Donāt think thatās a deadline at all - a big enough bid will still move the goalposts considerably.
Iām not a huge Bentley fan but Bentley for Pennant would be progress. Barry for Alonso seems retarded.
Article here from the āThe Timesā on Liverpools youth set up
Stop me when you hear a name with which you are familiar. Sotiris Ninis, Alberto Bueno, Abdoulaye Balde, Juanfran, Alberto Aquilani, Fernando Torres. There should have been a growing sense of familiarity before Torres, but the names of the players who have followed the Liverpool forward as Golden Player at the Under19 European Championship over the past five years suggest that it would be dangerous to draw too many conclusions from this years tournament, which took place in the Czech Republic over the past fortnight.
If the competition passed you by, you might have guessed that England fell at the first hurdle and that Germany emerged victorious, but you may be more surprised to learn that some of the most beguiling talents on display were those representing the Czech Republic and Hungary. Cue a stampede of agents and scouts towards both countries. And cue a smile of satisfaction on the face of Rafael Bentez, who has four of the most promising Hungarian teenagers under contract at Liverpool, having spent the past three years plundering that and other markets in a bid to emulate Arsenals success in developing young players.
In the past three years Bentez has signed 27 teenagers from overseas: six from Spain, four from Hungary, two from each of Argentina, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden and one apiece from Bulgaria, Ghana, Greece, Morocco and Paraguay. Throw in at least a dozen home-grown youngsters, many of whom helped Liverpool to win the FA Youth Cup in 2006 and 2007, and it is easy to see why Bentez feels that he has stolen a march on the clubs main rivals at youth level.
Bentez could be sitting on the biggest goldmine in European football, but it could just easily prove to be the biggest scrapheap. Young players need nurturing, but at Liverpool there is a lot of bet-hedging going on. Other clubs import teenagers in large numbers not least Arsenal, whose success with Cesc Fbregas, in particular, changed the philosophy in England with regard to developing young players - but none in anything like the quantities at Liverpool of late. For all the promise of Emiliano Insua, Krisztian Nemeth and Dani Pacheco, who, like Fbregas, was procured from Barcelonas academy, there is a recognition within the club that, at best, only a handful of those 27 will make the grade at Anfield.
Time for some of them to be blooded proper this year !!
[quote=ātherock67ā]Lads, any merit for ye in going for 3 centre halves and re-introducing (the dreaded) wing-backs?
Reina____
Carragher__Agger__Skrtel_____
Degen_____________________________Dossena
Gerrard__Mascherano_Alonso__
Keane__
Torres____
Donāt think it would work because itās too narrow but it does play to Liverpoolās current strengths - good centre halves, good central midfielders, good central strikers.[/quote]
Not sure about this rock. I remember when they tried a similar formation about 2 or 3 seasons ago against newcastle in st. James park, with hypia instead of skrtel. It actually worked well and liverpool won the game quite easily 3-1. I dont think he tried it again, certainly not on a regular basis. I trust Benitez tactically and the fact he didnt revert back to this formation suggests that it probably wouldnt work on a consistent basis.
I personally am not a fan of playing 3 centre halfs. I believe that 4-4-2 is the best formation for any team. Liverpools best team imo would be:
Reina____
Arbeloa_____Carragher__Agger__Aurelio__
Benayoun____Gerrard__Mascherano____Babel
Keane______Torres___
Only going for Arbeloa and Aurelio because I dont know what the new signings are like.
[quote=āgerrardno1ā]Not sure about this rock. I remember when they tried a similar formation about 2 or 3 seasons ago against newcastle in st. James park, with hypia instead of skrtel. It actually worked well and liverpool won the game quite easily 3-1. I dont think he tried it again, certainly not on a regular basis. I trust Benitez tactically and the fact he didnt revert back to this formation suggests that it probably wouldnt work on a consistent basis.
I personally am not a fan of playing 3 centre halfs. I believe that 4-4-2 is the best formation for any team. Liverpools best team imo would be:
Reina____
Arbeloa_____Carragher__Agger__Aurelio__
Benayoun____Gerrard__Mascherano____Babel
Keane______Torres___
Only going for Arbeloa and Aurelio because I dont know what the new signings are like.[/quote]
Back in the Evans era I thought the 3 centre halves suited Liverpoolās style a lot, the only problem was that Mark Wright was the only decent centre half. Now weāve 3, maybe 4 top class centre halves. It might work but I donāt think heāll go for it. I like the look of though:
---------------Reina---------------
DR-----Carragher--------Agger----DL
--------------Mascherano-----------
----Gerrard------Alonso/BarryāBabel
----------Torres------Keane---------
But it just looks a bit too attacking for Rafa.
[quote=āClarkeyCatā]Back in the Evans era I thought the 3 centre halves suited Liverpoolās style a lot, the only problem was that Mark Wright was the only decent centre half. Now weāve 3, maybe 4 top class centre halves. It might work but I donāt think heāll go for it. I like the look of though:
---------------Reina---------------
DR-----Carragher--------Agger----DL
--------------Mascherano-----------
----Gerrard------Alonso/BarryāBabel
----------Torres------Keane---------
But it just looks a bit too attacking for Rafa.[/quote]
Gareth Barry plays for Aston Villa you retard.
Itās Redmond Barry he picked you retard.
I may be wrong but I believe he has been linked with a move to Liverpool. You pudgy bastard.
Quality Liverpool banner from their game against the Huns in Glasgow today:
A few things:
- Gerrard cannot play as a central midfielder. I think that any right minded person who has watched Liverpool or England over the last few years will say the same. Gerrard needs to be accomodated in the team. He cannot keep a position on the pitch. So he must play off Torres and be given license to roam. It is a serious problem with Gerrard as a footballer but he is good enough to justify giving him a roaming role.
- gerrardno1ās blind faith in Rafa is astounding. āI trust him tacticallyā. What is this based on exactly? The fact he has never came within an assā roar of winning the league? Ok - he has done well in Europe but letās not kid ourselves itās all about the league.
Just coming up to half time, Liverpool up 1-0 through Alonso. Second half here
http://www.justin.tv/widgets/jtv_live.r8448.swf?channel=mstv_2
Liverpool Football Club have today released the following press statement.
Liverpool FC Chief Executive Rick Parry said: "There has been a lot of comment today regarding our position with regards to Gareth Barry.
"This is not about questioning the Managerās judgement or the ability of a particular player. The owners have clearly demonstrated throughout the year they are willing to back Rafa in the transfer market and will continue to do so.
āIt is obviously the selling clubās prerogative to put whatever price they want on the player, but on this occasion Liverpool think the price quoted is too high.ā
Fair enough Iād have said. Long overdue though. What Iām confused about is why Liverpool who clearly wanted to do business with Villa, quoted them 10m for Scott Carson and then sold him to West Brom for 3.5m. Surely he couldāve been used in the deal.
Well Alonsoās staying for now obviously so Iām not too perturbed on missing out on Barry.
Benitez said that he still wants Barry and that Alonso is for sale at the right price.
He also said Voronin is for sale but for 6m at least!!
Apparently the Yanks are ready to sanction an 18m move for David Silva.
He is definitely not as bad as the idiot Dunphy says but I would say he is overpriced at thatā¦
Right - criteria for Liverpool this season:
Be in the hunt for the league in March.
Thatās it.
Not much to ask I would have said but I donāt like the sound of Rafaās latest comments about wanting to win everything. Que a lot of rotation - again.
Play the same settled team each week in the league. Best team for the Champions League as well but not as much of a priority as the League. Forget about the other two cups.
My Liverpool team would be:
Reina,
Finnan, Carragher, Skrtel, Dossena*
Mascherano, Alonso
Gerrard, Keane, Babel,
Torres
- Donāt know how good he is
Gerrard, Keane and Babel to play a constantly moving three. Genuinely think Torres is better up top on his own. Other option is a 4-4-2 with Gerrard on the right but it is going to be difficult to accomodate Gerrard and Keane in the same team if Gerrard insists on playing where he wants to play i.e. in the centreā¦
[quote=āfarmerinthecityā]Right - criteria for Liverpool this season:
Be in the hunt for the league in March.
Thatās it.
Not much to ask I would have said but I donāt like the sound of Rafaās latest comments about wanting to win everything. Que a lot of rotation - again.
Play the same settled team each week in the league. Best team for the Champions League as well but not as much of a priority as the League. Forget about the other two cups.
My Liverpool team would be:
Reina,
Finnan, Carragher, Skrtel, Dossena*
Mascherano, Alonso
Gerrard, Keane, Babel,
Torres
- Donāt know how good he is
Gerrard, Keane and Babel to play a constantly moving three. Genuinely think Torres is better up top on his own. Other option is a 4-4-2 with Gerrard on the right but it is going to be difficult to accomodate Gerrard and Keane in the same team if Gerrard insists on playing where he wants to play i.e. in the centreā¦[/quote]
Agree with most of that. I like the idea of a constantly moving 3 but tbh I donāt think Rafa will really go for it. Heās not the sort of manager that says āgo out and express yourself,ā heās more about discipline and responsibilities. If he does go 4-4-2 I donāt think heāll have any problem throwing Gerrard on the right. Would have Agger in the team - he was a big loss last season as heās a lot better at playing the ball out of defence than Skrtel or Carragher.
I know Liverpool havenāt won the league in quite some time but surely you should be aiming to win it every season. Settling for being in the hunt in March is accepting mediocrity in my opinion. I still think they could do with a wide player with express pace instead of someone like Barry.
If we are in it by March then we have a chance of winning it obviously but to be in it by March (I mean to seriously in it) represents progress in the league.
Thought Skrtel was easily our best defender in the closing stages of last year and is the man in possession. Looks like Agger is first choice though given the realive fulll strengths that were picked against Rangers and Lazio.
Latest from todayās papers:
- linked with Joe Cole
- Silva wants to stay at Valencia
- Barry deal is off if Villa play him in Europe (no shit Sherlock)
Benitez is hoping to make one more signing before the transfer window closesā¦
The Liverpool boss is hoping to sign a left sided midfielder as soon as possible.
āXabi Alonso has been playing well, which is positive for us. We have a good player, but hopefully we will have another good player coming too,ā said Benitez.
"It may be one more player. I donāt know when, but clearly we have problems on the left.
āRiise and Kewell have gone, Aurelio is injured, Leto does not have a work permit and Babel is at the Olympic Games and could come back injured so we can improve in that area.ā
Liverpool are value at 1-2 to beat Standard Liege, will want to finish the tie in the away leg. Should be in the title hunt until christmas, an improvemet on last year.