Liverpool Banter Archive January 08 2015

08 Jan 2015 21:41:04
Eds fellow reds .just been watching barca they look very lop sided and they don't pass to suarez he's had 11 touches in 37 minutes, with us he 11 touches in the first 3 minutes .they don't look comfortable with each other .

All passes at Barca have to go to Messi, just the way it is. I really don't know why Suarez (or any attacker really) is so enamored of going to play there.

Ibra in all his glory (lol), bit the dust at Barca so NOBODY not even Suarez has a chance in hell of making a name for himself. He wanted Barca, now he`s got it. He shold deal with it.

I worry that suarez will end up back in the prem with city or Chelsea I'm sure if they were to sell one of their front three it would be him.

08 Jan 2015 22:15:53
I really don't know why Suarez (or any attacker really) is so enamored of going to play there.
===========================

Because Bayern and Madrid did n't come knocking for him

Or because his wife is from barcelona and the plan leavin uruguay was to be with her?

08 Jan 2015 20:29:01
no rumours to post, just a "nice one" for all the effort and time the ed's put in that makes this site such a great site. We all know most rumours are exactly that, just "rumours". and if people throw enough stones then its the law of averages that one will hit its target. Even still, running a site like this must take time time and effort so from one red and i'm sure many many others. nice one ed's!

08 Jan 2015 19:38:50
Hi Eds

Man utd signs Valdes. How do you rate Lingaard? i'm sure he won't be happy being 3rd choice now?

{Ed001's Note - he is at best a back up keeper at Prem level. Nothing special but ok.}

Ok makes sense.How about Lindegaard vs Mignolet? who would you choose?

{Ed001's Note - neither. Be better off putting Ward in than either, he can't be any worse and the experience might make him better in the long term.....}

Annoyed me when they gave Jones a start ahead of Ward, Ward couldn't have done any worse.

Ward would have been great in Capital one and in FA CUP i'm sure of it but BR doesn't give him a chance? Any reasons why?Same with Rossiter and Texiria just disapearing of the map.

{Ed001's Note - I have no idea why he doesn't give him the chance. I like Jones, as a person, but he is simply not good enough, no matter how likable he is.}

08 Jan 2015 21:03:24
I bet you he ends up at Everton with the other Utd reserves.

08 Jan 2015 22:29:04
{Ed001's Note - I have no idea why he doesn't give him the chance.

======================
Risk,risk,risk which he (BR) can't afford to take in any competition (he needs a cup this year) . You say Ward can't be any worse and I might agree with you, but the 20+ page stats dossier in front of BR will say otherwise

{Ed001's Note - good point.}

08 Jan 2015 19:37:06
Well we sure don't look like we're going to be signing any players and is anybody really that surprised?, we have a decent sized squad already and its common knowledge were struggling with the ffp rules, the players we've brought in aren't bad players but something is clearly amiss,
We now also seem to have the usual well we didn't want Shaqiri anyway posts appearing everywhere as he's apparently too greedy and selfish a player to suit us. what? Do you mean one that actually attacks and tries to beat a man instead of playing it sideways or back all the time? I'm sure he'll have been a sight better than what we have but we clearly either don't have the cash or don't want to give it to a man whose transfer record is very poor and is in danger of being replaced anytime between now and summer,
Which brings me to my last worry, when was the last oh sorry the first time anyone heard the manager be humble about making mistakes instead of constantly blaming everyone and everything aside from the tea lady? I've never seen him do anything to admit mistakes made only reasons why he's right and everyone else is clear Wrong,
The one thing I do know is this apparent review of the club can't come soon enough as it's in dire need of a big shake up and fast

{Ed001's Note - have you actually seen him play? Plenty of talent, but all of it wasted on a lad with a poor attitude and a complete lack of intelligence.}

08 Jan 2015 20:43:53
I hear ya ED but I have seen him on numerous occasions and personally I quite like him, I just think as much as we have a number of midfielders who are apparently creative their hardly setting the world alight,
Maybe a striker or two if we could do any business would help as at least then Sterling could revert back to midfield

Shaquiri cannot do anything that Lallana, Coutinho (who`s a better player talent-wise and in the form of his life atm), Studge and Sterling can`t do. And w/ Ibe, Tex and Origi coming back, we will be stacked in that dept. So not bothered because he will be another waste of money and would prob think he`s the man while he hasn`t done squat for his for 3 yrs and couting.

09 Jan 2015 08:06:29
Only place I've ever seen him perform is for the Swiss national team who worship him. For Bayern he just looked weak. A german friend described him as the Balotelli of the wings

I have to disagree there Ohio, I agree with ED001 his attitude does seem terrible, when I've seen clips of him training and read stories. He also seems to keep trying to prove something tohimself and makes mistakes, but in terms of natural talent, I think he far surpasses sterling, coutinho Ibe if played out wide. I think Liverpool fans sometimes (insert QUITE OFTEN) overstate our academy players abilities.

Talent is relative, bro. Sterling might be less talented YET is getting it done on the field and passing the eye test almost everytime he plays. So does Lallana and Coutinho. With that as evidence, who cares how much talent you have when you do sod all on the field?

08 Jan 2015 17:58:09
Never mind anything else.
Never mind Gerrard leaving.
What about Doctor Zaf Iqbal?
He left the club today.
I am in bits.
Cant cope.

Part of the review process, I would think?

Probably cus he failed Loic for no reason in the medical and we needed a striker like him for the last few months. UNFORGIVEABLE

"Part of the review process".no one will be left at the club apart from Henry.

Although I think his decision to fail Loic Remy was ridiculous, I didn't want Remy anyway. Having said that, he would've been better than Balotelli, Lambert and Borini with the benefit of hindsight.

I think his failure to keep players such as Sakho, Jones, Lallana, Sturridge, Flanagan etc has probably been a bigger factor. Only the people involved in the departure will know the true ins and outs. I suppose we can only speculate though.

I'm just pleased something is finally being done. I've been livid with the poor physio plans Sturridge has clearly been on and this is just one of many heads I expect to roll.

I wish him well in the future though. He was still an Lfc employee.

Probably not far off, I wouldn't think. Inglethorpe just got promoted as I recall back in August, so imagine he's good. Other than that seems all bets are off though.

Was he the club doctor or the club physio?

08 Jan 2015 21:01:32
Well in five years time, hopefully i'll be a qualified Doctor - they should save the job for me.

Atleast some people got it

08 Jan 2015 17:21:53
seems that gut feeling i had was right Shaqiri is not joining LFC, which is a shame i think he is a player that makes things happen on the pitch, the type of player we need IMO.

08 Jan 2015 17:44:02
We've got no room for him anyway and because of the sheer size of the army of midfielders we've got we would never have been able to offer him the game time he would expect.

08 Jan 2015 18:14:07
Most one footed footballer I've ever seen, even more than G Johnson

08 Jan 2015 18:23:25
As good as he may be, what does he offer that Sterling, Lallana and Coutinho don't?

Creative attacking midfielders are not players. The problem they've had is lack of good supply to create with because we've been shocking at bringing the ball out from the back up until last month (and we're still not great at it tbh), and lack of a good forward to create things for.

Had Shaqiri been here since the summer, he'd have no more assists and goals than the players we already have. So surely, we're better off spending money on putting better players around Sterling, Lallana & Coutinho to help them than bringing in Shaqiri who does the same job?

Don't think we're any worse off for missing out on him.

08 Jan 2015 18:29:25
That should say: "Creative attacking midfielders are not players we need to spend money on"

I need to be more careful about my typing.

Got to agree with Something on that. We cannot afford passengers on the field and Shaquiri will defo be a passenger, IMO. Shaquiri is overrated and far too inconsistent and like he said, he will be a waste of money that could b spent on getting a GK and A DM or something that will benefit us long term.

09 Jan 2015 06:16:40
That gut feeling or that thing Ed002 has been telling us for months?

08 Jan 2015 16:59:44
Hi Eds, Happy New Year. Are LFC are looking to do any business this month, because we desperately need a GK
Cheers

{Ed002's Note - Please read the posts. I am not getting into gossip for the other bit of the post which I cut, but I can assure you that the goat was fine.}

08 Jan 2015 18:33:17
Valdes has just signed a contract at OT - so their reserve keeper Lindegard maybe up for grabs.

08 Jan 2015 12:00:31
Ed002

is i true barcalona are trying to move suarez on?.

also i thought they were banned from transfers this year?or is that BS?

thanks mate

{Ed002's Note - It is true that there is concern over his performances and that when the begin to rebuild he may be sacrificed to raise funds. They are banned from buying players, not selling.}

08 Jan 2015 15:20:30
Bayern Munich is we're I think he will end up.

Has no one noticed every world class striker to leave liv seems to loose there powers owen torres and now luis the grass ain't always greener

I have Mike, there must be a reason for it: Anfield crowd getting so behind the striker the atmosphere can make them better players? Could be they have better team-mates and perform better when they know they are the main man? Do we build our team around individuals more than others?

08 Jan 2015 17:15:55
Bring him home

08 Jan 2015 19:37:39
It is quite obvious why he has not performed in Spain - chips. Have you tried their chips? You can't get decent proper chippy chips anywhere - just fries. Pies is another. Barca need to sort his diet out - full english, guinness, pies, chips and he'll be right as rain. (except in Spain. Where it falls mainly on the plain. Apparently)

08 Jan 2015 19:41:20
Maybe when some players go into a dressing room with bigger players than they are it has an effect on them.

You're quite wrong RED LENIN.some decent chips (proper chips!) can be sought out in Benidorm, Ibiza, Malaga etc. It's just a case of knowing where to look. And some of the English pubs also do a mean home-made pie.

08 Jan 2015 20:16:58
They stand out in your side as your teams average to say the least. When they moce to Madrid or Barca in teams full of world class players they are no longer the "main man" and sole focal point.

I remember suarez starting a bit slower with us than we expected. And after a year/18 months became almost unstoppable. I wouldn't write off him just yet

Starting slow is being polite. The first 18 months or so his finishing was Torresible.

LS was going into a buzzsaw by going to Barca w/ an over-the-hill Messi who is the not just the man over there, to some he is a god. LS has no chance of making a name for himself as long as Messi is still there. Even the great Ibra (lol) bit the dust with Messi so better believe Suarez has no chance in hell. He spent 2 yrs trying to get out of a club that loved him with all their heart with fans who would take a bullet for him and forgave him regardless of what he did. Now he has made his bed and he should lay in it. Typical case of, "Be careful what you wish for" or "The grass is not always greener on the other side". Hope he loves the media in Spain because they will eat him alive 9pun intended)

Hardly think Messi is 'over the hill' but I agree with the rest of your comments. He wanted it, he got it - live with it!

We and Ajax based our play around suarez. Barca base theirs around messi. Even neymar plays second fiddle there.

08 Jan 2015 11:56:40
Eds did the owners not consider sacking Rodgers before this month to give time for the new manager to make his transfers this month ? Very suprised he's still the manager but Aslong as they get the right man in I am willing to wait hopefully Cruyff and De Boer

{Ed001's Note - they want to do a complete review and give him the time to prove whether he can rescue a bad situation or not.}

In the meantime De Boer may be off to Newcastle!

Ed's by "give him the time to prove whether he can rescue a bad situation or not" do you mean finish Top 4 or the EPL title as BR promised the Owners?

{Ed002's Note - There is no mileage in this anymore - it is just going round and round the same thing.}

De Boer will never go to newcastle

{Ed002's Note - de Boer will make a decision on his future in the summer - if he has any offers to take him from Ajax. Any interested club has to approach Ajax and not de Boer himself.}

08 Jan 2015 16:47:03
What you should in fact be asking yourselves is why big managers and coaches appear to have little interest in coming to us.

Hopefully Liverpool will be in the mix of offers for him to choose from Ed?

{Ed001's Note - there are some within the club who will be pushing for him yes.}

08 Jan 2015 11:03:32
How Is sturridge's rehab going? Is he back at melwood training yet.

{Ed002's Note - No, he is still in AZ as far as I know.}

08 Jan 2015 14:13:48
Saw his instagram account this morning where it says he is heading back home.

08 Jan 2015 10:39:19
I advise any Lfc fan to read mark Pearson article on twitter this is anfield it's regarding fsg transfer policy how it's one big failure 45 players bought maximum 4 success 91.2% failure rate read it and then come back and defend them please

The only possible blame that can be attributed to the owners is putting the wrong people in charge of their money. Comolli, Dalglish, Rodgers and the current transfer committe are the biggest culprits.

We didn't need to sign Downing instead of Mata. We didn't need to sign Carroll instead ofAguero. The list goes on. Big money signings who flopped whilst players at a similar age and price passed us by. Bony wwasn't much more than Aspas.

Blame the people in charge of transfers for wasting the money. You can only blame the owners for being naive and appointing the wrong people to run their club.

Gotta agree with EMS on this 100%

Adam
Mata wasn't an option because he wanted to join Chelsea and aquero wasn't an option either. Inadequate post about players we missed. They were never viable

That's not the point Big Al. The owners provided the funds to sign top players. It isn't their fsult that the money was poorly utilised.

Irrespective of whether they were viable options at the time, the point is we had the funds to sign players of that calibre. I get that these players may not have signed anyway but I was just making a point that the money has been there to buy top players and for one reason or another, it has been wasted.

08 Jan 2015 12:17:00
Downing was bought before FSG and Aguero was already at City when we bought Carroll.

I get the general point but it's a fact that you can't win with transfers anymore. Buy a proven prem player it's 'look at the cheaper, better options in Spain'. Buy someone from Spain it's 'why didn't you get a proven prem player?!'

08 Jan 2015 12:39:24
Anyone who thinks FSG are responsible for the signing of players is a fool, EMS has hit the nail.

FSG took over in 2010 Downing was bought in 2011, Carroll bought in jan 2011 and Aguero summer 2011.

both corrections of EMS are wrong.

I will agree the money was there, but there are a lot of other factors in a transfer other than finance and offers other wise, Sanchez probably wouldn't be at arsenal.(If it's true we offered more)

I still maintain Downing is a good player completely miss used by managers.

08 Jan 2015 13:18:05
TBH think it is more a lack of scouting and having a clear plan for what players are needed for your squad and how you want to play combined with assessing how youth players can fill certain roles or back up roles.

Agree that Aguero and Mata probably weren't viable options but seems every transfer window we are after different types of players to fit different styles of play! For example played an entirely differently style of play last season to the season before and then bought players who don't fit how we played last season. Just doesn't seem to have a long term plan!

Don't have to spend massive amounts of money and are players who were available that top clubs weren't interested in who seem to be doing just fine in the BPL (eg Bony, Remy, Tadic, Pella, Sissoko, Mirallas, Alderweraild, clyne, lloris, bertrand etc.) plus other options we I believe could do great given the chance (konopyanka, salah, greizmann, lacazette, etc).

Can say it is all good in hindsight but questions have to be asked as to why so many players seem to fit into how we play (lambert, allen, balotelli, etc) or why we buy a rb despite having 3/4 rbs or buying a LCB in lovren after buying Sakho. Plus why we seem to have bought a lot of players and so little have made it through, added to that seem to be no thought of our academy players.

Just needs to be better thought out IMO

Spot on Bobatron and Roland-inho. Can't disagree with anything either of you said.

08 Jan 2015 14:52:01
Fair enough, my bad. Could have swore we bought Downing earlier!

08 Jan 2015 16:09:51
Anyone ....................absolute rubbish removed............

08 Jan 2015 16:52:13
The owners don't buy the players. They appoint club officials to do that on their behalf. What the last few years have shown ids that the owners were probably niaive about soccer and appointed people who have failed miserably and spent a fortune in that failure.

No worries hijkle. I know what you were trying to say.

Spot on Red Lenin.

Rubbish EMS, the owners imposed heavy criteria on the transfer policy which rules out top players. Plus take out the Torres, Suarez and all other sale fees and they haven't spent a great deal net.

Their policy is no different to giving your son £30k for a car but telling him he can't have a new car because of the VAT, can't have a 4x4 because of the running costs and can't have a sports car because of the insurance premiums. It certainly narrows down choice similarly to FSG 's transfer policy.

{Ed001's Note - they were happy to pay out for Sanchez in the summer, so that is just a lie.}

Well they weren't happy enough Ed as he went to Arsenal. If City want their man, they get him. Same with Chelsea and Utd. Mickey, Salah, willian, Konoplyanka, rakitick, sanchez. Not a sniff with any of them. I wonder why.

{Ed001's Note - seriously? We offered him more money but he wanted to go to London. What were they meant to do? Really you are just making an arse of yourself on this one mate. There was nothing we could do.}

The most laughable element of the transfer policy is Werners spin when he said the doughs there for the worlds best emerging young talent. What he should've said is the doughs there for young potential when Europes top 15-20 clubs don't want them and we can offer comparable derisory wages.

I think the reasonis because of the owners wanted to buy players to make a profit, so to buy top players you had to pay top money and the owners mantra is buy young potential to sell on at a profit, its one of the things that they said when they took over the club, which is also a worry because it means we never buy the players to keep to challange for the title last season was a one off because of suarez and the way we sold him instead of keeping him for one more season to see us through the champs league and to finish in the top 4 again this season to wualify again would have been great but the money for their plan came knocking in the tune £75 mill if he would have stayed for one more season i think we would be in a better position with more goals and still be in the champs league hey but that's just me, plus we would not have missed the studge injury so much

Leave the owners alone. They have offered money for Costa, Myikhytarian, Sanchez and so on and they did not wanna come here for other reasons (CL, location, etc). They have provided 350m in transfer funds and have been grossly betrayed by those they trusted. They have learnt their lessons which is why they are revamping the whole club and at long last, doing things their way (appointing a DOF will be key). They expanding Anfield and pouring money into a club that has become a money pit to plug it`s debts YET they still get slated. PATHETIC! Listen, if you don`t like the owners then i don`t know what else to tell you but to call Hicks and Gillet back. N BTW, reading a pathetic article on twitter that has been debunked by the Eds and coming on here to make a fool of yourself shows how far some will go to trash these owners who are not perfect BUT have their hearts in the right place.

08 Jan 2015 05:31:24
Ed002 when fsg sell up potentially in 2017 is there any chance of the kraft family being a potential buyers again? Also and I appreciate there's no way of knowing for certain the answer but if you were to guess at whether our next owners will be millionaires or billionaires?

{Ed002's Note - That boat has long sailed.}

08 Jan 2015 09:14:08
Would that be Kraft as in the owners of the mac n' cheese?

{Ed002's Note - However much I would like to say yes today is not the day to tease you. This is actually the Kraft's who own and run the New England Revolution and the New England Patriots.

Their money comes from packaging - imagine lumberjacks chopping down trees to make cardboard boxes - that's them.

A deal for Liverpool was really close on a couple of occasions.}

I bloody hope not.

They already ruined Dairy Milk bars - haven't they done enough damage to human civilisation?

08 Jan 2015 09:31:28
In your expert opinion Ed002, Are Liverpool a viable club for a prospective new owner?
Thanks.

{Ed002's Note - It really isn't a good question. Sorry. I have explained that the future holds a number of changes - the increased revenue in 2017 will make a big difference in England; the eventual pan-European breakaway continues to be discussed; the need to eventually restructure the league system in England etc.. All of these will influence what will happen across, not just GB, but Europe. Clubs will be sold as some, particularly private, owners want to move on. Liverpool has the basis to be commercially successful but it is far harder to achieve that without on-field success - and that has, quite frankly, really been screwed up.}

08 Jan 2015 10:47:44
Dairy milk? Galaxy all the way! Thanks ed! Guess that ruins my chances of enjoying a match with their nutritious and not at all processed mac n' cheese product

Thanks for the reply Ed.

08 Jan 2015 06:20:26
Hi eds, thanks for regularly responding to random questions and genuinely is one of my favourite sites so appreciate all the work put into it.

Sorry if answered before but in regards to player development/youth academy. Know ours had been criticised and you think we need to do more to not only develop players but guide them in their careers.

Does that mean that with other clubs that is someone's role? As in beside the coaching staff is their someone (or is it the responsibility of the coach) to not only help players develop but to help guide them on their footballing career? So if they have a future with the club help map out what is best for them and if they go on loan look at what clubs would be best for them. Alternatively, if they don't have a future help advise them on what league or club would best suit them?

Always find your insight interesting and genuinely believe with the money spent in football should at least be someone there to help guide/look after youth players.

{Ed001's Note - usually a DoF will deal with how to integrate young players coming through. Cruyff used to hand pick which ones he wants the Barca coach to integrate, for instance, at every chance they could get. That is why the DoF is so vital, he needs to look after the overall club's future, when a coach's aim is to win now, and so a coach will always just try and use the best players to win a game. It is difficult to integrate kids when your priority is winning this game, unless you have them forced upon you by circumstance or your boss.}

08 Jan 2015 10:41:02
Thanks for the reply! Interesting to hear and from the sounds of it seems like a DoF is a very important role!

Interesting that our media makes a big point about our inability to develop youth players (as a country) yet every time a DoF is mentioned 'experts' seem to condemn it as a bad idea. Obviously more factors involved but from what you've said seems a DoF is an important role in developing youth players and seems to be much more embraced abroad.

08 Jan 2015 02:46:02
If we are not going to spend this window will we give some of our youth players more of a chance? that i could accept.

08 Jan 2015 05:07:37
We have bought quiet a 20 years old players, we need to given them a chance.

Why would the youth players get a chance when there are senior players in this squad being snubbed?

Sorry AG but all the senior players i have seen have failed!

08 Jan 2015 00:36:04
Last season our bench included Jones toure cissokho allen Moses and aspas. Admittedly that's a bit short, and not much to change a game, but don't you feel part of the reason we were so successful is really the only change we made wothout injuries, was bringing in allen for coutinho occasionally. Now with a fit squad we'd have (for example) Lambert balotelli Borini markovic can allen manquillo lovren Johnson and Jones. How can you keep a regular team woth so many good players on the bench, markovic needs game time, as does can and balotelli and lovren and Borini and so on.

08 Jan 2015 03:48:35
We had SUAREZ who nearly played every match apart from his ban whole last season.

EMS mentioned we need to let go of up to 17 players to progress and i agree with most of them. its crazy to think that would still leave us with a fairly healthy squad. For instance if Toure, Gerrard, Suso, Johnson, Jones, Aspas, Coates, Alberto, Assaidi, Yesil, Ballotelli, Enrique, Mignolet and Skrtel all moved on, apart from only having a reserve keeper, we would still be left with a descent size squad. something along these lines needs to happen. we need it financially and we need our academy players to not only see light at the end of the tunnel but to have room in the squad to be given that opportunity.

Its shocking isn't it smurf. I dread to think what state our wage bill is in!

It's more shocking that so many of these were bought in the first place, players who never remotely improved the team and others who were never given a chance.
What a poor poor manager Brendan Rogers has turned out to be.

08 Jan 2015 10:43:01
What's shocking is that if we did get rid of all of them, we wouldn't play any worse.