Liverpool V Portsmouth Match Thread

[zico]

I'm saying Crouch is Liverpools most skillful player, i'm sorry if it's confusing.

 

Ohh dear!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And NO WAY

[Karl_b]

Perhaps it has something to with having world class wingers :whistle:

 

And I think Utd were pretty decent with Ruud Van Horseface in the team don´t you

 

Yep but they stormed the league last year without a 'poacher' as did Chelsea the two years previous to that.

[Moschops II]

Perhaps it has something to with having world class wingers :whistle:

 

And I think Utd were pretty decent with Ruud Van Horseface in the team don´t you

 

And we weren't good enough with Michael Owen at his best.

[Karl_b]

And we weren't good enough with Michael Owen at his best.

 

Gerrard, long ball, Owen, too long.

 

Repeat.

[Rashid]

They had a winger and a striker who scored nearly 50 goals between them! Our front 4 couldn't manage that. The point many of us are making is that one of our strikers needs to score as many as Drogba and Rooney did and we need wingers or widemen as good as Ronaldo, Robben, Cole, Giggs etc. Why is it people can point to them "not having a poacher" but overlook the goals their strikers score and quality they have out wide?

 

The defences of the top 3 are all strong - Man United had the best defence last year I think.

 

The league will be won or lost by the front FOUR of each club this season. So it will be up to Torres, Crouch, Kewell and Pennant to out perform the likes of Ronaldo, Giggs, Rooney and Tevez.

[SCOUSE TAPAS]

Peter crouch seems pretty good to me...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EETsx4fvqtw

 

 

games 98 goals 31

[Rashid]

And we weren't good enough with Michael Owen at his best.

 

It's not just about a poacher though is it, it's about the strikers scoring goals. Rooney got 23 last season, and they had Ronaldo on the wing who got 21. The point people are making is who will be our Rooney? (Maybe Torres), who is our Ronaldo? Who will match Tevez? It's not just about us, it's about beating the opposition too.

[spider-neil]

It's not just about a poacher though is it, it's about the strikers scoring goals. Rooney got 23 last season, and they had Ronaldo on the wing who got 21. The point people are making is who will be our Rooney? (Maybe Torres), who is our Ronaldo? Who will match Tevez? It's not just about us, it's about beating the opposition too.

 

what the?! tevez has signed for manu?! where?! where?!

[Karl_b]

They had a winger and a striker who scored nearly 50 goals between them! Our front 4 couldn't manage that. The point many of us our making is that one of our strikers needs to score as many as Drogba and Rooney did and we need wingers or widemen as good as Ronaldo, Robben, Cole, Giggs etc. Why is it people can point to them "not having a poacher" but overlook the goals their strikers score and quality they have out wide?

 

I agree with you Rashid but it is a two sided argument.

 

They didn't have a poacher as such but did have superb wide players/attacking midfielders and a good frontman.

 

I think we may need another winger, I don't know who that is, but maybe Rafa trusts Kewell and Pennant as the out and out wide man for each flank. Then we have Yossi, Babel, Gerrard, Riise and others that could play out there.

 

Then there's Sebastián Leto, a 20 year old hot prospect from South America that comes very highly rated. The Mancs have been lauded for signing Nani and Anderson but they're no more proven than this guy, or Lucas for that matter.

 

Lastly, Man Utd may have had Ronaldo but we have Gerrard and he is more than capable of 15 goals next season and if he does that then he will have a massive impact on our chances. Not a wide player but tell you what, he ain't half bad that lad.

[Rashid]

what the?! tevez has signed for manu?! where?! where?!

 

No he hasn't but I think he will, and they are trying to get him. If they do it will be more competition for us. I don't take much notice of Nani or Anderson but Tevez is class, and in addition to Rooneym, Ronaldo, etc you have to admit that competition will be tough this year. I think the best attack will win the league.

[Karl_b]

It's not just about a poacher though is it, it's about the strikers scoring goals. Rooney got 23 last season, and they had Ronaldo on the wing who got 21. The point people are making is who will be our Rooney? (Maybe Torres), who is our Ronaldo? Who will match Tevez? It's not just about us, it's about beating the opposition too.

 

I don't think Rafa sees us having any one striker as a 20 goal player apart from Torres. If he got 20 (all competitions) and Gerrard got 15 then that would be a fantastic starting point. If Kuyt, Crouch and Voronin contributed 30-40 between them and Pennant, Kewell, Alonso, Agger another 15 then it all becomes a mute point.

[Karl_b]

No he hasn't but I think he will, and they are trying to get him. If they do it will be more competition for us. I don't take much notice of Nani or Anderson but Tevez is class, and in addition to Rooneym, Ronaldo, etc you have to admit that competition will be tough this year. I think the best attack will win the league.

 

If we consider Nani and Anderson as we can Babel and Lucas (ie a year to settle) then their best signing is obviously Hargreaves. Beyond that, Scholes and Giggs are another year older and I would bet they won't have the same impact as last season.

[Rashid]

I agree with you Rashid but it is a two sided argument.

 

They didn't have a poacher as such but did have superb wide players/attacking midfielders and a good frontman.

 

I think we may need another winger, I don't know who that is, but maybe Rafa trusts Kewell and Pennant as the out and out wide man for each flank. Then we have Yossi, Babel, Gerrard, Riise and others that could play out there.

 

Then there's Sebastián Leto, a 20 year old hot prospect from South America that comes very highly rated. The Mancs have been lauded for signing Nani and Anderson but they're no more proven than this guy, or Lucas for that matter.

 

Lastly, Man Utd may have had Ronaldo but we have Gerrard and he is more than capable of 15 goals next season and if he does that then he will have a massive impact on our chances. Not a wide player but tell you what, he ain't half bad that lad.

 

It is not fair to rely on Gerrard so much, he is a central midfield player and there has to be a time when he stops carrying the 2 wingers. I am happy with Kewell and Pennant but they won't win us the league, neither score enough goals or stay injury free long enough.

 

The competition is strong this year despite our signings, Noones telling me that Tevez (if he signs), Rooney, Ronaldo et all won't scare defenders. The only player we have in that league is Torres and at a push Crouch and Kewell. Again, for me Gerrard is a Central Midfield player who can support the attack, not carry the team again.

[Karl_b]

It is not fair to rely on Gerrard so much, he is a central midfield player and there has to be a time when he stops carrying the 2 wingers. I am happy with Kewell and Pennant but they won't win us the league, neither score enough goals or stay injury free long enough.

 

The competition is strong this year despite our signings, Noones telling me that Tevez (if he signs), Rooney, Ronaldo et all won't scare defenders. The only player we have in that league is Torres and at a push Crouch and Kewell. Again, for me Gerrard is a Central Midfield player who can support the attack, not carry the team again.

 

I agree that Gerrard shouldn't be carrying the team and that's not what I said. If Ronaldo can contribute 20+ goals why can't Gerrard? Wide player or not he can and if he does things will be very different to last season.

 

If Ronaldo gets injured do you think the Manc would suffer massively?

[Rashid]

I don't think Rafa sees us having any one striker as a 20 goal player apart from Torres. If he got 20 (all competitions) and Gerrard got 15 then that would be a fantastic starting point. If Kuyt, Crouch and Voronin contributed 30-40 between them and Pennant, Kewell, Alonso, Agger another 15 then it all becomes a mute point.

 

A lot of that is wild arse hoping and guessing though isn't it? Without signing a couple more players I don't think we are equipped to challenge for the league due to a lack of quality in the final 3rd when measured against the competition.

[Rashid]

I agree that Gerrard shouldn't be carrying the team and that's not what I said. If Ronaldo can contribute 20+ goals why can't Gerrard? Wide player or not he can and if he does things will be very different to last season.

 

If Ronaldo gets injured do you think the Manc would suffer massively?

 

I see Gerrard in midfield and so he will have far more defensive and team responsibilties than Ronaldo does so him scoring 20 odd is far more difficult.

[Karl_b]

A lot of that is wild arse hoping and guessing though isn't it? Without signing a couple more players I don't think we are equipped to challenge for the league due to a lack of quality in the final 3rd when measured against the competition.

 

Yeah it is, but no more than saying we NEED more players. Everything is guess work at this stage, it's how we form these guesses that we're debating.

 

I see no reason why what I stated couldn't happen any less than how Ronaldo, Rooney et all performed last season.

[Karl_b]

I see Gerrard in midfield and so has farmore defensive and team responsibilties than Ronaldo does do him scoring 20 odd is far more difficult.

 

He's done it before. There is more to his game though but if the shackles are loosened anything could happen.

[Rashid]

I think it will boil to the performances of Kuyt/Crouch/Torres and Babel/Benayoun/Pennant/Kewell versus what United and Chelsea can come up with. The best attack will win the league this season.

[Karl_b]

I think it will boil to the performances of Kuyt/Crouch/Torres and Babel/Benayoun/Pennant/Kewell versus what United and Chelsea can come up with. The best attack will win the league this season.

 

I'm hugely excited about the new season, I think we'll be more free flowing going forward and the Premiership could be enthralling.

[Zippy]

I'm hugely excited about the new season, I think we'll be more free flowing going forward and the Premiership could be enthralling.

 

I agree to an extent. However there is some truth in what Rash is saying. We have definitely improved our attacking play with these players but whether we have improved our goalscoring enough is still debateable as Torres and Babel are both talented players who up till now don't have the best goalscoring records for there positions. Hopefully the increased ability of their teammates and the coaching of Rafa can help them become more efficient in this area.

[Rashid]

I agree to an extent. However there is some truth in what Rash is saying. We have definitely improved our attacking play with these players but whether we have improved our goalscoring enough is still debateable as Torres and Babel are both talented players who up till now don't have the best goalscoring records for there positions. Hopefully the increased ability of their teammates and the coaching of Rafa can help them become more efficient in this area.

 

I still think we need another winger and Michael Owen. I'd sacrifice one of our strikers if we needed the money. An Owen and Torres partnership would be the best in the league.

[Karl_b]

I agree to an extent. However there is some truth in what Rash is saying. We have definitely improved our attacking play with these players but whether we have improved our goalscoring enough is still debateable as Torres and Babel are both talented players who up till now don't have the best goalscoring records for there positions. Hopefully the increased ability of their teammates and the coaching of Rafa can help them become more efficient in this area.

 

Torres carried Atletico and still scored goals. In a better team he will flourish, I'm sure of that. Babel will need more time.

 

Kuyt has had a year to settle and I think he will score a lot more and hopefully Crouch will get more games. Voronin looks handy too, an improvement on Bellamy and (ah the blasphemy) Fowler, for sure.

[Karl_b]

I still think we need another winger and Michael Owen. I'd sacrifice one of our strikers if we needed the money. An Owen and Torres partnership would be the best in the league.

 

Freddie Sheppard has today said that Owen 'owes Newcastle'.

 

I'd laugh myself to death if he left, but I don't think it will be to join us, ever.

[Bellflower]

I still think we need another winger and Michael Owen. I'd sacrifice one of our strikers if we needed the money. An Owen and Torres partnership would be the best in the league.

On paper it might be attractive Rash but there must still be major concerns abot MO's fitness sustainability. I also think his agenda now is that of an England player who also plays club football. Torres and Voronin will be the better bet.................