Liverpool FC Forum

by **bigmick** » Thu May 28, 2009 12:16 pm

There's a few that will obviously be transfered back into the Premiership, although I'm far from convinced many if any will make it to big four clubs. Half of Newcastles squad will be sold off if they can find buyers, and no doubt will end up at the likes of Blackburn and Bolton. Brunt may be taken by a Premiership club, while the likes of Martins will be taken on by a top half club, and Coloccini will probably go back to Spain.

Downing is obviously a good player and someone will pay the 12 million or so Middlesboro will want for him. My guess is he's probably a bit better than he looks and will do well at an everton, a Villa or a Spurs. Tuncay I like and I think he is a tidy footballer. He's a mile ahead of N'Gog and the like, bt I suspect we will be looking to sign somebody better. He'd have got games for us this season, but wouldn't next time around I don't think.

Out of all of them I'd probably take the young kid at Middlesboro down the left, Alan Johnson I think his name is. My suspicion from the couple of times I've seen him is that he might make a player, although there have been whispers about some very big clubs having a look. The last thing that kid needs is to be kicked to pieces in the Championship, he's tricky and ten stone dripping wet, so for his own good he needs to stay in the Premiership. On the other hand, Downing moving on might just be the making of him. He's better though IMHO than Babel as a potential replacement for a rested Riera, and like I say he looks like he might just make something out of himself.

by **Owzat** » Thu May 28, 2009 12:45 pm

Think it might be Adam Johnson, Mick. I think we might get him cheaper than Downing, but perhaps the question has to be would Johnson or any of the others be good enough to break into our first XI?

Reina
ARBELOA
AURELIO
Carragher
SKRTEL/AGGER
Kuyt
RIERA
Mascherano
Alonso
Gerrard
Torres

A striker would be back-up to Torres in this formation, but the weakest links or places up for grabs are arguably those I've put in CAPS. Are even they that vulnerable? Would Taylor, Wheater or any of the CBs be better than Skrtel or Agger? Is Downing better than Riera? Maybe, but not so much that I'd want to pay the kind of money Boro would demand. Should we be shopping at those clubs because they've been relegated, or focus on what players we need and the best options?

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Thu May 28, 2009 3:01 pm

Festy wrote:Here's my choice:

Wheater (as a backup)
Downing (as a backup)
Tuncay (rotation/backup)
Alves (rotation/backup)
Adam Johnson (youth)
Steven Taylor (backup)
Basson (backup)
Coloccini (backup)
Obafemi Martins (backup)
Owen (pay as you play backup)
Borja Valero (backup)

They would all fit in well in the roles I mentioned above. Any thoughts ?

Your having a laugh aren't you.

We the closest to winning a title in years and you honestly think that shower of sh!te would pass as Liverpool players.

A fit Michael Owen is the only player I would consider, and that is sentimental.

:no

The only player I have been really impressed with from the relegated sides is Chris brunt of West Brom. He's young and has a brilliant first touch. Playing with the big boys may discover some hidden talent there.

by **tubby** » Thu May 28, 2009 3:11 pm

Or show him up to be average which he probably is. Owen is past it now, I expect him to go play for his boyhood club now.

by **redbeergoggles** » Thu May 28, 2009 3:36 pm

Festy wrote:Here's my choice:

Wheater (as a backup)
Downing (as a backup)
Tuncay (rotation/backup)
Alves (rotation/backup)
Adam Johnson (youth)
Steven Taylor (backup)
Basson (backup)
Coloccini (backup)
Obafemi Martins (backup)
Owen (pay as you play backup)
Borja Valero (backup)

They would all fit in well in the roles I mentioned above. Any thoughts ?

Any thoughts ? ........

priceless

by **bunglemark2** » Thu May 28, 2009 3:58 pm

lakes10 wrote:there is a player i would love to see get a shot at the big time and thats Giles Coke from Northampton Town.

I have seen him 3 times this year and was shocked how good he was and could not work out why he was playing for Northampton Town.

he has just been offerd a new deal but has not taken it yet, i think we could get him for 100-200k, he was great in midfield but looked enen better when going down the wing.

Maybe you were off yer box, mate !!

(I jest)

by **aCe'** » Thu May 28, 2009 5:18 pm

In order i'd only consider the following to be honest.. others simply arent good enough and our money would be better spent elsewhere...

Owen (free as backup)
Tuncay (5-10 mill no more as backup for Torres or Gerrard if we decide to keep our setup, if we decide to go 2 upfront we shouldnt consider him as 1st option)
Martins (again 5-10 mill no more, same reasons above)
A.Johnson (young and if we can get him on the cheap then he can be a decent backup for the left flank if Babel is sold or moved elsewhere on the pitch)
Brunt (decent backup for both wings and should be a cheap option if we pay big to improve other positions)

wouldnt consider any of the defenders in any of the relegated sides... they were simply sh!te on a weekly basis and none of them stood out and we have already got better...

by **Owzat** » Sat May 30, 2009 10:23 am

Reality check for everyone. Newcastle are quoting Bassong at £15m according to papers the other day. That's not to say he's not worth £15m, personally I think he's worth £7m at ABSOLUTE most, but more an indicator of what kind of fees they'll be talking.

It is of course ridiculous if the reports of lots of players on high wages are true, they won't get £15m offers and be stuck with the wage bill.

Newcastle/Middlesboro Rumours (source : bbc gossip)

Owen to the bitters? (today, Daily Mail)
Martins for £7.5m to Fiorentina (today, Daily Star)
Downing can leave, except to spudz (today, Daily Star)
Bates to quit Championship football? (Friday, Daily Mirror)
Martins for £8m to Fiorentina (Friday, Independent)
Bassong for nothing less than £15m (Friday, The ***)
Downing available for "top four" transfer (Thursday, Daily Mirror)
Rafa revives interest in Wheater (Wednesday, Daily Telegraph)
Tuncay, Alves, Downing and Wheater among those leaving Boro (Monday, Daily Express)

Not much in the way of knock-down fees there, I had to laugh at Owen to the bitters, wouldn't be the first former "big four" player they took with a history of injuries. According to Monday gossip, WBA's Brunt is rated at £4.5m. A lack of quality at the clubs and not a lot of chance they'll sell cheap either.

David Moyes is weighing up a bold move for Michael Owen when he launches his summer spending after today’s FA Cup final.

The Everton manager will meet chairman Bill Kenwright next week to discuss transfer funds and targets, and a bid to take Newcastle’s former Liverpool and England striker Owen back to Merseyside is believed to be on the agenda.

Moyes explored signing him last summer and is ready to look at it again with Owen, 29, out of contract following Newcastle’s relegation from the Premier League.

However, Everton not only expect him to more than halve his ?110,000-a-week wage but are eager for a pay-as-you-play clause.

Owen, a boyhood Everton fan, wants to play on at the highest level. Wigan are also interested.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport....te.html

I think Owen to the bitters is less likely than smeegel to Celtic.

by **crazyhorse** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:33 am

I would take Downing.

He is young and at that age when the step up to a club like ours would bring more out of him. In a good side I think he would be a better option than Rierra....he has more pace.

At the present moment obviously Albert is the better bet for us, but Downing has the potential to be far better as a complete player.

by **bigmick** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:46 am

crazyhorse wrote:I would take Downing.

He is young and at that age when the step up to a club like ours would bring more out of him. In a good side I think he would be a better option than Rierra....he has more pace.

At the present moment obviously Albert is the better bet for us, but Downing has the potential to be far better as a complete player.

I'm not sure I agree mate that Downing has it in him to be better than Riera, in fact I'm pretty sure I don't. That said, I think Downing is a much better player than he's shown for either Middlesboro or England, and whoever signs him (Spurs is my bet) is going to get a very good player.

Bit of a contradiction then? Not really no. I actually think that Riera has it in him to improve significantly on what he's shown so far, and to become the best left sided midfielder in the Premiership. That may seem a bit strange since I made it clear I wasn't in favour of his signing, but it's been a funny year.

In many respects, Riera has proven my original misgivings correct. He flits in and out of games, doesn't enjoy the physicality of the Premiership, needs a "rest" every couple of weeks, and barely plays more than an hour at a time. Allied to that, he has a habit of going missing, doing tricks on the half way line and ducking out of near post headers when he's defending the front zone, and he's maddeningly inconsistent.

All that said though, he quite clearly has far more quality than I ever game him credit for. He has a neat little trick or two, a decent change of pace, can hit it with both feet and is oddly pretty good in the air. Yes he likes to have a bit of a tumble, but he's also quite strong when he wants to be and is hard to knock off the ball. His first touch is good, as is his vision and I've got big hopes for him in his second season.

I think he can be our Robert Pires (which is praise indeed as Pires was a fantastic player). I think he can score 7 or 8 league goals in a season and make at least as many. I'm very hopeful that he can be good enough to well and truly ram my words pre-signing down my throat next season. If he becomes anywhere near the player I think he can be, we don't need Stewart Downing that's for sure.

by **Owzat** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:52 am

Rumours today have it Mike Ashley is going to sell up, and I would be so unsurprised if he did since I forecast it when they got relegated. He put the club up for sale before, but I don't think he really intended selling, it was merely to appease the geordies getting on his back. But now he will get blame for their relegation, even though the fans' choice of appointment arguably cost them any hope of staying up.

Still the fans may well get what they want, as usual, without REALLY getting what they want. They could win a trophy, albeit the Championship and promotion, and get rid of Ashley who may well have kept them from doing a Leeds a lot sooner. They may even get their choice of manager (retained/returned), not that any of the messiahs have been up to the task since the mid-90s. Must be an uneviable task owning, playing for or managing the barcodes unless you are a messiah in the eyes of the fans.

by **J*o*n*D*o*e** » Sun May 31, 2009 11:41 am

setanta news are claiming where interested in bringing Owen back

by **tubby** » Sun May 31, 2009 11:54 am

Yeah here is the story.

Players tell Rafa Benitez: Bring Michael Owen back
Steve Bates

Michael Owen will be heading back to Anfield - if Liverpool's senior stars have anything to do with it.

Influential Kop players want boss Rafa Benitez to gamble on bringing back Owen to Merseyside in the same way he gave Robbie Fowler one final Anfield fling.

That move, with Fowler leaving Manchester City in January 2006 on a free, was rapturously greeted by Liverpool fans - and the Kop faithful would also welcome back Owen with open arms.

Owen, 29, is also on a free having failed to commit himself to a new deal with the Toon. It's understood he doesn't see life in the Championship as an option.

Luxury The star spent eight glorious years at Anfield scoring 118 goals in 216 games before leaving for Real Madrid in an £8million deal five years ago. He moved to Newcastle for £16m a year later.

The striker has been consistently overlooked by England boss Fabio Capello who privately believes Newcastle hasn't been the right environment for Owen.

Now, with no transfer fee to pay, top Liverpool players reckon there's no reason NOT to move for Owen - especially as Benitez is short on strike power to support Fernando Torres in attack.

Tottenham and Everton are both watching Owen's situation closely. But if Benitez listens to his own dressing room Liverpool's one-time goal-den boy could make a shock return to Anfield.

by **J*o*n*D*o*e** » Sun May 31, 2009 12:03 pm

cant really see it happening myself but if its on a free and maybe a pay as you play due to his recent injuries then why not take the chance.

by **crazyhorse** » Sun May 31, 2009 12:40 pm

Indeed why not....

If it comes off then we have another goalscorer, if it does not we can offload him after a season and have lost nothing but his wages and signing on fee.

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