Liverpool Banter Archive July 18 2015

18 Jul 2015 22:38:02
The beginning of the season I had a discussion with my dad about Spanish full backs we'd just acquired 2 and we thought that Spanish full back weren't of a high standard after arbeloa who was at best a steady Eddie has been probably top Spanish full back at real if that was the standard we was getting 2 off Seville and athletico well I think our concerns were correct we also had mr selfie himself at the club Jose selfrique

19 Jul 2015 01:00:07
Im stumped! What is this poster trying to say?

19 Jul 2015 01:34:49
Is Spanish full backs were so bad how is it the Spain team won every international trophy available. Maybe a young kid like Moreno needs a little time to adapt to a new country, language, style and team mates before you start writing them off.

19 Jul 2015 06:34:28
Carvajal and Juan fran are decent, people were crying out to sign Montoya on here, and Jordi alba is good going forward for a full back. Azpilacueta (or Dave as they call him) is as good as any out there for his age.

19 Jul 2015 08:11:06
The poster is saying Spanish full backs aren't very good and we had 3

18 Jul 2015 20:59:58
Eds did I read that we had signed a young Brazilian lad a few weeks back for the under 21s?
I'm not sure if I misread something or what. Can't remember his name for the life of me.
Maybe I made it up lol

{Ed002's Note - I don't recall but he was a kiddie for the Academy not the Under 21s.}

18 Jul 2015 22:17:42
Was it Allan Rodriguez de Souza or were we only linked with him.

18 Jul 2015 22:18:41
Was it perchance Allan something? I seem to remember a link to him.

18 Jul 2015 22:26:21
Ah right, cheers ed.

18 Jul 2015 22:52:11
Allan Rodrigues de Souza might be the lad you mean. He's an 18 year old, I don't know if he's actually signed yet though.

18 Jul 2015 23:10:56
Allen wasn't it?

18 Jul 2015 23:14:47
Allan

18 Jul 2015 19:14:46
Never normally post, sorry to have have upset a few. but it is not championship manager syndrome, failure to support or any other of the popular challenges to any criticism of a player.

My view is based on 48 years a season ticket holder, lower centenary (and before that kemlyn road for the old un's), and fair time watching away from home as well over the years. With regards to left-back I have seen them from from peter wall, ellyn when he arrived (similar age to mereno) alec lindsay, even rol evans (whom I had the pleasure of spending an evening with talking about the modern day 'defender'). moreno is one of the worst defenders I have seen in the red shirt. Of course all aspects of a game can be taught and but fundamentally he does not give a monkey's about his defensive responsibilities (and its not just playing as a wing back). For all those of you who don't like it, are you prepared to have another half dozen games when his errors directly lead to defeats. sorry in my book LFC comes before any player for me. If someone is letting the team and supporters down through repeatedly making the same mistake than is not on. Supporting does not mean being unable to see weakness when it is staring you in the face. Potential is worth working with, irresponsibility and lack of care is another thing all together. All I can say is Moreno is lucky he did not pay alongside a few of the old un' the likes of Tommy Smith and Ray kennedy would have had him by then throat at half time, for some of the thing he does (or does not do).8 million from Roma, I hope to goodness its true.

18 Jul 2015 19:46:15
48 years. That's good enough for me. Thanks for sharing the benefit of your experience.

I can remember some pretty shocking defenders. If Moreno is near the top of this mans list then we should all listen.

Why do so many of the rest of you insist on being "patient"? Would Chelsea be patient with Moreno? Man U under Fergie? Any successful side?

Keeping doing the same things and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity.

18 Jul 2015 19:53:09
I think Gomez might take his place this season.

18 Jul 2015 20:27:14
Well I am the great Steven Gerrard and I say he is great. Really it is amazing what the internet brings out of people. Last summer we were linked with Bertrand and Mereno and everyone on here was saying how shirt Bertrand was and how good Mereno is. No Mereno is another scape goat. He is a kid with talent who needs to learn English and learn his trade. If fans like you had their way Lucas would be gone, and Henderson would be gone. When I started supporting this team we had the best fans in the world now we have a bunch of cry babies who hate every player on the team and moan about anything. To many signings, to few signings, not buying expensive " marquee players, buying expensive shit players. I have no idea how the eds read this crap all day. Phi and the fact you think Mereno is worse than koncheski tells it all.

18 Jul 2015 20:27:26
Not sure you can lay 6 defeats at the door of a single player - it is a team game and, like it or not, Moreno is not solely responsible for a defeat in any game. I've already made reference to his defensive ability in a previous post so don't need to get into it with you but I think you are being overly critical. He is a young player, in a new country with a different approach and, on top of that, a poorly managed team (last season at least). I think he was very underwhelming last season but I certainly do not think he should be sold or that we should not give him a chance to make amends and improve. He needs more time to see if he can correct the flaws in his game - he was poor last season but he is not hopeless. It is also impractical to give players a single season then sell them on for a loss - players need time, especially young players, and Moreno is no different. I think, if the team is cohesive, it will make a significant difference to his performances. Whether it will alter his attitude? Time will tell - but let's give him that time first.

18 Jul 2015 20:30:09
It really annoys me seeing players getting slaughtered by fellow reds when they have had one season in the EPL. He is still a kid and still learning. Maybe you should be asking questions of the coaching set up last season because when it comes to player performance last year he wasn't the exception,he was part of the rule.

18 Jul 2015 20:34:22
Totally agree Kemlynrd, Moreno needs to go and go now,he cannot defend to save his life,has no technical ability and for me is a very weak link

18 Jul 2015 20:53:27
I don't get this biased view at all. Moreno is a bad defender and Lovren is a great defender but poor tactics.
Moreno had as many faults as Lovren had last season.

18 Jul 2015 21:14:26
I agree, Moreno is a liability as he consitantly left far to much space in beihind him. Yes, he's quick but often goes missing and forgets his defensive resposibilities. Considering we spent 18 million, I would have expected a better return. BR lost faith in him last season and couldn't rely on Enrique to step in. I think he will depart and a replacement bought in. Having said that Gomez has the potential to step in. YNWA

18 Jul 2015 21:42:24
Moreno & Lovern 32 million wisely invested by our transfer committee neither considered first choice and both terrible at what they are paid to do.defending

18 Jul 2015 21:43:58
"He's only had one season"
"He's in a foreign country"
"It's not him it's the coaching"
"He's underwhelming but we should give him another chance"
"You all said He was better than Bertrand"
"We shouldn't sell for a loss"
"We should back our players no matter how they play"
"Moreno is bad but Lovren is too"

Not one of these points makes an argument for Moreno being good enough.

Come on guys. We are in this to win stuff not to be a donkey sanctuary.

18 Jul 2015 22:02:56
if moreno had proper cover then his mistakes would not be so bad , for me the good thing is he is a young player and he can get better , i saved the match of the days show from last season and we played arsenal and you should see how many time kolo made mistakes and a favourite on here lucas he made so many mistakes i don't know what fans see in him , but last season a lot of the older players made mistakes game after game and you never mentioned them as i say lucas made that many mistakes i don't know how he got games after the arsenal games really also the same goes for kolo , but lucas was played again and afian and in the last 2 games of the season his mistakes ked to 3 goals , now this is a player who is at his best and can not learn new things has he has the experience , so to try and lay the blame at morenos feet then you are wrong , i'm not saying he never made mistakes what i am saying is he made mistakes along with more experienced players who should be playing better , last season was a season of mistakes by the players and let's just hope they cut the mistakes out and play to their best then we will see the real liverpool , but give the kid a chance you never know he might get more goals this season

18 Jul 2015 22:18:49
Wow what a load of rubbish. He was excellent at Sevilla with a good coach. How about laying the blame with the real culprit and not a 20yr old kid.

18 Jul 2015 22:18:55
Why are you all getting on Moreno's back like he is the reason we were so poor last season. After the Spurs game everyone was banging on about how good he is.
Give the lad a chance for fucks sake!
It's disgusting the way some people talk about players on here sometimes.

18 Jul 2015 23:15:57
48 years - still a new boy then, first stood on the boys pen in 1959 - and in my humble opinion, Moreno is nowhere near as bad a defender as you say. We have been lucky since my first days to have a work ethos in the majority of sides in my time, where everybody worked for the team irrespective of their position - Chris Lawler, without doubt the best attacking full back I have ever seen, but by no means the greatest defending full back, but when he went forward different class - worse defenders than Moreno that I have witnessed - Jan Kromkamp, Torben Piechnik, Glynn Hysen, Avi Cohen, Fabio Aurelio, Julian Ducks - all of the above have had great games for Liverpool, but by god, they have all had there fair share of shockers - it's sad to read an LFC fan of so many years slagging off our modern contingent. They lad Moreno is not that bad, modern football dictates full backs are not just defenders anymore.

19 Jul 2015 00:16:26
None of our defenders or goalkeepers are of a high standard. Which is why we leak goals and can't assemble a decent back 4

19 Jul 2015 02:54:43
Well written John B, Moreno is young but had just one season and played in an unsettled sidde with lots if different tactics. A more settled year and good coaching and hopefully will improve.

The biggest issue so far as I can see was the lack of a cohesive 3 man partnership at CB and DM. I still think that's our potential achilles heel this season I'm afraid. We need a really top DM and to play Lovren/Sakho together IMO, should have bough Schneiderlin.

19 Jul 2015 04:30:18
Haha. My season ticket has bigger nuts that yours 😂 give it up ladies. Love the fact that people assume they have a better understanding of football and players and transfers because they have sat in the stadium for a few decades. all that proves is your loyal to your club. I think Moreno being made the scape goat here is laughable considering all the "scapegoats" we have been reading on here since the season ended. Can we all not agree that 95% of our team were rubbish last year and get over it. New season starts soon I'm sure we will have a few more soon

19 Jul 2015 05:00:38
John B I only have one thing to add. djimi traore. Don't even try and make a list of God awful defenders and not include him ;)

19 Jul 2015 05:21:00
Okay, he's had his first season at pool, new league, language, we have leaked goals for years, Moreno has quality and potential. Stop ripping on the Kid, Let him have some time, our defence was harldy a solid unit and that wasn't soley morenos fault. What happened to supporting out players, its a new season, big mac is in, let's see what happens.

19 Jul 2015 07:37:10
Oops - forgot about Djimi - a poor player with a CL medal - " it's a funny old game "

19 Jul 2015 08:05:12
meh. I like Moreno. Plus, on the list of "Liverpool players that made me shout at the TV due to their mistakes" last year, Moreno was way way way below many others. In fact, I can't remember how many times I saw Moreno absolutely bust a gut to get back into defense and cover or make a tackle. He puts in a shift. I remember a time when working your ass off for the shirt earned respect from the fans if nothing else. When did that change?

19 Jul 2015 08:37:50
There was a guy who used to sit next to me in the main stand every week. Season ticket holder for decades. Went to every away game. And yet you would not believe some of the absolute crap that came of his mouth. Loyalty does not always equate to knowledge or understanding.

Moreno is a young lad who has been dropped into a team which has defensively been poor for three seasons. Yes he has made mistakes. Sometimes he dithers far too much in the ball (his mistake at the ethiad being a good example) and he has some terrible habits (see performance at the emirates). But I do not believe they are anything that cannot be coached out of him. The lad has got ability and we need to stand by him. Not crucify him for one season when nobody in our defence came out with any credit whatsoever.

19 Jul 2015 09:20:29
Christian Ziege: a world class player for Germany but just could not adapt to the premier league. Went from class act to rabbit in the headlights.
I would not be ready to dump Moreno yet, it also depends on what he's being asked to do. I believe Rodgers asked the full backs to bomb forward last season.

19 Jul 2015 11:04:47
Ah Djimi Traore. Just shows what a great manager can do. Moreno is a much better player than Djimi but has a very poor manager to work with and set up the team

18 Jul 2015 17:56:20
I. Eds just . Hope / that if / we get ourvilla target that Wil be all our business done with regards . To incoming we / really need to try and concentrate on / moving all surplus players out and concentrate

18 Jul 2015 19:10:12
Is that iambic pentameter?

18 Jul 2015 15:07:03
Here's the link to the Fantasy Premier League

http://tinyurl.com/je0k

{Ed002's Note - Fine - now send it again with all of the required information in the same place - what it is, and the league number and this link - and then it will be much easier for everyone.}

18 Jul 2015 17:01:17
All signed up mate

18 Jul 2015 17:33:32
Ed002
Will send it again with all of the inffo. Could you please arrange for it to be posted on all of the football related sites?

{Ed002's Note - I have no way of doing that Reet so you will have to post it and the Eds will get it through.}

18 Jul 2015 19:17:11
Ed033
Could you please see sf something could be dome in that regard so that the post is copied to all pages?

18 Jul 2015 19:58:39
Ed001 and Ed002 should put a team in; winner gets Ed of the year.

{Ed002's Note - I would do it of course but I can't see Ed001 being up to the challenge.}

18 Jul 2015 22:05:28
Shots fired at Ed001. I like it.

{Ed001's Note - he is right, I simply do not have the time these days. Plus I would have to put up with the sulking when I won.....}

19 Jul 2015 05:41:55
Lol my money is on ed001 at the start of the season, but as the season goes and trades are made, Ed002 will quit and say no way is that player worth that. This is why we don't discuss money

{Ed001's Note - trades? See that is why I never get into fantasy football, it takes far too much effort to actually succeed. Things like trading players is far too much like hard work!}

18 Jul 2015 14:18:37
In your opinions, with the Eds saying Sturridge is going to miss the first 3 months of the season, did we see the last great season for him in 13/14?

{Ed002's Note - It was Liverpool saying that he would not be available for selection until toward the end of October, not me.}

18 Jul 2015 13:43:13
Hello Eds,

Is there other clubs interested in Benteke?

If, as is implied in thisposted here that, he is our main target do you see a real danger of been pipped to his signing by rival clubs?

In previous seasons tempus fugit and the vultures feasted.

{Ed002's Note - Spurs have moved on with their interest.}

18 Jul 2015 12:54:59
Eds now since the club is done with its transfers .I would like to ask your opinion on where Rodgers should improve tactically?

When i watch games in Champions league,teams like AM,Real,Chelsea,.etc play with real discipline ,players in the team are positioned in a systematic way.Last time when United revived their season Each and every member of team know where to position when both attacking and defending.Eds I am not that good in Tactcical side of game,it would be great to get your opinion?

THANKS.

{Ed001's Note - to be honest I think it is more important to improve the teamwork, and focus less on the tactics. I think part of the problem was that Rodgers believed he was a tactical genius following the 2013/14 season and kept twiddling with them too intricately. The best teams have always had one simple system that the players on the pitch know well and are used to working with. Once you have that, then little tweaks, such as attacking the weak points of an opponent as they present themselves, become obvious to the players on the pitch, without the manager needing to constantly interfere.

For me, I would like to see him settle on one system, one way of playing and just get the players playing that way to the best of their ability. When a centre back gets the ball in his own half, he should know that what the midfield are doing and what the attack will be doing. He might not know exactly where they will be on the pitch, but he shouldn't need to look up to see if anyone is presenting themselves for a pass, he should know whether the midfield are doing so or not immediately. Unlike last season when the defenders would get it, look for a pass into midfield and all the midfielders have their backs to them not expecting a pass. If the defenders had known the midfield are not going to present themselves, then they could stop looking for the short pass and look further up field and reduced the dithering time. Each time a player dithers, it gives the opponent time to position themselves to block passing lanes and mark men.

We need that sharpness, especially if opponents put us under pressure, that quick pass from man to man, if we are going to break a press without resorting to long ball tactics. To do so, players have to know where each other is, they have to know who is making what run, without needing to think about it. Each time a player has to take a moment to think, it gives the opposition time. Teamwork is more important than any particular tactic, that is why a well drilled team like Southampton could do so well, despite having lost so many players before the start of last season. Each player knew what they were doing and what their job was. Rather than our team, particularly at the end of the season, spent far too much time trying to figure out their role.}

18 Jul 2015 13:54:25
Everyone looked confused last season haha ed nailed it!!

18 Jul 2015 14:00:57
Thanks ED001 for your reply.
I am happy that Club is showing much ambition unlike Gillet era.But after club decided to pass on the opportunity to bring Klopp or Emery,I hope Rodgers can repay both their and us fans faith.Sean'O Driscoll for me will help our team from what u have said about the tactics.

{Ed002's Note - The club never had the opportunity to bring in Emery or Klopp.}

18 Jul 2015 14:18:23
Ed002 thanks for heads up.But Ed002 do u know if club had looked upon any manager?I remember one of them being De Boer.

{Ed002's Note - As I explained over the early summer - Liverpool take advice from third party advisors and I am aware of one name being suggested to MG as an option to BR (and I explained he was never going to be a viable option). I was also aware of the efforts of a "super agent" to try and foist someone else on the club - but by then Rodgers was clearly secure in his job. I am also aware of another name or two that will lurk in the background throughout the coming season.

But for now the manager deserves some support.}

18 Jul 2015 15:17:33
This manager deserves some support? Wow, ok.

18 Jul 2015 16:25:54
Great post, Eds! Essex like you I wanted BR gone and still don't trust him BUT we need to move on and support the team because if they do well, we will all be happy including those of us who want(ed) BR gone.

18 Jul 2015 16:47:31
great reply eds 01, thanks

18 Jul 2015 12:34:04
A lot of people have commented that we're making the same mistakes as last summer signing so many players but the circumstances are completely different.

2 summers ago we had a very limited transfer window. We added Migs to the first team and added a couple of squad players, Sakho and Aspas. We then went on an amazing run where we came second in the league and qualified for the CL.

This meant a couple of things, one we wanted to capitalise on our success and two we wanted to add to our threadbare squad to compete in the CL. We know what happened, we spent £120m bringing in 9 players, built a squad but then failed to push on.

This year is completely different. We are not trying to build a squad but fine tune it. Bogdan, Milner, Clyne, Firmino, Benteke and Ings are all direct replacements for players who have either retired, been deemed not good enough or forced a move. The only luxury buy was Gomez who's one for the future (although he may play sooner if he's as good as his pre-season suggests).

This summer is very different to last, every player improves the squad (Milner is better than today's Gerrard, I'm hoping Firmino is at least as good as Sterling). Do not think we haven't learnt from last summer's mistakes.

18 Jul 2015 12:52:41
While players have been bought in who were not needed, I think it is very clear that players are not the main problem at LFC.

18 Jul 2015 13:09:20
Parts of your posts are true however, I disagree globally. For example, Ings was not needed because Origi was already here. We needed a GK to compete with Mingo yet we go get a no. 2 from the championship. The replacements are for player who are still here like Lambo, Balo and Fab and until they're gone, it is what it is. All in all, we don't need to fine tune the squad. We need to impromptu the first XI and a couple of holes still remain even with some of the good signings we've made.

18 Jul 2015 13:47:29
I think we now have a plethora of options for the front 6 players and, without doubt we are top 4 in that area.

But we still haven't fixed the back 5. And if we don't all that excellent attacking talent will be wasted.

We have Sakho and Clyne that, I would say are top quality players. Gomez and Llori have potential. Flanno is a great asset when fit. So, two quality and some potential. After that you're into players that might or might not be regulars in bottom third sides.

I still believe very firmly that we need a solid left back and a keeper if we are going to push.

That's not me being ungrateful to the owners or bleating that we've signed the wrong players. I think we've done well so far. I'm simply saying that a top quality side should be stronger at the back than we are.

18 Jul 2015 14:17:39
Redohio, we want to get rid of three strikers so we've got three replacements (Origi, Ings and Benteke for Ballotelli, Borini and Lambert).

Bogdan was the replacement for Jones, he was never meant to be competition for Migs.

Liverpool aren't doing what you (or we) want, they haven't identified replacing the GK and CBs as a priority, they're replacing what they think is important.

18 Jul 2015 16:34:25
Which is exactly the prob, Muscat. Our holes are still there yet we are replacing players who either haven't left or need replacing. Chelsea had holes in their first XI and fixed them, no questions asked. They did not replace players who either haven't gone or aren't good enough or whatever. David Luis was an accident at CB. They got rid. Eto, Ba and Torres were poor. They got rid. They needed a true DM, a playmaker and a top strike. They went and got Fabregas, Matic and Costa. Job done! Football is not rocket science and what Chelsea do proves that. Is that too much to ask that people use their brains instead of complicating things for no reason which is what we do in the TW

18 Jul 2015 17:59:38
I think the priorities were to replace the leavers and sort or our forward line.

GK and CBs are less of an issue this window.

18 Jul 2015 19:23:12
I agree Redohio, and when Cech left they replaced him with a quality keeper, better than our first choice. Liverpool seem to choose to make do and put up with the poor players.

18 Jul 2015 12:04:28
So, with the imminent arrival of Benteke, I thought it wise to do a bit of research - have a look at how he gets most of his goals etc.

You would think that for a big lad he would rely on crosses and lay-offs to tap in, but he actually creates a lot for himself!

* His first touch and hold up play are really good
* Quick
*Strong
*Really good feet (for a big lad)
* Aware of what / who's around him
* Scores different types of goals

The only question marks, imo;

1. Will he work his socks off - every game?
2. Will he be a positive influence on the squad?
3. We we play to HIS strenghts?

If we get him playing at his best, consistently, I think he could be very, very good!

Consistency is key with him I think!

Just my thoughts.

18 Jul 2015 12:33:10
The deal isn't as close as everyone is making out on here!

{Ed002's Note - I understand this morning it will all be complete by the latter end of next week.}

18 Jul 2015 12:34:25
He has all the attributes Mr T ,but he is a bit lacking in movement of the ball which is really important for the striker.
Former Belgian coach mentioned he prefers to play with the ball on the ground,which is a good thing and i am optimistic that our new coaching setup will help him.He did try to force move and was sulking but for past 3 seasons he was instrumental in his team's survival and bagged 16 MOM awards in the process.

18 Jul 2015 12:37:05
I am sure he would get a lot chances than other players given he is manager pick. He has a huge price tag and we will have make him a successful signing.

18 Jul 2015 13:18:11
BR lobbied for him and he and Benteke are now joined to him just like Carroll was with KK.

18 Jul 2015 11:50:41
Quick question for ed 001. Sorry for bothering ya mate just wondering what's d real reason for d benteke deal not going through as quickly as the likes of delph to city? And in your opinion do u expect d deal to go through? Cheers for any reply hoping your enjoying silly season

{Ed002's Note - I explained this yesterday - asking the same question of a different editor will be a waste of time.}

18 Jul 2015 11:59:10
Sorry pal i was browsing through and couldn't find anything any chance your could share your opinion again?

{Ed002's Note - Try the search engine.}

18 Jul 2015 12:33:15
It may well be they Delph did a medical last week when he nearly joined them before changing his mind before unchanging it.

18 Jul 2015 11:07:43
I think once we get the benteke deal over the line we will see the club accept that we can't get the price we are looking for borini balotelli lambert and Enrique. And take big hits on their sales. Borini 7., 8 million. Balotelli 6,7 million. Lambert 1 million and Enrique around 2/3million. even at these prices. the squad needs to be trimmed especially up front.

18 Jul 2015 11:43:55
Enrique 2-3m???

Think agian my friend!

18 Jul 2015 11:48:18
Keeping aside the figure the club would need to make a lot of effort on moving out players.

18 Jul 2015 12:01:55
I think we'll genuinely end up paying to move Enrique on. He is genuinely up there with the worst signings we've ever made.

18 Jul 2015 13:10:13
In hindsight I was probably very optimistic in the 2 mill for Enrique. 😂😂

18 Jul 2015 13:22:58
Would you pay that amount for a travel agent or holiday tour guide, Johnny?

18 Jul 2015 10:55:16
Just a thought, all this talk of a surprise departure, could it be Lovren? Now his ex national coach is at West Ham?

18 Jul 2015 11:50:37
It's possible but the Eds has said there has been no enquiry for the player. But would he sit on the bench sending fiddle to any defender?
I don't think so.

18 Jul 2015 12:09:23
Would he sit on the bench? Well if there are no enquiries he'd have too.

18 Jul 2015 13:06:47
Really hope so, skrts and sakho first choice with illori and Gomez pushing to break into the first team and possibly becoming one of our best centre back partnerships

18 Jul 2015 10:33:54
Eds fellow red, good to see Stevie g settled
Already good finish.and a great touch with the shin pads lad .hell be back one day .

18 Jul 2015 11:27:06
Saw it, typical Gerrard goal and the celebrations. boy miss him. a cameramen captured, he still uses LFC shin cap.

18 Jul 2015 10:12:20
Good morning Eds.

May i ask. as the transfer of Benteke now seems a formality. do any of you know what the guy is like as regards personality and training work rate?

Is he a good influence to have in the squad or has he shown signs of temperament in the past?

I know Ed001 has said he would not be his first choice as an addition to the squad but i was wondering if he is likely to disrupt (ala Suarez and Sterling) what looks like a tight nit unit?

vrcomp
Y.N.W.A.

{Ed001's Note - well he did sulk for months after failing to get a move following his first season with Villa.}

18 Jul 2015 11:10:20
Big Ben did hand a TR last season to force a move. Took a U-turn and extended his contract.

18 Jul 2015 16:41:04
It was also because Spurs who were in for him, dropped their interest and went with Soldado hence, he stayed because no one else came in with concrete interest for him.

18 Jul 2015 09:21:30
Hi Ed001,

I was wondering what your opinion of Origi was, if you have time to answer?

I can see you've said that buying Benteke is a bit like buying a replacement for him (or words to that effect).

Thanks in advance

{Ed001's Note - I think he is a very similar player to Benteke, power and pace, but much more mobile and willing to use the power and pace rather than sulking because he didn't get his big move.}

18 Jul 2015 08:46:01
Ed002, if you are around. I noticed how you mentioned during conversations about Lacazette, that the Lyon President, Aulas has "mocked" LFC. In the past, LFC have been accused of behaving in an inappropriate manner towards some other clubs (example, JWH's comments about Wenger). Does this sort of behavior, for example from Lyon, arouse animosity between the clubs? I understand Lyon is a difficult club to deal with, and someone I know associated with french football tells me that they are not well liked at all by others in Europe.

{Ed002's Note - As a club you can lose respect and many mainland European sides, particularly at the highest level, have little respect for a couple of English clubs - including Liverpool. As for Lyon, they have always been difficult to deal with but have on a number of occasions exploited the fact that English clubs are wealthier than most and that has led to players being available for sale with one price for continental sides and another, higher price, for English sides. Aulas mocked Liverpool when asked by an English journalist about Lacazette - and it is true that if there were a bid now by an English side he has a higher price in mind. Up to now the discussions with an English team has met with the "we do not sell our best players" barrier. Liverpool should perhaps also have been a little embarrassed by the words of Piero Ausilio, Inter's Sporting Director, when told a Spanish journalist that Liverpool had made a "funny little joke" with their original €10M offer for Kovacic.

It is also true that the stupid Twitter comment made by JWH regarding an offer from Arsenal did get the shrug of non-surprise when it was discussed in Monaco the following month. It was interesting that there are a couple of other sides also seen to be lacking a certain decorum within the business, there is no point going in to detail, one is Russian and one English.

To compound this, Liverpool has suffered with very poor media communication over several years. The whole Runt situation was mismanaged, Sterling made a joke of himself and the club, Balotelli was always going to be an accident waiting to happen and Rodgers has put his foot in his mouth every time he has opened it. Added to that there was the complete disaster of FSG's choice of Jen Chang. I should not say this (although have alluded to it before), but within factions of the press, the current incumbent, Susan Black is seen as way out her depth.

So, in summary, it doesn't help within the business to act in a manner which is seen as disrespectful.}

18 Jul 2015 09:42:29
Very briefly mentioned but I read something like 'Adam is a decent keeper but Simon is the number one and that's nit changing'
I can't tell if he's giving mignolet confidence or releasing the pressure of him to inprove? I know bogdan was never top class, but surely if you even make mignolet believe there is some competition it is better?

18 Jul 2015 10:30:45
Our PR is rubbish but I don't know why we're worrying about the Lyon president.

18 Jul 2015 10:33:22
Ed002, thanks very much for sharing that information and insight.
For the club to repeatedly recruit poorly in such key areas seems to indicate poor judgement in the people who are calling the shots on recruitment issues.
Would it be fair to lay a significant part of the responsibility for not fixing these mistakes with Ayres?

{Ed002's Note - No, I wouldn't say that at all. I can think of only one serious error of judgement from Mr Ayre, so I would certainly not hold him responsible.}

18 Jul 2015 11:30:22
Thanks for the reply Ed002.

Ron, where did I say I was worrying about Lyon? I was interested in knowing if issues such as the ones Ed002 discussed would be a major issue when it comes to clubs dealing with each other. We already Rodgers has caused transfer deals from happening with his biggest weakness, talking, which you have in the past said, is not a major issue with BR.

18 Jul 2015 13:48:04
Not much is a major issue for BR as far as Ron is concerned. He like BR, have excuses for everything.

18 Jul 2015 08:25:05
Found this post written by a villa fan on Benteke,it definitely has given me food for thought after being hesitant about the signing.

I've been a Villa fan for a long time. Benteke is one of the most exciting players I've ever seen here. Having watched every single minute of his Villa career so far, either in person or on screen, I feel many of the comments on here misrepresent him. I'll keep it short. This will either deter you further or help you see what kind of player he is. It's a little difficult to find video samples that exemplify my case, but I gave it my best shot with the limited amount of Villa footage that exists online.
Let's settle a few things first:
Benteke has made 101 appearances in 3 seasons, scoring 49 goals. That's a ratio of 0.485, or just about 1 goal every 2 games. That's fantastic for a team as devoid of creativity and guile as Lambert's Villa were. We have no flair players or playmakers.
Benteke is not injury prone. He sustained a hip flexor injury during the first half of the 13/14 season and an achilles injury from a bad tackle in training just before the World Cup. He struggled to build momentum during that season. Other than that, he has remained injury-free.
Guzan, Vlaar and Delph certainly played their parts, but Benteke was the driving force behind Villa for 3 straight years. In a team of dross and low quality imports, Benteke elevated us to the status of competitors at least.
His agent, Eris Kismet, is pulling the strings. He and Benteke forced the move from Genk to Villa in 2012 and tried to force a transfer to Spurs in summer 2013. Ultimately he agreed to stay, got a big pay rise and all was forgiven but Kismet, as agents do, is always looking for the next big move. You guys know what I'm talking about, considering recent events with Sterling.
Under Lambert, Villa flirted with progressively less exciting playstyles as time went on. At first we were a counter-attacking team. Then we persevered with a rugged long-ball game which limited Benteke. Finally, we settled on a possession-based style with no end product which rendered Benteke useless. Lambert was sacked, Sherwood arrived and Benteke thrived once again.
Now I'll try to dispel a few misconceptions:
"Benteke does not press": This conclusion is drawn from the fact that Villa, under Lambert, never pressed the opposition in their own half. It wasn't our gameplan. In 12/13, for example, we were a primarily a counter-attacking team in a 4-3-3 formation. We sat back with 8 players and lured the opposition to our box, allowing them to commit players forward and thus leaving their defence isolated with the pacey trio of Benteke, Agbonlahor and Weimann to deal with once we broke. The front 3 were never really expected to press. It's not that Benteke doesn't press, it's that he wasn't supposed to. He's not as ferociously fast or tenacious as Suarez, but he's is not a lazy person either. He will press and harry as much as he can, if that's what you ask of him.
"Benteke cannot pass the ball": This assumption must come from his passing completion stats, which are inevitably woeful because he was used as a target man in the 13/14 season by Lambert. I believe, at one point, Guzan to Benteke was the most attempted pass in the league. He invariably wins the aerial duel, but successfully knocking the ball down to a team-mate is far more difficult and could easily skew his stats. In reality, Benteke is a perfectly adequate passer and often makes the kind of incisive forward passes that he himself would benefit from. With better players around him, he would excel.
"Benteke is just a target man": This is an idea again borne out of Lambert's limited tactics. Lambert never used a playmaker or #10. He preferred to bypass the midfield entirely when attacking. Our makeshift wingers - Agbonlahor and Weimann - were industrious and pacey, but not creative. He's a big lanky bastard (I use that term endearingly) and his aerial prowess encourages neutrals to relegate him to the Crouch/Carroll archetype. He is capable of playing that role but, for a big guy, he also shows remarkable close control, ball retention, dribbling skills and in general is pretty good with the ball at his feet.
I don't know how your club intends on playing this season but Benteke is one of the best forwards available right now. £32.5m sounds extortionate but any Villa fan would tell you he's worth it. I wouldn't bother considering any potential "chemistry" with Origi because this isn't FIFA, after all, but Benteke will thrive with good players around him and he's good enough to lead the charge at the top end of the table. My fellow Villa fans will know what I mean when I say it always feels like something is about to happen when Benteke gets on the ball, because it usually does.

18 Jul 2015 08:40:52
Respect to whoever wrote this

18 Jul 2015 08:52:26
Yeah I put a link to this exact post in the site a couple weeks back. It was really well written and he actually gave video analysis of the points that he was talking about to an extent also. Overall it was a really interesting piece and backs up the idea that potentially we have a great signing on our hands. There are of course a couple of "ifs" and "buts" for him to turn out to be a great signing but some fans on here seem to be focusing way to much on what benteke POTENTIALLY does not offer rather than what he potentially does

18 Jul 2015 08:54:20
Good analysis. I think Benteke will be excellent for us.

18 Jul 2015 09:09:50
It's on Reddit.com

18 Jul 2015 10:04:51
Here's a link to whoever wants to see the Benteke post in full, including the video analysis.

https://goo.gl/3KSEOK

18 Jul 2015 16:47:05
Great post! If your views are right which it seems they are due to the logic behind them, then Benteke could just do the trick. Here's to hoping!

18 Jul 2015 06:43:52
Yesil bagged 2 for the u21s yesterday
Any chance he will be making the step up to the 1st team any time soon ?

18 Jul 2015 07:28:29
No, he will leave when his contract expires this January or summer.

18 Jul 2015 07:54:33
Not likely behind Sturridge, Benteke, Ings and Origi I'm afraid, think best thing for him would be a loan in a championship side

18 Jul 2015 05:15:28
Sorry all, but i keep hearing people trying to put a case forward for Balotelli.

Let me say this, he is a liability , without going into to much detail, we really need to get rid, for what he does behind the scenes is frightening.

I know everybody has issues with Rodgers, but the reason he was left out last season was not to do with talent, or lack of it in my mindset.

He needs to go.

I really hope we sign Benteke, as i think he will be perfect.

Also people go on about Lazcette etc, how do you know we haven't tried and he is not interested.

Sorry rant over, people need to be realistic and understand the game a little bit more.

Rant over.

Cheers

Macca

18 Jul 2015 06:38:20
Would love to hear a snippet of that detail of what he does behind the scenes! Probably have to wait for his agents' biography- would be a top seller!

18 Jul 2015 06:40:55
Sorry Macca. But Lacazzate is a country mile ahead of most of the strikers around. Thr guys is near perfect as a striker.

18 Jul 2015 06:50:50
A double "rant over", cool!

18 Jul 2015 06:52:39
Thank you very much for your infos macca

18 Jul 2015 07:24:18
Cmon Macca spill the beans lad. It's obvious he's a fool around the place but in exactly what manner is the interesting bit ;p

18 Jul 2015 07:30:30
Thanks for the information Macca. It makes me wonder why LFC decided to get him knowing how bad his attitude was.

18 Jul 2015 08:21:51
EG (Harry?) he didn't say anything other than we may have tried for Lacazette but he is not interested.

{Ed002's Note - If you go back and read the posts you will see that Liverpool made an enquiry about Lacazette some time ago but there was no chance of it happening. Aulas also mocked rumours that Liverpool could buy the player.}

18 Jul 2015 09:17:39
Extra bacon, I believe that Ed001 wrote that we had a chance of signing Lacazette last season (or the season before?), but Rodgers declined.

{Ed002's Note - The enquiry was earlier this season and he was never going to sign.}

18 Jul 2015 09:47:09
Extra

Mate I never said anything on the transfer and was purely how good the player Lacazzate is regardless where he plays next season.

If my memory is correct, he was available for a transfer last summer and I heard Ed02 saying new castle made a real effort to sign the player under Padrew?

We also had our chance of buying him last summer which we happily rejected it.

18 Jul 2015 11:00:48
What does he do that's so bad behind the scenes? Keep hearing this but absolutely not 1 single specific example!!

18 Jul 2015 03:46:40
now that lyon have said they will accept 50 mil euro (35mil pound) for lacazette will liverpool renew their interest?

18 Jul 2015 06:28:18
Have you been on Mars? We just met the clause for benteke. He has been our number 1 priori as has been stated for weeks.

18 Jul 2015 16:55:54
Just heard that Lacazette scored 27 goals last season of which TEN were penalties and no goals against any of the top 7. That's FOURTEEN games, people. Result? He ain't as good as many may think he is and those stats show he goes missing in big games.

18 Jul 2015 00:17:11
Alberto Moreno is going nowhere. Calm down.