Rickie Lambert is now officially a Liverpool player, and Reds legends Mark Lawrenson and John Aldridge have offered eight reasons why the 32-year old striker is a great signing for LFC.
In his column for the Liverpool Echo this week, Lawro admitted that he is 'surprised' by Rodgers' interested in Lambert, but ultimately believes the combative striker will be a success at Anfield, for the following reasons:
* Strength of character: "He has been knocked back a number of times and managed to get back up".
* Point to prove: "Having been released by Liverpool as a teenager, Lambert will be no trouble for Rodgers".
* Easy to manage: "He will be so grateful for this move back to his boyhood club".
* He's a good player: "He holds the ball up well; is good in the air; good from set-pieces and he works hard".
* Squad Balance: "Rodgers will have argued that Rickie's acquisition gives his squad much better balance".
LFC hero John Aldridge is also enthusiastic about the transfer, and offered another a couple of reasons why fans should be happy with this 'fantastic' deal:
* Plan B: "Lambert will give us that bit of a Plan B which we didn’t have last season".
* Attacking threat: "With his aerial ability, he gives us that different threat when it comes to getting crosses in"
* Hold-up play: "He can lead the line well, hold it up and bring others into play"
* Man of Steel: "He doesn't get injured and what you will get from him is a real hunger to succeed"
I totally agree with everything above. Lambert is a superb signing for Liverpool, and a clear upgrade on Aspas, Moses, Alberto, Assaidi, and Borini.
None of those five are seemingly capable of making a game-changing difference for LFC, but Lambert has all the attributes, experience, passion, and desire to to really make an impact.
I'm excited to see Lambert play for the Reds, and I have a feeling he will feature a lot more than fans expect.
Author: Jaimie K
In his column for the Liverpool Echo this week, Lawro admitted that he is 'surprised' by Rodgers' interested in Lambert, but ultimately believes the combative striker will be a success at Anfield, for the following reasons:
* Strength of character: "He has been knocked back a number of times and managed to get back up".
* Point to prove: "Having been released by Liverpool as a teenager, Lambert will be no trouble for Rodgers".
* Easy to manage: "He will be so grateful for this move back to his boyhood club".
* He's a good player: "He holds the ball up well; is good in the air; good from set-pieces and he works hard".
* Squad Balance: "Rodgers will have argued that Rickie's acquisition gives his squad much better balance".
LFC hero John Aldridge is also enthusiastic about the transfer, and offered another a couple of reasons why fans should be happy with this 'fantastic' deal:
* Plan B: "Lambert will give us that bit of a Plan B which we didn’t have last season".
* Attacking threat: "With his aerial ability, he gives us that different threat when it comes to getting crosses in"
* Hold-up play: "He can lead the line well, hold it up and bring others into play"
* Man of Steel: "He doesn't get injured and what you will get from him is a real hunger to succeed"
I totally agree with everything above. Lambert is a superb signing for Liverpool, and a clear upgrade on Aspas, Moses, Alberto, Assaidi, and Borini.
None of those five are seemingly capable of making a game-changing difference for LFC, but Lambert has all the attributes, experience, passion, and desire to to really make an impact.
I'm excited to see Lambert play for the Reds, and I have a feeling he will feature a lot more than fans expect.
Author: Jaimie K
On the surface it doesn't seem to be a spectacular signing but the thinking behind it is clear - to diversify the forward line. If Suarez represents the polar opposite of Andy Carroll then Lambert rests somewhere between the two. He is comparable physically to a player like Carroll and will provide a similar type of attacking threat, but he is far more comfortable with the ball at his feet and will fit into our style of play much much better. This should help with our 'plan B' against the teams that won't let us counter attack. On top of that I believe he is a model professional and the general team-spirit and dressing room can only benefit from his presence. I have a good feeling about it. Still can't help thinking that there is another angle to the transfer with Lallana in mind, but perhaps I'm wrong on that.
ReplyDeleteThat is 9 reasons?
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing is that he Lambert is a Liverpool supporter.
ReplyDeleteThis transfer also indicates BR is now in charge of transfers. BR's new contract must also show this, as it is the opposite to FSG's buy young policy, good to see.
ReplyDeleteKolo Toure?
ReplyDeleteSo...you copied his interview? I get the point your trying to make, but just quoting small parts of it and telling us where its from would have been sufficient ;D
ReplyDeleteI know they'll be happy that I am a Scouser and a Liverpudlian. I know that will mean a lot to them. But I also know what is important and I have to hit the ground running. That's what I'll be intending to do. It means everything to me, but I do believe I can help push this club forward as well.
ReplyDeleteDiame reportedly looking for £80k a week, no way, thats about £35-£40m over a 5 year contract, I for one dont believe he is worth that. I do like the look of Emre Can though, and hope we sign him.
ReplyDelete£80k a week.
ReplyDeleteSahko is an excellent passer of the ball. However, very one footed; liable to be caught in possession; not that fast; not aerially dominant; doesn't sense Danger ..
ReplyDeleteHe was on a free
ReplyDeleteToo be honest I neither saw this coming, nor considered RL as a potential LFC player.
ReplyDeleteNow he is here though, I can see why he will be a great asset to us this coming season. Unfortunately., Chelsea's success in parking the bus but still winning 2-0 means that many teams will shut up shop next season for fear of being blitzed like many were last time.
We will be able to marry an aerial and physical threat to our many technical players, without resorting to an old fashioned battering ram like Carroll; Lambert is pretty decent on the ball and sees a pass so much better than most big men. Teams will not necessarily be ale to invite us to have the wide areas and let us cross balls into the box. If they do, Lambert will add 15+ goals to the 20+ w
Love it ! Very positive.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you Jamie, great signing, will give his all and my prediction is he will score 12/15 goals next season even playing off the bench. He has better players round him this season so should be able to do a lot better than he did at Southampton
ReplyDeleteI can see the wisdom in that.
ReplyDeleteAre we discussing the same player?
ReplyDeleteSo he goes out partying, gets pissed, twice the legal limit, gets a 2 year driving ban, and its Brendans fault, Alberto is a plonk, he should know how to behave.
ReplyDeleteWe still paid a signing on fee. Nothing is for free I am afraid.
ReplyDeleteThis guy's got cult hero written all over him
ReplyDeleteApparently being a nice lad win you title...
ReplyDeleteMost of these point seem more like they trie to convince themself (Easy to manage make him a good player ? really? same goes with point to prove...)
Top team don't have "plan B" they're just good enough to win with plan A, we didn't need plan B, we needed better player either in the first XI or on the bench.
Not to keen on the player, 32 year-old and not a lot of experience a the top level,hope to be proven wrong.
Reina had to make a public apology twice last season for his awful performances. And, what about his letter to the fans, good riddance to Reina, he is Barca through and through.
ReplyDeleteBarca don't have a plan b and it's cost them in recent seasons
ReplyDeleteYep being a liverpool supporter will make the difference when we will need a win against a top team...
ReplyDeleteYou obviously have not seen Ilori play last season, man of the match against Barca, and some other great performances.
ReplyDeletewhat cost them is having a defense that is not performing, and the fact that their top player are aging, let's forget that they dominated the world from 2009 to 2013...
ReplyDeleteLast year Bayern didn't have plan B either but their plan A was so good using the quality of their top player that they destroyed every team they faced.
Not the solid defender. That's putting it mildly! The tide turns faster than Sack.
ReplyDeleteBig deal!
ReplyDeleteApart from Real Madrid who had their game plan totally sussed and blew them away... Because they didn't change their style. And bayern do have the players for a plan b just a manager who refuses to use it. Ferguson always had a plan b and his success speaks painfully for itself
ReplyDeleteThey play totally different under guardiola than they did under henckes...
ReplyDeleteFerguson success was successful in PL but in Europe it was an other story...
Wow! Skrtel is the ONLY decent defender Liverpool have and you don't rate him. Weird. Do you rate Johnson?
ReplyDeleteHenckys team was versatile and could change their system at ease. That's what Rodgers is trying to bring to our squad. 4 mil for a striker who scored 13 goals and got 10 assists last season, as well as loving the club and being on very reasonable wages is a very low risk transfer with the potential of being another Gary Mac
ReplyDeleteWe've been playing with plan A,B,C,D...I can't recall a liverpool team that has played with so many different formations?! Good teams have options;they are flexible and not one dimensional;they adopt to whatever situation they may face. We ran out of options against Chelsea;Rickie Lambert, will be something different,but not that different were we lose our football philosophy,it's a smart signing that doesn't break the bank.
ReplyDeleteIf Suarez can't do it few could anyway. But Lambert can keep his head when others lose theirs. He will give another type of threat that this top team have to think about as well as Suarez and Sturrdige. When speed can't do it he has other attributes. Being a red he may well fight to the death,
ReplyDeleteReal won by playing differently to how they usually played too.
ReplyDeleteSo what? So you want us to go from 7th to 2nd and then to ruling Europe? Grow up! Being a top prem team is first and foremost on the list. The lack of perspective and patience of people is very frustrating.
ReplyDeleteThis this this!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLol. Told him off. :D
ReplyDeleteHe did as a squad extra.
ReplyDeleteBayern have regressed under Guardiola, they were much more potent when they played their hybrid football( it was a mix of Barca and Dortmund ) Now they have reverted back to the Barca style and stagnated;teams have it sussed, Celtic done a job on them and that had nothing to do with an aging team or bad back line! Football evolves...
ReplyDeleteThey lost to Arsenal mate... Another team with no plan B, hence they always a bit short in recent times.
ReplyDeleteThere's no magic formula, ability, strengh, desire, speed, skill, intelligence, team spirit.. Sometimes teams get a good mix/balance .. They have their moments untill somebody finds a mix/balance which over powers the previous style,
It's good to have options,..
ReplyDeleteBetter u can change if the need arises
One thing I realised you like them Dirty!
ReplyDeleteAgree.
ReplyDeleteLooks a good player I wish him luck. More of a natural player than Enrique.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha don't generalise!
ReplyDeleteFrom the man who created the groups the Apologists, the Enablers and many others
The irony....
IN THE LAND OF THE BLIND,THE ONE EYED MAN IS KING!!!!
ReplyDeleteHahaa good one!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the Pro-Benitez Cult, and the GroupThink brigade...
ReplyDeleteGood point but from what Iv'e seen, Sakho has this type of defending in that he tends to back off when the opposition attack. May have worked in the french league but its a death wish in the PL. I also agree that the fee is a little steep but that is the kind of money you have to pay for top class young players from other countries. The time to look for 'bargain buys' and 'meal deals' are over. And compared to the fee being thrown around for Luke Shaw, I think this is a sound transfer.
ReplyDeleteHe isn't worth £20m let alone £30m. I think the days of being drained off money are gone. I like our ability to just say 'Take it or leave it'. Plenty more quality out there. Although I still believe were going to get him .. We should let the player solve that if he really wants the move.
ReplyDeleteYes that was excessive. If people doubted you are LFC fan you've cemented never to doubt...
ReplyDeleteGood point that is significant
ReplyDeleteThat clarifies it. I'm actually surprised he's on that much weekly. That West Ham would pay that much.
ReplyDeleteOK. If that is a comment on the state of football fandom I hear you brother. But I wouldn't go as far as to call you a king no matter how much I agree with you.
ReplyDeleteI am with you, he will be a beast!!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously? Whats with the nick name? He might be so good that they might not have come up with anything or.............
ReplyDeleteNo, he wants the Amazing Spiderman. :P
ReplyDeleteI don't think 18 million is a lot if he can plug the leaks in our defense.
ReplyDeleteI like em dirty too!!!
ReplyDeleteHe's more good at attacking rather than defense so I am not sure he's going to plug the leaks for us.
ReplyDeleteI googled for the "top 10 left backs" and saw two sites. One top ten and another top 15.
ReplyDeleteMoreno didn't even make it into either list!!
18 year old as good as 21 year old?hardly a good thing
ReplyDeleteI still don't agree with the "plan B" concept. Liverpool make subtle changes in tactics, we don't throw on a new player and suddenly start playing a different kind of football. Aimlessly crossing the ball into the box is never going to be a massive feature of how we play the game. We also are not going to resort to long balls up the middle at a "target man" and hope that he can get touches off to supporting players. Lambert will fit into our existing tactics and simply offer a different skill set. He'll come deep to take passes in build up play, he'll work to get position for slightly longer balls and yes, he'll help for those times when Mignolet has no choice but to kick it deep. He'll be a body to find from the other side of the box for precise, deliberate passes/crosses and he'll be a striker to find good positions to finish off moves, clean up second chance balls and generally get in the way of defenders. So having him on the pitch will mean we get a different set of qualities but I never expect the team to change the basic approach to the game just because he comes on. He'll change the game by his presence, his willingness to work, his strength and his natural instincts as a striker. If Sturridge is tired and frustrated or Suarez is being marked out of the game then someone like Lambert is a great option off the bench to provide a similar level of threat and skill but on a fresh pair of legs.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise I think the comments are spot on because above all else it's about attitude. He's a brilliant addition because he's now an international striker but is humble enough and focused enough to give 110% for his club. He's willing to learn and happy to take guidance. He'll fit in really well and simply WANT to be here. Everything he did for Southampton he'll do for Liverpool but I think it will come with maybe an extra 5%. For 4 million pounds I think it's a great deal.
lets hope hope not.. i would prefer ashley cole even though he is a veteran but young moreno can also be good as long as 18mil are 'well spent'
ReplyDeleteI think its a great bit of business. £4 million is a snip really.
ReplyDeleteAlso Lallana says he wants to leave now!
Very true. I find it staggering how critical people are. We've made huge strides in the last couple if years but it's vital we maintain a grip on reality. I would bet my left nut we get a better return from lambert than we got from downing and Carroll combined
ReplyDeleteHe can't head the ball for toffee slightly concerning in the EPL
ReplyDeleteit's an irish proverb,with a hidden connotation,in other words, he's got his richard in his sphincter!!
ReplyDeleteIn an article by BR on the main Liverpool website he said he has always had the final say on transfers. But I agree it is good to see that no one is slavishly following a rigid policy.
ReplyDeleteYes they regressed so much they won the league in record time. The only regression I saw from them was the team mentally going on holiday once that was done.
ReplyDeleteIt's my odd sense of humour. Every player we are linked with seems to have a nickname from "el sluggo" or "il cheatio" through to "le mercenario" . And according to Jaimie it's even even Danny Friggn' Welbeck
ReplyDeleteExactly, Stuart. And last summer, he said exactly the same about transfers, yet people still persists with the myth that the 'transfer committee' somehow has most of the say. Even in the face of direct quotes from BR himself, fans still refuse to accept he has final say. It's just a way to try and absolve him from responsibility for LFC's regular stream of transfer flops.
ReplyDeleteIs it really? I'm a Liverpool supporter, but I can't help feeling the upgrade from Sunday league 'let's hoof it down the pitch and hope the bounce deceives the keeper' 9th XI, to Anfield might be too much of a step up for me. Or maybe not?
ReplyDeleteDon't think Suarez was a Liverpool fan was he? Or Robbie Fowler for that matter, but Neil Mellor was.
I wish Lambert all the best, I am sure he will chip in a with a few important goals and prove to be a decent signing. Supporters like the idea of players bleeding red, having the liverbird tattooed to their eyelids, but let's not kid ourselves that practically it makes any odds to the success of a player at the club..
i was under the impression that diame had a problem with his heart? if so wouldnt he have a problem with a medical for us?
ReplyDeletejamie doesnt diame have a heart condition? that would be a problem with the medical wouldnt it?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for his first goal in front of the KOP. That celebration will be mental!
ReplyDeleteHuh these footballer's and their tattoos!
ReplyDeleteIf B Rodgers goes for I Rakitic(26) we can get him, no offence to J Allen(24), J Henderson(23), L Leiva(27) and S Gerrard(34).
ReplyDeleteBut I Rakitic(26) is a first team player, where does he have more chance of being in the first team?
Real madrid have Alonso, illarramendi, Isco Kheidra and Modric for I Rakitic(26) to displace.
Barcelona have Busquets, Fabregas, Xavi, Iniesta, Mascherano and Song.
A Madrid have Gabi, Diego, R Garcia, Koke, M Suarez and Tiago.
I think if B Rodgers offers Seville £25-33m for I Rakitic(26) he will get him to club. And we would have brought S gerrard's successor to club
ha, thanks for informing me of that!
ReplyDeleteMoreno = Dark Skin Shade, that's a nick I reckon. :P
ReplyDeleteGreat signing indeed. Lambert will be able to "make war" in the box the way Kuyt did. When Chelsea park the bus again, he'll be the one that pushes, kicks and shoves his way through. Perfect addition to what we have and you just know his experience alone will get him 10 or so goals next season. Also, he wasn't always a regular starter at St.Mary's either so even if he doesn't play every game, it won't matter.
ReplyDeleteI've seen him play, too lightweight for the premiership
ReplyDelete