Liverpool FC Forum

by **Bad Bob** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:45 pm

SouthCoastShankly wrote:Henderson looks like he needs to adapt to playing a wider role, he kept drifting inside at times, which isn't any surprise considering the whole of last season he spent in CM.

I only caught the second half yesterday so am curious whether Henderson started the game out wide. In the second half it looked like Kenny had switched him and Kuyt, with Dirk out on the right flank and Hendo in the hole behind Carroll.

by **stmichael** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:45 pm

SouthCoastShankly wrote:Henderson looks like he needs to adapt to playing a wider role, he kept drifting inside at times, which isn't any surprise considering the whole of last season he spent in CM.

I w3as speaking to a Sunderland supporting mate of mine when he signed about what his best attributes are as I'd only really seen bits of him on tv really. He maintained that his engine was excellent and he can also cross a ball really well. He said that the majority of his best games for Sunderland came when he played wide right, even though he's by no means an out and out winger.

I like what I've seen of him and although I don't see him as a first team regular starter he'll still get his fair share of games imo. From what I've seen he's a proper pass and move player who'll excell with the likes of Gerrard, Lucas and Aquilani around him who like to keep the ball moving. He's quite similar to Maxi in that regard. He'll excel when the movement of the side is good otherwise he'll be in danger of drifting out of games.

by **only me** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 2:07 pm

SouthCoastShankly wrote:
only me wrote:
dawson99 wrote:
metalhead wrote:
woof woof ! wrote:meanwhile, Effin' Mancs beat Barcelona.

Owen scored the winner and has been gloating on twitter about it

I'm sure Barca are really bothered as well lol. Mancs probably treated like a final, Barca as a holiday

I wouldn't beat the win down ,I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the Barca Bayern game the other day and Barca even without their Megastars Messi and Xavi are class act...Meaning ManU win is a fcking good win ,while we can't handle the types of Hull...We should be more humble.

It was a great win but to compare it to our defeat to Hull, especially considering the lineups, is an embarrassment.

I'm not sure I can take another season of you're doom and gloom bullish!t.

You must be into some weird S&M sh!t if you find supporting Liverpool so painful yet you continue to do so every year.

Dude don't take my comment too seriously and if you can't take it just skip and move on.

You can call me Gloom and doom as much as you want ,fact is i was RIGHT. Why do you think KK signed 3 major players and is looking for at least 2 more?

I call it as i see it ,not like others here that think Sunshine comes out of their Arsse and smell only roses.

BTW you might want to check most of the views here on our Pre-Season results...Not something to celebrate or writeoff as you seem to have...Can't stand all those fans detached from reality.

I would support LFC at any time or moment. Just keep it real.

by **crazyhorse** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 2:23 pm

If anything these friendlies have shown that Aqua deserves a fair go and a chance to prove himself. I have a hunch he will prove to be a revellation this year.

by **bunglemark2** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:19 pm

In all fairness though, he hasn't really had a tough match in preseason has he ? I mean, would he perform to the same level on a winter's night in Stoke, where he's getting seven shades o' shyte kicked out of him ?

by **mart** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:29 pm

bunglemark2 wrote:In all fairness though, he hasn't really had a tough match in preseason has he ? I mean, would he perform to the same level on a winter's night in Stoke, where he's getting seven shades o' shyte kicked out of him ?

Who knows but he certainly didnt get much help from his teammates in the preseason games.

He should be given a chance but I dont see it happening when we have bought so many new midfielders.

by **Thommo's perm** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:10 pm

bunglemark2 wrote:In all fairness though, he hasn't really had a tough match in preseason has he ? I mean, would he perform to the same level on a winter's night in Stoke, where he's getting seven shades o' shyte kicked out of him ?

I watched Aquilani against Birmingham, Wigan, Wolves, Spurs, Bolton, Portsmouth and Sunderland at Anfield 2009/10 and he got bashed in loads of those matches (we won 6 and drew 1 by the way)

by **crazyhorse** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:26 pm

Reports are that he is now off to Milan.. but thats his dickweed agent talking!

by **Joeblackisachimp** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:19 pm

the magic number 3 , goals a game. conceding is a concern.

team needs more practise as a Unit.

freindly or not, we should be steam rollng the likes of these teams.

:sniffle

by **Scottbot** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:17 pm

Based on wathcing all of our pre-season games so far these are my thoughts:

- If we do not bring in another defender (or two) we will not be in the top 4 this season for goals conceded (I'm not saying we won't make top 4 overall) this coming season. You can argue Kenny has been trying different combinations at the back and that we have perhaps missed the defensive responsibility of Lucas in front of the back four BUT we've looked way off the pace no matter who has played there. Five consecutive games of conceding 3 goals is the headline that jumps out from pre-season. PLEASE can we stump up the cash to go after a Cahill, Shawcross or another blue chip CB prospect because it's the key to us having a good season.

- Like him or not, Aquilani has probably been the brightest player across the pre-season schedule. Must admit I'm a little bored of the endless debate about the lad but I'm really intrigued to see if he can get himself involved during the early part of the season and then somehow (against all the odds) turn his LFC career around. Seemingly we don't particular watn him and he dopesn't particular want to be here but you never know.

- Can we get away without bringing in a new left-back? Robinson has really impressed and has (for me) along with Aquailani been our most impressive performer based on the pre-season games. If making do with what we have at Left-Back meant we could spend the rest of the budget on a new centre-half I'm all for it. I think the young lad is up to it.

- Players who haven't quite looked up to last year's end of season form (for me) have been Kuyt, Martin Kelly and Jay Spearing.

- Of the new signings Downing jumps off the page as the one who can bring the most at this stage. Adam has shown a few flashes and Henderson looks like a very tidy, quick thinking footballer who has made a solid start so far.

- We need a fit Pepe Reina.

- We haven't yet figured out the best way to use Andy Carroll. he's been shorn of real support and we've failed to get bodies around him during pre-season despite the fact he's taken a couple of goals. It WON'T be enough to simply get the ball wide and deliver good crosses and he offers no pace in behind which has made us a little predictable going forward. That's 80's football and it doesn't cut it in the big leagues in this day and age.

- We are a VERY different proposition when Luis Suarez is not in the side. Given Gerrard's long-term health are we in danger of becoming a one-man team again?

- The Academy continues to show it's strength with young Connor Coady showing that he has a future at LFC with a strong pre-season. Also, a number of the under-18s (Silva, Ngoo, Morgan, Suso, Sterling) have had a solid pre-season stepping up to the reserve side.

- If the season started tomorrow Flanno would be my choice for RB ahead of both Johnson and Kelly.

by **desmdlow** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:12 am

My concern will be why are we so off pace in terms of fitness as compared to other top 4 teams? We should not be that far off should we?

by **alwayslfc** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:31 am

One of our major problem is that our owner does not have a Sheikh in front of his name or he's not an oil tycoon. We still need reinforcements at LB, 2 world class central defenders, another winger and a backup striker. That's 5 more players and at the moment we're a bit quiet in the transfer market. It's not because Commolli and Kenny are not interested but simply we don't have the funds because the owner is not as rich as the owners of MC and Chels PLUS good players most likely don't want to come to us because no CL football. So this will be a hard season for Lvp and I'm not so positive about finishing in top 4. I'm not surprised if we finish 6th or even in bottom half just above relegation zone.

All we can rely on are Kenny's ability, the new signings Hendo, Adam, Downing and Suarez, Meireles, Aqualani (it would be criminal to sell him) to perform that steep uphill task. Stevie G is at the wrong side of 30 and I think has come to the twilight of his career.

by **stmichael** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:38 am

bunglemark2 wrote:In all fairness though, he hasn't really had a tough match in preseason has he ? I mean, would he perform to the same level on a winter's night in Stoke, where he's getting seven shades o' shyte kicked out of him ?

yawn. that messi guy is overrated aswell. i'm sure he couldn't hack it on a cold tuesday night away at stoke either.

it does my head in when i hear people banging on about how certain foreigners can't hack it over here because of the league's physical nature. is fabregas physically imposing? is luca modric?

at the end of the day, intelligent footballers have the ability toi find space and in my mind Aquilani is one of those. Hell if we're going to go on about players not being up for the physical battle we may aswell flog Mereiles aswell. He was one of our best players last season and yet some fabns were still having a go at him for pulling out of 50/50 challenges.

by **Bad Bob** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 1:57 pm

alwayslfc wrote:I'm not surprised if we finish 6th or even in bottom half just above relegation zone.

Funny thing was that we didn't manage to end up near the relegation zone last season despite an abysmal start, the legal circus surrounding the former owners, the eventual sale of the club, switching managers, selling our primary striker, and missing our captain for significant periods due to injury (including the entire run-in). If we managed to pull out a sixth-place finish last season given all of that sh!te why in the fook would we be anywhere near the relegation zone this season? So, the question is, are you off your meds or on a wind-up?

by **The Good Yank** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 2:40 pm

Bad Bob wrote: So, the question is, are you off your meds or on a wind-up?

Fair play for trying Mate, but I think this one is a lost cause :Oo:

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