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

D'Agger

Francie Barrett wrote: »

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.

Am I correct in saying that similar happened with Carra? I have it in my head that he was headed towards a similar running down of a contract situation prior to his last contact extension

Francie Barrett

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

: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.

If Rodgers was allowed to sit down with Gerrard at the end of last season, explain to him that while he wasn't going to start 100% of games, he would still start about 80-90%, tell him that he is loved and still a very important part of this team, and then offered him a 2 year deal. Gerrard would have signed up. I have no doubts about that.

The notion he is going off to MLS just to play 100% of games in a Mickey Mouse league has to be the biggest crock of sh!t I have ever heard.

SM01

Shame about Suso. I'd high hopes that he'd be a very good player at Liverpool.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/suso-agrees-four-year-contract-ac-8396464

noodler

Gerrard headline this morning looked damning but then I read the article and it just confirmed he wouldn't accept less games and so he has rightly decided to move on.

Francie Barrett

SM01 wrote: »

Shame about Suso. I'd high hopes that he'd be a very good player at Liverpool.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/suso-agrees-four-year-contract-ac-8396464

If he comes good - we will look very stupid.

Boom_Bap

I always had high hopes for Suso. I remember a few years back when he was playing one of his early games, maybe against Utd and he stole the show. Slick passing, lots of attacking passes....even my father a die hard Utd fan was impressed by Suso.

But I'm guessing that his lack of desire to press the opposition and lack of commitment to defend has hindered his time with us.
Italy is probably perfect for him as the defending is done by defenders, and counter is more popular. He will slot in nicely where he is getting quick balls from defence and posting them on to the forward line.

I also see reports that we have agreed a fee with Bayern for Shaqiri. Apparently Bayern prefer us as we are giving them monies, whereas Inter are looking for loan. It will probably come down to what the player prefers now.

monkey9

Inter Milan are 11th in Serie A at the moment and don't look like qualifying for the Champions League next season so from that point of view, it's much of a muchness between ourselves and Inter.

Turtyturd

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

: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.

Rightly so, but you should afford those who have no issue with him moving on the same courtesy to express rather than slinging around school yard lines like 'you don't care about Gerrard'.

Lovely Bloke

monkey9 wrote: »

Inter Milan are 11th in Serie A at the moment and don't look like qualifying for the Champions League next season so from that point of view, it's much of a muchness between ourselves and Inter.

so...is there a reason why clubs who likely WILL be in the CL aren't in for him then?

How good actually is he? Are the managers of all these other Spanish/German/Italian/English clubs who will be in the CL mugs for not going after him?

Will it be a good signing at all for Pool?

Augmerson

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/418744/Liverpool-to-snap-up-Xherdan-Shaqiri

Signing for 10m? Is there any truth?

BenEadir

Francie Barrett wrote: »

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.

Oh the drama the drama :rolleyes: Stevie doesn't want to be a squad player as it doesn't motivate him. LFC don't need a 35 year old as a starting player. What is the point of giving him a contract for a role he himself confirmed he doesn't want to play?

Francie Barrett wrote: »

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.

If a 35 year old midfielder is not what the team needs why give a 35 year old midfielder a new contract? I really don't understand the logic. He was granted a testimonial in 2013 http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/steven-gerrard-testimonial-recap-action-2119829 and he's been told there will always be a role for him at the club. What more should he get? A contract until he's 40 just because he's been a great player for us? His greatness and loyalty were rewarded in the contracts he's received since he turned pro. What sense would it make to give him a new contract when the cash and spot in the squad could be given to a player who can actually start every week and isn't in his mid 30's?

Francie Barrett wrote: »

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

Ooh, the people who actually put their own money into the club are deciding how their money should be spent, I never. What a radical way to do things. It's generally much better to allow someone with no financial skills (i.e. a football manager) award multi million contracts to players as he feels fit.

Long may the people with financial skills and experience make the financial decisions and the people with football skills and experience make the football decisions!!

Turtyturd

Augmerson wrote: »

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/418744/Liverpool-to-snap-up-Xherdan-Shaqiri

Signing for 10m? Is there any truth?

Can't be much use if nobody else is in for him.

googled eyes

Watch Shaqiri end up on the Chelsea bench.

We're not buying anyone of consequence lads. An ongoing FFP investigation will see to that.

Harry Palmr

Shaqiri is heading for Inter bar an accident.

---

In youth news the U18s are having a beno in Malaysia in some youth tournament - they beat Feyenoord 2-0 earlier today (Wilson and AN Other) having beaten a local side Guangdong Evergrande 2-0 the previous day (Canos with a brace) and another local side in a 6-5 thriller at the weekend.

Guangdong Evergrande

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRUI6V5AyaQ

The U21s played a friendly as well winning 2-0 over Shrewsbury. ( Vigouroux, Randall, Cleary, Maguire, Kent, Brannagan, Lussey, Ojo, Suso, Yesil, Sinclair)

gafferino

SM01 wrote: »

Shame about Suso. I'd high hopes that he'd be a very good player at Liverpool.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/suso-agrees-four-year-contract-ac-8396464

Real shame. I feel he wasnt given a proper chance but then again he has been at the club a long time so they know him very well. I always thought he had something about him, I didnt seem him play in Spain but his obvious downfall seemed to be a lack of pace.

noodler

God, the summer feels like a missed opportunity a little more each day.

Vicxas

Schneiderlin wants out? And we're not in for him?


Or is it because of the running Southampton joke we're not in for him?

klose

Shaqiri is a luxery buy we cant afford anyways, we should be focusing on a goalkeeper and a striker like sturridge (minus the injury record)
I can forego a defensive mid as lucas is having an upturn in form and can is getting more game time, albeit out of position but i think he will eventually go into miidfield sooner rather than later.

Augmerson

googled eyes wrote: »

An ongoing FFP investigation will see to that.

Highly doubt anything of consequence will happen, PSG and Man City got away with it.

LuckyLloyd

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

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

This place went looney after the Leicester game, I don't recall you coming on and saying what a great game Gerrard had.

Francie Barrett wrote: »

If he comes good - we will look very stupid.

Not really, isn't it a case of him wanting first team games?
Can you see him adequately doing a job in place of Sterling, Lallana or Coutino this season or next?
I can't so I imagine the club told him something similar and he's off in the expectation that Inter will give him games.

Bandana boy

klose wrote: »

and a striker like sturridge (minus the injury record) .

Not asking for much are we ,a striker with the most goals per minute of the last 18 months (bar Ronaldo) in European Football ,but with a better injury record .
Ok Will get right on that

With crossed fingers it's a reasonable hope that Sturridge will play 75% of the remaining games once he's back
Even by his standards missing so much this season has been very unlucky.

LuckyLloyd

Augeo wrote: »

This place went looney after the Leicester game, I don't recall you coming on and saying what a great game Gerrard had.

The away game at Leicester - Gerrard was deployed as an Attacking midfielder, scored one and setup another in a 3 - 1 win
The home game at Leicester - Gerrard was deployed as a defensive midfielder, scored two penalties in a bad 2 - 2 draw

My point was that in two games over the space of a month he started as an attacking midfielder, scored goals and we won. That's the point.

Boom_Bap

klose wrote: »

Shaqiri is a luxery buy we cant afford anyways, we should be focusing on a goalkeeper and a striker like sturridge (minus the injury record)
I can forego a defensive mid as lucas is having an upturn in form and can is getting more game time, albeit out of position but i think he will eventually go into miidfield sooner rather than later.

If we ship out Borini and get Shaqiri that would be a tidy bit of business.
I also havent heard much from Assaidi lately, if Stoke manage to get the coin together to make that purchase, then replacing with Shaqiri would be great business.

Boom_Bap

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

The away game at Leicester - Gerrard was deployed as an Attacking midfielder, scored one and setup another in a 3 - 1 win
The home game at Leicester - Gerrard was deployed as a defensive midfielder, scored two penalties in a bad 2 - 2 draw

My point was that in two games over the space of a month he started as an attacking midfielder, scored goals and we won. That's the point.

When Gerrard was first deployed as the DM/QB, first match was dodgy, then a string of games after that was magic. But opposition figured out how to supress that role quickly.
AM is much better for him now, but he doesnt have the pace to get into the box now.
For the Galaxy, if he needs to sit in the middle with a DM behind him and 2 forwards ahead of him, he will be able to get back to contorlling a game.

gafferino

klose wrote: »

Shaqiri is a luxery buy we cant afford anyways, we should be focusing on a goalkeeper and a striker like sturridge (minus the injury record)
I can forego a defensive mid as lucas is having an upturn in form and can is getting more game time, albeit out of position but i think he will eventually go into miidfield sooner rather than later.

I have yet to see any of the reliables or even remotely credible link us with Shaqiri. I think its twitter nonsense.
He will be going to Inter - I think Mancini spoke about him yesterday so there is certainly something in that.

Boom_Bap

New signings!



Ryland is the obvious fan favorite.


James Pearce retweeted PA Dugout ‏@PA_dugout 4 mins4 minutes ago
LA Galaxy coach Bruce Arena to LA Times on Gerrard: "Steven Gerrard arrives in July. He's a player of quality." #LFC

LuckyLloyd

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

..............
My point was that in two games over the space of a month he started as an attacking midfielder, scored goals and we won. That's the point.

The away Leicester game, ok.

Pyjamarama

I don't see why people think we should give a 35 year old a 2 year contract? If he played good enough to earn a 2nd year he would have got one no??

Stevie is leaving cause he wants to. For whatever reason. And if its cause he won't be playing every game (most likely) then its best he does and the locker room isn't in a jocker for 2 years.

klose

Bandana boy wrote: »

Not asking for much are we ,a striker with the most goals per minute of the last 18 months (bar Ronaldo) in European Football ,but with a better injury record .
Ok Will get right on that

I obviously meant a similar playing style

Agent Coulson

Transfer silly season has really kicked in now:pac:

Karim Benzema PUSHES for Liverpool move

REAL MADRID are lining up a move for Manchester United's Radamel Falcao with Karim Benzema keen on a move to Liverpool.And reports in Spain suggest that the French international striker now has his heart set on a move to the Premier League.

Benzema has reportedly grown tired of the criticism he receives from Carlo Ancelotti and believes the work he does on the pitch is not properly appreciated.

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/550450/Karim-Benzema-Liverpool-Radamel-Falcao-transfer-news

Chucky the tree

Francie Barrett wrote: »

If Rodgers was allowed to sit down with Gerrard at the end of last season, explain to him that while he wasn't going to start 100% of games, he would still start about 80-90%, tell him that he is loved and still a very important part of this team, and then offered him a 2 year deal. Gerrard would have signed up. I have no doubts about that.

The notion he is going off to MLS just to play 100% of games in a Mickey Mouse league has to be the biggest crock of sh!t I have ever heard.

Based on reputation, not based on actually deserving to.

Harry Palmr

LOL! Benzema pushes for City/Munich/Chelsea move I could just about believe.

Oranage2

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Based on reputation, not based on actually deserving to.

You don't think he deserves to?

Gerard is easily better than Lucas and Allen, and he's still scoring goals.

Vicxas

Pushes for Liverpool....


There's a term that's very rarely been said about a footballer

Mr Alan

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Based on reputation, not based on actually deserving to.

Based on his performances last season where he was excellent overall?
Based on his proven top class ability?
Based on a lack of top quality alternatives in our team?
Based on our current transfer panels inability to bring in quality players? (Presumably only going to be made worse by us losing our last marquee player)

Honestly, you must really think that we have an exceptional options in the middle that Gerrrard has been holding back all these years. Can't wait to see them shine now :rolleyes:

Chucky the tree

Mr Alan wrote: »

Based on his performances last season where he was excellent overall?
Based on his proven top class ability?
Based on a lack of top quality alternatives in our team?
Based on our current transfer panels inability to bring in quality players? (Presumably only going to be made worse by us losing our last marquee player)

Honestly, you must really think that we have an exceptional options in the middle that Gerrrard has been holding back all these years. Can't wait to see them shine now :rolleyes:

I thought Suarez carried us last season? I suppose that doesn't suit your argument this time. :rolleyes: Let me know when you need a hand moving those goal posts again.

Ciano35

Martin odegaard apparently set to sign for Real Madrid

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11835/9635356/transfer-news-norwegian-wonderkid-martin-odegaard-close-to-joining-real-madrid

K-9

Bad form by Gerrard to come out with that only days after announcing he was leaving. God knows why the club had to wait a few months, what with Suarez leaving and signing a load of players, sorting the stadium and other such trifling matters. He should have kept his mouth shut until the season was over.

Gbear

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I thought Suarez carried us last season? I suppose that doesn't suit your argument this time. :rolleyes: Let me know when you need a hand moving those goal posts again.

Yeah. And Gerrard carried him.

And Henderson's legs carried Gerrard.

And Coutinho's delivery and creation of space carried Hendo's lack of end product.

And Sturridge carried the lot of them, when Suarez was out or we couldn't break a team down.

Or Allen carried us when we were out of other options and just needed someone to hang on to the ball for a bit.

And Skrtel carried everyone else with his goals from set pieces when everything else wasn't coming off.

Etc.. etc...

Except Rodgers.

He was at aromatherapy class.

SlickRic

we should not still be relying on Gerrard, but we still do.

the fact is, with the current squad, we can't actually afford to lose him.

whether we like it or not, when deployed correctly, he is still the most likely of our team to pull shít out of the fire.

it's right that people are worried.

if he is adequately replaced, then fine. this won't be an issue. but there are rightly doubts as to whether we will get in the calibre of player needed to replace him.

Francie Barrett

Pyjamarama wrote: »

I don't see why people think we should give a 35 year old a 2 year contract? If he played good enough to earn a 2nd year he would have got one no??

No one is saying he should be getting a two year contract now. What should have happened over Summer was that his contract should have been extended for another year, giving him until 2016 when he turns 36.

Francie Barrett

K-9 wrote: »

Bad form by Gerrard to come out with that only days after announcing he was leaving.

I would be reacting badly too if the club I had been with for 20 years never bothered offering me a contract.

Lovely Bloke

Francie Barrett wrote: »

No one is saying he should be getting a two year contract now. What should have happened over Summer was that his contract should have been extended for another year, giving him until 2016 when he turns 36.

maybe he didn't want that.

Hangballlouie

Harry Palmr wrote: »

The U21s played a friendly as well winning 2-0 over Shrewsbury. ( Vigouroux, Randall, Cleary, Maguire, Kent, Brannagan, Lussey, Ojo, Suso, Yesil, Sinclair)

How is Yesil performing since he came back? I had high hopes for him, but I haven't watched much if any youth football in the past 12 months.

K-9

Francie Barrett wrote: »

I would be reacting badly too if the club I had been with for 20 years never bothered offering me a contract.

Except they did offer the contract a few months later, so that isn't quite true. I sincerely doubt it wasn't discussed during the Summer and he wasn't aware that it was in the pipeline.

As I posted yesterday during the "he was a great fella" praise of Gerrard the legend, he's a bit of a primadonna as well.

Mr Alan

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I thought Suarez carried us last season? I suppose that doesn't suit your argument this time. :rolleyes: Let me know when you need a hand moving those goal posts again.

Suarez did carry us last season. I've never said that means nobody else had good seasons though?

For clarity Gerrard had an excellent season. So did Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge. Jon Flannagan had a very good one too.

Suarez was the main catalyst our title challenge though & for our general form though. His brilliance was quite infectious I believe. Gerrard is actually the only player in our entire squad who has shown he can be brilliant without Suarez around.

Harry Palmr

Ciano35 wrote: »

Martin odegaard apparently set to sign for Real Madrid

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11835/9635356/transfer-news-norwegian-wonderkid-martin-odegaard-close-to-joining-real-madrid

Least of our worries frankly. Real will kill his chances of an upwardly mobile career. He'll be sold to Spurs in three/four years.

Hangball Doughboy wrote: »

How is Yesil performing since he came back? I had high hopes for him, but I haven't watched much if any youth football in the past 12 months.

I hardly seen him thanks to LFC tv lack of live coverage of U21s and the paucity of games anyway!

NEDDURC

It's hard to know....

Gerrard gives the team a real drive. That's his best characteristic really. He brings an intensity to every game that most players never reach.

But he unbalances a team. England have always found it hard to accomodate him fully as have Liverpool. At times he's really clicked in the right system with the right players around him. I think Rodgers may well be able to get a better balance to the team without him next season.

However, I also feel that this season will be seen in future as a massive transition season for Liverpool. I think it's time now to start trusting the young players to step up and deliver. Sterling, Sturridge, Sakho, Henderson, Coutinho, Moreno, Markovic - I feel like these all have a huge amount more to give.

gafferino

Mr Alan wrote: »

Suarez did carry us last season. I've never said that means nobody else had good seasons though?

For clarity Gerrard had an excellent season. So did Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge. Jon Flannagan had a very good one too.

Suarez was the main catalyst our title challenge though & for our general form though. His brilliance was quite infectious I believe. Gerrard is actually the only player in our entire squad who has shown he can be brilliant without Suarez around.

Did all these players play excellently in spite of Rodgers too?