Liverpool Banter Archive March 07 2017

07 Mar 2017 21:52:34
Saw that young Brewster played for under 23 and scored twice. Grujic also got some valuable minutes under his belt👍🏻.

08 Mar 2017 07:53:49
I'll put a full review up today when I find time.

08 Mar 2017 08:06:41
Cheers I subscribe to MrBoywunder on YouTube by the way lots of vids of our youngsters on there channel - now that sounds dodgy thinking about it. That's another "source" of knowledge/ info outside of this site of course 👍🏻.

08 Mar 2017 10:41:17
A lot of folks shouting for new signings in the summer but I'm looking forward and hoping they get a chance to see Grujic and Ings play to be honest.

07 Mar 2017 19:40:53
Who I think should be replaced and by whom. Feel free to disagree

Mignolet-ward
Clyne-perreira
Lovren-nastasic
Moreno-tierney or Robertson
Stewart and lucas- goretzka
Sturridge-malcolm

Obviously sell the fringe players like markovic etc but possibly give Flanagan a chance as a back up. Give him a shot at centre back. Cards wasn't a fan favourite until 2005 when he was what 26? He was regularly rotated with hyypia and henchoz. Again just my opinion not what I think klopp will do.

07 Mar 2017 19:47:36
Flanno at CB? He's barely 5 ft 9.

07 Mar 2017 19:56:44
Like Sturridge, I reckon Flanno will never be able to recover his form when it comes to his injuries. Perfect example is a player like Rob Jones. In my opinion one of the best attacking fullbacks England could have ever had. Injuries got the better of his career, unfortunately.

There is one moment I will never forget about Flanno, the tackle he made on Soldado years ago. The Spanish striker was introduced to the Premier League in fine fashion.

What a pity things have turned out the way they have for Flanno. Had really high hopes for him.

07 Mar 2017 19:59:54
Carragher not cards, damn spell check again.

07 Mar 2017 20:05:04
Not that it matters a great deal, but Flanagan is actually 5ft11 which is the same height I believe as Kolo Toure, taller than Puyol/ Mascherano etc.

Not saying I think he will be good at centre back (I actually think he is better in defensive midfield) but this ridiculous emphasis on height with English people is laughable. Saw some one moaning about Pickford being only 6ft the other day (he is actually 6ft1 but there you go) . To put that into context, he is the same height as Shay Given and 1 inch shorter than Pepe Reina!

Really does baffle me. Just goes to show why Shearer and Sherringham for in the national ahead of Fowler at a time when he was better than both of them combined.

07 Mar 2017 20:12:00
And Soldado never played a good game in England ever since. Even Sterling is still having fits about how he got dumped by Flanno and stayed well away from him in that City game last season. Loved Flanno since his debut and that great goal vs Spurs will live long in my memory.

07 Mar 2017 20:12:45
I cannot see us moving Clyne out in the summer all though I agree he offers practically next to nothing. Piererra could play on both flanks I guess which will be a bonus. But he will primararly occupy the left back spot.

07 Mar 2017 22:19:47
Tbh I think if flanno did come back to the squad he finds himself behind Trent Alexander Arnold whom i think and expect to be our next right back after Clyne.

08 Mar 2017 09:09:00
Taa is what we need, fast, good at the back and going forward, great delivery.

08 Mar 2017 08:58:59
Flanagan is a lovely lad. A local guy and would probably play for the club on free. If you take out these things he is a very average player.

08 Mar 2017 10:17:37
Pickford is 1.85m which is under 6' 1" MK, which is too short as far as I'm concerned. Notwithstanding that, he's nowhere near a top class keeper and never will be, he looks all at sea on crosses and has no presence in the goal, you judge a kneeper on the types of goals he concedes and not a highlight reel of dives from match of the day or YouTube. Have a look at the three goals he conceded against Everton, that's the standard for him and demonstrates that he's not an upgrade on anyone currently on our books.

08 Mar 2017 10:19:27
They all need games to build up stamina.
I think they call it being match fit.

If your not up to scratch then another injury is guaranteed.

Flanno hasn't got it in his locker to hold back, he will give it all but that always runs the risk of injury.

The difference between the stamina and toughness required from u23 to 1st team is huge.

When Flanno gets his chance he will take it and try to impress because he is quality.

08 Mar 2017 11:49:45
Migs - Butland.
Lucas - Leandro Paredes
Lovren and Sakho - a decent defender.

07 Mar 2017 15:28:27
Hi eds. I know its probably early to say but do you expect Henderson, Lovren and Sturridge fit for Burnley? I don't think they trained today.

{Ed001's Note - Henderson is a possibility, Lovren was supposed to be back to fitness now but Sturridge is out for the month, probably.}

07 Mar 2017 16:49:16
Ok mate cheers. 2 out of 3 ain't bad and it has to be said that Hendo and Lovren are more important than Studge.

07 Mar 2017 18:07:03
matip looks decent with klavan tbh. henderson imo is most important.

07 Mar 2017 18:21:57
It doesn't really bother me on Lovren. He has one critical mistake every game. Either you are punished or you are lucky. Another Klopp's fav trust worthy!

07 Mar 2017 19:19:22
Agreed harry.

07 Mar 2017 19:40:08
Lovren has improved some aspects of his game under Klopp. If it was not for Sakho's antics Lovren would have been on the bench and Klavan most likely would not have been signed. However, Klavan's performance vs Arsenal deserves to keep his spot and expect him to feature alongside Matip vs Burnley.

07 Mar 2017 19:40:59
How do you know he's his fav? Did Klopp or Lovren tell you that? Don't be fooled by Klopp's hugs and public defense of players who clearly are not good enuff. He hugged the life out of Jordan Ibe last season. Remind me of where Ibe is now, again?

07 Mar 2017 20:29:36
Agree with Noah on this. Klopp is an emotional guy. He goes ballistic when we score. To say Lovren is one of his favourites is quite premature. I doubt Klopp would have blown £20m on Lovren based on one season?

Lovren was left to Klopp from the previous regime. Like I said, if it was not for the Sakho debacle then Sakho would have been lining up alongside Matip this season. No freaking doubt when Sakho was one of the first players on Klopp's team sheet last season.

07 Mar 2017 20:06:51
Lovren should have been sold last summer for a top class CB. We would be inside top 3 without a doubt had that happened!

07 Mar 2017 21:14:45
Lovren would have been sold at a considerable loss. We probably still would have to give him away for less than half what we paid for him so easy to say he should have been sold last summer as none of the top teams would have taken him and none the teams lower down the table would have been able to afford his wages.

If we want to get rid of Lovren it will be Liverpool taking a massive hit at this point. We have the exact same problem with Mignolet. We will be stuck with them two unless they decide they want to throw the tell in and look for another club themselves meaning they will have to accept what others are willing to offer.

08 Mar 2017 10:46:33
Max

And how many teams are in the line for Lovren and Mignolet at present?

08 Mar 2017 21:36:30
That's the point, Harry. Not many cos they're not good enough. But this is England. As long as we don't price them out of a move, someone will pay decent money for them. See how we got CP and Bournmouth to sign Benteke, Ibe and Smith from us for a combined 55m? Now that's great business from Klopp.

07 Mar 2017 11:58:56
Ed1,

Really enjoyed reading your replies to a couple of posts this morning.

Out of interest, who would you like the club to sign in the summer? I know Klopp seems to like Brandt but to me he doesn't improve the areas that I think we need to improve (plus buying another attacker seems to mean less youth players get a chance) .

Thanks in advance.

{Ed001's Note - I would like Donnarumma, Tierney, Medel, but that is not going to happen. To be honest I think the most important signing we could make is a goalkeeping coach. That has to be the number one priority and Xavi Valero surely can't be the only top class one about, so why have we never replaced him effectively? Until we sort out the goalkeeping situation, we will always have issues defensively, no matter how good our defenders are.}

07 Mar 2017 12:33:15
Thanks Ed1. Would you also try to sign a cb to play alongside Matip?

{Ed001's Note - yes, and a left back.}

07 Mar 2017 12:36:11
Whats you opinion of Donnarumma ed? Do You think he could be a decent keeper in the premiere league at his age?

{Ed001's Note - decent? He is already one of the best in the world.}

07 Mar 2017 13:20:43
Hi Ed001,

Where would you see Medel fitting in our system?

I know he has played CB in the PL before but it was at Cardiff. alongside Caulker. so it was woeful.

Would he replace Henderson in the middle of the park and push Hendo further forward? Or would Medel's stamina make him a good option further forward like Wiji is playing now?

He could always play CB again of course? haha

Cheers in advance.

{Ed001's Note - I would play him in midfield to provide some bite, but he is not going to be signing for us sadly.}

07 Mar 2017 13:30:24
Got to agree with ed01 about the 3 players mentioned above. Tierney is the one that would be achievable but everyone is interested he absolutely oozes class for someone so young, he would be a great fit for us he is left footed, got game intelligence in defence and attack and he seems to have a great attitude towards the game . I would hate to see him at Arsenal or United. Then there is the scenario Southampton pay 12m and they then price him at 25m 1 and a half years later . I feel we should get in with a bid for him asap see what it'll take for Celtic to sell.

{Ed007's Note - It would be extremely difficult and extremely expensive for any team to try and sign Tierney in the summer. Celtic don't need, or want, to sell him and Tierney himself is in no hurry to leave the Club he's supported all his life.
When he does eventually move on it will be when Tierney has decided he wants a move and there will be no shortage of suitors with the likes of Utd, City and Bayern Munich already showing interest.}

07 Mar 2017 13:35:21
Also, is there any reason Xavi Valero wouldn't come back to Liverpool?

As I understand it he is currently in China, so his wage may be an issue, but was there a falling out with the club, or has he just moved on?

Cheers.

{Ed001's Note - he left under a cloud.}

07 Mar 2017 13:58:54
Can't believe some people think Medal would get a game at Liverpool at the expense of whom? Wijnaldum and Medal are two different players. He might replace Henderson but this page would run riot if that was to happen.

07 Mar 2017 14:17:51
Would we have a realistic chance of signing donnaruma ed?

{Ed001's Note - not a chance sadly.}

07 Mar 2017 19:45:59
I'll take Hendo anyday even though I love Medel as a player.

07 Mar 2017 20:28:03
Medel would likely play behind Lallana and Hendo. Wijnaldum would then be back up. Medel has strength, can pass, has a decent touch and is a good strong tackler. Our midfield is crying out for a player like Medel. I would probably prefer Carvalho simply because of his age, LFC would get longer service. Shame neither would happen.

08 Mar 2017 05:04:00
I take it your Medel Love in is still going strong ED001.
Remember your posts from back in the day, how hurt you were when Cardiff signed him and then when he signed for Inter after Cardiff were relegated.

{Ed001's Note - he has been just about Inter's only decent player since going there. I still believe we missed a trick badly and still need a player like that.}

08 Mar 2017 09:02:39
Not a chance in heaven Klopp will drop Wiji from the starting eleven poolie unless ofcouse for rest or injuries.

06 Mar 2017 17:36:54
We've heard from ed002 on how he would build Liverpool up into a 'competitive title challenging team' (excellent post and certainly worth a read) so ed001 can we hear your thoughts on the matter?
Thanks!

{Ed001's Note - to build up into a title challenging team, well that is dead easy. Just need a top class goalkeeping coach who can bring the best out of goalies and improve them. The reduction in points blown due errors and increase in points due to defensive confidence improving would make us challengers. We are not far off challenging now.

However to win things, there is a lot of other things to fix. Recruitment needs a complete overhaul and a head of recruitment appointed, sadly we missed the boat on Steve Walsh and Monchi, so we need to find someone else. Someone willing to actually do genuine research to check out players' backgrounds and lifestyles etc, as well watch them play.

Players would no longer get rewarded for a few months of good play. If we lose them, then so what? If their sole motivation is to get a bigger contract, then they can easily be replaced by someone with drive and determination to succeed. The best team is not the best eleven individuals. They are either team players, who play for the team or they get replaced by someone who is. Salaries should be lower and bonuses should be much higher, particularly for winning trophies.

Scrap loans, just forget them, in or out, they are of no use. I know Ed002 labours under this false impression it works for Chelsea, but what players has it actually improved? Ake was a top talent who should already be holding down a place at Chelsea, but has been held back by loan spells elsewhere, so they still have the entirely average Cahill in the spot. Moses is still the weakest link and has taken entirely too much time and money from the club through their reluctance to just offload a player nowhere near good enough when they can loan him in the hope of getting a return later. Just forget loans and run with a smaller, tighter squad so the youth players get a chance. It is no longer the 80s and 90s, when it worked for Man Utd, times have changed and we need to change with them. Loans are very rarely a good thing, except for one or two targeted loans for players who are on the fringes of the first team squad but we can't quite get in the team. Not the haphazard 'sign 100 players and send them all out on loan hoping for the best' system Chelsea employ. That just wastes time and money.

The academy needs to be changed to no longer have the best of everything. The youngsters coming through need to learn the benefit of hard work, which you don't learn through it being handed on a plate. Only as they progress through the ranks should they get access to better equipment. At the youngest level all they need is top class coaches, a pitch and balls anyway. Let them just have fun and fall in love with playing the game, to give them desire to become better off their own back. Self motivation makes a much bigger driving force than almost any other. It is self motivation that drives on Messi and Ronaldo, far beyond the need to look after their families.

To be honest though, none of it really matters as much as the fact that we need to overhaul our community and charity work. The club represents the fans (us), and the city and people of Liverpool around the world. It is not Everton that does that, as most people in other countries do not actually know where Everton is. So Liverpool FC need to do better in this area as a priority. The long term future of the club as a viable entity rests on its ability to engage the fans of the future, as well as the current ones. Winning trophies is a part of it, but the fans need to be proud of their club as well, especially in this era of social media etc, where everyone can find out everything, if they want to.}

07 Mar 2017 08:28:41
Hi ed. Great read and insight. I am wondering, as you have links to the club, do you ever get to represent your opinion to anyone at the club who may take it on board? It would be very satisfying for us fans on the website to think that these ideas could, one day, go further than this forum. I am talking specifically about the goal-keeping coach as a start, but all your thoughts re the community base are very interesting too.

{Ed001's Note - not a chance the club listens I am afraid. I have tried many times but just constantly get ignored. The club is hopeless in regards to looking after the fans, hence why they stupidly allowed the S*n back into Anfield and the ticket price changes etc. If they had proper relations with the fans, things wouldn't keep having to get to protests to make them in charge actually take notice of the people that matter - us fans.}

07 Mar 2017 08:49:33
Thanks ed, great response.

{Ed001's Note - sorry it took a while, I didn't get a chance to type it up last night, so did it this morning.}

07 Mar 2017 09:50:15
Always value the insight from our Eds. Since I subscribed to this site many years ago I have become a better fan and better understand what I am seeing. Thanks Eds!

07 Mar 2017 11:28:01
Great response ed01 esp. ref loan players a much better reply than ed2s rant. YNWA.

{Ed001's Note - just a different opinion from a different viewpoint. He looks at things from a much more financial viewpoint, whereas I have no interest in winning financially other than how it helps us to compete on the pitch. Every single resource we have should be poured into putting the best team on the pitch that we possibly can.}

07 Mar 2017 12:43:42
The problem seems to be the gulf in between the first team requirements and the 2nd tier (currently u23s)
I think a proper reserve team competition involving all age groups would produce players better prepared for transition to the first team.
The u23 matches seem weaker in the physical side of the game.

07 Mar 2017 12:44:13
Are LFC or Klopp actually looking for a new goal keeper coach?

Achterberg is a lovely bloke but clearly not up to the task. Is he just too well liked within the club to be replaced?

07 Mar 2017 12:43:10
I just want to see anfield get some heart back, we need safe standing if football is to survive.

07 Mar 2017 14:02:23
Someone above has to explain if not loans what are the other possible opportunities for kids? U23? You got to be kidding me. First team ain't happening. So what's left? Black Magic?

07 Mar 2017 18:13:22
Ed already explained above harry. there's good and bad about it. if TAA was loaned this season when will we see him in our shirt?

theres pros and cons of both, bt to ask what are the other possibilities for kids? what's wrong with the u23s? if they are good, they'll train with the seniors and be integrated into the first team. if not, make sure they go on to have a career elsewhere. simple really.

07 Mar 2017 19:18:46
Kaizer

That's just another hope like every loans.

07 Mar 2017 19:52:13
Spot on, Kaizer. If you know a player say TAA, is ready for the first team, you can either loan him out to a team where you know he can develop and then come next season, he's in your first team OR you do what Klopp did with him and lately Woodburn as in, blood them into the first team right away so next season, they are ready to take the next step. It's on a case by case basis, IMO. Life is not that cut and dry as you always project it to be, Harry. Context is always required.