Liverpool continue to be linked with a summer move for Manchester City attacker James Milner, and Anfield legend Gary Gillespie believes the 28-year old England international would be a good signing for the Reds.
According to a recent report in The Guardian:
"With Milner in the final 12 months of his contract...Liverpool and Arsenal have made inquiries and [are] interested in signing him".
When asked last night about Liverpool's alleged interest in £10m-rated Milner, Gillespie hailed the midfielder for 'changing the game at Anfield last season', and further enthused:
"He [Milner] is a manager's dream. He doesn't upset the apple cart, and you know what you're going to get. He doesn't really catch the eye, but he works his socks off, and doesn't get the rewards he deserves".
Milner is the archetypal British player: full of running; endless stamina; good at tackling, tracking back etc, but short on genuine guile and skill. He is a steady, reliable payer, but his pedestrian brand of huff-and-puff football is definitely not going to take Liverpool to the next level. Milner's creative stats over the last 4 years:
* 2013-14: 2 goals/15 assists in 44 apps.
* 2012-13: 4 goals/7 assists in 35 apps.
* 2011-12: 3 goals/5 assists in 37 apps.
* 2010-11: 3 goals/8 assists in 42 apps
* TOTALS: 12 goals/35 assists in 158 apps
* Goal every 13 apps | Assist every 4.5 apps.
Plus, once again: enough with the British players already! The likes of Milner, Allen, Lambert, and Lallana will not win the league for Liverpool. Teams composed of 80%+ Brits in the starting line-up very rarely win the top trophies, and the Reds have more than enough British players in the squad.
With Liverpool back in the Champions League, the club should be able to attract a higher quality of player, but Rodgers' transfer business so far is (IMO) pretty underwhelming, and it's rather dispiriting to see Liverpool continually linked with players like Milner and Bertrand.
These are the type of players I expected the Reds to approach last year, when Liverpool were out of Europe, but it seems that being in the Champions League is making no difference whatsoever.
Why is that? Rodgers is clearly an excellent manager with huge potential but, unfortunately, he has no significant international reputation, and is therefore unable to attract Europe's best players.
When the world's elite players have a choice between Rodgers, Mourinho, Wenger, Pellegrini, and Van Gaal, then Liverpool will probably be bottom of the list of potential destinations, and that's already been proven on more than one occasion.
Rodgers just isn't a big enough name to attract the world's best players, and with Ian 'the grey man' Ayre negotiating contracts, it's easy to see why Liverpool FC is not a very attractive proposition.
Sad but true.
In this situation, Liverpool need to add an X-factor to the transfer process, and that means having ex-stars (i.e. Rushie, Barnes, Fowler, Hamann, Carra etc), involved in transfer meetings with prospective signings.
Author: Jaimie K
According to a recent report in The Guardian:
"With Milner in the final 12 months of his contract...Liverpool and Arsenal have made inquiries and [are] interested in signing him".
When asked last night about Liverpool's alleged interest in £10m-rated Milner, Gillespie hailed the midfielder for 'changing the game at Anfield last season', and further enthused:
"He [Milner] is a manager's dream. He doesn't upset the apple cart, and you know what you're going to get. He doesn't really catch the eye, but he works his socks off, and doesn't get the rewards he deserves".
Milner is the archetypal British player: full of running; endless stamina; good at tackling, tracking back etc, but short on genuine guile and skill. He is a steady, reliable payer, but his pedestrian brand of huff-and-puff football is definitely not going to take Liverpool to the next level. Milner's creative stats over the last 4 years:
* 2013-14: 2 goals/15 assists in 44 apps.
* 2012-13: 4 goals/7 assists in 35 apps.
* 2011-12: 3 goals/5 assists in 37 apps.
* 2010-11: 3 goals/8 assists in 42 apps
* TOTALS: 12 goals/35 assists in 158 apps
* Goal every 13 apps | Assist every 4.5 apps.
Plus, once again: enough with the British players already! The likes of Milner, Allen, Lambert, and Lallana will not win the league for Liverpool. Teams composed of 80%+ Brits in the starting line-up very rarely win the top trophies, and the Reds have more than enough British players in the squad.
With Liverpool back in the Champions League, the club should be able to attract a higher quality of player, but Rodgers' transfer business so far is (IMO) pretty underwhelming, and it's rather dispiriting to see Liverpool continually linked with players like Milner and Bertrand.
These are the type of players I expected the Reds to approach last year, when Liverpool were out of Europe, but it seems that being in the Champions League is making no difference whatsoever.
Why is that? Rodgers is clearly an excellent manager with huge potential but, unfortunately, he has no significant international reputation, and is therefore unable to attract Europe's best players.
When the world's elite players have a choice between Rodgers, Mourinho, Wenger, Pellegrini, and Van Gaal, then Liverpool will probably be bottom of the list of potential destinations, and that's already been proven on more than one occasion.
Rodgers just isn't a big enough name to attract the world's best players, and with Ian 'the grey man' Ayre negotiating contracts, it's easy to see why Liverpool FC is not a very attractive proposition.
Sad but true.
In this situation, Liverpool need to add an X-factor to the transfer process, and that means having ex-stars (i.e. Rushie, Barnes, Fowler, Hamann, Carra etc), involved in transfer meetings with prospective signings.
free polls
Author: Jaimie K
We have Markovic, Sterling, Ibe, Coutinho, Lallana who can all play in the midfield positions with many more as well. I would pass on Milner.
ReplyDeleteMilner wants first team football, will he get it at Liverpool?
ReplyDeleteIf we sold Joe Allen and brought him in for free maybe...
But he's just an English Park-Ji-Sung (without all the Asian shirt sales)
For me, best transfer news of the month, nay whole window, is that Ryan Bertrand has signed for Southampton on a year long loan. That, my friends, was a close call.
ReplyDeleteIf we didn't have Henderson then maybe I would say yes, but signing Milner would just be like having 2 of the same player.
ReplyDeleteAs the squad currently stands I don't think we need any more midfielders. If any were to leave then maybe.
We don't need any more donkeys.
ReplyDeleteNo real need for him. £10m for a player who's value without being in the final 12 months is prob £12m. No thanks.
ReplyDeleteNO thank you, rather give Ibe a chance.
ReplyDeleteIf he was our player, I would keep him.
ReplyDeleteI had not heard that about him I will look carefully next time I see him play.
ReplyDeletePlus, Hendo has much more creativity and goal threat in him, which will be seen in Gerrardless games.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree on this one JK. We have past legends who can be used to lure these first class players. "Hot Ayre" is incapable of signing Doris the Tea lady from Southampton.
ReplyDeleteWe must use former players to bring in top class players.
the things is ex liverpool stars are pretty much unknown to foreign player, so i dont think that would make a difference in transfer dealings.
ReplyDeleteMy first reaction to this article was "God no", but he is a very good player in fairness. He's one of those players that few people likes, without there being any good reason for it....
ReplyDeleteWhilst I wouldn't take him, I was surprised to see his 15 assists for last season, which is better than one in three games. Might suggest that he's improved, but then he was in a team that scored over 100 goals.
ReplyDeleteWould add squad depth and a decent player, but we need players who can go into our starting eleven and push some of the current ones onto the bench. Milner won't do that.
I think that you've identified a genuine problem though. BR performed really well last year and I'm sure that some of the players we just signed, wouldn't have done so without us qualifying for CL, but the quality of player that we seem to be able to attract hasn't matched our second place finish.
I think it's more than just BR not being perceived as world class yet. I think Ian Ayre's a muppet in transfer negotiations, even if he's been a commercial star. Leave him to drum up revenue streams and keep him away from player acquisition.
Also, if Mourinho really wanted a player, he would personally schmooze him, if he felt it necessary. BR's dour personality probably doesn't help and I think we could use some of our older club legends and heros to try and attract some of the players that we want.
Also, we can't forget the years lacking in success. It will take time for LFC to be a team that any and all of the best players would aspire to play for.
Lastly, I like BR, but think he has enough ego (false humility) for the whole club and is not keen to handle big egos when it comes to players. For this reason, he is much happier to develop talent, or acquire talent that he has worked with before.
Err. in this age and time. Google has all the answers to these questions. Youtube et all. disagree on this one
ReplyDeleteso what ? do you think top foreing player would take time to look who the 80's british player are just for the sake of it ?
ReplyDeleteExactly. It's not even the name-recognition factor; it's more the benefit of having ex-footballers with genuine, palpable passion for LFC selling the club to prospective signings. Ayre and Rodgers have next to no experience as players. Liverpool should get Carra involved, and in the future, Gerrard.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just about name-recognition. It would be beneficial to have passionate ex-players as part of the team selling the club to prospective signings. Rodgers and Ayre are not ex-footballers, and without the cache of major achievement within the game, they have very little to offer when it comes to negotiations (outside of the standard LFC factor, and money)
ReplyDeleteI believe that Rodgers is an ex-footballer who's career was cut short by injury?
ReplyDeleteI think we're all being a little too harsh on Ayre. Saw him just this morning on his way to entice Reus to sign for LFC. Granted, it was in South Carolina, but I assume the teddy bear will serve as the clincher, the icing on the cake, or what-have-you. Expect the "Welcome to LFC, Marco" YouTube videos to come rolling in by morning, lads!
ReplyDeleteI mean ex-footballer of note, which Rodgers isn't.
ReplyDeleteEven the Saints fans don't want him(!). This coupled with not taking up the option to buy Cissokho.
ReplyDeleteJust being a pedant, but thanks for qualifying your statement.
ReplyDeleteI would agree as well. When people look at Ayre, I think they feel disrespected because they might think that I am making this big move and leaving everything behind and the club treats me with an old man. They might not even know where Ayre is in the Liverpool hierachy. I would put KK and Rush as the negotiators.
ReplyDeleteRodgers was an ex player who succumbed to injuries early in his career. But he was not an Ex Liverpool player pe se.
ReplyDeleteGreat point. Ian Ayre has his qualities (acquiring sponsorship deals etc), but he arguably adds no value to the transfer process. Why not just send an ex-player's delegation to talk to prospective signings? How hard would that be? Instead of seeing headlines like 'Ian Ayre flies out to discuss deal with X', I want to see 'LFC send Barnes, Rush, and Carragher to convince X to sign for LFC'.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that it would be better if people negotiating with player could "sell the club" more and that Ayre seem to be really bad at it, but if it's just to show what the club can also offer to player a specialist could be just as usefull.
ReplyDeleteLong as it's a Steiff bear, we might have a chance. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHeadline would be "Ayre Rides out to complete deal" actually.
ReplyDeleteSo Hendo scored, assisted and converted a penalty last night?
ReplyDeleteHe spoke about gettin on the score sheet more often this season after the match. I think he now has a good confidance and gets the right kind of praise so we can finally meet the successor of Hamann, Gerrard and Mascherano in one player.
Of course he won't ever be as good as either, but will contribute as much as any..
I still do not buy this whole Sanchez chose Arsenal because of the location only. Players like Witsel and Garay join Zenit even when their fans made it clear that they are not going to accept certain players. If we convinced him more, he would have joined as we were clearly better last season.
ReplyDeleteA player with Sanchis's calibre will never agree to a direct exchange. It is all about personal pride.
ReplyDeleteCan is another player that will bring endurance and energy to our midfield. The guy is like a tank on the pitch.
ReplyDeletehes got downing written all over him... puts a shift in without any real quality in the final 3rd we have enough of those already....12m your kidding me
ReplyDeletei mostly agree - i was just wondering why most of us don't like him. He works hard, doesn't drink, doesn't bite :-)
ReplyDeleteI saw him toady. The lad is quality and will add much needed steel to our midfield. I expect him to become a regular in the next few seasons. On another note, Sterling looks a completely different player to that who was so nervous at the beginning of last season. His finishing was sublime. He could be the man next season.
ReplyDeleteif we shift lucas and allen id take him on a free because he offers a bit more than them in attack,but for 12m no way plus he will be on mega money at city the thing that i dont mind about milner is that apparently hes a half decent full back
ReplyDeletethat's true - maybe that's what rodgers has in mind. Anyway, i think we all agree it's a deal we should happily pass on...
ReplyDeleteMilner is a mercurial player. On one day, he might look like a world beater ( like at Anfield) and on other days he might be worse than El Hadji Diouf and Downing combined. We cannot afford this but on a free, maybe.
ReplyDeleteI think he deserves the no. 7.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction was like yours too then I remembered that last season we were not capable of changing style to trouble the Chelsea bus. In games like that you need grafters like Milner and strong strikers like Bony who cant be knocked off the ball and with a sprinkling of stardust from Sterling and Coutinho we can have brawn and guile in the same match to counter overly defensive teams.
ReplyDelete! would rather have Milner on the bench than Allen who has proved over 2 seasons that LFC is a bridge too far for him.. He will no doubt be a star back at Swansea or similar level teams just the way Sigurdson has found out.
We need to address right back more urgently though.. Johnson doesn't cut it when you consider that he was said to be very good going forward but he contributes no goals and maybe one or two assists a season. We can safely say he is almost equally bad in the finally third as he is in the first third. He is constantly out of position but has no end product to justify not being in his primary position. Last night against City he was pretty dire.
It may have been a friendly but when you see half the team back in defence including Coutinho and Sterling due to City pressure while Johnson the righback is slowing walking back but still closer to the half way line, then you know his heart is not in it.
I think we have done pretty well in the transfer market ,Can,Markovic,Lallana and Lovren are going to improve us alot and Lambert is a usefull squad player,two good full backs and a top striker and we go again.We will sign at least one big name for sure I hope its Reus what a signing he would be,Johnson needs to be dropped for Flanagan this season and a better left back than Enrique is needed.
ReplyDeleteMilner would be a decent squad player but nothing more.
Yeah, think Sterling will double what he scored last season. Amazing talent!
ReplyDeleteNot yet. The pressure might be too much for him right now. Let him perform on the highest level for the next few seasons and then reward him with it.
ReplyDeleteI really like the look of can even at this early stage..if you factor in that hendo and tino look sharp Gerrard may struggle to start
ReplyDeleteAdd Ibe to that and our future wingers could already be set. Suso with creativity and Rossiter with the vision. Our academy is just amazing right now.
ReplyDeleteYes. Johnson is our weakest link and just does not seem interested. At least Enrique has passion and desire, Johnson is flat out useless. Get Manquillo and rotate between him, Kelly and Flanno. We have Wisdom and Mclaughlin as well. Time for Glen to go. Where can i get a taxi?
ReplyDeleteI would loan Ibe out to one of the EPL teams who have just been promoted. He may only get chances in the League Cup etc if he stays with us this season. He needs regular playing time to improve as a player.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Give him to Southampton That's the least we can do for them(!).
ReplyDeleteBurnley or Leicester for me. He will start most games there.
ReplyDeleteI rated Johnson until last season - we can't have defenders who can't concentrate for 90 minutes if we expect to win anything. This morning i watched a good youtube video (i know..) on the Athletico kid we have signed. I'm intigued to see how he works out - can't be any worse...
ReplyDeleteLet him be for now. I think his biggest problem is rubbish linos that can't understand he's that far clear through good timing and exceptional acceleration.
ReplyDeleteAs an ex sprinter, I know how many times I was well onside only to be flagged back because I was so far clear. Sterling will always suffer from that unless(until?) he gets a reputation big enough, like Henry did , where the officials know it's his acceleration that puts him clear.
Unfortunately for me, although I had the speed, I didn't have Sterling's skill with the ball. And back then defenders could just kick you up in the air ...
Burnley. Leicester have good wingers with Mahrez and Knockaert.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a good idea but I am not convinced it would make much difference in reality.
ReplyDeleteI suspect it has much more to do with Liverpool's standing as a football club plus possibly the wage and transfer policy.
I am sure that current players would admire and respect legends of the past but there's only so many times you can put up with hearing "In my day...."
Don't we already have a "Milner" in Hendo? Except Hendo is younger, faster, stronger and has been known to actually score a goal ot two. Having said that, despite a goal (right place, right time) and a superb assist to RS, there were more than a few times where Hendo was not ready to receive a pass or had no clue what to do with the ball when he had it. He has a ton of energy and is getting smarter, but I fear he will never have a deft touch in close quarters.
ReplyDeleteOut of interest, what exactly has Can done so far? I don't recall him creating a chance; playing a killer ball; having a shot of any note, or being involved in basically anything noteworthy. As far as I can see, he looks powerful when he's running, and that's about it.
ReplyDeleteIt was he that played that sublime through ball for Sterling to hit the top corner right at the end which was flagged offside, as I recall.
ReplyDeleteHe has looked very comfortable on the ball too, and went head on with Micah Richards in a 50 -50 and came off best, no mean feat when you see Richards' physique.
Keep watching...
That's not enough to justify the growing overhype (IMO)
ReplyDeleteIn your opinion, what do you believe Can's function will be for the team this season?
ReplyDeleteAnd i am not referring to how many times he will play, more what his duties will be.
I thought Can Sterling totally changed the match last night. Can was a beast on both sides of the ball and Sterling...wow.
ReplyDeleteMilner is one of the most under rated players in the league but I still voted no. Hendo is our Milner and I don't see room for both of them in the squad. Also, I don't think Milner will be planning on swapping city's bench for ours. He'd be wanting guarantees and I don't think we could give him that.
ReplyDeleteI get what you're saying about British players but I don't think Lallana, Sterling and Sturridge can really be called typical British players
I could be totally wrong, but out of the names you mention aren't Rush and Fowler the only one's who actually have anything to do with the club anymore?
ReplyDeleteI mean it's all very well saying let's get carra involved, but he is not an employee of LFC. He has a very cushy, well paid job with Sky. He has already turned down stuff with Liverpool when he retired. I don't see how we can just draft him in because we are trying to sign Mr Bundersliga.
I have not seen anyone 'overhype' when it comes to can. One thing is for sure though, he has not been signed to score us goals.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Jaimie thought you were dead.
ReplyDeleteJust getting back in the CL is seemingly not enough. Not a single CL game played and we have been out for so long. Unfortunately for us it may take a couple of good showings in the comp before we may be considered by the better players again. It is because we were out for so long I think. If you read what the United Hiarchy have been saying they are very worried of the effect of being out of the CL for more than a season and we are an example why.
As for Milner I would accept him for a nominal fee. He is a piano carrier and we know every team needs them. Also I think he is a more intelligent player than he has been given credit for. He certainly changed the game against us.
Our finances are finite.
ReplyDeleteYesterday clearly showed how weak we are in the full back positions.
Also, we clearly need to sign a goalscorer, Sturridge is too injury prone to count on him.
Our central midfielders couldn't cope with City yesterday, they were walking through us at times. So, I still feel we could benefit from a top ball winning midfielder.
This all costs, so I'm afraid signing Milner is simply unrealistic.
Why are we still looking to pay £17-20m for Moreno when Rojo is available and apparently close to a £14m sale to Southampton?
ReplyDeleteMadness
That Bear is not wearing a helmet. Disgraceful.
ReplyDeleteMe neither.
ReplyDeleteIt's always overhype in JK's book when people see and say what they feel about players. He said the same re Sterling last season, then Sterling tore it up, justifying the hype in the end iirc
God they need someone. Koeman is on the training pitch on his bill.
ReplyDeleteFull back were torn a new one.
ReplyDeleteTo paraphrase old Fergie face;
Johnson. Bloody Hell.
No that overhype was detrimental. Can't you see how detrimental it was? Look how much it ruined him ;-p
ReplyDeleteHe looks good doesn't he? His movement off the ball, his ability on it. He is only just getting in to it but looks pretty comfortable. Fingers crossed he turns out to be a bargain.
ReplyDeleteRodgers overhypes the most. Seems to be doing the trick...
ReplyDeleteHe tries to emphasise staying grounded too. It probably is a thin line but I think removing doubt from a players play can make a difference to their game. That is why Downing could be very good but would largely be poo. Not enough belief in himself.
ReplyDeleteOr us in our heyday.
ReplyDeleteMan management is key, especially when it comes to young players.
ReplyDeleteAnd I suppose his family or other half had no say in the matter then? . Lots of things come into it and a foreign player's view of the UK is often London biased
ReplyDeleteNo helmet laws in South Carolina.
ReplyDeleteWhen he fitted into a 2 man midfield screen in front of the back 4 with Lucas i thought we looked a hell of a lot more solid at the back in a 4231 formation. The other 3 mids were popping up all over the pitch and creating loads of problems because the city players didn't know who they were supposed to be marking or tracking.
ReplyDeleteI can see that formation being used when Gerrard doesn't play or tricky away games. Lucas looks like he could play a vital role this season.
I think the fact they get massive tax free wages in Russia might have something to do with it
ReplyDeleteThe boy may work his socks off but his crossing rarely gets past the first defender. Over rated.
ReplyDeleteSurely one of the good things about being a football fan is getting excited when a new signing looks good in pre-season. I haven't seen much over-hype. Just people commenting on the fact that from the little we've seen of him so far, he looks a good player
ReplyDeleteBut still, I do not see this happen all the time. Otherwise, West Ham would have had a team of world beaters( they bid for Negredo and Knoplyanka). Surely, Sanchez will get the final say on where he gets to play his football. If he is joining a club just because his family wants him to, it seems quite odd. We performed well last season and better than Arsenal did. There are lots of things we could have done. We could have told Barca no if they did not give us Sanchez, play hard ball with them. I feel we gave into them too easily. I remember that Suarez was linked with Spurs before he came to us and he chose us. Also, it's not as if he will automatically adapt to the London lifestyle. There is language, food and weather to contend with. In that case, London is no different from Liverpool. He is not even European where he can take a train to his home town. Almost everybody in the world has heard of Liverpool and if we tried hard enough, we could have gotten him. Of course, it might be that the lure of London was too hard to turn down but it just seems wierd.
ReplyDeletei hope we let him walk when his contract ends. (in a year?)
ReplyDeleteat his current form, and sulking, i wouldnt pick him even on bench. im not quite sure where, but somewhere during last season he completely forgot how to play football.
How about NC?
ReplyDeleteit's a requirement there.
ReplyDeletehe looks strong and composed and he can shift...im well aware one swallow doesn't make a summer but as a defensive midfielder he looks the best out of a bad bunch
ReplyDeleteim not over hyping im saying he looks as good a defensive midfielder as i have seen so far pre season ....you where banging on about how pre season was important to judge the players we have signed well im a judgin and your a bitchin
ReplyDeleteHas Can been a defensive midfielder in preseason though? Box to Box is more like it.
ReplyDeleteGerrard will remain as the pivot. Can and Hendo I reckon are going to be a really good combination playing ahead of Gerrard this season.
what i dont want is gerrard not earning his spot if you play well and look good in training you should be given a go
ReplyDeleteI saw all I needed to see when he came on against us at Anfield last season. He was a big part of why they got back into the match in the first place. Sure he's no Messi but he is a Kuijt. We will play the Crystal Palace's of this world next year and to have a player like him in the squad will help imo.
ReplyDeleteGerrard still has every pass in the book. The pivot does not need to make tackles. The pivot is there to control the game which Gerrard is extremely good at. Now that he has given up his national duty is only a good thing.
ReplyDeletei though Gerrard was playing defensive midfielder just in front of the back 4 .....i thought the ability to cover and tackle was fundamental to the job
ReplyDeleteComparing London with Liverpool is like Comparing Oranges and Apples.
ReplyDeleteSure there both fruits that you can eat but that is where it ends.
Look, I love Liverpool, I grew up there as a kid, however even I will say that London is a completely different prospect to Liverpool.
Most players who play for the Major North West Clubs live in and around Cheshire where as most players for Arsenal live in and around St Albans.
St Albans is much nicer place then Cheshire.
You also have a estimated 30,000 people who's primary language is Spanish in London as well as a approx 100,000 South American people living in London.
I also believe there is a sizeable Spanish Community in Ladbroke Grove, very near to Kensington.
So yes, I can easily see why a Spanish player or a South American player would chose to live in London then Liverpool.
True, but even Wenger has to start somewhere.
ReplyDeleteWhy has he got Downing written all over him. These Tattoos are getting stupid now.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why so many like Rojo; can't defend, get too much yellows and cards.
ReplyDeleteOk, quite good to go forward but no thanks. Overrated...
Not sure about Moreno because haven't seen him much.
i understand that the last line of defense im midfield has to have the ability to cover tackle ..when a coach says a player doesn't have to tackle what he really means is his legs have gone but i havnt the balls to drop him,Gerard cant play the role he is currently being given for Liverpool and he couldn't play it in Brazil for england it has nothing to do with systems hes finished at this level IMO you may think different
ReplyDeleteWe finished 2nd last season with Gerrard in the pivot role.
ReplyDeleteRoy Hodgson's England vs Rodgers's Liverpool? Are you being serious?
For a change Jamie, I agree with every point you have made, it seems Rogers is back tracking to the kind of players he promised after we qualified for the champions league (thanks mainly to Suarez). It seems all the top players don't want to sign for him and probably think as Suarez has now left its back to playing for 5th and 6th place. I can't see us qualifying with the players his bought so far, will finish 5th this season, unless we get a marquee striker or goal scoring midfielder (Ruess) but doubt he will manage to do that. No coincident clubs spending money on those types of players manage to win regularly. Wenger will vouch for that, his bought Ozil and Sanchez for that reason.
ReplyDeleteLfc4life.
ReplyDeleteYes. the Ex, boss - Mr Evan is right. Mr B. Roger need to sign two to four quality defenders - two left and two right if he wants Lfc to win premier league title and proceed in champion league. We are
in it. Lfc4life.
Did Milner really get 15 assists last season?!? Not doubting your stats just simply amazed that he got that many assists.
ReplyDelete7 prem; 4 CL; 4 League cup.
ReplyDeleteWow well if we signed him (think it's a non starter personally) and he did that for us next season I would be more than happy!!!
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with the article JK. So far it has all been rather uninspiring but that doesn't mean we won't achieve big things next season. Unfortunately until we win something big with BR or make a lasting impact in the CL I just can't see it changing much anytime soon. He's a young manager who we took a gamble with and so far it's paid off better than anyone could have hoped. Now we have to take a few more gambles along the way to hopefully one day winning the league and champions league with BR and being able to attract the biggest names in football.
ReplyDeleteOn another note I like the ideal of having Anfield legends a bit more involved in the meantime. Definitely worth a shot.
Hi goal return is pitiful, though. Two goals in 44 apps last season. Not good enough.
ReplyDeleteTrue, hadn't really thought about that. 44 appearances and 2 goals is a very poor return. I guess quite a few of those appearances were as a sub though but still would want a few more.
ReplyDeleteYou contradict yourself though. You say Liverpool should be able to attract higher quality players with UCL football, but then you go on to say that we can't attract them, yet you think our business so far is underwhelming. I'm confused.
ReplyDeleteYour confusion is your fault, not mine. And there's no contradiction.
ReplyDelete* With CL football, LFC should be able to attract superior quality players.
* For some reason, that isn't the case. LFC are still struggling to attract elite players, and I've argued that Brendan Rodgers's lack of pull (compared to competing managers) is part of the problem.
* So far, LFC's transfer business is underwhelming (IMO) because BR has bought second-tier players, which are seemingly the only players he can attract.
This is not a difficult argument to understand, and there is no contradiction' whatsoever.
The 35% voting yes are City fans
ReplyDeleteIt's not as though you can just get in CL one season and then expect to be able to sign all the top players. They will only join a club with sustained success or one that is bankrolled by a billionaire because they will get paid stupid amounts and there's also a good chance they will win something in the future. At the moment we don't fit the bill for either of these so we have to make do with the next bracket of player.
ReplyDeleteIf Van Gaal was in charge at LFC right now, he'd probably have no trouble attracting big names. That notwithstanding, Liverpool should still be able to sign at least one experienced, European-class player. The CL has to mean something, and if Rodgers et al can't seal the deal, then serious questions need to be asked.
ReplyDeletePlus, I don't agree with your overall reasoning. Plenty of teams with significantly less historical success than LFC have attracted big names once they're in the Champions League.
Of course it's not difficult for you to understand, you're the one who tailored it!
ReplyDeleteJaimie, us Liverpool fans have discovered that simply being in the UCL doesn't automatically mean you will attract far superior players. There are other factors we need to consider, e.g. how established we are as a UCL team, how much pull our manager has as you mentioned, and also Liverpool's location (sometimes). Our failure to sign Sanchez has definitely brought light to these facts. So I think we've learnt that we can't set out our expectations according to text book theory, because text book theories painting an ideal world are often quite different from reality.
I do however think that the biggest factor from all that is Liverpool's status as a *possible* flash in the pan. Liverpool need to spend consecutive seasons in the UCL to convince players on a much more regular basis that it is an attractive destination that guarantees challenging for silverware. Once Liverpool achieve that, that in turn will greatly boost Rodgers' reputation, and make himself more influential.
This contradiction I speak of relates to how you rate the signings as underwhelming. You're therefore implying that you expected higher calibre players that would be in line with Liverpool having far more appeal than we currently have. You have however stated that Liverpool don't have that appeal, which IMO means that standards should be lowered. The signings we have made are in line with the amount of appeal we currently have. I'm not ruling out a possible marquee signing, but our chances of getting one are infinitely higher than getting two. Had Liverpool not have qualified for UCL then this Reus talk wouldn't even exist.
I don't think the fact that our squad has little European experience matters too much. That European experience is not going to really help us retain top 4, it's only going to help our progression through the UCL. The only way UCL would help our top 4 hopes is winning the damn thing, and we know the odds of that.
3 weeks is still plenty of time, anything can happen in 3 weeks. It looked like nothing was happening for Arsenal, then all of a sudden they grabbed Ozil!
ReplyDeleteOnce again, there is no contradiction; you are, for some reason, trying to manufacture one.
ReplyDeleteYes, I expected one or two higher calibre players, but not an entire squad load. Liverpool *should* have the appeal, but it appears that the club is suffering due to the low profile of Rodgers.
I don't agree that the signings are in line with the club's current appeal. A higher profile manager would (IMO) supersede that and attract a higher quality of player.
There are things that Rodgers can do to attract top players. For example, he should meet prospective signings himself during the negotiation process and sell the club, not just leave it to Ayre and the other faceless members of the transfer committee. He should demand that he's involved at that stage.
I'm not trying to manufacture a contradiction for no reason, it's just how I see it with my different angle of perspective.
ReplyDeleteYou are partly right about BR, but what I'm saying is that the manager partly makes up the whole appeal of the club; he is part of the club, after all. The club's appeal with BR isn't the same to what our appeal would be like with LVG, as I think you suggest.
I think it's a bit hard at the moment for BR to personally meet with prospective players. IMO his priorities lie with overseeing Liverpool's pre-season preparation in the States, rather than flying all over Europe. We'll have to see that happens once the US tour is over, that's when things might start getting more interesting. I have huge suspicicion that we are actually are really interested in Reus. If we had the ambition for Sanchez, then why not for Reus?
You may be right about it being hard for BR to meet players, but I reject that excuse.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to top-level signings like Sanchez et al, the manager should be the driving force behind the deal. He should meet with the player, and sell the club, and really make it clear that he wants the player.
You can't do that from afar, and this is possibly part of the reason why Liverpool lose out on so many top deals. It's not good enough for Rodgers to say 'I want Sanchez - please try and sign him' - he should trying to make it happen himself.
Players definitely respond to feeling wanted, and sending some unknown accountant to try and convince a world start to join LFC is an exercise in futility.
Yeah I agree, but like I said, it could start getting a bit more interesting after the US tour, and maybe Rodgers will do that once he's back in Europe. Half of the appeal of signing Reus is just making all the people who made those Reus/Liverpool jokes eat humble pie.
ReplyDeleteI've just thought, maybe they can just send out either KD or Rush now. They're both in NY just hanging around, there's no need for them both to be there.
ReplyDeleteB Rodgers needs to forget wasting his time bringing in J Milner(28) and ship out these 10 players: To bring in 35-45M on player sales:
ReplyDeleteGK: B Jones GK: P Reina CB: S Coates CB:K Toure
CB: D Agger(29) RB: M Kelly RB: G Johnson DM: L Leiva
RW: O Assaidi FD: F Borini
And B Rodgers should replace the defensive positions with These five class quality defensive players:
GK: K Navas(27) Of Levante for £5-£8M
CB: T Vermalen(29) Of Arsenal for £12-£15M
RB: Deandre Yedlin(20) Of Seattle Sonders for £5-£7M
LB: A Moreno(21) Of Seville for £15-£18M
DM: E Banega(26) Of Valencia for £5-£8M
Lastly B Rodgers needs to offer B Dortmund £50M-£55M for the combined duo Of P Aubameyang(25) and M Reus(24)
And our squad would be complete for the 2014/2015 season ahead
Gerrard is in no way a defensive midfielder. He's a deep lying playmaker. He isn't there to chase and tackle like Lucas is when he plays that role. Gerrard is playing the same role Pirlo plays for Juventus. In that team Vidal and Pogba do all the running, tackling and high energy dynamism to allow Pirlo to spray the ball about and dictate play. Can and Hendo will do that for Gerrard. He's still a vital player for us
ReplyDeleteI agree, but in practice, it doesn't work out that way. Pirlo has no appetite for the more physical side of the game, but Gerrard does; he's not just going to leave the tackling etc to Can and Hendo; he's often heavily involved in the defensive aspects of games, so in practice, he plays like a defensive midfielder.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, it's maybe something he can adapt to but like you, I fear he is just programmed that was. I was really responding to gilstrap's post about Gerrard not having the legs to play at defensive midfield and that Rodgers doesn't have the balls to drop him.
ReplyDeleteOur team at the moment is built around gerrard dictating the game. I think long term Rodgers sees Coutinho as "the brain" of the team but he needs a couple of years to really polish his game. Gerrard has about that left in him I think. Some of the anti-Gerrard comments I've read just scream knee-jerk reaction to him making a couple of high profile mistakes. We will have some serious pace in our team next season and Gerrard's got every pass in the book to launch counter attacks as well as sensational set peice delivery to go along with his leadership and presence on the pitch. He may not be as vital to the team as he was 5 years ago but he's still a hugely important part of what we do
Wenger will vouch for winning regularly? I notice you name Ozil there but what exactly has he done to justify his 42 million pound price tag? Players like "Reus" are simply unattainable at the minute because we've been out the champions league so long. You need to be realistic about where the club is at. Finally we have a squad. If we'd blown our wad on 2 worldies we'd still be 1 or 2 injuries away from a crisis like we've been for years. This season we've finally got depth as well as bags of pace and trickery. Can't wait to see this team play next season
ReplyDeleteMilner is basic. By the way the Remi issue still left me feeling we've missed a trick ala Stoke & Demba Ba. If Remi has a blinding season, which in all likelihood will, is that negligence on our part?
ReplyDeleteAgree with sales, grudgingly on Kelly who was awful against City. Johnson and Coates were bad as well. I have thrown in the towel on Kelly, sadly. Also am sad to say Stevie was piss poor as well.
ReplyDeleteIt point to help at defense as JK so accurately said. I would keep Ilori around and add a striker and a quality midfield leader. Can and Henderson did wel but Allen isn't effective and gets swatted away too easily.
I still like Ricardo Rodriguez on D and Vidal as mid leader with Henderson and Can. Life after Stevie G.............the pace of our game increased when was replaced by Lucas who himself is not pacey..............
100% agree. The manager has to drive the person to person relationship as being attractive. Better BR than Ian Ayre.......
ReplyDeleteAre Lallana and Sturridge durable enough??? We need another offensive force especially with the difficult schedule. Ibe or Texeira ready or not?
ReplyDeletecompletely agree. can was more mobile in this game and trucked Micah Richards after he nailed Coutinho. If not Reus then another big boy offensive force and one who can move which Lambert is too slow.
ReplyDeleteCan was a force more in the second half and was more mobile than last game.
ReplyDeleteJust imagine Vidal and hendo and Can.....Wow!
ReplyDeleteKK? Please no. He only has eyes for donkeys, mules and asses, and would most definitely transform Anfield into a circus. Never in a millions years. Once bitten, twice shy.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that he should scout the players but he should be the one handling the negotiation because he will make the player seem welcome and will be a good endorser for the club.
ReplyDeleteTeams composed of 80%+ brits in the starting line up very rarely win the top trophies. Bit of an odd statement that as since the start of the premier league we've had an influx of foreign players so not sure the last time a trophy winning team had 80% or more of brits in their side. Possibly back in the 80's or early 90's. Manchester United have done ok when they had all their home grown talent, giggs, Beckham, Scholes, butt, the nevilles, etc so find this a bit of a strange comment. Look at arsenal with the majority of foreign players they had and how long it took them to win a trophy.
ReplyDeleteBro S Gerrard(34) is and will always be a Liverpool/ Football great and legend but he should no longer be an automatic starter, he should be used sparingly off the bench as his mind is saying one thing and his legs are doing another. B Rodgers needs to use S Gerrard off the bench.
ReplyDeleteJ Allen(24) was non effective as usual and if there is a buyer for him, he should be shipped out for £8-£12M
I am hoping B Rodgers brings in M Sissoko(24) Of Newcastle for £8-£12M and E Banega(26) Of Valencia for £6-£8M
Those two midfielders are better than J Allen(24) and L; Leiva(27) and offer more class, creativity, mobility, pace and power than the both of them.
B Rodgers needs to offer B Dortmund £50-£55M for the combined duo of M Reus(24) and P Aubamayeng(25) . Those should be or Marquee signings this summer
Liverpool shud be goin for players like Jackson Martinez,isco,lavezzi,reus,Mario Gomez,Javier Hernandez,all champions league players but u just know man utd with no European football this season will get these players and it's all because Ian Ayer is shite wen it comes to signing players I'd go as far as to say clueless wen it comes to gettin big name players to sign
ReplyDeleteNO
ReplyDeleteHe makes a lot of appearances off the bench though so to use 44 appearances without a caveat is a little misleading. Plus he's used as a utility man RM RW RB and CM. He's not always played in a position where he'll naturally score goals.
ReplyDeleteI think Suso's ready and Markovic. We need another striker though. Gutted the Remy deal fell through, he looked the perfect fit
ReplyDeleteMilner would be a great buy, but it would be hard to accommodate him in the midfield. He reminds me of the brit dirk kuyt. He will run to death for you and plays very effectively but not the stuff of dreams. However, how much we could have used him towards the end of the last season. His patience, discipline and boundless energy would not have gone amiss
ReplyDeleteand the last time we won the league, i think we had a load of brits playing ;)
ReplyDeletelets wait and see how the season progresses.
Like you say, Rodgers isn't up there with the Mourinho's and Wengers, he is trying to build his reputation whereas they already have theirs. But they all had to start somewhere. I think people forget Rodgers is only 41 and it's his third season at one of the biggest clubs in England,. Give him time to forge a reputation. We are going to have good and bad seasons, that's the way it goes. Seeing what he has done with the likes of Henderson and Sterling can only go to enhance it. We have to use Liverpool FC as a brand, as a club steeped in history to get players and thats fine with me.
ReplyDeleteit would all depend on the cost in my opinion. He is very versatile and could be a great addition for depth.
ReplyDeleteIt was only 1 game, but Suso did look good and not just the goal. He seemed comfortable with the ball and even showed a little grit when disposed once or twice....its early days but I am still not sold on Lala.............
ReplyDeleteReus yes of course. Aubameyang sounds too much like Obama and that automatically makes him a useless piece of shit in my book. I try to stay objective, but on this one, I just can't even though the reason has not practical merit..........
ReplyDeleteNo B Dortmund have come out and said M Reus(24) is not going. And Barcelona are fighting for the signature of J Cuarado(25) Of Fiorentina . B Rodgers should offer Barcelona £18-£25M for Pedro(26) as he is not going to be more on bench this season if they sign Cuarado(25) . And with Messi(28), Neymar(22) and L Suarez(27) back after his ban is back Pedro(26) will be warming the bench.
ReplyDeleteWhen he could be a good great signing for us, Pedro(26) is quicker and a better finisher than A Sanchez(25) and would be able to lead the line if D Sturridge(24) is out injured or suspended.
And B Rodgers should offer S Donesk £12-£16M for L Adriano(27)
And lastly B Rodgers should offer Bayern Munich £30-£35M for T Alacantra(23) as he could be the now and future of club.