Eto'o

[Tom R]

Mrs Krabappel and Principal Skinner were in the closet making babies and I saw one of the babies and then the baby looked at me.

[redrosetints]

Am I the only one who remembers us going for him in Rafas first year? Granted, he was likely a different player then.

 

Your right, Rafa went after him hard back then. Once bitten twice shy in the attacking player stakes for me, why pay 15m for someone to backup Torres ? We need a player who can play do that but also start on the left or right. Henry is still the man for me, play him wide right WITH Torres and Gerrard or when required in place of Torres.

 

EDIT: Ive read on, it appears a few thing Eto could play fdown the left alongside Gerrard and Torres. If thats the case then bring it on.

[spider-neil]

Your right, Rafa went after him hard back then. Once bitten twice shy in the attacking player stakes for me, why pay 15m for someone to backup Torres ? We need a player who can play do that but also start on the left or right. Henry is still the man for me, play him wide right WITH Torres and Gerrard or when required in place of Torres.

 

 

you don't bring in world class players to play second fiddle to anyone, eto'o is competiton for torres and if they were competition for one place then I'm sure in eto'o's mind he'd be good enough to claim that place.

 

we shouldn't be in for ANYONE who is content to play second fiddle or warm the bench and if we have anyone in the squad who is content with the bench then we should get rid of them.

[INTORRESTING]

you don't bring in world class players to play second fiddle to anyone, eto'o is competiton for torres and if they were competition for one place then I'm sure in eto'o's mind he'd be good enough to claim that place.

 

we shouldn't be in for ANYONE who is content to play second fiddle or warm the bench and if we have anyone in the squad who is content with the bench then we should get rid of them.

 

i think degen would be content to wear football boots.

 

I agree though and i am sure eto'o can play either side in a 4231 and probably cover for gerrard and torres if needed

[redrosetints]

you don't bring in world class players to play second fiddle to anyone, eto'o is competiton for torres and if they were competition for one place then I'm sure in eto'o's mind he'd be good enough to claim that place.

 

we shouldn't be in for ANYONE who is content to play second fiddle or warm the bench and if we have anyone in the squad who is content with the bench then we should get rid of them.

 

Perhaps and in an ideal world where money is plentiful etc maybe id agree, but with the benfit of hindsight would the likes of Sissoko, Crouch and Spud have been better off here with us now ? Wouldnt their careers and ambition be more fulfilled and our squad stronger ?

 

Not one of them would be a first choice, but all would be better than the 3rd or 4th choices we have and in Crouchs case, he'd be second choice.

[shaunstrudwick]

anyone else thinking we might go 4-3-3 if Rafa is serious about Eto'o?

 

Silva---Torres---Eto'o

Alonso/Barry---Masch---Gerrard

[Bogman]

02/04/2009

 

Will Liverpool be signing David Silva?

 

 

The transfer rumour section of the site has been inundated with the same question over the past week “Will Liverpool be signing David Silva”…

 

 

 

I wrote last week that the stories claiming Rafa Benitez had been allocated a fixed transfer budget were false and I also explained, in the same article, that as a consequence, it is far too soon to start talking about players who Liverpool will definitely be signing or even bidding for once the transfer window opens. Nothing has really changed on that front despite a sudden flurry of stories linking several players with a summer move to Anfield. To start talking about the players who will be signing in the summer is getting in to the realms of speculation and I`m afraid that all the questions asking for a definitive answer simply cannot be answered honestly at the moment.

 

WIN A SPAIN SHIRT SIGNED BY XABI ALONSO

 

 

 

With regards to David Silva, I can say that yes, it is true that Rafa Benitez is keen on the Valencia player and he was very upset that the La Liga side leaked his interest to the press. It is clear that, taking in to account their current financial plight, Valencia must act in their own interest to ensure they get the maximum possible return on selling any players and that means generating a bidding war by going public. Juventus are also very keen on him.

 

 

 

Of course, the rumours about him signing for Liverpool have died down ever since Rafa announced at last Fridays press conference that he was not interested at the €20 million price being touted. However this all ties in with our earlier discussion: that the Liverpool boss is not yet certain how much he will have to spend and therefore how to allocate his funds.

 

 

 

This does not mean that Rafa is now not interested in David Silva, as it has been interpreted elsewhere; and I wonder if it is not part of some strategy. Players were offered to Valencia in exchange – surely Voronin and possibly even Benayoun – and the Spanish side would certainly be happy to do that kind of a deal if their valuation of Silva is met.

 

 

 

With regards to funding, this is where Liverpool and Benitez are handicapped in relation to some of their competitors at the top level. €20 million is not an extortionate amount for a player of David Silva`s calibre – but if, as usual, it turns out to be a substantial part of Rafa`s budget, it leaves little in reserve for other re-enforcements, and Benitez must get it absolutely right: there is no margin for error. I believe that if it were possible to sign David Silva for between €15 – 18 million, then Benitez would do so.

 

 

 

Would Silva make a good signing for Liverpool?

 

 

 

Well, there is no doubting that Silva certainly possesses the technical ability – and on that score he would be an upgrade on Benayoun – or Luis Garcia – to play on the left and complement Gerrard and Torres, particularly at Anfield where visiting teams close down more often than not. However, despite the fact that Eduardo Macia, who signed him for Valencia, is his biggest fan, there are doubts about Silva`s personality (a similar situation exists with Albiol, who is also fancied by Rafa, but there are concerns over his mental strength).

 

 

 

David Silva has been a little unfocused lately and playing below par. Of course, circumstances at Valencia are difficult at the moment, but these are the times that reveal a players real character. Silva comes across as someone who may struggle to adapt to a new country, culture and language: more Reyes than Reina in that sense. However, if surrounded by the right people, and with the strong Spanish influence at Anfield, who knows. I do know that because of that, he would prefer a move to Liverpool over a move to Juventus.

 

 

 

Of course, everyone has been asking: will he or won`t he sign? That has not been answered, nor can it be. It is still too early to start making predictions and between now and the summer, anything can happen. There is little point in guessing and much depends on appealing alternatives in Spain – like Barcelona. At this point, we are really only talking about a potential transfer, however, Benitez is still interested and who knows, depending on the summer budget, the deal may still be on the table even at €20 million.

 

 

 

With regard to all other questions about David Villa and Samuel Eto`o: there has been no approach for David Villa from Liverpool; while on the subject of the Barcelona forward, I suspect we will be revisiting that subject fairly soon.

 

 

 

Oooooooo Gulliem, you cock-tease.

[Lupin]

Ooh, I detect a mild lob forming...

[PaulMcC]

Ballague loves long articles that say nothing.

[Tom R]

Ballague loves long articles that say nothing.

 

Like a Spanish Paul Tomkins?

 

 

nah, ballague rules. I like him a lot.

[Lupin]

Like a Spanish Paul Tomkins?

 

 

nah, ballague rules. I like him a lot.

 

:yes:

 

I think he's OK too.

[PaulMcC]

Like a Spanish Paul Tomkins?

 

 

nah, ballague rules. I like him a lot.

 

Tompkins are just boring a lot of the times but he tries to prove stuff using stats.

 

I like Ballague too. But he pretends to know loads of stuff and writes articles saying someone might be signing or maybe not then whatever happens he can take some credit.

[Tom R]

Tompkins are just boring a lot of the times but he tries to prove stuff using stats.

 

I like Ballague too. But he pretends to know loads of stuff and writes articles saying someone might be signing or maybe not then whatever happens he can take some credit.

 

He can only say what he knows though. At the end of the day, to sign 2 or 3 players, you will likely have a long list of 8-12 players to begin with, so it's not exactly abusrd to be linked with lots of players and then only sign a couple of them.

 

If you only targetted 1 or 2 players then you'd be very unlikely to land them. I don't believe for a second that he's a blagger or a chancer. If he says we're in for Eto'o then that's good enough for me.

That doesn't mean I believe we'll get him though. But I do now believe we're looking at it.

[hamstrung]

Never trust a man with a sculpted beard.

[rondeco]

Never trust a man with a sculpted beard.

 

[Tom R]

??

[Bogman]

??

 

That's more manicured

[Woo]

You know what, Rafa never got enough praise for that goatee, he's fucking rocking that shit right there.

[hamstrung]

Not the same thing. A goatee is OK. I currently sport one myself. A certain amount of trimming is permitted (nay necessary) provided it doesn't stray into Craig David style shaping.

 

Facial Hair sculpture is a different beast entirely. I am talking "Just For Men"

 

 

For example, having a full beard and then sculpting the lines around the edges (or under the neck).

[john23liverpool]

I don't like that Ballague. He comes out with loads and loads of speculation and 99% of it is shit.

 

He's no more in the know than any other journalist, its just that he's the most high profile Spanish Journo.

 

If you throw enough mud around some of it will stick as they say.

[The Infamous_LF]

Ballague chats shit he is as much in the know as any other writer although he got the Torres story spot on he has missed almost every other prediction.

 

I don't mind him but he gets my hopes up everytime I read what he has to say so I try avoiding it.

[INTORRESTING]

it did seem like he was qualifying everything lately and as soon as there was a bit of ocntroversy with rafa he was on his site putting the record straight even late at night. He does seem to talk shit but during the contract negotiations i definitely think rafa was feeding him snippets

[Crazyhorse7778]

I like Balague, seems like a good red.

 

Always take his predictions with a pinch of salt though.

[Fugitive]

Ballague is Rafa's unofficial mouthpiece.

[The Special One]

Hardly. He likes to pretend he knows what's going on but he doesn't.