Liverpool FC News/Gossip/Rumours Summer '15

Vicxas

MD1990 wrote: »

My team for Stoke

I reckon Firmino will come on second half for Ibe,


There was also talk of Gomez starting instead of Moreno. Interesting times ahead.

5starpool

Vicxas wrote: »

I reckon Firmino will come on second half for Ibe,


There was also talk of Gomez starting instead of Moreno. Interesting times ahead.

We'll need to sub Mignolet as well if he keeps standing that near his left post!

corwill

punk_one82 wrote: »

edit: However, Borini buys his sister lingerie for her bday so his position is now untenable.

FFS. We should be handing him over to Kai Proctor and Clay Burton for that.

rossc007

MD1990 wrote: »

My team for Stoke

Can at DM is still an unknown quantity, he has a touch of Gerrard about him. Too much risk to throw him in away to Stoke. Lucas is a must for this game, the rest looks pretty good, although I dont think he'll start Benteke.

Lots of legs in that team, should be interesting to see how hard we press away from home.

Buford T. Justice XIX

5starpool wrote: »

We'll need to sub Mignolet as well if he keeps standing that near his left post!

Worse than Moreno for being out of position:pac:

punk_one82

corwill wrote: »

FFS. We should be handing him over to Kai Proctor and Clay Burton for that.

This gif says you, but picture the head as me.

monkey9

Some people on here really need to lay off the oul internet and just enjoy watching their favourite football team play football. Being right or wrong on Boards shouldn't be as obsessive as it seems to be.

punk_one82

monkey9 wrote: »

Some people on here really need to lay off the oul internet and just enjoy watching their favourite football team play football. Being right or wrong on Boards shouldn't be as obsessive as it seems to be.

Stop telling lies.

martyos121

monkey9 wrote: »

Some people on here really need to lay off the oul internet and just enjoy watching their favourite football team play football. Being right or wrong on Boards shouldn't be as obsessive as it seems to be.

You're wrong about that.

*awaits obsessive response*

MD1990

monkey9 wrote: »

Some people on here really need to lay off the oul internet and just enjoy watching their favourite football team play football. Being right or wrong on Boards shouldn't be as obsessive as it seems to be.

But if Rafa ....:pac:

K-9

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

I wouldn't consider 'mind boggling' to be criticism.

In fairness, it is a surprisingly large number of players in 3 seasons.

Don't know why you have mind boggling in quotes.

32 isn't a lot given the rebuilding needed. We've only 2 players left from Rafas team if I'm correct, all Hodgsons buys are gone with probably only 1 left of Kennys buys come September.

That's before Rodgers transfers that didn't work out and needs replacing.

There's zero thought in criticising a number just because "Jaysus, that looks big."

It's about the same as Rafa to try and put it in context,

K-9

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

All I said is that Sterling looked impressive in his preseason highlights reel.

While preseason is not competitive football, it isn't some remote experience in 1970's Siberia. Stoke got pissed on a mere two days ago and looked dreadful, really dreadful. We looked like we were getting there over the weekend.

The expectation should always be that we beat Stoke at home but, considering how they looked at the weekend, I am particularly confident we'll bag the three points, yes. Surely that's a good thing?

We usually start crap at home.

We need the 3 points going on the fixture list.

Saturday is a MUST WIN game to be fair to Rodgers. Need to be able to call him out from the first game of the season.

K-9

Oops, sure it was a home game.

MightyMandarin

Is saturday really a 'must-win' game? A draw away to Stoke is a good result for any team in fairness. I think saturday is more a 'must not lose 6-1 again' game.

xabi

How the hell is the first game of a season a must win game?

K-9

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

Yeah, we'll be up in front of the Geneva human rights council this year, fo sho.

That will come across as sneering to some.

K-9

Sorry if my post came across as sneery. Was meant sarcastically for those with sarcasm detection deficits.

brevity

MightyMandarin wrote: »

Is saturday really a 'must-win' game? A draw away to Stoke is a good result for any team in fairness. I think saturday is more a 'must not lose 6-1 again' game.

I'm expecting a proper performance and 3 points tbh.

Connavar

xabi wrote: »

How the hell is the first game of a season a must win game?

Only reason I might say that is due to the tough run of away fixtures for the first half of the season. Winning all the games against the 'lower' opposition would keep some of the pressure off

corwill

punk_one82 wrote: »

This gif says you, but picture the head as me.

{snip}

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2017109/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt

Nasty, gruesomely violent, overly-explicit, gratuitous trash. Best show on the telly!

MightyMandarin

brevity wrote: »

I'm expecting a proper performance and 3 points tbh.

I'm expecting a slow performance and hopefully a point. Can't see us winning this.

K-9

We need 4 points from the first 2 games minimum. Stoke away is our easiest away game until November, atrocious away fixture list that even Moyes could grumble about.

Soft away games for the new manager though so no excuses.

brevity

MightyMandarin wrote: »

I'm expecting a slow performance and hopefully a point. Can't see us winning this.

If the players have their heads on right then we should beat them. Rodgers will have to make sure they don't go all guns blazing and try to get some sort of revenge that ends up backfiring.

MarkY91

MightyMandarin wrote: »

I'm expecting a slow performance and hopefully a point. Can't see us winning this.

We have no hope if we are to be happy with a point to Stoke. Our rivals wouldn't so why should we? Out humiliating defeat to them shouldn't come into this. Our team was on holiday during that match.

OwaynOTT

It's must win, as I couldn't stand this place if the team lost.

rossie1977

brevity wrote: »

If the players have their heads on right then we should beat them. Rodgers will have to make sure they don't go all guns blazing and try to get some sort of revenge that ends up backfiring.

all guns blazing would be in stark contrast to starting lucas and allen last time out and no strikers and still being 5-0 down at half time..

brevity

rossie1977 wrote: »

all guns blazing would be in stark contrast to starting lucas and allen last time out and no strikers and still being 5-0 down at half time..

I just have visions of three or four of them "putting themselves about" and getting yellow cards in the first 15 minutes and then being next to useless for the remainder of the match.

If we were a family in Game of Thrones we would be The Starks.

Muahahaha

xabi wrote: »

How the hell is the first game of a season a must win game?

"All games are must win"
Shankly

monkey9

When the first match of the season is described as a 'must win' match, that's when you need to log off and go for a walk.

garra

The result will be the most important thing obviously, but I am personally more interested in how we play in possession and defensively.. so many questions to be answered re setup of team and how/when we press..

Playing a high line against Stoke may not be a bad idea, they aren't stocked with flyers.. could get away without a DM in this case but can we make use of that offensively? Will we be looking to get round the full-backs and throw a few crosses in, that would be novel. Gotta say I'm hooked again, bloody football.. no.1 time-suck.

machiavellianme

Muahahaha wrote: »

"All games are must win"
Shankly

This. First bit of sense on here in days.

monkey9

garra wrote: »

The result will be the most important thing obviously, but I am personally more interested in how we play in possession and defensively.. so many questions to be answered re setup of team and how/when we press..

Playing a high line against Stoke may not be a bad idea, they aren't stocked with flyers.. could get away without a DM in this case but can we make use of that offensively? Will we be looking to get round the full-backs and throw a few crosses in, that would be novel. Gotta say I'm hooked again, bloody football.. no.1 time-suck.

Is that optimism i sense? How embarrassing.

marklazarcovic

OwaynOTT wrote: »

It's must win, as I couldn't stand this place if the team lost.

find it strange that anyone would log in somewhere where there is a chance they might get pissed off by what other complete strangers say about the team they support . why would you care man,our opinions are not gonna change club policy ,

although some would like to think they know whats better for the club than others we are are all just names on a screen,nothing more


:D:D:D:D

just ignore the mongs someone once told me :pac:

rob316

I want us to fly out of the traps like me did 2 seasons back, where before the opposition could catch a breath we were 2 or 3 goals up.

This side above all needs to get scoring again, we will never be that side to grind out a 1 nil win so I don't see us starting. We have some very good attacking players now and I'm hoping at least one can make the step up ala Suarez.

Regarding the race for the Top 4, depending on what business United do still, as it stands I see them as our rivals and not that far away either.

They currently have a WC want away keeper, poor CB options, on the verge of loosing there most creative player from last season, Rooney as the only CF, and Bastian struggling for fitness for a good while. Depay, Darmian and Schneiderlin are excellent signings though but we also signed Milner, Clyne and Firmino who aren't too shabby either.

I'm positive anyway.

marklazarcovic

a massive improvement in performances and a strong push for 3rd/4th is what should be expected imo,cups id prioritise the euro ,fa,league cup,one of them would be nice to start of the managers cup bringing to us,if it ever starts.

Francie Barrett

monkey9 wrote: »

When the first match of the season is described as a 'must win' match, that's when you need to log off and go for a walk.

Especially considering it's away and against a team we've been sh!te against.

Seriously though, with Stoke making the transition from a physical long ball team to a technical passing game, then on paper our superior talent should have enough to win a game played on a like for like basis.

K-9

If Benteke scores 15 to 20 Pl goals and Sturridge stays fit for even half a season we've got to have a good chance, bad and all as we were a goal scorer would have rescued a few defeats last season. Even in our good spell we usually only scored a goal or two in games.

Vicxas

Francie Barrett wrote: »

Especially considering it's away and against a team we've been sh!te against.

Seriously though, with Stoke making the transition from a physical long ball team to a technical passing game, then on paper our superior talent should have enough to win a game played on a like for like basis.

Considering Stoke having been buying wisely this summer it wont be an easy match at all.

Francie Barrett

rob316 wrote: »

I want us to fly out of the traps like me did 2 seasons back, where before the opposition could catch a breath we were 2 or 3 goals up.

This side above all needs to get scoring again, we will never be that side to grind out a 1 nil win so I don't see us starting. We have some very good attacking players now and I'm hoping at least one can make the step up ala Suarez.

Regarding the race for the Top 4, depending on what business United do still, as it stands I see them as our rivals and not that far away either.

They currently have a WC want away keeper, poor CB options, on the verge of loosing there most creative player from last season, Rooney as the only CF, and Bastian struggling for fitness for a good while. Depay, Darmian and Schneiderlin are excellent signings though but we also signed Milner, Clyne and Firmino who aren't too shabby either.

I'm positive anyway.

Agreed. People went mad about improving the defence last season, but yet for all the money we spent, things were no better. I would say don't worry about the defence at all and concentrate on getting goals. If we can get 70 goals next season, then that should be enough to secure top 4.

As for our rival for 4th - I reckon it'll be Arsenal. If they sign no one, then I reckon they're in serious trouble as you can count on them getting serious injuries to key players throughout the season.

Francie Barrett

Vicxas wrote: »

Considering Stoke having been buying wisely this summer it wont be an easy match at all.

True, but surely the likes of Benteke, Firmino, Clyne and Milner will be better signings than Afellay, Joselu, Given and Johnson.

monkey9

K-9 wrote: »

If Benteke scores 15 to 20 Pl goals and Sturridge stays fit for even half a season we've got to have a good chance, bad and all as we were a goal scorer would have rescued a few defeats last season. Even in our good spell we usually only scored a goal or two in games.

If Benteke stays fit, he will no doubt score at least that. Sturridge staying fit will be an added bonus.

K-9

monkey9 wrote: »

If Benteke stays fit, he will no doubt score at least that. Sturridge staying fit will be an added bonus.

Sturridge being the second striker kind of makes sense, especially easing him back in at first.

Vicxas

Will that generate friction once Sturridge is fit and wants to be the main striker, will Benteke want to drop off and play feeder?

Jesus Wept

every game is must win

JohnDaniels

Hopefully Benteke will help with presence on set pieces. For all the talk of the free flowing football we played in the season we came second I heard an incredulous stat on the wrap podcast just now. Picking the lock for the first goal is often the hardest task as after that teams need to come onto more and you can exploit the space. Around 40% of the first goals we scored in matches were from set pieces in that season.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Vicxas wrote: »

Will that generate friction once Sturridge is fit and wants to be the main striker, will Benteke want to drop off and play feeder?

Not if they're professional.

JohnDaniels

Vicxas wrote: »

Will that generate friction once Sturridge is fit and wants to be the main striker, will Benteke want to drop off and play feeder?

Two up top in a return to the diamond with Sturridge given licence to roam all over the place just off Benteke is an option.

garra

Vicxas wrote: »

Will that generate friction once Sturridge is fit and wants to be the main striker, will Benteke want to drop off and play feeder?

Some friction would be nice, would mean some competition for places. Benteke is suited more to being the out and out striker, a front 3 of Benteke flanked by Ibe and Sturridge is what I'm hoping for against Tottenham away on Oct 17th. Blast them off the park in the first 20, crack open cans, check times for MOTD. :pac:

Harry Palmr

JohnDaniels wrote: »

Two up top in a return to the diamond with Sturridge given licence to roam all over the place just off Benteke is an option.

Its the obvious formation for me. Even without Sturridge the 4-4-2 diamonds 4-4-1-1 cousin with Ibe or Firmino floating between Couts and Bents (ahem) would work well.

Agent Coulson

Sturridge, Benteke, Coutinho, Firmino & Lallana is quiet a good attacking 5 to be able to pick from if all can stay fit.


Then throw in the likes of Ibe, Ings, Markovic, Origi & hell even Balotelli as a second string five it's not to bad of cover for the first 5.


Skrtel, Sakho, Lovren, Toure, Ilori, Clyne, Moreno & Gomez we could do with another Fullback but that is a good group of defenders for any manager to be able to pick from.


It's CM where we need to strengthen Henderson, Lucas, Milner, Allen & Can looks very light to me.