The BigFooty Liverpool Army - Part 17

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Dagger5 said:
Forgot about Nabil how Bizarre, Konc-heskey and Degen. They too should all be show the door.

The Greek is very good depth cover, hope he stays.
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I agree the Greek is good cover, though if a new center back comes in I think it'll be he who goes.

As gash as Skrtel has been this season i can't see us selling him at all and he's shown that with a decent center back next to him, he actually isn't as bad.

Though whether we can finish top four with a player like Martin Skrtel being in our best 11, that's a different story.
 

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I think we can afford to keep Carra or Greek on field in a three CB defense and think we should add a player to compete with Skrtel and Wilson. Also probably sell GJ for a couple of quality wing backs. Competition for spots wouldn't be a bad thing and is something we haven't even seen this year.
 
we need a cb, lb, cdm, cm, lw, rw and st.

thats 7 players, but cant see us bringing in more than 4, unless we get a worthwhile free transfer.

wingers and left back first, defensive mid and cb next, striker and cm the least concerning.
 
Sakho/Samba, Baines, Diarra, Martinez, Young, someone on the RW and we don't really need a striker.
 
Cahill/Samba, Jose Enrique, Adam, Young, Van Wolfswinkel/Ruiz, Dimitri Payet.

Would do it for me.
 
Lol, you won't be getting another striker unless it's a young 4th choice like a Wickham amongst others. A player like Ricky van Wolfswinkel will only leave for first team football.
 
Only jod said we don't need a complete squad overhaul.

Jod is happy to keep the likes of Carra, Kuyt and some other spuds that we all want to get rid of.

The rest of us know the squad is shit and the rest of us know at least 7 or 8 new players are needed until we can compete at the top level of the EPL and UCL football again.
 

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Jessica Watson said:
Only jod said we don't need a complete squad overhaul.

Jod is happy to keep the likes of Carra, Kuyt and some other spuds that we all want to get rid of.

The rest of us know the squad is shit and the rest of us know at least 7 or 8 new players are needed until we can compete at the top level of the EPL and UCL football again.
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Im the only one being realistic. You all seem to think were going to bring in 7 or 8 world class stars and just easily sell complete garbage like Degen, El Zhar etc.

We will be lucky to make 4 key signings. LB, two wingers and maybe a central defender. Kuyt and Carragher are perfectly good squad players, we just need them on the bench with better options on the pitch. Maxi would be a decent bench option too, we do need squad depth to challenge on all fronts. Absolute shite like Degen, El Zhar, Poulsen and Jovanovic need to be sold though.
 
Why the f*** are people putting a CB as a top priority? Seriously, thats insane. Order of importance:

1. LB - Absolutely no options there. Aurelio is injured most of the time, and I don't even rate him in that position anyway.

2. Wingers - Both sides. All our options here are AM/ST. Need some wingers that will provide some width. Would love to get a star player for this position, but we don't need 2.

3. CM - We do have quality in the middle in Gerrard and Meireles, that work on paper, but our CM's don't really seem to gel at all. I think we need less an out-and-out star for CM, but someone who works well with the teammates and is a 'proper' CM instead of AM.

4. CB - Carra is rubbish and would love to see him coming off the bench, if nothing but to see how he handles being downgraded to such a position. We do need another CB, but there are 5 other positions we need to fill before that.

20. Backup striker - seriously, if our team wasn't so rubbish, Ngog wouldnt look so bad. I would like a backup but in terms of priorities, nah. Would rather we spend that money on underage potential stars.

Unless we are going to spend buckets in summer, I think we need to spend less time bringing in squad players and more on getting a starting 11 that isn't gash. Lets crawl before we walk yeah?
 
jod23 said:
Im the only one being realistic. You all seem to think were going to bring in 7 or 8 world class stars and just easily sell complete garbage like Degen, El Zhar etc.

We will be lucky to make 4 key signings. LB, two wingers and maybe a central defender. Kuyt and Carragher are perfectly good squad players, we just need them on the bench with better options on the pitch. Maxi would be a decent bench option too, we do need squad depth to challenge on all fronts. Absolute shite like Degen, El Zhar, Poulsen and Jovanovic need to be sold though.
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It's not about buying 7 world class stars, it's about buying 2 or 3 stars.

Reina
Johnson Sakho/Samba Agger Baines/Enrique
RW Meireles Gerrard Young
Suarez
Carroll

The RW spot doesn't have to be a star, because he'll have other good quality players around him, so if we spent money on 10-15m on Sakho or Samba, 7-10m on Baines or 10-14 on Enrique, as well as 15-20m on Young, potentially we're only spending 40m there, if we then put 10m towards another winger, it's a 50m summer, not including the small increments we may get back from selling some of our gash.

If we get Enrique/Baines and bring Insua back from his loan, that's a good start - then we can keep Aurelio for cover at LB, LW, or even CM.

To play alongside Agger, we need a strong, aerially dominant CB, so a Samba/Sakho/Mertesacker type will do just nice, and neither of them will cost 20m+.

The LW and RW will cost money, that'll be the most expensive part - once we fill those positions, in the Jan window or the next summer, we can address some other concerns.

It should only take 4 signings this summer to have at least competing again.
 
Jessica Watson said:
It's not about buying 7 world class stars, it's about buying 2 or 3 stars.

Reina
Johnson Sakho/Samba Agger Baines/Enrique
RW Meireles Gerrard Young
Suarez
Carroll

The RW spot doesn't have to be a star, because he'll have other good quality players around him, so if we spent money on 10-15m on Sakho or Samba, 7-10m on Baines or 10-14 on Enrique, as well as 15-20m on Young, potentially we're only spending 40m there, if we then put 10m towards another winger, it's a 50m summer, not including the small increments we may get back from selling some of our gash.

If we get Enrique/Baines and bring Insua back from his loan, that's a good start - then we can keep Aurelio for cover at LB, LW, or even CM.

To play alongside Agger, we need a strong, aerially dominant CB, so a Samba/Sakho/Mertesacker type will do just nice, and neither of them will cost 20m+.

The LW and RW will cost money, that'll be the most expensive part - once we fill those positions, in the Jan window or the next summer, we can address some other concerns.

It should only take 4 signings this summer to have at least competing again.
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Agree with you on this one. 4 really good signings will see us competing for the EPL title next season.

There's no hope of getting Baines at LB - Everton will not do business with us. We should seal Michel Bastos ASAP from Lyon.

Lassana Diarra is a must (or similar player) to replace Mascherano. Then Meireles / Gerrard will have much more confidence going forward.

We need Ashley Young to give us some width and get some good crosses in for Carroll to capitlalise on.

Lastly, we need a dominating tall CB in our squad. The 2 candidates we should focus on are Subotic & Mertescaker. Get either one of those and we are set.

In terms of players to get rid of I'd be selling off Joe Cole, Glen Johnson (with the emergence of Kelly he is no longer needed and Insua can be cover at LB), Aquilani, Maxi, Skrtel, Degen, Jovanovic & Poulsen all of whom need to go even if we have to take a small hit on a lower transfer free.

My ideal lineup:

-----------Reina
Kelly Subotic Agger Bastos
------------Diarra
Young ---Gerrard Meireles
---------------Suarez
----------Carolll

Subs:

Jones
Carragher
Kyriagkos
Wilson
Insua
Lucas
Aurelio
Shelvey
Spearing
Kuyt
Ngog

A secondary consideration would be purchasing an additional quality striker to help out Andy Carroll (Ngog would only be used as a squad player).

With that squad, I believe we could take out the EPL next season. Plenty of depth on the bench there.
 
KaaN10 said:
Like we'll play without a defensive midfielder
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I was in a rush to get ready for cricket finals, but I overlooked that fact.

I also left Kelly out of the XI.

However, if you add to my spending Lass Diarra, maybe for another 10m, then hopefully we can make up that extra 10m by selling Cole, Ivanovic, Poulsen, El Zhar, Degen etc.

If we managed 1.5m for Cole, 1.5m for Ivanovic, 1m for Poosen and 500k each for El Zhar and Degen, it's about 5m. Who knows what might happen, a bid for Johnson of 10m might come in and Kenny might think we should sell.
 
Jessica Watson said:
Only jod said we don't need a complete squad overhaul.

Jod is happy to keep the likes of Carra, Kuyt and some other spuds that we all want to get rid of.

The rest of us know the squad is shit and the rest of us know at least 7 or 8 new players are needed until we can compete at the top level of the EPL and UCL football again.
Click to expand...

Carra has to stay, the man is a club legend and is willing to die for us. Only on the basis of being a squad player though to fill in when needed - his days as a first XI player are over.

You might flame me here but I'd keep Kuyt as a squad player also because he is hard working, runs all day and is willing to get stuck in. Can also fill in up front if needed. Again, Kuyt must be a squad player and not a staring XI player.
 
WorldCup2022OZ said:
Carra has to stay, the man is a club legend and is willing to die for us. Only on the basis of being a squad player though to fill in when needed - his days as a first XI player are over.
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But will you still see him as a club legend after he has a sook for coming off the bench? I mean FFS, the guy signed a two year deal the day before we got new owners. Sounds more like a bellend than a club legend to me.
 
Purslows parting gift was to lump us with another astonishingly large contract for a player who is the definition of useless these days. Thanks Cecil. :thumbsu:
 
I'm happy but I won't swear eternal love to anyone, says Pepe Reina


And then there was one. The question now is: how much longer will he stay? It is a question that the last high-profile survivor of Anfield's Spanish era, Pepe Reina, knows is coming as he strolls across the grass at the national team's Las Rozas HQ, northwest of Madrid, and eases into a seat on the bench by the training pitch.

He does not hide from the question but nor does he know the answer yet. Under different circumstances he might have left Anfield already, perhaps last summer. Since then his best friend has left the club.

When Fernando Torres defected to Chelsea in January Liverpool lost a forward but Reina lost his friend and neighbour (Luis Suárez has since moved into the former Torres residence). It is not just Torres who has moved on, though. Xabi Alonso has gone too. And Alvaro Arbeloa, Antonio Nuñez, Albert Riera, Mikel San José and Fernando Morientes. So too Rafael Benítez and his staff. Dani Pacheco is still around but the 20-year old has played only seven minutes in the league. Reina, Liverpool's third longest-serving current player after Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, is the last man standing.

"Well," he smiles, face lit by the lamps lining the path to the Spain team's residence where those former club-mates Arbeloa, Alonso and Torres await him, "not exactly: I have got 24 Liverpool team-mates, you know.

"But," he adds – and "but" is a word he uses often, "this is a sad time. I'm very good friends with Fernando and seeing him play against us in blue was strange. It made me feel a little nostalgic, sorry. When I got to Liverpool, there were five of us Spaniards plus the coaching staff and some of the physios. Now I'm the only one. I would have liked a lot of them to stay but it wasn't to be and I'm not panicking. That's the way football is.

"Liverpool is still Liverpool and always will be bigger than any player. The club belongs to its fans and the fans' loyalty is to the club – not a player or a passport. Kenny Dalglish was absolutely right: anyone that doesn't want to be at Liverpool can leave. Players will come and go."

First, the good news: "I am not," Reina says, "announcing my departure – far from it. I've said lots of times I'm very happy in England and comfortable at Liverpool. But …" But?

"But I'm not prepared to swear eternal love to anyone. That's impossible. Any player who says that is lying. I can't say much because I have a contract with Liverpool. But eternal love doesn't exist. No one is master of his own destiny. When a player is at club he has to give everything – that is all you can ask of him."

And that, Reina says, is exactly what Torres did. "Anyone who plays for Liverpool is proud to have done so – and Fernando certainly is. It was a hard decision, maybe the hardest Fernando has ever had. Those calling him a mercenary are wrong. They should remember great afternoons of football he gave us and the goals. Besides, he cost £23m and left for £50m. Football is about opportunities. It's understandable that Fernando wanted to improve and compete for titles. He aspired to get better as a player. The reality is Chelsea offered him something that, right now, Liverpool couldn't."

That something is Champions League football. For Liverpool the European situation could get even worse. There is a danger they will even miss out on the Europa League next season after Birmingham City's Carling Cup victory left one fewer European spot available to the Premier League. Last Sunday's dismal 3-1 defeat at relegation-threatened West Ham United showed how far Liverpool have to go.

Torres talked about being in a "dark place"; Chelsea offered him a shaft of light. Liverpool fans accused him of not giving Dalglish a chance; Reina has been impressed by the caretaker-manager's impact but he remains cautious.

"It's too soon to say everything has changed," he says. "Dalglish has proven a very important bridge, uniting fans and club. Basically, because he's Kenny Dalglish. As well as being a good coach he is a legend: fans are far more patient with him than with [Roy] Hodgson or even Benítez.

"He's a referencia [icon] who understands the club perfectly, what it feels and represents. He knows the fans and I think he is a very important appointment. Just like [the first-team coach] Steve Clarke: people aren't talking about him but he's proving very important. He takes the training sessions, comes up with ideas, proposes solutions, analyses the opposition. I really want to highlight him because he is doing a fantastic job; his work has been very productive."

But asked if players will be more patient under Dalglish, Reina's response is simple: "I honestly don't know. When I talk about patience, I'm talking about fans." Another but. "But it's too early to say that [we have stepped into the light]. We've got good results and it's easy to be optimistic but we have to look at the big picture and the reality is there are other teams above Liverpool. We have to accept that as natural. What a footballer wants above all else is to win, regardless of who the coach is.

"We used to fight to be among the top teams and to be in the Champions League but sadly that's not the case. I want to aspire to titles. Liverpool will always be a big club but we are not at the level of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea or Arsenal. That's the truth. Torres, Mascherano, Xabi Alonso … they were the foundation stone of a competitive Liverpool team. And now they're not here."

So could Reina find himself in a situation in which he, like Torres, felt "obliged" to depart? "I hope not. But I would never say: 'I'm never going,' because even I don't know that. It depends on how this season finishes, on how competitive we can be, on …" There is a pause as he searches for the right word. "The ambition. It depends, above all, on the ambition of the owners in building a better team; hopefully, they will be generous in their efforts but we know the economic reality." Again, he pauses and shifts in the blue plastic seat. "I can't say very much more to you because I have a contract for five years."

If, as Reina says, it was ambition that forced Torres towards the door, why has he not gone too. Is he not ambitious? "I'm ambitious, I'm ambitious," he says, quickly, interrupting.

So why is he still there? "That's the question. I imagine the fans will recognise my commitment, they will appreciate that. But those who say that Fernando is a mercenary or a money-grabber for going are wrong. Fernando gave them the opportunity in the summer by staying at the club and things haven't changed much.

"I've shown my commitment over the last six years. I renewed my contract at a very delicate, very difficult, time for the club; maybe the fans didn't see that, but I wanted to make that gesture. I gave them a chance, renewing my contract and not leaving this summer when I could have done so."

There were serious offers? "Yes," he says. "I stayed because I wanted to keep believing in Liverpool."

In fact, Reina, Torres and Gerrard – the club's three greatest assets – were told they could not leave at a time when the club were looking for a new buyer. Reina will not admit it and nor will he deny it. "The clauses in my contract are between me and the club," he says simply – but he secured a buy-out clause understood to be in the region of £20m. In the meantime, little changed to encourage him to stay. In fact, the handling of Torres's departure did the opposite. Loyalty cuts both ways.

"The offer for Torres came back again," Reina says simply. The offer for him did not. But it will. And then? Reina puffs out his cheeks. "I can't … I don't want to guess what the future holds."

Reina has already ruled out a move back to Spain, telling Onda Cero radio: "My place is in England." Arsenal's goalkeeping crisis has not gone unnoticed; nor has Edwin van der Sar's imminent retirement at Manchester United. For Liverpool fans the nightmare scenario emerges: lose to Manchester United tomorrow on Sunday and their rivals will step closer to taking their record of league titles off them and they could yet take their goalkeeper too.

If much of what Reina says about Torres applies to himself, there is one thing that does not. Torres ruled out United. Asked whether he would do the same, Reina replies: "No player can ever say no to anything."

"Romance, eternal love," he muses, "exists in very few cases. And that's a reality you just have to accept."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/mar/05/eternal-love-pepe-reina-liverpool
 
WorldCup2022OZ said:
Lastly, we need a dominating tall CB in our squad. The 2 candidates we should focus on are Subotic & Mertescaker. Get either one of those and we are set.
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LOL, What planet are you living on?

Those two players are well above you and will only go to a Champions League Club.

Samba, Sakho and Huth will be your targets.
 
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