The Liverpool FC Thread

What a game.....

Another 4-4

Ah well....at least we've been entertained eh?

Liverpool manager
Rafa Benitez is looking to add a left winger to his squad in the upcoming transfer window due to the disappointing performances of former Espanyol star Albert Riera, and he has apparently set his sights on the Dutch Eredivisie as a potential source of recruits.

According to Omrop Fryslan, the English giants are closely monitoring the situation of versatile midfielder Danijel Pranjic. The Croatian international currently plays for Heerenveen.

The report claims that the Reds have already contacted Pranjic's agent, Soren Lerby. However, the Premier League outfit have yet to make an official bid for the left footed midfielder.

Pranjic joined Heerenveen in 2005 and quickly developed into an important first team player. He made more than 100 league appearances for the Dutch outfit so far and has been the absolute key man for his club this campaign with sixteen goals in 29 league matches.

The 27-year-old was on the verge of joining Sevilla last winter, but the transfer eventually collapsed due to financial reasons. Heerenveen have reportedly set a €9 million asking price
for their star player.

He is a very talented player. Always hoped he'd come to Ajax but it seems the big boys want him.

Interesting stats from OPTA.

Especially for those who say say Lucas can't pass or tackle:
i707.photobucket.com...

Transfer market wishlist

Silva - 2 footed, can play on either wing or in the hole, great passer, great vision and a good shot.

Lavezzi - see above, but add dribbling skill and strength.

Barry - super all round player who can fill a variety of roles with aplomb, both in defense and attack.

Srna - great player. Good going forwards, quick, powerfull in the air and a good defender.

Players to go...

I think maybe Alonso may go. Which I don't like. However, I trust Rafa, and I'm sure he has a plan.

Babel - either this season or next. As the man himself said, he is now of an age where he can no longer be said to have potential. A good offer and he may go.

Voronin - what can you say about the ponytailed chav, except he's not of the required standard.

Benny Onion - Love him, but either of the players previously mentioned would be a step up in quality and I'm not sure he'd be happy on the bench...

Assorted reserves who didn't make the grade.

Watch out for...

Nemeth

Pacheco

Dalle Vale

and of course, Insua.

What may happen...
If Xabi leaves and we get our target players, then I can see Barry dropping into the Xabi role (keeps it short and simple but has excellent delivery), with a front 4 of Silva, Lavezzi, Gerrard and Torres.

Both Silva and Lavezzi can play on either wing, in the hole or as a striker, with Dirk as a back up along with Riera.

9/10 for this season.

Hopefully we can go one better next year

Happy silly season



[edit on 25/5/2009 by budski]

reply to post by budski


Bud, I have deliberately kept out of this thread lately until the end of the Premier League.

I must say Liverpool have performed quite admirably this year and with 2 or 3 more quality signings, and they one's you have listed are certainly that, they may be genuine contenders next year.

But I must say, Liverpool have done very well DESPITE Benitez, not because of him.
Benitez is far too predictable and doesn't seem to be able to react to situations.
If Liverpool are doing well and everything is going according to the game plan then all well and good but if they are struggling he seems incapable of changing or adapting tactics.

I sincerely hope Liverpool mount an even better challenge to Man Utd next season and help contribute to England's continued dominance of The Champions League.

reply to post by Freeborn


I disagree.

Rafa is constantly in the technical area, giving instructions to his team.

He is renowned as a brilliant tactician.

He struggles only because he doesn't always have the players to put into practice what he preaches.

he brought the 4-2-3-1 formation to the EPL.

He recognised the quality of Gerrard in a free role.

He's ruthless and a VERY skilled manager.

I support him 100% with no reservations.

reply to post by budski


One of the beauties of football my friend; we can both appreciate good football yet have a completely different opinion of how or why!

Gerrard is a fantastic player who is the heart and soul of Liverpool at present.
Liverpool are a completely different team without him.

I just wish he could replicate the same form for England!

reply to post by Freeborn



If Cappelo would play him in his best position I'm sure he would reproduce the form.

But that would mean playing the same formation as Liverpool, which I don't think will happen.

I am pretty much 100% convinced that Gerrard will win the league with Rafa.

He's a great manager, from the Rinus Michels school of football.

en.wikipedia.org...

"I always greatly admired his leadership. Both as a player and as a coach there is nobody who taught me as much as him. He was a sportsman who put the Netherlands on the map in such a way that almost everybody still benefits from it. There is no one I learnt from more than Rinus Michels. I often tried to imitate him, and that's the greatest compliment one could give."
Johan Cruyff

"He knew exactly how to motivate a group of players - he was a master at lifting the tension in the dressing room, especially with his special sense of humour. At certain moments he could be very hard in making his decisions, but at other times he showed his warmer side."
Marco van Basten

"Rinus was a coach with natural leadership that we players respected. He was a man of few words, although he became a bit more open with time. These days a coach always has to explain himself, but for him that was not necessary. He stood above the group. I have learned a lot from him."
Ronald Koeman

source


Great article here and how it relates to Rafa's re-building job.

[edit on 25/5/2009 by budski]

reply to post by budski


I agree with you about Capello, and previous England managers, and Gerard.

Unfortunatley we shall have to agree to disagree about Benitez.

In 12 months time I would like to be able to come on here and say, yes you were right Bud, Rafa is great.
I somehow doubt I will be though.

reply to post by Freeborn


OK, time will tell on that one. However, in 5 years, he's given us the European cup, the FA cup, been a good finalist in more than one competition, given us our best home record for 22 years, given us our highest EPL points total, and provided 2 of the EPLs top 6 goalscorers despite the fact they missed a goodish portion of the season injured.

It took ferguson longer to win trophy's of the same calibre - and with a comparitively high turnover of players.

Just a quick post to underline the departure of the great Sami. I've just been looking through his Liverpool stats history and I'm surprised he's scored 22 goals. My memory has him hoofing and heading in more than that. Some were fairly important goals although his goal line clearances should have a column in the stats tables. I thought he was ready for the knackers yard (slooow) around 06, but he added more glitter to his name in the past couple of seasons.

The unofficial motto, and unacknowledged by some, is 'Next Season.' Here we are again with the same conviction we feel at the end of every season that this one really is the one. You know what? This time I REALLY do think we can do it.

Well said Kdinks

Zazz raises her glass for all to join in chorus:

"NEXT SEASON"

Two words......................................................
.....................................................................
......................................................................
Heh heh

Originally posted by Kandinsky
The unofficial motto, and unacknowledged by some, is 'Next Season.' Here we are again with the same conviction we feel at the end of every season that this one really is the one. You know what? This time I REALLY do think we can do it.

Definitely mate..... many times have i said "next season" but like yourself.... i truly believe it now.

We pushed harder than ever before this season and with a couple of quality signings in key areas, wingers and a striker, i think next season we could go all the way.

Well looks like we won't be getting Gareth Barry, because he signed for Man City today. I HOPE WE GET SILVA!!! If just one transfer.... him, get rid of Riera, stick him on the wing. Keep Benny as a supersub. Get rid of Babel and bring Owen back as our 2nd striker for when Torres is injured. I know Owen is injury prone, but.... ahhhh

reply to post by RenDMC


Gareth Barry won't be a huge loss, as long as we keep hold of Alonso, and it looks like we will.
Lucas needs to step it up another gear next year, and I believe he will - he's been working on his strength, and as you can see from the stats I posted before, he has had a good season for such a young player.

If owen comes, I fully expect to see him on a "pay per play" deal, and as it's a world cup year, chances are he'll stay fit and try hard instead of going to the stables to stroke his horses

Apart from Silva, I'd also like to see Levezzi come in - both players are 2 footed, can dribble, pass and shoot, and the movement of a front four including Torres and Gerrard would cause havoc, especially against those who just want to shut up shop and park the bus.
Silva is the more intelligent player (IMO) who would start more games and Levezzi would be an impact player (at least in his first season) coming off the bench and using his pace as Babel was supposed to...

One of these, particularly Silva could turn out to be our desequilibrante in the absence of Gerrard or Torres, although it must be said that Rafa has a different view of this kind of player to the accepted norm.
Literal definition

Personally, I'd like to see Babel given one more season - he has undoubted talent, and IF he could couple that with consistency he would be heading towards world class.
Unfortunately, it seems that he doesn't have a great attitude when things don't go his way.

I think there'll also be a couple of Bosmans - but only Rafa &co know who they are...

We've lost out on Barry but we are favourites to land Silva. According to todays mornings papers we could be losing the services of Mascherano as Real Madrid have put in a ridiculous bid which we would be stupid to turn down.
God, I hope we don't sign Owen. He's lost all his pace and is the most injured player since Darren Anderton (old sick note) graced the league. Besides which, Everton are favourites to sign him on a pay as you play role.
And for all those who are saying the title is ours next year I would add an ear of caution. Who knows who Man Utd will bring in, or Man City, Chelsea or Arsenal? The fact is if it wasn't for all those ridiculous draws against teams we should have easily put away we would now be crowned premier league champions.

reply to post by Mintwithahole.
I'd be gutted to lose Mascha and hope it's transfer BS rumour. Yossi says he'd stay even if Real made an offer. The Owen return has been rumoured forever and I sincerely hope it doesn't happen. No pace, injuries etc. The Fowler comeback had more chance of being successful than his. I doubt a top 6 club will come in for him.

Kuyt's begun to score and if Torres could last a season we'd have certainly won last time. Not made my mind up about Babel, maybe a few successive starts would seal his potential, but Rafa doesn't seem keen and I can't see it happening. Trade him in. Another world class goalscorer to build on Torres and Gerrard would put us closer to par with Utd.

reply to post by Kandinsky

Par with ManUtd? I'm one of those who honestly believes that man for man we're better than Man Utd! We humiliated them both at home and away, Barcelona showed them up for the bunch of prima donas which they surely are, and to cap it all off both the whinging,diving Ronaldo and the brilliant Tevez want out. And what on earth is Berbatov doing wandering around the pitch like a lost soul? Is he really the best they can do?
Man Utd didn't win this years premiership- Liverpool lost it. . .

reply to post by Mintwithahole.


Which morning papers?

I haven't heard a peep, except in the Mirror (a story picked up by the BBC) which stated they were going to offer the £18 million we paid for him.

Frankly, the only less credible source would be the Daily Sport or the S**

I also have my doubts about Silva - the stories doing the rounds are re-hashed from January - but we stand more chance of landing Silva than Real do of landing the monster.

As usual Perez is throwing names out left right and centre, with no thoughts except to try and unsettle other teams...

Guillem Balague interviewed Perez last week, which can be read her e and mentioned Alonso, which was then "clarified" here , I suspect because Rafa had a pop at his so-called friend...

I have yet to read a credible source linking Masch - but for all his faults, Balague gets it right more often than not, probably because he is Rafa's preferred press leak, although since the furore over Rafa's contract that relationship seems to have cooled...

Let's also not forget, his website earns him money by the visit....

Unless and until there is a high profile bid on the table for either player, then they are going nowhere - and if either does, it's more likely to be Xabi simply because Perez is a big fan of his and wanted to sign him before we got him.

It's even more unlikely when you consider Xabi is a basque...

[edit on 3/6/2009 by budski]