Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2019/2020

Esse85

sweetie wrote: »

My daughter is looking for a liverpool jersey for her birthday next month, was thinking of getting a training top as you know with kids growing so quickly. Any idea of best place online or bricks and mortar to get one?

Did you check out the online Jersey thread here in the soccer forum?

Riesen_Meal

BullBauld wrote: »

Apparently there's a Liverpool store in Liffey Valley....think for a limited time.

Pop up store opening in Blanchardstown centre in the next couple of days also just in time for Xmas...

Muahahaha

Carragher has suggested that Trent could be moved to midfield and the accuracy of his passing means he could be Liverpools answer to Kevin de Bruyne. This season from the right back position he has already made more successful tackles than most other midfielders in the PL.

There is little doubt that Alexander-Arnold could revel in midfield. It is likely he could cope with the extra physical demands – he has no shortage of dynamism and only one defender (Patrick Van Aanholt) and four midfielders (Wilfred Ndidi, Oriel Romeu, Declan Rice and João Moutinho) have won more tackles than him in the Premier League this season. He would have to hone his positional play but that is also true in his current role and there is no reason to think either development is beyond him. The main benefit he would bring to Liverpool’s midfield is more creativity, not in place of Fabinho – who is already Liverpool’s most inventive midfielder as well as their most important defensively – but alongside the Brazilian, with Alexander-Arnold serving as a De Bruyne while Fabinho would remain more comparable to Fernandinho.

Alexander-Arnold, after all, has a range of passing off either foot that would enable him to prise open defences from all angles if given freedom to probe from the middle. And he has the intelligence and precision to see and take the most rewarding opportunities, along with a wit that burns brightest in the heat of the action, producing firecracker moments like his nifty corner kick and cross against Barcelona in last season’s Champions League semi-final or his transformation of the corner flag into a prop for a nutmeg on Ben Chilwell last Saturday. The more a player with his technique, vision and ingenuity is involved in the play, the better.

Full article here https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/oct/09/trent-alexander-arnold-midfield-liverpool-kevin-de-bruyne

Peatys

https://theathletic.com/1264757/2019/10/06/even-now-none-of-it-makes-any-sense-it-was-so-cruel-steven-caulkers-personal-redemption-and-the-tragic-accident-that-killed-his-team-mate/


Great to read Steven is doing well. Never know what's happening behind closed doors

The Athletic wrote:

Steven Caulker is sitting in the welcome shade of an olive grove high up on the Alanya peninsular, Turkey’s Turquoise Coast shimmering in the afternoon sunshine below, talking revival. The former Premier League defender is fit, focused and playing regularly after recent wasted years. The centre-half is settled, a figure of influence whom his manager can rely upon on and off the pitch. It is tempting to consider him a new man.

He is soaking up an unfamiliar culture, making strides learning the language, and developing a liking for the local apple tea. He finds tranquillity in deep sea fishing, or taking himself off into the mountains set back from the coastline, and can even bring himself to watch football on the television again. The notion that further international recognition may lie ahead is suddenly far from outlandish. For the record, Caulker is also top of the league.

“Mentally, I’m probably in the best place I’ve ever been,” he says through a smile. “With everything that has happened, the experiences I’ve had, I feel a more complete human being. I believe I’m a better father today, a better friend, a better son. I’m more content with who I am. I hated football for so many years but now I’m free of the shame and the guilt. I love the game again.”

All this, of course, needs context. Caulker, once of Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, Swansea and Cardiff, and briefly Southampton and Liverpool, is excelling at the summit of the Turkish Super Lig with unfancied Alanyaspor, a team who have never come close to claiming major honours and travel to Besiktas on Sunday looking to keep themselves clear of Fenerbahce at the top of the division.

Early days it may be, but they won their first four games of the campaign and are unbeaten in six. They have already dismissed Fenerbahce, triumphing 3-1 at their tight Bahcesehir Okullari Stadium last month. The former Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse is scoring for fun at one end. Caulker, once capped by England and now being monitored by Scotland, is overseeing stinginess at the other. The rhythm of games has sharpened his form. He is a stand-out defender in a division that can feel chaotic.

Yet, even for a player who once had the world at his feet having progressed from Sunday League at 15 to the Premier League four years later, to have reached this point might be deemed his most impressive achievement. It was back in 2017 when Caulker, then of QPR, had bravely opened up in an interview with The Guardian over the mental illness that had brought him to his knees. He had laid bare the depression, and associated gambling and alcohol addictions which had derailed his career.

At the time, he was a pioneer in an industry that is only slowly, perhaps even reluctantly, addressing issues that eat away at so many players. Figures from Peter Crouch to Danny Rose, Gareth Southgate to Marvin Sordell, have spoken out about the intolerable strains placed on footballers since Caulker opened up. Yet there have still been times over the intervening period when promises of offers would be pursued by silent rejection, when he pondered the sense in going public. Now, as he follows his 12-step recovery programme diligently and even progresses towards mentoring others, he has proper perspective. He is stronger for it all.

“In terms of public perception, I’ve had people stop me in the street who are going through similar things and they’ve said what I did helped them,” he says. “That alone makes it all worthwhile. In terms of football, the positive is it’s encouraged others to speak. Back then, no one wanted to address this but so many footballers have come out and spoken about those issues in the years since. Maybe I helped them to do that.

“On the negative side, it definitely put a black mark against my name. I’ve had to prove to everybody that I’m OK everywhere I’ve been since. People have looked at me like I’m a sick man. I need to prove I’m OK. There were times when I did feel… alone, I’d say. Quite alone. It’s not that people were going out of their way to isolate me. I don’t think it was deliberate. Perhaps they didn’t really understand. Maybe it boiled down to a lack of education on the issues.

“I remember saying my piece at QPR and apologising to the boys in an attempt to make amends. Standing up and talking to the lads in the dressing room at the training ground, explaining what had been happening. But the silence, the lack of eye contact, told me everything. Walking out on to the pitch, no-one said a thing. It felt really uncomfortable.

“In the end, things were so toxic there that it was in everyone’s best interests for us to go our separate ways. I’ve reached out to them since, and spoken to (the chief executive) Lee Hoos, (the director of football) Les Ferdinand. To Chris Ramsey and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. I’ve apologised and told them I wasn’t well and didn’t do what I was paid to do. They knew the side of me that wanted to get well but also endured the other side which couldn’t control what was taking place. They all wished me well and are happy to see I’ve managed to find my feet again. For me, that meant a lot.”

Jurgen Klopp, who had taken the defender on loan from QPR back in 2017 and used him on occasion as an emergency striker, is also on the “making amends” list of people to contact. Daniel Levy, Caulker’s chairman at Spurs, too. He will speak to them when the time is right. “My Mum has told me she’s proud of the transformation, and that was incredible to hear,” he says. “I do genuinely feel proud to have made amends to my parents, saying the words but also living them. And to take pride in being a father. To be where I am feels like an achievement right now.

“It’s only been in the last few months that I’ve finally freed myself of the shame, of the guilt, of the embarrassment and everything else that comes with living a life as an addict. For a large period of my life, I’d felt so ashamed of the opportunity I’d thrown away, of what a mess I’d made of everything. I always isolated myself, shied away from anyone who was successful, those who were achieving something, because seeing their success made me feel worse. I couldn’t even watch games on the television.

“So it’s been nice to reconnect with good friends in football of late. I was at (the former Spurs forward) Jonathan Obika’s wedding a few months ago with Andros Townsend, Ryan Fredericks, Ryan Mason… to be with players and to be myself and comfortable with who I am represents amazing progress. I’ve made contact with others since. I do feel respected by them for the journey I’ve been on. A lot of them said they appreciated what I’ve done turning it around. I also get players reach out to me who have been struggling. I have people I now help. Not quite sponsoring but helping. I’d never have thought that was possible a few years back. But to keep it, you’ve got to give it away.”


Caulker has settled into life with Alanyaspor, learning Turkish and refinding the form that made him an England international (Photo: Hakan Burak Altunoz – Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Acceptance as a player has taken longer to achieve but some watching him cruise through Turkish Super Lig games – unflustered, authoritative, commanding – must wonder if they missed a trick when he was available for nothing not long ago. There had been a lengthy spell in the wilderness after leaving Loftus Road, time spent maintaining fitness with countless runs in the woods near his home back in Surrey, or playing five-a-side with childhood friends in Feltham.

He trained at Luton, saw mooted interest from Italy evaporate into thin air. Dundee eventually offered him a route back in February 2018, the then manager Neil McCann delivering his sales pitch while Caulker was in Scotland to attend his grandmother’s funeral. The move appealed, even if it involved a significant pay-cut. He lived with family in stunning Perth and Kinross, helped to keep a clean sheet at Celtic, and captained the side at Ibrox with his young son watching from the stands.

The Norwegian club Rosenborg had tabled an offer just six games into his spell at Dens Park but the time was not right to leave. There were 12 games, “just playing football away from the pressures of the Premier League and the Championship, but still in a challenging division”. In its own way, it was restorative.

“But, when we’d decided to turn down the Rosenborg deal in March, there’d been an expectation other offers would come in at the end of the season and an understanding that, if nothing came up, I’d be a free agent,” he says.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for them for honouring that. I’m sure they took a lot of stick for following it through. As it was, all the old rejections started up again. I had a trial up at Wigan and (the manager) Paul Cook said they’d offer me a contract but the deal never came. A false promise. There must have been 10, 15 other ‘deals’ that came to nothing.

“Probably the worst case was Minnesota United. Frank Lampard had just offered me a trial at Derby County but Minnesota’s was a concrete deal. Or so I thought. They flew me and my family over to see if I liked the place. I sat courtside, front row, at the NBA with the owner (Bill McGuire) thinking, ‘I’ve made it.’

“Then, on the last day when I was due to sign, the goalposts were moved. It all fell to pieces and I was left at the airport with my family, stranded, after they cancelled my flight. I called the manager, Adrian Heath, and I remember he said he didn’t know what had gone on behind the scenes but that it was unacceptable. He organised a flight home for us all, but that summed it up. I was in despair because I’d turned down the chance to go to Derby on a trial basis, and been left with nothing.”

Manny Lagos, Minnesota United’s sporting director, said that the club had a “round-trip ticket” for Caulker to visit Minnesota and “were under the impression that it was going to be an interview process” to decide if it was “the right fit for both sides”.

Lagos added: “We felt like we hosted his family very well, including travel accommodations each way. In no way, shape, or form would we ever strand somebody at the airport in this type of situation. Minnesota United wishes Steven the best as he continues his professional career.”

At the turn of the year, Alanyaspor’s proposal came from nowhere.

“I’d never heard of the city or the team,” says Caulker. “The test was to see if they’d pay for my ticket to come over for a trial, or whether they’d expect me to fund that myself like Arsenal Kiev (a Ukrainian club) had. But they did, I came through the trial, settled and am now very much part of this club. It’s been a chance for me to prove myself again.

“I was nervous when I arrived, mainly because, while I was fit, I’d not kicked a ball for six months. But the coach at the time just wanted to see if I was hungry. That six-month deal, with a two-year option, made me so proud because it was something I’d had to be so patient to secure. Something I’d worked hard to earn.” He has thrived since, now under the stewardship of Erol Bulut, in a team at the top end of the table.

Poise has returned to his football, leaving him in the best frame of mind of his career, and the displays have not gone unnoticed within the game. The Scotland set-up, via the assistant coach Steven Reid, have tracked his progress and are aware he would qualify for a call-up through his grandmother. His solitary England cap, secured under Roy Hodgson back in 2012, had been in a friendly fixture. “The chance to play international football again would be amazing, and Scotland have so much potential with the players they have. I’d love to help, to share my experience, so we’ll see.”

His form will not go ignored for long, the sense that momentum is finally restored to his career inescapable. Yet each stride forward these days is taken with the memory of a close friend in his mind. There has also been tragedy to endure since he arrived on the Turkish Riviera.

Josef Sural had swapped Sparta Prague for Alanyaspor last January, a forward who had made his name over five years at Slovan Liberec arriving for a seven-figure sum to reflect the pedigree of a player boasting 20 international caps for the Czech Republic. He had won the title and domestic cup in his homeland and was paraded for the cameras alongside his new club’s president, Hasan Cavusoglu, on the same day Caulker took his bow in front of the media. The two mid-season signings hit it off straight away.

It helped that Sural spoke English but, in those early weeks adjusting to life in unfamiliar surroundings, they leaned heavily on each other as newcomers attempting to adapt. “We were both foreigners in a new country, and neither of us had our families here at the time,” says Caulker. “We were both looking for somewhere to live, for simple things like mobile telephones, leasing a car… all the mundane, logistical stuff you need once a move goes through. We helped each other a lot in sourcing those things, and grew to be good friends. We were close.”

They roomed together at the team’s training ground on the eve of home games. While the defender was building up match sharpness and waiting for his opportunity in the team, Sural’s fifth cameo as a substitute yielded a first goal in a win over Kasimpasa, and earned himself subsequent starts. The striker had returned to the bench by the time Caulker, now established in the back line, was scoring his side’s first in a win at Kayserispor at the end of April.

The victorious visitors conducted the customary round of celebratory post-match photographs in the away dressing room to satisfy social media, having edged further into the safety of mid-table. Their jubilant mood had only been slightly dampened when news filtered through that the flight home from Kayseri would be delayed by up to eight hours.

A few of the squad, with the management’s blessing, opted to explore hiring a minibus to drive them back instead. Caulker was among them, keen to return with friends waiting for him in Alanya, and Sural joined the group late. Djalma Campos, Cisse, Baiano, Isaac Sackey and Welinton all ended up cramming into the Mercedes van at about seven o’clock in the evening for the 370-mile road trip back to the south coast. Two chauffeurs would share the driving.

There were a couple of breaks at service stations en route, to stretch weary limbs, but the mood was still buoyant. “We were playing Ludo in the back, having a laugh,” recalls Caulker. “I’d been sitting next to Josef but cramped up on the journey, so swapped to a seat at the back so I could stretch my legs out better. The journey must have been six hours or so. We were only two or three miles from Alanya when the accident happened, just before 2am.”

Cavusoglu would later claim the driver, like his colleague on board, had fallen asleep at the wheel. What is clear is that he lost control at high speed, the minibus veering off the road and into a ditch. “Whenever I land on a plane these days, that same sensation comes back: when you hit the ground and realise just how quickly you are moving, and there’s that feeling you are completely out of control,” says Caulker. “He swerved into the ditch and we maybe travelled down that for about 50 metres. The sliding door was ripped open. We all took cover, screaming, covering our heads with our hands. When it all stopped, we scrambled out and were just checking each other, making sure we were OK.

“There were a few minor head injuries, Isaac had broken his hand… everything was smashed to pieces. Windows, doors, everything. The bus was a mess. We were all in shock but, because I’d somehow come away untouched, I was just trying to calm people down. It was only after about two or three minutes that we realised Josef wasn’t there.

“That’s when we heard people screaming further back down the road from where we’d come, and someone turned to me and said: ‘That’s him. That’s Sural.’ I just sprinted down to where they were, and saw him. He was lying there on the floor, breathing heavily… I sat there with him, talking to him, speaking with my friend, trying to keep him awake until the ambulance eventually came. It was all I could do.”

Sural and his team-mates were taken to the Alanya Anadolu private hospital, though Caulker, who had since been joined by the club’s in-house interpreter, travelled instead to the Czech’s house to explain to his wife what had happened. They would all travel back to the hospital together, the defender playing with his club-mate’s four-year-old daughter in reception, trying to keep her preoccupied as they waited for news. The prognosis had actually seemed positive for a while and the players were even told to go home to rest: that Sural was expected to pull through, and there would be an update later in the day. “It wasn’t as if we could sleep. We were all in a daze given everything that had happened. I was at home when the message came through that Josef had passed away. It must have been at around 7am.”

Sural was 28. His youngest daughter had been born in February.

The funeral ceremony took place on the same day, as is local tradition, with mourning players clad in black returning to the training ground to lay single roses on their team-mate’s coffin. They were all still in shock, utterly unable to comprehend the events of the previous few hours. “Even now, none of it makes any sense,” adds Caulker. “It was so cruel. We attended the event, laid flowers on that coffin, but none of us could get our heads round what had happened. The club have done all they can for the family since, honouring Josef’s contract and supporting the family financially with our bonuses. But for his wife and children… how could anyone really get to grips with any of it?

“We still wear those black shirts in some games now. His memory lives on. His picture is up at the training ground, in the stadium. He is still one of us. He’ll never be forgotten.”

There is even a sticker bearing Sural’s image on the headboard of the bed in which he used to sleep the night before home games, in the twin room he shared with Caulker. A constant reminder of a team-mate lost.

It would be inappropriate to suggest Sural’s death strengthened the bond within Alanyaspor’s squad, not least because the trauma of those events remains painfully raw. Yet, against all the odds, the team have taken the Super Lig by storm to this season. They travel to Besiktas this weekend hoping to extend that unbeaten start in a division which can be unpredictable, volatile, but is laced with players of pedigree.

Away from the glare of the Premier League, Caulker is quietly rebuilding his career. “Look, it may not be England but we’ve got Robinho over here, Demba Ba, Cisse, Radamel Falcao, Emmanuel Adebayor,” he tells The Athletic. “Daniel Sturridge, a former team-mate of mine at Liverpool and someone I’m looking forward to catching up with, has just moved to Trabzonspor. I’m coming up against players with established reputations.

“Are we the best team in the league on paper? Of course not. But we’re similar to Leicester the year they won the league. They had a game plan and they stuck to it, and that’s what we do. We have some experience, we’ve come together as a team, we’re disciplined and organised, and the results have followed. There’s a nice vibe about the place. We’ll see where it takes us.”

Caulker is charged with organising from the back, with team-mates who see mention of Spurs and Liverpool on his CV receptive to his every barked instruction. He commands respect, his efforts probably enhanced by the Turkish lessons he takes three times every week, plus homework (“It’s like going back to school”), which have helped him deliver his message. The 27-year-old never realised he was proficient at languages. These days, he finds himself even thinking in Turkish.

Alanya heaves to the tourist beat in the summer months, an influx largely from Russia, Germany and Scandinavia cluttering the bars and hotels. The sun-oiled masses spill off Cleopatra Beach on to the main drag, where children enjoy camel rides, the equivalent of donkeys on Blackpool sands. The heat can be stifling, the scenes raucous, but Caulker has found places to escape. The Englishman abroad has settled in a house half an hour further up the coast, en route to Antalya, where all is tranquil and wild tortoises roam the undergrowth of his garden. He is a regular on early-morning fishing expeditions out on to the bay, helping to cook the catch on deck. His young son, a regular visitor from England, is just as enthusiastic.

“I feel very much at peace here,” he adds as the call to prayer drifts over the conversation. “It’s given me time to educate myself, learn a language, experience a culture. It’s opened my eyes to a different way of living, and in such a nice part of the world. I have a constant stream of family and friends visiting: it seems I’m popular living in a place like this. I’m not sure that would have quite been the case had I moved to Kiev, what with the Ukrainian winter. But, above all, it is good to be playing again.

“I’ve got a voice in this team and, with the confidence I’ve gained this season, that voice is stronger and louder. I still have things I want to achieve in my career. I feel like I’ve never fulfilled my potential, and that does still eat away at me, keeping me up some nights, but I channel those frustrations better these days. I am where I am for a reason. It’s been part of my journey, on and off the pitch.”

The route to this point has been tortuous. But Caulker, stronger for it all, finally appears to have found peace.

martyos121

Muahahaha wrote: »

Carragher has suggested that Trent could be moved to midfield and the accuracy of his passing means he could be Liverpools answer to Kevin de Bruyne. This season from the right back position he has already made more successful tackles than most other midfielders in the PL.



Full article here https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/oct/09/trent-alexander-arnold-midfield-liverpool-kevin-de-bruyne

While I see where Carra is coming from, we’ve plenty of good midfielders, I’d rather Trent continued at right back and firmly established himself as the best in the world in that position. We’ll always be able to sign talented midfielders but it’s not often you see a right back of his calibre.

shamrock55

Luckycharms_74 wrote: »

Not sure if posted before but Gomez should be on Free kicks .

Gomez shouldn't be on the pitch nevermind free kicks

giveitholly

shamrock55 wrote: »

Gomez shouldn't be on the pitch nevermind free kicks

How do you mean he shouldn't be on the field,last year before he got that injury in the Burnley game everyone was lauding how good his partnership with VVD was,now u are saying he isn't good enough to be on the field playing for Liverpool,get a grip and give the fella a chance. I reckon he will play a major role in our season yet

The Good Ole Boys

giveitholly wrote: »

How do you mean he shouldn't be on the field,last year before he got that injury in the Burnley game everyone was lauding how good his partnership with VVD was,now u are saying he isn't good enough to be on the field playing for Liverpool,get a grip and give the fella a chance. I reckon he will play a major role in our season yet

To be fair, he might well do. But he isn't good enough at the minute.

shamrock55

shamrock55 wrote: »

Gomez shouldn't be on the pitch nevermind free kicks

I’d say you’d get on great with the poster, ‘the good ole boys’, and should maybe arrange to hook up for pints with him.

He’ll improve your English if nothing else.

Peatys

shamrock55 wrote: »

Gomez shouldn't be on the pitch nevermind free kicks

Harsh.. him and Virgil were fairly solid last year and he was keeping his place in the first 11.

Yeah he was fairly muck recently but that's temporary

Fromvert

Gomez has played sporadically since his injury and is miles ahead of most centre halfs at his age. He'll get back in for a run of games at some stage and show his ability again.

Regarding Trent moving to midfield, that idea shouldnt even be entertained unless we find a RB that can produce what he can from there. He also just turned 21 so there's no rush there either.

Looks like this international break isnt too bad fixture wise for us with our game not until Sunday.

Salah, Keita, Ox, Alisson, Shaq, Milner and Matip getting more time to get their fitness back or rest.
Mane - finished already
Brazilian, Dutch and English lads done by Sunday/Monday

gimli2112

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Close up of technique

it's like watching Brazil

Fromvert

Fromvert wrote: »

Mane - finished already

Mane finally gets his summer holidays.

ricero

The anfield wrap podcast released a 4 year retrospective on Klopps reign. A good listen.

shamrock55

We are playing this season and not last, currently matip is a better choice then gomez

TitianGerm

shamrock55 wrote: »

Gomez shouldn't be on the pitch nevermind free kicks

You were complaining about people posting nonsense yesterday and you top it all with this.

Dickerty

The Good Ole Boys wrote: »

To be fair, he might well do. But he isn't good enough at the minute.

He had ONE BAD GAME. And he was dropped for it. "He isn't giood enough at the minute" suggests he's been given more than one chance.

We need to stop ragging on players!

Dickerty

shamrock55 wrote: »

We are playing this season and not last, currently matip is a better choice then gomez

Not a single person would argue against that. But that's a long way from "Gomez shouldn't be on the pitch". Go back to sleep!

shamrock55

Dickerty wrote: »

Not a single person would argue against that. But that's a long way from "Gomez shouldn't be on the pitch". Go back to sleep!

Well if he's not gonna be playing cb or right back where is he gonna play, I just don't think he's currently good enough simple as that, if you think otherwise please give a football opinion without a smart ass reply

gimli2112

In fairness Gomez looked very good last year until he had the injury and shouldn't be judged after a small number of games after a long lay off. I thought he looked very good in parts against RB, defenders and goalies can play well for most of a game but it's their mistakes that are remembered.


My alternative argument was he's better than Harry Maguire but I guess that's subjective.

Dickerty

shamrock55 wrote: »

Well if he's not gonna be playing cb or right back where is he gonna play, I just don't think he's currently good enough simple as that, if you think otherwise please give a football opinion without a smart ass reply

No, I think I'll stick to smart ass replies to excessively negative statements about one of our best young players.

If you were in work, and you messed something up one day, how would you feel if everyone was talking behind your back, suggesting you shouldn't be doing the job?

Boom_Bap

Trent to midfield?
Why the f*ck would you want to move the player that has been moulded to the klopp right back position to another position?

Dickerty

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Trent to midfield?
Why the f*ck would you want to move the player that has been moulded to the klopp right back position to another position?

Well it depends on our depth in the position. If Hoever continues to improve as a RB, we might need Trent more in midfield (where him and Fab would be an awesome pairing). He is so similar to Gerrard - if Stevie has come through when we had a ton of quality CMs, he probably would have ended up as an attacking RB as well for his tackling, crossing, long passing and engine. But as it happens, we needed him in midfield more.

shamrock55

Dickerty wrote: »

No, I think I'll stick to smart ass replies to excessively negative statements about one of our best young players.

If you were in work, and you messed something up one day, how would you feel if everyone was talking behind your back, suggesting you shouldn't be doing the job?

That's a very accurate comparison

Potential Underachiever

Yea comparing being a PL footballer to a regular 9 to 5 office job never really works imo.

Potential Underachiever

Shamrock, careful what you say or we will have 'shouldn't be on the pitch' Gomez hilariously posted for the next while!

Alonso77

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

Shamrock, careful what you say or we will have 'shouldn't be on the pitch' Gomez hilariously posted for the next while!

ya just like Naby "done nothing" Keita posts we get now and again.

The Good Ole Boys

excessively negative statements!

Potential Underachiever

Alonso77 wrote: »

ya just like Naby "done nothing" Keita posts we get now and again.

Yea maybe every couple of months or so, that's the key thing, spread them out, don't flog it to death.

Grayditch

A picture of Liverpool, the best team in the world right now, lifting the cup coveted by every player and fan, which I'm sure... everyone... on the thread can enjoy.

Dickerty

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

Yea comparing being a PL footballer to a regular 9 to 5 office job never really works imo.

Not what I said, at all. The comparison is about having a 'bad day at the office', as Gomez had against Red Bull, and then being considered not good enough.

Anyway, this is boring now...back to my 9-5!

The Good Ole Boys

I was talking behind Joe Gomez's back on a forum lmao

The Good Ole Boys

Grayditch wrote: »

A picture of Liverpool, the best team in the world right now, lifting the cup coveted by every player and fan, which I'm sure... everyone... on the thread can enjoy.

Fitz*

The Good Ole Boys wrote: »

The Good Ole Boys

FitzShane wrote: »

ayyy

shamrock55

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

Shamrock, careful what you say or we will have 'shouldn't be on the pitch' Gomez hilariously posted for the next while!

I expect nothing less my man

shamrock55

Dickerty wrote: »

Not what I said, at all. The comparison is about having a 'bad day at the office', as Gomez had against Red Bull, and then being considered not good enough.

Anyway, this is boring now...back to my 9-5!

It was actually, and it was a dumb comparison and you know it

GBX

When its international break and you come into the thread to see whats going on ..

1o059k7ewrqj3n

What results the lads have featured in out of this international break:

10th Oct All Games:
EURO: Netherlands v N. Ireland [VVD, Gini - full game] 3-1
EURO: Croatia v Hungary [Lovren - full game] 3-0
EURO: Russia v Scotland [Robertson - full game] 4-0
EURO: Belgium v San Marino [Origi - unused sub] 9-0
FRIENDLY: Brazil v Senegal [Bobby - 1 goal/59 mins, Mane - full game] 1-1

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What games have the lads left out of this international break:

EURO: Czechia v England [Henderson, TAA] - 11th Oct
EURO: Estonia v Netherlands [VVD, Gini] - 13th Oct
EURO: Wales v Croatia [Lovren] - 13th Oct
EURO: San Marino v Scotland [Robertson] - 13th Oct
EURO: Kazakhstan v Belgium [Origi] - 13th Oct
FRIENDLY: Brazil v Nigeria [Bobby, Fabinho] - 13th Oct
EURO: Bulgaria v England [Henderson, TAA] - 14th Oct

PL: United v Liverpool - 20th Oct

Obviously not all those players may feature. Also didn't include Kelleher, Gomez, Van den Berg, Hoever, Elliot, Brewster or Jones in the list, as I believe they won't feature for senior squads and probably won't feature v United.

Sorry if I missed anything.

giveitholly

Not much of a break for Mane if he has to play on the thursday before the utd game

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giveitholly wrote: »

Not much of a break for Mane if he has to play on the thursday before the utd game

Was thinking the same, hard to see him starting what with travel back to the UK from Africa factored in. So hoping he either doesnt feature or subbed off early.

shamrock55

Have tv dates for new year come out today?

gimli2112

GBX wrote: »

When its international break and you come into the thread to see whats going on ..

this is actually comparatively hi-brow for international break, at least it's football related, usually it's wall to wall panda stuff

Talisman

Dickerty wrote: »

Well it depends on our depth in the position. If Hoever continues to improve as a RB, we might need Trent more in midfield (where him and Fab would be an awesome pairing). He is so similar to Gerrard - if Stevie has come through when we had a ton of quality CMs, he probably would have ended up as an attacking RB as well for his tackling, crossing, long passing and engine. But as it happens, we needed him in midfield more.

When Gerrard came through we had plenty of midfielders - Berger, Redknapp, Ince, Hamann. McAteer, Leonhardsen, Murphy, Thompson and Ferri were also in the squad.

Gerrard was a petulant brat - I remember one of his early games where Houllier hooked him early in the second half (may have been in the first few minutes) and Gerrard had a hissy fit on the sideline. Houllier gave him alot of leeway that wouldn't be afforded to young players at Liverpool now.

Throughout his career Gerrard lacked the discipline required to be the midfielder the club needed. It's only when his mobility went that he began to realise that he didn't have to charge around the pitch in order to influence the game. If Houllier had made a point of playing him at right back/wing-back, he may have acquired that insight earlier in his career. His crossing and engine would have been of better use from that position than that offered by Stephen Wright or Jason McAteer.

Thankfully the club is on a far more stable footing now and TAA is a more stable individual by comparison to the young Steven Gerrard. TAA only turned 21 last week so he has plenty of time to move into his 'natural' position in midfield. At the moment he has a critical role in the way the team is setup and I don't see that changing in the next year or so.

BullBlackNova

Not sure I agree with a lot of the points there re: Gerrard. For one, I remember him playing as a right back in the very early stages of his career (this may genuinely have happened about twice!)

For a man who apparently didn't have the discipline to be the midfielder the club needed, he did a pretty remarkable job playing on the right under Benitez, when he was vocal about not wanting to. His strengths were his shooting, his ability to play the ball through the opposition and, a lot of the time, his ability to arrive on the edge of the box at the right moment (not an exhaustive list here - just a few off the top).

It would be interesting to see what his career would look like if he emerged now because the type of player he was isn't valued as highly in many modern teams. Would he played out wide? Unlikely, he didn't have the pace. As part of a midfield three is more likely but it wouldn't necessarily be a comfortable fit - this isn't unique to him. There is a whole generation of right midfielders (Beckham etc), right backs (Neville), and number tens (Rui Costa? Coutinho anyway!) whose roles have been so drastically redefined that they would have been very different players in the modern game.

For what its worth, I always thought Gerrard should have been moved forward later in his career, not back. He had an eye for goal, could cause havoc with clever positioning. He didn't have the pace, which would have been an issue, but its not like he set the world alight when he was dropped back, though he was decent.

Blanco100

BullBlackNova wrote: »

Not sure I agree with a lot of the points there re: Gerrard. For one, I remember him playing as a right back in the very early stages of his career (this may genuinely have happened about twice!)

For a man who apparently didn't have the discipline to be the midfielder the club needed, he did a pretty remarkable job playing on the right under Benitez, when he was vocal about not wanting to. His strengths were his shooting, his ability to play the ball through the opposition and, a lot of the time, his ability to arrive on the edge of the box at the right moment (not an exhaustive list here - just a few off the top).

It would be interesting to see what his career would look like if he emerged now because the type of player he was isn't valued as highly in many modern teams. Would he played out wide? Unlikely, he didn't have the pace. As part of a midfield three is more likely but it wouldn't necessarily be a comfortable fit - this isn't unique to him. There is a whole generation of right midfielders (Beckham etc), right backs (Neville), and number tens (Rui Costa? Coutinho anyway!) whose roles have been so drastically redefined that they would have been very different players in the modern game.

For what its worth, I always thought Gerrard should have been moved forward later in his career, not back. He had an eye for goal, could cause havoc with clever positioning. He didn't have the pace, which would have been an issue, but its not like he set the world alight when he was dropped back, though he was decent.

Always thought Gerrard would have done a job at centre half for us in his later years.

.G.

giveitholly wrote: »

Not much of a break for Mane if he has to play on the thursday before the utd game

He doesn't. That competition is like the baby brother of the African Cup of nations. All the same nations play it but they are only allowed to pick players who still play in Africa.

BullBlackNova

Blanco100 wrote: »

Always thought Gerrard would have done a job at centre half for us in his later years.

Not a bad shout either. Same issue as putting him up top - lack of pace could have killed him. Would have needed the right partner with him.

citytillidie

ricero wrote: »

The anfield wrap podcast released a 4 year retrospective on Klopps reign. A good listen.

Not if you are Danny Mills :pac::D

ERG89

giveitholly wrote: »

Not much of a break for Mane if he has to play on the thursday before the utd game

I found it noticeable Mane & Neymar played the full game yesterday while most of the players around them were taken off. Almost as if Brazil & Senegal were contractually obligated to play them for the entire game, their federations would never agree to such a deal surely.
Then again Dani Alves played the full 90 which was kinda cruel as Mane or anyone on the opposing team can practically walk past him nowdays.