Liverpool FC Forum

[Sabre]

I understand your point.

Well, rest assured I know changing my mind. If Rafa fails with his new signing ups, I'll say I was wrong.

If Rafa wins the league title with rotations, I'll send you a PM with a reminder 

[Bad Bob]

I got a feeling we will be disappointed with the signings this transfer period...

Totally agree.  Here's the team I had expected to see on the pitch come next season but now I doubt that Parry and Rafa will even manage to sign 5 or 6 of these guys, which is not only disappointing but also totally unacceptable.

                           Buffon

Alves        Cannevaro      Metzelder      Lahm


Messi          Ronaldinho      Kaka         Silva         

                   Villa          Eto'o

I remember people being sarky last summer about transfers, first of all it was "there is no rush" to sign anyone. Secondly people seemed content when we finally signed Pennant. People were happy in anticipation of the signing of Mark Gonzalez, same said about Kuyt. Aurelio was another welcome one and Bellamy less so due to his apparent disruptive streak in attitude.

Sorry but I do hope you'll excuse me when saying this, and no doubt have the excuses ready  (cue Sabre, as he HAS to defend anything Spanish).
But IMHO Pennant is the only one who has made a slight impact on our starting eleven. Yes people will say Kuyt too, fair enough for them. But they are at best squad players, Gonzalez is Shi.t.
So I cannot really understand the sarky comments to hunterz, I think he has a note worthy point. Also to make his point even more valid, Benitez Has to sign two or three players around the calibre you've picked in your all star eleven. Everyone has said we need the quality this time round not the quantity and thats harder to come by, or buy as it usually seems in our case.
We'll have these people gong all summer ' dont worry there is plenty of time rar rar rar' and come August it could be similar to last season where we're all bitting at the bit. Good early buys are needed this year Imo, just to help settle and get a decent pre-season training under their belt.

And by Rafas comments recently he may think the same, oh and Sabre those words or very similar the bit 'about signing quick' werent some bu.llshit papaer rumour that we're all speculating about 

Yes, I'm getting sarky, mate, because:

1) We're a few days into the transfer season.  It's not the 21st of August and we're not desperately scrambling to sign players even as the season is underway so what's the problem?  I know we've experienced that in the past but the situation has presumably changed given the amount of money available to Rafa.  Why not have a little patience and a little faith that things will happen soon rather than see thread after thread of panic because we've not signed anyone yet?  If we're still in the same position in a month than, by all means, we can sound the alarm but seven days in?  Do me a favour.

2) It's a not a packet a crisps we're talking about buying here, it's top quality footballing talent.  Not one of the top players we're looking to sign is just going to swoon and clutch for the pen just because Liverpool are in for them.  When we chase the likes of Bellamy and Pennant we can be certain they'll drop everything and join.  When it's the likes of Eto'o or Villa or Alves, it'll take some time to convince them that we're the team for them amidst all of their other suitors.  So, while moving quickly is a priority that we all share--and Rafa especially advocates--I think it bears remembering that the complexity of these negotiations means that it takes more than a few days to sort it out.

3) Add to the above point the fact that the Spanish league is still going, so there's no realistic chance of signing Eto'o, Villa, Silva, Alves or any of the other La Liga stars that we've been linked with for the next little while.  Plus, most of our targets have been away with their national teams involved in important Euro qualifiers these past couple of weeks.  Hardly conducive to getting them on a plane to Melwood is it?

Look, I'm not saying that early signings aren't important.  All I'm suggesting is that expecting us to have signed up even one world class player by this point in the transfer season is a bit naive.

[Bad Bob]

while the back four changes from week to week (in the early part of the season while we go through our annual "lets see if this'll work" phase whereby we concede any chance of winning the league by the end of October)

I've agreed with most of your concerns with over-rotation Mick but I think you go a bit too far with the above.  Rafa wasn't just experimenting with the back four on a lark at the start of last season.  Carragher and Riise were both injured in the first match of the season.  That's two of our very solid back four from the previous season gone for several matches in one blow.  So, Rafa did what was needed: play Aurelio (who wasn't ready) and Agger (who was).  If you'll recall, over the next few games Agger put in some wonderful performances (West Ham at home!), forcing his way into Rafa's plans and muddying the CB waters a bit when Carra returned (short of match fitness and full form, if you'll recall).  As for LB, Riise came back but was soon injured again, while both Aurelio and Warnock struggled with their own fitness and form in that time.

So, I hardly think that Rafa set out to tinker with his defense at the start of last season.  Injuries and patchy form (and I'd include Finnan and Reina in that bracket as well) forced him to rotate against his will in defense, I would argue.

[Kopboyau]

I got a feeling we will be disappointed with the signings this transfer period...

Totally agree.  Here's the team I had expected to see on the pitch come next season but now I doubt that Parry and Rafa will even manage to sign 5 or 6 of these guys, which is not only disappointing but also totally unacceptable.

                           Buffon

Alves        Cannevaro      Metzelder      Lahm


Messi          Ronaldinho      Kaka         Silva         

                   Villa          Eto'o

I remember people being sarky last summer about transfers, first of all it was "there is no rush" to sign anyone. Secondly people seemed content when we finally signed Pennant. People were happy in anticipation of the signing of Mark Gonzalez, same said about Kuyt. Aurelio was another welcome one and Bellamy less so due to his apparent disruptive streak in attitude.

Sorry but I do hope you'll excuse me when saying this, and no doubt have the excuses ready  (cue Sabre, as he HAS to defend anything Spanish).
But IMHO Pennant is the only one who has made a slight impact on our starting eleven. Yes people will say Kuyt too, fair enough for them. But they are at best squad players, Gonzalez is Shi.t.
So I cannot really understand the sarky comments to hunterz, I think he has a note worthy point. Also to make his point even more valid, Benitez Has to sign two or three players around the calibre you've picked in your all star eleven. Everyone has said we need the quality this time round not the quantity and thats harder to come by, or buy as it usually seems in our case.
We'll have these people gong all summer ' dont worry there is plenty of time rar rar rar' and come August it could be similar to last season where we're all bitting at the bit. Good early buys are needed this year Imo, just to help settle and get a decent pre-season training under their belt.

And by Rafas comments recently he may think the same, oh and Sabre those words or very similar the bit 'about signing quick' werent some bu.llshit papaer rumour that we're all speculating about 

Dirk Kuyt is not a Squad player. Watch any games this year ??

[maguskwt]

i'm getting a bit anxious...

i been reading and hearing news that arsenal's read to swoop malouda from under our noses and that milan is in for eto...

[LFC2007]

i'm getting a bit anxious...

i been reading and hearing news that arsenal's read to swoop malouda from under our noses and that milan is in for eto...

[Sabre]

i'm getting a bit anxious...

i been reading and hearing news that arsenal's read to swoop malouda from under our noses and that milan is in for eto...

To make things worse, Milan's interest is not a press rumour but a quote of Galliani, who has said that they'll bid for the player once the liga ends.

And to make things worse, barcelona has said that they won't sell.

And you know what? in Barcelona they hope to bring BOTH Cesc and Henry and are pretty confident to achieve it.

This is the transfer market, and it's only the 7th day 

Patience is needed anyhow, as BadBob and others have stated.

[Lando_Griffin]

Just a slight point, Bamaga:

When you said Sabre will defend anything Spanish, you cited Gonzalez as an example.


He's Chilean, mate. 

[LFC2007]

To be fair sabes we're never going to agree on this one until Rafa forgets about rotation next season and we win the title No seriously, as I've said a hundred times, nobody is suggesting that you play the same starting eleven in every game because that would be silly. You can't though make four or five changes to the team each week, both in terms of personel and positions/formations and expect to find fluency, that would be silly also. It may indeed be possible in the Spanish League, where ball retention is paramount, skill levels are higher, referees less tolerant and the general tempo of the game much slower, to replace skill with skill and not weaken the team unduly.

Not over here though. Teams over here have a go at you physically if they can't do so from a football point of view. You've got to fight for the right to play. To achieve that you need match fitness, cohesion and team spirit. I've said it before and I'll say it again here, no team will win the English Premier league on the back of mass rotations of the kind we tried at the beginning of last season. Not ever.

I think as well if I'm honest that those who defend it are actually sticking up for a position which is null and void. In each of the last three seasons, Rafa has rotated far too much at the start of the season, and then when our form has taken the absolutely inevitable downturn has picked a settled and his strongest team to arrest the slide. Equally inevitably this has resulted in us winning regualrly and climbing up the table. It's taken a while, but my hunch is that we will no longer see five and six changes every week in Premeirship encounters, as rafa himself now realises the folly of such a policy. I sincerely hope so anyway.

We get your drift Mick - you don't like mass rotation.

"I.D.L.M.R."

Mick's Motto!

[aCe']

Liverpool: interest in Trezeguet confirmed

07.06.2007, 17:15

Liverpool market consultant Mauro Pederzoli told Teleradiostereo that the Reds are interested in David Trezeguet. “We are looking for a strong striker and Trezeguet is one of them, but we are not considering a swap deal with Xabi Alonso, who Benitez sees as a key player of this team.” It is instead possible that Zenden, who has been linked to Roma, might come to Italy. “After the Champions League final, Benitez gave him permission to speak to other clubs, even though we are more than willing to extend his contract.”

Liverpool are also interested in Roma’s Mancini: “We kept a close eye on him last eyar, but now things have changed, in part because of Pennant improving so much as a player.”

It also seems difficult that Sissoko will leave to join Juventus. “Buying players from Premiership teams is always difficult because the English league is, right now, stronger than Serie A from a financial perspective. For example,  Sissoko would end up costing very much, and it’s up to Juve to decide how much they are willing to spend. Also, with our new owners, the goal of this club is to become stronger and not sell players.”

[LFC2007]

WTF does this "market consultant" do exactly?

Buy the fruit and veg. for away days?!

[cptrios]

i'm getting a bit anxious...

i been reading and hearing news that arsenal's read to swoop malouda from under our noses and that milan is in for eto...

I for one could take or leave Eto'o. Sure, he would be a massive, earth-shattering signing in media terms, and in many ways that alone would be very good for the club...but who the hell knows what he'd do in the prem? If we're going to splash that kind of cash I'd much rather have Tevez, who if his performance at West Ham is any indicator would be an absolute legend at LFC.

[LFC2007]

So you'd rather pay £35m for Tevez than Eto'o?

[cptrios]

I was under the impression that Tevez was going to run about £17. If we're definitely talking £35...well on paper I'd rather spend it on Eto'o, but I think we'd stand a lot less chance of being disappointed by Tevez. Not to mention he's significantly younger.

[cptrios]

And yes, I did mean seventeen pounds and not seventeen million.