Liverpool FC Forum

by **cptrios** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:36 pm

Soccernet is reporting that Sissoko's just signed a new 4-year contract with us. I'd paste the link but right now the content of the article is simply "More to follow."

I have to say, this throws me for a bit of a loop...I was expecting him to be the most likely to leave, with the addition of Mascher and Lukas and whatever right winger we sign. But it also reinforces my confidence that Rafa has things a lot more figured out than we know. He must have some kind of plan, to have convinced Momo to stay another four years. I suppose time will tell.

by **lakes10** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:41 pm

yes its on the bbc now

FOOTBALL: Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko signs new four-year deal with the club..

it is good news but i would be more happy if it was a new top player we had just got.

by **lakes10** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:42 pm

bbc sport

Sissoko signs new Liverpool deal

Sissoko has made 71 appearances for Liverpool in two seasons
Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko has signed a new four-year contract with the Anfield outfit.
The 22-year-old Mali international has been linked with a summer transfer, but he will now be staying with Liverpool until at least 2011.

"It was never in my thoughts to leave Liverpool," he told the club website.

"It has obviously given me a huge boost to my confidence that the manager believes in me and wanted me to stay. Now I want to repay him on the pitch."

Sissoko joined the Reds from Valencia for £5.6m in July 2005 and has gone on to play 71 games without scoring.

He added: "I read about the speculation linking me with other clubs but I am already at a big club and it's an honour for me to be able to call myself a Liverpool player.

"I feel fresh and can't wait for the new season to start.

"I am injury-free and although I know I'll face a battle for a place in the team as we have so many great midfielders I'm prepared to fight for a position."

Sissoko joins Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Xabi Alonso and Jose Reina in signing a long-term deal at Anfield this summer.

by **JoeTerp** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:13 pm

I don't like this at all. It had been rumored that we were going to do this around the same time as we when we signed up Xabi and Reina, but I thought that we had gained some smarts when we went awhile without signing him. We are stacked in CM, and Momo offers the least out of all of them. I can almost never see a situation when I would rather have him play than Macherano or Alonso or maybe even Lucas (I hope). Having a log jam at the centre and only Pennant on the right encourages Rafa to play Gerrard on the Right, which is not his best position. If we sold Momo now while he is in somewhat high demand and only 22 we could make a nice profit before teams realize that he is the most incapable offensive player ever. AND HE HAS FITNESS ISSUES!! We probably have the best CM in the world without Momo, and we could use the money from his sale to help out on the wings or to finally seal up this torres saga.

by **Penguins** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:34 pm

Totally agree.
90% of the games I'd want a cm consisting of Alonso/masch/gerrard cause they are without a doubt the best we've got.
Sure, if we have a transfer budget of £50m+ keeping Momo would be ok, but now when there is interest, getting 10m+ for a 4th/5th choice would be very good business if it helps us getting a class winger.
Cause we do not have the best midfield in the world, NOT in a long shot. A midfield consist of 2 cm and 2 wingers and not 4 cm!
If we end up the transfer window with one winger and no new right winger cause of not enough funds, I'll be very displeased.
Forcing Gerrard out wide so Momo will be happier is not a bright idea at all.

by **Bad Bob** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:56 pm

JoeTerp wrote:I don't like this at all. It had been rumored that we were going to do this around the same time as we when we signed up Xabi and Reina, but I thought that we had gained some smarts when we went awhile without signing him. We are stacked in CM, and Momo offers the least out of all of them. I can almost never see a situation when I would rather have him play than Macherano or Alonso or maybe even Lucas (I hope). Having a log jam at the centre and only Pennant on the right encourages Rafa to play Gerrard on the Right, which is not his best position. If we sold Momo now while he is in somewhat high demand and only 22 we could make a nice profit before teams realize that he is the most incapable offensive player ever. AND HE HAS FITNESS ISSUES!! We probably have the best CM in the world without Momo, and we could use the money from his sale to help out on the wings or to finally seal up this torres saga.

I think it's a little harsh to say he has fitness issues, Joe. A dislocated shoulder and a boot to the eye are pretty freak incidents not anything chronic and he's pretty much recovered from both (although there is some sense that the eye isn't quite 100% he's still fit enough to play). Beyond those issues, Sissoko's got to be one of the fittest lads in the side, especially when it comes to stamina.

by **LFC2007** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:06 pm

Penguins wrote:Forcing Gerrard out wide so Momo will be happier is not a bright idea at all.

Do you think Rafa would re-sign Momo just to placate him? I think Rafa has re-signed him as he feels he is a great talent and an important part of our future - like he has been telling us time and time again in press conferences.

by **dawson99** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:10 pm

great news if you ask me. the season is long, we will need all our best players and our squad is looking good, just need that great signing or two which is just around the corner.

how any 'fan' can be upset when a player we like commits to the club i just dont know :no

by **mikey** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:51 pm

excellant news he is one of our best players, some ppl think just bcos mash played the last 12 games of last season that he has cemented his place in the team, not the case momo is also young and still learning and has the potential to be a great player, Rafa has obviously known this for a long time and knows the competition for places will make all of our midfield players better.

by **Penguins** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:28 pm

So why did Masch play every damn game for us after he arrived?
Momo was there, but played :censored:

when he got the chance.
Middlesbrough anyone?
At 22, soon 23 not being able to make a pass will not make you a 1st team regular at this club.
We have at least 3, maybe 4 central midfielders that are better than him and competing for 2 places.
Then we have 2 wingers, none of them top class and one of them very injury prone, competing for 2 places.

This is an equation that will not work.
We need at least 2 top class wingers and at least 1 top class striker.
Even if some disagree they will cost:
25m+ for a striker and 35m for 2 wingers.
Anyone thinking malouda and mancini for example will go for less are fooling themselves. Already 13m flat out rejected for Mancini and Lyon want 17m nothing less.
That amounts to 60m which we don't have.
A new centre back would also be welcome.
So which is best??

Having
Malouda Masch Gerrard Mancini
with
Kewell, Alonso and pennant as backup or

malouda masch Gerrard Pennant with
kewell Alonso and Momo as backup?

The answer is so obvious. Those 10-12 million for Momo would help us alot and would mean almost nothing in CM since we are stacked there anyway!
Rotating is fine but 5 for 2 places brings no continuity at all and someone will be one the outside looking in way too often for their liking. None will settle for backup and still 3! will have to.

by **Sabre** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:39 pm

Good news, and the length of the contract talks about the faith Rafa has on the lad.

At the least, Sissoko has proven to be very useful in some games, and through out the season we'll be playing games in which his well known ball winning attributes will be handy. I don't think he'll play as much as he's been playing this two years, but that could be said about Alonso too, the competition is for everybody.

I'm happy for the lad.

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:42 pm

Sissoko was outstanding for us the season before last ,and was our best player early last season until his injury. Admittedly he played poorly when he came back from injury but you dont get rid of a player because he had a dip in form. I would quite willingly have sold him if it meant we would be signing Eto'o or Tevez but I am delighted he is staying.

by **Reg** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:57 pm

Penguins wrote:That amounts to 60m which we don't have.

We have to pay them almighty wages every week as well, the transfer fees just the beginning!

Maybe we have the cash to buy them but not the cashflow to pay them. Gotta buy more bovril at the game lads.... :buttrock

by **Graeme Noble** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:09 pm

It's okay for rotation, and he's good for the Carling Cup. But Gerrard, Mascheran and Alonso are all better options.

We need to sell Zenden!

by **Penguins** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:19 pm

We get £0 for Zenden. Good for carling cup and the Fa cup?
Might as well bag 12 million and let Leiva play those cup games.
Sissoko will play alot less games this coming season. it's so very obvious he has fallen down the pecking order.
I'm not sure he's aware of the fact that he will, like you said, be played in the cups and sit on the bench alot.
Sure, some games he might be useful, but freeing up £10m+ is worth alot more than a player that has his use in a few games a season.
If he continues to play like he did at the end of last season, I'd really like for him to move on.
It would be a clear sign that he hasn't devloped his game.

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Sissoko signs new 4-year deal

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