Winger in the Summer

[Lupin]

Ashley Young has proven only one thing, he can't last a season and is shit against the top teams. Blow the lot on Walcott!

 

Kuyt can't cross - so blow the lot on a player who makes Kuyt's crossing look like Aurelio's...right...

[coop]

I like Kuyt and he is a valuable member of the squad but i agree it would be nice to have another option on the right who has pace and the ability to beat the opposition full back.

 

Kuba keeps getting mentioned and he is a good player who may well make the next step up to the high standard we require.

 

Its going over old ground but we can not afford the finished article, the players who have already proven their quality as these kind of players will cost you £20-25 million minimum so we have to try and sign them before then make the required transition from potential to quality.

 

We have in the team already two example of how it can work and how it can fail.

 

Torres is a fine example of it working as he is regarded as one of the worlds best strikers now and we could almost name our price if we were to sell whereas Babel who was also signed as an highly rated player has failed to make the next step up and we will struggle now to get our money back in the summer.

[Torvald Utne]

Absolute loads, I just think Wenger is a genius at spotting attacking talent usually for cheap. The hard part is making them even better and multiplying their price and he does that well too... hence why they are good examples of transfer coups.

 

Such as?

[G Richards]

For me we need a clear upgrade on either left or right wing, and if they offer versatility to cover both, so much the better.

 

Silva is probably the man we need, though I'd be very happy with Walcott.

 

Not sure what our budget is, but it would be nice if it stretched to both players.

[snez1]

I have to be honest and say I do rate Dirk highly. I think he offers a lot and not just in regards to his work ethic and stamina the fella has scored 11 times as a right winger or filling in as a second striker. That's good enough for me when you consider all the other attributes he offers and the balance he brings to the team. Also, technically gifted or not, the man scores big goals in the important games. He's bagged against Chelsea several times, Arsenal, Milan, Inter, Everton and scored crucial goals this season against Liege, City and Wigan. Even when he's having a poor game he's always likely to bag a goal for us. I don't see that in Riera. He's technically sound but not the best physically and scores less (and amazingly creates less goals) than Dirk so if i had to pick a winger for just one side it'd be the left for me.

 

That said, hopefully we can go and get a top player who can fill in anywhere in the front line.

[Megadrive Man]

I think David Silva would be ideal, as he can play either side and him and Yossi would give us other options on the flanks.

 

I think if we can get Silva, Barry and Glen Johnson in the summer thats pretty much all we need.

 

I don't know how much we've got to spend this summer but presume it will be boosted by the sales of Babel and maybe Lucas if we get Barry.

[Jose Jones]

I know Dirk has got his limitations, but you can’t deny he’s been productive this year. I think we should try our utmost to get someone who can play both sides, to be the numero uno choice then Dirk and Riera and Yossi can compete for the other spot – depending who’s on form. I’d also try and get an experienced cheapo striker to cover up front and also play in a 442.

Problem is the winger:

Ribery – looks like he’s off to Barca

Silva – maybe, not sure he’s got enough goals in him

Walcott – arsenal wouldn’t sell him

Robben – is an arse

 

Babel was obviously our effort to get someone fairly affordable in the hope they’d bloom into being able to cover all the front positions. Unfortunately he hasn’t bloomed.

[Lefti]

Dirk Kuyts best position is without doubt as a 2nd striker in 4-4-2 formation... he takes so much pressure off nando when he does this and this is also a reason why we often score later on in games when rafa has placed Dirk in his proper position. I'd rather go for a winger who can play either wing and play Dirk 2nd fiddle to Torres as a main position, but keep him as a very valued squad player who can do a job in any of the front 4 attacking positions. For me, hes been mentioned before but i'd love to see David Silva be signed as a right winger. Would happily blow a large percentage of the transfer budget on him.

[Lefti]

Also on the talk of transfers, i'd like a sneaky bid in for Daniel Sturridge, i think hes a great youngster with bags of potential and could be a great asset to the squad. I heard over January that Citeh were ready to let him go, so i'd like it if Liverpool kept some tabs on him. By no means is he a priority though.

[welsh_kopite]

A cheeky bid for Sebastian Giovinco. He will a world-beater, he's really skillful and a great crosser..only problem might be his height but I think he'll make it and would be great for us

[SpeedyG]

Also on the talk of transfers, i'd like a sneaky bid in for Daniel Sturridge, i think hes a great youngster with bags of potential and could be a great asset to the squad. I heard over January that Citeh were ready to let him go, so i'd like it if Liverpool kept some tabs on him. By no means is he a priority though.

 

Has he got a footballing brain though? Or is he another physical specimen hyped because of it who will inevitably struggle when faced with a canny opponent as happened to Richards.

 

It seems you only need to be big or fast for the press to hail you as the second coming these days.

 

Anyways if you've watched the reserves and the U18s you'll know there are probably 5 or so forwards on the books who look the real deal, so we have the "potential" category covered. What we need is the finished article and if we are going to pay the rumoured 70K/week, I'd want more than Sturridge.

[GJM]

As mentioned above, if we do buy another player for the right side, they are going to have to either do the job that Kuyt does and have the standard wide man attributes (pace, can beat a full back, can cross a ball etc), or they are going to have to be prepared to spend a lot of time with their arse on the bench.

 

Kuyt seems integral to the way Benitez wants to set the team up and I simply cannot see him replacing him with another player just because that player is a bit quicker or a better crosser of a ball. Evidence of these past 24 months suggests that simply isn't going to happen.

 

Personally, and at risk of impersonating a stuck record, I think it would have been a great thing if we'd bid for Arshavin in January. Who knows the whys and wherefores of why that didn't happen (money, one suspects, but perhaps player preference also), but I think he was/is the perfect player to sit behind Torres, either to the left or right of Gerrard. I don't often pine after players who we haven't signed, but he just seems so perfect for this team.

[Benitaur]

Personally I think Rafa would hopefully go for Wenger type players, ie youngish (barely 20) but potentially world class. Affelay or Georcuff or even Hulk. Possibly thereabouts 10 mil each.

 

But if we have the cash to blow, we should go all out for players who offer Kuyt's workhorse attributes, willingness to defend, chase after lost causes, but with more quality and pace. Off the top of my head, I can think of these two pretty boys:

 

Ribery for the right

Tevez for the left.

 

Tevez is not being bought by United and would do a good job. Ribery too can be bought, for the right price. But I reckon 30 mil each is out of our budget.

[Hazel Motes]

For the 182th time... Super talents like Sebastian Giovinco and Theo Walcott is NOT for sale.

 

Ledesma might be though.

[Bust3rboi]

joe cole ?

[SpeedyG]

As mentioned above, if we do buy another player for the right side, they are going to have to either do the job that Kuyt does and have the standard wide man attributes (pace, can beat a full back, can cross a ball etc), or they are going to have to be prepared to spend a lot of time with their arse on the bench.

 

Kuyt seems integral to the way Benitez wants to set the team up and I simply cannot see him replacing him with another player just because that player is a bit quicker or a better crosser of a ball. Evidence of these past 24 months suggests that simply isn't going to happen.

 

Personally, and at risk of impersonating a stuck record, I think it would have been a great thing if we'd bid for Arshavin in January. Who knows the whys and wherefores of why that didn't happen (money, one suspects, but perhaps player preference also), but I think he was/is the perfect player to sit behind Torres, either to the left or right of Gerrard. I don't often pine after players who we haven't signed, but he just seems so perfect for this team.

 

IMO you're more likely to see a left-sided Kuyt than anything else [cough]Barry[/cough].

[CWD82]

Can't believe their has been no mention of Aguero.

 

Will almost definitely be leaving Atletico in the summer and could be potentially world class

[SpeedyG]

Can't believe their has been no mention of Aguero.

 

Will almost definitely be leaving Atletico in the summer and could be potentially world class

 

Waaaaaayyy out of our price range. With the pound where it is and us withdrawing from the Silva talks because they mentioned 25m makes Aguero a non-starter IMO. Maxi Rodriguez would be more realistic.

[CWD82]

Waaaaaayyy out of our price range. With the pound where it is and us withdrawing from the Silva talks because they mentioned 25m makes Aguero a non-starter IMO. Maxi Rodriguez would be more realistic.

 

How much does Aguero cost in your big book of player prices?

 

More than Atletico would have wanted for their home grown captain and star player? Because I mean Liverpool would never be able to sign a potentially world class forward from Atletico, no, that would never happen

[ToxtethTerror]

Augero is a Bergkamp type, not a winger at all. If he comes then we have break up the Torres and Gerrard partnership and I am not sure about that.

 

I just read Babel in a number of papers saying that Rafa's problem with him is in his defending. Until we lose that mentality we could get Garrinchia (sp?) in his prime and he would look shit. Rafa said the same thing to Quaresma. If we are going to suppress wingers then its pointless paying so much for them and only getting 50% from them. Better to keep the defensive wingers we already have and buy elsewhere.

[hamstrung]

Its not about surpressing anything, its about taking a bit of responsibility and doing the basics as well as the flashy stuff.

 

The two things aren't mutually exclusive.

[The Great Jacko]

How much does Aguero cost in your big book of player prices?

 

More than Atletico would have wanted for their home grown captain and star player? Because I mean Liverpool would never be able to sign a potentially world class forward from Atletico, no, that would never happen

 

I reckon £35m for Aguero. If Ronaldo goes to Madrid I'd expect Utd to bid for him, Ribery and Benzema with their strategy being to buy Ribery and one of the strikers (Benzema being the priority for them). If Ronaldo stays then I still expect them to bid for the strikers, again on the basis that Tevez isn't staying there (very good player, but significantly overpriced).

 

The only hope with Aguero or similar is that they only want to come here. You could speculate that will be the case but it would only be wishful thinking today as there's no evidence whatsoever to support the theory.

[CWD82]

Augero is a Bergkamp type, not a winger at all. If he comes then we have break up the Torres and Gerrard partnership and I am not sure about that.

 

I just read Babel in a number of papers saying that Rafa's problem with him is in his defending. Until we lose that mentality we could get Garrinchia (sp?) in his prime and he would look shit. Rafa said the same thing to Quaresma. If we are going to suppress wingers then its pointless paying so much for them and only getting 50% from them. Better to keep the defensive wingers we already have and buy elsewhere.

 

He's as much a winger as Carlos Tevez who has been mentioned.

 

He is nothing at all like Bergkamp either. He plays right upfront for a start.

 

He could be a Messi type left/right winger quite easily. If Messi was playing in a 442 as a forward you would be saying he couldn't operate as a wideman.

 

Quality players can play anywhere and make the difference. Look at Zidane at Madrid, Henry at Barca and Gerrard when we played him right wing. Aguero isn't that class yet but could get there and his pace and ability to go past a man would make him a top drawer winger cutting inside.

[SpeedyG]

How much does Aguero cost in your big book of player prices?

 

More than Atletico would have wanted for their home grown captain and star player? Because I mean Liverpool would never be able to sign a potentially world class forward from Atletico, no, that would never happen

 

A damn site more than the 20m they paid for him, which given exchange rates etc is about what we paid for Torres. No-one else was in for Torres, that won't be the case with Aguero.

[Hazel Motes]

Augero is a Bergkamp type, not a winger at all. If he comes then we have break up the Torres and Gerrard partnership and I am not sure about that.

 

I just read Babel in a number of papers saying that Rafa's problem with him is in his defending. Until we lose that mentality we could get Garrinchia (sp?) in his prime and he would look shit. Rafa said the same thing to Quaresma. If we are going to suppress wingers then its pointless paying so much for them and only getting 50% from them. Better to keep the defensive wingers we already have and buy elsewhere.

 

This is all about Quaresma isn't it?