Liverpool FC Forum

woof woof ! » Tue May 08, 2012 9:06 am wrote:

Basil » Tue May 08, 2012 9:00 am wrote:
Liverpool were always criticised during the Houllier and Benitez years for not having enough British players so we tried to change it and sign a core of British talent. We had to pay premium prices and perhaps it hasn't worked as well as we'd hoped but I'm sure we've realised that and we will now try to sign the best players we can, whatever their nationality.

Believe me, I'm no little Englander, I'm not even English and I would like a successful Liverpool team whatever the nationality of the players but I will support this club through good times and bad times and I don't think it's helpful to criticise everything and everybody at this club if things don't go as well as we hope.

Our recent recruitment of predominately English players may have more to do with the home grown ruling than any supposed criticism received during the Rafa or Houllier era.

If I remember correctly we're allowed to register a 25 man squad of players over the age of 21, 8 of whom must be "home grown".

The 8 home grown players can be any nationality but before the age of 21 they must have spent three years at a club affiliated to the English or Welsh FA.

This may explain in part why we bought players like Carrol, Henderson and Downing.

I don't think the numbers in terms of just those three players adds up given that we could have retained Cole, Ayala and and Insua last summer in order to meet those regulations.

Was only a maybe mate, and another mabye is perhaps we thought Cole, Ayala and Insua weren't good enough 

I think we definitely need to add a CM, RW, and another attacking player this summer. I think the defense is ok. 

As far as the sale of players is concerned, it would be silly to offload players like Downing, Henderson, Adam, and Carrol for a fraction of what we bought them for. The mistakes were already made in buying them for more than they were worth. It looks like Carrol is starting to come good and Henderson is showing glimpses. I would however get rid of Downing if we can get anywhere near 12m...he just doesn't look like he has it and doesn't work hard. At his age, he's not going to get any better.

Spearing is just not good enough. He gives away possession far too easily and was at fault for both of Chelsea's goals over the weekend (gave away possession for the first, let Lampard get around him far too easily for the second). In hindsight, Shelvey would have been a much better choice to start in that game. Far superior touch and awareness.

So, it's the end of the season and the squad looks something like this:

                                                         Reina/Donni/Jones

Johnson/Kelly/Flannagan          Skertel/Carra                       Agger/Coates                      Enrique/Aurellio

                                                  Lucas/Spearing/Adam/Henderson 
                                                            Gerrard/Shelvey
Downing                                                                                                                        Maxi

                                                    Kuyt/Carroll/Suarez/Bellamy 

Plus we've got Joe Cole, Aquilani, Wilson and perhaps a few others out on loan and we've got Sterling, Robinson and a few youngsters coming through.

It's not bad but it doesn't look like a squad that's going to going to push for a top four finish. With Aurellio on his way out and Robinson still a bit young, we could do with competition for Enrique at LB.

Will Kuyt and Maxi stay ? Even if they do, I would like to see us sign a top quality winger, a pacey finisher, a strong midfielder to replace Spearing and another left back. They also need to be winners and leaders, players who have the belief and ability to drive us forward.

its an 8th place squad.

We need a massive injection of quality, especially central midfield and upfront. Those are the two positions where we are weaker than ever.

Its all well and good having the rose tinted glasses on and putting some weird spin on the players that we have, but reality takes precedence. To everyone outside the club, and those of us realistic inside the club, we are bogstandard.

We spent over 110m, of which 22m was spent on one truly class player. The other 90million has been squandered on decent/poor players and the quality of the squad has nosedived as a result.

We are not making progress, we are regressing.

Would this sort of squad be a big improvement ?


                                                         Reina/Donni/Jones

Johnson/Kelly/Flannagan          Skertel/Carra                       Agger/Coates                      Enrique/Robinson

                                                  Lucas/Spearing/Adam/Henderson/Spearing
                                                        Gerrard/Shelvey
                                                                   Aquillani/Rasmus Elm
Downing                                                                                                                        Maxi/Gaston Ramirez

                                                    Kuyt/Carroll/Suarez/Bellamy/Jackson Martinez

is anyone seriously worried about how far we have fallen, we have finished 7th, 6th and 8th in the last 3 years! where miles away from being competetive with the top teams

Fowler_E7 » Sun May 13, 2012 7:13 pm wrote:is anyone seriously worried about how far we have fallen, we have finished 7th, 6th and 8th in the last 3 years! where miles away from being competetive with the top teams

i think thats why we need to be realistic, it`s not as if we`ve suddenly finished 8th after finishing 1st and 2nd for the last few years.
this season has been a major dissappointment there`s no getting away from that but at the moment the club is still recovering from the upheaval of the hicks and gillette tenure.

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Sun May 13, 2012 7:22 pm wrote:
i think thats why we need to be realistic, it`s not as if we`ve suddenly finished 8th after finishing 1st and 2nd for the last few years.
this season has been a major dissappointment there`s no getting away from that but at the moment the club is still recovering from the upheaval of the hicks and gillette tenure.

While this is true I'd also say that this club is suffering from the effects of poor transfers in last summer and a manager who appears to be struggling to find the right formula and whom appears to be coasting along in the vain hope that everything falls into place. Of course, we'll not mention that eh? We'll put it down to Hicks and Gillett.

Boxscarf » Sun May 13, 2012 8:58 pm wrote:

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Sun May 13, 2012 7:22 pm wrote:
i think thats why we need to be realistic, it`s not as if we`ve suddenly finished 8th after finishing 1st and 2nd for the last few years.
this season has been a major dissappointment there`s no getting away from that but at the moment the club is still recovering from the upheaval of the hicks and gillette tenure.

While this is true I'd also say that this club is suffering from the effects of poor transfers in last summer and a manager who appears to be struggling to find the right formula and whom appears to be coasting along in the vain hope that everything falls into place. Of course, we'll not mention that eh? We'll put it down to Hicks and Gillett.

well i could argue that the reason kenny is even managing the club is down to hicks and gillette, he was retired dont forget and on no ones radar as a future manager but the club was in such a state (practically in civil war) that a respected and statesman like figure was needed to steady the ship.

Fowler_E7 » Sun May 13, 2012 7:13 pm wrote:is anyone seriously worried about how far we have fallen, we have finished 7th, 6th and 8th in the last 3 years! where miles away from being competetive with the top teams

At one point (albeit brief) in January 2011 we had a frontline of Torres and Suarez, we also had a back up midfielder in Mereiles... if we were to take a snapshot of that squad we had then, and compare it to now, its that nosedive in quality that has seen us have our worst PL season ever.

Having spent over 110 million, because Kenny has made us worse it is hard to argue with him being fired. That outlay dwarfs what Wenger has spent, yet hes in the CL year in year out. Good coaching and good spending are the two things that Kenny hasn't displayed. It was similar at his last job with Newcastle.

I personally would give Kenny one more season IF (and its a big if) hes given adequate funds this summer to bring in top quality in central midfield and upfront. He has already had those funds and squandered them, the question now is will he get a second bite to get it right. If he is fired, no-one could have any complaints. There are many previous managers who have done far better than him and have been sacked. Having already been given 110m, if the owners plan to give him very little cash then he should go now as what we have won't get better than 7th.

We never had a frontline of Suarez and Torres . Torres left immediately after Suarez arrived - they never even trained together so I'm amazed you can even suggest they were in a squad together.

Merieles is one very overhyped player - he did nothing for 4 months then he scores 4 or 5 in 4 games and then he disappeared again.

Benny The Noon » Sun May 13, 2012 10:43 pm wrote:We never had a frontline of Suarez and Torres . Torres left immediately after Suarez arrived - they never even trained together so I'm amazed you can even suggest they were in a squad together.

Merieles is one very overhyped player - he did nothing for 4 months then he scores 4 or 5 in 4 games and then he disappeared again.

Did nothing for 4 months? what the hell are you on about he was one ou best players last season, its amazing how you critisise a player like Merieles for doing nothing but constantly defend other players who did far less in a Liverpool shirt

Please remind us what Mereiles did during August to December 2010 whilst we were tearing up the league under Hodgson

Benny The Noon » Sun May 13, 2012 10:43 pm wrote:Merieles is one very overhyped player - he did nothing for 4 months then he scores 4 or 5 in 4 games and then he disappeared again.

You’re talking out your @rse. Get a clue lad!