Liverpool Banter Archive July 28 2015

28 Jul 2015 22:42:28
Eds is Allan Da Souza like,y to be in first team squad?

{Ed002's Note - No - if the deal completes he will join the Academy.}

28 Jul 2015 21:08:52
If u look at the top teams from past years they have basically 2 players for each position. I know we have had this but our 2nd 11 has been weak so soon as we are missing players our team has looked poor, but with the exception of having 2 leftbacks that are good enough its the best squad we have had for ages!! Once we manage to offload a few mayb room for one or two more later in the window to strengthen us, looking for to this season!!

28 Jul 2015 20:35:31
Hi ed,
just some questions on something i read today about Liverpools pre-season and lack of quality opposition.
Do you believe we should have been on the tour of Oz , malaysia etc ?

Was it just money orientated ?

Cheers

{Ed001's Note - no, not unless the quality of opposition was going to be better and yes it was.}

29 Jul 2015 00:49:04
Seemed like a monumental waste of time Ed, when you've got your rivals playing quality opposition and then you've got us pissing about with the Malaysian XI.

{Ed002's Note - Well no one got injured and Liverpool got a little money out of it - just about covers the hotels, meals and buying Brad Jones out of his contract. Flights were freebies with the "partner" airline.}

29 Jul 2015 11:43:03
To put this into some context,
We got slaughtered last season after starting our pre season again city, AC. etc and played crap teams the year we finished second.
Really don't think it's anything to look into, I don't care if we play 10 friendlies against Grimsby tbh,as long as we get 3 points against Stoke.

28 Jul 2015 20:06:59
Hi all. Been a long time since I have been on the site but I'm glad to see its still here. My question is have we any interest in a central midfielder as the season is nearly upon us and I feel that we could do with back up for Lucas Milner and Hendo.

Irralimendi cissokho. Players such as this?

Thanks eds.

{Ed002's Note - Can, Allen and Teixeira.}

28 Jul 2015 21:06:00
Rossiter, Brannagan

28 Jul 2015 21:39:42
I thought that said can allen text ya

28 Jul 2015 18:47:41
Is Firmino back training yet or is he still on holiday?

28 Jul 2015 20:02:41
He has been in training Over a week now I think

28 Jul 2015 20:08:23
Eds know if Firmino and Benteke will be with the squad on Saturday? Hopefully they'll be playing a part

{Ed002's Note - I can't think why not.}

28 Jul 2015 18:41:16
Ust to add to the Rodgers and youth debate.

The more Rodgers finds his job on the line the less chance he has of using the youth.

When you're in a title winning team it's easier to bring integrate youth into you're team, as the rest of the squad can make up for errors.

Look at all the youth united tried when they where a decent side and how many went on and actually did anything!

These managers had nothing to prove if the kid worked out brilliant if it didn't at least they tried.

If Rodgers does it and it doesn't pay off he's a gonna.

28 Jul 2015 19:28:33
He promised to use the youth when he got hired and has broken that promise so although I agree with your post, that situation doesn`t fly in this case. He could have used them in the late games when we were slamming teams in 2014 like you said is the easiest way to blood them in but did not. That`s his fault and should take responsibility for that.

28 Jul 2015 20:11:14
It's easier to integrate youngsters when your winning.
But when your getting smashed anyway you might aswel play a full 11 at the very least you'll get effort.
Last seasons gone now and here's to the youngsters hopefully getting a look in

28 Jul 2015 20:20:58
I don't see what all the fuss is about, regardless or not if the players are coming through the system we still have one of the youngest squads in the league. What are coutinho and firmino going to be worth in a few years? 60 each

28 Jul 2015 21:21:14
Bigmick you're missin the point we are bringing in average players when we should be giving youth a chance

28 Jul 2015 22:45:10
Redohio. When was it that he promised to use the youth. I don't remember him saying that, it must have passed me by. I hardly think he would have said it before even looking at what the youth teams had on offer

29 Jul 2015 03:38:57
Red, he said so when he was hired. If you don't believe me, ask the Eds and if I'm wrong, I'll admit it but I do recall the eds saying exactly that.

{Ed001's Note - he was hired partly on a premise of bringing players through from the academy into the first team. That was a big part of his remit.}

29 Jul 2015 03:50:45
Also Red, we have a good setup IMO. After all, the Ibe, Wisdom, Suso, Flanno, and Sterling where all in the academy when he got here or did they all fall from the sky? Listen, the only way we will know if they are going to make it is if they are played. No other way will you know that unless you can see the future. Again, that's how we knew the above players could do a job, right? So why stop, now? Also, what BR is doing is worse. He buys other youth from other clubs and gives them chances over our youth here only to find out they are inferior to our youth. Marko ain't better than Ibe, Manquillo ain't better than Wisdom or Kelly, Luis Alberto ain't better than Tex or Suso and Aspas couldn't get a game while Sinclair could have gotten games ahead of him. See what I mean? Face it, your boy is feckless and incompetent and is simply not interested in them and only plays them due to injuries, lack of money available and when ordered to in Ibe's case last Jan and the examples I gave prove that.

29 Jul 2015 14:00:54
Thanks, ED!

28 Jul 2015 17:35:06
Hi eds,

I have seen so many posts that liverpool need top class dm and gk

In modern football it seems presence of a dm is a must. Lucas is never a dm who make hard ditch tackles, he is not quick either.

He just break down opposition play and make fast short passes to initiate play, just intelligent football.

Gary medel, mascherano are the players coming in dm role for me. They are quick & strong make hard tackles to interept the play.

There are still teams playing great football without dm.

So dm position should be coach specific, based on tactics right, or do you believe it is a must for team like liverpool as most fans suggest.

Thank you.

{Ed002's Note - No - Liverpool is overrun with players who can catch and play in pretty much all positions. I assume you don't want Lucas because he is an existing Liverpool player. I assume the same for Can - who stands little chance of a game unless playing in that sort of position. Rossiter? Well he is a youngster so perhaps he should be moved on.}

28 Jul 2015 18:33:28
I read a very interesting article the other day, about how the problem is not in our DM or our defense, but rather in the tactics we use. We are well known for our high press, which means that both the CMs and the full backs press forward to retrieve the ball - however, during this time our defense pulls back deeper in, something ed01 usually attributes to a certain Martin Skrtel. This leaves a large gap to be exploited, and puts both the DM and the CBs in a very weak position.
The article did make sense, and once more highlighted that the issues with our defending are much deeper rooted than merely getting even more people in the team.
On another note, Ed02, I would expect Emre Can to rotate heavily with Milner and Hendo throughout the season - I am much more curious what the club has in store for Joao Teixeira. He is at a stage when he should get a chance, but his good performance in the first pre-season seems to have gone completely unnoticed, much like Markovic. Another loan, I guess, and a slow push out of the stage. Sad, because he has potential, I would be curious to see if he could be coached into the deeper role for which we sought Kovavcic.

{Ed002's Note - I would expect Henderson to be starting just about every game as captain - not be "heavily" rotated. I expect Milner to be a first pick, but may well not start alll games - but I suspect the majority of league games. Teixeira will likely be a fringe player - Liverpool seem intent on bringing players in rather than using what is available - it keeps the fans happy but I imagine a lot of younger players are concerned.}

28 Jul 2015 18:58:03
Not all fans are happy, ed. Then again, many of the new players brought in seem to be getting the very same treatment as the youngsters.

{Ed001's Note - it is frustrating.}

28 Jul 2015 19:30:22
I`m not happy about that, Ed02.

28 Jul 2015 19:35:58
The club needs to place less emphasis on the cup games, just like Utd did.

Like it or not, that's the only way youth will get a chance, but the way some of our supporters go on, with the added pressure to perform and to manage to expectations, it will always be difficult.

We need to concentrate on getting in to the Champions league positions and should treat all other competitions as an opportunity to give the youth a go.

28 Jul 2015 19:41:34
Wow that analysis is so simple yet right, the palace game season before last springs to mind. Skrtel and sakho sitting on the 6 yard line

29 Jul 2015 03:51:50
Cos Skrtel drops so deep that the rest of the defence must follow him into Mingo's goal.

28 Jul 2015 15:23:51
Guys i know summer transfer window is still open but acc. to you which English teams has had the best summer transfer window up until now.
I would say Liverpool and man utd.
Yes we have lots of offloading to do but I still feel we got the right players in this time.
Best signing for me benteke- forget about the signing fees, this guy has proven he can score 15 plus goals a season for the past two seasons just imagine how much goals would Diego Costa score in a team like villa(no offence)I guess lesser than in a Chelsea team or dare I say lesser than benteke. Yes,we could have gone for other strikers in Europe with that kind of amount in the likes of higuain,reus etc but you never know how will they cop up with the priemer league football (remember falcao,shevchenko,soldado).It is a risk which Liverpool cannot take this window and that's what makes benteke a fair bet to succeed. Have also seen him play at his best during fast counter attacking football with his pace n power rather than long balls.I really feel this guy would walk away with the golden boot come this season.
With the signing of benteke I think Liverpool are the dark horse for the league title rather than top four.
Jose mourinho knows it that's why recently he commented on Liverpool trying to buy the title.

28 Jul 2015 17:21:09
In a lesser team? Costa would still score goals if the team he played for, suited the way he played.
We are buying a Benteke who has thrived on crosses, something we almost never do. What we do is keeping the ball alot, trying to make incisive passes, which requires the striker to time his runs - not that far off how Belgium plays. If you take a look at how Benteke plays for Belgium, then you will realize that Benteke is having a tough time fitting into the side, and players such as Hazard and De Bruyne looks irritated because Benteke can´t time his runs - Either he is offside or doesn´t run. This proves that even if your in a better side, it doesn´t suggest that a player will be better.

I hope he proves me wrong.

28 Jul 2015 18:01:17
Time will prove it to be another 32 million down the plug hole. Ings will prove a better signing than Benteke

28 Jul 2015 18:47:02
I hope we don't change our playing style but mix it up since we have added players in the likes of milner, clyne who can provide some quality crosses from the wide areas. And also seen benteke scoring some quality goals from both his foot (best one the left footed curler against man utd if am not mistaken).Interestingly 29% of his goals in the league has been score through header. with his physical attributes I think he can well be develop or adopted to the style Liverpool plays.

28 Jul 2015 22:15:05
Benteke will be quality. Defence is where we will struggle if Rogers continues with skrtel

28 Jul 2015 15:02:00
As most of you may know I had created a common classic fantasy league for all the pages which by the way currently has 415 members 😀

Now getting to my point I have created THREE head to head leagues( People familiar with fantasy football will identify that term) at
http://tinyurl.com/je0k. The leagues are titled " LIVERPOOL BANTER PREMIER LEAGUE" 1,2and 3. Each league has only 20 entries so as to resemble an actual league.
Join up people

28 Jul 2015 16:12:56
The codes are 185726-232755 185726-232774. 185726-232800.
P.s i thought this had been deleted?

28 Jul 2015 17:05:09
I'm there - Rush's Tash

28 Jul 2015 18:52:00
Just joined redinCA

29 Jul 2015 00:22:35
I joined and will say straight out I just want to finish ahead of fanobip. Reason - in general very negative posts

28 Jul 2015 13:34:50
Someone else posted their excitement at the youth players Liverpool had brought in this summer. Predictably this was met by chants of 'shame they'll never be given a chance'. Are Liverpool and Rodgers really that bad at developing youth? Are the other top clubs doing better than us?

In three years under Rodgers' reign only Ibe and Sterling have emerged from the youth teams (Flanagan started to play regulary under Rodgers broke through under Dalglish).

In the same time period Chelsea haven't brought through a single youth player, neither have City.

Utd have Januzaj and last year gave Wilson, Blackett and Mcnair significant game time but it's quite possible that Van Gaal played these three to make a point about his lack of first team players as opposed to these guys making the grade. I'll retract this statement if they play much this season.

Arsenal are considered the old hands at youth development but since 2012 only Coquelin and Bellerin have emerged and cemented their place in the first team squad.

Finally there's Tottenham who are the current golden boys of youth development. The reality here though is only two players have stepped up from their youth team in recent years (Kane and Bentaleb)

My point is that Rodgers is no worse than his peers in developing youth for the first team. The fact is that most youth players don't meet the standard we want them to. How many players released by the big clubs reach elite level after they leave? I can think of Pogba (please list other ones if you can think of them). Stop attacking the club for attempting to identify future stars and then not giving them opportunities when they don't turn out to be good enough. It's a lottery and Liverpool play it the same way every club does.

28 Jul 2015 14:13:48
I think the simple fact is we have too many players, in their prime and also youth players.

28 Jul 2015 14:18:44
Loftus-Cheek looked good for Chelsea and Ryan Mason at Spurs.

28 Jul 2015 14:27:02
Everton seem better at it than Liverpool.

28 Jul 2015 14:42:23
I think the main problem is buying players that are no better than what we have in our youths

Wisdom - ilori £8m
Flanagan/Kelly - manquillo loan
teixera - luis Alberto 6m
ibe - markovic £20m
Sinclair- lambert £4m ings €6m

I feel these players have been overlooked or deemed not ready by BR but if given the chance could have made a better impact

28 Jul 2015 14:56:22
Wisdom off on loan again, we bought Clyne.

28 Jul 2015 15:01:03
Yeah but Ryan Mason's 24 and has been around since 2008, it just took him 5 years to get game time. Loftus-Creek may break through next year but he's only made three appearances so far.

28 Jul 2015 15:10:02
Muscat.
The point was BR said in his dossier he wanted to bring through youth rather than spend.
We also had a set of great youth players. who have all been sold,or replaced and likely will be sold for arguably weaker players.
Kelly was sold an manquillo brought in,and wisdom loaned. We also now have Clyne who I don't personally rate higher than Wisdom.
We then have the abundance of numbers 10's bought in firmino and lallana, when suso was waiting.
We paid 20 million for markovic when Ibe was waiting in the wings.

We then let suso,kelly and others go for absolute peanuts.

It's also nnoying hearing people waffle on about how BR bring through youth when clearly he hinders their entry into the first team as shown above.

Also take into account rafas rejigging of the academy. It's taken about 8 years for it to bare fruit. Cities might take just a little bit longer as they've only completed the revamp a short while ago.

Chelsea are also paying for players through sales and wise loans saving money,I think in 2012 they loaned out 43 players. They are being somewhat smart in that respect. rather than having over the maximum squad players as well as youth on the books to full account.

28 Jul 2015 15:26:37
How many have we actually brought through academy? I've and sterling were bought. The only scousers that I'd have in my squad are flanagan and rooney. Maybe the local talent just isn't there? I know players like suso should have been given a chance and although they were brought in, he is the only one currently with a chance of cutting it, the rest are too young to say (ojo rossiter Sinclair etc.)
Southampton are the only ones in the top half constantly producing

28 Jul 2015 16:08:27
Bobatron is spot on. BR is aweful at bringing players through because he would rather buy their replacements than give them chances as Boba just stated above. That is my main issue with BR. That is another broken promise. The only reasons he plays them is when he is either ordered to (Ibe) or forced to (Flanno, Wisdom, Sterling and Suso). That is it. All in all, he has a dreadful record in this area and comparing said record to other teams is a false argument and a cop out because two wrongs don`t make a right. If teams are doing the wrong thing or not doing enuff does NOT mean we should immitate them. If that was the case, Southampton would not be where they are right now in this area.

28 Jul 2015 16:10:56
As Ed has given us the actual details,we know the circumstances in which Rodgers gave chance to the youth players.When United had injuries and defenders were performing poorly Van Gaal straight away choose these players to warn the first team players that if there performance level drops he is not afraid to replace them with youth players.There is no comparision with Van Gaal.Also its not just Bellerin and Coquelin in Arsenal's team,there team has Wishere,Walcott,Chamberlain that is 5 memebers in a probable squad of 15 members.Problem is not the no. of youth coming thru the academy,it is how Rodgers is blocking their progress as Eamon mentioned.Also if other clubs don't develope their Youth then they are also doing it wrong.Since many great teams have shown the importance of bringing in a youth player to First team,so we can expect our manager to do the same.

28 Jul 2015 16:17:01
The club rather buy young player than give youth chances and this is why we got rid of Suso, Kelly, Coady etc. and bring in the likes of Markovic, Ings, Origi etc. right now we got Rossiter, Ojo, Sinclair, Yesil and lots more in the youth academy will they be given chances I think not. BR loves spend pointlessly and aimlessly.

28 Jul 2015 16:27:14
Suso is the one for me. Broke through at same time as Stirling, but Suso wanted to play for us and was not given the chance like Stirling. #Backfired

On the other hand let's face it, if we relied on youth and put them all in we would finish 10th and demanding Roger's head.

28 Jul 2015 16:28:32
Bob, the only way you have a legitimate argument is if the players we release go on to prove they were good enough for Liverpool and so far not a single one has. You say they've been replaced by worse players? That was the case with Manquillo, that's why we got rid of him but it's wishful thinking on your part to suggest that Wisdom is as good as Clyne. As for thinking that Firmino, a full Brazilian international, isn't an upgrade on a guy who's played 5 times for the Spanish u21s then you've been smoking something.

Rodgers clearly wants to develop youth but it's not a simple as putting random 18 year olds in the team and hoping they turn into world beaters. When the right players come along they get played. And before you say why is he not getting the right players it's because he's competing with every other club to do this, his crystal ball is no better than anyone else's.

28 Jul 2015 17:01:59
Oh yeah really #backfired selling him for £49m and Suso has done so well since leaving I'm sure John Henry is super angry

28 Jul 2015 18:46:30
Spot on Eamonn.
If the player you are signing (from now on) doesn't improve the starting 11. Then use the youth/ players already there.
Buying players for the bench at this point is pointless.

28 Jul 2015 19:51:39
False comparisons are abound here. Muscat, how would we have known Sterling would be worth the money if someone did not take a chance and play him? Or did you just know that by watching him in the academy games? Nonsense. This idea that since all won`t make it then might as well not play them is the dumbest excuse for not playing youth I`ve ever heard. And no one is saying we should play a team of 18 yr olds so try to stay on topic. What we are saing is that he should use our youth more because they need to be seen and their talent evaluated just like Sterling and the rest got chances. This idea that the players will get played when they are ready is baseless because he`s been here only going 4 yrs and has only played the youth he`s been forced or rdered to play. How does that make sense? A lot of big clubs use their youth so what`s BR`s excuse? Even the great RM and their billions use their academy. Jesse, Cassillas, Miguel Torres, Pedro Leon, and the great Raul all came through there. Even Mata, Soldado, and Juanfran(AM)came through there and got chances and some made it and others did not. That`s football. If Raul was not given his chance, how would RM have known he would be a legend? BR has no confidence in those boys and i would appreciate it better if he played no youth and bought none at least he`s consistent at being wrong. Here, he buys the youth to replace and block those already here and yet you come out defend such a feckless policy with baseless facts and unreasonable logic. he promised to play the youth in our academy to the owners and has broken that promise (what else is new?) and should take responsibility for that instead of people making baseless excuses for him for why our players should not get a chance.

28 Jul 2015 22:55:46
Redohio, you do realise that you can evaluate players outside of games don't you? It's not like Rodgers and his staff don't know these guys intimately. It's not like they don't spend hours on a training field. It's not like they don't keep detailed records on these guys.

You're right that you can only truly evaluate a player when he plays competitively but if players don't reach a required standard in training they're not getting anywhere near the first team.

I'll repeat what I said earlier. The only convincing argument you could have that we are wasting youth talent is if these players go off and become elite somewhere else. Not a single one has.

28 Jul 2015 23:01:02
Rodgers doesn't give a hoot about young players or the Academy. He uses them when he's forced to and cannot even be bothered to watch the under 21 home matches

29 Jul 2015 04:00:09
Muscat, I disagree. Your notion makes no sense. How about we give them a chance here to see if they can hack it instead of getting sot of them all to see who make it elsewhere. Had the team done that, would we have seen Owen, SG, Carra and so make it? Your idea has no basis in fact.oh n btw, Ed02 has said that BR doesn't even go to the youth games so you post just got debunked. Your boy is incompetent and uninterested in our youth which is why he buys players from other clubs to give them chances then we find out that they are worse than they are and the examples are numerous but I guess you'll have another baseless explanation for that as well.

{Ed001's Note - I wouldn't waste time arguing with someone who posts with that idiotic old notion of 'it is only a mistake not to give them a chance if they then go elsewhere and make it'. That is a ridiculous way to think. If they are not given a chance then they are going to struggle to make it no matter how good they are. We waste the early part of their career, when they most need competitive football, so they have very little chance of making it, no matter how good technically. It is not technical ability that is the prime decider of who makes it, very few players are emerging from academies lacking the technical ability they need. Most are far better technique-wise than the first teamers, in the main.}

29 Jul 2015 22:46:59
Thanks, Ed! Can't believe some of the tripe I read here in a bid to absorb br of blame for not playing our youth. Mind-blowing, really!

28 Jul 2015 11:44:22
eds, are the digne rumours true?

{Ed002's Note - I have explained the situation with Digne and have no idea what you are referring to.}

28 Jul 2015 09:54:47
Eds is there any actual interest in Joe Allen that you're aware of?
Thanks

{Ed002's Note - No.}

28 Jul 2015 11:25:48
Rodgers is interested in the Welsh Xavi, obsessed is more accurate

28 Jul 2015 09:32:51
Let's not be worrying if Rodgers has learned any lessons, if he hasn't with the start we've got he'll be gone soon enough, if he has, which I doubt then surely things will be going well and we can lay off, I don't believe he has and I also think he has a major problem with players he didn't necesarily want, but we'll see, I really don't understand our obsession with signing attackers when our defence is poor, I also know we're overburdened with defensive players too so signing any apart from clyne is a no no, but surely a commanding keeper was priority, I'm also not sure a bench of attack minded staff is going to coach us into a good back four,
The start this year will tell us everything, at least Milner will bring some passion and some guts and the big lad up front some steel, here's hoping for not just a good season but the least whining possible from all of us! I'm sure the EDs on here would love a top start to things after this summer haha!

27 Jul 2015 23:51:51
One of the things I never get with BR is his obssesiveness with resting players. I said in the past that I think he lsot us the game against Besiktas by leaving home the fit Henderson and Couts so they can rest for the leage. Now I have read somewhere that he was saying we can play with two entirely different teams for the EL and the PL and that he is not sure if he will open with Couts and Firmino in the match against Stoke because of the Coupa America.

I was always of the belief that you have to play your best 11 every game (other than the league cup maybe) especialy in a team like ours where there is such a big drop in quality between the starting 11 and the rest of the squad.

You can say he still doesn't know who is his strongest starting 11 anyway but surely Couts is the first name on the list.

28 Jul 2015 00:16:10
Realistically it is very difficult for a player to play 50 or 60 games a season without getting knocks and injuries.
When those players do get a little knock or a tweak, we could play them but they would not be at their best AND you run the risk of further injuring the player.
When in this situation, you "rotate".

Natural

28 Jul 2015 01:46:17
Well resting players is important, as you say we left both coutinho and Henderson home from the besiktas game and i believe we were playing city at the weekend and we beat them 2-1. Who got our goals? Henderson and Coutinho

28 Jul 2015 03:10:58
Didn't really care for the Besiktas game to be honest. A good number of players played both games and we outplayed City which debunked the whole resting plates issue.

28 Jul 2015 04:13:23
How do you know a best 11? If someone hits a bad run and the replacement comes in and does we'll surely they are in the best 11 then?

28 Jul 2015 05:12:06
I reckon play 6 or so "1st team" and 5 "second team" players in cup games to give youngsters/others a chance and give 1st team players a rest every 2nd or 3rd non PL match.

Going to be tough to get the likes of Illori, Gomez, Ings, Origi, Teixera, Rossiter, Markovic and maybe even Can the game time they deserve without rotation.

28 Jul 2015 07:00:06
Play your best 11 more often than not and only change if a player is injured, a poor run of form by the team, and the odd rest. I hate to say it but Chelsea don't feel the need to chop and change too much.

28 Jul 2015 08:33:40
Zimbo - they don't 'deserve' any game time. In teams like LFC players don't play because they 'deserve' time but because on the day they are the best solution we have. And if we have a fit player who is better and can play all the games and they sit on the bench so be it. They are paid enough to accept this. The only exception is maybe the GK where a lot of managers give their second GK a chance to play in the cups because otherwise he will nto see a minute the whole season.

with the rest of the players the idea is that they play because they are the best solution for a game either because we don't have a better player in the squad or because a better player is injured or suspended or becuase this is a competition of low priority (league cup) and a better player should be rested.

Given how slim our chances to get top 4 in the league are and big our thirst for trophies I think this year, PL, EPL and FA cup are all top priority and we should rotate only when there is no other option. Look at Terry in chelsea, despite his age and the other good options of defenders they have he played every league games and some CL and cup games.

If BR really intends to have in the EL a team where half of more of the 11 are different in the league we will not pass even the group stage. Same in the FA cup.

28 Jul 2015 09:01:28
I don't have the stats on me, but I'd be willing to bet I could find one to show since Jan '14 we've underperformed in almost every single game Hendo hasn't featured in (i.e. Last 3 games of 13/14, Besiktas and Palace (I think) away this season)
Before the arrival of Milner, Jordan was the only central midfielder who could press responsibly and effectively.
That's one of the benefits of signing Milner I'd say, it means we can now rest Hendo without completely killing the dynamic of the team.

28 Jul 2015 09:02:27
One reason cheslea were successful last season, they hardly touched their starting eleven baring injuries. Some people might get rotten on the bench but Jose field the best eleven regardless of names and status.

28 Jul 2015 09:33:59
Toddy

Pressing should be collective. Its even more stuppid to say, we now have two players to press?
Who does the pressing at City? We were pressed by West Ham twice last season and Aston villa every time they play against us.
Milner wouldn't add any dynamism to the team nor any kind of creativity. He played the wide role at city for 5 years. He was replaced by a younger version of Milner in Delph.

28 Jul 2015 10:06:57
Excellent point Toddy.

28 Jul 2015 10:40:36
Yes harry and that's why they failed in the CL, the Chelsea players were shattered from having the same core 7 players play almost every minute of every game.

It will be even harder for our players with even less resting time thanks to EL. That's why we need this squad depth.

28 Jul 2015 11:48:26
LFCfan

Common mate, Falure in the CL has nothing to do with Squad deapth. To get past Messi and Co you need world class beater in your starting eleven. None of the EPL sides are equipped to compete against the Barca and Real.

Chelsea were the victims of their own tactics to play out the game rather than taking the 10 men PSG.

It had nothing to do with any sort of Squad Depth.

28 Jul 2015 12:17:32
So Delph is going to play the wide role for City EG?

28 Jul 2015 14:38:52
Somebody mentioned earlier in the thread that we should pick our best 11 come what may.

Honestly I hope I'm wrong but I reckon it will be at least Christmas before Brenda will work out what that is.

There are more attacking permutations even than there were last year. We can't play Lallana and Firmino and Coutinho and Ibe and Markovic and Sturridge and Benteke and Ings and Henderson and Milner and Can.

5 or so of that group are going to have to miss out on any given day. I just worry that we will chop and change and chop and change that we will never settle.

When your 10 best players don't include any defenders or a keeper something is out of kilter.

28 Jul 2015 16:32:26
User, he`s been here for going 4 years and still doesn`t know his best eleven.