Liverpool Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread Summer 2014 - Mod Warning post #6893

5live · 14-05-2014 10:53AM

mike65 wrote: »

So they are playing tonight?

Naw, they are in launching the new kits I think.

K-9 · 14-05-2014 10:55AM

A lot of ye thought Costa wasn't worth £20 Million last Summer! Seriously, I'd be surprised if we paid £25 Million. I could see £20 Million + add ons as some type of compromise.

slingerz · 14-05-2014 10:58AM

NukaCola wrote: »

Thats a ringing endorsement but I cannot agree. Mkhitaryan is a step above Lallana, is much more proven and experienced, has 40+ caps for his country, has played CL football, has regularly performed at the top level and is younger than Lallana.

Robbie Keane has a million caps for Ireland, didnt exactly make him a success at Anfield did it.

Sterling/Henderson havent played CL would that make you value them less? If we were to sell Henderson how much would we want for him, 20M? In Sterling's case would it be 25M?

As an earlier post shows Lallana would fit with the high energy pressing game that Rodgers wants to use. Would those players from the leagues where the pace is slower fit in just as well?

If Rodgers wants Lallana for 30M then Im all for it

slingerz · 14-05-2014 11:03AM

Morzadec wrote: »

If we have a budget of 100m this season, then sure why not overspend on Lallana to about 25m if he's really the player Rodgers wants most in this position.

I am highly doubtful we have this amount.

We have other areas in the team that need strengthening and if we spend what wuld probably be 40% of our bidget on Lallana it is possible that the quality of recruits in other areas will suffer.

Also, if there is a plyer of Mikitaryan's (for example) quality out there available for the same price as Lallana, then going for the player who has proven he has more ability seems like a no-brainer for me.

If I was sure Lallana was the best we could do then I wouldn't mind overpaying a lot, but when that overpaying should probably allow you access to a better player then it's understandable that eyebrows are being raised

IMO Lallana >>>>>>>>> Mhyktiayaran

But he's just not as fashionable to the hipster fans. Lallana fits into Rodgers plans an awful lot better than Mhykitarayan ever could

Dickerty · 14-05-2014 11:04AM

K-9 wrote: »

A lot of ye thought Costa wasn't worth £20 Million last Summer!

Almost no-one anywhere thought he was worth that. Prior to this season, he looked significantly less than a £20M player, particularly with the baggage of his on-pitch behaviour...

Kess73 · 14-05-2014 11:20AM

NukaCola wrote: »

Thats a ringing endorsement but I cannot agree. Mkhitaryan is a step above Lallana, is much more proven and experienced, has 40+ caps for his country, has played CL football, has regularly performed at the top level and is younger than Lallana.

He also does not play in the same role that Lallana has mostly played in over the past couple of seasons so it is not really comparing like with like. Mkhitaryan is a fine player, but if we are looking to fill a slightly deeper role (and expecting a high workrate in defensive as well as offensively) then I would have Lallana over Mkhitaryan.

Whilst Lallana is not the same style of player to the player I am about to comapre him to in terms of potential role, I do think he would be used in a role closer to that of a teammate of Mkhitaryan than that what Mkhitaryan himself excels in. Would see Lallana slotting into the current Liverpool team to fill a similar role to what Gundogan does at Dortmund.

Lallana can and has played in the more advanced role, but generally he seems to play more in a Henderson style role albeit bringing a greater attacking threat to that role. He covered more ground than Henderson during the season just gone (no mean feat) and spent as much time back tackling on the flanks as he did attacking through the centre.

I really don't think that he is being looked at to played at the tip of the diamond or in the hole (Mick McCarthy trademark notwithstanding).

I think he will partner Henderson (or whomever has the other CM role for a given game) in CM and have Gerrard/DM behind him and that there will be three attackers ahead of him (Two forwards and a CF or AM at the tip of the diamond or a striker and two wide forwards if we go a more sitting 4-3-3 in the centre.

What he would bring is a bit more control top the centre, along with a high work rate towards both attacking and defensive duties. He would also bring a goal threat from the middle third.

It would be after all that that his flexibility in terms of role would come into play. He could ten also provide cover for either of the wide attacking slots as well as providing cover for the AM role.

But he does have one thing about him that has me hoping we do get him, and it is a very simple thing. He would improve our starting XI as he would push Allen or Lucas to the bench and he would then take the starting CM berth.

Dickerty · 14-05-2014 11:31AM

Kess73 wrote: »

He also does not play in the same role that Lallana has mostly played in over the past couple of seasons so it is not really comparing like with like. Mkhitaryan is a fine player, but if we are looking to fill a slightly deeper role (and expecting a high workrate in defensive as well as offensively) then I would have Lallana over Mkhitaryan.

Are you Brendan
Are you Brendan
-Are
-You
-Brendan
-In
-Disguise?
Are you Brendan in disguise!

MD1990 · 14-05-2014 11:37AM

Dickerty wrote: »

Almost no-one anywhere thought he was worth that. Prior to this season, he looked significantly less than a £20M player, particularly with the baggage of his on-pitch behaviour...

I did :pac:.I'd seen alot of him at Atletico in 12/13.

kfallon · 14-05-2014 11:44AM

What time is kick off in The Aviva tonight, 5.30??

Dickerty · 14-05-2014 11:44AM

MD1990 wrote: »

I did :pac:.I'd seen alot of him at Atletico in 12/13.

There is always one...

:cool:

MR NINE · 14-05-2014 11:48AM

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I'd like to see us sign some experienced title winners and players with some CL qualification. Hopefully it won't just be more guys like Lalana for the summer.

I would usually be in favour of Liverpools approach to buy young and look toward the future, but in this window i think some experienced heads are required. As great as our team was last season, they were very naive at times. The defence was mayhem for the most part, Id like to see us go for some of ashley cole, sagna, mascherano etc who could be available this summer and are experienced, organised, good at defending and can lead the defence. We have enough youth in our ranks, in defence alone we have flanagan, wisdom, sakho, ilori, robinson all pushing for a spot in the first team squad. We need some experience, preferably winners, who know what its like to compete for titles etc

Morzadec · 14-05-2014 11:48AM

MD1990 wrote: »

I did :pac:.I'd seen alot of him at Atletico in 12/13.

I had seen a lot of him too, as had Kess and Nuri if I remember correctly and we all shared a similar opinion that he was worth around 15m tops.

Thankfully I was wrong!

And hopefully I will be wrong too about Lallana if you do end up splashing out on him, and he becomes one of the top 10 players in the league

Sappy404 · 14-05-2014 11:49AM

kfallon wrote: »

What time is kick off in The Aviva tonight, 5.30??

Yup! I only realised yesterday. So as not to clash with the Europa League final maybe?

Kess73 · 14-05-2014 11:49AM

Dickerty wrote: »

Are you Brendan
Are you Brendan
-Are
-You
-Brendan
-In
-Disguise?
Are you Brendan in disguise!

FFS you had me singing that after reading your post.

gafferino · 14-05-2014 11:51AM

Kess73 wrote: »

I would prefer to get him for less, but I genuinely think he would turn out to be good enough to justify paying that bit extra to ensure we got him.

I think he could turn out to be a James Milner type signing. As in a signing that raised eyebrows and scoffs due to the initial transfer fee, but that turned out to be good enough to hold his own with the best players at the club.

If Lallana moved for say £25m, but a chunk of that £25m was dependant on Liverpool winning silverware/getting CL qualification etc., then I would be fine with that.

Bournemouth must be rubbing their hands with glee right now though. They get a nice chunk of any fee Southampton get thanks to the 25% clause they are said put in when Southampton got the then 12yo Lallana from Bournemouth's youth set up.

Well yeah of course ...in the same way that Henderson has justified his price tag.

The other thing I hadnt considered is his wages would probably be quite decent when factoring in the overall cost of the player to the club.

mike65 · 14-05-2014 11:53AM

Oh dear

gafferino · 14-05-2014 11:54AM

Ledley Kings testimonial .....:pac::pac:

asdfgh86 · 14-05-2014 11:55AM

Morzadec wrote: »

hopefully I will be wrong too about Lallana if you do end up splashing out on him, and he becomes one of the top 10 players in the league

I don't think he has to be top ten in the league for 25-ish million. Just top 5 at Liverpool.

There are plenty of 20+ million players in the Prem who arent top 10 in the league

Kess73 · 14-05-2014 11:59AM

Morzadec wrote: »

I had seen a lot of him too, as had Kess and Nuri if I remember correctly and we all shared a similar opinion that he was worth around 15m tops.

Thankfully I was wrong!

And hopefully I will be wrong too about Lallana if you do end up splashing out on him, and he becomes one of the top 10 players in the league

My main problem with him was down to his on pitch antics. Stuff like spitting into his own hand and then flicking it at other players.

I really dislike his on pitch antics, and fully admit that it blinkers me somewhat to him as a player.

When he had his little run in with Momo recently I was yelling at the screen for Momo to take his head off.

And what really annoys me about him is that his own pitch antics don't seem to be coupled with an insane win at all costs mentality. He just seems to do it reagrdless of whether it is a game in which he is putting in a shift or not.

Think that if he moves to England, that he will very quickly become one of the most hated players in the league and might even surpass the effect the likes of Suarez/Terry/Drogba/Cole/Rooney etc have on supporters of rival teams

Vinz Mesrine · 14-05-2014 12:03PM

Kess73 wrote: »

My main problem with him was down to his on pitch antics. Stuff like spitting into his own hand and then flicking it at other players.

I really dislike his on pitch antics, and fully admit that it blinkers me somewhat to him as a player.

When he had his little run in with Momo recently I was yelling at the screen for Momo to take his head off.

And what really annoys me about him is that his own pitch antics don't seem to be coupled with an insane win at all costs mentality. He just seems to do it reagrdless of whether it is a game in which he is putting in a shift or not.

Think that if he moves to England, that he will very quickly become one of the most hated players in the league and might even surpass the effect the likes of Suarez/Terry/Drogba/Cole/Rooney etc have on supporters of rival teams

I remember saying it to a mate last summer when we were being linked with him, he makes Suarez look like an angel. His antics while playing for Chelsea, teaming with Mourinho will instantly make him the most hated player in the league and tbh, it will be very justified.

As you said, he doesn't do it in the same vein as Suarez where every ounce of his being is about win at all costs. He just comes across as a disgusting person. His spat with Sergio Ramos earlier this season was absolutely ridiculous.

murpho999 · 14-05-2014 12:11PM

mike65 wrote: »

Oh dear

Mmmmmm ..........Full Kit ****!

redzerdrog · 14-05-2014 12:13PM

Just regarding Lallana playing deeper, I still don't see him filling the role of orthodox CM and he pretty much never plays this role any time I have seen him.

What I mean by this is if you look at our diamond midfield of stevie, henderson, coutinho and sterling, it is the two more attacking roles that he can play in, I don't see him in the more orthodox role that henderson occupies and could never imagine him partnering Coutinho in the middle 2 of that diamond.

5starpool · 14-05-2014 12:13PM

kryogen wrote: »

Not hoping to achieve anything really, expected the article to be either ignored or ridiculed. Same as most of the things Mike drops off in the United thread.

You've lost any right of reasonable complaint the next time Mike or anyone else does similar in the utd thread then.

You don't like something being done there but you do it here.

I don't understand why people do things like this.

punk_one82 · 14-05-2014 12:18PM

Kess73 wrote: »

He also does not play in the same role that Lallana has mostly played in over the past couple of seasons so it is not really comparing like with like. Mkhitaryan is a fine player, but if we are looking to fill a slightly deeper role (and expecting a high workrate in defensive as well as offensively) then I would have Lallana over Mkhitaryan.

Whilst Lallana is not the same style of player to the player I am about to comapre him to in terms of potential role, I do think he would be used in a role closer to that of a teammate of Mkhitaryan than that what Mkhitaryan himself excels in. Would see Lallana slotting into the current Liverpool team to fill a similar role to what Gundogan does at Dortmund.

Lallana can and has played in the more advanced role, but generally he seems to play more in a Henderson style role albeit bringing a greater attacking threat to that role. He covered more ground than Henderson during the season just gone (no mean feat) and spent as much time back tackling on the flanks as he did attacking through the centre.

I really don't think that he is being looked at to played at the tip of the diamond or in the hole (Mick McCarthy trademark notwithstanding).

I think he will partner Henderson (or whomever has the other CM role for a given game) in CM and have Gerrard/DM behind him and that there will be three attackers ahead of him (Two forwards and a CF or AM at the tip of the diamond or a striker and two wide forwards if we go a more sitting 4-3-3 in the centre.

What he would bring is a bit more control top the centre, along with a high work rate towards both attacking and defensive duties. He would also bring a goal threat from the middle third.

It would be after all that that his flexibility in terms of role would come into play. He could ten also provide cover for either of the wide attacking slots as well as providing cover for the AM role.

But he does have one thing about him that has me hoping we do get him, and it is a very simple thing. He would improve our starting XI as he would push Allen or Lucas to the bench and he would then take the starting CM berth.

Absolutely excellent post on how Lallana could fit in very well in our team. The idea of having two CM's along side each other in Henderson and Lallana with the workrate they both possess, as well as Stevie playing deeper with his range of passing and Sterling/Coutinho ahead at the tip of the diamond is a very appealing. Lallana playing CM in itself would shore up our defense a bit as well as being a tricky customer going forward. I'm all for his signing and I don't mind overpaying slightly as long as it doesn't have a huge knock on effect on other targets this summer. Lallana can't be the only first team player we intend on signing, and two players for around 20-25 would be the majority of our reported 60m gone.

Dickerty · 14-05-2014 12:23PM

punk_one82 wrote: »

Absolutely excellent post on how Lallana could fit in very well in our team. The idea of having two CM's along side each other in Henderson and Lallana with the workrate they both possess, as well as Stevie playing deeper with his range of passing and Sterling/Coutinho ahead at the tip of the diamond is a very appealing. Lallana playing CM in itself would shore up our defense a bit as well as being a tricky customer going forward. I'm all for his signing and I don't mind overpaying slightly as long as it doesn't have a huge knock on effect on other targets this summer. Lallana can't be the only first team player we intend on signing, and two players for around 20-25 would be the majority of our reported 60m gone.

But the thing to remember is - it's not as if we cannot spend £61M if we need to. He'll set out his targets, and if they can be achieved within an agreed price range for each player, then great. Whatever the total is also depends on what we sell others for - Assaidi, Kelly, Coates, Aspas perhaps...

DDC1990 · 14-05-2014 12:26PM

Interesting to see Borini back in the Liverpool squad for tonights game along with Jordan Ibe.

Gbear · 14-05-2014 12:29PM

There is a certain logic that Lallana's versatility almost makes him like 2 signings.

Obviously it's cheaper to get 1 25m player that can play 4 positions than 2 15m players that play 2 each. It also means we end up with a smaller squad though, which was already a problem this season with only 1 competition that we paid any serious attention to.

If we have enough to get Lallana + another midfielder + 2 FBs and they're all players Rodgers really wants then there's no hassle. If we can achieve all our targets with regards to depth and quality for next season, it doesn't really matter what way we do it.

Dickerty · 14-05-2014 12:34PM

DDC1990 wrote: »

Interesting to see Borini back in the Liverpool squad for tonights game along with Jordan Ibe.

And Conor Coady, and maybe Jack Robinson, since Brad Smith has been called up for Eng U21?

Vinz Mesrine · 14-05-2014 12:38PM

Didn't realise the match today was on TV, good watching for a dreary Wednesday evening.

Kimbot · 14-05-2014 12:40PM

Anyone got the squad list for tonights game?

Liverpool Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread Summer 2014 - Mod Warning post #6893

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