Liverpool FC Forum

[crazyhorse]

This is way out of left field.. but if, and only if Alonso or Masch is sold...

Patrick Viera??

Also I believe we will see a big improvement in Lucas next year.

[account deleted by request]

I haven't seen enough of Silva to make a guess whether he is big enough or good enough, but being small and frail looking is certainly something to be concerned about. I remember Reyes signing for Arsenal and all the hype. One game at OT where he was used instead of the football and he's never been seen since.   

I don't believe you have to be a strapping 6 footer to make it over here, but you certainly have to be able to take a kicking as it seems to be the policy of a few clubs to "welcome " the foreign players with a kick or two. Torres has had more than his fair share of this since his arrival (seemingly with the referees consent).

I for one expected a great deal more from Moderic this season, but a few hard tackles seemed to take the wind out of his sails early on and it was only towards the end of the season that he began to impose himself on games a little more.

I suppose its more about mindset than physicality, but it must be a little easier for the 6 footer built like the proverbial brick Sh!t house.

[Madmax]

I would'nt mind lavezzi but doubt he would come.. Guy is versatile and could play strike, wings and in the middle.

[Emerald Red]

Personally, I'd be well happy if we signed just one more player that would fit into and improve our first 11 while keeping the same squad as last season. Always did maintain right fullback was priority, and Rafa's acted on that straight away. Now I'll guess that we'll go for a second quality striker. I know people don't like Babel, and some have taken a disliking to Riera, but those two can do a job on the left, and can still offer us quality. So, I reckon Rafa will try to bring in Eto'o. It's no secret he's been after him for a while. Might need to axe someone, though.

[Ian Rush's Right foot]

if we keep our current 1st team (with the new addition of Johnson) all we really need is a haf decent cb as cover and a striker that don't mind sittin on th bench as won't get a sniff if nando is fit,

I'd say double swoop Wheater & Tuncay from Boro.

I've also got a sneeky feelin we may end up with Bentley.

[Emerald Red]

our "big" signing to be Joaquin, Mancini, Aguero or Ashley young

and if we keep our current 1st team (with the new addition of Johnson) all we really need is a haf decent cb as cover and a striker that don't mind sittin on th bench as won't get a sniff if nando is fit,

I'd say double swoop Wheater & Tuncay from Boro.

I've also got a sneeky feelin we may end up with Bentley

And take Kuyt's position? Doubt it. Rafa likes Kuyt out there, and I can't see him changing that now. Pick a striker.

[Ian Rush's Right foot]

our "big" signing to be Joaquin, Mancini, Aguero or Ashley young

and if we keep our current 1st team (with the new addition of Johnson) all we really need is a haf decent cb as cover and a striker that don't mind sittin on th bench as won't get a sniff if nando is fit,

I'd say double swoop Wheater & Tuncay from Boro.

I've also got a sneeky feelin we may end up with Bentley

And take Kuyt's position? Doubt it. Rafa likes Kuyt out there, and I can't see him changing that now. Pick a striker.

as i said i'd be happy with Tuncay & Wheater and thats us done.

I think our 1st 11 of

Reina
Johnson
Carra
Skertal/Ager
Aurelio
Kuyt
Alonso
Masch
Riera
Gerrard
Nando

Is as strong as anyone else's in Europe

But something in me is saying bentley may be cheap and rafa might then be abe to use Dirk as a back up striker, i don't think this is the way we should go just have a feelin in me bones

[Sabre]

I agree those posters who have mentioned that it's more about mentality than actual height or strenght. It's more how you react to the bullying of defences than how strong you are.

Morientes in Spain was a player that received the ball backwards and protected it better than Torres. Yet, Torres did adapt much better to the kind of game that is done in England.

[Alex G.]

Silva is little but strong, and what the hell, if Yossi Mr "Soft" Benayoun has settled perfectly into the english game, why Silva couldn´t?

[GOAT]

Silva and owen with no important players leaving and I'll be ecstatic

[mkingdom]

It is naive to think we won't lose any of our players this summer, so I expect us to sign 2 or 3 players who will be considered for the 1st eleven.

I fear we will lose either Alonso or Masch (not both), and if we do, especially to Barca, we need to insist on Yaya Toure as part of the deal, or just buy him if we sell to anyone else.

Outside of that we need another option upfront and a back CB.

I would love David Villa, but I think that is very unlikely, to be honest.  I know very little about Silva, but there is enough smoke for there to be some fire, so I wouldn't be upset with signing him, as he is obviously highly rated.

Aside from a big money striker/winger I would take Owen back for a free and around £40k a week...ideally pay as you play.

Remember all those games last season where we battered the opposition and couldn't get the goal?  Owen scored 1 in 2 at Newcastle, so put him in our side and he will score a decent amount of goals for us.

He is only 29, desperate to prove himself, and has a great relationship with Gerard and Carra so would settle right in.

So to answer the question...Villa.

But I think it is more likely to be someone like Owen or Gudjohnsen or Tuncay.

[GYBS]

i cant see Rafa going for Owen - he has given him two chances to play for Liverpool and both times he turned them down . Silva and tuncay would be great shouts

[bigmick]

With Silva it's going to be a question of suck it and see. I'm absolutely convinced he will flop in England, but most everyone else is equally certain he'll be a hit. If he comes to Liverpool or goes to any other English club, we'll see.

Just to spell it out again, it's not as simple as saying he's "too small" although to pretend it's not a significant factor is daft. Luis Garcia did wellish at Liverpool, but would he have done better if he was stronger on the ball? Course he would. Morientes absolutely stunk the place out and he wasn't that small, so what's the go?

It depends a lot on how you play, and how the team you are going to play for plays. Now I've only seen Silva play a couple of times, but for me he is absolutely made for someone to break in half, simply because of the way he plays. Someone compared him to Zola earlier, but I don't think the comparison holds up apart from them being diminutive. For a start, Zola was a better player. Sorry to be so unequivical, but he was. Secondly, from what I've seen they were very different types of player in the way they carried posession of the football. With Zola he recieved it on the move and stayed on the move. He never was a put his foot on the ball merchant, he was much more the nimble little fish dancing in amongst the shadows than he was the one who'd sit in a deep pool. A little like a skilful boxer, though many tried to line him up nobody could really nail him because he constantly had them off balance. Yes I may well have said if anybody had asked before he went to England that he'd flop, I accept that, but he was a wonderful little player who will take some matching. Hard as nails in his own way as well.

Silva by contrast on the couple of occasions I've seen him is much more of a foot on the ball merchant. He's got lovely touch, can see and pick a pass and has a shot on him too. The key difference for me though is this "in posession of the football" thing. Can he change and adapt if he needs to? Possibly, but there are no certainties. Morientes came with a huge reputation, but there were technical reasons why he was a disaster. He was unable to make himself sufficiently available to recieve the football, his lack of upper body stregth and desire meant that defenders simply muscled him out of it. Course we had months of him sitting on his erse shaking his head at the referee, but that kind of thing isn't a foul in England.

Silva will get the same. He'll get kicked, battered, bruised for sure which will test his mettle. Worse in terms of him influencing games is he'll get leaned on, brushed aside, held, blocked etc etc. He'll try and get into positions where he can regularly recieve the football, but whether he is playing out wide or behind the striker, he'll find his space compacted, compressed and contested. His diminutive stature will make him harder to find than most with a pass, they'll need to be ultra accurate as they fizz it into him, between the snapping boots of his tormentors. This is the crux, can we play accurately enough and with enough zip to allow him to influence games, and if we can can he adapt to make it happen.

For me the answer is no on both counts. Xabi yes, Inniesta definately, David Villa definately, but David Silva no IMHO. As I say, we will see who's right if he comes over, but as S@int has pointed out with Modric, there are many before him who have tried and failed to consistently influence games in England while being this type of footballer.

Anybody who seriously doubts that the game is different, could watch Chelsea against Barcelona again. History tells us that Inniesta won the game in the dying seconds, but by harrying, breaking up the play and the players etc, Chelsea managed to ensure that even a team as talented as Barcelona had to wait until the 92nd minute to have their first shot. It's different when it's at 100 miles an hour and poeople are trying to kick you up in the air.

[GYBS]

Chelsea in the CL game couple of seasons ago tried to kick him off the park - he responded by ghosting past their players on a number of occasions , loosing his man marker and hitting a glorious goal from 30 odd yards as well as setting up villa for a lot of chances . Then in the euros his movement and ability on the ball created so much space for others and the russians tried to kick him off the park and failed as well . he has been kicked by plenty of player and got up and got on with it .

[Sabre]

I see. What do you think of Riera's adaptation to English football Bigmick?

I think you'd agree Riera avoids contact and tackles like a vampire avoids garlic. He doesn't like contact. Yet, when he has been on good form, he has survived to the kind of game you have described. The reason of it is that his skill is good enough and his feet are quick enough to survive. It's difficult to remove him the ball without fouling him.

Precisely in that aspect of football, Silva is a better player than Riera. And if that ability was what helped Riera to survive in England, I think it will help Silva too.

Of course, it's not only skill. It has a lot to do with attitude and adapting too. On Modric, I haven't seen much of him in England, but I wouldn't be surprised that if he stays he eventually will come good in England. I liked a lot what I saw of that lad.