Liverpool 09/10

Sport
141

[quote=“farmerinthecity”]Bloody ridiculous.

First of all, I would never trust a word the Daily Mail has to say.

That said, Rafa seems obsessed with English players and the Champions League rule to have them in the squad. Spent over the odds to get Glen Johnson because he is English yet turned down the chance to buy Owen for nothing. Don’t know anything about Cattermole or Turner to call them but 12m for a player Middlesboro decided to let go for 3.5m looks ridiculous to me.

Much of Liverpool title hopes for next season depends on whether or not Xabi stays. He is irreplaceable I think and was a huge factor in the challenge last season.[/quote]

How do you buy something for nothing? :stuck_out_tongue:

142

Simple - you ask someone to buy something off them and don’t offer anything in exchange.

143

So you just get it.

144

Well you would just get it*.

  • no double entendres please
145

Now being reported on SSN that Alonso has handed in a transfer request , looks like the end of his Liverpool days alright

146

Apparently Liverpool are also in negotiations with Aquilani as a replacement for Alonso for 17million. Hes not a bad player in fairness.

147

surplus to requirements at Rome

148

Alonso was deemed surplus to requirements at Liverpool last season, now they could be getting 30 million for him!

149

He’s back to haunt us :smiley:

150

I’m liking the fact that Liverpool are being linked with David Villa if Alonso goes. Not sure what truth there is in it, nor would you have a clue what Rafa would do if he was minus Alonso and plus Villa but here’s a few options that look pretty good to me. I’m a fan of 4-2-3-1 but only if one of the two holding midfielders is a playmaker so a change of system would be warranted.

4-4-2

---------------Reina--------------

–Johnson—Skrtel----Carra–Insua

–Kuyt—Gerrard—Mascherano—Riera

---------Torres------Villa--------

5-3-2

--------------Reina------------------

--------Carra—Skrtel—Agger-------

-Johnson----------------------Insua–

----Benayoun–Gerrard–Mascherano----

---------Torres------Villa-----------

4-3-1-2

--------------Reina------------------

–Johnson–Carra—Skrtel----Insua—

------Spearing–Mascherano–Lucas-----

---------------Gerrard---------------

----------Torres-----Villa------------

Good balance in the 4-4-2 but you wouldn’t get the best from Gerrard in a midfield 2.

I always liked the wing back system and we have the darting full backs to do it. Brought Benayoun in because I don’t think Kuyt/Babel could play that narrow. Nice creativity with Gerrard and Benayoun there and enough bite with Mascherano and Gerrard. Would need Gerrard to be disciplined and possibly for Agger to step out with the ball and to play as a defensive midfielder when we don’t have the ball. Really think there’s potential for that system.

Don’t particularly like the 4-3-1-2 as there ain’t enough creativity but the attacking 3 is mouthwatering.

151

Just looking again at the 5-3-2 and how about a 3-3-2-2 by dropping Mascherano back into the hole there?

Hmmm ponderous.

152

Nobody has playef 5-3-2 in years though. There’s actually an alarming lack of creativity in any of those line-ups minus Alonso - you’ll need to sign a playmaker / deep lying midfielder who can spray the ball around.

153

I think the 3-3-2-2 has fantastic potential. Places a lot of faith in the full backs but I do have faith in them. Plenty of creativity with Gerrard and Benayoun behind the front two.

154

I would happily sell Alonso if it meant that we could get Villa.

The guy is pure class and a partnership with Torres is both proven and would be deadly. Sure there would be a gap in midfield with Alonso gone but I would sacrifice the Torres Gerrard partnership and throw Gerrard back there.

I have heard that Villa will only leave Spain for Liverpool and a potential partnership with Torres should appeal to him. I will be watching this closely.

Reina,
Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua
Mascherano, Gerrard,
Kuyt, Villa, Benayoun
Torres

155

Would love to see Villa in the premier league, Benitez tried to sign him before he went to Valencia but he said he hated the english weather and the beatles, but Torres wasn’t there at the time which will make the difference this time…

Alonso will join Madrid in the next couple of days according to Guilem Balague…

156

Some amount of shite being wrote here.

Its been proven countless times that Gerrard isnt disciplined enough or maybe be even good enough to hold a position in the centre of the park. He found his position last season behind Torres which he should be left in at all times. That incidentially is the same position that David Villa plays in.

Liverpool dont need David Villa like they didnt need Robbie Keane. If Alonso leaves Liverpool need someone who is comfortable as a deep lying playmaker getting on the ball and spraying it around. Gerrard certainly isnt that play. Perhaps David Silva or Van der Vaart.

157

Villa is a class act. That is the difference. A strike force of him and Torres would be awesome, and dare I say, unstoppable.

I said before on here that I wouldn’t break the Torres Gerrard partnership unless for Villa. Gerrard, has matured massively in the last few seasons and that was the main reason for him not holding his midfield position. I would be confident that if he was asked to play there he could - and do well.

And anyone who says that a fan advocating buying one of the world’s best strikers is talking shite, is himself talking through his hole.

158

David Silva is predominantly a wide player. He can play in a free role behind a sole striker too but he’s certainly not a potential like-for-like replacement for Alonso.

159

[quote=“farmerinthecity”]I would happily sell Alonso if it meant that we could get Villa.

The guy is pure class and a partnership with Torres is both proven and would be deadly. Sure there would be a gap in midfield with Alonso gone but I would sacrifice the Torres Gerrard partnership and throw Gerrard back there.

I have heard that Villa will only leave Spain for Liverpool and a potential partnership with Torres should appeal to him. I will be watching this closely.

Reina,
Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua
Mascherano, Gerrard,
Kuyt, Villa, Benayoun
Torres[/quote]

Think Villa is better off up front in a top 2 rather than in behind tbh.

160

Liverpool 2 down against Espanyol. Been ripped apart in defence a few times now but not too concerned. Pre-season is quite meaningless.