Liverpool FC Forum

[callaway360]

I would say that the key players to get rid of are:

Salif Diao
Carl Medjani
Neil Mellor
Chris Kirkland
Florent Sinama Pongolle
Anthony Le Tallec
Djimi Traore
Djibril Cisse

And probarbably a few more.

i fully agree

[tubby]

I know we probabaly knew this but any chance of Joaquin coming is now swiftly ended with Guilleme Balagues comments.

" forget about Joaquin, Joaquin is not going to go to Liverpool"

[Anfield Kop]

I know we probabaly knew this but any chance of Joaquin coming is now swiftly ended with Guilleme Balagues comments.

" forget about Joaquin, Joaquin is not going to go to Liverpool"

I still hope we do get him. Remember when we beat Real Madrid for the signature Xabi.

Mr Ballague might just be taking people's attention off the player just to keep the price low. I was a bit surprised when Rick Parry came out to deny the 'Joaquin' reports as he didn't do it for other big names we have been linked to.

[Owzat]

I would say that the key players to get rid of are:

Salif Diao
Carl Medjani
Neil Mellor
Chris Kirkland
Florent Sinama Pongolle
Anthony Le Tallec
Djimi Traore
Djibril Cisse

And probarbably a few more.

i fully agree

We had virtually a whole XI out on loan last season, I hear Cheyrou has officially gone to Rennes (?) and Whitbread has gone too (Millwall) but it's about time we brought back or sold the rest.

Kirkland
Medjani
Whitbread - Millwall
Raven
Diao
Gonzalez - enforced loan
Potter
Cheyrou - Rennes?
Le Tallec
Sinama Pongolle
Mellor

I'd sell all but FSP who given a chance could do well and obviously Gonzalez now has a work permit. Talking of which FIFA is reviewing the ranking system and releasing a new version on July 12th, it will be interesting to see how that affects work permits etc not to mention who is where. That the European Champions aren't in the top 10 while MEXICO and USA are is laughable

[EddieC]

I don't think you can pick a starting 11 for next season. With the exception of Pepe, Stevie, Carra & Finnan, I don't see anyone else playing week in, week out.

[NiftyNeil]

My strarting eleven

[Cool Hand Luke]

45 contracted players is still too many.

1. Jerzy Dudek
2. Jan Kromkamp
3. Steve Finnan
4. Sami Hyypia
5. Daniel Agger
6. John Arne Riise
7. Harry Kewell
8. Steven Gerrard
9. Djibril Cisse
10. Luis Garcia
11. Robbie Fowler
12. Xabi Alonso
13. Peter Crouch
14. Dietmar Hamann
15. Scott Carson
16. Djimi Traore
17. Momo Sissoko
18. Jamie Carragher
19. Pepe Reina
20. Paul Anderson
21. Stephen Warnock
22. Boudewijn Zenden
23. Besian Idrizaj
24. Neil Mellor
25. Danny Guthrie
26. Antonio Barragan
27. David Mannix
28. Salif Diao
29. Anthony Le Tallec
30. David Martin
31. Craig Bellamy
32. Fabio Aurelio
33. Gabriel Paletta
34. Mark Gonzalez
35. Lee Peltier
36. Danny O'Donnell
37. James Smith
38. Carl Medjani
39. Adam Hammill
40. Miki Roque
41. Jack Hobbs
42. Godwin Antwi
43. Darren Potter
44. Florent Sinama Pongolle
45. Chris Kirkland

[48-1119859832]

Hey everyone this is my 1st post!! But anyway what type of role can you see Agger playin next season because he doesn't seem to be in many peoples minds for the starting 11 and especially now with Paletta on board. £5.6m is alot for a CB

I presume he will be establishing himself for much of next season. He wion't be able to break up the centre back partnership of Carragher and Hyypia but he will start to get blooded into the squad, as will Paletta. Our back four has been very strong over the past season, so as the saying goes why fix something when it's not broken?

[alxy]

i would give FSP a chance... remember the Olympiakos and Luton games? he made the difference getting the all-important first comeback goal... if rafa was willing to give cisse a shot at RW, FSP might deserve one too... perhaps not an instant starter, but surely some starts off the bench or cup games...

[anfieldadorer]

Rafael Benitez marked the end of French striker Djibril Cisse's career at Liverpool by revealing that he wanted "a different style of player up front."

And the Anfield boss also maintained that after Cisse suffered two broken legs, a return to the French league with Marseille would be the best way for the player to regain full match fitness.

from ITV

Benitez unveiled two of his South American imports - Fabio Aurelio and Gabriel Paletta - as Cisse's Liverpool career drew to a close, while veteran midfielder Dietmar Hamann completed a move to Manchester City.

But it is the departure of Cisse, Liverpool's record signing at £14million two years ago, which has caused the most discussion.

The international finished second top scorer last season and his final Liverpool goal was a crucial one in the FA Cup final victory over West Ham.

But Cisse has now joined Marseille on a season-long loan with a potential £8million transfer at the end of it, having been forced to sit out the World Cup with another fractured leg.

Benitez, with £6m Craig Bellamy now on board, sees the Welshman as a direct replacement for the erratic Cisse, and said: "We have an agreement for a season loan with Marseille for Cisse.

"It is the best option for him, because after two broken legs maybe it will be more difficult for him now in the English league.

"Now we have (Peter) Crouch, (Robbie) Fowler and Bellamy and that would have made it difficult for him to get matches to regain his fitness levels.

"We wanted more pace, a different sort of striker who would score a different type of goal. Bellamy will give us that.

"Cisse played a lot of games and I am not the kind of manager who does not use players bought by previous managers.

"I use the best for my team, and I used Cisse when I wanted pace, but I wanted something different to take us forward."

Benitez also believes Seville's right sided defender Daniel Alves is still a viable option despite months of protracted negotiations.

And that is clearly the priority now with Benitez revealing he does not have a vast amount of money to spend this summer.

The prospect of two £12million deals - the other being Dutch international marksman Dirk Kuyt - at the same time seems remote.

Benitez said: "We will continue to work on the squad, to find the right players.

"We are still looking for one player on the right while we now have enough competition on the left, we have a lot of players there with competitiveness which will be good for us.

"Now we must do the same on the right to give us more options. It is certainly the priority.

"It depends on the market, but I will want to do something on the right for sure.

"We have a limited amount of money to spend, we will try to use our imagination to do something, maybe two or three more players."

Bellamy, along with Paletta, can expect to make his debut at Wrexham in Saturday's friendly.

The end of Hamann's medal-laden spell at Anfield - he has picked up eight winners' medals - was also a tough decision for Benitez.

The coach said: "I told Didi it would be difficult for him to play the number of games next season that a player of his quality would expect to play.

"And if you know you cannot play every game, it is maybe better to find a club where you will be used more, and that is certainly the case with Hamann.

"He will be happier now. I have been so pleased with him, when he has been called in he has always given us experience and a calm control, a great servant to the club.

"But with (Mohamed) Sissoko and (Xabi) Alonso both now more mature as players, and with Steven Gerrard and Bolo Zenden also there, we have good cover in midfield.

"We know we are losing a good player but maybe now we can manage."

The arrivals of Brazilian left sided defender Aurelio and Argentinian centre-back Paletta signal a new direction for Liverpool.

Aurelio, who won two Spanish league titles under Benitez at Valencia, said: "I know the size of the task I have here, but having the trust and the confidence of the manager and having worked for him before was the main reason I have moved to Liverpool.

"I know it is more physical here, but I hope to be able to impose my own game and to impress the manager that way."

Paletta is more one for the future, but he explained: "This is a big step for me to come from Argentina to Europe, but it was an easy decision to make to join a club like Liverpool.

"It will be difficult, this is a strong squad, but I will work hard to show the manager my qualities."

[Redbird7]

Will Nasri come?

Cisse goes on loan…

[mikopool]

Liverpool defender Carl Medjani is poised to complete a switch to Ligue 2 side Lorient.

A statement from the Brittany club said the 21-year-old will put pen-to-paper on a three-year contract on Friday.

The return to the player's native France would see Medjani rejoin the side where he spent season 2004/05 on loan.

Medjani, who does not figure in Reds manager Rafa Benitez's first team plans, spent the last campaign on loan at Metz.

don't really care, but no other transfer news today.

[Kev Huyton 2006]

why not have a bash at Saviola?

Klose from the Germans? 28 a season for bremen?

Ribrey, the frog,

or  Cannavaro.....

Juve are the only team DEFINATELY going down. The Italian FA wants them relagated 2 divisions! the ac milan,and the others minght just suffer a points deduction.

expect a car boot sale for.......cannavaro, nedved, del piero, camoraneisi , ibrahimovich, Buffon, trezeguet.  at least on loan!

I'd have a crack....we just need Saviola and Cannavaro, and all will be complete. F*ck the new stadium for now, concentrate our money on players.

[Kev Huyton 2006]

also just thought Id mention Auirela and palletta.

Never heard of them.

rafa said Auirela is good enough to play for Brazil now!

So how come he, or paletta never played in the world cup???

you have to raise eyebrows there. I think Rafa looks for the future and not the quality that is available now.

Remember we are gunning to win the title, we need experienced class.

these are gambles by Rafa. ...like with Josemi, pellegrino, nunez, moreintes, Zenden and crouch.

Zenden feels like a new signing, as he spent mostof last season watchng LFC games on sky sports 1, and not in the squad.

Paletta is only 20 so has hardly been "tested" so to speak. in the prem you never know what will happen.

Rafa is trying to do it the "clever" and cheaper way it seems, but he might be too clever for himself!

[Kukilon]

also just thought Id mention Auirela and palletta.

Never heard of them.

rafa said Auirela is good enough to play for Brazil now!

So how come he, or paletta never played in the world cup???

you have to raise eyebrows there. I think Rafa looks for the future and not the quality that is available now.

Remember we are gunning to win the title, we need experienced class.

these are gambles by Rafa. ...like with Josemi, pellegrino, nunez, moreintes, Zenden and crouch.

Zenden feels like a new signing, as he spent mostof last season watchng LFC games on sky sports 1, and not in the squad.

Paletta is only 20 so has hardly been "tested" so to speak. in the prem you never know what will happen.

Rafa is trying to do it the "clever" and cheaper way it seems, but he might be too clever for himself!

Aurelio is pure class but Palletta is unproven.