22 Jul 2015 16:49:40
Hi ed,
Could you take the time to answer a question please?
When Liverpool sign Benteke, will that be the end of they're business in this window? I ask because so many fans seem to think the team is ready, when I believe it is far from and still needs work. I'm sure BR can see it needs more and with our net spend less than 30 mil Nd borini, lambert, balotelli and Enrique likely to leave it'll leave our our net spend around 10 mil. Surely then we could look and the like of Pedro or more urgently illarremndi. I mean lucas simply isn't good enough on the ball. I just feel when you have a midfield player who scores 0 goals every year it's just a disadvantage straight off. With regards Pedro I believe he will add vital goals. I like lallana he chips in with goals, that can be said for coutinho milner hendo and I'd imagine firminho too. But none of these players will exceed 10 league goals. And not all will exceed 7 r 8 it depends on who plays. Origi and ings will be around the same figures with a bit of luck given what will be limited playing time. Sturridge will miss 3 to 4 months standard and he's by far our best striker. Benteke is a good buy and may even get 20 if everything goes well. But that will still leave us well, well short of the numbers needed to challenge. I think Pedro is a proven goal scorer and I think the fact he's available and around the price markovic was, it'd be crazy not to even try.i also believe illarremndi would be a huge improvement on lucas Allen or can holding and could be the difference. He's just a very good passer and not afraid of a challenge, he can get around a lot better than the lads also. 14 mil and available? Just go buy him and give yourself a chance! That's what I think anyway.
what's the EDS opinion on illarremndi?
THANK YOU EDS great site.
{Ed002's Note - Net spend is far from "below 30". The club has too many players to register for the league and need to sell - already we know that there are problems as three players cannot be sold at the price being asked by the club - lots of decisions to be made.}
22 Jul 2015 17:50:39
I do not think we need more players, certainly not any attackers anyway,
I would have liked a GK, as somebody else mentioned our rivals all have top class keepers (Hart,Cech,Lloris,De Gea and Courtious) but I would rather keep Mignolet than buy for the sake of it.
All in all, fairly happy with the squad.
22 Jul 2015 18:03:43
IMO it would be a disaster if we don't reinforce our poor midfield. BR seems convinced the owners on the lack of goals the reason we dropped out from top 4 last season ( only 50 goals ) and added 4 players + sturridge to buckle up this number. We haven't done anything on our defense with the same CB pairs for the next season including GK.
I got no idea what's the plan to stop conceding goals. Dropping skrtel is not the sole answer as there are too many flaws in our midfield. Someone press us high and our midfield buckled under pressure and we either concede a free kick or sit deep conceding a goal.
Lucas has to play consistently close to 50 games next season which in reality never happened and not going to be.
We are weak in midfield, it's a simple math compared to other teams.
I personally was expecting a CM / DM to arrive and would be disappointed if not.
Long season and what if Lucas gets injured? Screwed to bottom as majority of our midfielders are attack minded.
Every team above us have either bought or are linked with a top class DM except Liverpool says a lot.
We need to move players out and that's one stumbling block as majority of our players ( out of favor ) has been so poor last season that finding a new club is a mammooth task. ( else incur massive loss )
Just my opinion.
22 Jul 2015 18:38:04
Anyone got an opinion of illarrimendi? I appreciate the situation the club finds itself in (own doing) but they can just not register players that are not wanted and they will need to move on to continue they're career. Borini in particular is acting the maggot. The fact remains our Squad isn't good enough to challenge. Our midfield isn't good enough at all defensively and our back line is weak. Not in terms of numbers but quality. All these far from good enough centre backs taking up space is the problem as is the situation in midfield. The fact remains we have Allen and can who will hardly ever feature in the centre of the park because they are not good enough. We have no wingers! We bought benteke and we have Milner whos better in the centre, markovic who won't feature and Ibe who as promising as he is doesn't release the anall when he should which won't aid the big man. I just think the club should be working harder to get Lucas and Allen off the books Allen hardly plays and lucas is not good enough. And ed our net spend isn't much more than 30.
{Ed001's Note - our net spend is much much higher. You clearly do not understand all the extra costs involved.}
22 Jul 2015 20:03:26
Sell all deadwood but keep lucas and Allen. Snap digne up on deadline day
22 Jul 2015 20:04:37
European Glory. Have you forgotten Emre Can, Jordan Rossiter?! The problem for me is Skittles. A Sakho-Lovren CB partnership plus either Lucas or Can in the DM role will solve many of the problems
22 Jul 2015 20:08:09
more negative posts from the usual suspects, but on to pedro i don't think you can call him a prolific scoring midfeilder, since being promoted from barcelona b he's score 58 goals in 204 games not bad but hardly prolific and also he was promoted 7 years ago in 2008
prolific goal scoring midfeilders are hard to find and priced well outta reach
22 Jul 2015 20:46:42
None of our centre backs are bad defenders. They just need protection in midfield. Harry's got a point that if Lucas gets injured which is likely, we have no other player that does what he does which is drop deep and pick up the ball from defenders and start the play. As well as defend. I thought Allen might have taken that role on in pre season, but he still doesn't have a clue when to drop deep and make himself an option for the defenders.
Red Rum
22 Jul 2015 20:12:30
Sorry danaldinho, but I have to disagree with your comment. The team is in a much better place than it was last season and attack is definitely not what we need any more of. We have spent a lot more than you state. Fees are not the only thing that need to be paid. A lot more costs are involved and are kept more quiet than the asking price. Ings is an example in that although he may come as a free. He is not. With all the hidden costs that come underneath it and with him. He's more likely to be between 5-10mil to pay for. Something that is never mentioned on sports sites. Probably because it is too confusing for everyone to understand.
Buying pedro would be silly move too. It would be another expensive signing that isn't needed no more. I like the player. Good experience and I see your reason. Liked him seasons before too, mind he does tend to be a supersub more than anything else. But we needed him last year or the year before. When we didn't have markovic, lallana, coutinho, Sturridge, lambert, balotelli, borini or even sterling at the time. Now with firmino, Ings, Ibe, origi, Benteke and not mentioning the young boys. We are overcrowded. Pedro is just another space that need to push someone else out. And honestly I think any of our players are capable of everything he offers but at a younger age. You mention that everyone chips in for anything around 5-10 goals a season. With Benteke getting 20 if lucky and our other strikers contributing a few throughout the year. If that's true that looks really good actually pal. Last season explains those kind of things but if you look at other teams in previous years. Most have a standout player to get most goals. Last year being Kane, aguero, Costa. Etc. in past years for us being Suarez and Torres. Normally the next closest is someone with anything between 5-15 goals. That's just fine. Your saying Benteke is that for us. I get your point with Lucas too. But I don't think it's best valid considering his role and style to play. He's not designed to score nor does he look too. His role is simply to clean up any crap that comes at the defence. Which he does do quite well. He's a player who easily gets scapegoated and little attention. But actually helps the team out more than what is shown on TV. I agree Allen is just not up to scratch and I can't defend him since he just isn't as good as versa or best at whatever he's told to do. Just isn't his game and I think Liverpool is a bit too big or demanding for him. He's player that suited Swansea when there and they suited him better. But I don't think illarmendi is the answer to that. Again expensive and where does he play? For me I think the team is good. Being in middle we have 2 amazing engines in hendo and Milner. Can who will mature and hopefully just get better given the right chance. Rossiter and Lucas is there obivously. So the position isn't really needed. The defence is good apart from, Skrtel being the problem, but we all know that story and it won't change until he moves on or changes his game or someone realises this issue. Gk could be improved as mentioned but not sure who with and mig can get better. Come the end of last season. He wasn't too far from golden glove. I find any keeper we sign always begin off shaky but given time they improve loads. Reina and dudek being good examples. Shaky when they began but once in there prime. Nothing was getting last them. Lb is the only thing which hasn't been sorted. Gomez looks a quick fix but not naturally his position, but I just hope Moreno will get better.
Sorry to come across harsh. Not intentional. I just think your dreaming a little too much here. And what we got is currently too much as it stands. With said players potentially leaving. It will help balance the squad out no end.
22 Jul 2015 21:43:20
Essex
I am sorry Can is an attack minded defender and would struggle at DM and rosditter is a kid who ll have to play at the highest level with no room for ever. more pressure on the kid is a terrible idea.
DM is one hell of a position and no Milner or Ings could solve this.
Lovren had the protection at Southampton and where is it at Liverpool?
Lucas gets injured early and then we count stars. simple.
We need a player in the middle that would make the game tickle, someone dropping, Collecting the ball fr defense and and move forward. Not afraid to put some tackles when opposition breaks
The reason Benteke and Fellaini eased passed our midfield was we never had a top DM in the middle.
We have only Lucas at the moment and he Cannot play 50 games a season.
Remember Chelsea struggled when Matic was out injured / Suspended.
22 Jul 2015 23:08:31
We're in a far far better position than last year but agree a top DM is what our side really needs now - particularly if Lucas gets injured.
I do think we might yet see a Milner/Hendo/Coutinho midfield which will work against the weaker sides, likewise Can will be able to play DM and with experience will be a top player, but a top DM with plenty of experience to shore up defence against the top sides would make a big difference IMO.
23 Jul 2015 00:57:56
Can we just stop it with the negatives for once, everybody is entitled to their opinion, but we can't really give criticism on pre season , we should be looking at it as a fresh start ( hopefully) and should be excited to see how we do, not saying "were not strong enough here , here and there" without a ball being properly kicked! We have to show faith, nobody becomes a good player without being given a fair chance! YNWA
23 Jul 2015 02:21:52
Sorry for the negatives to everyone concerned:) just saying that it's always the wrong places we strengthen because BR is like a 9 year old fan in the transfer windows. United get sneiderlin and schweinsteger in the middle of the park. Chelsea went out and got matic and fabregas last year. Big yaya at city there with fernandinho and they still strengthened with Delph. The fact is I love Benteke I love firmino but the best signings for us so far are most likely Milner and Clyne. Not glamorous but do a great job. We can't COMPETE with the midfields ahead of us and it's a very important area. I mean Gerrard left and we didn't sign a player? If there's anyone who disagrees with me that our deep midfield player(s?) Can compete with the lads ahead of us that I outlined earlier than please just tell me which team we will finish ahead of and why. I mean we proved even in the 13/14 season that we couldn't score enough goals to outdo our terrible defence. That's with sas scoring 55 between them. Since then stevie left and we have signed no holding players and we have signed 1 first team cb that has been underwhelming. I feel that we needed to strengthen there. I mean Ings may go to 10 mil? Could a cb not have come in? A decent one with a bit of xp? Or a holding mid? Let Allen off? Origi was coming, Benteke, stirridge here and one of borini and balotelli probably not moving on means ings wasn't nessesary. I just feel the team is very top heavy with regards QUALITY and the defence will let us down again. How many points over the last 2 years has mignolet been responsible for dropping? So? We buy. bogdan. Ok cool how's begovic? I dunno maybe I'm playing to much Football manager but I just feel we need to a dress the positions that let us down last year.