Liverpool FC Forum

by **Ciggy** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:14 am

Aberdeen are interested in bringing in Liverpool forward Florent Sinama Pongolle on loan as manager Jimmy Calderwood attempts to strengthen his attacking options before the transfer window closes on August 31.

The French forward is recovering from a knee injury and Anfield manager Rafael Benitez may be willing to allow the 20-year-old to go on loan.

Aberdeen have scouted the player, who has played 49 first-team games for the European champions, scoring six goals.

Sinama Pongolle signed for Gerard Houllier in 2003, but was injured in the Carling Cup semi-final against Watford in January 2005 and is only now returning to full fitness. He made his return to action for Liverpool's reserves last week, scoring and setting up a goal in a 3-2 defeat by Everton.

Benitez has put his faith in Spaniard Fernando Morientes to lead the attack. Djibril Cisse is being linked with a move to Marseilles, Milan Baros is wanted by Aston Villa and French champions Lyon and Michael Owen is constantly being linked with a return to Anfield from Real Madrid. Benitez already has Anthony Le Tellec out on loan to Sunderland.

Calderwood wants to sign a centre forward and central defender before the August 31 deadline and Aberdeen's executive director of football Willie Miller knows the need for new recruits is pressing following the 2-0 weekend defeat by Hearts. Captain Russell Anderson and defensive partner Zander Diamond both had stitches in head wounds.

Miller said: "We have a list of names we are working through at the moment, but we have not yet drawn up a shortlist. We have been taking in games in England to see which players are out there, whether they are suitable and whether they are available.

Word from Pittodrie is that Rafa has actually offered Aberdeen FSP for the Season on Loan.

I cannot see this happening atall, Pongolle will solve our right winger problem out, plus he can turn a game when he comes on, I hope this is a load of BS, if pongolle goes out on loan, we already have le tallec on loan to Sunderland and Milan baros will be gone by the end of the week

3 strikers taken from our list of 6, and rumours are rife over Cisse also :sniffle

by **BringBackTiti** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:42 am

id keep hold of him and try him on the right wing

by **gary106** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:53 am

i REALLY hope he doesnt go, i say keep hold of him and use him on the right myself? any ideas when he's back in full training? he wont be costing an excessive amount in wages so its daft to offload him now especially when we NEED a right winger

by **Ciggy** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:04 am

gary106 wrote:i REALLY hope he doesnt go, i say keep hold of him and use him on the right myself? any ideas when he's back in full training? he wont be costing an excessive amount in wages so its daft to offload him now especially when we NEED a right winger

He came on the second half last week for the reserves and scored.
I dont know but this all sounds like the decks are being cleared to bring home the prodical son. :oh:

by **bigmick** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:24 am

I'm actually of the opinion that this sort of thing is overdue at Liverpool. We didn't finish 38 points behind the top slot because we are a top squad lets be honest. the reality is, Rafa was left quite a few that weren't good enough and to be fair has probably added at least one to the list.
I'm personally of the opinion that Pongo isn't up to it. Like Le Tellec he clearly has some talent but whether he is good enough to play for a top four team in the Prem is doubtful in the extreme. Clearly to get to that level he needs to mature and improve and he isn't going to do that playing for our reserves or sitting on the bench. Get him out into the shop window. Worse case scenario is that we pick up a couple of Million when teams can see what he does. Best case is that he shuts up know-nothing doubters like me and makes himself into a player. I really think it's time for blokes like him, Welsh, Mellor etc to be playing games at a competitive level on a regular basis. If ultimately they aren't up to it, we owe it to them as much as ourselves to move them on.

by **Ian Rush's Right foot** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:28 am

I'm actually of the opinion that this sort of thing is overdue at Liverpool. We didn't finish 38 points behind the top slot because we are a top squad lets be honest. the reality is, Rafa was left quite a few that weren't good enough and to be fair has probably added at least one to the list.
I'm personally of the opinion that Pongo isn't up to it. Like Le Tellec he clearly has some talent but whether he is good enough to play for a top four team in the Prem is doubtful in the extreme. Clearly to get to that level he needs to mature and improve and he isn't going to do that playing for our reserves or sitting on the bench. Get him out into the shop window. Worse case scenario is that we pick up a couple of Million when teams can see what he does. Best case is that he shuts up know-nothing doubters like me and makes himself into a player. I really think it's time for blokes like him, Welsh, Mellor etc to be playing games at a competitive level on a regular basis. If ultimately they aren't up to it, we owe it to them as much as ourselves to move them on.

I say give them a chance, just look at the arsenal team!

by **bigmick** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:53 am

Ian Rush's Right foot wrote:I say give them a chance, just look at the arsenal team!

Not really sure I understand your point mate to be honest. I'm not anti-young players by any means. Since you mention Arsenal we could talk all day about Cesc Fabregas who is a marvellous footballer in my view. Could develop into one of the best midfielders in World football in a couple of years. Ashley Cole's understudy Clichy is another smashing player, as is Senderos the centre-half. Flamini is no waster in the centre-mid slot and Reyes is probably similar in age to Neil Mellor though I'm sure you will agree this is the only way in which they are comparable.
Carson at Liverpool is only a kid yet looks as though he will make it, similarly Sissoko who I think? is 20 and has all the attributes needed.
Players almost always improve with age. They develop and sometimes you can't see how good they are going to be in the end. Few (and certainly not me) could have predicted that Carragher would become the player he has but this shouldn't stop us from facing up to reality when we have to. By the age of 19 or 20 you get a decent idea with most players. My idea is that with this current crop, only Warnock has what it takes to become a first-team regular.

by **liverpoolrich** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 12:01 pm

BringBackTiti wrote:id keep hold of him and try him on the right wing

Why dont you want garcia there

by **Ciggy** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 12:32 pm

Ian Rush's Right foot wrote:
I'm actually of the opinion that this sort of thing is overdue at Liverpool. We didn't finish 38 points behind the top slot because we are a top squad lets be honest. the reality is, Rafa was left quite a few that weren't good enough and to be fair has probably added at least one to the list.
I'm personally of the opinion that Pongo isn't up to it. Like Le Tellec he clearly has some talent but whether he is good enough to play for a top four team in the Prem is doubtful in the extreme. Clearly to get to that level he needs to mature and improve and he isn't going to do that playing for our reserves or sitting on the bench. Get him out into the shop window. Worse case scenario is that we pick up a couple of Million when teams can see what he does. Best case is that he shuts up know-nothing doubters like me and makes himself into a player. I really think it's time for blokes like him, Welsh, Mellor etc to be playing games at a competitive level on a regular basis. If ultimately they aren't up to it, we owe it to them as much as ourselves to move them on.

I say give them a chance, just look at the arsenal team!

Oh come on lad, our young players arnt of the caliber of Arsenals, once every decade you get a good pick of the bunch of young home grown players, e.g. rooney, Fowler, owen, gerrard and carragher.
We havent had this quality in the youth since they appeared on the scenes a good few years ago.
I would keep pongolle, but would loan out or sell Neill Mellor and probably sell Le Tallec if he was any good he would be a permanent fixture in the first team by now but he has been loaned out twice already.
I think Rafa is clearing out all of Houlliers buys slowly but surely.
And I also think Big Mick is spot on with his assement.

by **66-1112520797** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 1:37 pm

bigmick wrote:I'm actually of the opinion that this sort of thing is overdue at Liverpool. We didn't finish 38 points behind the top slot because we are a top squad lets be honest. the reality is, Rafa was left quite a few that weren't good enough and to be fair has probably added at least one to the list.
I'm personally of the opinion that Pongo isn't up to it. Like Le Tellec he clearly has some talent but whether he is good enough to play for a top four team in the Prem is doubtful in the extreme. Clearly to get to that level he needs to mature and improve and he isn't going to do that playing for our reserves or sitting on the bench. Get him out into the shop window. Worse case scenario is that we pick up a couple of Million when teams can see what he does. Best case is that he shuts up know-nothing doubters like me and makes himself into a player. I really think it's time for blokes like him, Welsh, Mellor etc to be playing games at a competitive level on a regular basis. If ultimately they aren't up to it, we owe it to them as much as ourselves to move them on.

bigmick ive read a couple of your other posts in the rumour thread,and you feel Glen Johnson would be worth signing for the right mid position.
Well i for one would rather give ping pong a fair crack at the whip in that position first.I think he would offer us so much more going forward, and attacking defenders better than Johnson would.

He may not be as good in the tackle but im sure he would track back and learn how to play in that role.

After all flair is what we lack down the right flank and ping pong has alot more in his locker when going forward.

Basically if you would be willing to risk GJ in that position why wouldnt you try FSP in that position ?

by **bigmick** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 2:27 pm

It's a fair call Bamaga man and only a matter of opinion really. First thing is neither Pongo nor Johnson are currently right-sided midfielders. We are considering here which would convert better. My suspicion however is that whereas Pongolle always will be a central striker, Johnson has the look of a right sided midfielder who for whatever reason has been playing out of position at full-back all his career. His apparent talents would so obviously lend themselves to playing right midfield and the fact that his full-back inadequacies (a tendancy to ball-watch and to over elaborate) would cease to be so important lead me to be amazed that nobody in the game has ever considered the idea before.
I use the term right-midfielder as opposed to winger quite deliberately because thats what I feel we need. I don't think we need a Peter Barnes/John Robertson/Stevie Hieghway sort of player. I think we need a Wright phillips, a Beckham, A Ljundberg or if the money don't stretch that far a Steve Stone of five years ago. Somebody who works the line forward and back.
It's all opinion mate, yours is as valid as mine but my hunch is that Pongo won't do the biz there for us. As for Johnson, maybe one day somebody will give it a try (they might as well because he won't make a full-back while he's got a hole in his jacksy) and then we'll see if I'm right.

by **66-1112520797** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 2:56 pm

Fair comment ,how about looking at it like this Ljundberg on the right Pires on the left for Arsenal.Beckham on the right Giggs on the left.
Riise/Zenden on the left Sinama on the right.

Looking at the first two they have a "right sided midfielder" on one wing and on the opposite they have a "winger"
Where as we only have the "left sided midfielder" in Riise and Zenden on the opposite wing i think we could do with somebody like Ping Pong who can help the forwards as Giggs and Pires does for there teams.

That was What Kewell was bought for but thats another debate that run until hell freezes over.

by **Kincorth Rules - Aberdeen** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 5:49 pm

So pongolle will be a good signing for us? If we do get him you will get first option on Zander Diamond. I bet thats the deal rafa has offered.

by **stmichael** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 6:17 pm

i see that john welsh has gone on loan to hull for a season. good move for him. at the end of the day, he's never going to get a sniff here.

by **Fernando Morientes > 19 <** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 6:19 pm

Good opportunity for young Welsh to get some more experience.

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