1 Jan 2015

Anfield 'crisis'? Legend urges 'world-class' €18m star to reject 'shock' transfer to LFC

Earlier this month, the Agent of Bayern Munich benchwarmer Xherdan Shaqiri publicly urged Liverpool to make a January bid for the attacker, but Switzerland legend Kubilay Turkyilmaz has advised Shaqiri to reject a move to Anfield.

In September, Shaqiri - hailed as 'world class' by Munich's Sporting Director Mattias Sammer - confirmed that Liverpool tried to sign him during the summer (for €18m), and when asked last week about Shaqiri's future' his agent told reporters:

"At this age, he [Shaqiri] needs to play regularly. We are now waiting [for] Liverpool, Manchester United, Inter Milan and other top clubs”

Recent reports suggest that Liverpool may pursue a loan deal for Shaqiri, but in an interview this week with Swiss newspaper Blick, Turkyilmaz claimed that a move to Anfield will have a negative impact on the young attacker's career. He noted:

"A move to Liverpool right now is a bad idea. They are in a crisis and cannot really have any ambitions this year. Joining them from Bayern, who expect to win titles every season, would be a culture shock."

Liverpool are hardly in 'crisis'. Results have not been the best this season, but there's still plenty to play for, and the team still has a great chance of qualifying for the Champions League.

Turkyilmaz has a point, though. Bayern are on a totally different level to Liverpool at the moment, and although Shaqiri is a bench-warmer, he's managed by one of the world's best coaches, and plays/trains alongside some of the best players on the planet, so moving to Anfield could possibly be a bit of culture shock.

If Shaqiri has any ambition, though, he'll push to leave Bayern so that he can play regularly, and actually contribute to something on a consistent basis. Given the German club's prestige, it'll be hard to leave, but with huge array of elite players on the books, Shaqiri's chances of breaking through will remain slim for the foreseeable future.

That said, Liverpool arguably don't need Shaqiri right now. The club's attacking players seem to be (finally) clicking, and with Sturridge supposedly returning in late-January, it's hard to see where he'd fit in.

Should LFC pursue Shaqiri in January?

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58 comments:

  1. Crisis???..............................hardly!!

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  2. I think we should go for him, so long as its not at the expense of signing a goalkeeper or CDM. Apart from being a very talented player, he knows how to score goals. If we pick up injuries to our front three our game plan is blown apart, and we don't want to revert back to the type of football we were playing in the autumn.

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  3. sitting mid table and out of the cl is not a crisis its a disaster

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  4. well if sterling is being used as a main striker now for good
    then Shaqiri is perfect for his old position

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  5. Podolski is in a rebellion at arsenal
    good short term option , what do others think?

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  6. It's definitely been disappointing, but I'm really optimistic about our form right now. We're unrecognisable from the team that crashed out of the CL and looking far more like the team of last season.

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  7. Rodgers c confirmed Gerard is in starting line up
    if we fail to get a win today then we clearly know who the problem is

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  8. Ibe might return from loan
    so i assume Sterling occupies front role and Ibe comes in sterling position
    wise move

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  9. Frank de boer said something similar when we were after Erikson, he said he "shouldn't go to liverpool because they don't play good football", Eriksen then signed for Spurs and they play amazing football don't they. #sarcasm

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  10. Oh no and the new year was going so well- all 12 hrs of it

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  11. My main concern is that the opposing team have a focal point,Pearson's remit to his team may well be to just pressure and run at Gerard because he realizes that if Gerard goes under and is kept under pressure it can radiate through the team .....its similar to if a goalie misses a high ball all of a sudden he will be peppered with them giving the opposing attack momentum.

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  12. Sadly this is why Brendan hasn't bought in a quality deep lying playmaker in midfield ( players like fabregas, Kroos, rakatic etc.) because he believes 34 year old gerrard can do it for him. Maybe he needs to go to serie A next he will have enough legends in teams past their sell by dates Cus he has no cajones to turn them from first teamera into squad players !

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  13. Rodgesr said he gerrard will be back for todays game
    in a article on telegrapg

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  14. We've played well since we changed our set up a few games ago, but I agree this form needs to be sustained. I don't think anyone is surprised Gerrard is back in the team, but whether he deserves to be on form...

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  15. Take out Lucas or Hendo, don't chop and change everything else.

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  16. There is a possibility that Liverpool value Shaqiri very highly and even though other players have since been signed, perhaps they still have a very strong interest. So no, we don't need him, but if he has been identified as having all the qualities that the club needs and was a top target missed in the summer then there is some sense in going back in for him again. But partner this with comments about Jordan Ibe maybe coming back to the club and you do start to wonder if the attacking player quotient is close to full. There are only so many wide attacking players you need, they can't all play at once.


    Where would he fit in? Perhaps we consider that Sterling is going to be converted to a striker for the rest of the season, that leaves left and right side attacking roles to fill. You want two quality players in each position because it's good competition and there are lots of games to play across multiple competitions. Lallana, Markovic and Henderson can all play in those wider roles on both sides of the pitch. Does that leave a fourth spot (mostly on the right) for another attacking player like Shaqiri? Maybe - especially given that Sterling has been that player regularly working wide right for the past 12 months. With Sterling moving central there is certainly a tactical opening. Plus out of those 3 "wide" players mentioned they probably would all consider themselves more effective and happier in central roles. Lallana has recently made comments about that and Markovic doesn't exactly hug the touch line. So maybe Shaqiri would be the only genuine wide right sided attacking player in the squad, in which case he fits in very well.

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  17. If we signed Shaqiri I'd guess Ibe stays where he is for now, we wouldn't need both of them. Maybe Liverpool will try for Shaqiri and, if the bid doesn't work out, they'll bring back Ibe instead.

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  18. I really don't see where Gerrard fits in any more. He certainly can't be trusted in the deeper role and doesn't have the pace or intensity to be effective as part of the pressing tactics in attack. I can see Liverpool lacking the required spark and intensity because he is included. I suspect that Rodgers is saying nice things about Stevie G in public but privately he knows very well that if this game goes wrong then the captain needs to be dropped to the bench and left there. Maybe this is Gerrard's last chance, he either fits in with the recent revival and the team plays well or his vulnerabilities are further exposed and Rodgers has run out of reasons to keep him in.

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  19. I wonder if Gerrard got his new contract whether Rodgers would then consider leaving him out for an extended period or use him more sensibly. He wants to keep him around but if the club and player don't come to terms he will be gone in the summer. If this is part of Rodgers decision making he needs to know that this tact could lead to him being gone in the summer too.

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  20. Then again signing players like these when availale should be a necessity.

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  21. According to Rodgers Stevie understands his situation of picking the best team ..... then why has he changed a winning team that is finally looking like a team that can play with pace and intensity ! We now have momentum and look like having a run . This could well be Stevie's last chance to prove he can start without having an adverse affect . If it all goes pear shaped BR will have to come up with yet another excuse . Anyways I have a hunch Stevie will be gone to pastures new come Summer .

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  22. If city are signing Bony
    where does that leave Jovetics future?

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  23. Oh forgot ( bit hungover ) A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL and lets's hope it's a good one for LFC

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  24. Is there any proper links with Shaqiri though
    Normally the mail or mirror have it
    but nothing there of Sahqiri bid


    i think it could be false

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  25. Shaqiri is as versatile as Emre Can, he can play up front, behind the striker right wing, left wing and left back

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  26. teh mirror said it
    but podolski refuted it so nothing to see here anymore

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  27. Aren't you a maths student? You should have more brains than to read and believe garbage like the mirror.

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  28. I could see him playing wing back.

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  29. On the physio table like most of his past and present at the club.

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  30. The thing is a bit of sensationalism is interesting obviously too much like metro is annoying

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  31. I'm entertained by game of thrones but I don't worry about dragons.

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  32. It is a bit over the top to say we are in a crisis. That would mean that almost every other club in the PL is in crisis. Shaqiri has an option - warm the bench at a very powerful club or be the star at a club in a worse place. As Jaimie said, if Shaqiri has any passion for football, he will leave Bayern. It remains to be seen what he does.

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  33. That one got an actual real-life new years day LOL, well played :)

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  34. I love it when nomarks claim to know LFC ambitions.... Who is he again? I think Shaqiri would be very interested in a move to LFC, but I would suggest he knows alittle more about football these days than a bloke I've never heard of, and probably never will again...
    I also love it when people claim managers like Mourinho and Guardiola are the best in the world, I dare say I would be on that list if I was fortunate enough to land jobs with the biggest and richest clubs in football.... Wonder if either fancy their chances at Newcastle, West Brom or Palace with no mega stars and no money....

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  35. I wish I could be so cool and cynical... a couple of wins and I'm like -- "Right. It's on!... one defeat in 10! Champions League here we come!"



    But surely anyone can see we've hung on through a bad patch and are coming back into form. It's not an illusion is it? Can looks like Beckenbauer reborn, Henderson's remembered the keys to the Angry Running Robot suit he wears on match days, Sterling is attacking the opposition, in every sense, like he's been possessed by the spirit of Suarez. Rodgers' teeth have got their gleam back.



    I mean... it's on right? It's on!

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  36. Its always a crisis when your not topping the table;).... People always claim crisis, forgetting that titles have been won with bigger points deficeits than ours, and we are only after 4th right now, no crisis, no problem... We are just getting started, and it wouldn't be so exciting if we just took off from day one, nah! we need to build the tension, and deliver false senses of security to those above to keep us all from falling asleep....

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  37. Sterling needs someone to rotate with who can cover his roles in the side. Markovic is similar in some respects, but I can't see him playing up front. Ibe, though, is a tough little fella with great explosive pace and good penalty box movement -- I'd actually see him as much a striker than a winger at this point, I think. He can be a bit head-down out wide.

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  38. Yes! We go again! 2015! It's on!

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  39. watching begovic play
    he aint great , so man unconvincing punches

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  40. But realistically, if Rodgers loses Gerrard's support, he's finished. It's getting close to the moment when he can turn around to Gerrard and say "Thanks for everything you've done for the club." But that moment hasn't come yet. Rodgers hasn't won anything yet, and Gerrard's got the medals. That's what counts with players in the end.

    Maybe he can even manipulate the situation to make it look like it was Gerrard's own idea to step back. That would be the best outcome. I pull that one off at work sometimes. But we have to be patient.

    If Rodgers was as quick to act as most of us would be, he'd have lost the dressing room by now. Because the players would be looking at it thinking: "So if I give my life blood and loyalty to Liverpool for 20 years... this is how I'll get treated too?" They wouldn't tolerate it. This way is harder, but it's also better.

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  41. looking at the line up Gerard is either playing wing back ( crazy ) or cm with hendo going to wing back which equates to changing a winning team for no real reason except your scared of gerrard

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  42. most other clubs though havny shelled out a fortune and finished 2nd .....from last years perspective its a crisis

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  43. Mignolet, Can, Toure, Sakho, Moreno, Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson, Coutinho, Lallana, Sterling

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  44. the team is slower straight off the bat with kolo and gerrard in there so we will have to sit deeper

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  45. But crisis implies that we have no hope and we are in dire trouble. We have been poor and the season has been shambolic but we are definitely not in a crisis.

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  46. If he plays Gerrard, why can he not drop Henderson? This is blatant favoritism and if we lose, Rodgers will have to be castigated.

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  47. hendo is our best midfielder and was outstanding against Swansea so there could be no justification in dropping him or switching his position

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  48. If we lose, Rodgers will look like a clown.

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  49. from an fsg standpoint no top 4 is a crisis with the money spent ........and poor is an understatement we have been awful even when winning ,we have played well twice once against spurs and the other swansea

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  50. like ive stated if he had kept the same team as last game and lost or drawn no one could really say anything but by changing a winning team ( granted skirtal is suspended ) he has put his eggs in one basket ,nothing less than a win and a win playing well do for me today

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  51. Clarification about what? Players deserve to stay in the team on merit, irrespective of who it is. Sakho is playing pay right now, so he should stay in the team. Lovren is coming back from injury, so he's probably not match-fit, so he should be on the bench. I don't advocate dropping players just because I want to see them moved on. If they play well, they deserve to be in the team.

    In the long-term, if the choice arises, I'd still sell Sakho and keep Lovren, as I believe Lovren will come good, and - on form - he's arguably a better defender.

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  52. I would agree and disagree with your reply, Gerrard has been loyal to the club but was hansomely paid for it with loads of money. Club was loyal to him too shoehorning him into team last couple years, Rodgers has been saying with a while that he was going to have to manage his game time, yet still plays him when he shouldn't be starting any games, not scoring loads of goals now so he is a massive hole in midfield when he plays, like a statue there. Don't think its a coincidence that last game they had balance in the team when playing Swansea without Gerrard and eon well, two games ago against Burnley je played and they played badly but won 1 nil. Played well the game before that without Gerrard again. Team not in balance when he plays and shouldn't be Hendersons job to be babysitting him either and covering for him defensively. if Rodgers still has a job after the summer after starting him so many games since August and he was awful for a lot of team, passenger.team needs a vocal captain on field as is quiet young,Henderson better captain on the field, Gerrard very good in the dressing room. Just my opinion.

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  53. I agree. Gerrard unbalances the team

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  54. Shaqiri plays in a position we already possibly have too many players playing in, not counting those who can also play there. We're talking Coutinho, Sterling, Lallana and Markovic vying for what must be a maximum of 3 spots if Sturridge is fit. Texeira and Suso also happen to play that position, with Henderson and Balotelli equally capable of filling in.

    I used to think we required a CDM, but it just so happens Rodgers isn't usually fond of assigning the role to someone. Lucas has never been one of Rodgers' favourites. Sahin and Can were made to play box to box roles, although Can is now also utilised as a defender. Henderson could easily do a good job of it given his engine and his performances at right back. I would bleed Rossiter in that position.

    We are however desperate for a good goalkeeper or 2.

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  55. His "advisor" is a complete chop, Riise, Smicer and Macmanaman produced exactly the same performance stats as Shakiri with an average of 8 goals per season so he is on par, not better, than the players we have had and can produce on our own. He can start patting himself on the back when he averages 15+ goals in two successive seasons, but in order to do that he has to stop wearing a crevice into the sideline subs bench. If he is shrewd he would come to LFC where the focus is right now, albeit for all the wrong reasons, and put in the same stand out performance that got Suarez all the may to Barcelona. John Barnes had that high 10-15 goal per season return consistently for the first half of his career and in the latter half of his career he slowed to the 5-8 level that Shakiri is at now, so I shudder to see how he is "above" Liverpool in the state he is in right now! He and is advisor have disturbing delusions of grandeur.

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