Liverpool FC News/Gossip/Rumours Summer '15

martyos121 · 14-07-2015 12:20pm

cjmc wrote: »

The thing im worried about now is that firmino , coutinio , marko all seemly are best through the middle ( from what I've read ) so that means shoe-horning players into positions out wide where they are not likely to prosper.
We need all these players using 100% of their potential for a realistic top 4 shot .

Exactly, we need the team effect rather than throwing in a load of gifted individuals just to fit them into the same team. If it means dropping Firmino or Markovic to the bench, so be it. If we line up something like this next season with everyone in their right positions, we could make serious progress:

Mig
Clyne

Skrtel

Sakho

Moreno/New LB
Henderson

Milner
Ibe/Markovic

Coutinho/Firmino

Lallana/Reus (:D)
Benteke/Sturridge/Ings

Knex* · 14-07-2015 12:25pm

rob316 wrote: »

Coutinho actually plays his best football out on the left and is then left to roam into the centre. He can isolate and commit players out there, he struggles to break through 2 CB generally.

Fully agree. Been saying for a while that he is actually predominantly used out wide for us. Certainly was last year anyyway, playing both LW and RW with a license to roam.

He rarely started as a CAM.

I expect him to be used the same next year, tbh.

garra · 14-07-2015 12:25pm

slingerz wrote: »

I still think Rodgers will be lucky to make xmas given the way the fixtures have fallen and his current standing after last season

I don't reckon the difficulty level of the fixtures will play a part in his future over one part of the season, unless FSG are short-sighted enough to set a "minimum number of points gained by Xmas" target. If he was lucky enough to survive the latter half of last season I don't see FSG suddenly going trigger-happy on the management at Xmas.

Knex* · 14-07-2015 12:26pm

Also, Lallana is a forgotten man on here, a lot. Fair enough, as he had a fairly disruptive and underwhelming first year, but I do expect him to be a good player for us.

Bandana boy · 14-07-2015 12:32pm

Knex. wrote: »

Also, Lallana is a forgotten man on here, a lot. Fair enough, as he had a fairly disruptive and underwhelming first year, but I do expect him to be a good player for us.

I think he can do a job for us and is likely to have a better year than last year ,but as a squad player ,I think he nevers gets into our fighting fit starting eleven.Would have him on par with Allen for importance , will get lots of game time over a season but only starts to rest a mainstay or because of injury .
I actually think the end of our run in the new year came from trying to shoe him into the side.

martyos121 · 14-07-2015 12:32pm

Knex. wrote: »

Also, Lallana is a forgotten man on here, a lot. Fair enough, as he had a fairly disruptive and underwhelming first year, but I do expect him to be a good player for us.

I agree, but there's something about his attitude I cannot stand. The talent is there to be a regular starter for us or a bench player for a huge team, but he's ridiculously inconsistent. I think that has something to do with his attitude. Depending on who you believe, being called up to the England squad really inflated his ego.

ricero · 14-07-2015 12:33pm

Knex. wrote: »

Also, Lallana is a forgotten man on here, a lot. Fair enough, as he had a fairly disruptive and underwhelming first year, but I do expect him to be a good player for us.

Needs to stay fit and he will deliver I think the guy is a very good player. Showed signs of it last season but anytime he was starting to find some form he would pick up an injury.

Dickerty · 14-07-2015 12:35pm

ricero wrote: »

Needs to stay fit and he will deliver I think the guy is a very good player. Showed signs of it last season but anytime he was starting to find some form he would pick up an injury.

He's an excellent player, used in the right position and when we are on the front foot. Two good feet, can finish, can put a player in on goal, and can play 90 mins regularly without looking jaded (unlike STERLING...)

slingerz · 14-07-2015 12:36pm

martyos121 wrote: »

Exactly, we need the team effect rather than throwing in a load of gifted individuals just to fit them into the same team. If it means dropping Firmino or Markovic to the bench, so be it. If we line up something like this next season with everyone in their right positions, we could make serious progress:
Mig
Clyne
Skrtel
Sakho
Moreno/New LB
Henderson
Milner
Ibe/Markovic
Coutinho/Firmino
Lallana/Reus (:D)
Benteke/Sturridge/Ings

Mig/Bogdan
Clyne/Wisdom/Flanno

Skrtel/Toure/Ilori

Sakho/Lovren

Moreno/New LB
Henderson/Can

Milner/Allen/Lucas
Ibe/Markovic

Coutinho/Firmino

Lallana/Reus (:D)
Benteke/Sturridge/Ings/Origi

Not a bad squad in that lot. Obviously Reus and Benteke make it look a lot stronger than what it is currently

MD1990 · 14-07-2015 12:37pm

Lallana's attitude seems fine to me. Always works his socks off & gets a decent amounts of goals & assists for the minutes he got last year. Overpriced like the majority of signings nowadays but he is a good player to have in the squad.

Bandana boy · 14-07-2015 12:38pm

Dickerty wrote: »

and can play 90 mins regularly without looking jaded (unlike STERLING...)

What !
Adam is renowned for being a player who rarely finishing the 90 mins.
In fact is probably up there as one of the worst of all time for playing a full 90 mins !

jcsoulinger · 14-07-2015 12:40pm

martyos121 wrote: »

I agree, but there's something about his attitude I cannot stand. The talent is there to be a regular starter for us or a bench player for a huge team, but he's ridiculously inconsistent. I think that has something to do with his attitude. Depending on who you believe, being called up to the England squad really inflated his ego.

I think his attitude is spot on in that awful finish to the season he was one of the few who looked like he gave a ****. His problem is fitness which hopefully he can sort out this season.

martyos121 · 14-07-2015 12:46pm

slingerz wrote: »

Mig/Bogdan
Clyne/Wisdom/Flanno
Skrtel/Toure/Ilori
Sakho/Lovren
Moreno/New LB
Henderson/Can
Milner/Allen/Lucas
Ibe/Markovic
Coutinho/Firmino
Lallana/Reus (:D)
Benteke/Sturridge/Ings/Origi

Not a bad squad in that lot. Obviously Reus and Benteke make it look a lot stronger than what it is currently

That's a deep squad, but there's a big problem there. Squads with this kind of strength in depth are usually peppered with world beaters. It's very clear who the stars are and it makes picking the starting XI and bench a lot easier.

The problem with us is that there isn't an awful lot of difference in quality in most of those positions. The only ones where we have a clear number 1 are goalkeeper, right centre half and both holding mids, and none of those are world class in fairness. It's a nice problem to have, but I'd rather things were more obvious like 08/09 where we had a 100% established core, which we arguably had in 13/14 too, albeit with major flaws that cost us when push came to shove.

Here's my ideal team if we had another £50m to invest this summer after Benteke:

Mig
Clyne

Skrtel

Sakho

Moreno
Henderson

Matuidi
Milner

Coutinho

Pedro
Sturridge

martyos121 · 14-07-2015 12:51pm

Also, Sterling is having his medical

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/9912596/raheem-sterling-having-manchester-city-medical

Agent Coulson · 14-07-2015 12:53pm

How funny would be if he failed it.

martyos121 · 14-07-2015 12:56pm

Agent Coulson wrote: »

How funny would be if he failed it.

Not that funny for us, can't see any other crowd of eejits team paying £49m for an overhyped Shaun Wright-Phillips

murpho999 · 14-07-2015 1:00pm

Agent Coulson wrote: »

How funny would be if he failed it.

As it's Sterling it would be gas alright!

Dickerty · 14-07-2015 1:00pm

Bandana boy wrote: »

What !
Adam is renowned for being a player who rarely finishing the 90 mins.
In fact is probably up there as one of the worst of all time for playing a full 90 mins !

Not true. That only applies to last year, when he was in and out of the team.
Previous year, he played at least 85 minutes in 27 of 38 league games, featured in every league game.
Prior season to that, played almost every minute until an injury in December, and was in and out for the last dozen or so games, but still averaged about 75 mins a game. Southampton were very fond of subbing off attackers to get minutes for Rodriquez, Ramirez and Ward-Prowse...

gafferino · 14-07-2015 1:02pm

Did Rodgers say anything about why Balotelli was not on the tour?

Harry Palmr · 14-07-2015 1:02pm

Liverpool FC ‏@LFC 1m1 minute ago

Confirmed #LFC first-half XI in Bangkok: Bogdan, Gomez, Toure, Sakho, Wisdom, Lucas, Rossiter, Teixeira, Markovic, Ings, Lambert #LFCTour

Confirmed #LFC second-half XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Maguire, Allen, Henderson, Milner, Ibe, Lallana, Origi #LFCTour

The 2nd half looks more exciting already!

T-K-O · 14-07-2015 1:03pm

Dickerty wrote: »

Not true. That only applies to last year, when he was in and out of the team.
Previous year, he played at least 85 minutes in 27 of 38 league games, featured in every league game.
Prior season to that, played almost every minute until an injury in December, and was in and out for the last dozen or so games, but still averaged about 75 mins a game. Southampton were very fond of subbing off attackers to get minutes for Rodriquez, Ramirez and Ward-Prowse...

I did notice that, I remember Adam getting subbed a lots, 80 plus mins in.

Dickerty · 14-07-2015 1:03pm

The line-up in full: Bogdan, Gomez, Toure, Sakho, Wisdom, Lucas, Rossiter, Teixeira, Markovic, Ings, Lambert.

The team in the second half is: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Maguire, Allen, Henderson, Milner, Ibe, Lallana, Origi.

Additional substitutes: Fulton, Cleary, Moreno, Chirivella, Kent, Wilson, Ojo.

Hollister11 · 14-07-2015 1:08pm

I think Lovern will come good this season, same with Lallana.

T-K-O · 14-07-2015 1:09pm

Hollister11 wrote: »

I think Lovern will come good this season, same with Lallana.

Considering his injuries and our poor play in general I thought he did well and fully expect him to kick on.

54and56 · 14-07-2015 1:09pm

Dickerty wrote: »

Additional substitutes: Fulton, Cleary, Moreno, Chirivella, Kent, Wilson, Ojo.

Why is Moreno not getting a game? Did he sneak out of the team hotel for a little ping pong action last night?

Vicxas · 14-07-2015 1:12pm

gafferino wrote: »

Did Rodgers say anything about why Balotelli was not on the tour?

His dad died recently, its compassionate leave.

Bobeagleburger · 14-07-2015 1:14pm

Ian Ayre leaving the Sterling negotiations

https://vine.co/v/evDM79pxzXa

Dickerty · 14-07-2015 1:17pm

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Why is Moreno not getting a game?

Maybe a slight injury, or feeling the heat more than most?

Magico Gonzalez · 14-07-2015 1:18pm

Hollister11 wrote: »

I think Lovern will come good this season, same with Lallana.

Lallana wasnt far off last year, hope he builds on his form and kicks on.

I really hope Lovren sorts himself out, he has the attributes to be excellent but he needs some help woth focus and handling the pressure. The price tag really got into his head.

54and56 · 14-07-2015 1:19pm

Dickerty wrote: »

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Why is Moreno not getting a game?/QUOTE]

Maybe a slight injury, or feeling the heat more than most?

My first thought was to look to see if Lambert is playing, I can see the heat really killing him given his size and age etc. plus Moreno is Spanish, surely he's a bit more used to the heat than most?

54and56 · 14-07-2015 1:21pm

Magico Gonzalez wrote: »

I really hope Lovren sorts himself out, he has the attributes to be excellent but he needs some help woth focus and handling the pressure. The price tag really got into his head.

Hopefully the price tag is last years story given how many new signings we have and he'll just get back to being the player he was at Southampton in 13/14.

super_furry · 14-07-2015 1:26pm

We desperately need Lovren to do the business, the alternative is Kolo.

Jon Stark · 14-07-2015 1:33pm

PhiloCypher wrote: »

Remember when we hopped off Dortmund in preseason

And then we both went on to have awful seasons.

The only game where Lovren looked liked the beast he was meant to be.

Hopefully he can play with the pressure off now, I mean it couldn't get any worse could it......?

:pac:

Bobeagleburger · 14-07-2015 1:35pm

Did Sinclair ask to leave or what happened there?

super_furry · 14-07-2015 1:37pm

Breakdown in contract negotiations seems to be the consensus and that it's solveable.

Harry Palmr · 14-07-2015 1:37pm

rarnes1 wrote: »

Did Sinclair ask to leave or what happened there?

No one knows but that hasn't stopped everyone speculating.

Has anyone found a *cough* you know.

Bobeagleburger · 14-07-2015 1:40pm

Bound to be speculation I guess.

Yeah, hopefully it gets resolved soon

Dickerty · 14-07-2015 1:48pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Has anyone found a *cough* you know.

Watching the build-up legit as we speak!
The joys of having an office...

Harry Palmr · 14-07-2015 1:54pm

I've found a youtube link but not sure what the story is, don;t they have an agreement to cover sport

monkey9 · 14-07-2015 1:58pm

A very uninspiring new thread.

super_furry · 14-07-2015 2:00pm

No match-thread for the Thai All-Stars El Classico?

Kolo Toure with the captain's armband is nearly as depressing as Mark Lawrenson on co-commentary on LFC.tv.