Reina claims he's here to stay

[Kevin D]

Honestly don't know. Not if he doesn't want to be at the club. Very unconvinced with Mignolet.

I have been very impressed with Mignolet, personally. I view him as Rodgers third best signing. He's flawed, certainly. That instinct you have, from having watched a lot of football, that a keeper is dodgy? I had that a few times during the title run in. However, I'm of the view that those flaws look a lot more pronounced, because Rodgers doesn't know how to/has little interest in drilling a back 5, and I'm happy for him to be our number for a few years.

[Jairzinho]

I think he is a great shot stopper but that is basically the standard back handed compliment for a keeper. I'd love him to sort the rest of his game but he needs to make huge improvements in certain areas, and quickly.

 

I do, however, entirely agree with what you say about Rodgers and his need to make the style of play a little more pragmatic. Because as good as our attacking options still are, they're a lot more predictable without Suarez, and a lot easier to come up with a plan to nullify.

[JermainePennant]

Neither are good enough, reina is the better of the two but his wages and attitude over recent years means I want him gone, if mingnolet doesn't improve next season I expect him to be replaced next summer.

[Aldonose]

I have complete faith in the manager. One of his biggest attributes seems to be learning from his mistakes, and righting his wrongs. I also believe he's shown himself to be fairly ruthless when he's had to. Mignolet needs to work on a few aspects of his game, that their is no doubt. Either one or two things will happen. He'll either improve on his weaknesses or he'll be fucked off. I've no doubts about the manager shirking such a decision.

[Rotpeter]

I disagree. Both are serviceable enough if they're part of a defensive unit that can accommodate their weaknesses and play to their strengths. The list of shaky keepers still plying their trade in the CL is surprisingly long.

 

I agree Mig's got holes in his game, but I also think he looks more error prone than he actually is due to a certain nerviness. Our defence leaked goals, let players take shots from distance, our fullbacks rarely stopped crosses and our CBs had a habit of clattering people and sticking the ball into our goal. Who wouldn't look nervy?

 

Give Mig a chance with a settled CB pairing, hopefully with one player marshalling things (Lovren?), and at least one assured fullback before writing him off completely.

I doubt the defence will ever be setup to suit the weaknesses of the players though.  That's what Rafa did. That's why IMO, slightly better than average players like Agger, Reina, Skrtel et al looked much better than they do now.  Rodgers will setup the defence to suit the attack and they will adapt or die.

[Denny Crane]

Apparently Bayern are looking at Reina who need a backup be a good fit that if if its true.

[Dr. J]

Get him the fuck out, anywhere, at any price. If we can't sell, sell shares to 12 year olds to take penalties at him.

[moof]

The basis of any reasonable discussion.

I meant any player you sarcastic nonce

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I doubt the defence will ever be setup to suit the weaknesses of the players though.  That's what Rafa did. That's why IMO, slightly better than average players like Agger, Reina, Skrtel et al looked much better than they do now.  Rodgers will setup the defence to suit the attack and they will adapt or die.

 

I agree, we won't be setting up to suit their weaknesses, but we can still work around them better than we have.

 

I honestly don't think it's a given that Rodgers will set up the defence to suit the attack, it assumes he's a coach with a pedigree of all out attack, when in reality it was only last season where defensive duties looked shaky due to the focus on attacking play. He's now without Suarez, and the team will need to adapt to that. 

 

He's adapting as well, growing as a coach. He's switched formations, styles and I wouldn't put it past him to do so again, this time with a slightly more pragmatic approach to defensive duties. It won't be Rafa-esque, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it somewhere between the blunt solidity of his first season and the exciting yet cavalier approach of last.

[Rotpeter]

I agree, we won't be setting up to suit their weaknesses, but we can still work around them better than we have.

 

I honestly don't think it's a given that Rodgers will set up the defence to suit the attack, it assumes he's a coach with a pedigree of all out attack, when in reality it was only last season where defensive duties looked shaky due to the focus on attacking play. He's now without Suarez, and the team will need to adapt to that. 

 

He's adapting as well, growing as a coach. He's switched formations, styles and I wouldn't put it past him to do so again, this time with a slightly more pragmatic approach to defensive duties. It won't be Rafa-esque, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it somewhere between the blunt solidity of his first season and the exciting yet cavalier approach of last.

You could be right.  Setting up a team without Suarez is a completely different proposition, so who knows how that will shake out.  I see a lot of his Swansea in us though, deliberately sacrificing space at the back for numbers up front.  Combined with the utter disdain he demonstrated for the defence first strategy on show during the chelsea game, I think it's more likely he'll keep twisting on center backs till he gets the right pairing.

[Kevin D]

I meant any player you sarcastic nonce

 

Okay, but I think you owe me an apology for the use of sarcastic instead of sardonic.

[Gym Beglin]

On paper, Reina fits the bill of the ball playing sweeperkeeper.

 

I just get the impression he's not switched on enough, his concentration wavers and his waning fitness can't bail him out anymore. A proper sweeperkeeper has to be alert as fuck and pragmatic, you need to KNOW you can get to that ball before the striker, otherwise it's a red card. I think Reina would back himself every time but he's not as quick as he thinks he is, and his starting position would probably be poor because he's not fully concentrated and positioned himself in the minutes leading upto the chance.

 

Another issue with Reina is that he palms shots back into danger zones. There's a YT vid of his time at Napoli and he's still doing it regularly.

 

 

Finally, I think you need presence and stature in the nets. You have to back a keeper with a bigger reach, bigger hands, and who is taller. That's the starting point. If you get one that can play football with his feet, a la Ter Stegen and Neuer, that's the lottery win.

[Kevin D]

You could be right.  Setting up a team without Suarez is a completely different proposition, so who knows how that will shake out.  I see a lot of his Swansea in us though, deliberately sacrificing space at the back for numbers up front.  Combined with the utter disdain he demonstrated for the defence first strategy on show during the chelsea game, I think it's more likely he'll keep twisting on center backs till he gets the right pairing.

Think that within the context of the title being on the line and us needing points, he was right.

 

Good to see you posting around these parts, though. I feared Usher's disastrous management of the forum had forced you to take your talents elsewhere.

[Gym Beglin]

There's a lot of shit spoken in here about Mignolet.

 

It'd be interesting to see what he's like with a half decent defence ahead of him.

[fowler9]

Mignolet is easily good enough and will continue to improve so fuck da haterz

 

 

in all seriousness though I think he had a great start with us and was a little shaky at times during the run in but he has the natural ability to be an amazing keeper and hopefully as he gets used to playing at the highest level he'll err out the weaknesses in his game, distribution and coming for crosses etc, but unlike Reina who was replaced by his evil twin brother in 2010 he actually stops balls going in the net so he is clearly the better one

[Jairzinho]

There's a lot of shit spoken in here about Mignolet.

 

It'd be interesting to see what he's like with a half decent defence ahead of him.

 

He had one last year.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

He had one last year.

He fucking didn't. He had a defence that made mistake after mistake, can't defend crosses and hasn't been able to in years and years, and fullbacks who allow shot after shot from players who cut in.

[Kevin D]

The midfield also had a somewhat dubious, or passing, interest in protecting and helping the back 4.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Very true.

[Jairzinho]

He fucking didn't. He had a defence that made mistake after mistake, can't defend crosses and hasn't been able to in years and years, and fullbacks who allow shot after shot from players who cut in.

 

Do you think we'll be selling Johnson, Skrtel, Flanagan, Sakho, Enrique,  this window?

 

It'll be largely the same players as last year.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Do you think we'll be selling Johnson, Skrtel, Flanagan, Sakho, Enrique, this window?

 

It'll be largely the same players as last year.

I think we will have two of the four first teamers replaced. Lovren and a left back. Hopefully it'll be settled.

[billypilgrimnz]

Our defensive set up and application was crap last season, from the midfield to the back line. Mignolet is fine, and he won us quite a few points that would otherwise have been lost as our team yet again stood around watching the opponents waltz through and take a shot.

[Dr Nowt]

Can he use his much-vaunted comfort on the ball to play up front?

[Russ Atmosphere]

Can he use his much-vaunted comfort on the ball to play up front?

No worse than Aspas last season.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Pepe should just keep munching the Paella as he will soon be fat enough to fill the goal.