Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2014/15

5starpool

I think I read somewhere that part of Odegaards conditions for signing anywhere was to be given a senior squad number and train with them, so he presumably wants to bypass a youth system. I'd say the most any of the 3 clubs mentioned above would offer him would be less than 10k per week and have him (probably rightly) in their academies for a while. If Real are paying him that kind of mad money then given the uncertainties of making it as a pro, he'd be stupid not to take it.

Chances are in 5 years time we'll be seeing him in a 'what ever happened to' kind of thread or article.

Also, I thought Spanish clubs couldn't actually pay players under 17 professional wages which is why the likes of Suso, Fabregas, Pique, etc moved from Spanish academies to English clubs where they would get more money? Has that rule changed then?

Blatter

Yeah I think Odegaard is finished with the youth academy. He's good enough to train with seniors and where better to do that than Real Madrid? There's always the option of the B team to get competitive football there too.

ush

Ödegaard has played senior football in Norway and has caps for his country. I know its only Norway but he was never going to sign for a youth academy. Real had competition from Bayern, hence the figures mentioned.

Chucky the tree

So basically any young player who doesn't sign for Ajax, Sport or Southampton is an idiot. Right......

djPSB

It seems Luis isn't living up to the Barcelona price tag so far.

Might not be there next season if fortunes do not improve.

ush

Would they be letting senior players go under a transfer ban?

Utopia Parkway

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Liverpool back in the Top 10 biggest clubs by turnover list at No 9 and £305.9m - so drinks all round.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-30896253

Unfortunately 4 other English clubs ahead of them.

Harry Palmr

djPSB wrote: »

It seems Luis isn't living up to the Barcelona price tag so far.

Might not be there next season if fortunes do not improve.

Suarez, like Neymar needs Messi to get injured basically.

Agent Coulson

djPSB wrote: »

It seems Luis isn't living up to the Barcelona price tag so far.

Might not be there next season if fortunes do not improve.

16 games 5 goals 9 assists isn't bad really when your strike partners are Messi and Neymar and one of them won't pass the ball to you.

bucketybuck

Didn't Messi sign for Barcelona at 15, and get medical help and various other special treatment at the time? He then made his senior debut at 17 and became what he is to day. Signing for a big club as a kid is not some immediate failure of your football career, plenty of young kids come through the ranks at big clubs.

If this kid is good enough then he will make it, even if he has to suffer through the third world training and awful conditions that Real Madrid will give him. :rolleyes:

5starpool

Was brought over by the club at 12 I believe and given human growth hormones or something like that to help him grow. He'd be 4'11" probably without them.

Harry Palmr

So he was kidnapped into child slavery basically? :pac:

Turtyturd

He probably should have gone to Barcelona...missing a chance to train with the two best players in the world.

Ferris_Bueller

martyos121 wrote: »

And that's exactly what frustrates me. I can't stand the fact that some young footballers would choose money at such an early stage of their career, and pass up the opportunity to develop at a proven, top class academy. As I said before, I totally understand why he went with Madrid, and I probably would've done the same thing if it was me.

Whats annoying me now is that certain posters are trying to twist my words about the situation into something different entirely. I see both sides of the argument, I was merely voicing my opinion and frustration that many young players nowadays are taking a huge gamble on their career for a big payout, when they could be putting their future in much safer hands. Just look at Chelsea, they must've wasted 20-30 promising young players in the last 10 years alone. It's the closest thing to career suicide, IMO.

There are a lot of factors in why he would have signed for Madrid, as others have said he might never be able to make this much money again, if he had of gone to Ajax or whoever and not been a success then he might be kicking himself for having turned down the €80k a week at Madrid. I'm assuming he will be training regularly with the first team at Madrid and still getting to play senior games with their B team, which is probably a lot better than what he would be getting at Ajax in terms of training and games. He might never make it at Madrid but a lot of players who haven't succeeded there have gone onto have good careers, whereas if he didn't make it at Ajax would as many clubs be willing to take him on afterwards? I'm not so sure.

Hopefully he does make it, from what I've seen he looks a really exciting player, hard to believe he is only 15.

smileyj1987

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

If the biggest club in the world comes in for you and offers you a pile of cash you sign, simple as. I have no idea why people are irritated over this.

Exactly ! Plus the lad will have players like bale , Ronaldo , Modric , benezema and a host of other stars to learn from. Plus real can play him in the b team aswell.

djPSB

Agent Coulson wrote: »

16 games 5 goals 9 assists isn't bad really when your strike partners are Messi and Neymar and one of them won't pass the ball to you.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11833/9655749/copa-del-rey-barcelona-defend-luis-suarez-after-another-disappointing-night-against-atletico-madrid

2 League goals so far, just 1 more than Fabio Borini :P

Charlie19

Just going to give a wee mention to Liverpool:)

Bolton on Saturday who would you start?

---

Mig

---

Can--Skrtel--Sakho

Manquillo---Undecided--Undecided--Enrique

---

Lalanna---Balo----Borini


Not sure what midfielders be fit but I'd be resting Hendo, Lucas and Gerrard for Chelsea. Maybe play Sterling instead of Balo.

Harry Palmr

Charlie19 wrote: »

Just going to give a wee mention to Liverpool:)

Bolton on Saturday who would you start?

---

Mig

---

Can--Skrtel--Sakho

Manquillo---Undecided--Undecided--Enrique

---

Lalanna---Balo----Borini


Not sure what midfielders be fit but I'd be resting Hendo, Lucas and Gerrard for Chelsea. Maybe play Sterling instead of Balo.

Talk about Liverpool? Sure why would you do that?

I'd go with

---

Mig
Manquillo--Skrtel--Lovren--Moreno

---

Can

---

Allen--Rossitter

---

Lallana

---

Borini--Balo (Lambert if Balo still ill)

With GK, Sakho, Lucas, Markovic, Ojo, Sinclair, Lambert (Sterling)

Optimus Caesar

5starpool wrote: »

Was brought over by the club at 12 I believe and given human growth hormones or something like that to help him grow. He'd be 4'11" probably without them.

Not true. He would always have grown to the height he is now. It just would have taken him a lot longer to do so.

Harry Palmr

Part of the physio equipment at La Masia

shamrock55

Who gives a flying fig about odaguard or whatever his name is anyway!!

Bandana boy

Agent Coulson wrote: »

16 games 5 goals 9 assists isn't bad really when your strike partners are Messi and Neymar and one of them won't pass the ball to you.

Sssshhhhh

the official word is its a failure of a transfer ,he is posion to the club and Barca should ship him back to liverpool for half what they paid as soon as possible

smileyj1987

Bandana boy wrote: »

Sssshhhhh

the official word is its a failure of a transfer ,he is posion to the club and Barca should ship him back to liverpool for half what they paid as soon as possible

Pretty please with sugar on top.

5starpool

Bandana boy wrote: »

Sssshhhhh

the official word is its a failure of a transfer ,he is posion to the club and Barca should ship him back to liverpool for half what they paid as soon as possible

Realistically, I hope he stays there for years. If he does leave chances are it will be for an English club that isn't Liverpool which would upset me.

D'Agger

Charlie19 wrote: »

Just going to give a wee mention to Liverpool:)

Bolton on Saturday who would you start?

---

Mig

---

Can--Skrtel--Sakho

Manquillo---Undecided--Undecided--Enrique

---

Lalanna---Balo----Borini


Not sure what midfielders be fit but I'd be resting Hendo, Lucas and Gerrard for Chelsea. Maybe play Sterling instead of Balo.

I'd like to see the below:

---

Mig

---

Skrtel--Lovern--Sakho

Manquillo----Can----Rossiter----Ibe

---

Lalanna---Balo----Borini


I think that's a team strong enough defensively with Can giving Lucas a rest and allowing Rossiter & Ibe to get runs to prove themselves

You'd imagine if Ibe is to come in as a substitute then he'll be in a front 3 or WB where he can use his pace to run at players

Harry Palmr

D'Agger wrote: »

I think that's a team strong enough defensively with Can giving Lucas a rest and allowing Rossiter & Ibe to get runs to prove themselves

You'd imagine if Ibe is to come in as a substitute then he'll be in a front 3 or WB where he can use his pace to run at players

Ibe is cuptied, hence my throwing in Ojo when I remembered!

D'Agger

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Ibe is cuptied, hence my throwing in Ojo when I remembered!

Ah damn, I really want to see him get a run after his loan spell, his direct play against Chelsea was impressive so would love to see him at WB

Charlie19

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Talk about Liverpool? Sure why would you do that?

I'd go with

---

Mig
Manquillo--Skrtel--Lovren--Moreno

---

Can

---

Allen--Rossitter

---

Lallana

---

Borini--Balo (Lambert if Balo still ill)

With GK, Sakho, Lucas, Markovic, Ojo, Sinclair, Lambert (Sterling)

I wouldn't change the formation as we're just starting to see some good performances through using it.

I think allen might still be out and I had forgot about Ibe, so I'd play him the front three instead of Balo and move Borini into the middle.

If allen doesn't make it, Rodgers might be forced into playing Lucas or Henderson alongside Rossiter.

Edit: Well that Rules out Ibe so. I should of paid more attention to loan watch.

AdamD

bucketybuck wrote: »

Didn't Messi sign for Barcelona at 15, and get medical help and various other special treatment at the time? He then made his senior debut at 17 and became what he is to day. Signing for a big club as a kid is not some immediate failure of your football career, plenty of young kids come through the ranks at big clubs.

If this kid is good enough then he will make it, even if he has to suffer through the third world training and awful conditions that Real Madrid will give him. :rolleyes:

Compare Real's track record with youth players to Barcelona, really are no similarities.

googled eyes

Hendo: And then I told him the Kop was calling him the Elephant Man and I'd see him in the tunnel

ThunbergsAreGo

AdamD wrote: »

Compare Real's track record with youth players to Barcelona, really are no similarities.

Real have more players playing top flight football AFAIK

Edit: Nope http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2014/01/21/revealed-barcelona-best-at-producing-big-5-players-ajax-most-across-europe-210101/

ike

http://www.thisisanfield.com/2015/01/daniel-sturridge-not-back-liverpool-vs-bolton-allen-johnson-balotelli-return-training/

Sturridge not back yet
****!!... Johnson back training
Rossiter to feature against Bolton

gafferino

ike wrote: »

http://www.thisisanfield.com/2015/01/daniel-sturridge-not-back-liverpool-vs-bolton-allen-johnson-balotelli-return-training/

Sturridge not back yet
****!!... Johnson back training
Rossiter to feature against Bolton

Allen and Ballotelli trained too.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/live-liverpool-fc-news-transfer-8493581

Morzadec

I don't see any reason not to start a very strong team against Bolton.

Maybe consider Lallana in for Coutinho to give him a little break and give Lallana some minutes coming back in, but let's not take anything for granted and let's get through to the next round.

The team is playing with consistency and is finding confidence in the new system.

I would be inclined to think we should aim to keep this momentum going. Hopefully we can be in a good position by half-time and can play the second half at a lower intensity, but I wouldn't rotate too much

Knex*

googled eyes wrote: »

"And now he's making me captain"

5starpool

Morzadec wrote: »

I don't see any reason not to start a very strong team against Bolton.

Maybe consider Lallana in for Coutinho to give him a little break and give Lallana some minutes coming back in, but let's not take anything for granted and let's get through to the next round.

The team is playing with consistency and is finding confidence in the new system.

I would be inclined to think we should aim to keep this momentum going. Hopefully we can be in a good position by half-time and can play the second half at a lower intensity, but I wouldn't rotate too much

I reckon there will be 3/4 changes with the likes of Enrique, Balotelli (if fit), Lallana and Lovren playing.

Can, Moreno, Markovic, Sakho and Mignolet have all been out for spells so shouldn't need resting. I don't think we should make wholesale changes anyhow, much as I'd like to see the likes of Ojo, Sinclair and Rossiter get a crack at the first XI. If we were doing better in the league we'd have a bit more scope for experimentation I think.

5starpool

Apparently at the presser for the match tomorrow Rodgers said he expects Sterling to sign his new contract 'imminently'. This is according to Tony Barrett anyhow. That would be good news anyhow.

Vicxas

5starpool wrote: »

Apparently at the presser for the match tomorrow Rodgers said he expects Sterling to sign his new contract 'imminently'. This is according to Tony Barrett anyhow. That would be good news anyhow.

Brendan Rodgers on Raheem Sterling contract talks: "Obviously the club are speaking with his representatives on it.
"I would think that will be concluded very imminently.

"You can see he's very happy, it's nothing to do with Raheem - he wants to be here.

"Hopefully we'll get a solution on that very soon."

In the words of the Arsenal fans to Theo Walcott back in the day

"Sign da ting!"

smileyj1987

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qvSlUL9g9mE

Daniel Sturrigde has a song now and have to say I love it.

Knex*

smileyj1987 wrote: »

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qvSlUL9g9mE

Daniel Sturrigde has a song now and have to say I love it.

If he stays injured, he might as well never have gotten one!

smileyj1987

Knex. wrote: »

If he stays injured, he might as well never have gotten one!

An injured Sturrigde is better then a fully fit ballotelli.

Dirty Steve

I would be more than happy if Balotelli never started a game for the team again.

Grand for the last 15 minutes, he's not fit to lead our attack though.

5starpool

I still think Balotelli is being a bit harshly judged. He has not started a game for us in months, and while not scoring in his sub appearances has looked dangerous I think. The games he did start the whole team was playing abysmally and he had no support or service.

If he was to leave before getting a chance then I wouldn't be massively upset, but I think he is being too hard done by, especially when others are being allowed to use the 'time to settle' defence.

noodler

5starpool wrote: »

I still think Balotelli is being a bit harshly judged. He has not started a game for us in months, and while not scoring in his sub appearances has looked dangerous I think. The games he did start the whole team was playing abysmally and he had no support or service.

If he was to leave before getting a chance then I wouldn't be massively upset, but I think he is being too hard done by, especially when others are being allowed to use the 'time to settle' defence.

He had more than a chance in the initial months of the season.

He is an established Italy international who has played for Inter Milan, Man City and AC Milan.

Slight difference when comparing him to some of the other new players.

Moreover, he has arguably hurt the team on ocassion with his selfishness, stroppiness, laziness etc.

5starpool

noodler wrote: »

He had more than a chance in the initial months of the season.

While having no service, a terrible team set up and everyone else in the team doing badly (Sterling excepted). I know you have zero time for him anyhow so your view isn't a surprise to me.

I still think he offers more than Borini or Lambert (especially).

Edit: I very much also disagree with your lazy stereotyped last line in your edited post.

noodler

Morzadec wrote: »

I don't see any reason not to start a very strong team against Bolton.

Maybe consider Lallana in for Coutinho to give him a little break and give Lallana some minutes coming back in, but let's not take anything for granted and let's get through to the next round.

The team is playing with consistency and is finding confidence in the new system.

I would be inclined to think we should aim to keep this momentum going. Hopefully we can be in a good position by half-time and can play the second half at a lower intensity, but I wouldn't rotate too much

I think we should make wholesale changes.

The calendar has been immensely kind to us in that we could have had an away game at Stoke or City this Saturday (sandwiched in between the two Carling Cup legs) but instead we have Championship Bolton at home.

It is an absolutely perfect time to give Sterling,Gerrard, Luscas and a few more another rest and give more people gametime.

noodler

5starpool wrote: »

While having no service, a terrible team set up and everyone else in the team doing badly (Sterling excepted). I know you have zero time for him anyhow so your view isn't a surprise to me.

I still think he offers more than Borini or Lambert (especially).

Edit: I very much also disagree with your lazy stereotyped last line in your edited post.

Thats fine.

Its been my view since we signed him and I have had it fully vindicated everytime he has lined out for us.

To think we shipped out Keane for a return of 7 goals and 5 assists over the same period just illustrates how much slack Mario is being cut by some.

Gbear

noodler wrote: »

To think we shipped out Keane for a return of 7 goals and 5 assists over the same period just illustrates how much slack Mario is being cut by some.

I'd imagine most people thought Rafa was losing the plot at that stage.

the kelt

5starpool wrote: »

I still think Balotelli is being a bit harshly judged. He has not started a game for us in months, and while not scoring in his sub appearances has looked dangerous I think. The games he did start the whole team was playing abysmally and he had no support or service.

If he was to leave before getting a chance then I wouldn't be massively upset, but I think he is being too hard done by, especially when others are being allowed to use the 'time to settle' defence.

The issue with Balotelli for me is not the fact he is playing badly or anything like that. That can happen to any player.

The issue i have with him is the complete and utter lack of effort or hard work. I can take a player being in bad form and on a bad run, i cant stand a player who doesnt bother his arse and thats been Balotelli since he came into the Club.

For me he has had plenty of chances and hasnt at the very least shown a willingness to put in a shift for the Club. I was actually happy enough that we signed him, he has everything necessary to be a top player and i thought now he might be at an age where he realises he needs to start knuckling down and putting in the effort. But it seems he will just be one of those players who goes through his career never realising how could he could really be if he bothered.

His last chance may be a link up with Sturridge when he returns and hopefully he takes that chance but to be honest if he never played for the club again he cant really have many complaints in my eyes.

5starpool

noodler wrote: »

To think we shipped out Keane for a return of 7 goals and 5 assists over the same period just illustrates how much slack Mario is being cut by some.

Very, very few it seems are cutting him much slack at all.