new liverpool thread - everyone loves them (2 Viewers)

[I Bleed Black]

I know, lets give them one of our best players!

As long as he's the only Pool player heading in that direction I'll be happy enough. He was far from one of our best players, a very good squad player and most of his best performances came as an impact sub, I think that says it all. Based on his rant last week it seems he has a much higher opinion of himself than the majority of people do.

 

[coast to coast]

Should the bigger concern be that Benny was one of your best players? I don't think he improved at Liverpool, he was what he was when he arrived, a talented guy, just like when he was at West Ham. Good enough to be a star at a club like West Ham but when pool signed him, and I remember at a time a lot of Liverpool fans derided his purchase, I thought that he'd be a handy guy to have around in the squad at a title contending club but nothing more. The fact that he rose to such a prominant position at the club strikes me as a sign of the general weakness of the Liverpool squad.

Well firstly it depends how far you stretch "best players" - he was certainly not one of our, to borrow an expression, "top top" players, but a very handy and I think underrated player. Clearly he was not perfect and could be annoying - usually dropping the shoulder for a third time and when shooting the option, but he did amass 30-something goals in the three years without being a nailed-on starter, which is impressive, even if it does include 3 hattricks in drubbings of shit teams at Anfield - but he was certainly one of the top 2 performers at the end of our best season under Rafa 2 years ago scoring against Arsenal, Fulham, Real, etc - he was fucking magic then. Pity he and Rafa fell out (or so it seems, though I don't believe the NOTW on principle.) Liverpool fans deriding his purchase is not a sign of anything - surely the internet and real-life have taught you not to listen to us Liverpool fans.

 

[trev]

Clear out of the youngflas on the cards as well...insua, plessis, nemeth etc etc...

 

[washingcattle]

Well firstly it depends how far you stretch "best players" - he was certainly not one of our, to borrow an expression, "top top" players,

Sorry, but who exactly are these "top top" players ?

 

[Cormcolash]

The good players that are not quite as good as the top top top players

 

[coast to coast]

Sorry, but who exactly are these "top top" players ?

Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Pepe Reina

 

[Cormcolash]

Come on now! Torres and Gerrard are clearly top top top top top top top top top players!

 

[coast to coast]

Top top.

 

[Cormcolash]

Well, except when a World Cup is on, then they just look shite

 

[washingcattle]

Half of those top players didn't deliver at all last season and Torres is turning into the new Louis Saha whereas Benny put in some top top performances. Just because those 4 players are worth what ? €150 mil doesn't mean their delivering on that valuation. I think you're missing the fact that you haven't got a top top player to replace one of last terms top top performer. What did he go for €8 mil ? you probably wouldn't get Aiden McGeady for that. I can't believe you're all so calm about this.

 

[Wheels]

Half of those top players didn't deliver at all last season and Torres is turning into the new Louis Saha whereas Benny put in some top top performances. Just because those 4 players are worth what ? €150 mil doesn't mean their delivering on that valuation. I think you're missing the fact that you haven't got a top top player to replace one of last terms top top performer. What did he go for €8 mil ? you probably wouldn't get Aiden McGeady for that. I can't believe you're all so calm about this.

Calming down is second nature to scousers don't you know? Personally, I'll only panic if we continue off playing as badly as we did last time out, but I really don't see how that's possible. If Torres stays (and stays fit), Stevie gets his mojo back, and Uncle Woy plays the field as wisely as he needs to, I'll continue to be cautiously optimistic that the team can improve 10 maybe 12 points on last year.

 

[coast to coast]

Half of those top players didn't deliver at all last season and Torres is turning into the new Louis Saha whereas Benny put in some top top performances. Just because those 4 players are worth what ? €150 mil doesn't mean their delivering on that valuation. I think you're missing the fact that you haven't got a top top player to replace one of last terms top top performer. What did he go for €8 mil ? you probably wouldn't get Aiden McGeady for that. I can't believe you're all so calm about this.

He went for something like 6.5m? I'm not saying that Yossi didn't actually have a better season than some of those players last year - certainly Gerrard, who's the only one who plays in a similar position and would hope to be scoring a similar amount of goals (or more) and creating them as well, but as I'd be more worried if we sold one of the four players I mentioned.

That said I think Mascherano is off, but he certainly seems to want out every summer at this stage, so if he is sold, then I hope we'll get to use the transfer funds rather than put them towards servicing a debt that is never actually going to be paid off by the present malignant "custodians."

In terms of replacements we have Albert "Sinking Ship" "Quagmire" Riera and the new lad Jovanovic on the left. I'd actually be more worried if they sold Insua. Not that he's a wonderful player but he's the only senior left back at the club. I'm sure the reserves even have one. The lad playing there was a centre back playing out of position (Mavinga) and the other lad (Threlfall) was shipped out to someone in the Championship or League One at the end of last season - and I don't think either are/were remotely ready anyway.

The link to Maynor Figueroa seems like a good option. Big, fit, fast, played in the Premiership and I think can cover in centre back (fairly sure he played there during the World Cup for Honduras).

 

[Con]

Personally, I'd much rather have had benayoun stay where he was than go to another premiership team, especially chelsea. Alot of pool fans didn't take to him because of one indifferent season but he was more than effective the rest of the time, when he was used, which was far too little in my opinion. The squad is starting to look a bit thin. Aurelio is gone (which is no loss really as he had a permanent sick note), bennys gone, Insua is off to fiorentina, Riera to olympiakos seems likely, Mascherano defo wants out, Carragher is getting on, and we have to wait and see if Aquilani is up to playing a proper league season ever again.
Hopefully Hodgson is able to get players like Babel to realise their potential. The fact that he's a manager who's more likely to give players a sympathetic ear and a bit of guidance than Benitez was might make the difference.
A deal for Loic Remy from Nice seems to be nearly completed. Don't know anything about him really. He's being talked about as the new Henry. Comparisons like that are usually the kiss of death. Or maybe it just means he's a cheating bastard.

 

[Cormcolash]

He's a top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top top player

 

[I Bleed Black]

Line up for our first pre season friendly against Al Hilal this evening;

Liverpool: Gulacsi, Degen, Darby, Ayala, Kelly, Lucas, Aquilani, Riera, Amoo, Dalla Valle, Ngog. Subs: Hansen, Spearing, Irwin, Shelvey, Ince, Eccleston, Palsson

Let the games begin!!

edit: I almost forgot to mention Lucas is captain

 

[Cormcolash]

Insua is off to Fiorentina apparently

 

[I Bleed Black]

Insua is off to Fiorentina apparently

Yep Roy has wished him best of luck in the future so I guess thats that. Game was called off this evening due to heavy rain.

 

[Wheels]

Yep Roy has wished him best of luck in the future so I guess thats that. Game was called off this evening due to heavy rain.

With Aurelio, Dossena and now Insua all let go there's obviously a decent left back being lined up. Anyone care to speculate as to who it is?

 

[coast to coast]

With Aurelio, Dossena and now Insua all let go there's obviously a decent left back being lined up. Anyone care to speculate as to who it is?

Phil Neville?

 

[Franco]

Paul Konchesky probs.