Liverpool Banter Archive April 25 2016

25 Apr 2016 22:47:24
The Sakho Saga continues. I get that he was fan favourite amongst some of you but he cheated. The amount of people on here that are looking for excuses is a little too much. I'd prefer to be a supporter of a club who takes a stand against drug cheats.

Whether they failed drug based on stupidity or intentionally is beside the point. Both should be dealt with is harsh ways. You simply can't support that.

These footballers have it so easy. They would have a team of nutritionist checking everything they take, instructing players on what to take, making it completely black and white. And still Sakho goes and fails a test, taking a banned substance on his own accord.

I mean how silly do these people have to be? They should try joining us on the tennis tour were the responsibility is all on you. You have to check absolutely everything that enters your system. No team of nutritionist around us.

Seriously let's not be supporters who blindly support or make excuses for a player who has cheated.

25 Apr 2016 23:15:49
Not heard of innocent until proven guilty?

26 Apr 2016 00:05:49
Norman, stop projecting. No one knows what happened and the case is still ongoing. You don't know if he took the drug of his own accord. Ignorance is not an excuse, I know but your bashing him without even knowing if he did it on purpose is wide off the mark. I will reserve judgement on this until all the details are out. Until then, calm down and root for us to win the EL.

26 Apr 2016 04:09:00
Redohio I get it and it's admirable how much you'll get behind someone.

I don't like cheats. I play professional sport. Ignorance or not, being told to take it by someone else or not, the fact that if you take something on a prohibited list which is what is being reported you shouldn't have the support of anyone.

I just have no time for it. Each to their own though.

26 Apr 2016 04:49:49
Circumstances can vary wildly and it is not always a case of black and white, good and bad. I'm waiting until more details emerge before crucifying anyone.

26 Apr 2016 06:22:37
Redohio, all professional sportspeople and athelete's have it drilled into them, time and time again, about not putting anything into their bodies without first checking with someone what's in it. Doing it on purpose, or accidently makes no difference whatsoever, all professional athletes's are solely responsible for what they allow to enter their bodies. They all know this. If he is found guilty, then he has no one to blame but himself, and he should suffer the consequences of his actions. Its really that simple.

26 Apr 2016 09:11:32
I must say normanpark I always look forward to your posts as like myself you are a realist as opposed to some of these boy-o's on the site who seem to be living in la la land where liverpool are concerned (although i love a bit of sci-fi myself) .

I for one hope next time you play the big serb novak that you give him a real tonking although i suspect he is also under the influence of illicit substances like a dose of velocity 9 or titan formula (devised by Dr penelope young) or something but I still believe you can do it norman park and very much anticipate your appearance at wimbledon in the coming weeks (sorry i don't know the tennis schedule but anything i miss i tend to just whizz back in time and watch, even if i do encounter a time wraith or three it's worth it to watch my favourite sporting events although i hate tennis so much) all skill no speed.

26 Apr 2016 09:33:16
If it is in his system its there. The fact is that his Sample A has a banned substance, and he is deciding whether to have Sample B tested. in the vast majority of cases, its a formality. The fact that he had a substance in his body that is deemed to be performance enhancing and banned, means he had an unfair advantage.

It is a shame that it happened to him. Toure still had a career afterward his ban and so did Rio.

26 Apr 2016 10:11:54
I reckon Zoom should be tested, and it ain't for fat burners. ;)

26 Apr 2016 12:08:32
Rio is different as a missed test will, unfairly, always be viewed differently.

Zoom is a breath of fresh air, love his posts 😄.

26 Apr 2016 12:47:33
Thank you Ron Keague (I believe you should in fact be knighted and therefore Sir Ron just kidding Scouse la') I am the fastest man alive and therefore can tell when someone is a good lad or not and you Ron Keague CBE are certainly at one end of this spectrum.

I am often relieved when I check into this site (or some such phrase about logging into my account on liverpool-rumours. co. uk) to see your posts full of positivity compared to some of the other more negative bunch of downers (silly beggars) that I see with their criticisms of all of our team and players and coaching staff and goalkeeping coaches and fitness coaches and Pepjin Linders and certainly their praises for young Pako Ayesteran.

You Master Keague are a one of a kind true gent and this site is all the better for it and just for this I will consider your request of going back in time and collecting your Liverpool Dream XI (could be a nightmare mind lad careful what you wish for) even if it was not the service I was offering at first as Carragher was my suggestion.

However, all things considered you are a great lad and one that I would do this great service for so your team of:

Clemence
Neal
Hansen
Yeats
Joey Jones
Heighway
Souness
Gerrard
Barnes
Dalglish
and Rush.

CAN BE SO. However bud I am a bit pre-occupied at the moment since I'm busy trying to take down a speedy young Allen (not our wee Joe but another Allen you may be familiar with. I've got what I need from him and he is now powerless to stop me. so I may or may not get a chance to do your deed in the next week or two (Tuesday's especially busy for me mind you and I sometimes crossover on Wednesday's and Thursday's with some other fellas) so keep an eye out for a team of your dreams. ZOOOOOOOOM OUT.

26 Apr 2016 13:16:08
😂

All hail Zooooooooooommm!

25 Apr 2016 18:34:00
Dear Eds.
Do you also do rumours pages for other sports? If so where could I find a page for that?

{Ed033's Note - On this page, just before the start of the posts are 2 x fairly large grey rectangular drop down menus with links to our 70+ web sites.

25 Apr 2016 19:02:20
Thanks Ed!

{Ed033's Note - ok, thank you

25 Apr 2016 13:23:55
To be honest nobody has any idea what is going on with sakho, we all loved him and he was a top bloke. It doesn't seem in his character to be stupid enough to cheat like this.

If the eds could answer if possible:

When was the failed test?

Are these tests sponataneous or consistent and how are they carried out?

Do we have an indication of whether it was performance enhancing or recreational?

How on earth has sakho been caught, along with only a handful of other players i can think of, when surely more must have done it? (Not condoning it but i don't understand how it works)

{Ed002's Note - He was tested immediately after leaving the field in the UEFA cup match against Manchester United. The substance is known, I don't see any point in dragging it out. Sakho was caught because the drug test showed that he had taken a banned substance. Other drug tests this season have passed, as did the other Liverpool player and two MU players tested that evening.}

25 Apr 2016 16:26:13
According to what I have read it was some kind of fat burning stuff. There was a time when he dropped to the bench earlier in the season and he may have felt/ thought/ told that he should lose weight. I assume he didn't know that it was banned.

{Ed002's Note - A very serious accusation that the club are not meeting their obligations.}

25 Apr 2016 17:08:17
maybe wait and see how this turns out and stop guessing.

25 Apr 2016 18:43:20
Is the sample b taken at the same time as a, just not tested unless needed, or will another sample be taken?

{Ed002's Note - At the same time.}

25 Apr 2016 17:09:52
Eds right, let's stop trying to look for excuses. He has been caught using a banned drug. He will be dealt with accordingly by the governing body. I don't want excuses, he's let himself and the club down.

25 Apr 2016 13:16:09
If Sakho I'd banned will it just be from games within Europe? Or will it be worldwide?

{Ed002's Note - Everywhere within the remit of FIFA.}

25 Apr 2016 15:10:29
I think we could probably loan him to that Khazakstan club that wanted to loan Suarez?

25 Apr 2016 20:51:49
Signed him up to my 5-a-side Tuesday evening team.
Still won't be able to score but "Inter Ya Mam" isn't conceding a single goal tomorrow night I'll tell you that much.

25 Apr 2016 10:30:02
If Sakho isn't officially banned, I'd be starting him in the Europa game tbh, it's too important. Is there a downside too it?

{Ed002's Note - ONly that if subsequently banned the result can be questioned. Fortunately the club are not that supid.}

25 Apr 2016 10:54:41
Agree with ed002 on this matter.

I like Sakho as a player, but if he is guilty then in my opinion his LFC career is over. It's more the message it sends to other players. The club can't afford to send the wrong message to the rest of the players. It has to be zero tollerance IMO.

25 Apr 2016 11:55:08
The circumstances have to be considered Ron.
A genuine mistake should be punished, but to completely sever ties would be extreme and, in my opinion, a huge overreaction. The club can save face by ensuring that appropriate measures are taken.
If it emerges that he deliberately took a banned substance, knowing it was banned, and for the intention of improving his performance in games, then we should be rid of him; indeed he should be banned for life.

I hold out hope that this was a genuine error of a player trying to keep his weight under control. All players take supplements, they should just stick to the ones the medical team provide.

25 Apr 2016 12:05:12
The vast majority of professional athletes working at the top tiers of their sports take performance enhancing agents. They constantly update those agents to their newest version which will be undetected. If anyone is surprised or feels betrayed by this then they haven't been paying attention.

Sakho has rubbed the wrong people the wrong way with his statements and behavior for years. I imagine that is why he is being singled out. IMO we should stick by him and deal with the situation internally rather than in the public eye where we'll be forced to sacrifice him to maintain pretenses.

{Ed001's Note - hahaha this is so far off the mark it is embarrassing. Many players are caught by their own FAs, but it is covered up. UEFA very rarely catch anyone, for numerous reasons, but Sakho has been fairly caught, the only question is whether it was knowingly imbibed or a genuine mistake.}

25 Apr 2016 12:07:53
Ed002 said the clubs go to extraordinary lengths to stop accidental error. He also said stupidity is no defence.

Say the club don't sever ties with a player guilty of a doping offense. That sends the message to the rest of the squad that you can get away with 1 transgression. If more players are guilty in the future then 1) the club is in serious trouble with the authorities 2) the club would struggle to get rid of those players as it has set a precedent with Sakho and 3) Sponsors would walk away.

Doubt the owners would want to take the risk.

25 Apr 2016 12:08:45
If I was klopp I would stick a first team centre back on my shopping list this summer now.
His career with us is either over or best case over for 6 months at least.
So I would look to replace him this summer, if sakho does come back in the future then he would have to fight to get back into the team.
As much as I like him, he's not irreplaceable.

25 Apr 2016 13:00:55
I don't see how any prem player could make that mistake? They only have to ask not like a extra week going to make much difference they can fly there chef or barber around the world no excuse in my book. Think the clubs should also have a banned substance officer who players can check with over the phone and who would have a up to date list and a register of date an time when player checked in case the substance comes under banned label at a later date. It will cover the player / club also the player can be told to stop taking it if it's on file when it does flag.

25 Apr 2016 13:17:56
Nothing wrong with performance enhancements, it's the banned substances that are the problem.

25 Apr 2016 13:19:16
So one of the posters wants zero tolerance, yet we signed Kolo after he committed the same offence (I will use allegedly here - until everything is confirmed) .

Zero tolerance would be that you disagreed with the Kolo signing at the time because of this reason and also want him on the same boat out as Sakho?

25 Apr 2016 14:42:46
It's a valid point but slightly different circumstances.
My position is with players representing LFC. I would have a zero tolerance for banned substances for our players.
Signing past offenders is another matter, can't say I'm delighted we signed one but I don't think it reflects as badly on the club.

25 Apr 2016 10:08:27
i have a different opinion to others on Sakho. he made the stupid mistake and likely will get punished harshly and bring further embarrassment to the club, and devoid us of a good defender for the rest of this season and may be next season too. But i still wish LFC may consider that the player took the substance out of foolishness and hold on to him so that he has the chance to return to football with us again.
i know it is a easy and also right decision that he should be moved ASAP if guilty but i think the club could back a player like Sakho. i Know perfectly well that this would a huge embarrassment to LFC and there have been far too many in recent past but i wish the club can digest it and not give up on the player.
as stupid as it may sound i donot think Sakho is a player who would deliberately do such a thing knowing the consequences, i for one support sakho even if he is guilty. i am angry at him for that but i know he is still strong enough to come out of this and be a role model for the future players.
wish you the best ahead Kirikou.

25 Apr 2016 10:59:40
What message does that send to other players at the club?

That's my problem with it, and if you end up with more offenders then the club is banned and a laughing stock.

25 Apr 2016 11:42:58
It all depends on the circumstances, we don't know for sure what he took and why he took it. If he was just being naive then it's easy for the club to say he's learnt his lesson and welcome him back. If he deliberately took a banned substance to gain an advantage that's a different matter, the club might want to bring him back (if for no other reason than financial ones) but they have to avoid looking like they don't take this sort of thing seriously.

25 Apr 2016 12:10:06
So other "naive" players in the future can get away with it to and be welcomed back?

I think that would be a risky strategy for many reasons including financially.

25 Apr 2016 12:37:58
Ron, I was responding to akshit not you. I'm with you that we shouldn't go light on him but the punishment depends on the crime. Each case should be judged individually and until we know the circumstances we'd be wrong to throw the book at him.

25 Apr 2016 13:03:41
Ok Muscat, but I doubt the club would want to risk "naive" players in the future which is why I prefer a zero tolerance approach.

25 Apr 2016 10:25:53
First of all, apologies for the length of this post. I haven't stuck my oar in for a while, and I intend making up for it!

Hate to say it, but over the weekend, it felt like the wheels had come off. After the highs of an historic quarterfinal victory and the demolition derby, we've lost our captain, a midfield stalwart, an emerging insurance policy in attack, and now the nearest thing to a rock in defence. And that's just on the field. Off it, the ramifications of the Sakho doping allegations are at best a serious professional misdemeanour, and an embarrassment for the club, but at worst another costly European ban for the club.

This situation will put the club under greater scrutiny. As I understand it, if any other player were to be found to have traces of banned substances in their system, the club would become answerable. In this respect, the very public bromance between Sakho and Toure doesn't inspire the same confidence that it did last week.

This stark contrast in fortunes, for individual and club, is further underlined by Sakho scoring in his last two matches (goals from corners, by defenders being as rare as hens teeth this season) . The last against a ten man Everton, in a 4-0 win, doesn't seem so significant, but scoring the goal to draw us level in an internationally high profile EL quarterfinal is another matter.

I need hardly add, that had Sakho not scored, Lovren's goal wouldn't have knocked Dortmund out of the competition, and Anfield would not have another historical comeback in its pantheon. I hope that, should Sakho be found guilty, our special relationship with Dortmund, extends to them not seeking legal measures to alter the outcome of that glorious two-legged quarter-final.

I know that winning the semi-final is by no means a forgone conclusion, let alone winning the competition with a weakened team, but imagine the opportunity to win a cup, at the same time qualifying for the CL, being taken away. Imagine what a ban from European competition would mean for the club, recruitment and possibly the tenure of our inspirational manager.

Having supported the club since the mid-seventies, I know what it's like to climb the mountain, to leap from peak to peak, and then to go slipping down the icy slope. Have no doubt, it wasn't the cream coloured suits, 'that' slip, or the devine intervention of ol' red nose, that ultimately cost us our crown, it was the extended European ban following the Heysel disaster, that had the single, most profound effect on the fortunes of the club.

I would argue, that we are currently in a better position to launch a sustained pursuit of the highest honours than we have been for years. We have a clear long term plan, ground redevelopment well underway, a proven manager of international standing, and a team no longer reliant on one or two individual superstars (ageing and ensconced, or with eyes on greener fields) . It would be a travesty if all this were undone for a few milligrams of urine and blood (albeit combined with a stadium sized dollop of ignorance, or stupidity, on behalf of one individual) .

As a supporter, I pray that somewhere along the line, there has been a horrible misunderstanding, but as a realist I hope the ramifications of this remain contained, and well managed, in a dignified manner by the club.

You'll be relieved to know, I've had my say. I'm going to have a lie down.

25 Apr 2016 08:25:19
I have not seen this come up but I think Sturridge was too selfish leading the second goal, choosing to hold onto the ball and dribble his way through, than placing a pass to Firmino who would have been one on one with the keeper. That really made me mad as it lead to the second goal.

25 Apr 2016 09:19:38
Yes I noted that too. Strikers are entitled to be selfish every now and again but that was quite obviously a poor decision.

I'm not convinced Sturridge and Firmino have each other figured out just yet. Both somehow look better sitting next to Origi than each other. Having said that, they are quite similar in terms of runs and ability to drop deep and link play so once they hopefully figure out how to not trip over each other, I think they'll be excellent together.

25 Apr 2016 09:40:35
I prefer origi up top all day long. Sturridge is just goals that's it, his team play is shocking, holds onto the ball too long.

25 Apr 2016 10:33:51
Bit harsh to say he only offers goals. His link up play is brilliant. He is a little greedy. So what? If he wasn't he probably would've tried laying the ball off instead of scoring his goal against Newcastle. Every striker needs that element of selfishness. Sheer desire to score.

My problem is his work rate and his fitness. He doesn't press enough and he's always getting injured. Still think he is our best striker when he is playing. If Klopp can keep him fit, he is deadly.

25 Apr 2016 10:39:27
Sturridge is an incredible player, it's just a matter of figuring out the chemistry.

I personally feel he works best in a diamond/ twin striker setup, but preferably with someone like Origi or Benteke who brings complementary skills to the forward line. Next best alternative would be 4-3-3 with wide men to support him breaking forward or to put dangerous balls into the box (eg. Ojo perfect for this)

I'm not so sure he's at his best in a 4-2-3-1 and lone striker role. Origi's physicality/ hold up play would give him the edge in this setup IMO.

25 Apr 2016 12:02:11
He's scoring at a rate of a a goal every 93 minutes for Klopp, that's better than Aguero. At that rate I don't really care how selfish he is.

25 Apr 2016 12:03:24
It's a bit harsh - no sorry, its just wrong - to blame a player losing the ball in the attacking 3rd directly for a goal. That was the last time we had possession - that was it. They had to pass an entire team before scoring.

25 Apr 2016 14:11:02
So now Studge is to blame for the second goal, now, right? Some of the things I read on here is just comical. He lost the ball 60 yards up the field for heaven`s sakes. And what were the other players like Moreno doing getting caught out of position for the umpteenth time doing? Why were the Mids not tracking back to win the second ball? Stop with the blame game because it`s getting old.

25 Apr 2016 07:04:37
Begovic £6m Sule £25m and Boufal £22m, would definitely improve the squad, and make us title contenders. Surely with the sale of the surplus players this would be acheivable, ?

25 Apr 2016 07:54:55
Except we've shown no interest in any of them. Begovic and Sule were just players Ed002 recommended. If Sakho gets banned and subsequently released, odds are we'll replace him with Subotic.

25 Apr 2016 07:54:55
Except we've shown no interest in any of them. Begovic and Sule were just players Ed002 recommended. If Sakho gets banned and subsequently released, odds are we'll replace him with Subotic.

25 Apr 2016 08:21:44
Don't understand the infatuation with Begovic on here. Didn't want come to us 2/ 3 seasons ago (? ), preferred to warm the bench elsewhere and hasn't looked that great when he got a game. We need to move on from that player.

25 Apr 2016 11:35:07
Where did you pluck those figures from boyo?

25 Apr 2016 14:46:16
We don`t need any of those players as we can do better than them. Especially not Bego. He has regressed and that is totally his fault for choosing the bench over actually playing.

24 Apr 2016 17:53:18
Alrite eds? How's it going? Do Liverpool hold any interest in Celtics young Scottish LB Tierany? From what's I've seen off him he's solid at defending and useful in attack. Thanks in advance.

{Ed007's Note - He's been watched by most scouts but he's not fare sale unless it was really bizarre money, £10/15 million would be laughed at. He's a cracking though and I don't doubt he'll play for a richer club in the future although he's playing fogr the Club he supports just now. }