Liverpool 2008-2009

[Biffo]

Im sure he would have been happy to have spunked £30.75m on a player but that won't happen under the Yanks. The bottom line is that there were 3 naturally left footed players in the squad before Riera's arrival - 2 full backs and a goalie. Now there's a left winger who will hopefully stay fit a bit more than Kewell did.

Shouldn't you still be in bed?

 

[revol68]

Im sure he would have been happy to have spunked £30.75m on a player but that won't happen under the Yanks. The bottom line is that there were 3 naturally left footed players in the squad before Riera's arrival - 2 full backs and a goalie. Now there's a left winger who will hopefully stay fit a bit more than Kewell did.

Shouldn't you still be in bed?

Rafa spent 20 million on Robbie Keane for fucksake, he also spent 12 million on Pennant and was looking another 18 million for Barry a central midfielder he wanted to shoehorn into the left wing. Maybe if he stopped buying medicore shit at 10 million a pop he'd be able to save it all up and buy some proper quality.

 

[Biffo]

12 million on Pennant??!!

Try £6.5m - which was still a couple of million too much.

Rafa's net spending this summer is about £18m. Not much compared to other clubs around - Utd, Sunderland, Citeh, etc. In a way it's a good thing because more spending = more debt on the club.

Barry would have been next to Masch in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

 

[revol68]

12 million on Pennant??!!

Try £6.5m - which was still a couple of million too much.

Rafa's net spending this summer is about £18m. Not much compared to other clubs around - Utd, Sunderland, Citeh, etc. In a way it's a good thing because more spending = more debt on the club.

Barry would have been next to Masch in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

what with Kuyt and Robbie Keane providing the width?

like i said ages ago Liverpool are far to narrow and one dimensional.

 

[Biffo]

what with Kuyt and Robbie Keane providing the width?

like i said ages ago Liverpool are far to narrow and one dimensional.

The 4-2-3-1 that finishd last season was very effective. If Barry had signed then the three behind Torres would be Babel, Gerrard and Keane. That formaation doesn't necessarily require width.

I will be interested to see if Riera will be a winger in a 4-4-2 or the left side of 3.

 

[revol68]

also why the fuck did Rafa pay 11 million for Babel to leave him sitting on the bench whilst Keane and Kuyt "run" the wings?

 

[revol68]

The 4-2-3-1 that finishd last season was very effective. If Barry had signed then the three behind Torres would be Babel, Gerrard and Keane. That formaation doesn't necessarily require width.

I will be interested to see if Riera will be a winger in a 4-4-2 or the left side of 3.

Having one formation and style of approach is called being one dimensional and it makes it very easy to shut you out. There is also the fact Rafa is one of the most cautious managers in the league and plays every game like it's a european away leg.

 

[nino_savatte]

Fuck it, I'm off to the Man Utd thread.

Fair's fair - eh?

 

[corporate whore]

He's got something of Rob Lowe about him. Still, 5.5 mill if reports are to be believed, which is a tidy bit of business for a Spanish international, no?

He has kwalaty, forsure.

 

[cybershot]

Yeah, it's £5.5.m with a massive sell on fee thou, so we'll see fuck all of it if we sell him on. Fuck off Yanks.

 

[cybershot]

Sounds like Sami has slightly thrown his dummy out the pram over the champions league squad:

“I understand it’s partly because of the UEFA regulations, but despite that, the news came as a surprise to me and a shock too.

“But the club had a ‘perfect’ timing for this: they didn’t want me to move elsewhere, so that’s why I was told the news of having been left out, just after the transfer window had closed.

“The club went public to say there had been offers for me, but turned them down. So perhaps that means I am still part of the plans for this season.

“I don’t know if I would have wanted to move on, had I heard news about the squad when the window was still open.”

Full article: http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/...objectid=21702382&siteid=50061-name_page.html

Be intresting to see what 'homegrown' players the big four have in their squads, Man Utd can probably name 8 decent Englishmen, but the others certainly can't. Should make the competition more interesting this year.

 

[Relahni]

Interesting article re Sami.

Nice one Cyber.

I'd guess Sami just wants to play football. The idea of being fourth choice at that age, with the clock on his career running out isn't overly great.

 

[cybershot]

I'd guess Sami just wants to play football. The idea of being fourth choice at that age, with the clock on his career running out isn't overly great.

True, but surely they should be offering him a bootroom job by now anyway, I know Palle what's his face has come in this season, but surely Sami is good enough to be a decent coach, possibly even manager at some point, he's been a great servert and for a while a great captain. I'd hate to see him leave, I think he could be really valuable asset to be working with the kids/reserves/or even the first team.

But hey, I don't pick the backroom staff and don't really know what goes on.

If you like good articles theres a semi decent one on the Liverpool official site today about Dave McDonough, head of opponent analysis. Although I;d like to think Rafa doesn't need to watch videos about Man Utd!!

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/features/this_season/FN13304080908-1349.htm

 

[Relahni]

Sami may well be decent coach material? Dunnow.

I liked Carra's idea of having King Kenny on the board at Anfield. But with pesimistic eyes, conversations would probably go the way of "but it's our money Kenny.........i.e fuck off etc"

Man Utd next.

Anyone optimistic about this match?

 

[steveo87]

Yup.
They don't have Ronaldo.

We should have Torres and Gerrard back, 1-0.
Simple as.
Bring 'um on!!!!

 

[Biffo]

Sami may well be decent coach material? Dunnow.

I liked Carra's idea of having King Kenny on the board at Anfield. But with pesimistic eyes, conversations would probably go the way of "but it's our money Kenny.........i.e fuck off etc"

Man Utd next.

Anyone optimistic about this match?

Without Gerrard and Torres I expect Keane and Babel (if he's fit) or Benayoun up front and a Masch & Lucas central midfield. To be honest a draw wouldn't be bad but given the recent record I'm not optimistic.

So it's a 1-0 win with Keane scoring a late winner and the Kop belting out ......There's only one Keane-o!!!! ad nauseum.

 

[corporate whore]

Anyone optimistic about this match?

Nope. Not in the slightest. Certainly not without Gerrard and Torres.

Will be offering a small prayer later in the week, though, just in case.

 

[Relahni]

Nope. Not in the slightest. Certainly not without Gerrard and Torres.

Will be offering a small prayer later in the week, though, just in case.

Glad someone shares my doom.

 

[corporate whore]

Doom is my default setting.

A pessimist is never disappointed, as that wise sage Sophie Ellis-Bextor once trilled.

 

[cybershot]

I'll be happy with a draw at the weekend, although it's about time we beat the bastards in the last minute with a jammy goal from Arbeloa in stoppage time off his backside, Or i'll happily take Keane ending his duck!

Can us being quite defensive again! Which is quite boring, in a way glad I didn't qualify for tickets for this one, always a great atmosphere but really depressing when we've lost to the scum.

Saying that, it would good for us to actually fucking wake up this season and actually put a performance in, but it will probably be a shit match like it always is.

 

[revol68]

Yup.
They don't have Ronaldo.

We should have Torres and Gerrard back, 1-0.
Simple as.
Bring 'um on!!!!

crhist every year youse arseholes get cocky and every year youse get beat.

And Gerard and Torres won't be back.

 

[cybershot]

crhist every year youse arseholes get cocky and every year youse get beat.

And Gerard and Torres won't be back.

Oh you never know, we might just be saying they are unfit, when actually they aren't! (doubt it thou)

 

[cybershot]

Be intresting to see what 'homegrown' players the big four have in their squads, Man Utd can probably name 8 decent Englishmen, but the others certainly can't. Should make the competition more interesting this year.

Uefa rules state that four players in the 25-man party must be produced by the club's own academy, while four others can be produced by an English academy.

Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Jay Spearing and Stephen Darby make up the contingent from Liverpool, while Robbie Keane, Jermaine Pennant, Steven Irwin and Martin Kelly are the other four.

 

[Relahni]

Uefa rules state that four players in the 25-man party must be produced by the club's own academy, while four others can be produced by an English academy.

Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Jay Spearing and Stephen Darby make up the contingent from Liverpool, while Robbie Keane, Jermaine Pennant, Steven Irwin and Martin Kelly are the other four.

Darby and Spearing were class in the pre-season.

Would like to see Darby get a chance at some point soon....

 

[cybershot]

Darby and Spearing were class in the pre-season.

Would like to see Darby get a chance at some point soon....

Yeah but over the past two pre-season's Veronin has probably been our best player, which says it all.

Hasn't Spearing been around a while now, I would have thought if he was actually any good he would have broke into the team by now.

It does slightly worry me, what with all the Hungarian kids etc we've got at Melwood at the moment. Even our own kids are getting pushed out of the Academies now let alone the first team.

I assume Rafa has a plan for all this thou, I know we do have a few other homegrown kids at Melwood but the question still is, will they ever be good enough. Let's hope so.

 

[Relahni]

Gary Ablett was home grown!

 

[Biffo]

Yeah but over the past two pre-season's Veronin has probably been our best player, which says it all.

Hasn't Spearing been around a while now, I would have thought if he was actually any good he would have broke into the team by now.

It does slightly worry me, what with all the Hungarian kids etc we've got at Melwood at the moment. Even our own kids are getting pushed out of the Academies now let alone the first team.

I assume Rafa has a plan for all this thou, I know we do have a few other homegrown kids at Melwood but the question still is, will they ever be good enough. Let's hope so.

They will all be sold to Bolton, Newcastle and Blackburn for £2.5m each in 2-3 years time to finance the purchase of an over-priced English player

 

[cybershot]

And Gerard and Torres won't be back.

Torres likely to be fit.

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/...objectid=21708403&siteid=50061-name_page.html

 

[ScallyWag II]

Yeah but over the past two pre-season's Veronin has probably been our best player, which says it all.

Hasn't Spearing been around a while now, I would have thought if he was actually any good he would have broke into the team by now.

It does slightly worry me, what with all the Hungarian kids etc we've got at Melwood at the moment. Even our own kids are getting pushed out of the Academies now let alone the first team.

I assume Rafa has a plan for all this thou, I know we do have a few other homegrown kids at Melwood but the question still is, will they ever be good enough. Let's hope so.

On a few of the programmes following the reserves last year the opinion was that Spearing isn't good enough. I like him though, plays with a lot of heart. He's a bit small as well.

 

[Relahni]

Torres likely to be fit.

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/...objectid=21708403&siteid=50061-name_page.html

Good news.

Gerrard out though - which means, same formation as last season. Keane takes Gerrard's position.