Liverpool Thread 2013/14

[Blue>Red]

Liverpool's 3rd kit anyone?

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Just signed Messi.

This also amuses me.

 

[unique]

i like liverpool as a club.thay hate the rags just as much as us.that has to be a good thing

 

[gaving673]

Liverpool's 3rd kit anyone?

I'd at least prefer it to the white away kit if it wasn't for those fucking odd looking socks!

 

[Scouse_Jimi]

Liverpool are some distance away from being a side with a shot at Champion's League qualification. They've addressed the issue of Reina being on the decline by signing Mignolet who I think is a good keeper, but defensively they aren't all that great. Skrtel and Agger are the only centre halves with any real quality (and I don't think Skrtel is anything special), Carragher has retired whilst Coates hasn't made any impression at all. Toure will add some decent depth, and he's not bad at all, but he's 32, he makes mistakes and he's not the player he was. Full backs look ok, without setting the world alight (Johnson and Enrique). There seems to be a fair few "youth players" defensively, the likes of Kelly, Flanagan, Wisdom etc but none look like future stars.

Full backs will be interesting, think we'll be playing a 3-4-3. Kelly will break through this year (if he doesn't get injured again) central defender. Wisdom might go out on loan, if not he's defintely a future star. Two of the products of the academy. Flanno won't make it, Coates is too slow and will be sold.

In fact a squad made up of a large number of young unproven players normally indicates a squad which hasn't had enough money spent on it.

Indeed - how much is enough money though? Liverpool have a long term vision which means utilising it's youth academy to the maximum, when will youth get a chance at City? The short termism showed by your owners so far doesn't bode well, why would a manager play the youth when there's a good chance they'll cost the team valuable points and most likely his job?

In midfield the likes of Shelvey (could be leaving), Allen, Downing and Henderson hardly fill the opposition with dread. Lucas looks good, Sterling is young but looks a good player, and Coutinho has strated very well, however it remains to be seen if that was an initial flash or more of a long term thing. Gerrard is quality, but he's also 33, he'll be retired or way beyond his best in 2 to 3 seasons, the Liverpool squad won't be good enough quickly enough for him to be able to last the distance.

Allen was quality before he got injured in November, our player of the first few months easily. He'll push on this year, Henderson is Gerrards long term replacement though he's not of Gerrards quality he makes up for it with his endless running and great vision.

Upfront Sturridge has started very well, but Borini looks shit. Suarez obviously has quality, but he'll miss the first 6 games next season, and I'd be astounded if he was actually at Liverpool next season anyway. He's made up his mind that he's fed up of English football and wants out, 99% of the time the player gets his own way. Lets face it, if you force him to stay against his wishes, to play for a team which isn't in Europe at all, and needs huge strengthening, are you really going to get the best out of him?

Didn't do the spuds any harm with Modric, let's remember no bids have been made for him. LFC will demand £40m+ for him and won't sell within a month of the window closing to avoid a Carroll situation. If Marca are to be believed then all the "ITK" on twatter should also be believed...

The two new guys are a bit of a mystery, however Luis Alberto has only played 7 top dividion matches in his entire career so expectign him to set the Premiership on fire is asking a hell of a lot.

He did provide more than 30 assists/goals in the last season. Whilst the Spanish second division is not particularly high quality - the fact that the only reason Barca didn't exercise their clause was due to having too many players for that position, nothing to do with his quality.

Iago Aspas has only played 1 season of top flight football (and he's 25), ok, so he scored 12 goals in La Liga last season, but execting a Michu is a bit much, you'll be lucky if he gets 10 goals this season, in all competitions, this is a guy whose career average is 1 goals every 4 games.

That's true but we have the goal scorers we need, Aspas has mainly been bought for his endless running and movement, tying defenders up and making space for the rest of the team.

Liverpool will, in all likelyhood, finish in 6th place next season, but I don't think they'll be anywhere close to the top 4. They were 12 points behind an underperforming Arsenal last season, that's a lot to catch up when your opponents are all seemingly looking to bring in top class players and you're signing players no-one really has heard of (Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas were hardly names we knew about 6 months ago).

A fair league prediction unless we strike it lucky.

Just because those players didn't cost £XXm or you've not heard of them, doesn't mean they're no good. I watch a decent amount of la liga and Aspas was quality last year, being quick to judge based on nothing but price, stats or youtube is a little foolish in my opinion. We have an excellent scouting network and each player is brought in to do a particular job rather than many teams who buy players and try to shoe horn them in...

 

[Braggster]

[Liverpool have a long term vision which means utilising it's youth academy to the maximum, when will youth get a chance at City? The short termism showed by your owners so far doesn't bode well, why would a manager play the youth when there's a good chance they'll cost the team valuable points and most likely his job?

What short termism have they shown then?

 

[stony]

Indeed - how much is enough money though? Liverpool have a long term vision which means utilising it's youth academy to the maximum, when will youth get a chance at City? The short termism showed by your owners so far doesn't bode well, why would a manager play the youth when there's a good chance they'll cost the team valuable points and most likely his job?

.

Short termism ? You need to read to research a bit more Jimi before coming out with ridiculous statements like that. The initial investment in players was needed in order to catch up and has already slowed down considerably. We are however putting a lot of money into the academy.

Khaldoon has said time and again that our aim is for the academy to produce a large percentage of the first team in the near future. We've been busy snapping up the best young talent from around the world and the investment in the new training facilities/academy is unprecedented in the English game.

 

[Scouse_Jimi]

Short termism ? You need to read to research a bit more Jimi before coming out with ridiculous statements like that. The initial investment in players was needed in order to catch up and has already slowed down considerably. We are however putting a lot of money into the academy.

Khaldoon has said time and again that our aim is for the academy to produce a large percentage of the first team in the near future. We've been busy snapping up the best young talent from around the world and the investment in the new training facilities/academy is unprecedented in the English game.

I know all about your youth complex plans, very grand indeed but what I said was short termism in relation to the manager. If he plays the kids and loses the league - he'll be out on his ear.

Getting rid of Mancini, for me anyway, smacked of Chelseas level of patience with the manager...that's why I feel your owners are short termist, I know they're investing a lot in the area but I just don't see when your kids will ever get played...

Edit: Where on these forums would I find reports on your youth teams and signings - interested found your youth thread :)

 

[andyhinch]

Short termism ? You need to read to research a bit more Jimi before coming out with ridiculous statements like that. The initial investment in players was needed in order to catch up and has already slowed down considerably. We are however putting a lot of money into the academy.

Khaldoon has said time and again that our aim is for the academy to produce a large percentage of the first team in the near future. We've been busy snapping up the best young talent from around the world and the investment in the new training facilities/academy is unprecedented in the English game.

I know all about your youth complex plans, very grand indeed but what I said was short termism in relation to the manager. If he plays the kids and loses the league - he'll be out on his ear.

Getting rid of Mancini, for me anyway, smacked of Chelseas level of patience with the manager...that's why I feel your owners are short termist, I know they're investing a lot in the area but I just don't see when your kids will ever get played...

Edit: Where on these forums would I find reports on your youth teams and signings - interested

I don't think getting rid of Bobby had anything to do with results or very little, I could be wrong though. Putting £100 mill into the new academy doesn't smack of short termisum.

 

[Scouse_Jimi]

I don't think getting rid of Bobby had anything to do with results or very little, I could be wrong though. Putting £100 mill into the new academy doesn't smack of short termisum.

I never said it did !