Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2015/16 (*EVERYONE READ MOD POST in OP)

jaykay74

googled eyes wrote: »

Really wish the papers hadn't serialised Gerrard's book. The club doesn't need his " Dirty laundry " being aired right now( I know I shared a link on Saturday night but I was being flippant)

Maybe Gerrard should have kept his powder dry for a couple of years instead though ? Not great for the club with all these storys especially ones that make the current manager look like a plonker. Or maybe he is happy enough making things uncomfortable for Rodgers, dunno!

brevity

Sappy404 wrote: »

I'm not saying he deserves to stay, or that FSG are right to have backed him. I'm saying it's naive to think FSG would sack him 5 games into the season after investing so heavily in the summer.

Oh right, misunderstood your point. Apologies...

While in think FSG will drag their heels a bit I do think he is on the way out.

Also, I'd wager that FSG won't lose a huge amount by getting rid of Rodgers. I actually don't think they have invested a huge amount in the club. They have done a lot to make sure we generate money organically. But I don't think they will be out of pocket by any means.

J Mysterio

jaykay74 wrote: »

Maybe Gerrard should have kept his powder dry for a couple of years instead though ? Not great for the club with all these storys especially ones that make the current manager look like a plonker. Or maybe he is happy enough making things uncomfortable for Rodgers, dunno!

Footballers should be seen and not heard... But yeah, not helpful to the club in any way and its not like he needs the money.

citytillidie

Agent Coulson wrote: »

So the manager asked a player to tap up another player isn't that against FIFA rules or something.


I'm sure Klopp, Ancelotti or De Boer wouldn't need to to ask a player to do that.

No different to what you see Barca / Real players in the press talking about players, sure just look at how the Barca players acted at getting Fabregas

SlickRic

The 'it's only 5 weeks in' is a complete fallacy.

At best, it's 18 months of mediocrity, and at worst, it's 3 years at the club with nothing to show for it.

Under the 'only 5 weeks' argument, a manager could change the team every season and always be in a job because they'll always have the 'well...they need time to gel' comeback.

Ludicrous.

x43r0

Vicxas wrote: »

After the weekend, Klopp must be sitting at home sitting by the phone like this:

I'd say more likely is Klopp's agent sitting by the phone with a couple of beers and his conversation hat

Lovely Bloke

you have to question Gerrard's motivation in

a. bringing out a book now
b. serialising it in a tabloid

MD1990

How bad was Skrtel vs Man Utd though. Its really will be quite incredible when most likely Skrtel & Lovren start again vs Norwich.

corwill

Sappy404 wrote: »

I'm not saying he deserves to stay, or that FSG are right to have backed him. I'm saying it's naive to think FSG would sack him 5 games into the season after investing so heavily in the summer.

Really, the naïveté is on FSG's part. I agree that they probably won't have the strength of will to acknowledge their mistake in a timely fashion. No one fears showing weakness as much as the weak, which they are in terms of the actual football side of their business.

That's all just the usual psychology of business, though. None of that takes away from the right thing to do.

corwill

citytillidie wrote: »

No different to what you see Barca / Real players in the press talking about players, sure just look at how the Barca players acted at getting Fabregas

They actually knew each other, though. Kroos must have been thinking "effing Muller on the windup again".

SlickRic

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

you have to question Gerrard's motivation in

a. bringing out a book now
b. serialising it in a tabloid

It's all about him.

As wonderful as he was for us, it is about him.

I remember watching the Fantasy Football show once, and he was asked to pick a team made up of the best players he'd ever played with.

He picked himself in midfield. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else do it.

It's ridiculous that this book is out now, and it's being serialised.

Grayditch

If FSG want to be brutal about this they can be. If they axe Rodgers and bring in an experienced manager who gets us into the CL next year (won't be expecting too much in season 1), nobody is going to be saying "This is great, but I still regret that Rodgers wasn't given another few months of playing Ings wide and leaving Sakho on the bench". This hypothetical situation is very possible.

It's not like we've just started underachieving yesterday. The further we fall, the more dangerous it becomes.

Harry Palmr

LOAN WATCH

Sheyi Ojo (Wolves) - came on at 61 minutes in 1-2 defeat.
Lloyd Jones (Blackpool) - full game in 1-2 defeat
Vigouroux, Williams, Stewart (Swindon Town) - Vig and Williams played full game, Stewart not in squad in 4-1 defeat
Harry Wilson (Crewe) - came off bench on 67 minutes in 1-3 defeat. Scored winning goal for Wales U21 earlier in week
Danny Ward, Ryan McLaughlin (Aberdeen) - Ward full game in 2-1 win against Celtic McLaughlin an unused sub.
Wisdom (Norwich) - played full game in 3-1 victory
Markovic (Fenerbache) - played last 30 minutes in 0-1 win (replaced Van Persie!)
Samed Yesil (Lucerne) Came off the bench for last 15 minutes in 3-3 draw
Joe Maguire (Leyton Orient) - on bench no game time
Ryan Kent (Coventry) played 30 minutes in what was described as a "lively cameo" by local press 1-1 draw v Leeds.
Allan (HJK) - started game got 61 minutes in 0-0 draw
Taiwo Awoniyi (FSV Frankfurt) - played full game for Nigeria U21s in loss to Germany
Sergio Canos (Brentford) - came off bench for the last 8 minutes for in 1-1 draw

plus Balotelli (Milan) Ilori (Villa) and Alberto (Deportivo) none of whom are coming back.

Notes - That Wisdom started and finished a game for Norwich is good news for him, all the more so in a strong victory. I like that Markovic replaced RvP!

LiamoSail

I don't see the problem regarding Kross, actually I think it's good to see the club showed ambition with their targets.

Having just been pipped to the title, and with CL football guaranteed, Rodgers was right to go after Kross. At least it showed there was ambition there, in contrast to the usual Liverpool transfer targets, average players in average premier league sides who've just had a decent season; Downing, Carroll, Llalana, Lovern, Adam etc

Mr.H

SlickRic wrote: »

It's all about him.

As wonderful as he was for us, it is about him.

I remember watching the Fantasy Football show once, and he was asked to pick a team made up of the best players he'd ever played with.

He picked himself in midfield. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else do it.

It's ridiculous that this book is out now, and it's being serialised.

Carra, Neville, Henry all picked themselves on Sky.

NyOmnishambles

Sappy404 wrote: »

So, you're FSG. You're world-renowned sports team comes very close to winning their first title in a generation and you give the manager a lucrative new deal. Your team then loses its star player, your braintrust signs a bunch of overpriced no-marks and your star striker is injured long-term; the team plays dreadfully for 3 months.

But you stick with your man.

Things improve slightly for a few months but it all goes to hell again; scraping a place in Europe and capitulating in the last few matches, including a new low 6-1 defeat on the last day.

However, you decide again to back your manager - big time.

You sack everyone around him and hire replacements and promote coaches internally. You make a windfall selling your best player for the second year in a row, again reinvesting every penny plus tens of millions of your own money in rebuilding the squad. After a difficult fixture list is drawn, the season starts with a win at the scene of the team's most humiliating defeat last season. Your captain gets injured, your star striker is recovering from his latest surgery, and you pick up a 2nd win, followed by a decent point away to title contenders Arsenal. A poor home display results in a heavy defeat, and a loss at the home of your biggest rivals, this one also without your best player, sees them go three points ahead of you into 2nd.

But your captain will be back soon. Your star striker is back training regularly, and your best player has served his suspension.

It's now you sack your manager? After 5 games? After 2 defeats? Leicester are 15 places above Chelsea. You think the season so far can tell you something worth throwing away the millions and millions you've just invested? You think it's already worth putting millions more into sackings, hiring a new manager and an entire new backroom? You think bringing in another 5-6 players in January for this new man is the wise thing to do? Please.

Even if his days are numbered, even if Klopp is breathing down his neck or making eyes at FSG, even if tepid 1-0 wins against the shíter teams in the league are all the fans have to enjoy, Rodgers won't be sacked for a long time yet.

Being Billionaire business men who tend to be ruthless I would think they would be looking at it and seeing that despite all of the above, nothing has changed

The team is directionless, rudderless and devoid of ideas, sure some of that is down to the players needing to grow a spine but most of it comes from the manager who at least should be trying to get the team playing to some kind of system, if he is I just can't see it or it is just plain the wrong system

It is blatantly clear now, if it wasn't already at the end of last season (when he should have gone imo) that Rodgers isn't up to the job at hand, I don't want or like seeing a Liverpool manager fail but we have not progressed under Rodgers and look like standing still and that isn't good enough

Sappy404

Mr.H wrote: »

Carra, Neville, Henry all picked themselves on Sky.

It makes sense to pick yourself though. They're players you've payed with. Ostensibly you should be in that team.

LiamoSail

SlickRic wrote: »

It's all about him.

As wonderful as he was for us, it is about him.

I remember watching the Fantasy Football show once, and he was asked to pick a team made up of the best players he'd ever played with.

He picked himself in midfield. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else do it.

It's ridiculous that this book is out now, and it's being serialised.

That's nonsense. FourFourTwo used to have a "My best XI" feature with a different player each month. In the years I read the magazine, few if any didn't put themselves in their team.

Regarding the book, he's spent his entire professional career with Liverpool, I'm sure there's plenty he wants to get off his chest, and give his perspective on. I think he's perfectly entitled to do it.

SlickRic

LiamoSail wrote: »

That's nonsense. FourFourTwo used to have a "My best XI" feature with a different player each month. In the years I read the magazine, few if any didn't put themselves in their team.

Regarding the book, he's spent his entire professional career with Liverpool, I'm sure there's plenty he wants to get off his chest, and give his perspective on. I think he's perfectly entitled to do it.

RE: the XI, fair enough. I'd just never seen it on the Sky show.

On the book, he's entitled to do it. But i think we'd all prefer it wasn't about around now. And to have it in the tabloids?

It's poor timing, and he could've delayed it.

J Mysterio

I'm very concerned with all the players who were brought in who haven't had a fair crack of the whip. Left to rot on the bench, sent out on loan or sold.

Big problem is that the players don't suit the system or the system doesn't suit the players.

We got Clyne in for right back so we have to play 4 at the back (or with two wing backs), yet Moreno is never played, despite looking energetic when he gets a chance. Gomez, who should be behind Sakho is shoehorned into left back

Favouritism (including blind faith in those he likes) is a big problem. Lovren like. Really.

As people have also pointed out... Lambert, Balotelli, Benteke. All similar players, all totally isolated in Rodgers team.

ARRRGGGHH.

LuckyLloyd

Free Enrique imo

brevity

I wonder is there a paragraph in the book about how he didn't like playing on the wing and "somehow" the media got wind of it bringing unnecessary pressure on the manager.

Probably not.

Agent Coulson

J Mysterio wrote: »

As people have also pointed out... Lambert, Balotelli, Benteke. All similar players, all totally isolated in Rodgers team.

ARRRGGGHH.

All similar to Andy Carroll who Rodgers ran out of the club.

Not saying I wouldn't have run Andy out as well but why then go and £50m+ on similar players.

RayCon

Sappy404 wrote: »

So, you're FSG. You're world-renowned sports team comes very close to winning their first title in a generation and you give the manager a lucrative new deal. Your team then loses its star player, your braintrust signs a bunch of overpriced no-marks and your star striker is injured long-term; the team plays dreadfully for 3 months.

But you stick with your man.

Things improve slightly for a few months but it all goes to hell again; scraping a place in Europe and capitulating in the last few matches, including a new low 6-1 defeat on the last day.

However, you decide again to back your manager - big time.

You sack everyone around him and hire replacements and promote coaches internally. You make a windfall selling your best player for the second year in a row, again reinvesting every penny plus tens of millions of your own money in rebuilding the squad. After a difficult fixture list is drawn, the season starts with a win at the scene of the team's most humiliating defeat last season. Your captain gets injured, your star striker is recovering from his latest surgery, and you pick up a 2nd win, followed by a decent point away to title contenders Arsenal. A poor home display results in a heavy defeat, and a loss at the home of your biggest rivals, this one also without your best player, sees them go three points ahead of you into 2nd.

But your captain will be back soon. Your star striker is back training regularly, and your best player has served his suspension.

It's now you sack your manager? After 5 games? After 2 defeats? Leicester are 15 places above Chelsea. You think the season so far can tell you something worth throwing away the millions and millions you've just invested? You think it's already worth putting millions more into sackings, hiring a new manager and an entire new backroom? You think bringing in another 5-6 players in January for this new man is the wise thing to do? Please.

Even if his days are numbered, even if Klopp is breathing down his neck or making eyes at FSG, even if tepid 1-0 wins against the shíter teams in the league are all the fans have to enjoy, Rodgers won't be sacked for a long time yet.

Well that was depressingly logical

RayCon

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

you have to question Gerrard's motivation in

a. bringing out a book now
b. serialising it in a tabloid

monkey9

Could Gerrard not wait a couple of years to bring out this book? I'm sick of players who wouldn't dream of saying these things in interviews, saying it instead in books and releasing them while they are still playing or in Gerrard's case, impacting on the club at present.

Sappy404

monkey9 wrote: »

Could Gerrard not wait a couple of years to bring out this book? I'm sick of players who wouldn't dream of saying these things in interviews, saying it instead in books and releasing them while they are still playing or in Gerrard's case, impacting on the club at present.

He'll have another one out in a couple of years. They all do it.

Mr.H

The only kinda bad stuff I have heard is that we failed to convince a couple of players to join the club???

Was there worse stuff than that??

I dont understand why people are over reacting and asking why would he release the book at a time like this. Jesus its not like he said we worship hitler at melwood

Grayditch

If it'll get us a German manager...

J Mysterio

You could write a really long list of grievances and problems right now.

Lets hope we kick the arse of Bordeaux on Thursday and the team is totally changed up.

Should have Hendo, Coutinho and Sturridge back next week? Studge will obviously need to be eased in, maybe coming on as a sub.

Agent Coulson

So do Sturridge and Benteke play together in a proper front 2 or does Sturridge play on the wing in a front 3 with Firmino on the other wing?

Buford T. Justice XIX

Agent Coulson wrote: »

So do Sturridge and Benteke play together in a proper front 2 or does Sturridge play on the wing in a front 3 with Firmino on the other wing?

Now that's a good question!

It looks like Sturridge will be shunted out to the wing, going on what teams and tactics we have seen so far this season.

Sooner or later, we are going to have to put 2 up top:(

5starpool

Agent Coulson wrote: »

So do Sturridge and Benteke play together in a proper front 2 or does Sturridge play on the wing in a front 3 with Firmino on the other wing?

Hopefully he'll essentially be forced to play 2 up front. I think though the default he'll refer to though is 3 at the back, although that should have scope for 2 up front as well, although it'd be impossible to play Coutinho and Firmino unless Firmino is played as a wing back, which wouldn't surprise me sadly.

Demosthenese

Agent Coulson wrote: »

So do Sturridge and Benteke play together in a proper front 2 or does Sturridge play on the wing in a front 3 with Firmino on the other wing?

Sturridge will be shipped out wide i'd say. Then we need to hammer in a few more square pegs into round holes to make the system choke.

Doesn't matter what system he plays to be honest, if he cannot get them more "up for it" than they were against United, we're in trouble. Next 2 games winnable, Watford/Villa. Not alot to fear there.

J Mysterio

Another grievance is Milner walking into the team and being given VC. I havent been impressed by him in CM. I think he should be LM or LWF. Tough **** if he's not happy with it, provides better balance.

Hendo, Can and Lucas to fight for CM

Demosthenese

J Mysterio wrote: »

Another grievance is Milner walking into the team and being given VC. I havent been impressed by him in CM. I think he should be LM or LWF. Tough **** if he's not happy with it, provides better balance.

Hendo, Can and Lucas to fight for CM

Seems the backline get a battering for our losses so this is Valid point. Lucas was piss poor in possession Saturday and Can doesn't seem to have enough influence in the middle right now. All struggling for form. Hope Hendo getting back gives them a lift cos it needs to change. Milner's work ethic has been excellent on most of the games i've seen him in so far. Just the side seems lethargic itself.

This is the rut ...

Agent Coulson

Milner stating he was guaranteed a central midfield position as the reason for joining and you have to imagine Henderson won't be dropped so the team is built around them in central midfield.

---

Mignolet

---

-Clyne

---

Skrtel

---

Lovren

---

Gomez--

---

Milner

---

Henderson

---

---

Coutinho

---

Firmnio

---

---

Benteke

---

Sturridge

---

Or

---

Mignolet

---

-Clyne

---

Skrtel

---

Lovren

---

Gomez--

---

Milner

---

Henderson

---

---

Coutinho

---

--Sturridge

---

Benteke

---

Firmnio-

5starpool

Demosthenese wrote: »

Sturridge will be shipped out wide i'd say. Then we need to hammer in a few more square pegs into round holes to make the system choke.

Doesn't matter what system he plays to be honest, if he cannot get them more "up for it" than they were against United, we're in trouble. Next 2 games winnable, Watford/Villa. Not alot to fear there.

We have struggled to beat Villa at Anfield in the last few years. Nothing to take for granted in either of those games the way we are playing.

5starpool

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Milner stating he was guaranteed a central midfield position as the reason for joining and you have to imagine Henderson won't be dropped so the team is built around them in central midfield.

---

Mignolet

---

-Clyne

---

Skrtel

---

Lovren

---

Gomez--

---

Milner

---

Henderson

---

---

Coutinho

---

Firmnio

---

---

Benteke

---

Sturridge

---

Too narrow. I reckon the only way we can get those 4 attacking players into the team is to have Coutinho lie deeper in midfield and play Firmino just off the front 2, with Henderson or Milner at the base of the diamond.

Muahahaha

googled eyes wrote: »

Just watching again.

Benteke's goal was beautiful.

Definite goal of the month contender. Pity it got over shadowed by the nature of the loss. Plus the media coming in their pants over the Martial goal which was more a case of Skirtel standing off and not tackling him than it was some sort of stroke of genius.

MD1990 wrote: »

How bad was Skrtel vs Man Utd though. Its really will be quite incredible when most likely Skrtel & Lovren start again vs Norwich.

Skirtel has frustrated me for sometime now. Back when we were winning 3-2 a lot with Suarez Skirtels mistakes at the back were ignored because we had snatched the points.

I'd love to see some stats on Skirtels clearing headers. He has a great ability to win headers but they always seem to find an opposition player. He did this constantly in the 2nd half of the 0-0 with Arsenal- he won a ton of headers which ended up at an Arsenal players feet and they came at us again, we just couldn't get out of our own half with the ball.

J Mysterio

Hendo/ Milner is like Lampard/ Gerrard

SlickRic

J Mysterio wrote: »

Another grievance is Milner walking into the team and being given VC. I havent been impressed by him in CM. I think he should be LM or LWF. Tough **** if he's not happy with it, provides better balance.

Hendo, Can and Lucas to fight for CM

Milner is being asked to do a job he's not adequate for.

He doesn't control games. He never has. So when you ask him to be the midfield general, he fails. He's been set up to fail.

Just like Gomez is being set up to fail at LB.
Just like Balotelli was set up to fail as a lone striker.
Just like Can is set up to fail when he plays DM.
Just like Markovic was set up to fail being played as a wing back.

You can't keep putting square pegs in round holes and expect the teak to function, especially when you don't have Suarez's genius and leadership to bail you out.

Nerdlingr

Muahahaha wrote: »

I'd love to see some stats on Skirtels clearing headers. He has a great ability to win headers but they always seem to find an opposition player. He did this constantly in the 2nd half of the 0-0 with Arsenal- he won a ton of headers which ended up at an Arsenal players feet and they came at us again, we just couldn't get out of our own half with the ball.

Could that be a symptom of us retreating into our shells at the edge of our own box rather than Skrtel being at fault. He's done his job in that situation and cleared the ball, its up to our midfield then to challenge/win the second ball at the edge of our box.

J Mysterio

Seems Rodgers promised him CM. He needs to man up and tell him, 'sorry for the good of the team', youre LM.

Rafa put Gerrard RW ffs.

Magico Gonzalez

How many games can we suck before Rodgers changes the formation? 10, 15, 20?

How many times will we play Firmino out wide before we realise he is not a winger, in fact he's pretty poor played wide. He didn't become a bad player overnight but he genuinely looks like he has no idea what Rodgers wants him to do.

Demosthenese

5starpool wrote: »

We have struggled to beat Villa at Anfield in the last few years. Nothing to take for granted in either of those games the way we are playing.

No game can be taken for granted with the manner in which we've gone out to play the last few games. Just saying that it's Norwich and Villa. Not United and Arsenal away ... huge difference in expectation.

Rodgers needs to find a way of energising his troops. We look lifeless at times (Until we went 2-0 down it has to be said, then we actually looked like playing).

I'd just love to see him mix it up a little. The backline are taking a hell of a lot of flak right now. So how about a change?

Mig
Clyne - Gomez - Sahko - Moreno
Ibe as proper attacing winger - Any 3 Holding - Firminio
Benteke ...

Can't be worse than we've been doing.

Nerdlingr

---

Gomez-Skrtel-Sakho----
Clyne

---

Ibe

---

Henderson Milner----

---

Coutinho

---

---

Benteke Sturridge

---

???

brevity

I tried to make a decent formation but its nigh on impossible to keep it balanced. Milner could play out on the left wing but with Henderson out we need him in the CM role.

Can is so confused as to what he role he is supposed to fulfill he can't manage the midfield on his own. Lucas is permanently knackered but the defense are terrified so someone is needed to cover.

J Mysterio

Clyne - Skrtel - Sakho - Moreno

Ibe - Henderson - Coutinho - Milner

Sturridge - Benteke
______________

Keep it simple

Vicxas

J Mysterio wrote: »

Clyne - Skrtel - Sakho - Moreno

Ibe - Henderson - Coutinho - Milner

Sturridge - Benteke
______________

Keep it simple

Why does everyone seem intent on dropping Firmino, I think in his proper position himself and Coutinho would be immense.