10 Jan 2015

Carra raves: £20m LFC target is a 'top player' & will be a great signing for 'lots of top teams'

Last month, Gary Neville predicted that Liverpool will try and sign Southampton star Morgan Schneiderlin during the January transfer window, and it appears that Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher is a fan of the coveted midfielder.

In December, Neville named £20m-rated Schneiderlin ahead of Cesc Fabregas in his Premier League team of the season, and insisted that the France international will be 'bombarded' with offers in January. He told Sky Sports:

“Liverpool will look at him, Arsenal will look at him, Manchester United will be looking at holding midfield players and Tottenham. Four clubs who all might fancy Schneiderlin.”

When asked on Friday about Schneiderlin, Carra hailed the 25-year old as a 'top player', and outlined his main qualities. He told the Sky Sports:

"He [Schneiderlin] is so suited to the Premier League; he’s a good physical presence, has good energy, if he became available, lots of top teams will be looking at him".

Schneiderlin clearly wants to leave Southamoton, and November, he reiterated this when he told reporters:

"I just turned 25, I turned a corner. I want to play for a big club as a career passes quickly. Today I am in Southampton [but] I will make the choice. I will see with my club"

Liverpool are crying out for a quality holding midfielder, and Schneiderlin - hailed by Ronald Koeman as a 'fantastic' player - certainly fits the bill.

The Reds have already financed Southampton's surge up the table, though, and another £20m+ could conceivably allow Koeman to strengthen even more, and solidify - at LFC's expense - a place in the top four.

Is Schneiderlin worth that risk? He's an important player for Southampton, but I'm sure many LFC fans thought that the loss of Lallana, Lovren, and Lambert would be be a fatal blow, but the Saints don't seem to be missing those three at all. For the right price, Schneiderlin is a good target, for the following reasons:

* Proven Premier League performer.
* Upgrade on Lucas, and Joe Allen.
* 25, so coming into his prime years.
* Has the ability and experience to make an immediate impact.
* Rarely injured (One 15-day absense in the last 5 years)
* Averages 38 games per season over the last 6 years.

£20m is too much, though, and Liverpool should be wary about splurging big bucks on players from comparatively smaller clubs. Since arriving at Anfield, Lallana, Lambert, and Lovren have all struggled with small-club mentality, and there's a risk that the same may happen with Schneiderlin.

The fly in the ointment, however, is Lucas. The Brazilian is enjoying who a minor resurgence at Anfield right now, and put in another good performance against Sunderland today, but does he have a long-term future at Anfield?

In my view, it's a mistake to be fooled by Lucas's decent run of form right now, and Liverpool shouldn't be lulled into a false sense of security. The Brazilian is a good player; few have ever denied that, but if the team is to challenge for league titles, an upgrade is needed in time for the new season.

Lucas is grade-A squad player material, but at the age of 28, there's no way he'll settle for that, and he's said as much himself over the last few months.

There's another possibility to consider, too. Rafa Benitez remains one of the favourites to replace Brendan Rodgers, and if the Spaniard returns to Anfield, there's a big chance that Lucas will become an automatic starter once again...

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24 comments:

  1. When will this myth about Lallana struggling go.away? Most creative player by minutes in the team. Looked one of our best players in a run of only losing on in thirteen I think it is.
    Schneidelin and Wanyama are two of the reasons Soto are doing so well. I can't see either being replaced so easily. But I could be dead wrong. It certainly would improve us though and i's only margins at the moment. Having said that and would love us getting him I think a striker and keeper are far more urgent.

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  2. Will Rafa really return...??

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  3. The way i see it Liverpools main problems are up front and in goal.


    I support a Henderson,Can axis


    Can has capabilities of playing a role like Schniederlin look how disciplined he is vs sunderland,with Henderson box to box
    Unnecessary waste of funds on Schniderlin.




    Focus has to be up front and goal

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  4. Schniderlin would stop development of Henderson or Can.
    Henderson is not good enough attacking wise to play in 3 positions behind striker , Sterling,Coutinho,Lallana,Ibe,Markovic,Origi we will have plenty options there.
    So Henderson has to play in that CM role , Can can play CDm role , i can also see Ibe converted into a deep lying play maker, like Pogba.


    Look within first

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  5. FSG shortlist to replace Brendan Rodgers:


    Sean Dyche
    Paul Lambert

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  6. Ojo, Ibe, Wilson, Sinclair, Canos, Chirivella, Brannagan, Rossiter......etc.............use those class youngsters before wasting more money!!!!

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  7. Agreed look within first.

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  8. Yes look within first - grasshopper

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  9. So results worked in our favour again. Stoke win and Soto draw and we are sic.points off third. United win and we are still four off fourth. Personally I want the draw. There are plenty of twists and turns yet.

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  10. Some of the "wasted money" is now looking like "money well spent" though........But I agree we should all "look within first"

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  11. Look within first.

    Your right about new signings though. Imagine you were a player do you think you would prefer to be referred to as excellent or a waste of money? I know lads in their twenties can seem confident but why test it?

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  12. The next window has to be focus on one/two marquee signing
    the striker position is most important , we can leave everything else as it is apart from keeper and a center half.
    Promote players like Wisdom and Ibe, our depth can be academy
    Sign a Lacazette for 38m or something and give him big wages and maybe a Petr Cech for 15m


    ,...............................................Lacazette
    Markovic............................................................................Sterling
    .............................................Coutinho
    .......................................Can......................Henderson
    Moreno.........................................................................Manquillo
    ....................................Sakho....................Skrtel
    ..................................................Cech


    bench: Origi,Ibe,Lallana,Lucas, Wisdom, Lovren,MIgnolet

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  13. does anyone fancy our chances of signing Harry Kane?

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  14. B Rodgers should sell L Leiva(27) to Inter Milan for £7-£10M and then bring in either : Lars Bender(25) Of Bayer Leverkusen Or Morgan Schneiderlin(25) Of Southampton for £17-£21M

    Both these Mobile Defensive Midfielders would offer Goalkeeper and Defence more class protection than any players we currently have within the squad.

    E Can(20) is a CM , J Henderson(24) is a CM both these players do exactly the same thing to be fair and honest. Press well, have good energy, mobility , bit of pace to their game and pass backwards and side ways well.

    None of them are great tacklers, both lack class, creativity and goals in the attacking third.

    Sunderland went down to 10 men after 49 minutes and in all honesty, they looked more likely to score a goal than we did after that.

    B Rodgers needs to bring in a top class GK, A Mobile DM, A top Class CM and two goal scoring strikers to club this transfer window as i think it will be his last

    And these are the Top Class players who should be brought in Now:

    GK: A Begovic(27) Of Stoke Or M Andre Ter Stegen(22) Of Barcelona for £10-£14M

    DM: Lars Bender(25) Of Bayer Leverkusen Or Morgan Schneiderlin(25) Of Southampton for £17-£21M



    CM: M Sissoko(25) Of Newcastle or M Veratti(22) Of PSG for £12-£24M


    FD: L Vietto(21) Of Villareal for £10-£12M


    FD: L Adriano(27) Of Shakhtar Donesk for £5-£7M


    Whilst these 8 players should be shipped out now :


    GK: B Jones(32)
    RB: G Johnson(30)
    DM: L Leiva(27)
    CM: J Allen(24)
    AM: Suso(20)
    RWF: O Assaidi(26)
    FD: R Lambert(32)
    FD: F Borini(23)


    Five Top class players are needed in, whilst 8 dead wood average players need to be shipped out this transfer window

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  15. I'm not sure I see the Ibe -> Pogba thing, but he definitely has the ability to play more central, or perhaps in the WB role we've been testing.

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  16. Look within first

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  17. Is it just me or is Lucas trying to tell us something?

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  18. Hmmmm think you're on to something pal!

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  19. You think Sunderland (hit the bar once with a long range shot; had one close-range header from a cross late on -- and that was it) looked more likely to score than Liverpool, who hit the bar, the post, had several breakaways including numerous shots by Coutinho, upwards of 10 entries to the penalty box resulting in chances, and a beautiful move orchestrated by Emre "lacks class" Can and nearly finished by Borini... ?

    That's.... probably going to be a minority view.

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  20. Don't fancy our chances of even asking for him. Why would we?

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  21. We need a PL proven striker who can run and play with Sturridge when he returns. Preferably young and fast.

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  22. Lucas had a great game today...played the stopper many a time. The only way we get this guy is if Lucas leaves. We have Hendo and Can, who looked good today also. I like the way he fakes passes to move a defender out of the way.

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