Wonder what odds you would get on Rafa to be the next real madrid manager??
Love it when Liverpool are shite
love it when danny murphy playsthe mancs
[quote=“artfoley”]love it when danny murphy playsthe mancs
[quote=“artfoley”]love it when danny murphy playsthe mancs
Sad Foley. :rolleyes: Talk about Liverpools defeat.
danny murphy always seems to score against united
My short term solution to Liverpool’s shortcomings thusfar this season
- Drop Carragher – he is too slow, doesn’t read the game very well and doesn’t use the ball well. That’s partly down to there being nobody to take the ball off him but it has always been a weakness of his. The Skrtel/Agger partnership deserves a chance and as I’ve said before I think it has the potential to work in the Vidic/Rio mould.
- Drop Lucas – no explanation needed. Put Aquilani in. He may not be match fit but he’s not going to get match fit sitting on the bench. Let’s see if he’s good enough.
- Sign Zhirkov – not getting much of a look in at Chelsea and won’t oust Ashley Cole at left back. Might get in at left midfield but he’s got Malouda and Joe Cole ahead of him and a number of others who can play there in the diamond. Insua is rubbish imo and although I like Aurelio he is still limited. Getting an attacking left back means we can go left or right. At the moment, predictably, everything is down the left. Think Chelsea could be tempted to offload Zhirkov at a reasonable price given that he was not an Ancelotti signing and Liverpool aren’t title rivals.
- Sign pace for the left – Liverpool struggle for pace on the left hand side, intelligent pace anyway. Try tempt Valencia to take Riera and cash for Mata. Leave it too long and this guy’s market value will soar. He’s still slightly under the radar. Alternatively, Elia at Hamburg has bags of pace but also has that Babelesque rawness which would make him more of a gamble than Mata.
- Mascherano – don’t be afraid to sell him. There was a rumour that Barca would exchange Toure and Bojan for him. Snap their fingers off. Nothing against Masch but himself and Aquilani are small to play beside each other. Toure is an imposing lad and in the same class as Mascherano. Bojan might be too lightweight for the Premiership but I’d give him a go and it’s not like we have many strikers.
- Rotate Kuyt – a lovable chap but he’s as automatic a selection on the teamsheet as Reina, Gerrard and Torres which is just plain wrong. A good squad player to have but lacking in pace, craft and quality.
- Bin the players we don’t want – sell them cheap if we need to but don’t keep lads blatantly not good enough around the club. Voronin, Lucas, Insua out. If Babel ain’t gonna get another chance, ship him out.
- Blood some younger talent – I’ve Spearing and Pacheco in mind here. Rafa too risk averse with his youth imo.
Starting team of Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Zhirkov, Toure, Aquilani, Mata, Gerrard, Benayoun, Torres looks decent to me. Wouldn’t cost the earth to assemble.
[quote=“ClarkeyCat”]My short term solution to Liverpools shortcomings thusfar this season
- Drop Carragher he is too slow, doesnt read the game very well and doesnt use the ball well. Thats partly down to there being nobody to take the ball off him but it has always been a weakness of his. The Skrtel/Agger partnership deserves a chance and as Ive said before I think it has the potential to work in the Vidic/Rio mould.
- Drop Lucas no explanation needed. Put Aquilani in. He may not be match fit but hes not going to get match fit sitting on the bench. Lets see if hes good enough.
- Sign Zhirkov not getting much of a look in at Chelsea and wont oust Ashley Cole at left back. Might get in at left midfield but hes got Malouda and Joe Cole ahead of him and a number of others who can play there in the diamond. Insua is rubbish imo and although I like Aurelio he is still limited. Getting an attacking left back means we can go left or right. At the moment, predictably, everything is down the left. Think Chelsea could be tempted to offload Zhirkov at a reasonable price given that he was not an Ancelotti signing and Liverpool arent title rivals.
- Sign pace for the left Liverpool struggle for pace on the left hand side, intelligent pace anyway. Try tempt Valencia to take Riera and cash for Mata. Leave it too long and this guys market value will soar. Hes still slightly under the radar. Alternatively, Elia at Hamburg has bags of pace but also has that Babelesque rawness which would make him more of a gamble than Mata.
- Mascherano dont be afraid to sell him. There was a rumour that Barca would exchange Toure and Bojan for him. Snap their fingers off. Nothing against Masch but himself and Aquilani are small to play beside each other. Toure is an imposing lad and in the same class as Mascherano. Bojan might be too lightweight for the Premiership but Id give him a go and its not like we have many strikers.
- Rotate Kuyt a lovable chap but hes as automatic a selection on the teamsheet as Reina, Gerrard and Torres which is just plain wrong. A good squad player to have but lacking in pace, craft and quality.
- Bin the players we dont want sell them cheap if we need to but dont keep lads blatantly not good enough around the club. Voronin, Lucas, Insua out. If Babel aint gonna get another chance, ship him out.
- Blood some younger talent Ive Spearing and Pacheco in mind here. Rafa too risk averse with his youth imo.
Starting team of Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Zhirkov, Toure, Aquilani, Mata, Gerrard, Benayoun, Torres looks decent to me. Wouldnt cost the earth to assemble.[/quote]
Some decent suggestions there clarkey, Toure replacing mascherano wouldn’t weaken liverpool one bit…
[quote=“ClarkeyCat”]My short term solution to Liverpools shortcomings thusfar this season
- Drop Carragher he is too slow, doesnt read the game very well and doesnt use the ball well. Thats partly down to there being nobody to take the ball off him but it has always been a weakness of his. The Skrtel/Agger partnership deserves a chance and as Ive said before I think it has the potential to work in the Vidic/Rio mould.
- Drop Lucas no explanation needed. Put Aquilani in. He may not be match fit but hes not going to get match fit sitting on the bench. Lets see if hes good enough.
- Sign Zhirkov not getting much of a look in at Chelsea and wont oust Ashley Cole at left back. Might get in at left midfield but hes got Malouda and Joe Cole ahead of him and a number of others who can play there in the diamond. Insua is rubbish imo and although I like Aurelio he is still limited. Getting an attacking left back means we can go left or right. At the moment, predictably, everything is down the left. Think Chelsea could be tempted to offload Zhirkov at a reasonable price given that he was not an Ancelotti signing and Liverpool arent title rivals.
- Sign pace for the left Liverpool struggle for pace on the left hand side, intelligent pace anyway. Try tempt Valencia to take Riera and cash for Mata. Leave it too long and this guys market value will soar. Hes still slightly under the radar. Alternatively, Elia at Hamburg has bags of pace but also has that Babelesque rawness which would make him more of a gamble than Mata.
- Mascherano dont be afraid to sell him. There was a rumour that Barca would exchange Toure and Bojan for him. Snap their fingers off. Nothing against Masch but himself and Aquilani are small to play beside each other. Toure is an imposing lad and in the same class as Mascherano. Bojan might be too lightweight for the Premiership but Id give him a go and its not like we have many strikers.
- Rotate Kuyt a lovable chap but hes as automatic a selection on the teamsheet as Reina, Gerrard and Torres which is just plain wrong. A good squad player to have but lacking in pace, craft and quality.
- Bin the players we dont want sell them cheap if we need to but dont keep lads blatantly not good enough around the club. Voronin, Lucas, Insua out. If Babel aint gonna get another chance, ship him out.
- Blood some younger talent Ive Spearing and Pacheco in mind here. Rafa too risk averse with his youth imo.
Starting team of Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Zhirkov, Toure, Aquilani, Mata, Gerrard, Benayoun, Torres looks decent to me. Wouldnt cost the earth to assemble.[/quote]
Skrtel has been shit this season too tho and Agger aint any great shakes at the moment. Centre back is all about a partnership so give them until the summer to try and develop one. Still think Liverpool might need to go all out to try and sign a defensive organiser in the Hangeland mould but with what money?
Certaintly agreed bout the left back. Severely doubt Chelsea would let Zhirkov go already but as I said previously think Bale could be worth a gamble. Liverpool can afford to play attacking full backs since they have stoppers like Mascherano, Lucas and Kuyt in midfield. Also agreed about Liverpool needing to sign a pacy attacking player - Riera, Kuyt, Benayoun also slow enough. Could do with a flyer.
[quote=“KIB man”]Skrtel has been shit this season too tho and Agger aint any great shakes at the moment. Centre back is all about a partnership so give them until the summer to try and develop one. Still think Liverpool might need to go all out to try and sign a defensive organiser in the Hangeland mould but with what money?
Certaintly agreed bout the left back. Severely doubt Chelsea would let Zhirkov go already but as I said previously think Bale could be worth a gamble. Liverpool can afford to play attacking full backs since they have stoppers like Mascherano, Lucas and Kuyt in midfield. Also agreed about Liverpool needing to sign a pacy attacking player - Riera, Kuyt, Benayoun also slow enough. Could do with a flyer.[/quote]
The fact that Notts Forest are the only ones in for Bale says a lot. Not that I entirely disagree with you - he could be a cheap enough gamble.
Liverpool might have some cash in January. Both of the yanks sold some of their other toys.
[quote=“ClarkeyCat”]My short term solution to Liverpools shortcomings thusfar this season
- Drop Carragher he is too slow, doesnt read the game very well and doesnt use the ball well. Thats partly down to there being nobody to take the ball off him but it has always been a weakness of his. The Skrtel/Agger partnership deserves a chance and as Ive said before I think it has the potential to work in the Vidic/Rio mould.
- Drop Lucas no explanation needed. Put Aquilani in. He may not be match fit but hes not going to get match fit sitting on the bench. Lets see if hes good enough.
- Sign Zhirkov not getting much of a look in at Chelsea and wont oust Ashley Cole at left back. Might get in at left midfield but hes got Malouda and Joe Cole ahead of him and a number of others who can play there in the diamond. Insua is rubbish imo and although I like Aurelio he is still limited. Getting an attacking left back means we can go left or right. At the moment, predictably, everything is down the left. Think Chelsea could be tempted to offload Zhirkov at a reasonable price given that he was not an Ancelotti signing and Liverpool arent title rivals.
- Sign pace for the left Liverpool struggle for pace on the left hand side, intelligent pace anyway. Try tempt Valencia to take Riera and cash for Mata. Leave it too long and this guys market value will soar. Hes still slightly under the radar. Alternatively, Elia at Hamburg has bags of pace but also has that Babelesque rawness which would make him more of a gamble than Mata.
- Mascherano dont be afraid to sell him. There was a rumour that Barca would exchange Toure and Bojan for him. Snap their fingers off. Nothing against Masch but himself and Aquilani are small to play beside each other. Toure is an imposing lad and in the same class as Mascherano. Bojan might be too lightweight for the Premiership but Id give him a go and its not like we have many strikers.
- Rotate Kuyt a lovable chap but hes as automatic a selection on the teamsheet as Reina, Gerrard and Torres which is just plain wrong. A good squad player to have but lacking in pace, craft and quality.
- Bin the players we dont want sell them cheap if we need to but dont keep lads blatantly not good enough around the club. Voronin, Lucas, Insua out. If Babel aint gonna get another chance, ship him out.
- Blood some younger talent Ive Spearing and Pacheco in mind here. Rafa too risk averse with his youth imo.
Starting team of Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Zhirkov, Toure, Aquilani, Mata, Gerrard, Benayoun, Torres looks decent to me. Wouldnt cost the earth to assemble.[/quote]
A few interesting points there.
- Carragher is probably the best defender at the club at the moment, but that is mainly due to the fact that Agger and particularly Skrtel are in such woeful form. Carraghers major problem is not his defending ability but his almost constant tendancy to launch it forward to Torres. But I agree, a game without Carragher should be looked at to see how better we play.
- Agreed here but doubt it will happen. I think that Rafa has decided that he doesnt rate Aquilani and dont be surprised if he let him go. That is the only explanation that I can see for the current situation.
- I dont know about Zhirkov. He costs money which Liverpool do not have at the moment. Aurelio has to play at left back even if he is prone to the odd howler on occasion. Excellent set piece deliverer.
- Agreed here as well. Dont know much about Mata but someone is needed out there. I would place more emphasis here than at left back.
- Absolutely but only for Toure. Dont rate Bojan all that highly but Ya Ya is a better player than Mascherano if you ask me. He can also do a useful turn at centre half.
- Agreed. It is incredible that Rafa called Benayoun a impact player and plays Kuyt every game. He has done nothing to constantly warrant starting.
- Our squad is razor thin at the moment. Another priority should be back-up for Torres but the likes of Lucas, Babel, Voronin etc are dead wood if you ask me.
- Agreed. A major black mark against Rafa is the lack of talent coming through the academy. The decision to buy a 30 year old rubbish centre half instead of bringing young Ayala through was a shocking decision.
While you points have some merit Clarkey, I think Liverpool under Benitez are a lost cause to honest.
I don’t watch Liverpool as much as you supporters obviously but from my viewings I would have thought that Skrtel/Agger is not really a Ferdinand/Vidic style partnership but more of a Vidic/Vidic type one. I think Ferdinand gets some unwarranted criticism and he was severely missed by Manchester United when he was absent last season. Agger can spray the ball a bit and has a good shot from distance but I think he’s a long way short of having Ferdinand’s poise and awareness. He’d strike me as a physical, battling style defender moreso than the defender who partners the bruiser.
Agger is still young and relatively inexperienced Bandage. I think he has a touch of class and poise about him. he’s not afraid to step out or try use the ball.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]
While you points have some merit Clarkey, I think Liverpool under Benitez are a lost cause to honest.[/quote]
Eh yeah, I’ve been saying Rafa out for quite some time.
Not remotely dominant enough for me. A decent footballer alright but Liverpool need a defender. Cant remember rightly but was it Lyon where he was a shambles for their goal?
Hardly in the summer which wasnt that long ago. Liverpool’s best season in years in the league, some superb Champions League performances etc
Think the lack of money is the biggest issue, Benitez is always forced to rob Peter to pay Paul. Still think Arbeloa was a handy player to have in the squad but Liverpool were forced to cash in. He might have kept Robbie Keane a bit longer but needed the cash elsewhere. Its no way to build a side imo.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]A few interesting points there.
8. Agreed. A major black mark against Rafa is the lack of talent coming through the academy. The decision to buy a 30 year old rubbish centre half instead of bringing young Ayala through was a shocking decision.
[/quote]
The likes of Jack Hobbs, Paul Anderson, Adam Hammill, all apparently bright prospects who never got a go. All doing reasonably well in the Championship. Had it been Fergie, he’d have given them five games and got 2-3m a piece. Think Liverpool made losses on each of the three.
Another thing about Benitez’ teams is their systems, tactical based approach, which can be quite rigid. That said, Liverpool scored lots of goals last season but I don’t think they have the fluency of Manchester United or Arsenal for example. Look at Kuyt playing to strict instructions down the right hand side, for example. What I’m getting at is that he doesn’t seem to allow players individual freedom to operate on instinct to any large degree. He initially seemed to think Gerrard was a loose cannon and didn’t trust him to play in a traditional centre midfield role but ultimately recognised his importance to the team and developed the one off the striker system for him to operate in. But lads like Babbel, Robbie Keane, Bellamy et al have suffered at Liverpool. In that sense, a young, raw talent like Elia wouldn’t be suited to Liverpool, in my opinion, but a more technical player like Mata would probably have more success under Benitez.
[quote=“KIB man”]Not remotely dominant enough for me. A decent footballer alright but Liverpool need a defender. Cant remember rightly but was it Lyon where he was a shambles for their goal?
Hardly in the summer which wasnt that long ago. Liverpool’s best season in years in the league, some superb Champions League performances etc
Think the lack of money is the biggest issue, Benitez is always forced to rob Peter to pay Paul. Still think Arbeloa was a handy player to have in the squad but Liverpool were forced to cash in. He might have kept Robbie Keane a bit longer but needed the cash elsewhere. Its no way to build a side imo.[/quote]
I think I wouldn’t have been against it before last season. Then it earned him a stay of execution but my patience has been gone for a while now.
That is completely true. Rafa is on his feet the entire game shouting instructions. Apparently the signal he made last season against Blackburn which got Ferguson in such a tizzy was aimed at Alonso who had just taken a free kick from which Liverpool scored. Rafa didn’t like the way he took it apparently.
He thinks too much about things - that’s his problem. He doesn’t let his team express themselves. He rules them with too much of an iron fist.
Agreed. Plenty of quality has been and gone. He gets jip for his purchases but I think his sales have been poor too. The young lads I mentioned above, Crouch, Keane, Bellamy, Arbeloa, all bad business.