17 Nov 2014

'The Monkey' to Anfield? - Liverpool pushing to sign 'important' €9m Uruguay legend to replace Johnson

Liverpool are reportedly considering a January move for Benfica defender Maxi Pereira, who is currently stalling on signing a new deal with the Portuguese giants.

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola today:

* Liverpool are 'monitoring' 30-year old Pereira.

* Brendan Rodgers is impressed with Pereiera's huge international experience with Uruguay, and sees the right-back as a potential replacement for Glen Johnson.

The story is front page news in Portugal:

 photo ScreenShot2014-11-17at150400_zps72f42696.png

Some info about €9m-rated Pereira:

* 301 appearances for Benfica.
* Rarely injured, and averages 38 apps per season.
* 95 apps for the Uruguay national team.
* Winner of 8 major trophies with Benfica.
* 2011: Helped Uruguay win the Copa America.
* Rather dubiously nicknamed 'El Mono' (The Monkey)

Pereira - who Jorge Jesus describes as one of Benfica's most 'important' players - is in the same position as Glen Johnson: his current contract expires next summer, which means he can sign a pre-contract agreement with another club during the January transfer window.

Plus, like Javier Manquillo at Liverpool, Benfica appear to have already signed Pereira's long-term replacement, with 23-year old Luis Felipe arriving at the club over the summer.

That said, the Uruguayan's place is not immediately under threat as Benfica sent Felipe on loan for the season just one month after he signed for the club (!)

Pereira has incredible experience, but I don't see the logic in swapping-out one 30-year old for another. Granted, there is an obvious saving to be made on wages, but when it comes to the future, Pereira - like Johnson - is not a long-term solution.

Author:


113 comments:

  1. Nevergonnacrackthecode6:40 pm, November 17, 2014

    Be careful jaimie
    if evra reads this headline , he will accuse of racism

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  2. Nevergonnacrackthecode6:53 pm, November 17, 2014

    Team for crystal palace
    ....................................................sturridge
    lallana..........................................coutinho...........................sterling
    .........................................henderson...........gerrard
    moreno...............................lovren..................skrtel............manquillo
    .......................................................mignolet


    bench: borini,markovic,can,allen,sakho,johnson,jones

    ReplyDelete
  3. now why would we go buy another 30 year old instead of getting montoya

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  4. great team mate but i would drop coutinho and play sterling in the no 10 with a 442 diamond formation with two strikers namely sturrige and balo

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  5. That's the spirit. When things start going wrong change the manager. Then after changing the manager numerous time to start blaming the owners. After than it'll be on to conspiracies as to why it's all gone wrong. It's all rather repetitive and unproductive. Every fan has a right to support a team as they see fit. I prefer to do it in a positive manner.

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  6. as ive stated many times i want Rodgers to turn it around and keep his job but if he persists with these tactics which are not working that wont happen, it wont be me who sacks it will be the results

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  7. This whole story is a UKIP minefield

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  8. lol, you have a short memory my friend, very short indeed!

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  9. We have played Hendo and Gerrard as holding midfielders this season already and got us nowhere. Henderson is wasted playing as a holding mid. Skrtel and Lovren accident waiting to happen.


    Rodgers will go with your team but instead of manquillo he will stick with Johnson.


    Emre Can should be playing and Sterling is an utter waste out wide so for me


    Mignolet
    Manquillo Toure Sakho Moreno
    Coutinho Can Henderson
    Sterling
    Borini Sturridge (or Lambert for Borini)


    No Gerrard, Skrtel, Lovren or Johnson and I believe LFC will do a whole lot better on the pitch.

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  10. This must be a joke.The solution to fixing our defensive problems is buying a Monkey:) Our transfer committee needs help.Looking for reinforcements at The Zoo is laughable!

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  11. another monkey wont be out of place with lovren amd skirtal two of the biggest baboons i have ever seen

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  12. rodgers is the most stubborn manager weve had in years! his refusal to appoint a def coach or play a partner with balo even when its obviously not working is proof of that, the guy thinks he is beyond being questioned and is never wrong, his arrogance for someone whos achieved so little in the game is outrageous, im praying for the day hes shown the door

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  13. I would like to see Klopp or Frank de boar appointed as the next LFC manger both are world class coaches we wont have to change our style of play which i like also it will be easier to attract bigger players because of these mangers reputations well be premier league champions in no time plus well have a real great chance of winning the. champions league again

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  14. I think it is ievitable for our team to look out for a new manager with much more qualitys than the current one.Mr BR was never a good choice and it was clear from the beginning.He spent so much money for ordinary players.Except Daniel Sturridge and Cou,nobody else has shown that he can gel. Players like Allen,Illori,Aspas,Luis Alberto,Borini,Moses were total waste of money and i have serious doubts about many others from the current team.We need a new reset with a new,well respected manager.For me the ideal candidate is Mr Klopp.
    He is young,has leadersip qualities and many successes so far.Our team deserves the best and he is one of them.My second option is Diego Simeone.

    ReplyDelete
  15. It could form the basis of an excellent joke for Hodgson to tell his players at half-time.

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  16. The commentators in this country are boring.They bring nothing to matches.There's no passion.Top commentary adds to sports entertainment.
    UFC being a good example.Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg genuinely get excited about the fights they cover.It makes the sport better to watch.
    Sky, BT Sports and the rest should replace the dinosaurs with English speaking South Americans.
    Martin Tyler is overrated.Jon Champion:) I think relegation would be a better fit.Alan Smith sounds like he's about to jump off a bridge.Clive Tyldesley is garbage.
    How do these guys keep their jobs.They have zero personality.British football needs fresh commentators with passion to add to big matches and help sell special moments.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The don himself has let it be known that he's having doubts about BR...

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  18. BR should be doing his apprenticeship at lesser clubs BEFORE being appointed as manager at a great club like LFC ...he has strengths but too many weaknesses that all tie into his inexperience as a manager....especially regarding his poor transfer dealings which ultimately damages the clubs future


    i felt at the time of his appointment that it was wrong because the club was crying out for an experienced modern world class manager , who in turn would attract world class players


    i think he is probably the best brit based young manager

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  19. Why not get one Southampton signing right and get Big Ronald K

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  20. At what point was Benitez a cancer as you describe. He was working under owners who took the club to hours from bankrupcy. He left the youth set up we have now which has developed talent he brought in Raheem Sterling was his leaving present and Ralfonso Burrell left for city when BS BR came in. Only 2 European cup finals , 3 semi finals no one ranked team in europe, a second place league finish and CL football all but one season winners once , runners up twice in elite competition and an fa cup. If he was a cancer please explain how you would describe the current state of play.

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  21. The club is divided now as we have a management team who have won nothing and are unlikely to unless they change top to bottom. Culpable waste of money on the last 15 signings who are not good enough.

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  22. Should relieve Ian Ayre of his job , not a clue in buying players , and it is like a club being run by YTS kids learning on the job . They wouldn't appoint someone who actually knows football and has a network for buying players.

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  23. Great post and spot on

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  24. Not world class. Knocked out of the cups with a whimper , no Europe and failed when it came to the crunch because of poor defence and bad tactics and team selection earlier in the season. Southampton home, VIlla, Newcastle away, Hull away etc... Worse than hodgson football now .

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  25. Totally agree. Football slow , tippy tappy passing across the back , mignolet giving the ball away. JA and JH showing how little they have to offer offensively. Bullshi.....can only take you so far.

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  26. Nevergonnacrackthecode9:22 pm, November 17, 2014

    that was the team i though rodgers could put out
    My team
    .................................sterling
    markovic................lallana..........coutinho...........sturridge
    .........................................can
    moreno..............lovren................toure.............manquillo
    .....................................mignolet




    i dont rate sakho reminds me of djimi traore

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  27. I cracked that code.

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  28. If we get a new manager, it needs to be someone experienced. If FSG are not going to splash the cash, we at least need a well-known manager that can attract elite players.

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  29. That's a good team, but the 4231 is very ineffective. I would do the following:

    Sturridge-Balotelli
    -----Sterling------
    Hendo-------Coutinho
    ------Gerrard
    Moreno- Lovren- Skrtl- Manquillo
    Mignolet

    Bench: Jones, Kolo, Sakho, Lucas, Lallana, Markovic, Borini

    This team is more balanced and will give Balo the chance to prove himself playing with a partner so we can see what he is really made of. Gerrard isn't the best at CDM so Lucas could operate there too. If we play this formation a good performance is almost guaranteed and we should win but as always there is no definate result.

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  30. Nevergonnacrackthecode9:38 pm, November 17, 2014

    its okay but balotelli is one of the worst footballers in the earth , lallana is so much better


    ........................................sturridge..........sterling
    .......................................................coutinho
    .............................................lallana...............henderson
    ...........................................................gerrard


    how about that then?

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  31. Simeone will NOT be coming to the uk. He does not speak a word of English and has stated in intention for this status to remain

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  32. Your point about Lallana is valid and he could come in for Coutinho possibly. Balotelli proved against Tottenham that he can play well with another partner.
    We should keep my first formation (41212) for the next two games and if Balo produces the goods then he shou,d keep his place in the team. If not then your second formation would come in handy.

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  33. Nevergonnacrackthecode9:55 pm, November 17, 2014

    balotelli proved nothing for spurs
    other then that he is an italian heskey
    he never cam close he made easy chances look hard

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  34. But he was encouraging when he linked up with Sturridge and showed good promise. It's not entirely Balo's fault for playing badly because he did tell BR that he prefers playing with a partner. We need to give him a chance in area where he can excel, we can't write him off without seeing what he can really do right?

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  35. Football managers are judged by there results on the football pitch,and going by that theory B.R done well last season because he had Suarez to get him out of trouble.Think what you may,Suarez was the man who took LFC to where they got to last season,and B.R decisions after that helped LFC to lose the title.This season B.R gets to prove to everyone how good a manager he really is without Suarez.So far he's proving to be a crap manager,but he still has a little bit of time left.I think he will continue being a crap manager,and hopefully FSG bring in a proven experience manager who doesn't need one player to bring them success.YNWA

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  36. The thing is B Rodgers problem is this summer, he brought in more quantity and shipped out quality players who are better than what we have.




    D Agger(29) was sold for £3M, he was the best defender at club, Lovren(25) has not justified being worth £12M let alone £20M


    P Reina(31) was on a fantastic salary so the owners wanted him out, P Reina(31) for his last 3 years at club was all over the place, he was never relied or trusted upon. And he needed a new challenge, But B Rodgers not bringing in a recognised GK to displace S Mignolet(26) has been shocking to say the least ( B Jones(32) doesn't even get a chance, no matter how many mistakes or errors S Mignolet(26) has made so he should be sold as he offers no class competition for Mignolet(26) now or Reina(31) in the past.


    When B Rodgers sold L Suarez(27) he should have brought A Sanchez(26) or Pedro(27) as part of the deal no matter what but he did not and team have struggled. B Rodgers received £75M for L Suarez(27). Yet he only spent £20M on Balotelli(24) and Lambert(32)


    B Rodgers transfers since his reign have been abyzmal and diabolical to say the least out of all his signings: Coutinho(22) and Sturridge(25) have been successes.


    Allen(24) and Sakho(24) seem good ok descent buys but over priced.


    Lallana(26), Llori(20) , Lovren(25), Moreno(22) and Markovic(20) looked class and quality in glimpses but hopefully in time prove they are top quality footballers.


    The rest of the players brought have been average, poor and waste of money.


    It is not rocket science to see where we are weak in squad for class quality competition for places:


    GK: DM: RW: LW: FD:




    But the two biggest problems in first 11 are these:




    GK: S Mignolet(26) is just great stopper, A Begovic(27) Of Stoke needs to be brought for £8-£11M in January


    DM: S Gerrard(34) and L Leiva(27) do not have the Energy, Legs, Mobility, Pace or speed to protect the back 4 and team, B Rodgers should have made bringing in a MOBILE Tough Tackling Enforcer his priority Last January, so not to bring one or two in this summer was Suicidal.

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  37. It HAS to be Klopp, it just has to be

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  38. And he never will.

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  39. Not to mention Markovic!

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  40. Finishing second is hardly a fail especially when you consider most though we wouldn't make the top 4. I agree we are very poor now. I believe the problem lies heavily with our keeper, not to signal one person out, but he is a massive liability.

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  41. No Benitez!!!
    The man is killing the game, the joy, the players, the entertamet and the brand. Very negative, very disciplined , nothing to do with the Liverpool DNA

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  42. I honestly think with Flanno and Manquillo, our RB is sorted

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  43. I think Liverpool must stick by Rodgers if we learnt anything from Spurs it is chopping and changing managers does not bring instant results.
    Yes we could bring in some manager who has been around for years and has a great C.V but i say stick with a young manager who could well be with us 10 years down the track.
    A number of great managers have gotten through tough times at big clubs and gone on to greatness i believe Rodgers can be that man and i know that stability is key to success.

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  44. And give Malky Mackay something to text about :-)

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  45. Please Rafa had his day in the sun. Id rather watch Rodgers style of play trying to win games than Rafas ugly grind out a result and end up drawing games we could comfortably have won. Rodgers needs our support this club needs to start standing together and supporting our team.

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  46. Not to mention Michael Owen and Andy Townsend... Ugh

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  47. Your right Michael Owen and Andy Townsend are trash too.The only two i like are Tim Caple and Dave Farrar.
    South American commentators go crazy: GOOOAAALLL.That enthusiasm is what i like.
    British commentary in comparison: Goal is said like their on the verge of committing suicid3.
    South Americans are much better narrators.They connect their style to the match by quickening the commentary speed when a teams on the attack.
    English commentators generally stay in the same geriatric gear.

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  48. American (both North AND South) commentators annoy me. I would go mad if I had to listen to them every week.

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  49. Suarez was at the club long before Rodgers arrived. Kenny had one and half seasons with Suarez and the club went nowhere. Rodgers had Suarez there in his first season and Liverpool were still a poor side. Only after Rodgers had a second season with the club did we see the very best of Suarez. If anything it's Rodgers who enabled Suarez to be such an effective player. Suarez progressively improved as a player under Rodgers, as did Liverpool.


    Rodgers will be at the club at least until the end of the season. Only if the current form continues will he be sacked then. However I expect Liverpool to be a much better side by the end of the year.

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  50. The story is nonsense. An italian website suggests that "english sources" say Rodgers' future is being considered? It's hopeless, I'd expect it's nothing more than some football fans and part-time journalists talking smack with each other and one of them deciding to write a story based on that. There is no chance the club will consider moving on Rodgers unless this current poor form was to continue right to the end of the season. As it stands I fully expect Liverpool to develop as a quality side and show what they are made of. Mario is a potential worry but if he doesn't come good by January then more money will have to be spent, no question.


    If Rodgers was to leave then I'd support bringing Rafa back. Klopp is an interesting choice but just like at Liverpool Dortmund have struggled when a few key players have been missing/sold. He's had some great success but it's still ultimately only short term and he's not a proven article, not yet. If he can drag Dortmund back from this current slump and re-establish them as Bundesliga contenders then he'll prove himself as a quality manager. Rafa, on the other hand, has shown that he continues to retain his core set of managerial skills and Napoli are a good side, despite losing Cavani.

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  51. Why would they do that? It makes no sense. If they don't trust Rodgers then they have to sack him now, get it over with. Transfers are a vital part of how a manager operates so if they are going to keep him in the job they have to let him do his job, which includes signing players in January. Think about ... the logic you're suggesting is that they think he's not a good manager so they're going to make him even less effective by taking away all his funds? Wouldn't that just leave Liverpool in a bigger mess? FSG are not that dumb, they'll provide money for Rodgers in January unless it was already established from the beginning of the season that all the money was spent in the summer.

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  52. Too early for this,but if the team is still struggling by Christmas and/or if we fail to finish top 6, Rafa will definitely be back. He has enough experience and I am sure he would convice one or two top Napoli players to follow him. Wouldn't it be great if he led Gerrard to lift the trophy?

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  53. Stickhwiththeprogramme1:19 am, November 18, 2014

    Re-signing Rafa would be a huge step backwards and signal acceptance this club's fallen so far behind and become just another mid-table house of cards. I'd give up altogether.

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  54. Having to look up a manager in a league that you dont follow, especially when he is not at one of the top teams, doesn't make him not worth it. Not many were clued into Klopp or Simeone before their big rise, now they are everyone's wet dream. Personally I would love to see Favre at the club, he gets his teams working just like we were last season, very dynamic manager.

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  55. OK so by your reasoning, the last 15 signings were a waste of money. OK lets have a look, and I’m not counting loans as signings:

    Sturridge, Coutinho, Teixeira, L Alberto, Aspas, Mignolet, Toure, Sakho, Ilori, Lambert, Lallana, Can, Markovic, Lovren, Origi, Moreno, Balo.

    Of those, Tex, Alberto, Ilori, Markovic, Origi are all young players, who are all very talented and I can’t see any moving away any time soon.

    Sturridge, Coutinho, Mignolet, Toure, Sakho, Lambert, Lallana, Can, Lovren, Moreno and Balo are all at or around the 1st team. You may argue that they aren’t first team quality but all of these guys are still gelling with the team and need to be given game time. Plus, all of them performed extremely well in their previous seasons with their previous clubs, and were signed on that merit, which I completely support. Studge is boss,
    Couti is boss, Mignolet has done a job for us, especially at first, but will probably be sold (for decent money I’d imagine), Toure is a great backup and should be starting, Sakho has struggled with injuries and such but is still
    young, Lambert…….., Lallana is coming good and showing his talent, Can is looking like a boss, Lovren has had trouble but we know he is good from his Southampton season, Moreno is boss and Balo is a low-on-confidence boss.

    That leaves Aspas, who was a strange signing. I wish he did better as I actually like what he does in La Liga, but he just cant do it in the EPL. Lambert is in contention too, but he cost bugger all. Maybe throw Alberto in for good measure...

    So out of 15, I’d say a generous 3 might be wastes, Aspas, Lambert and Luis Alberto, for a combined fee of under £20m. PLUS we should
    expect to get a bit of money for them if we decide to turf.

    Actually look at the signings before just slagging off the gaffer. He doesn’t do everything right, but he certainly doesn’t do everything wrong either.

    Peace, YNWA

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  56. I'd be devastated if Rodgers were sacked. Having seen part of his vision for the club last year, I'm prepared to wait patiently for a couple of years to let him work towards it. To red nose 4 and a half years.

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  57. No Benitez please..!! our experience shows that even with Benitez, Liverpool can't win the premier league, and our football is boring to watch. I would go for Klopp or Blanc.

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  58. Or maybe it just means that Balo needs service from the
    wings? Think about it, the guy does well when the ball is crossed from the byline, thats where he has thrived throughout his career. If we play 2 up front, it means we are playing a diamond in the midfield, because there is no way Rodgers plays a 442. Diamonds dont do width very well, except from fullbacks. He knows that Moreno is his main fullback threat and also knows that whenever we have played the diamond, Moreno tends to interplay with the mids and cut more on the inside rather than bomb down the wings. This means that he is forced to play much more narrow and play the short passing game to make chances. Maybe Rodgers sees that in order for Balo to score goals, a 433 or 4231 is much better suited to his style, where the wide men can either play it off him as a target man, or whip in crosses from the line. I'm not saying this is right, as I just dont know. Dont assume to know that he is just being arrogant or stubborn and then parade that assumption as fact. You, along with
    ALL of us, know nothing about his thought processes and what goes into his selections.

    I do apologise if this post comes off as aggressive, but acting like you know more than someone whose profession it is to organise a motley group of athletes worth multiple millions, from all reaches of the globe to
    play a game of football cohesively, living up to the expectations of millions within a matter of months, all the while under constant media scrutiny and bombarded on social media by know it all FM/FIFA managers sitting at home with their wunderkid search engine open, just makes you sound like… well… exactly that. He then has to seriously consider every soundbite as when he criticises his team, he is getting them down. When he praises, he is overpraising/overhyping/piling pressure. When he praises the opposition, he is a pushover. When he criticises, he is either a hypocrite or ‘not fit to criticise’. The guy can literally do nothing right in the eyes of the public and it’s because everyone has this
    expectation that is impossible to fulfil.

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  59. True, he is a great manager, someone that looks like he'd fit the club quite well, but I can't see it happening if we were to lose BR.

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  60. Because Montoya is average. He has been told by lucho that he is 4th choice behind aloes, Adrian and Douglas. He's really not that amazing, he wouldn't necessarily be any better than manq

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  61. Wake up, that's not what was suggested at all. FSG have trusted and supported Rodgers to the tune of 215m. They have injected over 300m into the club so far. Under Rodgers, they have seen little return on investment.


    I don't see any problem in FSG demanding that the likes of Markovic, Balotelli et al come good. The excuse can't be "I bought poor players, can I have some more money". If Rodgers needs to spend serious cash come January then what does that say about his selections, and the the way his team is performing? Rodgers has more than enough to qualify for the CL again. He needs to play to the squad's strengths, and start getting more out of certain individuals.


    What will he buy? A striker and a winger. Why sign Lambert and Markovic then? He could replace Johnson but that could have been done in the summer. A real Gerrard replacement should have been signed too. Any reason to go to the market in January comes back to Rodgers.

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  62. What good does demanding they come good do for the club? They can demand all they like but if Balotelli isn't good enough and shows no signs of progression what will be the end result? Liverpool will not play well, they'll have a poor second half of the season to match the poor first half of the season. That achieves nothing. Businessmen don't stand around arguing about the principal of the thing, demanding that Rodgers learn his lesson like he's a bad little boy. This isn't like raising children, it's a business and FSG need to do everything they can to ensure the club is a success. They are not going to deny him money on the principal of the thing, they are going to give the club every chance of success. Owners and manager alike accept the risk of brining in new players. If FSG are going to claim they knew nothing about the risks involved with players like Markovic and Balotelli and it's all on Rodgers and not them then they're not running the club the right way. So when those players fail FSG will admit to themselves that the club, manager included, made a mistake. What is the best way to resolve that mistake? Sit around and do nothing and hope the player suddenly starts playing well? Pray? Argue with each other? Or simply admit the mistake, sell the player and buy a suitable replacement.

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  63. He made a bold decision against Real Madrid and got severely criticised for it. I personally think it's ridiculous to say he has wasted over 100mil on transfers this past transfer window when it's not even halfway through the league. Where's this whole "give a player til the end of the season to tell whether he is a failure or not" thing? Ok, the players haven't set the world on fire, but they are all good players that Rodgers bought and frankly they need time to settle in. We have to remember that players like Torres who came into the Premier League and hit the ground running is the exception, not the rule.

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  64. I agree, but to put it into perspective, ok, we are in 11th position in the league, which isn't good enough, however we are only 4 points off the top 4. If we were in 11th position and 20 points off the top 4, then Rodgers would be in real trouble, but despite how terrible we have been playing, we are still only 4 points out of the top 4 and let's face it, Southampton and West Ham, while they are playing fantastically and deserve to be where they are, they won't finish in those positions.

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  65. Just a quick one, who would you play at RB if not Johnson or Manquillo? Manq has looked decent apart from the WHU game. Johnson, fair enough.

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  66. I believe the only out and out bad signing that Rodgers made was Balotelli, the others given time will become very good players, Moreno, Markovic, Lallana, Lovren, Can, all these players are excellent players and I feel we are too quick to dismiss them after a few games because they take time to settle.

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  67. Wait...patience...Real madrid will eventually replace Carlo Ancelotti...only then will LFC have the right manager.

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  68. To be fair, most people knew about Simeone from his playing days as he was a mainstay in the Argentinian side and played for some high profile clubs, including Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, twice in fact, Inter and Lazio.

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  69. I don't see the ego thing, apart from the ego that almost all players must have, which is more of a confidence, IMO. He's been put into that role because he can't really play anywhere else for 90 minutes, and it just doesnt work. I thought it might with Hendo doing the hard work next to him but it really makes it a big gap between defense and attack. Gerrard still has an amazing touch, these hollywood balls that everyone criticises are generally (and correct me if I'm wrong) to the wingers, not the striker, and from what I've seen this season, the accuracy has not gone down one bit. It just sucks that nothing happens at the end of them. I feel like Gerrard knows that Balo is best when given crosses by his wingers, and he spreads the play wide to accommodate that, but the wingers insist on cutting in. I still say it's a great sight seeing Gerrard on the back of the centre circle launch a through ball, with a bit of curl, over to the wing to watch it hit the exact spot that his target is occupying. Absolute class, but unfortunately just getting a bit long in the tooth.

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  70. Are you saying our defense shouldn't be disciplined? Also look at the season under Rafa where we came 2nd, we were the highest scoring team in Europe, hardly negative there. Last season, Napoli finished 3rd with the second best attack in the league, again hardly negative. This season, they are again coming 3rd with the equal 3rd best attack in the league. You might come back with the statement that under Rafa we were too defensive, indeed we were defensive, but have you ever heard the statement "defenses win league"?

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  71. Absolutely, no questions there, but he had no managing credentials to speak of is what I mean. Just because a manager has a title or two under his belt and is well known, doesnt make him better than one who doesn't / isn't. Compare Favre, who has done very well with both Hertha and Gladbach, but is relatively unknown, especially in england to Hodgson, who has won titles, managed across europe and was far better known.

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  72. We have to play like that because without Sturridge, we don't have the pace. Sure Sterling is pacy, but we can't rely on 1 player up front to be pacy, we need pretty much the whole line. If he was as stubborn as everyone says he is, he would have stuck with the play we played last season which relied on our pace up front, even though at the moment, we don't have that pace up front. He has adapted the game for that and ok, it hasn't worked, but that doesn't mean he hasn't adapted the tactics.

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  73. Balotelli is a proven striker. He also attempted to sign Sanchez, who didn't want to come here, he attempted to sign Falcao and Benzema who didn't want to come here. On that note, Falcao has hardly set the Premier League alight, so if Rodgers had of bought Falcao, would he been seen as bad business? Shows how fickle some fans are.

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  74. Mignolet is an excellent shot stopper, but what we need and what Mignolet lacks is someone who barks orders from the back, telling the defenders where to be positioned and such. I honestly don't think someone like Valdes is the option, he is a very overrated keeper, he was only made to look good because of the side he was in, Barca's current keeper Claudio Bravo is much much better. Not sure which keeper would be better in regards to communication wise, although I do like Asmir Begovic. I also think the Aussie keeper Mat Ryan would be a punt, first season in the Belgian league where he plays for Club Brugge and he won the keeper of the season award, he had a pretty good World Cup, he is an excellent shot stopper, is excellent with his distribution and much like Neuer, acts as a sweeper. He is a very good keeper and still only young, 22 in fact.

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  75. Please tell me, of the 120m that was spent, which of the players are bad players? Why is it that players can't be given time to gel. Put it this way, the quality of football we are playing is poor, but we are only 4 points off the top 4. That shows that it isn't as bad as we think and when we start playing better and getting the results to mirror our improved performances, we will be in the top 4 or thereabouts. Let's face it, no disrespect to Southampton or West Ham, but they aren't going to finish in the top 4, so that's at least 2 places in the top 4 that are up for grabs. Realistically, I can't see Chelsea throwing away the lead right now, but we can still certainly fight for 2nd or 3rd, especially given our traditionally strong form over the 2nd half of the season.

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  76. Benitez should be the number one choice simply because he is a great manager and can attract big signings? And you are saying Laurent Blanc and Jurgen Klopp aren't great managers and can't attract big signings? Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Benitez's, but your logic doesn't make any sense.

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  77. This guy may be better than Johnson but I really am frustrated by all the rumored imports for right back when we have both Manquillo AND Flanno who seems to be a forgotten man. He did damned well for us lst year and I hope LFC aren't so easily willing to forget what he added to the team. He brought both energy and physicality which are both in short supply at the moment......

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  78. Benitez and Martinez are not in the running. John W Henry stated on LFC TV on several occasions how unimpressed he was with his transfer dealing and wage structure employed during his 'reign'. Martinez wasn't interested last time. Now he's a blue, he'll be even less interested.
    Klopp and Blanc? Too small a job these days. 10 years ago maybe, but we ain't the "big" club we used to be. We don't pay the wages to get/keep top players.
    That leaves O'Neill.. he left Villa because of budget issues... he'd probably be interested up until the point when he saw what we pay players...
    Next manager under FSG will be another 'up and coming' nobody.

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  79. Take it from auy in te USA, britishcommentators are light years etter than North or South American ones. Give me Macca as my color commentator for a reat blend of and humor............

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  80. Jock,
    100%agree. See my post further up.

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  81. well it didn't under Benitez ,,,

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  82. Swap Gerrard for Lucas, Henderson for Can, Sakho for Lovren or Skrtel and Lallana for somebody and I'd vote for that team.

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  83. Rodgers will stay, he will fix everything

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  84. Not really all of it but certainly the money paid for Lallana, Lovren and Markovic appears so. Im a fan of Markovic but have seen no return on him yet

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  85. Apparently every window a manager is given money and his end of season buys are expected to fit in with those he bought the other end of season and the Jan window. If that doesnt happen there is no gurantee that they will if he is given "more time". The more time issue is an excuse, How many seasons has Koeman had with his off-season buys? Chop chop chop chop

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  86. Which is why he will be given until Xmas to show change if not, another manager will be given the reins so that he can buy his one or two in the Jan window

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  87. Got no clue why BR bought Lambert.

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  88. We were not too defensive. We were just good defensively and could win 1-0. now thats a dream

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  89. I agree with you a bit on this bad patch theory but whats disappointning is its clearly due to his poor tactics/formations not bad luck of hitting the upright/crossbar like under KK. We r not even hitting the bar

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  90. The problem was/is that it was not the time to be bringing in players that needed time to settle in, he said it himself players to go straight into the first team.

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  91. That's what I would have done, or at least picked up another prospect to be behind studge and balo...

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  92. Its all about having a proven track record of success.
    Liverpool FC is not finishing school for young inexperienced managers.

    That's why top clubs always appoint managers with a proven track record.
    When Benitez arrived at LFC, he had two LaLiga titles and a UEFA cup under his belt.
    He was a proven quantity who understood what was required at the top level.

    Rodgers is an unknown in that regard.
    He was given his opportunity by FSG because they gambled on him being able to adapt quickly to the top flight.
    Just because a manager is young and has potential, doesn't automatically guarantee success.

    In my opinion, FSG were naive in allowing his appointment, and those risks are now clearly being exposed.

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  93. You My well be right but I think it is really early on Markovic and Lallana looks overpriced but not a waste.

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  94. The problem with that is ANY player that is brought in needs time to settle, so going by your logic, we shouldn't have brought any player in because any player, regardless of their ability needs time to settle, this is shown by Falcao as well as Ozil, both world class players but both not having settled in to their respective sides.

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  95. So, what if by Christmas, we are in 9th position but only 2 points out of the top 4? Do you still say he should be sacked? He will be given until the end of the season and the assessed from there, but Liverpool traditionally finish very strongly in the second part of the season.

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  96. What didn't under Benitez?

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  97. Arda Turan being another.

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  98. Lucas needs more 1st team action to aid our pathetic defence.Rodgers should be more flexible in his approach. Especially without Sturridge and Suarez in the mix.Gerhard needs to be used like Giggs in his twilight.i.e. same position but less frequently or interchange as this QB position occasionally (I'm not a fan tho, he doesn't have the defensive ability).


    Too many players brought in , in too quick a time frame. Essentially brought us back to square one again. Overpaid for unproven talent. by unproven , I mean players who have not done it at a big club already.By overpaid, I mean he got ripped off by clubs playing their hot card.Lack of bargaining ability more than anything else.


    He still has more to offer LFC tho. Would be stupid to trade Rodgers for someone else.


    He proved he can come up with the goods, if the players are performing their duties accordingly.I would give Rodgers the remainder of this season and the next with this bunch of players and perhaps a dedicated scout who understands his philosophy with proper bargaining ability.

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  99. I don't think Brendan should be sacked but if he is he should be replaced by Marco biesla of mariselle because he holds a similar principle to Brendan Rodgers and it will take little time for him to adjust

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  100. Simeone will not come here, he's got it easier in La Liga. RM and Barca got the league sown up between them, every now and then a third party will challenge like last year but it's the exception rather than the rule and now Madrid and Barca have spent on strengthening and AM have sold, so normal service resumed again. The pressure with the LFC job is mental because of our support worldwide and the length of time since our last league title, why would any sane person want it? The cash that is available to City and Chelsea has now made the league even less of a possibility (as Utd will now find out). Last year was a wake up call to Chelsea and City, Chelsea spent well this year so that their deficiencies in last years side were covered and we by selling our star man ensures we are in our true position just below the top table, normal service resumed.

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  101. I could be wrong, but Southampton look solid for a top 4 place. Their defence doesn't concede and they got loads of players playing well, looking like they enjoy playing for their manager, creating chances and scoring goals and they are playing at a consistant level every time they play. Write them off at your peril. I think West Ham will fall short though, but I think that has more to do with my dislike for Allardyce.

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  102. We should have tried harder to get him- outstanding player imo

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  103. It was a mutual benefit mate. Suarez was the kind of player we could build a team around coz of his versatility. We don't have that kind of player anymore so BR will need time, just as he required with Suarez before maximizing his potential as well as the team's.

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  104. You're right, I could have worded it a bit better. Statistically, Benitez is the greater manager of the five mentioned. As regards attracting signings, I believe Dortmund would have been more of an attraction for players considering the position they have been in for the past couple of seasons (league winners) as opposed to Klopp's presence. Likewise with Blanc plus PSG have plenty of cash to be throwing at players. Liverpool are not in a position to attract big signings compared to UTD, Chelsea, Man City.... but no doubt, Benitez would far enhance their chances of making the bigger name signings that we crave.

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  105. My mistake... meant to say "Persistent upon playing Johnson OVER Manquillo".


    Granted I advocated for Johnson to play in the Chelsea game (mainly because he seems to play well against them and offers more offensively), but Manquillo should be the regular at right back.

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  106. I know Balotelli is a proven striker, I know we went for all of these players, but even with Balotelli (who I actually like) - Rodgers' ignorance won't allow him to perform in his preferred role, alongside another striker. It was unfortunate to lose Sanchez to London - and Falcao may actually have been considered bad business seeing as he had just come back from a serious injury. Benzema never really was going to come to us realistically, and we should have been looking for a holding mid anyway ontop of bringing in Balo.

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  107. If you read what I said, I wasn't saying that we were too defensive, I was saying an argument could be made that we were too defensive and then straight after that I said that yes, we were defensive, meaning we had a good defense, but that "defenses win leagues".

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  108. The biggest problem isnt that the team is losing, its HOW we are losing. Look at LVG and Moyes-after 10 games Moyes had more points than LVG's tally but ite HOW the team plays which is most disheartening and fuels calls for BR to be sacked. When we had Hodgson the problem was not so much about the losses but the MANNER of the losses.

    The problem with "traditionally finishing strong" is that it masks the flippant errors done earlier in the season (which some people will always remember eg last season's losses and draws with Aston Villa, Hull, Southampton). Last season we finished strong but also played reasonably well in the first half of the season. Its not about the points tally really. Now if we lose silly points BECAUSE OF BR'S STUBBORN INSISTENCE (not lack of points per se) with playing lone Mario, playing SG in CDM BR will be fired.

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  109. But I think we are done with managers "who are still cutting their teeth"

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