Summer Transfers 2014

[waddy78]

What about Arbeloa? he's 31 so could do a job for 2 years until Flanagan is ready or we find someone better Madrid will sell apparently and shouldn't cost more than a couple of million. 

[setreal]

Diego Contento please, Bayern know how to build fullbacks. Should be cheap as well.

[El Dangerous]

If our expensively assembled scouting team can't find a better fullback than Glen Johnson then we might as well fuck 'um off and buy Southampton's scouts. At this point they don't even have to be better just potentially better. I'd be more than happy to see Flanno have a go whilst competing with a similarly hungry prospect.

[Dr Nowt]

We're obviously taking a calculated gamble with Johnson that his desire to snaffle a lucrative free transfer contract elsewhere, or earn another one here, will inspire him to perform next season at a few levels above where he's been at the past year and put himself in the shop window.

 

We already took the hit of paying him through the nose for highly mediocre service last season, so pragmatism says maybe it's not such a bad idea, even if it would stick in the throat a bit to see him putting in under such circumstances when he often seemed so lackadaisical in a title challenge.

 

I see us getting a much improved season out of him due to those reasons and then spending big on a top class replacement in the summer when his contract ends to compete with Flanno for the position. That's assuming Wisdom or McLaughlin don't show enough this season to suggest they can do so.

 

With the other areas requiring strengthening I can certainly see the business sense and logic in that, as any transfer fee earned now would surely be used to pay his contract up - even QPR aren't giving him a 100k+ a week contract with a fee on top - and, as ever, you can only do so much in one summer window.

[JermainePennant]

Who was happy with Enrique? .He a above average fullback nothing more.

Enriques one of if not the best lb I have seen at lfc during the prem era.

 

People seem to have forgot how much he was contributing to our attacking play, remember the understanding he and Suarez had?

 

He was a bigger loss then made out last season and could have made a difference in games we dropped points as he can create something.

 

A lb is a priority as we now can not rely on Enrique to stay fit but when he is he is a top player.

[waddy78]

Were talking about Johnson picking up £100k a week for another year and not being up to scratch what about Pepe Reina (not saying he's not up to scratch just big wages) apparently Napoli have lined up a cheaper replacement as Liverpool and Reina want to much money there doesn't seem to be much interest from else where and he's even talking about returning to us next year and fighting for his place. That would be £200k almost a week in wages for 2 players who will probably spend a lot of the season warming the bench.

 

Would it be worth lowering the asking price on some players in order to get their wages off the books and get in better replacements.

[Jairzinho]

I'd anticipated we'd be paying clubs to take Johnson.

[Lee909]

Which says more about the shite we have had playing for us than anything else.

[JermainePennant]

Which says more about the shite we have had playing for us than anything else.

I wont disagree with you there, the lbs we have had have generally not been good enough.

 

Enrique is a beast defensively though and very good on the ball, his weakness is decision making although he has improved in that area a bit.

[waddy78]

It does say a lot about how poorly run the club was 3 years or so ago (and probably 5 years before that) if you look at what we've bought (not including the last 18 months) and compare them to players other clubs bought cheaper at the time and turned out to be top class Premier league players it shows what a good job Rogers has done spent a lot less than any manager we've had since 2005 and probably has the best team out off the lot he just needs the trophies now to top it off.

[Sugar Ape]

Paul Wilkes reports on Alberto Moreno, the Sevilla starlet on the radars of Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool....

 

The 60-second story

Rising through the ranks of his hometown club, Sevilla, Alberto Moreno has taken La Liga by storm in the last two years. His first taste of success was as a 12-year-old when he won the Danone Cup, an international tournament for kids, alongside Liverpool's Luis Alberto. He signed for the club he spent his life supporting at the age of 13, and the left-back's progression has been swift ever since.

 

Turning out for Sevilla Atlético, the reserve team, he was tutored by Ramón Tejada, who would rotate him between an attacking wide position and a more defensive role. It's here that he learnt to be so tactically aware, following Tejada's instructions and showing fight regardless of his deployment.

 

He was handed his first team debut by Míchel, when he came off the bench in a match with Athletic Bilbao in 2012. But it's under astute tactician Unai Emery that he has really thrived, as the former Valencia coach has given him the platform to advance.

 

After he was given a torrid time by Gareth Bale at the Bernabéu early on this season, Moreno showed his ability to adapt and learn. In the recent win over Madrid at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, there was more coherence with his team-mates as they slotted in when he was attacking.

Knowing the Welshman would cut inside onto his favoured left foot, he stayed narrow without the ball, denying space between his centre-back and allowing Bale possession out wide. Last October he became the 37th player to debut for Spain since Vicente del Bosque took charge. There's every chance he will make the plane to Brazil as understudy to Jordi Alba – another full-back who benefited from his time working with Emery.

 

Why you need to know him

 

The youngster's emergence has seen Europe's top clubs scrambling for his signature. There's every chance he may decide the Premier League is the best destination for him and join the numerous Spaniards already plying their trade on these shores.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are all interested in him. Real Madrid are also long-term admirers and are keen to see him replace Fábio Coentrão.

 

Strengths

 

His pace and dribbling skills make him look like an old-fashioned winger; he is essentially the perfect modern-day full-back. He likes to run at the opposition, committing defenders and delivering a cross. A sweet left foot means that goals are a possibility when he strikes from distance. He has three goals to his name so far this season and that's likely to improve as he matures.

 

Weaknesses

 

Moreno can defend, but his tackling isn't his strongest attribute. The Spaniard prefers to make it difficult with his positioning and by intercepting, rather than to simply dive into tackles. At just 5ft 7in, he isn't great in the air and it's an area that opposing teams can exploit.

 

They said…

 

National team coach Vicente del Bosque said: "We want to work like a club that looks to its youth sides. We are not absolute in this matter, but yes, we like giving opportunities to the youngsters, which harvests good results. Alberto is demonstrating to have that level and that's why we have called him up."

 

Did you know?

 

Moreno could have joined Real Madrid Castilla on a free transfer last season, but the switch was rejected by Madrid’s head of scouting Paco de Gracia, who felt that Moreno wasn’t at the required level to join los blancos’ reserve side.

 

What happens next?

 

The financial problems at Sevilla mean that sales are inevitable. Last summer saw Álvaro Negredo, Jesús Navas and Gary Medel all leave for the UK. The defender will almost certainly be sold and that's good news for the numerous teams in the hunt for a new left-back.

 

Talentspotter ratings

 

Shooting 7 • Heading 4 • Passing 7 • Tackling 6 • Pace 8 • Dribbling 8 • Creativity 8 • Work-rate 8 • Positioning 8

[DanDanShaw]

I rated Enrique for about the first 3 months of his time here.  He's been bang average since.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I wonder if Enrique would look better now we're taking a more fluid, dynamic approach to attacking. His problems often mirrored the criticisms of Henderson - running down blind alleys, poor decision making, offloading responsibility with nothing passes. He's not the best, but given the improvements others have shown with this change in style I'd be hesitant to bin him too soon.

[WhiskeyJar]

I thought Moreno was a done deal.

 

Spain star Alberto Moreno set to complete £18m switch to Liverpool

 

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/381821/Spain-star-Alberto-Moreno-set-to-complete-18m-switch-to-Liverpool-TODAY

[Saucepan]

His beard has potential

[magicrat]

Who was happy with Enrique? .

He a above average fullback nothing more.

I would be happier if he could play the odd game !

[G Richards]

Sign Moreno. Left back should be sorted for years to come.

 

Keep Johnson as a back up to Flanagan. If Johnson discovers his best form then fine, he will probably displace Flanagan. But if he doesn't, Flanagan showed this season that he is a decent player. How good? That's debatable. What we do know is that he took an enormous leap forward through playing most of this past season. If he keeps that up, and builds on it, he will be a fixture in the side for years to come. If he doesn't, we can get a new right back next summer, once Johnson's wages are off the books. 

 

One top fullback this summer please. Then see how the various permutations play out in the next season, in anticipation of buying another top fullback next summer if we have to. 

[Kevin D]

I reckon we could do with a top quality full back.  I agree that it is a lot of cash though.  You can normally find really good fullbacks for a lot cheaper.  E.g. Zabaleta £6 million, Ivanovic £9 million and of course Arbeloa £2 million.

I'm pretty comfortable with what we have. I don't think it's top class, but it's more than enough. Enrique is flawed, but he's a good defender, Johnson usually does well when he has to cover over there and I think Robinson will go onto be a very good player.

 

I'm more concerned with two central midfielders, another goalscoring forward with pace and a CB, probably two, the manager trusts. If we can get Moreno for 20m without it impacting our ability to strengthen those positions, and maybe we can, then I have no problems.

[Adebisi]

Quality full-backs would improve our game massively. If we plan to play the diamond formation a lot, anyway. 

[Horus]

Definitely need improving at centre back. Skrtel did well in patches last season, and chipped in with crucial goals, but we need to make sure our CB's aren't as error prone as they have been in the past. 

 

Even when we don't conceded, he'll often put us under pressure or concede a clear chance when there is no need for it to happen.

[MLB]

I think if we get Moreno, Lovren, Lallana, Can and a goalkeeper we will be looking pretty good. I would prefer us to replace Johnson but I can also see why that is unlikely to happen. I don't really think that we need much else.

[Lurtz]

[Dr Nowt]

I see there is a tenuous Spanish report that Aspas could be used as a makeweight in the Moreno deal.

 

Certainly couldn't ever be used as a paperweight.

[JermainePennant]

Quality full-backs would improve our game massively. If we plan to play the diamond formation a lot, anyway.

 

Agreed, Im a Johnson fan buy he didn't produce enough end product last season and the others that played just aren't good enough in attacking areas.

 

An on form GJ and Enrique or any other top full backs we could get would take our game to the next level, kolarov is shit defensively but would have had 5-10 assists in our team last year plus a few goals.

[Boss]

Yeah the deal for Moreno is 22 million euro's or 24 million with Aspas.