Summer 2013 Transfer Thread

[J-V]

Bullett dodged you think with this dreamteam scouting department they could find a cb other than one who is crocked and hadn't played for a while.

Who exactly have these City Scouts actually scouted when at City? I can't think of any unheard of player going to City and being a revelation in the last 5 or so years.

[Red House]

More than a top quality centre-back, what we need is a proper defensive coach as Rodgers clearly isn't much good at it. I'm more than happy with Toure, Skrtel and Agger. I would just sign a cheapish solid, if unspectacular, centre-back to replace Coates and see the big money (if we have any) being invested in a midfielder. We've had approximately the same defensive line (replace Carra with Toure) for a few years, and which was constantly one of the best in the league until Rodgers decided to mess up the defensive system. Utterly pointless to improve our attacking play if it is to downgrade the defensive solidity by the same extent. I've spoken at length last season about the utter stupidity of pressing high but then play a deep defensive line, and based on our first game, will have ample opportunity to do so again this season. For me, the real issue lies in the defensive set-up itself, not in the individual that constitute it.

[Jairzinho]

Spend some facking manny.

[boomer39]

Yep, it's extra frustrating for people because this was the summer we could have pushed on. We finished the season strong and kept Suarez. Managerial changes going on all around us, Spurs losing Bale, and we seem to have lost even more ground.

 

Edit: To Boomer, I never said anything of which you speak. If you don't think that at this moment in time we have missed the boat, then you're just closing your eyes.

 

Also, I would steer clear of papa.

so the team never looked ok vs stoke? at least wait for few more games...

[Mustangt125]

Scouting at City must be the easiest job in the world.

 

We should hire the best scouts in the world: Shahktar's.

 

gotta say, nothing from the club is filling anybody with much confidence.

[El Dangerous]

Kennedy Bakircioglu (sp?) and Julius Agahowa say hi

[El Rojo]

Sign Callum McManaman from Wigan and have him gradually end the careers of our rivals' shiny new £30m acquisitions.

 

He's a good young player though. Himself and James McCarthy would probably improve us, which is alarming in itself.

[Gym Beglin]

@Schalke_UK: MT @BILD_Schalke04: First training session with the ball - but Papa's knee requires treatment straight away ... http://t.co/H8IPflNy2n

 

I can't tell if that's Papadopoulos.

 

There, I said it.

[Mark M]

@Schalke_UK: MT @BILD_Schalke04: First training session with the ball - but Papa's knee requires treatment straight away ... http://t.co/H8IPflNy2n

In all fairness you've been saying all summer to stay clear. looks a good call now.

[Trucker Paddy]

 

Bullett dodged you think with this dreamteam scouting department they could find a cb other than one who is crocked and hadn't played for a while.

 

We've wasted the summer chasing a crocked CB who hadn't kicked a ball in 8 months, sheer fuckin stupidity.

[TheHitman]

Who exactly have these City Scouts actually scouted when at City? I can't think of any unheard of player going to City and being a revelation in the last 5 or so years.

 

My problem is we got lucky with Coutinho and if the owners and fans expect that to be a normal occurrence then they are deluded. I would also say it is far easier to get players to buy into City's plans with a bag full of money for wages etc. It's also worth mentioning Coutinho was good enough to be starting games for Inter in the c/l at 17/18 and even scoring a winner against Bayern.

 

The reality is Liverpool owners and fans are obsessed with value, a player is rarely a bargain when you buy him. Take Ferdinand, Carrick, Ronaldo, Lampard, Drogba etc, people laughed at their fees but in the long-term they have proved their value several times over. I think Dave wrote something on Bale and ultimately that he stayed at spurs and became a success was as much luck than any great plan by them.

 

I hope Rodgers is breaking balls and telling them this.

[Gym Beglin]

People bitch and moan, but if we put Suarez, Coutinho, Aspas, Sturridge, Borini, Sterling and Ibe on the market tomorrow do you reckon we'd have any takers?

 

Oh so we HAVE got a very good attacking unit already? This is all very confusing. I want to be devastated and sobbing but I just can't find an 'in' on this mourning.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

More than a top quality centre-back, what we need is a proper defensive coach as Rodgers clearly isn't much good at it. I'm more than happy with Toure, Skrtel and Agger. I would just sign a cheapish solid, if unspectacular, centre-back to replace Coates and see the big money (if we have any) being invested in a midfielder. We've had approximately the same defensive line (replace Carra with Toure) for a few years, and which was constantly one of the best in the league until Rodgers decided to mess up the defensive system. Utterly pointless to improve our attacking play if it is to downgrade the defensive solidity by the same extent. I've spoken at length last season about the utter stupidity of pressing high but then play a deep defensive line, and based on our first game, will have ample opportunity to do so again this season. For me, the real issue lies in the defensive set-up itself, not in the individual that constitute it.

 

Sorry, but it's a myth that Rodgers somehow undid our top notch defence. We were shite (in the league anyway) post Christmas 2011, and continued to haemorrhage goals at the drop of a hat until the season ended.

 

We needed to score more goals, that was abundantly clear. Ending 11/12 with +7 GD was atrocious, no amount of clean sheets earlier on could hide the fact. We conceded 3 more goals under Rodgers last season, yet ended with +28 GD.

 

I'd imagine the deep CB pairing will slowly creep further forward, as the Stoke game proved Toure has the pace and fitness to run the length of the field, which was never Carra's strong point.

[Bobby Hundreds]

People bitch and moan, but if we put Suarez, Coutinho, Aspas, Sturridge, Borini, Sterling and Ibe on the market tomorrow do you reckon we'd have any takers?

 

Oh so we HAVE got a very good attacking unit already? This is all very confusing. I want to be devastated and sobbing but I just can't find an 'in' on this mourning.

 

You're probably right. Infact we don't need to improve anymore or even try to, we already are good enough to secure top 4 possibly fight for the league. Save any cash we have put it in an ISA or something.

[piscinin]

Sorry' date=' but it's a myth that Rodgers somehow undid our top notch defence. We were shite (in the league anyway) post Christmas 2011, and continued to haemorrhage goals at the drop of a hat until the season ended.

 

We needed to score more goals, that was abundantly clear. Ending 11/12 with +7 GD was atrocious, no amount of clean sheets earlier on could hide the fact. We conceded 3 more goals under Rodgers last season, yet ended with +28 GD.

 

I'd imagine the deep CB pairing will slowly creep further forward, as the Stoke game proved Toure has the pace and fitness to run the length of the field, which was never Carra's strong point.[/quote']

 

So you're saying we were as shit as we were under dalglish. He's alluding to our time under benitez I think.

 

The issue w/the defence for large parts of last season was that it setup for a possession based game and a) we didn't keep possession well enough and b) we de-emphasized possession in favour of penetration later and didn't adjust accordingly until carragher came back in and we dropped off.

 

The defence was brittle especially when faced with any kind of concerted opposition pressure. Don't kid yourself that the concerns are purely mythical.

[Baltar]

We really need to add more quality to the squad. Almost all our summer signings have been made to replace players who have either retired or been sold. We haven't signed anyone to improve the squad, just to replace the departed. Our starting 11 is not good enough to get into the top 4 and would struggle to even make the top 6.

I like what BR is trying to achieve and I think we can all see the potential in the team but the truth is that the current squad is still some way off from challenging the top 4.

And the depth of the squad is worrying too. Our best 11 can hold their own against most teams but a few injuries and we'll be calling upon players who are frankly not good enough.

 

Come on FSG, start spending the cash you tight cunts.

[Bogman]

I wonder where this will lead us

 

Duncan Castles ‏@DuncanCastles3mWill have significant news on Luis Suarez's future later today. #LFC

[Red House]

Sorry' date=' but it's a myth that Rodgers somehow undid our top notch defence. We were shite (in the league anyway) post Christmas 2011, and continued to haemorrhage goals at the drop of a hat until the season ended.

 

We needed to score more goals, that was abundantly clear. Ending 11/12 with +7 GD was atrocious, no amount of clean sheets earlier on could hide the fact. We conceded 3 more goals under Rodgers last season, yet ended with +28 GD.

 

I'd imagine the deep CB pairing will slowly creep further forward, as the Stoke game proved Toure has the pace and fitness to run the length of the field, which was never Carra's strong point.[/quote']

 

No, it's not. No amount of stats is gonna convince me that we look far more vulnerable at the back than we did prior to Rodgers taking over. Usually, every time we went in front early we were always fairly confident than we would be able to see off the game more often than not. I'm sorry but there's nowhere near that sort of confidence now when we are in the lead, and you can clearly see it in the in-match threads.

 

You can keep kidding yourself that the deep defensive line was because of Carra, but the reality is that we played the first part of the season with Skrtel and Agger, and the issue was still plain obvious. I personally think that Rodgers is just tactically too inept to even realise that a high pressing game with a deep defensive line is just not gonna work out. Either he plays the high pressing game and push the defenders higher up as well with an offside trap. Or we just sit back and play the deep defensive line. Rafa always used the two combinations in perfect harmony. But, never our current combination of a high pressing game without an offside trap, that's just unforgivable tactical ineptitude at this level.

[Innova]

@Gerrard8FanPage: Liverpool set to sign Mamadou Sakho as he tells PSG he wants Anfield transfer: http://t.co/z9Q1Po1pbc

 

Sounds good if this is true. IF.

 

Sakho seems like a really good defender and he's young too.

[Russ Atmosphere]

I wonder where this will lead us

 

Duncan Castles ‏@DuncanCastles3mWill have significant news on Luis Suarez's future later today. #LFC

 

Haha journalists, the attention seeking plums.

[Strontium]

Scott Sinclair loaned to West Brom for the season.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

So you're saying we were as shit as we were under dalglish. He's alluding to our time under benitez I think.

 

The issue w/the defence for large parts of last season was that it setup for a possession based game and a) we didn't keep possession well enough and b) we de-emphasized possession in favour of penetration later and didn't adjust accordingly until carragher came back in and we dropped off.

 

The defence was brittle especially when faced with any kind of concerted opposition pressure. Don't kid yourself that the concerns are purely mythical.

 

I don't think he was talking specifically about Benitez as he said our defensive line was "constantly one of the best in the league until Rodgers decided to mess up the defensive system". This indicates he believes we were solid under Kenny too.

 

I don't want to get all stat-man here, but going from 40 goals conceded to 43 doesn't seem to indicate a defence that's slid from watertight and one of the best in the league to leaking goals and messed up.

 

After about November 2012 (some link it to Lucas' injury) we looked noticeably frailer in defence. The lack of a dedicated quality DM took its toll on Kenny's last six months as much as it did on Rodgers' first season. I think the emphasis placed on possession football is misplaced. When we kept the ball well under Kenny we looked tight, but often like we simply wouldn't score; this imbalance needed addressing.

 

I'm not kidding myself that the issues are mythical, i'm just saying that the assumption that they weren't there prior to Rodgers is just plain untrue.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

No, it's not. No amount of stats is gonna convince me that we look far more vulnerable at the back than we did prior to Rodgers taking over. Usually, every time we went in front early we were always fairly confident than we would be able to see off the game more often than not. I'm sorry but there's nowhere near that sort of confidence now when we are in the lead, and you can clearly see it in the in-match threads.

 

You can keep kidding yourself that the deep defensive line was because of Carra, but the reality is that we played the first part of the season with Skrtel and Agger, and the issue was still plain obvious. I personally think that Rodgers is just tactically too inept to even realise that a high pressing game with a deep defensive line is just not gonna work out. Either he plays the high pressing game and push the defenders higher up as well with an offside trap. Or we just sit back and play the deep defensive line. Rafa always used the two combinations in perfect harmony. But, never our current combination of a high pressing game without an offside trap, that's just unforgivable tactical ineptitude at this level.

 

I'm sorry, but using the in match thread as any kind of objective evidence is ridiculous.

 

Your assertion of an either/or situation is a little odd. So our only choices are pushing high up or sitting deep. Is there no middle ground?

 

As for tactical ineptitude, this ineptitude has brought exactly three more goals than the supposedly rock solid defensive line before it, yet 28 more goals. I'm not saying that's good enough, or that we've found a balance, but glossing over the problems that were there prior to Rodgers, and making out that the defensive line undermined everything thanks to Rodgers is not something i can agree with.

[Bobby Hundreds]

Haha journalists, the attention seeking plums.

 

Benzema story has give them a way in to write more crap.

[piscinin]

I don't think he was talking specifically about Benitez as he said our defensive line was "constantly one of the best in the league until Rodgers decided to mess up the defensive system". This indicates he believes we were solid under Kenny too.

 

I don't want to get all stat-man here' date=' but going from 40 goals conceded to 43 doesn't seem to indicate a defence that's slid from watertight and one of the best in the league to leaking goals and messed up.

 

After about November 2012 (some link it to Lucas' injury) we looked noticeably frailer in defence. The lack of a dedicated quality DM took its toll on Kenny's last six months as much as it did on Rodgers' first season. I think the emphasis placed on possession football is misplaced. When we kept the ball well under Kenny we looked tight, but often like we simply wouldn't score; this imbalance needed addressing.

 

I'm not kidding myself that the issues are mythical, i'm just saying that the assumption that they weren't there prior to Rodgers is just plain untrue.[/quote']

 

Fair enough, I'm not sure exactly what period he's referring to but the general tone seems to be we're defensively shitter than we should be. And we are IMO and for some fairly basic reasons.

 

But it's the work in progress of a manager who was hired for his ability to improve rather than for what he'd achieved so far. So improve he must do. Because let's face it this team could never in a 100 years go to turin and get a 0-0.