Liverpool FC Forum

by **aCe'** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:31 pm

yep Mick" .. was having the same discussion with the same lad yesterday around the same time you were... was discussing our bench for the start of the season before he started going on about us having quality on the bench in the likes of Darby, Spearing and Dossena... even said Babel is one of the most sought after players in the world

...

Anyways according to him, Belletti and Song are no match to Darby and Spearing, the likes of Rosicky-Walcott-Eduardo-Zhirkov-Deco..etc are sh*t and arent even worth mentioning... anyways safe to say we disagreed about the quality we have in depth and he was lauded for being positive and a "breath of fresh air"... :;):

Back to who we need, as i said in the other thread, we dont have a 4th choice CB (for the starting ficture the 3 CBs we have at the club are a doubt), we dont have decent RB cover (nothing urgent but Kelly is something of an unknown and Degen is always injured and cant defend), we dont have backup for Gerrard, we dont have backup for Torres...

For now, we need to get the CB cover sorted out, and the Torres backup thing sorted out too... If we get that it would go a long way in making our bench look better, not to mention maintaining any chance we have of staying in a title challenge if either Gerrard or Torres are injured..

Silva would be good cover for Gerrard (if injured) and would improve our starting 11. However we'd still need a backup FW and CB if we get him, and to me it would be better if we get the backup thing sorted out before we go around spending big money (if we have it)

by **bigmick** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:37 pm

Centre half is our most pressing need as of now. At least if Torres is injured we have options to replace him, whether or not they are viable remains to be seen but at least we have some. If Agger and/or Carragher and Skyrtel aren't fit, we don't it seems to me have ANY viable options. Now no doubt someone will tell me off for forgetting about the Mexican 15 year old we have waiting in the wings, but we absolutely MUST have genuine, experienced centre backs and we must have four, not three.

by **JoeTerp** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:15 am

Gerrard has a backup, its Yossi.

I think the position we are all forgetting about is who would cover for Mascherano? Nobody else can really play like him. Plessis has regressed if anything since he had that pretty decent display against Arsenal a couple seasons ago. I guess it would have to be Lucas-Gerrard with Yossi behind Torres. Or Lucas-Aquilani when he is fit, but will that work? doesn't seem like there would be enough mustard cutting in that partnership.

by **JoeTerp** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:18 am

But anyway, there seem to be small problems all over the place, which could be a big problem. We can't afford to go splash 25 million that we might even have on what I would call a "luxurious" upgrade when we have several "meat and potatoes" needs that need addressing.

by **bigmick** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:20 am

The back up for Masherano Joe is Lucas, Gerrard and Spearing. Might not be the deepest list of back ups, but it's longer than our three centre halves list. We had this a couple of seasons ago when we missed out on Heinz, we went in with 3 and within a couple of weeks we were fecked. You could even argue that we desperately need a FIRST CHOICE centre half (I have in the past), but whatever, everyone needs four not three at the start of the season.

by **baldricks_cunning_plan** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:35 am

Amazing isn't it. We don't have this, that or the other yet still time and time again last year, with this squad, proved we're better than anything the Premiership has to offer.

All of a sudden we don't have anything in reserve. Ah well I suppose last year was a total fluke. I've gotta open my eyes and see things for how they are and only be happy when we have a side that looks something similar to this.

Casillas
Ramos Terry Ferdinand Cole
Ronalso Gerrard Messi
Silva
Villa Torres

And our bench is: Cech, Vidic, Carvalho, Diego, Kaka, Mata, Augero

Or on the other hand I could always accept that not every player we have is the best at what they do yet actually note their good points rather than target in on their less than convincing points.

by **bigmick** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:41 am

Listen Baldy

don't be daft. Last season we ended up having to play Martin Skyrtel at right back because we had no credible cover. We had to play Javier masherano at right back ditto, we had Fabio Aurelio playing in central midfield, and more than once we had Dirk Kuyt up front

. Nobody is saying either that the squad is sh!t, the team is sh!t, or that we need World Class players in every position. What some people are saying is that the cover needs to be credible.

Now in terms of centre back cover, it isn't credible becasue it doesn't exist. We only have three recognised centre backs, albeit one of them being Carragher who as you said yesterday is in your opinion the best centre half in the Premiership. I'm not saying we should go out and buy the second best centre half in the Premiership (Rio Ferdinand maybe

) but I am saying we should buy one who can actually play in the Premiership.

by **woof woof !** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:42 am

baldricks_cunning_plan wrote:Amazing isn't it. We don't have this, that or the other yet still time and time again last year, with this squad, proved we're better than anything the Premiership has to offer.

And yet somehow despite proving time and time again "with this squad we're better than anything the premiership has to offer" we failed to win anything at all .

Guess it comes down to what your definiton of "better" is.

by **bigmick** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:45 am

Someone said this lad was a "breath of fresh air" yesterday

We've got enough people who talk b0ll0cks as it is without recruiting more of em

Fair play though, bit of positivity and all that, I'm all for it as long as we do try and tenuously link it in with reality just from time to time.

by **aCe'** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:46 am

Yea you're right baldrick... we should try to improve on a title winning side , oh wait...

Why did we miss out on the title again last year ? and please dont give me the refs, FA, other managers...etc etc nonsense...

by **baldricks_cunning_plan** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:56 am

bigmick wrote:Listen Baldy don't be daft. Last season we ended up having to play Martin Skyrtel at right back because we had no credible cover. We had to play Javier masherano at right back ditto, we had Fabio Aurelio playing in central midfield, and more than once we had Dirk Kuyt up front . Nobody is saying either that the squad is sh!t, the team is sh!t, or that we need World Class players in every position. What some people are saying is that the cover needs to be credible.

Now in terms of centre back cover, it isn't credible becasue it doesn't exist. We only have three recognised centre backs, albeit one of them being Carragher who as you said yesterday is in your opinion the best centre half in the Premiership. I'm not saying we should go out and buy the second best centre half in the Premiership (Rio Ferdinand maybe ) but I am saying we should buy one who can actually play in the Premiership.

As I pointed out yesterday Skrtel (still not Skrytel) and Mascherano (still has a C in it which is why Masherano is incorrect) played at right back when a) Arbeloa was injured. b) Degen was injured. c) Darby was injured. d) Carragher refused to play there. What would you suggest the manager did in that situation? Would you have asked Sammy Lee to kit up? Would you have moved Torres to right back?

Aurelio into the centre of midfield. I imagine you mean the Portsmouth game in which Aurelio was named man of the match, but what a silly move that was. This despite Aurelio playing in the middle of the park on numerous occasions for Rafa at Valencia.

Kuyt playing up front. Well what a silly thing to do, playing a forward up front. Shock horror, call the press quickly. And judging by your recent remarks about not rating Ngog or Babel too highly, who would you have played up front? Would you have again asked Sammy Lee to kit up or would it have Pellegrino's time this time out? Would you have thrown Torres up front while the lad was injured? Would you have kept the prolific Robbie Keane and asked him to do a job he couldn't?

Even with all of these problems we still scored more than any other side last year, we lost less than anybody else last year, we had the best goal difference in the league. So again just because we have to mess about with our formation we suddenly have a poor squad?

Well for your information, Wayne Rooney was played on the left wing plenty of times last year despite United having this fantastic squad. Anelka was used as a left winger in Chelsea's all mighty squad. Essien has been used as a right back for Chelsea as has Hargreaves at United. John O'Shea has played here, there and everywhere in these fantastic squads.

When injuries hit, which for us they did last year, you have to move players around. It wasn't because of lack of quality or depth in the squad because if it was United and Chelsea wouldn't be poncing around with their sides would they? Considering the injuries we had last year, we done more than well enough.

by **baldricks_cunning_plan** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:00 am

woof woof ! wrote:
baldricks_cunning_plan wrote:Amazing isn't it. We don't have this, that or the other yet still time and time again last year, with this squad, proved we're better than anything the Premiership has to offer.

And yet somehow despite proving time and time again "with this squad we're better than anything the premiership has to offer" we failed to win anything at all .

Guess it comes down to what your definiton of "better" is.

We were still the best side in the league last year, unfortunately for us being the best team wasn't good enough because the second best team had the officials.

If for example Gerrard's goal in the early minutes against Stoke had stood we'd have been two points better off. If Styles could see Jloyd Samuel win the ball, United would have been two points worse off. This giving each side 88 points and with our +50 goal difference we'd have taken the league.

Only two decisions that cost us.

by **red37** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:01 am

baldricks_cunning_plan wrote:As I pointed out yesterday Skrtel (still not Skrytel) and Mascherano (still has a C in it which is why Masherano is incorrect)

Ronaldo also has a 'D' in it.

Couldn't resist that one. Oh and its Aguero as well.....

by **baldricks_cunning_plan** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:02 am

bigmick wrote:Someone said this lad was a "breath of fresh air" yesterday We've got enough people who talk b0ll0cks as it is without recruiting more of em Fair play though, bit of positivity and all that, I'm all for it as long as we do try and tenuously link it in with reality just from time to time.

I do look at things quite honestly.

I just look on the positive honest side of things rather than sit here and be negatively honest. But both sides are needed for debate and it both sides need to be looked at by everybody.

I know our shortcomings, but rather than pin point them I'd happily see the good in our players.

by **baldricks_cunning_plan** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:06 am

red37 wrote:
baldricks_cunning_plan wrote:As I pointed out yesterday Skrtel (still not Skrytel) and Mascherano (still has a C in it which is why Masherano is incorrect)

Ronaldo also has a 'D' in it.

Couldn't resist that one. Oh and its Aguero as well.....

They're not Liverpool players. If there were I'd be concerned if I misspelt them, but point noted nonetheless.

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