Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 11/12 - Mod Note 4153

What I can't understand is why Carroll was signed when it seems the football we're playing is quick pass and move? We're playing it well and we need a technically gifted good finisher to complement it. Not a battering ram.

I'm not having a go at Carroll. He's winning knock-downs (which no one is getting on the end of). It's just bizarre to me that we could spend so much on a player, who for me should be nothing more than a plan B. We're playing some wonderful football and we were unlucky tonight all in all, but it wouldn't come down to bad refereeing decisions if we had someone like RVP up front.

You could say I'm living in a dreamland by mentioning RVP but for £35m you'd be hoping for someone who could show that kind of potential! Every time I watch Carroll play I want him to score and do well so badly, but he doesn't have the class, nor is he the type of player we need. And he never will be imo.

As I said he could be a useful and effective plan B for us, and I would probably keep him at the club because I'm not sure we would get more than £10-12m for him at the mo.

It's just frustrating because there's a ton of 'plan B' strikers I can think of who could do more or less the same job as Carroll that could've been signed for a fifth of the price.

Anyway, despite a disappointing defeat I'm pretty positive about the future. We were basically robbed tonight and if we can resolve our striker situation I think we can be competitive in the future.

ALthough I fear we may have blown 4th place this year unfortunately. It'll be a tall order now

Yakult wrote: »

I was gonna say that formation myself, worked nicely when used previously!
I can see Shelvey starting next game maybe..

Considering the 'decent' run of fixtures coming up and with the injuries and ban to Lucas and Spearing not to mention Gerrard its a big possibility hel add another covering centre back and try it out again. Will allow more freedom to Johnson and perhaps our best attacking down the left too in Enrique (what a find hes been!) Who knows it might get the best out of Carroll too..

K-9 wrote: »

Agger as the more attacking CB.

Not forgetting how capable Coates looks on the ball and he is used to afaik a 3-5-2 formation with Uruguay, so it should suit him.

argosy2006 wrote: »

Man u would win league if the only played blindfolded Mexican midgets ,

Translation anyone?

Morzadec wrote: »

You could say I'm living in a dreamland by mentioning RVP but for £35m you'd be hoping for someone who could show that kind of potential!

Well that's the thing. £35m should buy you one of the best players in the world, which Carroll obviously isnt. And when it comes to young, unproven potential, £35m should probably get you someone who has the potential to be the best player in the world, or at least in the league. But for me Carroll was never in that bracket - he was never one of the brightest young talents in the world. This is why the signing boggled and frustrated me at the time, and continues to do so.

But obviously the fee wasnt his fault and we cant use that as a stick to beat him with. I think most Liverpool fans have given up on him being 'potentially top class' (which I personally dont think he is) and just want him to be an effective member of the squad who chips in with a few goals. The thing is, he isnt even that at the moment. As I've said before, 'what to do with Carroll' is now Kenny's biggest challenge.

It's gotten to the stage where the bar has been set so low for him that people think hes had a good game if he wins a couple of headers or chests down a few long balls. This is the guy we are supposed to be building our team around for the foreseeable future! The team is crying out for a striker in the mould of Torres circa 2007-2010.

Tusky wrote: »

The team is crying out for a striker in the mould of Torres circa 2007-2010.

Fair points.

Suarez isn't it either. So we have to fit in Suarez as everybody agree he's a starter and expect a Torres type goal scorer from 07-010.

I don't think Suarez fits in with a 20 goal PL a season man either, could be wrong though, not the current PL type striker.

He'd fit in with a Butrugeuno/Rush type poacher and there are very few of the about any more. The team seems to be set up for a player like that, maybe Kuyt up front as that type of player, played as mostly a poacher?

Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing's shots against the woodwork meant that Liverpool have hit it 12 times this season - at least fives times more than any other Premier League team

We are running pretty bad, it will turn, hope our confidence doesn't drop in the mean time.

That's all we need...........

There is history of punishment for this offence, Baird got banned for two games after giving the V sign in the 5-2 defeat to yourselves last year.

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/05/13/baird-set-to-be-fined-by-fulham-for-ref-gesture-82029-28689854/

I dont necessarily agree with such punishments, I would imagine the fact that it is Suarez doing it will garner a more vocal outcry than if it had been any of your other players (other than Bellamy!).

Fowler87 wrote: »

Wouldnt mind Agger be given that DM role with Coates drafted in CB. Maybe Kenny might revert to the 3-5-2 that worked well last season especially as we scored goals in abundance which is worryingly bad right now

I really don't think Agger would be suited to a DM role. Yes he is good on the ball, but that is 99% facing forward and advancing with it into space.

I don't think he would be comfortable turning with the ball or under high pressure from opposition midfielders, especially when facing his own goal.

Plus, he is way too good in the CB role. Our win ratio with Agger at CB is very high, a hugh contrast to without, and even last night he made some great blocks and defensive tackles when needed.

Even for Dembele's shot which went close in the 2nd half last night, if not for Agger sliding in I'm sure he would of scored.

Just trying to remember if there was as much fuss when Meireles made the same gesture in August during a live game after setting up a goal.

I don't remember the media being so offended by it, and I certainly don't remember the same supposed "outrage" at the nasty foreigner making a rude gesture that good old Blighty born players would never do.

A nothing incident that people do on a regular basis but one that will be prodfded and stoked into sounding like a big incident so the various tabloid droolers have something that they can be told to whinge about.

I am more interested in our player's performances during games, than a stupid reaction from a player who was receiving far worse abuse than the gesture he gave back.

RasTa wrote: »

Wasn't that gesture to one of his own players and not the opposition fans? Anyway Rooney got 3 game ban for swearing last year so the FA are nuts and may decide to make an example out of Luis.

He continued giving the gesture even when there were no players in front of him. It was speculated upon that he was giving the gesture to someone in the digout, but as the dugout and fans were in the same direction as the gesture was given in, it is open to debate who it was meant for. Either way it happened during a goal celebration during a live game and I don't remember the same kind of moral outcry on it. Ironically the player who tried to grab his hand/block the gesture that day was none other that the Antichrist Suarez.