Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours 2018

5starpool

MarkY91 wrote: »

When was the last time we won our first 3 games in a row? We usually drop points. It would be a great warning to the rest of the league if were top or joined top when the league is starting to take shape. IMO that's around 6 games in.

The Suarez season (when ironically he didn't play the first 5) we won our first 3 games 1-0.

Talisman

I know some like to slag him off for his mysterious disappearance from the club but it turns out that Doni had a serious heart problem.

Why Alexander Doni's lasting Liverpool legacy is the signing of £65m goalkeeper Alisson Becker (Liverpool Echo)

Alexander Doni wasn't able to achieve much during his short spell at Liverpool.

The Brazilian keeper, who was signed from Roma on a free transfer in 2011 as back up for Pepe Reina, spent just one season at Anfield.

His four appearances for the Reds during Kenny Dalglish's reign came in the space of six weeks in the spring of 2012.

Doni belatedly got his opportunity after Reina was dismissed against Newcastle but after making his debut against Aston Villa his joy was shortlived.

After being sold short by a backpass against Blackburn, he rushed out and upended Junior Hoilett. The red card wrecked his hopes of walking out at Wembley in the all-Merseyside FA Cup semi-final four days later.

Doni started against Fulham and Swansea during the run-in but never played for the club again.

He was granted extended leave by the Reds in the summer of 2012 after suffering a cardiac arrest during fitness tests at Melwood. Following months of treatment in London and Rome, his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.

However, Doni's links were Liverpool didn't end there. Arguably, his most important contribution to the club arrived after he returned to Brazil.

Before retiring at the age of 33 he had a short spell with Botafogo-SP and a young keeper in his homeland caught his eye.

Long-serving Reds goalkeeping coach John Achterberg kept in contact with Doni, who was a popular figure at Melwood, and during a conversation in 2013 he received a recommendation.

“John, you need to keep an eye on this kid at Internacional,” Doni told him. “He's going to be special.”

His name was Alisson Becker.

At the time he was just 20 and having come up through the youth ranks at the Porto Alegre-based club he had been handed his senior debut in February 2013. Initially, he was the back-up to his brother Muriel.

From then on, Alisson was on Liverpool's radar. Achterberg kept close tabs on his progress, regularly watching hours of action from the Brazilian League and it was the Dutchman who first mentioned him to the club's recruitment staff as a potential target.

“John is a goalkeeper maniac,” Jurgen Klopp recently told the ECHO.

“He's working constantly. No matter how early I get into Melwood, I get up the stairs and he's already there - sat there with the laptop open watching goalkeepers from the other end of the world.”

Liverpool have played down suggestions that they could have signed Alisson for a modest fee prior to his 7million Euros move from Internacional to Roma in the summer of 2016.

The Reds insist they were fully aware of his imminent switch to Europe but he wouldn't have got a work permit to play in England at that time.

Second choice to Wojciech Szczesny during his first season in Rome, Alisson rarely featured in 2016/17 but last term he flourished in the Eternal City.

The scouting reports became more frequent and more glowing. It was his commanding performances in the Champions League which saw him rocket to the top of the Reds' list.

Klopp spoke in recruitment meetings with sporting director Michael Edwards and FSG president Mike Gordon about only wanting to pursue 'a game changer' when it came to a keeper.

The manager didn't see the point in spending a load of cash on someone who wasn't significantly better than what he already had. Edwards and Gordon agreed.

If Alisson or Jan Oblak weren't available then Klopp was happy to stick with the personnel already at his disposal. The likes of Jack Butland or Kasper Schmeichel weren't seriously considered.

The Reds initially walked away from negotiations with Roma for Alisson after being quoted £90million by sporting director Monchi in May and then £75million in June.

But when the asking price dropped again last month they moved swiftly to thrash out a £65million deal - £56million guaranteed and potentially a further £9million in add-ons.

It already looks to be a shrewd investment. Allison has settled quickly and with back-to-back clean sheets is inspiring confidence in those around him.

Doni's advice proved to be spot on.

Doni & the much maligned John Ach'

pjohnson

Are ye the late kick off?

I hope so or we're all muppets for forgetting about it..

city on first I think

pjohnson

RoboKlopp wrote: »

I hope so or we're all muppets for forgetting about it..

city on first I think

Ah thought the app was wrong and it got postponed or something. Cheers.

pjohnson

pjohnson wrote: »

Ah thought the app was wrong and it got postponed or something. Cheers.

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Well done

5starpool

I'll be disappointed and shocked if we don't win today. Having such a degree of confidence about a game is weird and unsettling.

pjohnson

RoboKlopp wrote: »

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Well done

Whats wrong? I was just wondering why the place was dead.


For fantasy reasons. Is Milner actually gunna keep his place?

pjohnson

pjohnson wrote: »

Whats wrong? I was just wondering why the place was dead.


For fantasy reasons. Is Milner actually gunna keep his place?

Fantasy closes at 11.30.

Ps, I don't believe you .

5starpool

5starpool wrote: »

I'll be disappointed and shocked if we don't win today. Having such a degree of confidence about a game is weird and unsettling.

They looked decent against Utd in fariness, but a lot of that was down to poor opposition on the day. They'll be right up for this game.

I'm not expecting an easy match.

pjohnson

RoboKlopp wrote: »

Fantasy closes at 11.30.

Ps, I don't believe you .

35 GW's left. Season doesn't end after 3 weeks. Hes just floating unclaimed in a draft league with 8.5 forn.

Turtyturd

Even though it was poor opposition last week they’ll still be full of confidence. Hopefully an early goal or two will put an end to that.

Gbear

I enjoyed Robert Guttman's 9-0 prediction on the Anfield Wrap.

I do think we'll hockey them, tbh.
The aggregate score from the past few games at anfield is about 20-3.

Agent Coulson

Rest Fun Bobby and bring him on in the second half then Salah to start as the number 9 and bring Shaqiri.

5starpool

RoboKlopp wrote: »

They looked decent against Utd in fariness, but a lot of that was down to poor opposition on the day. They'll be right up for this game.

I'm not expecting an easy match.

It could be a downer, but I actually expect us to win by 3 at least. I'll accept a fairly scrappy 3-2 though.

rob316

3 nil. Houghton good manager but it's not his style to pack the box and play on the counter. They'll run at us playing right into our hands.

Potential Underachiever

5starpool wrote: »

The Suarez season (when ironically he didn't play the first 5) we won our first 3 games 1-0.

Sturridge fairly prominent IIRC, Mignolet saved a pen last minute against Stoke too that season I think.

klose

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

Sturridge fairly prominent IIRC, Mignolet saved a pen last minute against Stoke too that season I think.

Sturridge scored all 3 goals in those 1 nil wins iirc. Either the 4th or 5th game that year we lost 1 nil to Southampton, lovren with the goal that day.

klose

5starpool wrote: »

It could be a downer, but I actually expect us to win by 3 at least. I'll accept a fairly scrappy 3-2 though.

With spurs and utd playing eachother Monday night any sort of win will do today.

Potential Underachiever

klose wrote: »

Sturridge scored all 3 goals in those 1 nil wins iirc. Either the 4th or 5th game that year we lost 1 nil to Southampton, lovren with the goal that day.

Yeah that's right, not bad considering he was carried by Suarez all season!

blade1

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

Sturridge fairly prominent IIRC, Mignolet saved a pen last minute against Stoke too that season I think.

Yeah,I was at the game.
Scraped a win after a poor enough 75 min.
Late goal for the win if I remember correctly.

HandsomeBob

I see Sterling is still suffering from that bad finishing coaching he said he got at Liverpool. Jesus.

BorneTobyWilde

We should be putting them away easily, anything else is a return to the ''normal'' Liverpool of the past 10 years. I'd like to think we are finally past that , past those silly defeats at home to useless teams that belong in bottom half.
I expect a clean sheet and a handful of goals. No need to rest anyone, start strong win it in first 30 mins and then makes changes in second half.

BorneTobyWilde

Wolves leading, a well worked corner, City stumped by it .

HandsomeBob

Don't knoe if City have anyone on the bench to get them back into it.

Shaque attack

Wolves leading. Titles ours to lose now. No pressure lads

blade1

Shaque attack wrote: »

Wolves leading. Titles ours to lose now. No pressure lads

City with nearly 75,% possession!
Squeaky Bum time!!!

Turtyturd

Actually hope City win here. Their fans haven’t shut up about the CL games. If they lose the league to us due to a points dropped from a handball goal they’ll be unbearable.

blade1

Turtyturd wrote: »

Actually hope City win here. Their fans haven’t shut up about the CL games. If they lose the league to us due to a points dropped from a handball goal they’ll be unbearable.

Get out of it!!
Go Wolves!!!:p

blade1

Fùck sake!!

ShamoBuc

Happy City have dropped 2 points today, all dropped points are gratefully accepted.

NukaCola

Wolves look a very decent side, you'd expect City to do better but it does look like a very tricky tie.

Agent Coulson

If we don’t win today we might as well give City the league tonight.

Damien360

Good result for Wolves. I think if Keita is let loose on the Brighton defence he will get a goal. He pushes really deep with the ball at his feet. Something we were lacking for those deeper defences last year.

NukaCola

Damien360 wrote: »

Good result for Wolves. I think if Keita is let loose on the Brighton defence he will get a goal. He pushes really deep with the ball at his feet. Something we were lacking for those deeper defences last year.

Definitely, he's really direct and forward thinking too, a lot of the attack will go through him today I think.

Mr.H

Agent Coulson wrote:

If we don’t win today we might as well give City the league tonight.

Im sure united fans have already done that in the hope we cant do it

Glico Man

Molineux is going to be a very tough place to get a result for a lot of teams this season.

Agent Coulson

Coady is doing a great job for Wolves as Captain and CB.

Agent Coulson

I’d love to see Salah, Mane & Fun Bobby all score “Hand of God” goals this evening and then watch social media destroy the world with its meltdown.

Muahahaha

Glico Man wrote: »

Molineux is going to be a very tough place to get a result for a lot of teams this season.

True, it has a fantastic atmosphere. That said the worst time of the season to play newly promoted teams is the first few weeks when they have bags of belief.

Good to see City drop points in the 3rd game, I feared them going on a six or seven game winning streak and creating a gap by the end of October.

Damien360

Muahahaha wrote: »

Glico Man wrote: »

Molineux is going to be a very tough place to get a result for a lot of teams this season.

True, it has a fantastic atmosphere. That said the worst time of the season to play newly promoted teams is the first few weeks when they have bags of belief.

Good to see City drop points in the 3rd game, I feared them going on a six or seven game winning streak and creating a gap by the end of October.

I always said the worst time to meet the new teams is when it is the end of the season and they are fighting for survival. Just leaves mid season as a nice time to meet them

BorneTobyWilde

Firmino needs a goal, he gets a pass when it comes to goals per minute, but he needs to score today, can't be going 3 games without a goal.
On the other hand he's a striker no one would want to buy, but his value to our team is immense.

Gbear

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Firmino needs a goal, he gets a pass when it comes to goals per minute, but he needs to score today, can't be going 3 games without a goal.
On the other hand he's a striker no one would want to buy, but his value to our team is immense.

As long as we're winning I don't think that's something that we need to worry about too much. These things have time to work themselves out over the season.

He's not really had many shots yet for mostly incidental reasons.

Charlie19

Coady doing well at Wolves and Daniel Ayala scored a 90 minute winner to send Boro to the top of the Championship.

Always nice to see former reds doing good, well.. unless your El hadji Diouf.

marklazarcovic

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Firmino needs a goal, he gets a pass when it comes to goals per minute, but he needs to score today, can't be going 3 games without a goal.
On the other hand he's a striker no one would want to buy, but his value to our team is immense.

It really does not matter who scores so long as we score and it's not been a bad performance

ardinn

Aguero went into my fantasy team this week - I did it again! Your welcome!!

DrumSteve

3.80 for a pint here, not bad value that.

Still reckon we will pump this lot today, 3–0 us.

Mr.H

To be honest i think of firmino more as a playmaker striker. He creates space and chances for others as well as closing players down and winning the ball back. Goals are weirdly not his main function for us.

DrumSteve

DrumSteve wrote: »

3.80 for a pint here, not bad value that.

In Fritzels basement?