Liverpool FC Forum

[Ace Ventura]

Nemeth been injured early season mate

Is he ?? Anything serious like ?

[GYBS]

think was a few nigling knee injuries mate

[Octsky]

i have my reservation over heskey coming back.. he is 30 yr old and he had his chance with kop already..shouldnt this chance be reserved for the youngest?
i noticed every manager discovered a home growth superstar... daglish/souness found redknapp, R evans found owen, hollier found Gerrard? where's rafa? excluding torres...and i afraid heskey coming back will restrict the chances of our youngest. just my opinion.

[Raoul]

I'm with the don't-buy-Heskey-as-a-3rd/4th-striker-play-the-youngsters-instead party on this.  I can't see how Babel or Ngog would be worse than Heskey.  I realise he brings a different dimension, but if money is tight I'd just rather see the kids get their feet wet than an average 30 year old getting a run around.

Still, Rafa bought Crouch and I could see him considering Heskey for the same reasons.  Sure hope I'm wrong, or at least that Heskey himself will realise that it'd be the end of his England career and keep away.

[Zidane]

If Rafa gets Heskey I will be dissapointed.

[Lando_Griffin]

i have my reservation over heskey coming back.. he is 30 yr old and he had his chance with kop already..shouldnt this chance be reserved for the youngest?
i noticed every manager discovered a home growth superstar... daglish/souness found redknapp, R evans found owen, hollier found Gerrard? where's rafa? excluding torres...and i afraid heskey coming back will restrict the chances of our youngest. just my opinion.

Mate - if there were talent in the reserves comparable with the players you have mentioned, don't you think Rafa would pick them?

Think about it. He has been here for 4 years. Anyone who has or hasn't come through the ranks in this time were at the club before Rafa. If you wish to blame people for the academy's lack of productivity, then blame those who passed it on to Benitez. The influence he's had will start to show in the next few years, and will hopefully continue showing for the next decade or so. It will certainly show for the first few years of the next manager's reign.

After all - even though he is a God, Rafa can't alter the sands of time. 

[Owzat]

I'm with the don't-buy-Heskey-as-a-3rd/4th-striker-play-the-youngsters-instead party on this.  I can't see how Babel or Ngog would be worse than Heskey.  I realise he brings a different dimension, but if money is tight I'd just rather see the kids get their feet wet than an average 30 year old getting a run around.

Still, Rafa bought Crouch and I could see him considering Heskey for the same reasons.  Sure hope I'm wrong, or at least that Heskey himself will realise that it'd be the end of his England career and keep away.

Crouch is younger by a couple of weeks over two years, had a better scoring record for Pompey, Saints and LIVERPOOL than Heskey has had at any club, and supposedly his height was useful.

The main principle reason signing Heskey would be a mistake is it is short term, most of Rafa's other recent signings have more long term potential. That said he has rather bucked his trend of 2007/8 by going for more older players

Current Ages Of Players Signed In Recent Seasons

2008/9 : Keane (28), Riera (26.5), N'Gog (19.5), Degen (25.5), Diego (nearly 26), Dossena (27)

Average age : 25.75

2007/8 : Skrtel (nearly 24), Torres (24.5), Babel (nearly 22), Itandje (near on 26), Voronin (29), Lucas (nearly 22), Leto (22), Plessis (20.5), Mascherano (near 24.5), Insua (near 20), Benayoun (28.5), Aurelio (29)

Average age : 24.33

DISCLAIMER : I've excluded the kids Rafa has signed, whether you agree with the players selected for the comparison I don't really care, it is purely for demonstration rather than to be a precise scientific process of 'proof'

The averages may seem pretty close, but remember you can knock a year off most of the ages for those signed last season so it's about 2.5 years younger on average, and only one signing this summer was under 25 compared to EIGHT (75%) from last season who are STILL under 25. I'd say the 2007/8 crop have much more longevity about them, Rieira's the only one to have really impressed so far from this season's signings while Torres is already making himself a legend, Babel has a bright future, Skrtel and Mascherano are already legends in their own right. It's a shame the season didn't quite match the signings

[dame]

Heskey again will be a mistake.

We Heskey have tries that before and it did not work out. Why try again even if this time is less costly?

In my observation, some players play very good in "small" team. But when they play for "strong" team and are required to deliver every week, they fail miserably.

Heskey may be good at assist. But at LFC, forwards are required to "create" which is not his specialty.

Off the topic, is there a forum talking about buying Michael Owen for 5m this coming Jan? Thx a lot.

[Reg]

Heskey?   Do we really need another groundsman when we should be trying to cut the overheads, not add to them? 

[Owzat]

Read today that villa will pay what it takes to sign Mikey in January. Shame it didn't read Heskey instead, although I wouldn't be surprised if he has been linked to villa since the media link anyone English with villa based on them signing a few English players (and turning them into £30m players according to the leprechaun)

[maguskwt]

i have my reservation over heskey coming back.. he is 30 yr old and he had his chance with kop already..shouldnt this chance be reserved for the youngest?
i noticed every manager discovered a home growth superstar... daglish/souness found redknapp, R evans found owen, hollier found Gerrard? where's rafa? excluding torres...and i afraid heskey coming back will restrict the chances of our youngest. just my opinion.

rafa's made stevie and carragher superstars... what more do you want? Stevie only truely reached his potential under rafa...

[Owzat]

i have my reservation over heskey coming back.. he is 30 yr old and he had his chance with kop already..shouldnt this chance be reserved for the youngest?
i noticed every manager discovered a home growth superstar... daglish/souness found redknapp, R evans found owen, hollier found Gerrard? where's rafa? excluding torres...and i afraid heskey coming back will restrict the chances of our youngest. just my opinion.

rafa's made stevie and carragher superstars... what more do you want? Stevie only truely reached his potential under rafa...

Or they could have matured through age anyway, there's no proof of a cause and effect relationship re Rafa's arrival and them becoming 'superstars'. Anyone doubting either were very very good players is dimwitted or a bitter/manc, you could equally argue that Houllier held them back.

[bigmick]

i have my reservation over heskey coming back.. he is 30 yr old and he had his chance with kop already..shouldnt this chance be reserved for the youngest?
i noticed every manager discovered a home growth superstar... daglish/souness found redknapp, R evans found owen, hollier found Gerrard? where's rafa? excluding torres...and i afraid heskey coming back will restrict the chances of our youngest. just my opinion.

rafa's made stevie and carragher superstars... what more do you want? Stevie only truely reached his potential under rafa...

Or they could have matured through age anyway, there's no proof of a cause and effect relationship re Rafa's arrival and them becoming 'superstars'. Anyone doubting either were very very good players is dimwitted or a bitter/manc, you could equally argue that Houllier held them back.

I agree with that Owz'. I don't think anyone could sensibly claim that in Gerrard in particulars case, he was ever going to be anything other than a "superstar". If he'd gone to Chelsea three seasons ago and continued to play well (which I've no doubt he definately would have in their team) would we be claiming that Mourinho had "made him a superstar"?

As for him only reaching his full potential under Rafa, I agree with you Owz it's a question of age. Gerrard is/was bound to be a better player today that he was four and a half seasons ago when the manager came in. Using this same reasoning and logic, you could say that Hyppia has gone backwards under Rafa who has ruined him.

[Leonmc0708]

Sell Dirk, bring in Emile.

Lots of less words spring to mind. Clue and price are particular favourites.

[Leonmc0708]

i have my reservation over heskey coming back.. he is 30 yr old and he had his chance with kop already..shouldnt this chance be reserved for the youngest?
i noticed every manager discovered a home growth superstar... daglish/souness found redknapp, R evans found owen, hollier found Gerrard? where's rafa? excluding torres...and i afraid heskey coming back will restrict the chances of our youngest. just my opinion.

rafa's made stevie and carragher superstars... what more do you want? Stevie only truely reached his potential under rafa...

Or they could have matured through age anyway, there's no proof of a cause and effect relationship re Rafa's arrival and them becoming 'superstars'. Anyone doubting either were very very good players is dimwitted or a bitter/manc, you could equally argue that Houllier held them back.

I agree with that Owz'. I don't think anyone could sensibly claim that in Gerrard in particulars case, he was ever going to be anything other than a "superstar". If he'd gone to Chelsea three seasons ago and continued to play well (which I've no doubt he definately would have in their team) would we be claiming that Mourinho had "made him a superstar"?

As for him only reaching his full potential under Rafa, I agree with you Owz it's a question of age. Gerrard is/was bound to be a better player today that he was four and a half seasons ago when the manager came in. Using this same reasoning and logic, you could say that Hyppia has gone backwards under Rafa who has ruined him.

Sack him - the fat spanish waiter.