17 Nov 2014

'I like him': Souness hails 'workaholic' £15m star who can leave for 65% discount. Sign?

Over the summer, Liverpool were regularly linked with a move for Manchester City star James Milner, a player who seems to be very popular amongst ex-Reds.

LFC continued to be linked with Milner right up to October, when Sky Sports claimed:

* Liverpool, Everton, and Arsenal remain 'interested' in Milner.

* Man City value him at £15m, but are willing to accept £5m (a 65% discount).

Analysing the England team ahead of Tuesday's clash with Scotland, Souness raved:

"I really like him [Milner]. He’d be one of the first on the team sheet for me — both at Man City and with England. He’s improved greatly in his time at City. Apart from being a workaholic, he’s now added quality to his game"

Fellow Scot Gary Gillespie is also a fan, and when asked last month about Liverpool's alleged interest in Milner, Gillespie 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's current contract expires next summer, which means that he's free in January to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club, and if Liverpool were interested once, it's conceivable that Brendan Rodgers may go back in for him during the January transfer window.

Would that be a good idea, though?

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:

* 2014-15: 1 goals/2 assists in 13 apps (so far)
* 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.

Wit the greatest respect, 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.

The proof is in the pudding: Just look at the club's results this season - the team is stacked with Brits, but Liverpool are currently languishing in 11th place in the league.

If Liverpool do sign Milner, though, Coutinho and Lallana will arguably be under most threat. The England midfielder can play left, right, or central, and he's no real threat to Sterling, Henderson, or Gerrard.

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44 comments:

  1. He doesn't really add anything, does he? We're not short of players who can put in a shift and make a tackle or do some hard work. Liverpool need a spark and some intensity up front, not another workhorse in the midfield.

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  2. Maybe you dont realise but Milner has every intention of staying with City. His only issue wasn't a better contract but getting more playing time which he is now getting. I think also he's also a better club player than he is aninternational one because of the clueless way your former manager uses him.

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  3. Far better than Henderson but dont worry you wont get to see him in a Liverpool shirt. He's staying with the Champions.

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  4. Thank god for that he is rubbish at best, and better than Henderson well you would be the only one thinking that.

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  5. Put it another way its an honour to say i dont think in the same way as you. It looks like a number of other people are also questioning whether Henderson is international class. Clearly for Liverpool he is a key player which about sums up your team doesn't it?

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  6. we dont need him....he doesn't add anything

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  7. No it does not sum up our side at all Milners no good at international level wouldnt have him if you gave him away. Look at your own side the one i am presuming is only in the premier league due to Sheikh financial fair play and his billion dollar babes.
    Who incidently are being toweled up by Chelski and made to look fools in the C.L again.

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  8. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:33 am, November 17, 2014

    the same people who questioned wheather
    welbeck,rooney,wilshere are international class?


    english football fans are the worst in the world they are the most negative ever trust me if hendo was italian he would be appreciated as would milner


    welbeck has shown that opinion in football can change very quickly

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  9. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:34 am, November 17, 2014

    But unlike you i dont have an agenda againts other clubs
    i really like city augero,silva were always players we dreamed of signing and in the rafa era they wanted to join
    so i enjoy watching them play and hope city beat chelsea to the title

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  10. I think Liverpool and City fans are in agreement: Milner can stay in Manchester.

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  11. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:38 am, November 17, 2014

    the thing is is he a guardiola or simeone player?
    no he aint
    and if one of them will be your new manger milner,yaya,jovetic,,kolarov, demichelles and nastasic will propably leave

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  12. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:42 am, November 17, 2014

    We need a striker two preferably martinez and doumbia
    after we get that sorted we can look at midfielders
    i would rather we get morgan schniederlin then milner a iverpool fan as a kid
    ...................................................martinez
    sterling......................................coutinho..............lallana.............doumbia
    .............................................................schniederlin






    bench: origi ,markovic henderson,can
    i am assuming sturridge will eb injured

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  13. You made me laugh with "I am assuming Sturridge will be injured". Poor guy.

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  14. Guys have you seen reports Gerrard to Inter in Jan- it's on bbc

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  15. I like their current manager . He does not play media games or join in with the silly comments.

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  16. Setting CL on fire again with super Milner- oh that's right GARBAGE again-

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  17. classy one that pellegrini..

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  18. The Hendo haters made up about his bad form so they can come out from under their rocks and say I told you so.

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  19. Sorry lad but like last time your not going to be champions for long. We were always going to struggle this season due to losing our only worldie and not having much of a squad. But you lot have handed the title to Chelsea. How many points dis you finish behind United last time? Double it.

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  20. No its not. It's not hard to grasp. The rumours section of the BBC is not the thoughts or reporting of the BBC but rather the reporting of paper mentioned in thay section. The only thing the bbc are reporting on the matter is that the mirror are suggesting it. It is NOT the bbc who are reporting it. Something so simple shouldn't be mistaken so often.

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  21. For some reason the Daily Mirror part or my comment didn't show up- it's on the red button anyway

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  22. If he upped his 'form' there would be no problem- partly down to BR but mostly down to him

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  23. posts here are getting worse and worse... this is by far the dumbest idea I've ever heard of

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  24. I think he offers more than Lallana

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  25. Would be a typical Rodgers signing... someone who can play in multiple positions ok, but cannot play one position exceptionally well.

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  26. James Milner is a poorer Dirk Kuyt with a better haircut.
    Not required at LFC, not now not ever.

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  27. Sorry, but I'm not having that.

    Kuyt's haircut is far better than Milner's.

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  28. Yep - the obsession with 'versatile' players over positional specialists really gets my goat.

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  29. You are s pathetic little kid. You do know that your laughable club are in breach of financial unfair play dont you and that ffp is a stitch up by the likes of Manu Real and Barca all three of which are carrying massive debts but thats way over your empty head. As for the toweling is that some racist reference? Watch City reel them in just like Arsenal and slippy do dah. Enjoy the Champions League while it lasts it will be some time before you see it again. You lot are as ignorant and stupid as rags.

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  30. City are playing fellow Champions unlike your the teams you wrre drawn against.

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  31. Why would Guardiola or Simeone drop Milner, Yaya, Jovetic or Nastasic? Not to defend the troll, but all of those players are Simeone players. Physical, high work rates, I mean Kolarov is a beast at LB, Toure and Milner are both hard working, strong Mids, Nastasic has a bit to go but should be a very decent CB and Jovetic would fit perfectly and is playing well. Guardiola would probably take all of these, especially Yaya, he was devastated when he left! You do know that Guardiola doesnt only sign Xavi's, yeah? Demichelles, fair enough, I dont think even fat sam would take him.

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  32. Why is it down to BR? Hendo plays in his preferred position, is given heaps of game time and is usually surrounded by passers like Can, Allen, Gerrard, Couti and gets to feed Sterling. His drop of form is his own fault, but he's a strong guy, he'll lift his head up. Still one of my favourites in the side.

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  33. To be fair to BR, most players these days are versatile, especially midfielders. It helps with cover during injury/suspension and can help a player find their best spot. Hendo coming in as a right midfielder is a good one, struggled there and found his spot in the middle. Then again, he signs plenty of players who are stuck in their possy: Balo, Allen, Lovren, Sakho (only plays left back because we dont have many lefties), Manquillo, Moreno, Ilori. Then players like Coutinho, Lallana and Markovic are versatile in the best possible way, being able to alternate between the attacking mid positions. I don't see why this is a bad thing.

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  34. And Kuyt was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than Milner. Still probably is (although I haven't been keeping up with his antics post WC). I miss ol Dirk, absolute legend of the club. Maybe he could come back and teach Balo about work rate as a forward (probably best if he keeps quiet about finishing, it wasnt his strongest point in a Liverpool shirt...)

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  35. James Milner is one of the last players that I would like to see in a Liverpool shirt. Zero skill, and his horrific stats speak for themselves.

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  36. honestly hendo improved tremendously but is not good enough for liverpool either so's milner.

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  37. I am not impressed by the fact that Souness likes Milner; it was he who started LFC's slide when he was LFC manager.

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  38. BR sticks him out wide regularly

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  39. He does, but his established position is a cm. He's still able to play wide in a pinch but is more effective in a midfield 3 or diamond

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