The Liverpool discussion thread 2006/2007

Brian2468 wrote:Robben would work fine....the diving would stop I'm sure...

He's hated by Liverpool fans, theres no way he'd fit in here, don't think Pepe would get on with him!

I wonder how much better or worse would Gerrard play in a more offensively driven Liverpool side.....

What you mean by offensively driven?

If you take Liverpool and Man U and compare there best teams Man U are a more offensive styled team having more players that are comfortable attacking on the teamsheet week in and week out. imo

So put him in a Man Utd team or make Liverpool play attack football?
Liverpool have players that fit a system its just not possible to just turn up and play some other kind of football.

If you put him in a Man Utd team in a 442
then
Taking the midfield only
Ronaldo----Gerrard----Scholes----Giggs , wont work
but him with Carrick can , it would be a decent partnership but like the one with Gerrard and Alonso and Liverpool tried that already.

or put him in the right side of midfield and Ronaldo on the left wont work either because at the moment Utd have only one Evra that overlaps and adds width(assuming that both Gerrard and Ronaldo would like to go more central and cut in) while Gary is a good RB he is getting on.

playing 4231

Carrick----Scholes

Ronaldo----Giggs-----Rooney

I think he can fit in easily for Giggs but the hole , playmaker role isnt where he is at his best.

Pele.... My Question about Gerrard was does he play better in a side that is more defensive minded in there team make-up or better in a Liverpool side that is more attack minded.....

Pele?
depends in a safety first team there are always player given more freedom then others and also in a gung ho type of play some players have limited role.
Gerrard does well in a free role not a disciplined one whichever team you put him in.

Man U could play with one winger.

Ronaldo can switch making Rooney,Gerrard and Ronaldo work in a three formation.

Pele.

Dark Savante.... I thought you were the poster Pele that use to be here.....

Careful with Diego Milito - he's a good player but I don't know if he's the kind of top-class signing that you need up front. He may be good in Spain but to me he doesn't come across as having the mental toughness required to adapt in England.

Gabi Milito, on the other hand...

I just want to say the Liverpool fans were amazing, even till right at the end when Milan had won, they kept singing.

Luis Garcia believes Liverpool fans have every reason to be excited regardless of the Champions League final defeat.
The Spaniard is sure summer investment from the club's new owners can turn he and his teammates into Premiership title contenders.

"There is a sense of anticipation with the new American ownership, especially among the fans," said Garcia.

"But the players feel it too. We know we need maybe two or three players to turn us into a side that will compete for the Premiership title. Our squad is not big enough.

"We have shown how good we can be in Europe, but we now need to go up a notch to compete with Manchester United and Chelsea in the league.

"We are closing the gap on those sides a little and with new additions to the squad it will help us step up again."

On a personal level, Garcia is preparing for pre-season after a six-month absence through injury.

"My injury is fine. I've finished the rehab and I will be ready for the pre-season work in July when we report back."

Luis wrote:

Parks lives wrote:But then if Gerrard gets injured you have to play Mascherano and Sissoko?

Surely be better if you kept Alonso (I'd rather you didn't personally ) then if Gerrard is injured - Alonso, Mascherano works, and if Mascherano is injured - Gerrard, Alonso.

You can also play all 3 like last night.

Can't believe you'd want to get rid of Alonso before Sissoko.

What does Alonso actually add? all he can do is pass well, if he doesn't do that he's useless, he cant really keep the ball and he's not the best tackler

luis luis luis

an astonishing claim

I don't want alonso to go anywhere. he is comfortably one of our best players

Kaká wrote:I just want to say the Liverpool fans were amazing, even till right at the end when Milan had won, they kept singing.

Thanks Kaka - I noticed but its nice to know someone else did...

COTR wrote:

Luis wrote:

Parks lives wrote:But then if Gerrard gets injured you have to play Mascherano and Sissoko?

Surely be better if you kept Alonso (I'd rather you didn't personally ) then if Gerrard is injured - Alonso, Mascherano works, and if Mascherano is injured - Gerrard, Alonso.

You can also play all 3 like last night.

Can't believe you'd want to get rid of Alonso before Sissoko.

What does Alonso actually add? all he can do is pass well, if he doesn't do that he's useless, he cant really keep the ball and he's not the best tackler

luis luis luis

an astonishing claim

I don't want alonso to go anywhere. he is comfortably one of our best players

Let's hope he starts showing it again

Football is full of baffling paradoxes and grand ironies. Or in other words, sometimes it just plain sucks.



In 2005 Milan gave the Reds a first half footballing lesson, and had the better of the later stages, but ended up humiliated. Two years later they were easily second best for the first 44 minutes, and barely created any chances all night, but clearly their luck had changed.

Had Dirk Kuyt's goal-bound first half shot not been deflected away by the kind of interception Liverpool relied on two years ago then things could have been so different. An inch or two and the game swings Liverpool's way.

Instead it was Pirlo's average free kick that deflected off Inzaghi's upper arm that made all the difference. An inch or two to the left and it misses the striker for an easy save. The ball never ran the Reds' way. Take Dida's parry from Pennant's shot as just one example.

Then there was the ref's refusal to give Gattuso the second yellow he deserved. It clearly wasn't going to be Liverpool's night.

However, over the two finals one win each strikes me as pretty fair. And while Milan banished their memories of two years ago, they cannot damage ours; the songs are just one reminder. The cup on permanent display is another. Five times is still the third best tally in European history.

Maybe too much history was made that glorious Turkish night; my fear before this game was that Milan would fluke a victory now that Liverpool have improved, and so it proved. That's an unwritten football rule. It's known as Sod's Law.

That's not to say Milan's quality wasn't apparent with some of their possession, but the game hinged on the jammiest deflection. It allowed them to dictate the tempo of the second half but still they rarely troubled Reina.

It's times like these that I'm most proud to be a Liverpool fan. Being adjacent to the travelling Kop I was reminded yet again of the power it possesses and the bond that exists between the crowd, the players and the manager.

Anyone would have thought Liverpool had won, such was the noise even 30 minutes after the game had ended. No other club has fans this gracious in defeat or inspiring in adversity.

After the final whistle, when another miraculous comeback had been denied by the referee's premature whistle, the masses of Reds stayed to applaud Milan and show their appreciation to Rafa and the boys.

Milan's players were shocked much later in the night when, having milked the applause of their fans, and finally ready to head in, they realised the remaining few thousand Liverpool fans were still applauding them. They came over for more appreciation, and will have left aware of how special our fans can be. It was a great moment.

While losing is a tough feeling to accept, this didn't come close to the sickening emptiness I felt at half time in Istanbul. There is no shame whatsoever in losing this 're-match', nor in this fashion.

If 2005 proved our players had amazing guts, this showed that we now have a superior football team. Play better, but lose. That's football.

Another paradox is that the club, in defeat, is better placed to push on this summer than it was two years ago as European Champions, when it was a case of having a clearout without the funds to make all the telling purchases necessary. New owners mean a fresh injection of talent on the pitch, to add to the exciting core that did everyone so proud in Europe this season. It will be a great summer.

No one outplayed us beyond a few minutes here and there, and the consistency across all Champions League games was excellent. Now that needs to be applied to the Premiership.

Last season showed what was possible, with a remarkable percentage of domestic games won, and I'd expect Liverpool to be back above the 80 point mark again.

I think back to Valencia, and how Rafa had impressive league seasons in alternate years. And also how he took a team that had just finished runners-up in the Champions League and, within a year, had ended their three-decade wait for a league title.

It's easy to say first is first and second is nowhere, but that Valencia side proved losing in club football's biggest final can be a stepping stone in progressing to greatness. Like Liverpool, they made it to two finals in quick succession, and only top teams can do that.

Some Liverpool players came of age on Wednesday night. Pennant, Agger, Kuyt, Mascherano and Crouch all experienced the biggest night of their careers and all had some great moments. All will have learned much in the process, and gained belief in their own abilities.
Pennant in particular deserves special praise.

Again it's paradoxical but the hurt of a defeat can motivate. Success breeds confidence, but defeat on such a big stage creates hunger. The crucial thing was that the players will be able to sense the improvement since Istanbul. After all, there was no sign of the mauling that humiliated Manchester United in the semi-final.

So there are positives to take from a disappointing result. But my abiding memories will centre around the amazing support, from Syntagma Square to the Olympic Stadium.

If a new Anfield can house more of these passionate Reds and recreate the Kop - perhaps even increase its size and power - then the sky will be the limit.

I'm in awe of them all, and consider myself lucky to be part of this large family. It's a great time to be a Liverpool fan.

New investment, world class stadium being built, and a manager who is as good as they come. There is the nucleus of top class players, and the team can only improve with time. So, congratulations to Milan, but well done to the Reds for a performance to make us proud

News in brief
Mascherano says Tevez signing is a possibility, while Barca look to buy Sissoko.

Liverpool eye Malouda, Xabi wants to stay at Liverpool and Rafa wants to keep him.

Hammil want a chance to prove himself at the club next season, and Gillet and Hicks will definitely back Rafa.

Liverpool's summer transfer hitlist includes Samuel Eto'o, Carlos Tevez, Daniel Alves and Gabriel Milito. (Sun) (yeah, right)

Liverpool will listen to offers for Craig Bellamy - who is wanted by Aston Villa and Blackburn. (Daily Express)

According to L'Equipe, Barcelona are closely tracking Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko.

Sissoko's future at Liverpool is shrouded in doubt following the signings of Javier Mascherano and Gremio starlet Lucas.

Barcelona could be keen on the Mali international, who is unlikely to have any qualms about returning to La Liga.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have reportedly joined the list of clubs interested in Lyon's French winger Florent Malouda.

Arsenal and Chelsea have both previously shown a desire to sign Malouda, but Juventus and The Reds now head the chase.

Malouda has a contract until 2011 at Lyon so Rafa Benitez is likely to have to pay in the region of €20million (£13.5million) to land his man.

I think Sissoko could well go - if Barca want him then maybe you could use him as a sweetner in a deal for Eto'o?

-----------------------Reina-----------------------
-Alves-------Carragher--Agger--------Aurelio-
-------------Alonso-----Mascherano-------------
-Gerrard------------------------------Malouda--
-----------------Tevez---Eto'o(?)---------------


We can dream.

Why is everyone so certain we will get Alves? he is also linked to Madrid and a few other great clubs, he hasn't said anything that would indicate he's coming here

£90 million Malouda, Alves, Eto'o and Tevez would cost.

Parks lives wrote:£90 million Malouda, Alves, Eto'o and Tevez would cost.

If they offered £30m and Sissoko - Eto'o would IMO be theirs.

Tevez is apparently worth £25m

Alves again would be about £25m and Malouda about £15m so I make that £95m AND Sissoko

Parks lives wrote:£90 million Malouda, Alves, Eto'o and Tevez would cost.

We probably could afford that with Hicks and Gillette's investment, there's no way we'll get both Eto'o and Teves though

Tweedle wrote:

Parks lives wrote:£90 million Malouda, Alves, Eto'o and Tevez would cost.

If they offered £30m and Sissoko - Eto'o would IMO be theirs.

Tevez is apparently worth £25m

Alves again would be about £25m and Malouda about £15m so I make that £95m AND Sissoko

If they spend that much, every fan should write a written aplogy to Chelsea.

I don't see how Barcelona need Sissoko. They do not need a box to box player as with Xavi/Iniesta and Deco they need someone who is comfortable will a sole defensive role. Maybe someone like a Makelele or a Mascherano figure. They were after Frings a few months back, he would have been perfect.

Even with all the speculation around Eto'o I still believe he will be a Barcelona player next season. Why would they let the best striker in the World leave after a few disagreements? Tevez on the other hand is a real possibility, proven in the Premiership and still has plenty of time to improve still - A top player.

I hope we get Malouda.

Luis wrote:

Parks lives wrote:£90 million Malouda, Alves, Eto'o and Tevez would cost.

We probably could afford that with Hicks and Gillette's investment, there's no way we'll get both Eto'o and Teves though

I watched their interview on the BBC website, what a pair of twats.

Kimbo wrote:

Luis wrote:

Parks lives wrote:£90 million Malouda, Alves, Eto'o and Tevez would cost.

We probably could afford that with Hicks and Gillette's investment, there's no way we'll get both Eto'o and Teves though

I watched their interview on the BBC website, what a pair of twats.

Cool