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

x43r0 · 19-05-2014 04:46PM

mike65 wrote: »

Utd talk in the Utd thread!

#superthreadetiquette

My bad

NukaCola · 19-05-2014 04:59PM

Did we sign anyone yet..........

Grayditch · 19-05-2014 05:04PM

We'll have to fight harder this coming season. Of course United will be better. They will be fighting for a top 4 finish or better with Van Gaal and that squad, which is still to be reenforced.

Spurs could be up to something. We use our position to strengthen, and keep going. Let's be honest AVB and Moyes being poo helped everyone in the top 4.

Mickalus · 19-05-2014 05:13PM

Fescue wrote: »

He has had 2 years to assess where the squad needs strenghtening and identify his targets. Van Gaal won't have that luxury, whether it proves to be a major hindrance only time will tell but I would imagine it will do.

I don't think Van Gaal is fortunate to have a wealth of up and coming youngsters at the club to renergise the squad.

Van Gaal has Giggs as his #2, so he won't be coming in blind with respect to the squad - he'll have a decent idea as to the areas that need strengthening. Of course he'll have his own opinions, but I'm sure he'll be doing his homework.

Availability changes window to window, you're always having to review your targets. It's a revolving list - never static. Knowing what areas you need to strengthen and being able to land your target are 2 very different things.

The World cup affects everyone - players away with their national team won't be as available to talk transfer talk, if they're available to talk about it at all.

The ability to get a deal done in general is harder with the world cup, and then if you do get your business done early - if that player is playing at the WC he won't be available until his country is out + a couple weeks holidays.

So every manager with players at the WC will face the same problems of not having the preferred amount of time with their full squad - that's the hindrance I was talking about.

Fescue · 19-05-2014 05:23PM

Mickalus wrote: »

Van Gaal has Giggs as his #2, so he won't be coming in blind with respect to the squad - he'll have a decent idea as to the areas that need strengthening. Of course he'll have his own opinions, but I'm sure he'll be doing his homework.

Availability changes window to window, you're always having to review your targets. It's a revolving list - never static. Knowing what areas you need to strengthen and being able to land your target are 2 very different things.

The World cup affects everyone - players away with their national team won't be as available to talk transfer talk, if they're available to talk about it at all.

The ability to get a deal done in general is harder with the world cup, and then if you do get your business done early - if that player is playing at the WC he won't be available until his country is out + a couple weeks holidays.

So every manager with players at the WC will face the same problems of not having the preferred amount of time with their full squad - that's the hindrance I was talking about.

The difference is the Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton players are returning to teams with the same manager, same methods, ideas and styles of play. Van Gaal and United start from ground zero.

Mickalus · 19-05-2014 05:55PM

Fescue wrote: »

The difference is the Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton players are returning to teams with the same manager, same methods, ideas and styles of play. Van Gaal and United start from ground zero.

I wouldn't call it ground zero. I see your point, but it's not as clear cut.

Van Gaal could buy in 3 or 4 players that know exactly how he works, Van Persie will be one that knows how he works. There might be one or two more. That's not ground zero.
Also, VG will have some groundwork laid before he goes anywhere. Giggs can start that work in pre-season before VG gets there.

Likewise for the other big 5 teams you mentioned, any new players that they sign this summer, will be coming in to fresh faces and a new way of working.
Any that they sign that have extended holidays cause of the WC.

And even if Liverpool signed 5 players that aren't featuring in the WC this year - they can come in week 1 of pre-season and have time with Rodgers and co, but with the big boys away at the WC, they're hindered.

I agree that VG is at a slightly more of a disadvantage, but the point I'm trying to make is that a World Cup year hinders everybody in different ways.

If his being at the World Cup was so big a disadvantage, he wouldn't have been appointed manager at all.

niallo27 · 19-05-2014 05:56PM

I don't get the hype over arsenal myself. It's only a matter of time before they fall out of the top 4. I think we are underestimating how brilliant a manager Liverpool have in Rodgers. He will have learned so much from last season.

joe123 · 19-05-2014 06:07PM

niallo27 wrote: »

I don't get the hype over arsenal myself. It's only a matter of time before they fall out of the top 4. I think we are underestimating how brilliant a manager Liverpool have in Rodgers. He will have learned so much from last season.

Arsenal are one top striker away from challenging for the league. Wenger is a world class manager.

Grayditch · 19-05-2014 06:10PM

Arsenal fans could easily think we overreached last season. We'll find out in a few months.

Here's my prediction for every team next season:

I have no idea.

niallo27 · 19-05-2014 06:10PM

joe123 wrote: »

Arsenal are one top striker away from challenging for the league. Wenger is a world class manager.

They really aren't. Lot more wrong with arsenal than a striker. They were hammered 5-1 6-0 6-3 against the top 3. What's a striker going do for you there.

klose · 19-05-2014 06:13PM

joe123 wrote: »

Arsenal are one top striker away from challenging for the league. Wenger is a world class manager.

Is he though? Not a dig but they got some awful hammerings last season and he just sat there and watched it expecting something to change without doing nothing. I dont really know how to describe a world class manager, same with a player, everyones interpretations are different.

billy2012 · 19-05-2014 06:16PM

klose wrote: »

Is he though? Not a dig but they got some awful hammerings last season and he just sat there and watched it expecting something to change without doing nothing. I dont really know how to describe a world class manager, same with a player, everyones interpretations are different.

No doubt in my mind that Wenger is a 'World Class' manager.

Arsenal were absolutely crippled with injures for alot of the season.

19-05-2014 06:17PM

I'd bite your hand off for 4th place and getting out of the CL group right now tbh.

smileyj1987 · 19-05-2014 06:19PM

niallo27 wrote: »

I don't get the hype over arsenal myself. It's only a matter of time before they fall out of the top 4. I think we are underestimating how brilliant a manager Liverpool have in Rodgers. He will have learned so much from last season.

I agree with you . LFC have been on this run for 18 months or so . When Sturrigde and Coutinho where bought the team has been on a great run of form so no coincidence if you ask me .

DrumSteve · 19-05-2014 06:19PM

rarnes1 wrote: »

I'd bite your hand off for 4th place and getting out of the CL group right now tbh.

Would that not be a regression?

niallo27 · 19-05-2014 06:19PM

billy2012 wrote: »

No doubt in my mind that Wenger is a 'World Class' manager.

Arsenal were absolutely crippled with injures for alot of the season.

If you buy soft players what do you expect. Liverpool whole back 4 was missing at one stage. Too easy to make excuses over injuries.

klose · 19-05-2014 06:25PM

billy2012 wrote: »

No doubt in my mind that Wenger is a 'World Class' manager.

Arsenal were absolutely crippled with injures for alot of the season.

They've had injury problems for years, its not just bad luck imo they should really be looking internally at it. Every team has injuries every year, going on with the season while dealing with it is part and parcel of a season, not an accolade.

19-05-2014 06:26PM

DrumSteve wrote: »

Would that not be a regression?

Obviously want more but let's be realistic.

Consolidating top 4 would be a great achievement. It'd mean more money and bigger and better squad etc.

smileyj1987 · 19-05-2014 06:29PM

klose wrote: »

They've had injury problems for years, its not just bad luck imo they should really be looking internally at it. Every team has injuries every year, going on with the season while dealing with it is part and parcel of a season, not an accolade.

Suarez (ban) , Sturrigde (injury) , Allen (injury) , gerrard (injury) , Enrique (injury) , Agger (injury) , Sakho (injury ) .
LFC have had injuries too . So you get them during the season they can't be used as an excuse at all .

Luckycharms_74 · 19-05-2014 06:39PM

Did I miss anything

Agueroooo · 19-05-2014 06:39PM

Lots of activity from Barca tonight.

FCBarcelona: Luis Enrique signs two year deal as new FC Barcelona manager

@FCBarcelona: The Board also announced the signing of Marc-André Ter Stegen and the return of the on loan @Rafinha and @gerardeulofeu #fcblive”

Wonder when Rodgers announcement will be now?

djPSB · 19-05-2014 06:48PM

Mickalus wrote: »

World cup will be a big hindrance to everyone, I get your point with respect to getting used to the place and getting his transfer dealing done, but most players playing at world cup won't be be around for training anyway.... so no loss there.

Rodgers will only have a few weeks with the full squad too. Any new signings that are playing in the world cup won't be coming until after.

Rodgers has two seasons with the squad already though.

Rodgers commented last week that one of the toughest things about the first season was that he only had access to a lot of players for a few weeks before the season started because they were involved in the Euros etc.

I expect United to start slow and pick up as the season goes on.

~Rebel~ · 19-05-2014 07:02PM

I'm reasonably happy with the appointment of Van Gaal at United. He's obviously a very good manager, but I don't think he's the silver bullet they're hoping for. He has his strengths but also his weaknesses.

He's great for putting systems in place, which is something they need at the moment, but he doesn't tend to be able to integrate himself as well as his systems, particularly at bigger clubs. I don't expect him to be there longer than 2 years, at which point they have another huge appointment to make. If everything goes well with Van Gaal, and he leaves on good terms, I expect Giggs then to take over. If things go sour however, it's always hard for the managers number 1 guy to take over and be successful - invariably fails.

Either way, I think this is a steadying of the ship, with another big decision to come in 2 to 3 years. A lot happier with this than if they'd gotten someone like Klopp.

djPSB · 19-05-2014 07:21PM

joe123 wrote: »

Arsenal are one top striker away from challenging for the league. Wenger is a world class manager.

Wenger has underachieved in recent seasons imo. Even on Saturday, Arsenal made hardwork of it.

Think they would be alot more dangerous if they had someone like Klopp.

Knex* · 19-05-2014 07:24PM

Wenger, wins a trophy, has Arsenal in contention for the league, ended up comfortably fourth, and dealt with some big injuries throughout the season. Still people want to get on his back.

Bloke can't catch a break

djPSB · 19-05-2014 07:26PM

Knex. wrote: »

Wenger, wins a trophy, has Arsenal in contention for the league, ended up comfortably fourth, and dealt with some big injuries throughout the season. Still people want to get on his back.

Bloke can't catch a break

Any manager who goes 9 years at a top club without winning a trophy is going to be questioned.

~Rebel~ · 19-05-2014 07:33PM

djPSB wrote: »

Any manager who goes 9 years at a top club without winning a trophy is going to be questioned.

The question with Arsenal though is always; "With the same investment, without Wenger over the past years, would they even still be a top club?"

citytillidie · 19-05-2014 07:38PM

djPSB wrote: »

Rodgers has two seasons with the squad already though.

Rodgers commented last week that one of the toughest things about the first season was that he only had access to a lot of players for a few weeks before the season started because they were involved in the Euros etc.

I expect United to start slow and pick up as the season goes on.

Sure Van Gaal has 22 players he can tap up during the World Cup

Gbear · 19-05-2014 07:43PM

~Rebel~ wrote: »

The question with Arsenal though is always; "With the same investment, without Wenger over the past years, would they even still be a top club?"

I don't think Wenger is the only person in the world that could've consistently delivered CL football with a team that has never been worse than the 4th best team in the league in that time period.

After a certain point shrewdness can start to look like cowardice.
The FA cup buys time for Wenger but they can't stick to safe forever and hope to progress.

There's examples on either side - us and going for Rodgers worked out. AVB and dishing out 100m+ didn't for Spurs.

Knex* · 19-05-2014 07:45PM

~Rebel~ wrote: »

The question with Arsenal though is always; "With the same investment, without Wenger over the past years, would they even still be a top club?"

The thing about Arsenal is, they always try to walk it in.

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

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