Liverpool FC Forum

by **ConnO'var** » Thu May 07, 2009 6:13 am

metalhead wrote:Connovar, I don't see much Essien as the Makelele mold, I think he is more of box to box player, but with Chelsea he is playing a bit deep with the system they use, However when he was with Lyon (I think) he played more as a box to box, like Gerrard. He is an immense player, thats why Chelsea missed him this season.

I agree to a certain extent metalhead.... well picked out btw...
He was a box-to-box player in his Lyon days.... and he executed that role well. I guess I have just gotten accustomed to see him play for Chelsea when they deploy him as a midfield anchor.

I think he's definitely world class as well.

Good point though..... it is indeed rare for a player to excel in 2 different roles in central midfield.

by **HacksawJimDuggin** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:40 am

Going on the assumption that Lucas will be moved on (I'd like to see him stay as I see a player in him) and the fact it looks increasingly likely that Barry will join in the summer so our midfield is pretty much crammed with quality with Mascha, Alonso, Gerrard, Barry, Riera, Yossi, Gerrard, Kuyt etc etc. We don't need another midfielder.

If the rumour threads are right and Alonso might be a target for Milan and a few others then we would absolutely need a ball playing replacement in the midfield. I am a big fan of Mark Noble and also Steve Ireland but they are probably more in the Stevie G attacking MF role.

If Rafa just comes out and says that Alonso is staying then any MF issue/discussion is closed. He can then focus on the attacking MF/Striker/FB and CB requirements.

by **Judge** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:41 am

would love iniesta at lfc

by **andy_g** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:59 am

alonso: IF he goes - and i really hope he doesn't - i just can't think of another player who could come in and play that role for us. its a role that is vital to the way we play and so no alonso would mean us having to restructure our whole game, not just the tweak and make do we have done when he has been out. maybe a pirlo of 3 or 4 seasons ago would fit the bill, or just maybe a xavi hernandez of today even though he is a slightly different kind of player - but i can't come up with anything else.

essien: a monster of a player in every sense of the word. i don't think i would take him as a replacement for alonso, but as a replacement for mascher i might just be tempted, as much as i love mascher. highly effective at breaking up opponents play, powerful driving forward, can weigh in with a few goals, and can even fill in fairly well at right back, as we have seen. i don't think there is any coincidence at all between his return from injury and chelsea's return to form.

by **Festy** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:17 am

Judge wrote:would love iniesta at lfc

Seconded. Monster of a player who never gives the ball away under any pressure whatsoever. I just love this guy. Essien tried his best to steal the ball from him last night but he never gave it away. What a player. If anyone can replace Alonso, he is the man. :buttrock

This will always be a dream though. :down:

by **Bad Bob** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:19 pm

Festy wrote:
Judge wrote:would love iniesta at lfc

Seconded. Monster of a player who never gives the ball away under any pressure whatsoever. I just love this guy. Essien tried his best to steal the ball from him last night but he never gave it away. What a player. If anyone can replace Alonso, he is the man.

This will always be a dream though.

Iniesta is absolute quality but he strikes me as someone who would struggle significantly with the pace and physicality of English football. I also think he'd be a bit exposed in our team since his game is ALL about clever little 1-2 passing and movement. Not that we don't have good players or technical skill but I just don't seem him dovetailing as effectively with our lads as he does with some of his Barca teammates. No, for me, Iniesta's in that category of players that looks awesome from afar but would not handle the transition to English football at all.

by **ConnO'var** » Thu May 07, 2009 1:26 pm

Bad Bob wrote:
Festy wrote:
Judge wrote:would love iniesta at lfc

Seconded. Monster of a player who never gives the ball away under any pressure whatsoever. I just love this guy. Essien tried his best to steal the ball from him last night but he never gave it away. What a player. If anyone can replace Alonso, he is the man.

This will always be a dream though.

Iniesta is absolute quality but he strikes me as someone who would struggle significantly with the pace and physicality of English football. I also think he'd be a bit exposed in our team since his game is ALL about clever little 1-2 passing and movement. Not that we don't have good players or technical skill but I just don't seem him dovetailing as effectively with our lads as he does with some of his Barca teammates. No, for me, Iniesta's in that category of players that looks awesome from afar but would not handle the transition to English football at all.

I tend to agree as well. Maybe not for us..... we're not set up to suit his game..... For Arsenal on the other hand..... he may just flourish.

But whatever it is, the lad is quality for sure.

by **tubby** » Thu May 07, 2009 1:51 pm

bigmick wrote:Who said Rooney was just a "good" player, overrated? We on about Wayne Rooney here not some bloke who plays for Stockport or something? I must confess he's a thoroughly dislikeable little ponce in his Man Utd garb (although he seems a reasonable enough fella in real life from what I read) and he's a bit horrible on a football pitch, but surely nobody can dispute he's a good player can they? I haven't read that one, you do get some strange views on here sometimes.

If you can watch Rooney play, and come to the conclusion that he isn't an excellent footballer at the very least, then it's hard to know how to form a sensible argument against that.

I think it was Lando who said that in the Arsenal thread. I think he is a great player. Exceptionally talanted, just sometimes not that consistent.

by **heimdall** » Thu May 07, 2009 2:59 pm

bavlondon wrote:
bigmick wrote:Who said Rooney was just a "good" player, overrated? We on about Wayne Rooney here not some bloke who plays for Stockport or something? I must confess he's a thoroughly dislikeable little ponce in his Man Utd garb (although he seems a reasonable enough fella in real life from what I read) and he's a bit horrible on a football pitch, but surely nobody can dispute he's a good player can they? I haven't read that one, you do get some strange views on here sometimes.

If you can watch Rooney play, and come to the conclusion that he isn't an excellent footballer at the very least, then it's hard to know how to form a sensible argument against that.

I think it was Lando who said that in the Arsenal thread. I think he is a great player. Exceptionally talanted, just sometimes not that consistent.

He works his :censored:

off though. Rooney is a fantastic player but I feel that he is a bit overshadowed by Ronaldo these days.

BTW I'd much rather have Essien than Iniesta. Essien is an absolutely awesome midfielder.

As much as I hate Chelsea I do feel a bit embarassed to be Norwegian today, that was the worst refereeing I have ever seen, and Drogba was right it was a fecking disgrace, mind you so was his reaction after the match but I can appreciate his feelings.

by **bigmick** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:04 pm

I actually think Iniesta is a fine footballer who would make the grade in England. The best ones normally do, particularly if they are young enough and hungry enough. What you need in England in bucketloads is desire. You have to want to make it badly enough, then if you've got the tools you'll get there. If Morientes or Deco style you get dumped on your erse a few times and almost visibly think "I don't need this sh!t" then you are never going to get there. If on the other hand you are a Torres who has not only the tools in terms of pace and strength to get himself out of little pockets of rapidly dimishing space, you've got a chance. If allied to that like Torres you've got a bit of "have a bit of that you c..." about you then you'll get there.

Deco definately would have made it in England five years ago i think, Morientes probably if he was younger and hungrier, and was prepared to fight for the right to play (as opposed to party I suppose).

Iniesta I like based on the couple of times I've seen him for Spain, and the Barcelona Chelsea games. Bundles of talent, and no shrinking violet. You might have to wait for him to get there, but I'm pretty sure that get there he would. Blokes like Hleb got there in no uncertain terms, and he's a better player than him I'm fairly sure of that.

by **Sabre** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:18 pm

It's interesting that theory about the desire, because I can think of many lazy players that triumphed in Spain, but for that they had to be top top top quality. I'm thinking of Romario or Riquelme or Ronaldinho here.

It's true though that it's difficult to spot that kind of player in England. I'm pretty sure Riquelme's football wouldn't work, but I still think Romario at his best with all his lazyness would have scored lots. But his quality was exceptional. He would be perhaps the exception that confirms the rule.

by **RedBlood** » Thu May 07, 2009 11:22 pm

personally i wouldnt swap our central mids for anyone i think in the 4 2 3 1 formation we play alonso masch n gerrard complement each other perfectly and its only the wide positions i would try and improve

by **Lando_Griffin** » Fri May 08, 2009 8:20 am

aCe' wrote:hahahaha... Essien is just good.. not world class... hahahaha.... yea ok....

Hahahaha - Ace knows what he's talking about... Hahahahaha.... Yeah, OK...

Your eye for a player is worse than Ricky Hatton's balance.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Fri May 08, 2009 8:30 am

aCe' wrote:
bigmick wrote:Who said Rooney was just a "good" player, overrated? We on about Wayne Rooney here not some bloke who plays for Stockport or something? I must confess he's a thoroughly dislikeable little ponce in his Man Utd garb (although he seems a reasonable enough fella in real life from what I read) and he's a bit horrible on a football pitch, but surely nobody can dispute he's a good player can they? I haven't read that one, you do get some strange views on here sometimes.

If you can watch Rooney play, and come to the conclusion that he isn't an excellent footballer at the very least, then it's hard to know how to form a sensible argument against that.

was our very own footballing expert Lando ... Apparently Essien and Rooney are sh!t ...

Quote (bavlondon @ May 04 2009,20:37)
Rooney should have been really playing for Ireland too.

Lando:

If he DID play for Ireland, this myth that he's some wonder-player would never have been dreamed up.

He's the most overrated shock of sh*te I have ever seen waddle on a football field.

Im sorry Sabre i know you and Lando now share a special relationship and all that but i truely cant help but find his footballing knowledge laughable at best...

He didn't score a competitive goal for England for 3 years, despite playing virtually every game and having the team built around him.

The lad has ability, but is wildly overrated. Put him in a side like Ireland, and that would be all the more apparent. That is the truth of the matter.

by **Fowler_E7** » Fri May 08, 2009 10:31 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:
aCe' wrote:
bigmick wrote:Who said Rooney was just a "good" player, overrated? We on about Wayne Rooney here not some bloke who plays for Stockport or something? I must confess he's a thoroughly dislikeable little ponce in his Man Utd garb (although he seems a reasonable enough fella in real life from what I read) and he's a bit horrible on a football pitch, but surely nobody can dispute he's a good player can they? I haven't read that one, you do get some strange views on here sometimes.

If you can watch Rooney play, and come to the conclusion that he isn't an excellent footballer at the very least, then it's hard to know how to form a sensible argument against that.

was our very own footballing expert Lando ... Apparently Essien and Rooney are sh!t ...

Quote (bavlondon @ May 04 2009,20:37)
Rooney should have been really playing for Ireland too.

Lando:

If he DID play for Ireland, this myth that he's some wonder-player would never have been dreamed up.

He's the most overrated shock of sh*te I have ever seen waddle on a football field.

Im sorry Sabre i know you and Lando now share a special relationship and all that but i truely cant help but find his footballing knowledge laughable at best...

He didn't score a competitive goal for England for 3 years, despite playing virtually every game and having the team built around him.

The lad has ability, but is wildly overrated. Put him in a side like Ireland, and that would be all the more apparent. That is the truth of the matter.

Sorry but i think you have been blinded by the hatred with Man utd and Chelsea. To say that Rooney and Essien are anything but top class players is ridiculous IMO

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