Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Some insane goals there.

Oddly, the two Sturridge strikes really stand out. The one in the UEFA Cup final really deserved to be the winner rather than a footnote in a disappointing defeat. His strike against Chelsea was sensational.

I was waiting for someone to run such a story on Christmas Day, but I think it will be Liverpool themselves who say when it's done, I don't think anyone was in work mode today, no one at the table, other than the dinner table 😋

The man in red left this for me today ...

My first thought was where's Mo?

Salah is May? Holding the Premier League Trophy ....?

Lukaku is a strange one, 350m of transfer fees, more than anyone ever, yet has averaged 9 goals a season for all the seasons he has played in Premier League, I mean United knew he was no good, yet Chelsea threw 100m at Inter to get him, only for him to score 3 goals so far.

To think we could have two Jota's and a Suarez for that money. I'm glad we have people with common sense at Liverpool when it comes to buying players. Roll on Jan, although Elliott's return could be it. He looks fully recovered, you don't do the things he's doing unless he was, just a matter of fitness now. Jones, VVD, and Fab back too, things looking up.

But for Dalglish wanting Andy Carroll, Liverpool would have signed Lukaku.

A lot of strange dealings, Barca need evaluating ,

Man City are like, '' can we get back the 20m for this flop Torres??''

Barca are like '' we'll open with a bid of 55m, then rise if we need too''

Man City are like '' OMG they bid 55m, take it !! lolz''

Maybe so, but he only just arrived at City last year, and they are in desperate need for a striker, so it's strange that Pep sees him as saleable, and that his value increased so much, 55m for a 21 year old, I still think it's only Barca that would pay it. They really are broke in so many way.

Chelsea only showed interest in Lukaku in the summer of 2011. Damien Comolli had presented Lukaku as a possible transfer option to Roy Hodgson when he was looking for the club to sign Bobby Zamora in December 2010. Anderlecht were interested in signing Jovanovic at the time and Comolli had inquired about the possibility of signing Lukaku. Liverpool could have signed him for £12M plus Jovanovic in January 2011. Dalglish replaced Hodgson and had a preference for British players which is why Andy Carroll was preferred.

Bad time to face Leicester, or good time, I dunno. They'll want a reaction come Tuesday, or maybe they'll look to the game after that as their time to shine, some easy game for them after we play them.

Both things can be true I guess really... there was interest in him from everyone (he was definitely already linked with Chelsea back at the time you're talking about in - and before - Jan 2011). I've no doubt Liverpool were interested (as were all the big clubs), and I suppose had they gone for him maybe the firm offer on the table would've changed his mind. Chelsea definitely seemed to be his preference alright though, and when he joined them a few months later he said; "It was a good experience to play in Belgium but I wanted to take a big step to join a big club and I said from day one that I wanted to go to Chelsea." Wonder what the reaction would've been had Liverpool brought in a 17 year old kid to replace Torres, instead of Carroll? There was enough of a backlash over Carroll as it was (I remember absolutely raging at spending 30 million - thirty million!! - on Andy Carroll).

Was listening to a decent podcast segment on his whole Chelsea love affair a while back, about how much he idolised Hasselbaink and Drogba, and saw himself there from when he was a kid, and how he's always felt connected to the club. After that first move didn't work out he still always intended to return to fulfil that ambition - but interestingly actively told his agent to push for Utd instead of Chelsea back when there was that whole Morata thing going on, because he felt the timing just wasn't right. And then when the possibility came around again last summer, he felt it was finally the right time to realise that childhood dream.

Thaigo is Covid free

It is remarkable that we won the EFL Cup match against Leicester. We had players missing due to Covid, played a few times since they played and they played as strong a team as they could. Now it will be the reverse, we will have had a rest and Leicester played a match with only a day's rest. They have rested players, but they are injury ravaged and I will take our front 3 against Ndidi in defense. Add in a rough match against City, where they have looked good and fought back admirably but it will take it out of their players that will need to play again, means we should be in a good position on Tuesday night.

That said nothing is guaranteed so we need to be on our game and focused. As for City, the cracks are there and a Leicester team ravaged with injuries and not playing their best players are giving them a good game. But they have so much depth and their players are so good technically it will be tough to keep up with that squad.

Rested, I'd say 1 and a half. Ndidi was given a break, and Castagne was left on the bench first half. Could maaaaybe argue Vardy, but given that he was injured at the end of the game against us a couple days ago (hence why didn't take a pen), he really shouldn't have been playing today regardless.

<edit> Forgot about Soumare as well!