Liverpool FC Forum

[bakes40]

a player cant just play good when he wants ie garcia at home,we need battlers we need players who try week in week out, baros always trys hard he never gives in, but garcia is still not a liverpool type player for me, he gave ball away[again] for fulhams goal. god help us when the weather is really cold.

[bigmick]

Broadly I agree with Woof on the "give him time" argument. However, as long as a player has shown glimpses of real quality (which almost everybody would agree, Garcia has) its not unreasonable to ask for a little patience while he settles into the thing. I've said before that we won't see the best of him 'till next season but IMHO he will be a fantastic player for us and I stand by that.
He really is one worth waiting for and could yet prove to be Rafa's best signing of all. And yes, I'm being serious.

[SouthernScouser]

People are entiteld to their opinions - in terms of focusing on what Garcia has done wrong
But it may be worth pointing out that :-
With the exception of Vieira, Bergkamp, Henry & Pires all required almost a full season in the Premiership before they started showing anything like their best - and if Arsenal had binned them half a season in - there is no way on this earth they would have subsequently won the double

I agree with Big Mick

Also - on the point of him giving the ball away too much
A) that's what our bloody defence is supposed to be there for - to defend when called upon
B) and more importantly - he is trying different things.  Trying to play the killer pass, or the audacious flick.  Sometimes they come off - other times they don't and that's when people get frustrated.

But I for one - do not want to see Liverpool playing the way they have been in the previous couple of seasons.  Retaining possession but just going side to bloody side - with no friggin creativity.  The stats showing that we played 50 % of the game in and around the oppositions penalty area - and one bloody shot on target.

I suppose what I'm saying is - I'm prepared to see players like Garcia try something different - if it means they can unlock defences.  When it's gonna be a tight game - or physical - that's when the Gaffa earns his money by changing the side slightly & gettin his tactics right.

[laza]

People are entiteld to their opinions - in terms of focusing on what Garcia has done wrong
But it may be worth pointing out that :-
With the exception of Vieira, Bergkamp, Henry & Pires all required almost a full season in the Premiership before they started showing anything like their best - and if Arsenal had binned them half a season in - there is no way on this earth they would have subsequently won the double

I agree with Big Mick

Also - on the point of him giving the ball away too much
A) that's what our bloody defence is supposed to be there for - to defend when called upon
B) and more importantly - he is trying different things.  Trying to play the killer pass, or the audacious flick.  Sometimes they come off - other times they don't and that's when people get frustrated.

But I for one - do not want to see Liverpool playing the way they have been in the previous couple of seasons.  Retaining possession but just going side to bloody side - with no friggin creativity.  The stats showing that we played 50 % of the game in and around the oppositions penalty area - and one bloody shot on target.

I suppose what I'm saying is - I'm prepared to see players like Garcia try something different - if it means they can unlock defences.  When it's gonna be a tight game - or physical - that's when the Gaffa earns his money by changing the side slightly & gettin his tactics right.

Well said
It quite laughable that one of main complaints in recent times that we didnt have any creative spark and now we have a player who does have that creative spark and yet he also expected to be some sort of dependable no frills defender as well. Guys like him will always be mercuial and provide for very frustrating times but they are necessary part of any successful squad

[woof woof !]

I suppose what I'm saying is - I'm prepared to see players like Garcia try something different - if it means they can unlock defences.

I think most of us are with you on that one . It may well be that his team mates are not yet able to anticipate Garcia's flicks,back heels etc,until they do Garcia may do us and the team a big favour by being slightly less ambitious with his choice of ball . To often our attacks break down after the ball has been fed to Garcia , I guess thats why many of us are getting frustrated with him. I often wonder if he thinks he's on the training pitch and is just trying stuff out.   

[The_Rock]

Interview with Luis Garcia

http://www.thisisanfield.com/columnists0405.php?id=00000073

Quotes from Four Four Two Magazine

Spanish international Luis Garcia recently answered '22 questions for' Four Four Two magazine, speaking about his move to Liverpool and how he is settling in on Merseyside.

The skillful midfielder admits the move did come as a bit of a suprise but there were two key factors in making his mind up; one was manager Rafael Benitez - with whom he had worked with at Tenerife - and the second that "Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in the world."

Benitez had tried to sign the 26 year old for Valencia from Athletico Madrid but he joined Barcelona in 2003 were he had a good relationship with Frank Rijkaard. What Benitez saw tempted him to splash out £6m in the summer.

Garcia describes how he felt the first time he heard You'll Never Walk Alone being sung, "It leaves you with goose bumps. As a player I try to hurry us up in the tunnel, to get us out as soon as possible, because I love to hear the fans sing it out on the pitch. Normally, though, we are in the tunnel when it's playing."

In his first few months in the Premiership he has been marked by some as being 'too lightweight' for the English game and failing to make an impression in away games and he admits there are differences between here and Spain - in particular tackling!

"In England there are some terryfing tackles. Sometimes the ref doesnt even give a foul, let alone a card. Im hardly built to fly in hard am I?"

Asked which style he prefers? "I just like playing football. It might be harder in England but it it's not rugby, it's still football."

"I like that in England its continuous; the game doesn't stop, the passion is always high, there are fewer lulls in atmosphere and the fans are really up for it. They cheer you on and sing, even at throw-ins and corners. When you go over to take a corner, and the whole stand gets to its feet to roar you on, thats fantastic."

Off the pitch Garcia admits the change in weather and food were difficult to adapt to but with a new baby boy (sign him up Rafa!) to help him settle thngs are farily normal - even if the shops open at different times and we don't have siesta!


Learning English is an ongoing thing after 'starting with the swear words' he's picking it up now but "the problem is that Scouse is really difficult, and when they see you've understood something, they start talking super-fast and then you're lost." Reference to Carra and Gerrard not included but probable!

He doesn't get it easy from his compatriot Benitez either though; "All the team talks and everything are in English. He wants us to speak English, even among ourselves."

Garcia goes on to describe finishing in the top four as "fundamental" and that the aim is to build a great team to compete with the top three.

"Next year it is realistic to talk about challenging them."