Liverpool FC Forum

by **bigmick** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 6:46 pm

Ah well, best get it out of the way. I'm referring of course to Robert Earnshaw scoring twice today for West Brom. After the ridicule I endured last week for daring to suggest we sign him, I couldn't just let it pass without comment.
I know one swallow doesn't make a bellyfull but my feeling is that he will score goals, even in a very poor side. Just wanted to make the point that my original suggestion was not quite as laughable as some would have you believe.

by **Gareth G** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:00 pm

Just because he scored twice today (i dont know how he could possibly claim that first goal) doesnt mean hes good enough to play for us, if you want to look at it that way then why dont we bring Diouf back, after all, he scored against Newcastle!!

by **bigmick** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:06 pm

Absolutely right Kop, but given the pounding I took surely nobody would begrudge me a little dig.

BTW lads, lets not get too down about today. It was kinda predictable in a way. Even Rafa can't keep pulling rabbits out of the hat everytime.

by **115-1073096938** » Sun Nov 07, 2004 12:53 am

He's a decebt player who can and will score goals.

Good enough for Liverpool though? You must be joking.

by **Woollyback** » Sun Nov 07, 2004 12:56 am

Good enough for LFC? No. I used to think he was worth a gamble at £1.5 - 2m but not so sure now, but still a better prospect than Neil mellor

by **fivecups** » Sun Nov 07, 2004 12:58 am

Not for me Big Mick.

I'd rather see Sinama get a decent run than play Earnshaw.

by **bigmick** » Sun Nov 07, 2004 12:03 pm

Thing is, most of these lower div' players can't make the step up. You've gotta be real careful or you can waste money on 'em wholesale. Who was that clown we bought from Oxford? Aldor, aalldro, Aldridge that's his name, knew I'd remember it. Useless. Didn't score that many did he? I said at the time, it's all very well scoring goals in the lower divisions but at Liverpool? replacement for Ian Rush? you must be joking. Thank god we found some mugs to take him off our hands, Real Sociadad as i remember. Useless there too, fans hated him. Alright he was top scorer in La liga but so what? Just could never get it out of my head that he'd played in the lower leagues. I remember his last game at Anfield when he threw his boots into the crowd. Must have been 'cos the fans all hated him. Total failure. Now we're on the subject, who was that other idiot we signed from Oxford? Houghton, that's right. Another useless player.
I much prefer it now that it's excepted wisdom that lower league players are never ever able to make the step up anymore. After all, its much better to go and buy some bloke who hasn't got any clue about English football than it is to give someone a pop from a lower league team. They're never any good anyway, look at that Stead bloke at Blackburn. I know he kept 'em up on his own last season but he can't get in the team now can he? A million quid? what a waste of money.

by **JBG** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:46 am

Round two to you, BigMick.

Its bloody typical that Earnshaw scored twice a few days after many members here (me chief among them) completely slated him! :laugh:

by **the great one** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:49 am

but the first one came off greening but its like micheal owen goal for england vs wales if he had not got the vital touch the goalkeeper would of saved it same with greening touch. but the touch could gave earnshaw massive confidence like owen has had :cool:

by **Starbridge42** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:23 am

Hey I'd take him over some of the other clowns we've been linked to, like Beattie and Anelka.

by **Santa** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:49 am

bigmick wrote:Thing is, most of these lower div' players can't make the step up. You've gotta be real careful or you can waste money on 'em wholesale. Who was that clown we bought from Oxford? Aldor, aalldro, Aldridge that's his name, knew I'd remember it. Useless. Didn't score that many did he? I said at the time, it's all very well scoring goals in the lower divisions but at Liverpool? replacement for Ian Rush? you must be joking. Thank god we found some mugs to take him off our hands, Real Sociadad as i remember. Useless there too, fans hated him. Alright he was top scorer in La liga but so what? Just could never get it out of my head that he'd played in the lower leagues. I remember his last game at Anfield when he threw his boots into the crowd. Must have been 'cos the fans all hated him. Total failure. Now we're on the subject, who was that other idiot we signed from Oxford? Houghton, that's right. Another useless player.
I much prefer it now that it's excepted wisdom that lower league players are never ever able to make the step up anymore. After all, its much better to go and buy some bloke who hasn't got any clue about English football than it is to give someone a pop from a lower league team. They're never any good anyway, look at that Stead bloke at Blackburn. I know he kept 'em up on his own last season but he can't get in the team now can he? A million quid? what a waste of money.

Yeah and you forgotten another useless player named Whelan...and the goalkeeper we signed for Scunthorp (sp?) named Clemence. Total waste of space.
And the Aldo-guy, he even missed a penalty against Winbledon...what a knob! I think we signed him because he looked like Rush and we certainly missed Rush when he went to Juve.
Seriously though...I don't think the gaffa will consider Earnshaw to solve our problem upfront.

by **bigmick** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:45 am

Just strikes me that in these days of global scouting networks and even untapped areas of the world crawling with top clubs representatives, the one area of untapped potential left for the really big clubs are the lower divisions. All older fans like myself could name you a team of past Liverpool players who came from lower division clubs and went on to become Liverpool legends.
"Yeh it's different now mate. things have changed." Can't think for the life of me why. Principle's still the same it seems to me. Take a good player from a lower division team, rarely is he good enough to go straight in but let him train with International players, introduce him gradually and you might just get yourself a player.
"Too much of a gamble, besides Brithish clubs charge too much." Thats OK then, we'll go and buy Diouf for 10 million. No gamble there.
See its OK saying sign Morientes or whoever, if you have the cash to splash. If you haven't, then you've got to look at the likes of Johnson, Earnshaw, Nathan Ellington, Stead or whoever. Ask yourself this, if we had any of these blokes, would they get a game for us this weekend? I reckon.

by **Redtribe** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:47 am

One point to make is all of the players mentioned on this thread that made the step up from Lower Divisions are over a decade ago if not more!
I think the game has changed since then. I'm not saying it has changed for the better but it has most definitely changed!
Who was the last person you can remember to make a large impact coming up from lower divisions?
For me it was Ian Wright!
Now I’m not sure if its neglect from the larger clubs, the F.A, sponsors or the fact that academy’s have replaced the roles of smaller clubs that’s has contributed to the downturn in the trend of scouting lower divisions!
I also think that the difference between the Premiership and lower leagues have changed significantly since the premiership was born!
There is a lot more continental influence in the premiership now and still a more traditional physical long ball blood and guts mentality in the lower leagues i.e. Liverpool Millwall anyone!
I honestly feel that smaller teams neglect the technical and more skilful tactics and training that higher teams demand, unless players are taken at a young age and schooled by the larger academy’s!
There are so many factors in this that you just can’t pick out one major influence!
I probably feel the best way to do things now is to get the young talent you want and the blood them on loan at lower teams to give them the feel on English football!
For me the whole league system is flawed.
And to go back to the subject of Earnshaw he seems a good pro but not of the level we want! For reasons I mentioned before he probably had the potential but has been held back by his seasons down the leagues!
Another point being I don’t think he is the right kind of player we need, I think someone who can head the ball well and hold the ball up and provide good link up play is a better option!

by **bigmick** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:09 pm

The fact that there hasn't been many if any players making the step up in the last ten years explains why nobody bothers looking anymore I guess Red. I think Rob Jones may have been an exception were it not for injury and Cahill might make a player at Everton. Robbie Keanne from Coventry did well and the aforementioned Stead from Huddersfield kept Blackburn up last season. Collymore made the jump from Southend via Forest but I accept that it doesn't happen anything like as frequently as it used to. Football has changed undeniably, I'm definately not advocating filling the team with Scunthorpe rejects but sometimes a look doesn't hurt.
On the question of Earnshaw, I know he's not everyones cup of tea. You've already stated your thoughts which are fair enough. It's just a touch irksome when people don't even consider the possibility, just dismissing him or Johnson out of hand. If Johnson's first name was Andreus rather than Andy, or Earnshaws was Roberto then we might be talking. It's a bit like Allardyce's comment, "if my name Allardicci I'd be managing a top club." Sometimes the more you look for something you don't realise its been under your nose all along.

by **Redtribe** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:38 pm

Mick i totally understand where you are coming from and i dont have any problems signing players from lower divisions!
Undeniably they will always be a risk because of the gulf in class but it doesnt mean they can't do it!
As the risk is with bringing players in from other countries that they cant adapt to a different lifestyle and way of football!
I would look at young players in lower leagues that show the potential of fitting into our squad and i have no doubt that RAFA is doing just that!
Its an interesting subject that runs deep into the running of the English game!
Although it will never change i have been adament that if football was to be set up now rather then 100 years ago the amount of teams there are should be reduced! The fact that there are many average sides even poor sides and many more average and poor players doesnt help the learning curve of young and potentialy great players, as they are not pushed and tested in the right ways.
One or two may turn up every few years but it isnt very often or with massive impact.

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