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

Damien360

Article here

http://m.rte.ie/sport/soccer/english/2015/0106/670706-gerrard-la-galaxy/

Super-Rush

Lambert should never start for us again.

Super-Rush

Super-Rush wrote: »

Lambert should never start for us again.

Unless we are actually gonna put crosses in for him it's pointless.

The style we are trying to play does not suit him whatsoever, or Ballotelli either.

Super-Rush

rarnes1 wrote: »

Unless we are actually gonna put crosses in for him it's pointless.

The style we are trying to play does not suit him whatsoever, or Ballotelli either.

But Stevie scored with a header from a cross last night. Lambert was nowhere to be seen.

Chucky the tree

Devilman40k wrote: »

Biggest issue is lack of pace in final third without Sterling or Sturridge. When they are there they stretch teams pushing them back to their 18 yard line. Lambert is far too static to lead the line.

gafferino wrote: »

What? It was virtually a full strength line up bar Sterling. More than enough to beat Wimbledon. I thought he would field a much weaker team To be honest but no real need the way the schedule is this month.

T-K-O wrote: »

Its a no win around these parts.

If Sterling played, he would be accused for ruining him, if Lambert doesn't play the odd cup game, that brigade would also be out.

I thought his line-up was comically bad. We're playing a league 2 side so lets pick between the following options

A) Play with a big immobile striker up front and an old attacking midfield who's not even a very good attacking midfield.

Play a side that is capable of pressing high up the pitch, counter-attacking quickly and technically being excellent with the ball and generally far superior than the opposition in that department.

For some bizarre reason our manager thought option A was the best strategy against a league 2 side. I thought we really played in their hands.

darced wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Replace Lambert with Borini or Balotelli and Gerrard with Lallana.

8-10

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I thought his line-up was comically bad. We're playing a league 2 side so lets pick between the following options

A) Play with a big immobile striker up front and an old attacking midfield who's not even a very good attacking midfield.

Play a side that is capable of pressing high up the pitch, counter-attacking quickly and technically being excellent with the ball and generally far superior than the opposition in that department.

For some bizarre reason our manager thought option A was the best strategy against a league 2 side. I thought we really played in their hands.






Replace Lambert with Borini or Balotelli and Gerrard with Lallana.

Lallana was out injured

Speak Now

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I thought his line-up was comically bad. We're playing a league 2 side so lets pick between the following options

A) Play with a big immobile striker up front and an old attacking midfield who's not even a very good attacking midfield.

Play a side that is capable of pressing high up the pitch, counter-attacking quickly and technically being excellent with the ball and generally far superior than the opposition in that department.

For some bizarre reason our manager thought option A was the best strategy against a league 2 side. I thought we really played in their hands.






Replace Lambert with Borini or Balotelli and Gerrard with Lallana.

Lallana....you serious?

T-K-O

Isn't Lallana injured. Agreed on Borini, I tried making the point he should have more game time.

Lambert / Balotelli - not much difference to be fair.

Super-Rush

Super-Rush wrote: »

But Stevie scored with a header from a cross last night. Lambert was nowhere to be seen.

Yeah, not sure where Lambert was on that cross.

Himself , Borini and Ballotelli should be sold asap imo and replaced with guys that fit the way we play and also score goals

Chucky the tree

8-10 wrote: »

Lallana was out injured

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

Lallana....you serious?

Grand. Markovic on the left, Countinho in for Gerrard and then Enrique as wing back. Outside of that I'd have considered giving one of the youth players a chance. The line-up can be altered but the style of play we should have implemented was obvious to me.

T-K-O wrote: »

Isn't Lallana injured. Agreed on Borini, I tried making the point he should have more game time.

Lambert / Balotelli - not much difference to be fair.

Balotelli is miles better for me. Better touch, control, vision. He's not great but Lambert literally did nothing last night. I thought Balotelli at least offered some kind of threat when he was on.

T-K-O

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Grand. Markovic on the left, Countinho is for Gerrard and then Enrique as wing back. Outside of that I'd have considered giving one of the youth players a chance. The line-up can be altered but the style of play we should have implemented was obvious to me.




Balotelli is miles better for me. Better touch, control, vision. He's not great but Lambert literally did nothing last night. I thought Balotelli at least offered some kind of threat when he was on.

Agreed on Mario but it's not like he lit the place up when he did start.

So, you would have made one change and transfer the comical line-up to something drastically different?

Agent Coulson

Part of me wants to see Lambert score his first goal in front of the Kop and when he is interviewed after that game he announces his retirement

Kirby

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Part of me wants to see Lambert score his first goal in front of the Kop and when he is interviewed after that game he announces his retirement

Not many players play until they are fifty....... :P

LuckyLloyd

Chucky don't like Gerrard, fair play to him.

Chucky the tree

T-K-O wrote: »

Agreed on Mario but it's not like he lit the place up when he did start.

So, you would have made one change and transfer the comical line-up to something drastically different?

Two changes and those two changes would have drastically altered our style of play.

Chucky the tree

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Chucky don't like Gerrard, fair play to him.

I love what he did for Liverpool. But no player is better/bigger than Liverpool. He's a weakness in our team and isn't good enough to start in our first 11. Some people just can't handle facts though.

T-K-O

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Two changes and those two changes would have drastically altered our style of play.

Lambert / Gerrard out Enrique and Balo in?

You're not swapping Lambert for Sturridge, Balo would not have improved the team drastically.

I would imagine you would have Enrique WB and Laser further forward?

That is a defensive change IMO and In fairness to Markovic he couldn't have gone forward much more than he did. He was constantly overlapping Coutinho.

MD1990

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/06/rickie-lambert-liverpool-target-alan-pardew?CMP=share_btn_tw

Palace in for Lambert accoding to Andy Hunter(Who I consider reliable). Liverpool want to keep him though. Not sure why as he isn't good enough.

googled eyes

Lambert was about a foot in front of Gerrard when he head the ball

pmy.murphy

MD1990 wrote: »

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/06/rickie-lambert-liverpool-target-alan-pardew?CMP=share_btn_tw

Palace in for Lambert accoding to Andy Hunter(Who I consider reliable). Liverpool want to keep him though. Not sure why as he isn't good enough.

He was a ludicrous signing anyway and was never in favour of it. I find it funny that a lot of people are now saying hes not good enough when a lot were more than likely backing him at the start. I remember a lot of people stating that he was a proven premier league goalscorer and a decent back up option back in August. No he wasnt and wont ever be good enough for LFC whether hes first choice or not. I wish him well if he moves on. Im sure he would do a good job in a team like palace

Chucky the tree

T-K-O wrote: »

Lambert / Gerrard out Enrique and Balo in?

You're not swapping Lambert for Sturridge, Balo would not have improved the team drastically.

I would imagine you would have Enrique WB and Laser further forward?

That is a defensive change IMO and In fairness to Markovic he couldn't have gone forward much more than he did. He was constantly overlapping Coutinho.

I would have put Enrique at wing back. Markovic would have been pushed up to take Coutinhos place, Coutinho would have moved into Gerrard's AM spot and Borini would have replaced Lambert. A front 3 of Markovic, Borini and Coutinho would have been far more dangerous I think. Balo in for Borini would be another option. I think he'd link up far better in the team than Lambert who really is of no use.

T-K-O

What about Lallana?

Turtyturd

Injured.

T-K-O

haha , I got a laugh outta that one.

Utopia Parkway

Mirror reporting that Liverpool are hamstrung by having to meet the FFP requirements and have to balance the books before adding to their wage bill.

Meanwhile Man City about to buy Bony for 30M to sit on their bench a lot.

rob316

pmy.murphy wrote: »

He was a ludicrous signing anyway and was never in favour of it. I find it funny that a lot of people are now saying hes not good enough when a lot were more than likely backing him at the start. I remember a lot of people stating that he was a proven premier league goalscorer and a decent back up option back in August. No he wasnt and wont ever be good enough for LFC whether hes first choice or not. I wish him well if he moves on. Im sure he would do a good job in a team like palace

Ludicrous? He cost about 4m and had a decent goalscoring and assist record in the league the couple of seasons before we bought him. 3rd or 4th choice he should of been bought for but instead due to poor business he has had to start many games in a side struggling for form.

I feel a bit sorry for him if I'm honest.

I still think he's decent as 3rd choice all considered.

pmy.murphy

rob316 wrote: »

Ludicrous? He cost about 4m and had a decent goalscoring and assist record in the league the couple of seasons before we bought him. 3rd or 4th choice he should of been bought for but instead due to poor business he has had to start many games in a side struggling for form.

I feel a bit sorry for him if I'm honest.

Ok think about it this way. Would the teams like City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, the calibre of teams we aspire to get up to be signing an overachieving and ageing journeyman striker from a mid table Premier League team to come in and provide back up for a Premier League Title assault and Champions League campaign. No not a hope.

I dont mean to be harsh on Lambert but hes just not good enough its simple as that and I have supported him and wanted him to do well when he has played and as long as he wears the red shirt I will continue to do so. Its also unfortunate that the team around him hasnt been in the best of form either. Im just making the point that my original reservations and prediction of Lamberts time at LFC have turned out to be true and even as a back up option he is simply not good enough.

For example look at City who are looking to sign Bony(a player we chased over the summer to come in and replace Suarez) for 30m to come and sit on the bench as their back up option. Theres a massive difference. Now I know we cant afford to go out and sign a 30m player to sit on the bench but we could have done a hell of a lot better than Lambert as a back up option tbh. Etoo would have been perfect as that sort of signing and player with a proven goalscoring record and a man who has won and experienced everything at the top level of the game. The signing of Lambert in my opinion was just lazy scouting its as simple as that. Just my opinion.

rossc007

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I love what he did for Liverpool. But no player is better/bigger than Liverpool. He's a weakness in our team and isn't good enough to start in our first 11. Some people just can't handle facts though.

Didn't he score twice?

Vicxas

rossc007 wrote: »

Didn't he score twice?

True he did score, but his pace and willingness to track back are whats causing us issues, younger fitter wingers/midfielders are leaving him for dust causing massive holes in between the defence and midfield.

I love the man for what hes done for the club, and he is one of a dying breed of footballers. But let him go do his Elvis phase in America and come back to us as a coach.

LuckyLloyd

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I love what he did for Liverpool. But no player is better/bigger than Liverpool. He's a weakness in our team and isn't good enough to start in our first 11. Some people just can't handle facts though.

Baaarrrp

Sorry, that's incorrect. He's definitely good enough to start in our best 11 behind a striker. I know some of you desperately wish that wasn't the case mind, but unfortunately this squad falls short of the perceptions some have of it.

Gerrard has far more end product than Coutinho or Lallana and would more consistently give us purpose from that position than either of them can. You'll counter with 'oh we can't press with Gerrard in that position' but Chucky baby - we ain't been pressing effectively all year no matter who lines up where.

monkey9

pmy.murphy wrote: »

He was a ludicrous signing anyway and was never in favour of it. I find it funny that a lot of people are now saying hes not good enough when a lot were more than likely backing him at the start. I remember a lot of people stating that he was a proven premier league goalscorer and a decent back up option back in August. No he wasnt and wont ever be good enough for LFC whether hes first choice or not. I wish him well if he moves on. Im sure he would do a good job in a team like palace

I don't agree it was a ludicrous signing. He was something different to how we played last season in that we could mix it up a bit and he was definitely bought as a response to the Chelsea match where they just defended with eleven players in their own half for the whole match and came looking for a draw.

At four million, I was happy enough with him. But then again, I assumed we'd be playing similar to last season. I don't mean challenging for the title because I didn't think we would, I'd have been happy getting the fourth spot. I did think we'd be making a better effort for a top four finish than we currently are.

Dickerty

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Mirror reporting that Liverpool are hamstrung by having to meet the FFP requirements and have to balance the books before adding to their wage bill.

Meanwhile Man City about to buy Bony for 30M to sit on their bench a lot.

How are they managing that?? At least City were selling as well as buying, but City?

We need to sell on Borini and Jones, and use that money for a keeper. The rest of the squad will have to make do...

Sappy404

My take on the Gerrard "the club left it too late" stuff is that if he'd been offered a contract extension when he thought he had a year or two of first-team football left in him he'd have signed it, but when he was told (justifiably IMO) that he'd be playing fewer games he decided against it. I don't think it's the case that the club took too long and his attention went elsewhere, or that he's punishing the club for delaying talks or anything. These are certainly the angles most publications are taking.

Perhaps Gerrard told Rodgers that he wants to be first name on the team-sheet or not at all, and Rodgers has been shoehorning him in to CM despite his performances to convince him he should stay. Maybe over the next 5 months we'll see a more functioning CM without Steve, and see him used sparingly in an attacking role. Fingers crossed.

LuckyLloyd

By the way, a run of very easy fixtures is at an end. Next few weeks to round out January much more challenging:

PREM: Sunderland v Liverpool
PREM: Aston Villa v Liverpool
CC: Liverpool v Chelsea
FAC: Liverpool v Bolton Wanderers
CC: Chelsea v Liverpool
PREM: Liverpool v West Ham

7 pts; CC final and 5th round of the FAC would be great...

8-10

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

By the way, a run of very easy fixtures is at an end. Next few weeks to round out January much more challenging:

PREM: Sunderland v Liverpool
PREM: Aston Villa v Liverpool
CC: Liverpool v Chelsea
FAC: Liverpool v Bolton Wanderers
CC: Chelsea v Liverpool
PREM: Liverpool v West Ham

7 pts; CC final and 5th round of the FAC would be great...

It sure would. I want that final

Chucky the tree

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Baaarrrp

Sorry, that's incorrect. He's definitely good enough to start in our best 11 behind a striker. I know some of you desperately wish that wasn't the case mind, but unfortunately this squad falls short of the perceptions some have of it.

Gerrard has far more end product than Coutinho or Lallana and would more consistently give us purpose from that position than either of them can. You'll counter with 'oh we can't press with Gerrard in that position' but Chucky baby - we ain't been pressing effectively all year no matter who lines up where.

I'll counter with we'd be **** at attacking with Gerrard in that position. Gerrard "skills" are terrible for a attacking midfielder.

As for end product, maybe if we let other players take free-kicks/penalties we'd have a similar end product?

LuckyLloyd

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I'll counter with we'd be **** at attacking with Gerrard in that position. Gerrard "skills" are terrible for a attacking midfielder.

As for end product, maybe if we let other players take free-kicks/penalties we'd have a similar end product?

Like we were away at Leicester and on Monday with him in that position?

Charlie19

7 points in those three away pl fixtures, would be fantastic.

LuckyLloyd

Charlie19 wrote: »

7 points in those three away pl fixtures, would be fantastic.

We have West Ham at home.

Chucky the tree

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Like we were away at Leicester and on Monday with him in that position?

For the most part we were **** Monday until we got the second goal. I didn't think we were anything special against Leicester either. They certainly haven't been our best performances this season.

ThunbergsAreGo

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Like we were away at Leicester and on Monday with him in that position?

Leicester was painful

murpho999

People arguing that Gerrard is not good enough for the first team is laughable. We'd most likely be out of the FA Cup if it wasn't for him.

The issue though is that he doesn't have the legs to play 38 x 90 min league games any more but he doesn't seem to accept this.

I like Gerrard a lot but I get the impression that he's hyper-sensitive as back in 05 he was off to Chelsea as he didn't feel wanted at Liverpool.

I think Rodgers is right to tell him that he won't be playing every game and I think Gerrard is wrong to expect otherwise. His leaving is sad and he will be missed but I think there is an element of him throwing his toys out of the pram.

Also, it will give Liverpool the chance to let someone else step up and I think it will also be good for Gerrard to experience another club and methods if he is to ever return in a coaching capacity.

monkey9

I agree with Lloyd in that Gerrard is definitely good enough for the first team, but in a more attacking role rather than the DM role he's been playing in. There's no need for him there and it smacks of fitting him in somewhere because of who he is.

The thing is though, I don't see Gerrard as a regular starter over the next two seasons. He needed to be eased out gradually as we have to learn to cope without him. Now, if Gerrard has made his decision based on him being told that he wouldn't be a regular, then what can you do? Rodgers can't lie to him and say, 'oh yeah, you'll be a regular, here sign the contract'.

Also, I haven't read the quotes from Gerrard, I've just heard that he said he'd have signed a contract in the summer if one was on the table. Did he actually say this and if so, is there any need for him to say this now? The decision has been made and he's going to LA. Quotes like that only cause more hassle. Why not wait until he's retired and he brings out his next autobiography to give the full story. What purpose does it serve now?

Charlie19

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

We have West Ham at home.

I could of swore I read your post as three away fixtures, ah well 7 points should be nailed on so.;)

Considering we have Chelsea in the LC, I'd be happy with just getting through to the next round of the FA cup.

LuckyLloyd

Charlie19 wrote: »

Considering we have Chelsea in the LC, I'd be happy with just getting through to the next round of the FA cup.

**** that. I'm not saying I'll be majorly upset if we lose to them over two legs, but City were sitting atop of the table three years ago when we got them in the semis and we beat them fair and ****ing square over two legs. This is Liverpool, we should be expecting to win the trophy from this position.

marklazarcovic

he said that once he was not going to be a mainstay of the team he was leaving..contract had been offered. his choice...can we move on

Sappy404

Update from Di Marzio on Shaqiri. No mention of LFC. Not on his English site as yet, so Google Translate will have to do for now:

They talk about it for days. Shaqiri el ' Inter, evidence of marriage. After Podolski, seems to be coming even outside Swiss Bayern Monaco . " Shaqiri has to leave the club. It needs new ideas, new motivations "to overreach is Omar Hitzfeld, who coached the Swiss national team until last World Cup and who spoke to him at Sky De : "It 's important for him to return to play from the first minute ". Only nine appearances for Shaqiri this season: "We have seen in recent months that Guardiola does not trust him. Especially after the injury of Ribery and Robben. Xherdan has definitely benefited from the new methods of the former Barcelona. But the coach is not convinced. The change on the bench of Heynckes with Guardiola, it was not beneficial to the player. Shaqiri has lost continuity: after his move from Basel in 2012, with Jupp had played 26 games out of 34 in the Bundesliga. " Clear words of those Hitzfeld. L 'Inter prepares the final offensive, the player has already decided.

LuckyLloyd

marklazarcovic wrote: »

he said that once he was not going to be a mainstay of the team he was leaving..contract had been offered. his choice...can we move on

:rolleyes:

You'll have to excuse fans of the club from wanting to focus on the departure of one of the greatest players to ever play for the club who has been driving us forward for 17 ****ing seasons. He's going to be a hot topic of conversation until the end of the season, and rightly so.

Francie Barrett

murpho999 wrote: »

His leaving is sad and he will be missed but I think there is an element of him throwing his toys out of the pram.

Throwing his toys out of the pram? He wasn't even offered a contract with less than 12 months remaining on his deal! For a club legend like Gerrard, that is a total slap in the face.

It's very clear that the club did not make any serious move to try and retain Gerrard's services. If you're serious about a player, you certainly do not let their deal go into the 12 month danger zone.

Think it's very clear that the money men are in charge of contracts at this club and I find that situation unacceptable.