple of players to make the team look more than the sum of it's parts,now one is gone and nobody is there to carry them so it's back to square one.
Looking in it seems he's very arrogant and the way he dismissed the idea of working under a DOF reinforced this yet now it's come back to haunt him,he can blame nobody but himself for the state the squad is in.

People laughed at United last season & proclaimed we'd get nobody after that,Di Maria & Falcao are superstars & they joined,of course things are far from perfect but at least there's signs of improvement.Liverpool just aren't as attractive to the big names and don't have the wage structure to entice them from going to United,City or the bright lights of London.

To be brutally honest,Rodgers wasted a couple of hundred million on squad players when a few top notch ones were needed,I doubt he's going to be backed as much financially again.

All of which shows how much you know about Liverpool workings - while there is no Director of Football there is a transfer committee and they between them arrived at the squad the team now has.

Fulham whiz kid Patrick Roberts in January say the rags.

Agent Coulson

Even the manager is saying players don't want to move and live in Liverpool.

Looks like we'll never be able to sign a top name again.

Rodgers suggested geography was against him in his efforts to sign foreign stars, with the lure of the capital too much for some, despite Liverpool's readiness to offer lucrative contracts.

"Players look at where they want to live, the social factors as well as the football," he added. "If someone gets offered more money to go elsewhere, if they want to go to London, there is not much you can do about it.

"We know what targets we wanted but, for one reason or another, they went elsewhere," Rodgers said. "We have signed talented young players. Over their time here, whether it is with me or not, they will show they are very good players.

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/367121.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

So the question is did we spend over £100m on second and third choice players.

Cantona's Collars

Harry Palmr wrote: »

All of which shows how much you know about Liverpool workings - while there is no Director of Football there is a transfer committee and they between them arrived at the squad the team now has.

Fulham whiz kid Patrick Roberts in January say the rags.

Guess who has the final say on transfers? Brendan.He almost didn't take the job over that detail.

MD1990

zerks wrote: »

Have you read the last 10 pages or so?

Like it or not,Suarez & Sturridge papered over a lot of cracks last season and between the 2 they provided not just goals but the creativity and workrate (Suarez) which helped to beat teams.
Rodgers spent the Suarez money on a lot of average players,in truth his first season wasn't great and it took an amazing season from a couple of players to make the team look more than the sum of it's parts,now one is gone and nobody is there to carry them so it's back to square one.
Looking in it seems he's very arrogant and the way he dismissed the idea of working under a DOF reinforced this yet now it's come back to haunt him,he can blame nobody but himself for the state the squad is in.

People laughed at United last season & proclaimed we'd get nobody after that,Di Maria & Falcao are superstars & they joined,of course things are far from perfect but at least there's signs of improvement.Liverpool just aren't as attractive to the big names and don't have the wage structure to entice them from going to United,City or the bright lights of London.

To be brutally honest,Rodgers wasted a couple of hundred million on squad players when a few top notch ones were needed,I doubt he's going to be backed as much financially again.

Rodgers set up a tyle of play to suit them perfectly & they also improved under Rodgers management.

Crash Bang Wall

rarnes1 wrote: »

Can, Gerrard, Lallana, Henderson in a diamond? Sterling in behind Ballotelli?

A proper 4231 for me

Ming

Manquillo
Toure
Sakho
Moreno

Can
Gerrard

Sterling
Coutinho
Lallana

Sturridge

If sturridge isnt fit then Id have Borini in ahead of Mario

A bit of defensive solidity to try and get a clean sheet

Crash Bang Wall

JohnDaniels wrote: »

Those pictures are the exact moment in the game I was talking about in my last few posts. His starting position was dictated by the manager not by Johnson. It just shows how a player can take a beating for something which isn't his fault.

There is enough people on here saying that he was effectively told to man mark Hazard. Im not Johnsons biggest fan, but if the gaffer says do something, you do it

Agent Coulson

Crash Bang Wall wrote: »

A proper 4231 for me

Ming

Manquillo Flanagan
Toure
Sakho
Moreno

Can
GerrardHenderson

Sterling
Coutinho
Lallana

Sturridge

If sturridge isnt fit then Id have Borini in ahead of Mario

A bit of defensive solidity to try and get a clean sheet

Replace Gerrard & Manquillo with Henderson & Flanagan and I would agree with you.

LuckyLloyd

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Well, that's a response to the original post - good lad. Goading him over Rafa was not.

...............

It's a tad ironic you calling me out on alleged bad posting and than come out with the good lad patronising rubbish

I must have hit a nerve

klose

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Even the manager is saying players don't want to move and live in Liverpool.



So the question is did we spend over £100m on second and third choice players.

It appears to me anyways the club is building a squad for 2-3 years time and dosent have much interest in signing "world class" or top tier players bar trying to get sanchez but that was only because barca wanted suarez.

Moreno/manquillo/ilori/sakho/can/coutinho/hendo/sterling/origi/sturridge/markovic all young but palying at a high level now and with big potential. A big defensive mid and a goalkeeper is all thats needed to complete a young enough eleven with big potential.

zerks

zerks wrote: »

---

----.Liverpool just aren't as attractive to the big names and don't have the wage structure to entice them from going to United,City or the bright lights of London.

To be brutally honest,Rodgers wasted a couple of hundred million on squad players when a few top notch ones were needed,I doubt he's going to be backed as much financially again.

so considerig the wage structure etc what would have brought the few top notch players that were needed?

Turtyturd

klose wrote: »

It appears to me anyways the club is building a squad for 2-3 years time and dosent have much interest in signing "world class" or top tier players bar trying to get sanchez but that was only because barca wanted suarez.

Moreno/manquillo/ilori/sakho/can/coutinho/hendo/sterling/origi/sturridge/markovic all young but palying at a high level now and with big potential. A big defensive mid and a goalkeeper is all thats needed to complete a young enough eleven with big potential.

But when one of them hits that level in 2-3 years time a bigger club comes in and they are gone. It's a policy aimed at making profit through transfers rather than success, and in the hope that the club can hold it's position ala Arsenal.

MD1990

MD1990 wrote: »

Rodgers set up a tyle of play to suit them perfectly & they also improved under Rodgers management.

Of course but you could say otherwise if you have an agenda.

Anyone with any knowledge of football can see that Rodgers changed the style from a possession based to counter attacking.

ush

Turtyturd wrote: »

But when one of them hits that level in 2-3 years time a bigger club comes in and they are gone. It's a policy aimed at making profit through transfers rather than success, and in the hope that the club can hold it's position ala Arsenal.

Policy or economic reality. I don't think we have as much choice as you think .

Agent Coulson

klose wrote: »

It appears to me anyways the club is building a squad for 2-3 years time and dosent have much interest in signing "world class" or top tier players bar trying to get sanchez but that was only because barca wanted suarez.

Moreno/manquillo/ilori/sakho/can/coutinho/hendo/sterling/origi/sturridge/markovic all young but palying at a high level now and with big potential. A big defensive mid and a goalkeeper is all thats needed to complete a young enough eleven with big potential.

Here is the thing with that.. All those players you name have potential... Now where do they learn from experienced players when we don't have any?

We saw last season the like of Sterling, Sturridge, Henderson, Flanagan's game all improved when they had one world class player to train with and play with week in week out.

This season they seem to lack something and that one world class player is gone.

To me last season they all played to impress that one world class player to show him they were trying to reach his level, This season they don't have that player to impress and raise there game.

Milkers

Crash Bang Wall wrote: »

There is enough people on here saying that he was effectively told to man mark Hazard. Im not Johnsons biggest fan, but if the gaffer says do something, you do it

https://vine.co/v/OiWxKYJu9Y2

klose

Turtyturd wrote: »

But when one of them hits that level in 2-3 years time a bigger club comes in and they are gone. It's a policy aimed at making profit through transfers rather than success, and in the hope that the club can hold it's position ala Arsenal.

Agreed. Was disappointing to hear Rodgers say that about players preferring x place over here. City blew that myth out of the water years ago, united somewhat to an extent last summer also. Seems Fsg have their plan and Rodgers is pretty happy to play along with it.

Bandana boy

While I am certain that Daniel coming back will have a postive impact on our results.They are muck at the moment ,the reality is we are not creating any/many chances and we are giving up to many chances to the oppostion.

A striker like Daniel while capable of doing somthing by himself, the majority of his goals last season were standard striker finishing ,which in this side at the moment our issue has not really been finishing off chances we created ,but more the team is creating very little /nothing.

We are currently running at 1.27 points per game
I imagine sturridge could increase that to 1.5/1.6 .
It is to me in order of importance team set up ,stop leaking so many set piece goals and players like DS returning on form will get us to the 2.0+PPG we need to make top 4.

I do not know whether it is a crisis of confidence , a blind spot with Rodgers or some kind of ego issues that he knows best that is stopping him from doing something about the first two points.

ush

We went on a extraordinary run of form for the second half of last season. It was never going to last. The basics of the game now need attention; passes going astray and defenders out of position.

ush

klose wrote: »

Agreed. Was disappointing to hear Rodgers say that about players preferring x place over here. City blew that myth out of the water years ago, united somewhat to an extent last summer also. Seems Fsg have their plan and Rodgers is pretty happy to play along with it.

City destroyed that "myth" with a lot more money than LFC could afford. FSG aren't anywhere near that level of finances.

Bandana boy

We went on a extraordinary run of form for the second half of last season. It was never going to last. The basics of the game now need attention; passes going astray and defenders out of position.

I genuinely do not think people are upset that we have not managed the form of second half of last season. We have not managed the form of the first half or even the second half of previous season. We have reverted to Hodgson form

D'Agger

klose wrote: »

Agreed. Was disappointing to hear Rodgers say that about players preferring x place over here. City blew that myth out of the water years ago, united somewhat to an extent last summer also. Seems Fsg have their plan and Rodgers is pretty happy to play along with it.

ush wrote: »

City destroyed that "myth" with a lot more money than LFC could afford. FSG aren't anywhere near that level of finances.

^ This - City blew it out of the water using unparalleled (at the time) financial muscle

YaYa Toure doesn't care where he's living when he's on 250k a week I'd imagine.

Francie Barrett

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Even the manager is saying players don't want to move and live in Liverpool.

Looks like we'll never be able to sign a top name again.

I have been a big supporter of Rodgers, but what he said is rubbish! Manchester is only a 40 minute drive up the road, but yet United have had no trouble whatsoever in attracting top quality talent. Just because one player (Sanchez) didn't want to come to us, it doesn't mean that applies to all other players. It really just sounds like he is trying to make excuses for the mediocre players that were brought in over the Summer and quite frankly, it's not good enough.

Nerdlingr

That vine with Johnson and Hazard...jaysus, I was f'ing and blinding at him when he did that. Unbelieveable. This is an England international with bags of experience and he goes and tries to win that tackle? What is he playing at? Brainless.
Rodgers has let the players and club down by not picking people on merit. Its one of my bugbears. If you're playing well (or better than whats already there) you should be in the team. Lovren and Johnson should definitely not have started that game Saturday. And this bullsh*t of supposedly droppping players because of the newcastle performance only to see them re-appear for the Chelsea game? Lies. Our manager is lying to us. Sad state of affairs when that happens.

ush

Bandana boy wrote: »

I genuinely do not think people are upset that we have not managed the form of second half of last season. We have not managed the form of the first half or even the second half of previous season. We have reverted to Hodgson form

It was always going to crash.

MD1990

Im fully behind Rodgers. But some of the stuff he comes out really comes back to haunt him.

Hyping up Joe Allen as Liverpool's Xavi - Allen goes on a terrible run of form

Saying with the money Spurs spent they would have expected to be challenging for the PL - We just gone & done a Spurs type season so far.

Said the new signings from Southampton will settle quickly as they have a similar style of play & that we expect to challenge for the PL title again. - Says the players will need time & that losing 80% of our goals from last season was always going to mean a decline.

Said with CL we will attract top class players - We cant attract them now because of location lol. The truth is apart from Sanchez we actually got all our targets imo. Lovren & Lallana were two #1 targets according to the Echo.

Harry Palmr

Steven Gerrard in Chelsea game, can't embed this file is a 9 mb download worth seeing.

http://pdl.vimeocdn.com/74886/311/305675084.mp4?download=1&token2=1415625262_0cea13582ddd1a665e10afa212cb0aee&filename=Gerrard%2520vs%2520Chelsea-SD.mp4

NapoleonInRags

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Steven Gerrard in Chelsea game, can't embed this file is a 9 mb download worth seeing.

http://pdl.vimeocdn.com/74886/311/305675084.mp4?download=1&token2=1415625262_0cea13582ddd1a665e10afa212cb0aee&filename=Gerrard%2520vs%2520Chelsea-SD.mp4

That's actually really sad to see on a number of levels.

K-9

rarnes1 wrote: »

The thing I love about Sturridge apart from his goals are his goalkeeping skills, central defensive organisational skills, midfield defensive duties & play making, corner taking and full back discipline.

So glad he's nearly back

He's the only player we have capable of doing something different, people can forget just how good he was since he joined.

We're very predictable atm, barring maybe Coutinho on a good day and Can offering something else in midfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs7WG4A3zx4

Surprising how much of that doesn't involve Suarez and it makes Mario look shocking. We badly need that movement, pace, intelligence, confidence and unmarkability. Sterling had it but has got very predictable recently.

Francie Barrett

K-9 wrote: »

Sterling had it but has got very predictable recently.

Sterling most definitely still has it, the problem is that he's just had no one to play off this season. Coutinho's end product has been seriously lacking, Balotelli doesn't seem to link up with Sterling at all, neither Lallana or Markovic have showed any any kind of understanding with him. If we can get Coutinho, Sterling and Sturridge all in the same team, hopefully we can see an uplift in the level of performances.

Sterling of any player misses Sturridge.

Also being dumped out wide doesnt help. He's very effective in central positions

Benzino

I do sympathise with Rodgers regarding trying to attract top players. We simply don't have the reputation to attract the best any more. Replacing Suarez was always an impossible task, but it was made even more difficult with the lack of any top strikers available imo. It seems we tried for Sanchez, Falcao and Cavani so I really don't think money was an issue. In saying that, it does look like Lovren and Lallana etc were all first choice targets, so Rodgers can only blame himself if these don't work out (which is starting to look the case with Lovren).

For those saying to go out and sign a top class striker in January, who do you suggest that will realistically join Liverpool? Because I'm struggling to think of any top striker who would consider us an upgrade on their present situation.

K-9

Francie Barrett wrote: »

Sterling most definitely still has it, the problem is that he's just had no one to play off this season. Coutinho's end product has been seriously lacking, Balotelli doesn't seem to link up with Sterling at all, neither Lallana or Markovic have showed any any kind of understanding with him. If we can get Coutinho, Sterling and Sturridge all in the same team, hopefully we can see an uplift in the level of performances.

Well the reason there's little end product from Coutinho is Mario, he's still playing the same balls but those are tailor made for Sturridge.

Pilsbury Doughboy

K-9 wrote: »

He's the only player we have capable of doing something different, people can forget just how good he was since he joined.

We're very predictable atm, barring maybe Coutinho on a good day and Can offering something else in midfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs7WG4A3zx4

Surprising how much of that doesn't involve Suarez and it makes Mario look shocking. We badly need that movement, pace, intelligence, confidence and unmarkability. Sterling had it but has got very predictable recently.

That was enjoyable, oh how I long to see the Sturridge dance again.

5live

D'Agger wrote: »

^ This - City blew it out of the water using unparalleled (at the time) financial muscle

YaYa Toure doesn't care where he's living when he's on 250k a week I'd imagine.

Now that's not fair.

He also likes birthday cakes:pac:

rarnes1 wrote: »

Sterling of any player misses Sturridge.

Also being dumped out wide doesnt help. He's very effective in central positions

Coutinho also misses a target for his through balls, as K-9 said.

Agent Coulson

Balotelli misses a striking partner to run into the open spaces he leaves coming deep for the ball draging defenders with him.

Those are the spaces Coutinho can put his through balls into.

BenEadir

Francie Barrett wrote: »

I have been a big supporter of Rodgers, but what he said is rubbish! Manchester is only a 40 minute drive up the road, but yet United have had no trouble whatsoever in attracting top quality talent. Just because one player (Sanchez) didn't want to come to us, it doesn't mean that applies to all other players. It really just sounds like he is trying to make excuses for the mediocre players that were brought in over the Summer and quite frankly, it's not good enough.

It's not just location. All things being equal there may not be much to pick between Manchester as a geographic location Vs Liverpool but it's never just one thing is it?

You seriously need to take off the rose tinted glasses and get real. Professional footballers only want two things:-

1. To maximise their career earnings.
2. To win silverware.

If you were a top German/Spanish/Other International player and both Manchester and Liverpool offered you 5 year contracts worth €150,000 a week are you seriously saying you'd pick the club who haven't won the league in 24 years, have only been in the champions league once in the last five seasons, have a 45,000 seater stadium, just sold their best player and have limited financial resources over the club who have been the dominant winners of the league, have a 75,000 seater stadium, copious amounts of finance, have been in the Champions league every year bar this year and are pouring money into a team rebuild under one of the most successful club managers of all time?

You know there's only one answer to that question and it doesn't come down to the weather or shopping in Manchester being better than Liverpool.

MD1990

Another thing about Sturridge is that judging from his interviews & just his presence. He looks to be a leader for the team especially for the younger atacking players like Sterling & Coutinho.