Liverpool FC Forum

[stmichael]

He's easily one of the top three centre halfs in world football.

is this the rio ferdinand who got completely dominated and made to look like a novice by the likes of dean ashton and big dunc last season?

[MilitiaRusher]

Tell me about it. He just gifted Collins John a goal.

[MilitiaRusher]

He's easily one of the top three centre halfs in world football.

is this the rio ferdinand who got completely dominated and made to look like a novice by the likes of dean ashton and big dunc last season?

add Collins John to that list.

[celtic bhoy]

ah thats cheap . How can you not see the talent of this player? So he has a few loose games here and then -whos perfect? I think it might have to do with the club he plays for yes? Ask any Man untd supporter if they missed him during his ban -the answer will always be yes.

[66-1112520797]

Whats the obbsession with pace please?

I'm dying to know. Why is everyone obbsessed with a centre back with pace. Surely quality and overall footballing ability comes first.

We haven't conceeded one goal this season down to a lack of pace.

I cant see the reason for asking that question.

Thats like asking whats the point in having a good CB with great aerial ability.

[115-1073096938]

My point is we have two quality centre backs.

We have no right wingers.

Yet people are still on here saying we need a pacey (not quality) centre back. So to accomadate that signing they're suggesting we sign a second rate right winger.

Why?

[MilitiaRusher]

My point is we have two quality centre backs.

We have no right wingers.

Yet people are still on here saying we need a pacey (not quality) centre back. So to accomadate that signing they're suggesting we sign a second rate right winger.

Why?

How exactly was Hyypia performing satisfactorily?

[andy_g]

My point is we have two quality centre backs.

We have no right wingers.

Yet people are still on here saying we need a pacey (not quality) centre back. So to accomadate that signing they're suggesting we sign a second rate right winger.

Why?

come on stu, its not that tricky. we need a new centre back, full stop. sami is still and excellent player but we need someone in asap because when he goes, injured or otherwise we're pretty screwed for quality replacements. ideally a part of the new guy's quality would be decent pace - the fast game demands it and positional sense can't always get you out of trouble.

we also need a right winger and i agree with you that out of simao and joaquin there's no contest - joaquin hands down. the problem is that we need them both soon - do we blow all the money on joaquin to make sure we get him? maybe so but we're at risk, possibly, of a leaky defence next season if we don't have the funds for the quality CB we'll need. do we miss out on joaquin but make sure the defence is fixed? great we'll be water tight and hard to beat but may not score too many goals.

the things is, that with our relatively tight budget it has to be either/or. i'm not at all agreed with getting second best so i'm not so sure its such an easy decision to make.

[A.B.]

Also, god forbid Sami being skinned by probably the worlds best left sided player

Wasn't he skinned by a player from CSKA Sofia at Anfield which led to a goal?

[celtic bhoy]

Jeez what is it with people on this board about a defender getting skinned? So what! It happens -it doesnt make them a bad player . hypia from what i have seen is the rock in lfc defence. But as i said about ferdinand, nobodys perfect, we see forwards clean through and miss ,midfielders give the ball away and defenders and goalkeepers lapse etc .I would love Hypia up a celtic,some people are never happy and maybe hes been so good for yous -the little mistakes are now visible.

[Scottbot]

I'm still a big fan of Sami. A lot of people say he has lost pace but the fact is he never had any in the first place. I know he would struggle to beat a milk float in a race but our defensive record this season (so far) speaks volumes for the developing partnership between Dolf & Carra. You can talk about Robben going at (& skinning) Sami but how many centre-backs in this league can live with him at full pace without cover from a full-back/midfielder? I agree that Sami may not be agile as he once was. I'm pretty sure he would have cut out the pass for the Betis goal a few seasons back.

Real pace in a centre-back is a bit of a rarity (compared to most other positions) but if you can find one who can head, tackle, read the game and run like the clappers then you've struck gold. Having a CB with real pace does allow you to play a higher line (as someone already pointed out), It means the manager can be more adventurous in attack (in that he can worry a little less about getting caught on the counter) and of course the CB is in much better shape to recover his own mistakes if blessed with the required recovery pace (Traore frequently does this.)   

Personally i'm a massive fan of Gallas. He's a fantastic player, lighting fast, tenacious and excellent on the ball. Of course it's very unlikely we will ever see him in Red. It's obious we need another CB in January. I'd be happy with another Sami.

[115-1073096938]

The problem is Sami's played nearly every game for the last 5 seasons so the idiots can't see what the defence will be like without him so therefore they pick on the only attribute this defence as a whole unit lacks.

I'm sorry i just think its garbage.

Warnock, Hyypia, Carragher, Finnan and Reina are good enough to keep clean sheets against most sides, infact, all sides. If they can keep the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd and Juventus quiet they can keep anyone quiet.

Also there is a consistency there this season which was lacking last season.

Sami reads the game, is positionally top class and wins nearly every header, not only does he win his headers he directs them superbly and often gets superb distance on them. He deals with crosses and corners brilliantly and marshalls the defence.

If he wasn't in the side i'd fear for our sides ability to defend set peices and high balls.

[red37]

Also there is a consistency there this season which was lacking last season.

key point there stu.  it really does look that way...for all the draws, it seems we are much tighter.

[66-1112520797]

The problem is Sami's played nearly every game for the last 5 seasons so the idiots can't see what the defence will be like without him so therefore they pick on the only attribute this defence as a whole unit lacks.

I'm sorry i just think its garbage.

Warnock, Hyypia, Carragher, Finnan and Reina are good enough to keep clean sheets against most sides, infact, all sides. If they can keep the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd and Juventus quiet they can keep anyone quiet.

Also there is a consistency there this season which was lacking last season.

Sami reads the game, is positionally top class and wins nearly every header, not only does he win his headers he directs them superbly and often gets superb distance on them. He deals with crosses and corners brilliantly and marshalls the defence.

If he wasn't in the side i'd fear for our sides ability to defend set peices and high balls.

So what do ask him to carry on playing in his fourties ?

We are gonna have to start sometime (looking for ch) if we get a player who is three-quarters as good as Sami and with a bit more pace id be well happy.

What is the problem with Liverpool fans asking for a ch with pace ?

[JohnBull]

Tell you what lads, Lets go for eleven Pele's and we can lose the friggin lot.
CH's vary according to the rest of the team and picking out great players from teams all over Europe, who have totally different squads to us, is pointless.
The hard job for managers is making the mix right, you have so many ingredients but all you have to do is add too much this or not enough that and you are buggered.
If you've got a decent CH who's not fast enough on the turn then use the rest of the defence to be aware of it and cover. The problem is that professional footballers are not the sharpest knives in the draw to start off with, add to this the language problems between managers and players in the coaching side and it's easy to see why building a team takes time.
The answer is to join the Russian Mafia, make yourself 9'7 billion and buy three teams and forty translators and thirty nursemaids and fifty bodyguards and a half decent manager and you can do it straight away. As long as you've had a great Dutch player then a great Italian player then a half decent Italian manager build the foundations over the previous 10 years or so.
If you look at it like that it's a piece of