Burning Question: Rickie Lambert - Are you on board with it?

[A Red]

Still a no brainer to me, half the price of Aspas, a third of the price of Borini and proven to be better than the pair of them. If it doesnt work out then its hardly the end of the world. His game isnt built around pace and will be good for a couple of years.

 

The fact that hes a Liverpool supporting scouser is just the icing on the cake but not the reason hes being bought. John Aldridge was similar, maybe a bit less mobile and a little bit younger but turned out to be a fantastic signing.

 

I can see him starting a few games to take the physical pressure off SAS but also coming on to change things.

 

When we are struggling against teams that park the bus we often ended up passing the ball left to right and back again trying to break them down. There was no point in crossing it as the likes of Cahill/Terry would gobble it up. Lambert gives us a different option.

 

That said he isnt a lumbering Carroll type, he can play football.

[Jose Jones]

When did we struggle against Park the Bus teams? One game against Chelsea where we gifted them the lead and Sturridge was half fit? Quick sling it in to the big man!

 

Or, you know, have a class jinky wizard to bring on.

[TalkSilly]

I think I think it's a little less of a roll of the dice than you do and a little bit more of a risk to go for potential, and that it'll be more expensive in Lambert's case. Probably a fair description of our difference of opinion on it?

 

I think I rate Lallana higher than many on here because I see him as a genuine improvement on the likes of Coutinho and Sterling and also think his level could go up again under Rodgers. Outside of the really stellar names that people might throw (and even including some of them) I can't think of a better fit for what we need next season. 

 

I might be wrong but I think the club might have the same approach as I do to next season and see these Southampton lads as proven quality in this league, coached in a very similar system to us, who will be hitting the ground running with no/little settling in time.  It may sound unambitious but I'm happy to dig a trench across 4th position next season, enjoy the Champions League, develop the squad a bit more and if we do better then cool. 

 

We need to be on that last chopper out of Saigon and I reckon the Southampton lads are a good bet for chipping in from minute one next season.

 

Same here, it’s paramount that our CL participation isn’t a one-season-wonder. Relative to the rest of the top 7 we have a very young squad, with half of them 3-6 years off their potential peak. If we can add to that group and keep them all developing together it could lead to a sustained period of dominance no matter how much money the rest throw at their squads. And us staying in the top 4 will obviously damage those that miss out. The Mancs can’t afford another season out of the CL and Arsenal fans, who aren’t exactly rejoicing in the streets over Wenger’s new contract, will probably force a change of management there.

[aRdja]

When did we struggle against Park the Bus teams? One game against Chelsea where we gifted them the lead and Sturridge was half fit? Quick sling it in to the big man!

 

Or, you know, have a class jinky wizard to bring on.

Having either option would be handy. This whole "we're above that" attitude is a bit cringeworthy. Man City, the best team in the league have Dzeko who offers a different type of threat to their main strikers (Aguero and Negredo).

[A Red]

When did we struggle against Park the Bus teams? One game against Chelsea where we gifted them the lead and Sturridge was half fit? Quick sling it in to the big man!

 

Or, you know, have a class jinky wizard to bring on.

Lambert 100% fit coming on to replace a struggling Sturridge might have helped against Chelsea.

 

The lad can head the ball but can also play, we wont need to all of a sudden act as if we've just got Tony cascarino up front on his own. Lambert means we can mix it up a bit if we need to.

 

Having a player that is good in the air doesnt necessarily mean that he is lumbering nor does it mean you have to just lump it up to him all the time.

[VladimirIlyich]

If we pay 4 million for a player with premier league experience and goals too then,even putting aside him being a Red and scouser too,it has to be decent business. We arent talking about a marquee signing just a good experienced back up player who is going to be far better than Aspas and Borini(so far anyway.)

Cant see many negatives to this. Crafty deal for me.

[TheHowieLama]

The Lambert deal is being funded by some loose change JH found in his couch and Linda selling a couple old purses she doesn't use anymore.

Not really something to be concerned over - unless you are the concerning type. Really concerning.

[fowler9]

Can't believe people can moan about this one to be honest, when was the last time we had a 3rd choice striker capable of getting 15 league goals a season who'd be prepared to sit on the bench, and above all that for 4million and the lads a red who it is clear is desperate to play for us

 

I didn't see it coming a mile off but when you think about it its a no brainer, despite his age I'm amazed Southampton are letting him go at that price

[Jairzinho]

Can't believe people can moan about this one to be honest, when was the last time we had a 3rd choice striker capable of getting 15 league goals a season who'd be prepared to sit on the bench, and above all that for 4million and the lads a red who it is clear is desperate to play for us

 

I didn't see it coming a mile off but when you think about it its a no brainer, despite his age I'm amazed Southampton are letting him go at that price

 

Not much of his contract left, I believe.

[TheHowieLama]

Two years. Concerning.

[Stu Monty]

I couldn't disagree more with this if I tried. We should be aiming high not hoping to squeak 4th. Lallana isn't better than Sterling or Coutinho. We're back at the top table and we're looking to sign journeymen players who've just had the season of their life at a team that came 8th. Such a missed opportunity.

 

Ultimately you'll be proven wrong when Lallana comes in and does more than Coutinho did for us. As in, gets a goal every four games, performs as well out wide as a number 10 and turns up away from Anfield.

[liverpoolsno9]

Pissing me off the way some of our fans are viewing this transfer negatively, probably the same fans who we're moaning about our weak bench week in/week out. I think it's a great move, cheap & he scores goals. What's not to like? These cringeworthy snobby fans who think we should only buy the biggest established/potential names are living in cloud cuckoo land. Fuckin do one you negative bunch of pricks. If Sturridge or Suarez were unavailable for any game last season, I'd be a bit nervous. Next season, if we couldn't call on one of them, I'd be fine with Lambert coming in. More so than anyone else we could call on at the moment or anyone else I could call on in World Football, AT THAT PRICE. Great piece of business.

[fowler9]

Not much of his contract left, I believe.

 

2 years, I'd have thought it might be worth them taking the financial hit though considering Lallana and Shaw seem certain to be leaving, possibly Rodriguez, Schneiderlin and Lovren too and no doubt Ward-Prowse, Chambers and Clyne will this time next year if they carry on doing well, they could do with some form of continuity!

[sybian]

Could Brenden possibly going to convert Lambert into a midfielder like Bob Paisley did with Ray Kennedy, just a thought.

[JermainePennant]

When did we struggle against Park the Bus teams? One game against Chelsea where we gifted them the lead and Sturridge was half fit? Quick sling it in to the big man!

Or, you know, have a class jinky wizard to bring on.

Excellent point and one I meant to mention before, having lambert could negatively affect our football.

 

The first goal away to Cardiff by Suarez is the kind of football I want us to play and that was an example of breaking down a team that park the bus.

 

We played it around in front of them, were patient and when the chance arose we passed our way through them.

 

Watching us last season we actually tried to avoid crossing most of the time and preferred to play it around, against a packed defence with lambert in our team I fear players will lose patience and look for balls in to him and goals like the one against Cardiff are unlikely to happen.

[aladdinsane]

When did we struggle against Park the Bus teams? One game against Chelsea where we gifted them the lead and Sturridge was half fit? Quick sling it in to the big man!

 

Or, you know, have a class jinky wizard to bring on.

Yep correct. City lost 0-1 at home to Chelsea too but nothing mentioned about them.

[aladdinsane]

Excellent point and one I meant to mention before, having lambert could negatively affect our football.

 

The first goal away to Cardiff by Suarez is the kind of football I want us to play and that was an example of breaking down a team that park the bus.

 

We played it around in front of them, were patient and when the chance arose we passed our way through them.

 

Watching us last season we actually tried to avoid crossing most of the time and preferred to play it around, against a packed defence with lambert in our team I fear players will lose patience and look for balls in to him and goals like the one against Cardiff are unlikely to happen.

I get your point but what about if we have a game where nothing Suarez/Sturrdige are doing is coming off and it's 0-0 with 15 minutes to go? Bringing on Lambert might give the opposition a different type of headache. I've loved our football this year and wouldn't want us to go back to our old style, but if Lambert is used correctly at the right times, it could be effective.

[Lee909]

Who has said anything about lumping it up to a target man?.

 

There is a big difference in having a central striker who can occupy the centrebacks thus giving Suarez and the rest more space than have a Carroll style lump it to the big man forward.

[moof]

Anyone who thinks Lambert is a flick-on style big man forward is a bit of a simplistic div

[Tj hooker]

Had a manc in work mocking us for buying lambert for 4m went very quiet when I mentioned they spunked 27 million on that useless twat Fellanni

[Pureblood]

Anyone who thinks Lambert is a flick-on style big man forward is a bit of a simplistic div

 

Oh I dunno.  I can see Rodgers completely abandoning his principles and going route one next season. 

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Anyone who thinks Lambert is a flick-on style big man forward is a bit of a simplistic div

Disagree. Only yesterday I saw a video of him sliding a through ball past the defence. With his head. In a boot.

[JermainePennant]

I get your point but what about if we have a game where nothing Suarez/Sturrdige are doing is coming off and it's 0-0 with 15 minutes to go? Bringing on Lambert might give the opposition a different type of headache. I've loved our football this year and wouldn't want us to go back to our old style, but if Lambert is used correctly at the right times, it could be effective.

When Lambert is on we will play high balls quote me on it, as I have said a few times in this thread I have seen lambert come on a few times for soton and negatively affect their play as they start going long when hes on.

 

I think a reason we have taken so well to our style of football is because we don't have the option of going long so are forced to play it around to try get something.

 

Whatever people are saying about his all round game his main strength is in the air and when hes on our players will try play to that like England and Southampton do when hes on.

 

I liked when br said his plan b was to make plan a better, if you only play that way you can only be successful that way, if we are not it has to be put down to players not being good enough and we find other ones who can fit our system, that was the way I hoped we were going.

 

Plenty of teams have parked the bus last season and I have said a number of times how impressed I was by us just playing around them and that previous lfc teams were unable to do this, Chelsea beat us because of a mistake and a lack of composure by us in the final third, not because of a lack of a target man.

[Pureblood]

But sometimes we do play it long.  One of the hallmarks of our play was Gerrard finding Suarez or Sturridge from deep in his own half.  We already mix it up.

 

Anyway, Lambert won't be there as a target man.  He's there to finish some of the many chances we create when Suarez and Sturridge are having a rest or an off day. 

[dave u]

Lambert's main strength isn't in the air. It's just something he happens to be good at.

 

You honestly think Rodgers would want to sign someone who's main asset is being big and winning headers?

 

Read the comments from Rodgers back in December, he was gushing about Lambert's footballing ability.