Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 11/12 (End of March 2012 onwards)

Kenny Dalglish insists Liverpool’s summer rebuilding plans remain fluid even though he has admitted the club urgently need to replace Damien Comolli.

Liverpool’s American owners are continuing to assess what step they should take next after dramatically sacking Comolli from his role as Director of Football 16 days ago.

Principal owner John W Henry and Chairman Tom Werner have been consulting Dalglish in the interim and the manager will be fully involved in whatever appointment they decide to make.

But Dalglish, who has always had the final say on signings, has dismissed the suggestion that not having a Director of Football will impinge on Liverpool’s transfer policy.

‘We are not idle,’ said Dalglish, whose side face Norwich on Saturday evening at Carrow Road. ‘The owners haven’t decided how they are going to replace Damien but that doesn’t mean the work has stopped.

‘Anything we have got to do, we will continue to do the best we can until the owners make the decision on how they want Damien’s role replaced. There is no guarantee that they will replace Damien like for like.

‘The people (who come in) will just take up the conversations we have had. We know where we are going. The Director of Football role in this country is much maligned.

‘I think people just have something against the job title or the principles. For me, the role Damien played was a fantastic help. I think it would be for any manager, as long as everyone knows the lines that they cannot cross, that’s fine.’

Steven Gerrard is expected to return to action on Saturday evening after missing last week’s defeat to West Brom with a tight hamstring and he, surprisingly, is one of seven Liverpool players in the 80 names who could potentially play for team GB at the Olympics.

Gerrard will not make the final 18 if, as is expected, he plays for England at Euro 2012 but Martin Kelly, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll, Craig Bellamy and Charlie Adam are all in the reckoning and Dalglish will not put pressure on his players to make a decision over playing.

‘I loved playing for my country,’ said Dalglish. ‘I suppose it depends what age you are and really what you want. But for me I would have sided with the club.

But, as I say, I played 102 times for my country so it wasn't as if I was shy about playing for them. I am not going to be critical of anyone who wants to go and play.’

I think people just have something against the job title or the principles. For me, the role Damien played was a fantastic help. I think it would be for any manager, as long as everyone knows the lines that they cannot cross, that’s fine.’

monkey9 wrote: »

My immediate thought was that it would be Giroud in particular they were looking at.

This thought came into my head during the week and i know he's in his thirties now, but we should put a bid in for Di Natale of Udinese. He's exactly what we need, a finisher. He probably wouldn't leave because he seems to genuinely love Udinese and i think even turned down a move to Juventus, but still, we could at least try!

G.K. wrote: »

Guthrie, over the season, has firmly been 1st choice for Newcastle if either Cabaye or Tiote aren't available. He's put in a number of excellent shifts for them this year. Spearing might be a tad better defensively but Guthrie is far superior in all other areas of the game.