Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours 2016, Mod Warning in OP, 10/7

8-10

mormank wrote: »

Ya, Zlatan is even better than Mourinho at finding the easiest club to win a title with and signing for them! :cool:

I think it's being a bit disingenuous to him there. It's a phenomenal record and I doubt anybody else comes close. Ajax hadn't won the league in 4 years when he joined and Milan in 2010 hadn't won in 6 or 7 years after Inter and Juve's dominance. Sure PSG didn't have a league title since 1994 before Zlatan arrived.

Just because he's now at United doesn't mean you can knock his previous achievements. Of course I have absolutely no desire to see his run continuing, and I do hope his powers are a lot weaker than they used to be now that he's in his mid-30's, but after the career he's had to date I think comments like this are just cheap shots for no real reason.

When Sweden came to play a friendly v England a few years back you had the same lazy arguments before the game from the pundits, "he's too lazy", "depends which Zlatan decides to turn up", "tries to be too flashy" etc etc. He ended up scoring 4 times. I have no idea what more he has to do to convince the British media and the people who listen to British media that he's actually a phenomenal player.





(Reverse jinx deployed successfully)

8-10

NukaCola wrote: »

Ah lads......I know its preseason but dont be like Sakho and start missing stuff......like thread jokes.......

A poster said Daniel Sturridge has been a pro for 12 seasons.....there was a whole thing about it......I would explain it better but i couldn't be bothered :P
To be honest you're in a better state for not reading it :pac:

Haha I apologise, at least I didn't say that him signing for United and not us is a 60 goal swing....

NukaCola

8-10 wrote: »

Haha I apologise, at least I didn't say that him signing for United and not us is a 60 goal swing....

:pac: that brought me back!

Gbear

NukaCola wrote: »

Sanchez when we missed out on him, i know we apparently offered more but not enough to make a difference.

You're assuming we could have gotten him though.

You're assuming Arsenal would've let us when they have more financial muscle, that Sanchez would've accepted anything short of mental amounts of money.

Giving Suarez 200k a week is one thing, particularly when there's no transfer fee to go with it. Sanchez would've been another.

I don't accept that Sanchez was a realistic option for us.

Agent Coulson

mormank wrote: »

So you think someone like Mario Balotelli has "earned" his millions from us fair and square?? Come on, pull the other one.... :rolleyes:

Did he put a gun to anyone's head and say give me money?

No Liverpool Football Club offered him that money to sign for them and he accepted that offer.


Would you turn down it down?

Agent Coulson

RoboKlopp wrote: »

Same people probably saying Chelsea and City were buying the leagues

The last people to laugh at the past few years transfer policy of any club should be Utd. Van Gaal spent quarter of a billion.

Remains to by seen if Klopp policy is good or bad after 0 games

The previous Liverpool manager spend more.

Harry Palmr

NukaCola wrote: »

I'd be interested in hearing peoples thoughts on the upcoming season.

What would be a successful season?
Do you expect a trophy?
Is top 4 realistic?
Will no European games be a blessing or a void?

Successful season for me is approx 70 points in the league and a cup run. Seeing as Klopp got 60 points last season I would expect Klopp to iron out some of the issues that cost us, especially with less games, and I dont think adding 10 points to that tally would be a totally unreasonable task. Difficult but possible.

I dont expect a trophy but would like to get to the business end of the cup competitions, quarter/semi/final.

CL qualification through top 4 is arguably the most competitive it ever has been. 70 points is usually a good number to get in and around top 4 so I would think its possible for us, not easy though.

I'd rather be in the Europa League, however the short term benefits of less games, more time to prepare etc should or could help us next season.

I just want exciting football, with more wins than loses and a top 4 spot. A cup is just a bonus. Not asking much With one match a week for most of the season, I expect the core first team squad to be fit and ready to outrun any other side right to the second Sunday in May.

Agent Coulson

Agent Coulson wrote: »

The previous Liverpool manager spend more.

Over twice (ish) as long in charge & I believe there was a genuine title challenge that we all (presumably) enjoyed too :cool:
Not to mention that Suarez & Sterling sales financed half the spending spree you mention.
Also not mentioning transfer committee.

rob316

I just want progress on last season. We have had so many false dawns as supporters klopp needs to buck the trend and go another level or 2.
If I'm been optimistic I want to see us challenge for the title a proper one too not an arsenal one.

I reckon we will be doing very well if we can get into the top 4 though.

Mourinho, conte and pep will all be trying to get a feel for their squads early on so we are at an advantage there and need to capitalise.

Gbear

I expect nothing in terms of results in the league.

I don't think we're good enough to finish top 4.
That could change if a bunch of things were to happen and our players turned out to be better than we thought, but what has been proven from this squad would suggest we're not good enough to expect better than 6th this season.

What I do want is entertaining games, no hidings received - this ****ing madness of conceding 3 goals to the likes of Palace and West Ham has to stop, strong cup runs and general signs of improvement in quality and the fluency of the team in how they play together.

I want us to compete in every game. How often did Rafa have us just keel over?
Before Rodgers last full season I don't think we ever lost games by more than 3 goals and even those lost by three or more could've probably been counted on one hand.

That would say to me that we're in striking distance and top to bottom we're a serious football team. The key ingredient might never arrive to propel us to the top again, but the minimum should be to be ready for that chance if it comes along - if we uncover another Gerrard, Torres, Suarez or whatever.

NukaCola

Gbear wrote: »

You're assuming we could have gotten him though.

You're assuming Arsenal would've let us when they have more financial muscle, that Sanchez would've accepted anything short of mental amounts of money.

Giving Suarez 200k a week is one thing, particularly when there's no transfer fee to go with it. Sanchez would've been another.

I don't accept that Sanchez was a realistic option for us.

Of course I assume he was realistic, everyone at the club thought he was realistic hence why we bid on him. I hate these discussions because its always the same.

You ask

Gbear wrote: »

Who is that player?

Any time this issue comes up nobody has ever told me a realistic target that we could get for the money we're spending on 2 or 3 players.

I give you a name and you dont accept he was realistic despite the club thinking he was a realistic target. Its quite a convenient stance to take all right. I was going to name more but you'd likely take the same approach so I'll leave it there.

As bad as 6th sounds that could look like Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Utd & Spurs ahead of us. That's not taking any real surprises into account.

I have higher hopes though :cool:

~Rebel~

As per usual, my hope is that we get somewhere close to 2 points per game. If we got that, and still missed 4th, so be it.

My expectation is probably somewhere around 70 points.

Really can't say i'll be terribly annoyed if we miss 4th - we're simply not in the top 4 teams in the country right now - so long as we at least manage a sustained challenge. And stop conceding from stupid set pieces.

Gbear

NukaCola wrote: »

Of course I assume he was realistic, everyone at the club thought he was realistic hence why we bid on him. I hate these discussions because its always the same.

You ask



I give you a name and you dont accept he was realistic despite the club thinking he was a realistic target. Its quite a convenient stance to take all right. I was going to name more but you'd likely take the same approach so I'll leave it there.

I think we chanced our arm.

He didn't come here. He would've if we paid enough. I don't think that was going to ever happen, not because of stingyness but because we can't afford to go that high on a player unless it represents insane value.

We can afford to pay over the odds on mid level players. I do think that if we could get players at very high prices (and wages) those purchases could theortically be sanctioned - we nearly moved for Teixeira at an obscene fee, but it was adjudged that it was bad business. We had the money in principle, but we didn't have the easy money that can steamroll over failure like a Utd can.

If Pogba's a bust, it's probably a sackable offense for somone, but a minor divet in their overall progress.

mormank

8-10 wrote: »

I think it's being a bit disingenuous to him there. It's a phenomenal record and I doubt anybody else comes close. Ajax hadn't won the league in 4 years when he joined and Milan in 2010 hadn't won in 6 or 7 years after Inter and Juve's dominance. Sure PSG didn't have a league title since 1994 before Zlatan arrived.

Just because he's now at United doesn't mean you can knock his previous achievements. Of course I have absolutely no desire to see his run continuing, and I do hope his powers are a lot weaker than they used to be now that he's in his mid-30's, but after the career he's had to date I think comments like this are just cheap shots for no real reason.

When Sweden came to play a friendly v England a few years back you had the same lazy arguments before the game from the pundits, "he's too lazy", "depends which Zlatan decides to turn up", "tries to be too flashy" etc etc. He ended up scoring 4 times. I have no idea what more he has to do to convince the British media and the people who listen to British media that he's actually a phenomenal player.





(Reverse jinx deployed successfully)

Well the dig was supposed to be aimed at Mourinho, but could easily be construed as a dig as Zlatan too. Mourinho seems to love playing the management game with loaded dice and refuses to play when his dice aren't loaded. I hate, well hate is too strong a word and wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hating him, I dislike everything about the man from his total lack of class to his cynical and often boring football tactics.

Zlatan on the other hand has always been one of my favourites footballers and since the first time I saw him play regularly for Ajax knew he would be a superstar. Apart from his footballing prowess his interviews and general interactions with the media etc. through the years are the stuff of legend at this point. In short football is a much brighter, more colourful sport in general for having had Zlatan play the game.

Having said all that, he now plays for Mourinho :eek: at Man Utd!! :eek:
Still, the Premier League should be more entertaining next season just for having there so swings and roundabouts.

ricero

Heard on twitter karius is to miss start of season

mormank

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Did he put a gun to anyone's head and say give me money?

No Liverpool Football Club offered him that money to sign for them and he accepted that offer.


Would you turn down it down?

No but the contract was entered into in good faith by both parties and I would argue that Balotelli has not lived up to his end of the bargain. If he wasn't good enough that's one thing (the Konchesky argument) but to fail due to a lack of desire and effort is totally inexcusable imo and warrants the phrase "stealing a living".

klose

That's what happens when doni gets mentioned in the thread

Kerrigooney

Ffs that's just ruined the weekend before it even got going. The thought of Mignolet starting makes me feel sick.

Colemania

https://twitter.com/JamesPearceEcho/status/759101368053354496

Utopia Parkway

Colemania wrote: »

https://twitter.com/JamesPearceEcho/status/759101368053354496

Season round the corner and new keeper out for 2 months. Awful for the lad. He might not be able to get into the team now until after Christmas given the ground he'll have to make up.

Buford T. Justice XIX

mormank wrote: »

Ya, Zlatan is even better than Mourinho at finding the easiest club to win a title with and signing for them! :cool:

I'll only worry about manU winning the league with Zlatan if they sign Maxwell as well:pac:

rob316 wrote: »

I just want progress on last season. We have had so many false dawns as supporters klopp needs to buck the trend and go another level or 2.
If I'm been optimistic I want to see us challenge for the title a proper one too not an arsenal one.

I reckon we will be doing very well if we can get into the top 4 though.

Mourinho, conte and pep will all be trying to get a feel for their squads early on so we are at an advantage there and need to capitalise.

+1

Progress here as well and I will be satisfied. I think Klopp has about 75% of the players he wants at this stage and it will be next summer before I think he has full reign over what players he wants at the club.

Top 4 would be the target for me, achievable but not probable. A good cup run or two, especially the league cup to ensure qualification for Europe, and to remain in contention for top 4 until the end of April and I will be a happy bunny.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Season round the corner and new keeper out for 2 months. Awful for the lad. He might not be able to get into the team now until after Christmas given the ground he'll have to make up.

At least we have a good backup:eek:

RainMakerToo

ricero wrote: »

Heard on twitter karius is to miss start of season

Probably the challenge with Lovren the other night?

Agent Coulson

mormank wrote: »

No but the contract was entered into in good faith by both parties and I would argue that Balotelli has not lived up to his end of the bargain. If he wasn't good enough that's one thing (the Konchesky argument) but to fail due to a lack of desire and effort is totally inexcusable imo and warrants the phrase "stealing a living".

How do any of us know this he wasn't there last season he was in Milan the season before he along with plenty of others were played out of position and not to their strengths by the previous manager that alone broke a number of players just ask Agger how they were treated by the manager.

We now have a manager who treats players as adults that they are.

This season he along with Sakho are now training away from the other squad members to try and recover from injury and get there focus together for the new season either with Liverpool or with a another team.

Agent Coulson

Time to go to Cologne and buy the Double H...Horn and Hector.

Kerrigooney

Looks like he broke his hand on Lovren's face so I suppose it was for a good cause.

8-10

FFS that's awful news

Gbear

I'll be in the angry dome...

Umaro

Dreadful news about Karius. It really feels like we stumble from one drama to another. Wonder who will be the next lad sent home from the US.

Against Arsenal, it'll be Mignolet or Manninger then? Depressing.

Buford T. Justice XIX

This might cheer up one or two tonight, only 16 minutes long:)

BorneTobyWilde

Lovern's hard head to blame for broken hand.

Vicxas

God damn it, that sucks

murpho999

Injuries are one of the most frustrating and unfair aspects of football.

Utopia Parkway

Starting the season with Mignolet and Moreno still in our defence.

Vicxas

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Starting the season with Mignolet and Moreno still in our defence.

Jesus that's depressing

Harry Palmr

Shoot me now.

Tipsy McSwagger

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Starting the season with Mignolet and Moreno still in our defence.

Two complete and utter scutter players.

54and56

ricero wrote: »

Heard on twitter karius is to miss start of season

Not having a go at you specificallly Ricero but I really wish users of this forum would post a link to the source of the information they are referring to, it would be helpful to everyone and a good practice to adopt.

Mini rant over 😭

rob316

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Not having a go at you specificallly Ricero but I really wish users of this forum would post a link to the source of the information they are referring to, it would be helpful to everyone and a good practice to adopt.

Mini rant over 😭

Open twitter search "karius" job done.

BorneTobyWilde

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Shoot me now.

~Rebel~

rob316 wrote: »

Open twitter search "karius" job done.

Obviously, but to be fair, the first person doing that and adding it into their original comment, saves it needing to be done 100 or so times individually by each reader of the comment.

Agent Coulson

Agent Coulson wrote: »

How do any of us know this he wasn't there last season he was in Milan the season before he along with plenty of others were played out of position and not to their strengths by the previous manager that alone broke a number of players just ask Agger how they were treated by the manager..........

lol, that's a splendidly blinkered view.

Mario was played as a striker by Rodgers, unfortunately as a lone striker as Sturridge was injured. He was not great and was dropped after plenty of chances. He was poor at Milan too for the season just gone.

Agger was firmly on the descent of his career due to injuries, he struggled after leaving Liverpool in what's essentially a league analogous to Division 1 or the SPL.

What i find amusing is you make these excused for Balotelli but seemingly p1ss & moan about Sturridge twice a week as he's injured, not sprinting fast enough, having one good season in 12 since he was 14 years old etc etc etc.

LOONEY

Harry Palmr

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Bit of good news, maybe?

Players set to miss opening day vs. Liverpool: Mertesacker, Koscielny, Jenkinson, Ramsey, Özil, Gnabry, Alexis, Asano, Welbeck, Giroud.

https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/758017566182895617

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Crikey, imagine how long that list will be in January.

Blame me

TitianGerm

Kurius could have his hand amputated and still catch more high balls than Ming

murpho999

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Not having a go at you specificallly Ricero but I really wish users of this forum would post a link to the source of the information they are referring to, it would be helpful to everyone and a good practice to adopt.

Mini rant over 😭

Not having a go at you specificallly Je_suis_Jean but I really wish users of this forum would stop asking for a link to the source of the information they are reading, it would be helpful to everyone to learn to search in Google or in this case Twitter and a good practice to adopt as the original source was just a rumour at the time.

Mini rant over 😭

noodler

Augeo wrote: »

lol, that's a splendidly blinkered view.

Mario was played as a striker by Rodgers, unfortunately as a lone striker as Sturridge was injured. He was not great and was dropped after plenty of chances. He was poor at Milan too for the season just gone.

Agger was firmly on the descent of his career due to injuries, he struggled after leaving Liverpool in what's essentially a league analogous to Division 1 or the SPL.

What i find amusing is you make these excused for Balotelli but seemingly p1ss & moan about Sturridge twice a week as he's injured, not sprinting fast enough, having one good season in 12 since he was 14 years old etc etc etc.

LOONEY

Agreed.

Mario is a joke of a professional.

Nothing to do with Rodgers.

SuperTortoise

We really should stop leaving toolboxes lying around the training pitch, sakho is now a dab hand at painting and migs it would seem is handy with a hammer...!

Shyte.

BorneTobyWilde

Mario needs a club where he is number one regardless . If fit and plays week in week out he would get 20 plus. Middlesbrough , West Brom, Hull ,Watford, Swansea , teams like this should use him to stay in league.

Agent Coulson

Just watching the highlights of the Chelsea game that disallowed Firmino was a nice bit of forward play and skill.

Looking forward to see a lot more of that kind of link up.

Hopefully we will start a forward who looks to head for goal instead of one looking at dropping back looking for the ball.