Summer '09 Transfer Speculation Thread

[Flying Pig]

Hi Ho Silva.

 

I can feel a song coming on.

[Carradona]

It's making the decision to ditch Keane mid seson better and better and better.

 

Why?

[WaltonRed]

I still think we will end up with Downing. Rafa wants that english quota filled.

 

I dont think the left needs doing unless its for someone like Silva.

 

As for the quota I thought the consenses was it was illegal and wouldnt happen?

[dirty_sanchez]

He's no Albert Riera.

[Thants]

Why?

 

I thought Silva can play a number of attacking positions, am I wrong? If we still had Keane on the bench losing millions by the month we wouldnt be easily able to afford Silva.

If it's not that simple please tell me why dear Cain.

[zigackly]

surely we need to focus on the rigt mid berth rather than the left though

 

If we do buy a left sided player it will prove that Kuyt is untouchable for Rafa.

 

I like Silva, but I'm not convinced he is what we need to stretch packed defences. He's deft, and good in a tight spot, but he will cut inside and add to the congestion a lot more often than getting to the byline and whipping a ball in. I also don't think he has outstanding pace on the counter. This means he's like an upgrade on Benayoun rather than an upgrade on Riera.

 

I don't think Riera's been all bad either. He started well, then seemed to have a bit of a fallow patch which coincided with the teams dire form, but had his best game for the club last Sunday. If he can carry that on and it means he's now adjusting to the league then there's every chance he will kick on next season.

 

Nearly everyone has agreed recently that the right side is the area we should address next: that's where we are lacking craft and guile. I'd rather we looked at a swift, capable right-sided attacker than a lefty who would prefer to play through the centre.

 

The time to get Silva was last season when we bought Keane and Riera instead. It's another case of a revolving door for a position on the pitch and I'd rather we stuck with what we have and address the most urgent position.

[coop]

His crowning glory was Father of the Bride.

 

He went downhill from there on and was shite in Santa Claus 3.

[Thants]

If we get money for Babel too, I'd snap it up.

[The 5th Benitel]

I thought Silva can play a number of attacking positions, am I wrong? If we still had Keane on the bench losing millions by the month we wouldnt be easily able to afford Silva.

If it's not that simple please tell me why dear Cain.

 

Cos we're challenging for the title now and if Torres gets injured none of our replacements are good enough.

[Carradona]

I thought Silva can play a number of attacking positions, am I wrong? If we still had Keane on the bench losing millions by the month we wouldnt be easily able to afford Silva.

If it's not that simple please tell me why dear Cain.

 

Yep, Silva can play several positions. I didn't know what you were hinting at with your post. I understand it now, dear Thants.

 

Mind you, I still think the selling of Keane was ridiculous. But that's all been argued about before, so it doesn't need to be argued about here.

[Monster Masch]

I thought Silva can play a number of attacking positions, am I wrong? If we still had Keane on the bench losing millions by the month we wouldnt be easily able to afford Silva.

If it's not that simple please tell me why dear Cain.

 

Still having the option of Keane coming off the bench in this title run-in instead of N'gog could have been oh so vital, no?

 

But I agree Silva can play in a number of attacking positions, nobody can disagree with that.

[paddyberger15]

If we do buy a left sided player it will prove that Kuyt is untouchable for Rafa.

 

I like Silva, but I'm not convinced he is what we need to stretch packed defences. He's deft, and good in a tight spot, but he will cut inside and add to the congestion a lot more often than getting to the byline and whipping a ball in. I also don't think he has outstanding pace on the counter. This means he's like an upgrade on Benayoun rather than an upgrade on Riera.

 

 

That is it in a nutshell for me and exactly what I was going to say if Zig hadn't beaten me to the punch. Its not that I don't like Silva, he is a decent little player, its just that he isn't a significant improvement on Benayoun and isn't what we need as top priority in my view.

Albiol is a player that I really like, but we are well stocked on the defensive/holding midfield/jack of all trades type of a player.

[zigackly]

Gerrard can play in a number of attacking positions, but there is no doubting that he's at his best running at defenders through the centre, and therefore that's where he should play most of his games. Same for Silva: he's a link player who can also play on the left, cutting inside, and can do a job on the right. If we buy him to play primarily on the right we've got the wrong man, and even on the left we will not be getting the best out of the player or the position.

[Ian Sea]

If we do buy a left sided player it will prove that Kuyt is untouchable for Rafa.

 

I like Silva, but I'm not convinced he is what we need to stretch packed defences. He's deft, and good in a tight spot, but he will cut inside and add to the congestion a lot more often than getting to the byline and whipping a ball in. I also don't think he has outstanding pace on the counter. This means he's like an upgrade on Benayoun rather than an upgrade on Riera.

 

I don't think Riera's been all bad either. He started well, then seemed to have a bit of a fallow patch which coincided with the teams dire form, but had his best game for the club last Sunday. If he can carry that on and it means he's now adjusting to the league then there's every chance he will kick on next season.

 

Nearly everyone has agreed recently that the right side is the area we should address next: that's where we are lacking craft and guile. I'd rather we looked at a swift, capable right-sided attacker than a lefty who would prefer to play through the centre.

 

The time to get Silva was last season when we bought Keane and Riera instead. It's another case of a revolving door for a position on the pitch and I'd rather we stuck with what we have and address the most urgent position.

 

I think we need to improve both the right and left sides. Kuyt and Riera are both good players but we need better on both sides for me. I'd happily keep both as back up, they can both do a good job on their day, but to push on we need better players in both positions. Signing Silva would be a good start.

[andymc]

maybe rafa fancies having players who can just interchange all the time, much like Spain in midfield

[Thants]

Yep, Silva can play several positions. I didn't know what you were hinting at with your post. I understand it now, dear Thants.

 

Marv.

 

Mind you, I still think the selling of Keane was ridiculous. But that's all been argued about before, so it doesn't need to be argued about here.

 

Still having the option of Keane coming off the bench in this title run-in instead of N'gog could have been oh so vital, no?

 

Cos we're challenging for the title now and if Torres gets injured none of our replacements are good enough.

 

I'd rather N'gog provide the 16m cheaper airshots.

[zigackly]

I think we need to improve both the right and left sides. Kuyt and Riera are both good players but we need better on both sides for me. I'd happily keep both as back up, they can both do a good job on their day, but to push on we need better players in both positions. Signing Silva would be a good start.

 

I don't disagree that both positions can be improved, but surely you address the weaker positions first? Riera was an improvement on what we had, why not get another season out of him and improve another position, instead of wasting £7M on buying Riera for one season and then relegating him to the bench whilst leaving the right side without improvement for two seasons.

[hamstrung]

Cos we're challenging for the title now and if Torres gets injured none of our replacements are good enough.

 

Nor was the Liverpool FC version of Robbie Keane, although I am inclined to agree that we should have replaced him.

[Carradona]

I'd rather N'gog provide the 16m cheaper airshots.

 

Nice of you to remember the airshots, rather than the goals. Maybe you didn't watch those games, no?

[Ian Sea]

I don't disagree that both positions can be improved, but surely you address the weaker positions first? Riera was an improvement on what we had, why not get another season out of him and improve another position, not just waste £7M on buying Riera for one season and then relegating him to the bench, whilst sticking with what we have in a weaker position.

 

Good point but maybe we can improve both positions this summer? If that's the case and Silva is the player that Rafa wants for the left then we should go for him. Valencia's financial situation is probably a factor in his interest, with the possibility of getting the player on the cheap, and that opportunity won't last long.

[shaunstrudwick]

as long as we get a ring wing improvement as well then buying Silva can only make us stronger imo

 

i'd take Joaquin as well if Valencia wanted to sell

 

£30m for the pair would be a decent price imo

[Carradona]

"ring wing"

 

Sounds nasty.

[zigackly]

Good point but maybe we can improve both positions this summer? If that's the case and Silva is the player that Rafa wants for the left then we should go for him. Valencia's financial situation is probably a factor in his interest, with the possibility of getting the player on the cheap, and that opportunity won't last long.

 

If we can genuinely improve both positions this summer then it's a possibility. I'm doubting it though, I don't think we have that kind of cash to splash. I also stand by what I said about him being the wrong type of player for me. He's undoubtedly got bucketloads of talent, but doesn't quite fit the bill of a pacy wide player who can also cut inside and shoot, which is what I think we need. He's a deft, central link player who can also come inside from a left sided berth, but not a natural winger by any means. I would have taken him instead of Riera last season, even with that doubt in my mind, but I think we should be looking at players who can stretch teams and I think the right is our priority.

Edited March 26, 2009 by zigackly

[ToxtethTerror]

Better than Milner, Downing and other such shite we have had down the years but he weighs about 7 stone. Still, the ultimate light weight Robert Pires made it here so you never know.

[Monster Masch]

That is it in a nutshell for me and exactly what I was going to say if Zig hadn't beaten me to the punch. Its not that I don't like Silva, he is a decent little player, its just that he isn't a significant improvement on Benayoun and isn't what we need as top priority in my view.

Albiol is a player that I really like, but we are well stocked on the defensive/holding midfield/jack of all trades type of a player.

 

If Agger is sold, id like to see Albiol come in. He can play centre half, hold the midfield and right back when needed.