Summer Transfers 2014

[TheHowieLama]

Origi is going to be boss.

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

I'm going to do a long post because I'm bored at work.

 

 

I think this season could be a long and hard one, and CL qualification should again be our primary aim.

 

You don't lose a player, a key player, like Suarez and just 'get away with it'. I don't think there's a player on Earth we could have bought to lessen the blow, aside from Ronaldo, but even then I'd have been staggered if he scored 31 goals from open play in his first season here.

 

I think there are lessons to be learned from last season, and our reliance on a Latin player. You can't stop the cunts from being pinched by BarcaReal, and you can't stop the players from wanting to go there. It's kryptonite for these Latin players, every waking moment is spent dreaming of one day moving to live in Spain and playing 32 piss easy games per year in the league, and then saving yourself for the big games and the CL.

 

Let's look at a little experiment, and examine the European Player of the Year Awards for the last 20 years (between 1990 and 2010 - Balon D'Or). We'll look at 1st, 2nd and 3rd and see which ones went onto BarcaReal, which I will denote with a *.

 

1990 - Matthaus, Schillaci, Brehme

1991 - Papin, Savicevic, Pancev, Matthaus

1992 - Van Basten, Stoichkov*, Bergkamp

1993 - Baggio, Bergkamp, Cantona

1994 - Stoichkov*, Baggio, Maldini

1995 - Weah, Klinsmann, Litmanen*

1996 - Sammer, Ronaldo*, Shearer

1997 - Ronaldo*, Mijatovic*, Zidane*

1998 - Zidane*, Suker*, Ronaldo*

1999 - Rivaldo*, Beckham*, Shevchenko*

2000 - Figo*, Zidane*, Shevchenko*

2001 - Owen*, Raul*, Kahn

2002 - Ronaldo*, Roberto Carlos*, Kahn

2003 - Nedved, Henry*, Maldini

2004 - Shevchenko, Deco*, Ronaldinho*

2005 - Ronaldinho*, Lampard, Gerrard

2006 - Cannavaro*, Buffon, Henry*

2007 - Kaka*, Cronaldo*, Messi*

2008 - Cronaldo*, Messi*, Torres

2009 - Messi*, Cronaldo*, Xavi*

2010 - Messi*, Iniesta*, Xavi*

2011 - Messi*, Cronaldo*, Xavi*

2012 - Messi*, Cronaldo*, Iniesta*

2013 - Cronaldo*, Messi*, Ribery

 

Using this template to go forward and resist being ravished by BarcaReal, I suggest the club stops paying big money for Latin players, and also stops building a team around Latin players. It can only end one way, and that;s being shafted by the footballing equivalent of Microsoft and Apple, with whom we just cannot compete for players.

 

Of course, there's never a sure thing, and Owen and Macca and proven in the past that English players can also be lured, but I think there was a marked difference between us and the EPL in 2003/04 there is now less of a gulf in terms of money and competing for trophies. As a rule, if you've got a top English or British talent, then you're likely to hold onto him. Sure, we saw Bale go to Madrid but he's a taff and loves cock, so hooking up with Ramos and Ronaldo was the most natural move for him. But in general, the likes of Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, A Cole (in his pomp), etc will not leave.

 

Looking wider, and this does have it's faults also, but let's look at the German footballer of the year over since 1990, and only ONE player has gone onto BarcaReal, and that was Arjen Robben. Of course, he's not German, but he won the German player of the year award in 2010. Only him, Grafite (2009), and Ailton (2004) were the non-German winners of the award over 23 years. But not one other player felt the need to go to BarcaReal. Take heed.

 

There is an Italian Footballer of the Year award, and it goes back to 1997 on Wiki, and one player has gone onto BarcaReal and that's Cannavaro. But the likes of Pirlo, Di NAtale, Del Piero, De Rossi, Gilardino, Totti, Mancini and Vieri did not succumb. Vieri came close, but it was Atletico for a season.

 

Now, the Dutch are a different sort. There has long been a link between the Dutch and BarcaReal.

Quite a lot of factual bollocks in that, I think?

 

Shevchenko is marked but has never played for Barça or Real.

 

Plus, you said that you'd mark players who "went on" to Barça or Real, but include Messi, Xavi and Iniesta who never "went on" anywhere. They've always been Barça players.

 

To be ultra fussy, marking Ronaldo after 2009 doesn't count either, as he never "went on" to Real after 2009. He was already there.

 

I agree on the point that consolidating CL qualification should be the realistic objective this year. We have still struggled to attract some of the bigger names. I think there might be a concern amongst players, hopefully erroneously, that we're "one season wonders" and might fall out of the CL places. That might be putting the bigger named players off from signing.

 

Maybe after 2 or 3 consecutive seasons of CL qualification, we might be able to attract the real big names.

 

However, until then, I think we need to come to terms with signing potential world class players and developing them, or improving the squad with players who are good, will do a job, but just fall below the top class bracket.

[dickie mint]

*sigh*

What is he, like, 19?

 

It would be alright buying a 19 year old prospect after we had already secured a £30m plus proven centre forward already.

[Nightcat]

The fella a few posts up, was called a knob because he said that he was not delighted that we sold our best player, the best player in the world and failed to sign a top striker.

 

The state of our fanbase it shocking

[TheHowieLama]

Sorry, accidentally negged that.

[Tony Moanero]

The fella a few posts up, was called a knob because he said that he was not delighted that we sold our best player, the best player in the world and failed to sign a top striker.

 

The state of our fanbase it shocking

Knob.

[Tony Moanero]

Sorry, accidentally negged that.

Knob.

[Brigant Moloch]

Lallana and Lovren aren't here to improve the bench, and Can and Markovic will be getting lots of games. Overly negative there, mate.

 

the problem is they won't improve our best XI neither, Lallana is not better than Sterling and Coutinho and Lovren is not better than Sakho, Agger and Skrtel. So we've basically made our first XI worse than in the last season. Bench will be improved but the same issues in first XI remain unrepaired and we've signed players to the first XI which are worse than the ones we have already, it does not make any sense.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Don't rate Lovren any higher than Skrtel, Sakho or Agger tbh.  I'd also be very disappointed if Coutinho doesn't push on to be a much better player than Lallana could ever dream of.   No doubt they've been bought to start, time will tell if they're improvements on what we had or very expensive bench players.

Lovren has come in with the ability to play either side of the central defence, but also as a leader of the defence. Many people on here were crying out for more leadership at the back. On top of that, he looks significantly better and less error prone than either Skrtel or Agger, neither of whom are very good at dealing with crosses or positioning themselves at set pieces. Lallana can play in addition to Coutinho, either on the left or deeper in midfield. It gives the first team great options.

 

I do think we need a top player to replace Suarez, even partially, but those players we've bought are high quality and fit into the way we play and the way Rodgers manages.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

the problem is they won't improve our best XI neither, Lallana is not better than Sterling and Coutinho and Lovren is not better than Sakho, Agger and Skrtel. So we've basically made our first XI worse than in the last season. Bench will be improved but the same issues in first XI remain unrepaired and we've signed players to the first XI which are worse than the ones we have already, it does not make any sense.

For me, Lallana is in addition to Sterling or Coutinho, but also with the ability to play in midfield instead of Allen or Hendo. Skrtel and Agger seem quite considerably worse than Lovren.

[Brigant Moloch]

Put Agger & Skrtel behind Wanyama & Schneiderlin and they would be best pair of CBs in the league, remember how Lovren & whole Southampton defense struggled when Wanyama got injured? He won't have such shielded defense here, he'll be exposed all the time and struggle, just as at the World Cup, he was dreadful for Croatia. Lallana can't do Hendo's and Allen's job, he needs a free role, like in Soton, but then again it was all because of Wanyama/Schneiderlin behind him, he was garbage during Vic's injury.

[Nightcat]

As I said many times during the season, our problem in defence was not the quality of our etrnal defenders but our tactics.

 

I think Sakho is the best defender we got, I also think Lovren, Ilory, Kelly and Coates are some of Europe's most talented CBs. Agger and Skrtel are both world class imo. If they were playing for Chelsea they would be world beaters. We need to improve our defensive structure, tactics and training.

[J-V]

Knob.

 

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

As I said many times during the season, our problem in defence was not the quality of our etrnal defenders but our tactics.

 

I think Sakho is the best defender we got, I also think Lovren, Ilory, Kelly and Coates are some of Europe's most talented CBs. Agger and Skrtel are both world class imo. If they were playing for Chelsea they would be world beaters. We need to improve our defensive structure, tactics and training.

That's poop-poop.

 

Kelly one of the best centre backs in Europe? Lay of the khat, my Somalian friend.

 

Skrtel makes too many mistakes to be world class. Plus, out him up against a big, direct forward and he crumbles. Same for Agger, plus he's not good at defensive set pieces.

[skend04]

That's poop-poop.

 

Kelly one of the best centre backs in Europe? Lay of the khat, my Somalian friend.

 

Skrtel makes too many mistakes to be world class. Plus, out him up against a big, direct forward and he crumbles. Same for Agger, plus he's not good at defensive set pieces.

Our defence did make mistakes but the elephant in the room everyone ignores when criticising the players is that we had no defensive minded midfielders. As soon as teams got in amongst the midfield they had a free run on our defence and goal. No wonder they were reduced to shitting their pants all the time. Hopefully the signing of Can will help alleviate this somewhat next season.

[The Golden Eel]

Put Agger & Skrtel behind Wanyama & Schneiderlin and they would be best pair of CBs in the league, remember how Lovren & whole Southampton defense struggled when Wanyama got injured? He won't have such shielded defense here, he'll be exposed all the time and struggle, just as at the World Cup, he was dreadful for Croatia. Lallana can't do Hendo's and Allen's job, he needs a free role, like in Soton, but then again it was all because of Wanyama/Schneiderlin behind him, he was garbage during Vic's injury.

What's Lovren got to do, got to do with it?

[WhiskeyJar]

As I said many times during the season, our problem in defence was not the quality of our etrnal defenders but our tactics.

 

I think Sakho is the best defender we got, I also think Lovren, Ilory, Kelly and Coates are some of Europe's most talented CBs. Agger and Skrtel are both world class imo. If they were playing for Chelsea they would be world beaters. We need to improve our defensive structure, tactics and training.

 

That makes you the all time number 1 troll. 

 

You have no knowledge of football and you are just an attention seeker, which is lower than Code ever was. At least he had some knowledge and insight. 

 

Please do me and favor and think about your posts before you actually post them. 

 

You want me to break it down?

 

 

As I said many times during the season, our problem in defence was not the quality of our etrnal defenders but our tactics.

 

It was the quality of our defenders that just could not adapt to the fast attacking play that Rodgers wants to play. We did really well on the attacking front last season and Rodgers is praised for it but its painfully obvious that we lacked the defenders to play in that specific style. Rodgers is now addressing that.

 

 

I think Sakho is the best defender we got, I also think Lovren, Ilory, Kelly and Coates are some of Europe's most talented CBs.

 

At least I agree on the Sakho front but calling an unproved Ilory, Kelly and Coates the best defenders in Europe takes some doing. Its the equivalent of calling a strawberry an orange before even fucking tasting it.

 

If all these three were the best of the best then: A) Rodgers would have played them when he needed them and more often, and B) we have received no bids for neither of these players. All of them are currently back up and are in no way suited to play in week in and week out in a title challenging side.  

 

 

 Agger and Skrtel are both world class imo. If they were playing for Chelsea they would be world beaters. We need to improve our defensive structure, tactics and training.

 

Like Sturridge I assume, like taking a world class player in Torres and fucking him up. Chelsea do not improve on potential world class players, they buy them and then loan back out. If you really cannot see that then just count the number of young players they have loaned out and the number of players they have bought this season. 

 

Finally, Rodgers is buying his defenders now, and since we are on the subject, whilst Agger and Skrtel have been very good servants for us, they are by no means world class as Hummels lets say. They lack positional awareness that Rodgers is looking for in defenders. Once we get the fullback sorted out I expect the defense to concede less goals than last season while keep our attacking powers, albeit without Suarez.

[sir roger]

Not many defenders will adapt to being left on their own with no cover while 7 talented midgets watch from the half way line.

[J-V]

Southampton are having some fun this summer.

 

[JohnnyH]

Southampton are having some fun this summer.

 

He's right though. If you're a decent player at that club it'd break your heart watching Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal come in and pick it clean. That's definitely his get-out tweet. Transfer request will follow.

[Bad Red Bull]

He's going to spurs. thankfully they are also in for jay rodriguez. only wanyama and clyne are left. osvaldo is also on way to serie a

[J-V]

Ward Prowse is still around as well.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Schneiderlin's quality.

[El Dangerous]

Ralph Kreuger was on Talkshite before saying J-Rod and Schneiderlin weren't leaving and all the money was being reinvested on players and the clubs not for sale. In other words they're gonna keep selling their best players for top dollar under the pretence that they don't have to.

[WhiskeyJar]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/liverpool-transfer-news-daniel-agger-closing-in-on-barcelona-move-as-xavi-plans-to-stay-9635437.html

 

Daniel Agger closing in on Barcelona move as Xavi plans to stay

 

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is nearing a move to La Liga giants Barcelona after a £12m fee was reportedly agreed between the two clubs.

 

While Spanish media suggest a deal could be completed within a week, talks are only thought to be in the preliminary stages.

 

The Denmark international has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Catalan club over the previous two years and it now looks likely to happen after Dejan Lovren's arrival at Anfield.

 

The former Southampton star became the third player to join the Reds from St. Mary's after Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert joined Brendan Rodgers' squad last month.

 

New Barca manager Luis Enrique is seeking a replacement for long-serving centre-back Carlos Puyol after the club's former captain retired last season.