Gylfi Sigurdsson

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Glass half empty - If we don't pay good wages we'll miss a lot of targets. We were beaten to a signature by Spurs. We're fucked.

 

Glass half full - If previous managers hadn't stuck questionable talent on high wages just to secure their signature we wouldn't be spending every transfer window desperately trying to shift a huge drain on our wage budget. For all we know we've better players to be spending the money on.

 

Take your pick.

[Kennys_spell]

On the day players return for preseason, he's just had 6 weeks off

 

The wedding plans were made months ago - during the time he was playing for Italy and reasonably thought he would be going to the Euro Champs with Italy therefore having an extended period off when this would be done.

 

What's wrong with that?

[Whelan]

He also (Aquilani) thought he would not be playing in the premiership! Although I do see where Trucker Paddy is coming from, I don't think he would have done so without the knowledge of the club.

[TheHitman]

I agree that we probably won't see the marauding Stevie G that was a feature of Rafa's team but, as I understand Rodgers' system, he would presumably be given one of the two central midfield berths in front of Lucas. Gerrard did a fine job for England at the Euros in a midfield two so I don't see any reason why he can't still offer a lot of quality in a midfield three playing quick one touch football. Drawing a comparison with Swansea, I can see a situation where Lucas takes the Britton role, Gerrard replaces Sigurdsson and Henderson (or somebody else) takes on the Joe Allen mantle. I think that could work quite well.

 

I just would not have seen him competing with Gylfi as you mentioned for a place in the team. I didn't see much of Swansea but they had Britton and Allen with Gylfi further ahead. I suspect that we won't see a fully fit Lucas for 3 or 4 months also.

 

I guess we will have to wait and see and hopefully Lucas & Gerrard will be fit for most of the season, it is at least promising that Gerrard managed to play four games in a short space without any problems.

[Kevin D]

I don't think you do!

 

 

 

Top wages should be reserved for top players, not 22 year old players how had a promising 6 months.

 

What about 39-year-olds with a promising 12 months?

[dickie mint]

I agree that we probably won't see the marauding Stevie G that was a feature of Rafa's team but, as I understand Rodgers' system, he would presumably be given one of the two central midfield berths in front of Lucas. Gerrard did a fine job for England at the Euros in a midfield two so I don't see any reason why he can't still offer a lot of quality in a midfield three playing quick one touch football. Drawing a comparison with Swansea, I can see a situation where Lucas takes the Britton role, Gerrard replaces Sigurdsson and Henderson (or somebody else) takes on the Joe Allen mantle. I think that could work quite well.

 

 

So Swansea is the yard stick,what happend to the days when Munich - Milan and Madrid would dread playing at Anfield .Ah well.

[Whelan]

What about 39-year-olds with a promising 12 months?

 

Is he on top wages?

 

I thought the criticism was that we took Rodgers cos he was on the cheap!

[Jairzinho]

What about 39-year-olds with a promising 12 months?

 

Oh right, turn this on Charlie Adam.

[Kevin D]

Is he on top wages?

 

I thought the criticism was that we took Rodgers cos he was on the cheap!

 

Trying to introduce some levity.

[Kennys_spell]

A 22 year old who Rodges was pulling the head off it over him and stiil couldn't get him.

 

Where has he done this?

 

By "pull the head off it" I presume you mean 'showed a mild interest in'?

[Whelan]

Trying to introduce some levity.

 

You have some hope!

 

You either crack your egg on the larger end, or you crack it on the smaller end!

[Cij]

Dickie: Who is suggesting that Swansea are the yardstick? I could have made a comparison with Barcelona (although it would have been equally as fanciful) and said Lucas fulfils the Busquets role, Gerrard will act as our Xavi and Henderson or somebody else will fill Iniesta's position. I was comparing the tactics not the players but you knew that already....

 

There have been some very good posts from Funnnneeee, The Woolster, Kennys_spell, The Hitman and others over the last few pages. How do you see us shaping up next season? Do you think we will improve? Which positions do you think we need to strengthen?

[The Woolster]

I see Aqualani has been mentioned again, well when all players not involved in internationals this summer returned to training yesterday he'd arranged to get married that day, the ultimate professional that boy

 

What about that tosser Skrtel? He got married a couple of weeks ago, but isn't getting back into Liverpool until tomorrow, he must be having an extended honeymoon or something. What a wanker!

 

Seriously though, is there no chance that it was arranged a long time ago, and that he thought that he either might have a chance of getting in the Euro 2012 squad, or perhaps more likely, that he might now be an AC Milan player, whose season, and their pre season presumably, start much later?

[Kennys_spell]

What about that tosser Skrtel? He got married a couple of weeks ago, but isn't getting back into Liverpool until tomorrow, he must be having an extended honeymoon or something. What a wanker!

 

Seriously though, is there no chance that it was arranged a long time ago, and that he thought that he either might have a chance of getting in the Euro 2012 squad, or perhaps more likely, that he might now be an AC Milan player, whose season, and their pre season presumably, start much later?

 

To be fair to Albert - I'd miss the first day of training for this:

 

 

And I'd be fuckin knackered in training for the next week or two.

[moof]

I think that's great, what Rodgers has said. He seems like a 'my way or the highway' type of manager. Not a guy to fuck about. I'm warming to him by the hour.

[Evil_Ways]

We had plenty of time to wrap the deal up before Spurs had a sniff.

 

Not really ?

July 1st at the earliest, no ?

 

By all accounts it seemed we had agreed a deal, but Tottenham came in with a bigger offer.

[Strontium]

Rodgers on Sigurdsson: "I believed playing football will be most important to him but obviously it was important financially."

 

 

So I guess Rodgers isn't on more money at Liverpool than he was at Swansea.

[moof]

So I guess Rodgers isn't on more money at Liverpool than he was at Swansea.

 

What's your point?

[Gym Beglin]

We had plenty of time to wrap the deal up before Spurs had a sniff.

 

When? What? He wanted more money because the contract was to have a Liver Bird on it, not a Swan. Regardless of the Cockerel.

[zigackly]

It was shite, we spent a lot of money and ended up 8th, level on points with Swansea.

 

That is context.

 

Precisely where are we disagreeing here? Don't play the dumb fuck.

[The Woolster]

There have been some very good posts from Funnnneeee, The Woolster, Kennys_spell, The Hitman and others over the last few pages. How do you see us shaping up next season? Do you think we will improve? Which positions do you think we need to strengthen?

 

I've discussed it recently, although I think it was probably on the MF, but I think we need a wide attacker, a CM who can play both alongside as well cover Lucas, and another forward. I am not sure that we can afford top quality in all 3 positions, so I would like us to go for someone like Loic Remy or Daniel Sturridge who can play as a wide forward and as a central striker.

 

Sigurdsson of course would not have been able to cover for Lucas, and whilst Stevie would have the role alongside Lucas, he would not be the one to cover him either, so whilst I think Sigurdsson would have improved the first XI, I think we would still have had a weakness in the squad with only Spearing to cover Lucas. For that reason, I'd like some one like M'vila or Jordie Clasie who could play in either position (although I confess I am going more on what I have read about the type of player they are rather than seen).

 

Whether we get players like that, I don't know, but even if we were to sign no one, I think there would still be an improvement on last season as I think players underperformed what they are capable of last season and should improve, and we should also have a little more 'luck' next season as well. Whether that would be enough for a challenge for the top 4, I don't know, but I think that the players that do come in (without knowing who they are!) as well as the improvement from the ones we already have will see us challenge.

[Whelan]

Now there's a well-justified and clear opinion. Pity the first three paragraphs will be completely ignored whilst people keep repeating the indisputable fact that the league performance was shite.

Context.

 

Precisely where are we disagreeing here? Don't play the dumb fuck.

 

That bit in bold read to me that 'people will ignore other factors and just keep saying it was shite' which I thought was you suggesting it wasn't shite, and that there was mitigating circumstances that everyone ignored.

 

I based this on the tone of your previous posts which tend be dismissive of anything positive about the owners, Rodgers and the players.

 

If that wasn't the case then fair do's, I do apologise. But I contend it was primarily shite because of who Kenny bought and how he played who he bought.

[No2]

So I guess Rodgers isn't on more money at Liverpool than he was at Swansea.

 

Exactly.

 

Playing for Liverpool should be worth more to you than playing for Swansea. At Liverpool you have extra media attention, extra pressure to win things and you have forums where fans call you a cunt for no apparent reason. I'm not suggesting we break the bank for the lad but a little gesture in his direction wouldn't have gone a miss.

[zigackly]

The air of despondency is fueled by more than just this decision. To some this is yet another reminder of our diminished circumstances. Another milepost alongside the road to mediocrity.

 

[Horus]

One thing it is worth noting, in order to be uber-fair to Swansea, he kept fucking around and saying he had to talk to the new boss there before he would talk to him.

 

We probably could have got the deal done before Laudrup was in post, but there will always be transfer battles over players. Some that we win, and most that we'll lose.

 

This situation will never arise again, so it's probably not worth reading too much into.