12 Feb 2015

'Rodgers likes him': LFC favourites to sign £25m-goal-machine who's 'better than Bale'

Last month, Anfield legend Steve Nicol urged Liverpool to sign Lyon goalscorer Alexander Lacazette, and with LFC reportedly favourites to sign him ahead Arsenal, does Lacazette have the abillity to make a difference at Anfield?

According to BT Sport expert Julien Laurens, the French striker is a perfect fit for Liverpool.

When asked this week about the striker's suitability for the Premier League, Laurens told The Sport Review:

“Brendan Rodgers really likes him [Lacazette]. He likes those types of players that can play anywhere up front and with a lot of movement, so I think he could eventually fit in well there".

Nicol agrees, and in a January interview with ESPN, he insisted that Lacazette 'fits the mould that Liverpool are looking for', and strongly urged his old club to pursue the striker:

“Liverpool have an opportunity to sign this guy [Lacazette] and I think they should. He loves to go forward [and] score goals and he reminds me of [Luis] Suarez. I think this would be a superb signing".

With 32 goals/assists in 29 games, Lacazette is achieving Suarez/Sturridge-style creative stats this season, and given his speed, mobility, and finishing ability, he'd clearly be a logical signing for Liverpool. What are the chances of that actually happening, though?

When asked last month about the possibility of Lacazette leaving, Bernard Lacombe - special advisor to Lyon President Jean Michel Aulas - told reporters:

"He [Lacazette] is a great player, and weill do everything to keep him until the summer. He must work on his left foot, and if he does, he can be better than [Karim] Benzema"

Aulas also made the following bold claim:

"I think Alexandre is much better [than Gareth Bale], but Alexandre doesn't have a price, so it's pointless thinking of one"

If Liverpool surprise everyone and seal this deal, Sturridge will clearly be under intense pressure to maintain his fitness. Lacazette has the potential to scale similar heights, and if he does the business, Sturridge's regular absences will suddenly become less important, which means he'll becomes less important.

Unfortunately, Liverpool cannot rely on Sturridge, so it's absolutely vital that the club has at least one other striker who's capable of picking up the slack. If that means Sturridge falls slightly down the pecking order, then so be it. I'm one of his biggest fans, but the team has to come first.

£25m - Lacazette's reported value - is a bit steep, though...

Author:


150 comments:

  1. Lacazette, yes please!

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  2. I don't know why people think we'd be able to get him for less than £25m. There aren't a lot of top strikers around, so one with Lacazette's record and skill-set is very valuable.

    I think he'll stay at Lyon for another season and if he maintains his form, will move for £35m+.

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  3. Too late. By then Ibe and Origi will be backing up Sturridge

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  4. I agree. £25m is not overpriced for someone with his stats. Goal scorers never come cheap. It's a risk I think we have to take. If we could move on Balotelli, Borini, Coates, Johnson, Aspas, Alberto, Allen etc, there should be more than enough cash to buy Lacazette and a couple of other top players. A transfer window when we spend on real quality would be great. If like to see us buy Lacazette, Schneiderlin and another top quality Goalie. We have plenty of attacking midfielders. Markovic and Ibe can both play in wingback positions of required. We have plenty of CB's, and Can can play there if neccessary. Up top, goalie, and a top central midfielder to replace Gerro are what we need.

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  5. Nicolas Chamberlain11:46 pm, February 12, 2015

    Well, 17-18M is totally unrealistic. Aulas is a tough negotiator so even 25M won't get us Lacazette. We missed the boat for that amount.

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  6. I reckon you could add another 25m to that in the summer and he'd still be worth it for us. Unfortunately I think we'll be priced out of any negotiations for him, especially if we don't get Champions League.
    I'd love to see him here and think FSG would finance the deal, but they'll be a lot of interest in him from clubs that might be able to offer him more consistency at the top of their domestic leagues and in Europe.

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  7. If we use the money we get from sterling to sign lacazette that would be awesome

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  8. Good point, otherwise what was the point of paying 10m only to decide that Origi will only probably get 1 season worth of consistent games.

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  9. He does seem to have everything to fit into our system easily, if there was anyway possible we could get him I think he'll cost us a lot more than that, but I wouldn't grumble if we paid it

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  10. Of course we might also have enough money to buy everyone in England fish and chips after we sell Stirling for not contributing, so one of those 2 might take his place

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  11. sensible outcome to a potentially bad situation

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  12. By then Sturridge will likely be a double amputee.

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  13. 25m for a guy with those production numbers is definitely not steep.some of you need to wake up and smell the coffee.

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  14. If he's as good as what's being reported, 25mil sounds reasonable. Don't forget we paid 20mil for Downing and 35mil for Carroll...even Lovren costed us 20mil as well. Let's hope if we do spend big money on him, we'll have a new hero at our club. We did it before with Torres and Suarez.

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  15. £25 million for a top forward/striker is not steep in today's market. £25 million would be a steal.

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  16. Dont know but it was a pair of ordinary Serie A teams apparently my guess is Belfodil or Biabany but it could have been some young player on the way up.

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  17. The Premier League agreed a new television rights deal worth £5.134 billion and it could see Liverpool play league games on Friday nights.With an increased number of live games, 168 - each match is worth £10.2m.
    BT and Sky were the only two bidders for seven packages, with Sky winning five of them including games on a Friday night.
    Sky will also show fixtures at 12.30pm on Saturdays, 4pm on Sundays, and will retain their flagship Monday Night Football show.The broadcaster will also show games on Bank Holidays and other Sundays.
    BT, who first won rights for Premier League football in 2013, will show the 5.30pm kick off on Saturday evenings, as well as midweek fixtures.The contract, which will run for three seasons between 2016 and 2019, represents a 70% increase on the previous agreement - also shared by Sky and BT.

    You can expect new levels of stupidity in the transfer market!

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  18. Would be a great signing but we have no one at the club to make it happen.

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  19. Alexander Lacazette would be a good bit of business at 25m.
    However, when a striker makes the football world stand up and take notice with stats like 32 goals/assists in 29 matches, we'll face huge competition from other big clubs for his signature.
    Our record in beating top clubs to quality players recently has been abysmal.We've lost transfer battles over Shaqiri, Willian, Mkhitaryan, Sanchez etc... I want Liverpool to sign him, but realistically I don't think it will happen.

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  20. What a great player , worth every cent at 25m BUT I doubt he will move to Liverpool rather like Aiexis Sanchez he would prefer Arsenal.

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  21. NEVER ,Origi has a long way to go to match Lacazette.
    Just compare the goal difference this season

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  22. clearly sterling has lost the plot

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  23. 25mn is high for Lecazzette & we paid 26mn for Lallana !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  24. If all that has been said about Lacazette is right, how is £25m a bit steep? We paid nearly £23m several years ago for an exciting but not yet EPL proven Suarez so this sounds spot on, if not even relatively cheap!

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  25. some of the experts were discussing about the same on football today the other day and said this may be the reason why sterling is stalling on contract as he knows about it and want good wages..this may be logical from sterlings point of view as it will surely fire up wages and transfer value.

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  26. Imagine Lacazette, Sturridge, Sterling, Coutinho & co. This guy would make losing Saurez bearable. This is a top 4 strike force. By the way I've had a word with Sterling, his staying lads. It's ok, he's staying.

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  27. I was just looking at it from a transfer point of view.But whoever discussed the issue is looking at the overall football landscape.They're right.
    When this massive deal kicks in, clubs will have money hungry players knocking on the door looking for a big wage increase.
    Maybe Sterling is using delay tactics to see what others demand.

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  28. Sterling later tweeted to say that you're such an i_i_t to believe him.

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  29. A Lucas or a Henderson at their pathetic best... yup, that's what Ronaldo would have become had he signed for Liverpool then.

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  30. Homemade ginger beer & some spicy chicken was what did the trick :)

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  31. BUY: Lacazette, Khedira and Ter Stegen.
    KEEP BACK FROM LOAN: Origi, Illori and Wisdom.
    SELL: Coates, Toure, Alberto, Aspas, Lambert, Borini, (Gerrard)

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  32. Realy???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
    When????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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  33. Not steep, cheap. Or steal. He is the next prodigy of French, and quite possibly world football. And this league is getting reacher by day...

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  34. Gerrard is free as you probably know and so is Toure. That is less than 20 million worth of players to sell and at least 50 to buy so without selling say Sterling- not happening...

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  35. I agree, our history of closing deals for big players is fairly shocking. The only thing is, out of the really top clubs, who needs him? He would sit on the bench at Real, Bayern, Chelsea, City... I didn't include Barca cos of their transfer ban. United maybe but you get my point. The French connection might take him to Arsenal. Saying that Giroud seems to be a bit of a fud whereas Sakho seems to be an all round good guy so hopefully they're pals.
    Liverpool would be a good step in his career progression at this minute in time.
    On a side note, I bet Salah, Mkhitaryan, Eriksen and a fair few other's wish they'd signed for us when they had the chance

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  36. Same as what I was thinking...

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  37. Welcome back from your exile bro

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  38. Agreed mate, I think 25 mil is fairly reasonable

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  39. Where are you from orme?

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  40. Ronaldo was offered to a number of the top clubs, Phil Thompson went to watch him and he and GH wanted to sign Ronaldo for 4m however the wages he wanted were above the normal money for an 18 year old.GH and PT went to Rick Parry to try and get the money for the wages and Parry said he would speak to the board, a week later they found out United had signed him for 12m. - This is how Phil Thompson tells the story anyway.

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  41. It was the perfect storm in terms of H&G and Rafa. Joke owners and a manager that seemed happier to play mind games with them than try to solve any problems.

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  42. Man I feel like Gandalf the White revealing myself to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli...


    But thanks. It was still a fun exile though, if you saw my antics...

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  43. Only what I could gather from other people's replies to deleted comments. Fun was over before I'd arrived...

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  44. I replied but it's being moderated for some reason. You've brought me to the attention of the eye of Mordor perhaps

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  45. Hazard is a World Class player. I know that according to your calculations thing he probably isn't, but IMO he is.

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  46. Top clubs always find space for quality players.Did Man U really need Radamel Falcao? Clubs like to make statement signings and fabreeze their attacking options.
    Chelsea for example in the winter window.They already had Willian, Eden Hazard, Oscar and other creatives/forwards but they moved Schurrle on to free up space for Juan Cuadrado.
    Like you i see no urgent need for the clubs you stated to bring in Lacazette.But don't discount clubs who seemingly are stacked with talent, letting a player go to create space for Lacazette.
    We've missed out on transfer targets to some mid level clubs in transfer market too, like Inter Milan and Dortmund.Diego Costa also chose to stay at Atletico Madrid instead of signing for us.
    Anyway, I hope I'm wrong and see Lacazette in a Liverpool shirt.Completely agree with your side note.

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  47. Rodgers in Rome. Looking at either Pjanic or Strootman.

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  48. Just hide behind a rock

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  49. Montenegro. Like Jovetic, you know where that is?

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  50. I do indeed my Balkan friend. So I assume English isn't your first language?

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  51. Where does 25m figure come from? As soon as we become interested it will become 35m and after a summer of 'we've got him' 'done deal' etc he will go elsewhere. Yes he would be a great signing but it's more likely we won't

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  52. Gandalf the White, haha. That would make Jaimie a fire demon creature with a whip, no? New profile pictures, the both of you.

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  53. I would much prefer Max Kruse at that kind of money. He'd be more affordable, he's more expererienced, and there's a bit more finishing power in his game.

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  54. Nope, but thank you for leaving the room for the assumption that it is..

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  55. That's all true. To be honest though, the players if players are happy to sit on the bench for a few extra grand a week then I'm inclined to say let them. Ultimately we need to solidify our place in the Champions league for a couple of seasons before we can really start to compete in the transfer market again

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  56. How awesome would this be.

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  57. I'm sure we could get Kruse for a bit less. His (imagined) ceiling looks a bit lower than Lacazette's - still a cracking player.

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  58. You speak better English than I speak Montenegrin. Well, I can't speak Montenegrin at all.

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  59. Of all the rumours, this is the one that I would like to come true. Ings, Berahino, Benzema, they all don't excite me really. I doubt he'll sign for us though. We should remember we have a brilliant striker coming in in Origi as well and Lacazette is currently at a club which is at the same level as us. So to improve sporting wise it would make much more sense if he would sign for one of the big Spanish clubs or one of the English clubs that consistently challenge for the title.

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  60. I can't blame you, it's tough language. For example Joveta's vocabulary consists of 120 words, 25 of them being uhm, aaaa, hhmm...

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  61. Origi may not be pulling up stumps at the moment, but Rodgers is good at greatly improving players...

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  62. We had our chance to sign Lacazette last summer when we had almost c£120m available, CL etc.


    LFC will not even be on his mind at this point. He can cherry pick any club he wants. Pity because this is exactly the type of player we needed this season. Now the best we can do is Ings...

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  63. The Balllrrrog of Morgoth. Indeed he was. That is why you should not expect him to hear from him ever again.


    But if he's still alive and you hear him trying to get in...just tell him he shall not pass.

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  64. Also, while a picture of Gandalf the white fits the theme more, my personality is a lot more akin to Gandalf the Grey...I'm so conflicted. All about style over substance...

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  65. What was Lakazettes at Origi's age? Both played(in) as wide men.

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  66. I see what you've been watching while banned.

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  67. You shall not pass........moderation.

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  68. In summer? Why not. Extra TV deal and we have a net spend of around fourty mil each summer. Or at least season.

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  69. Dude, I watch it every day

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  70. Eric! Have a look at Ing's individual highlights from the Man Utd game on YouTube! Ings! Is exciting!

    !

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  71. I think the player will have his choice of clubs and he won't leave the french league leaders for a team that isn't even in the champions league. Liverpool will have to prove themselves as a team by getting a top 4/3 spot otherwise it will be more mid-range signings only. History isn't good enough any more, Liverpool have to perform at the top level consistently for big name players to feel confident in coming here. A strong run towards the end of the season, maybe a cup final and a good run in Europe, these things will have people talking about Liverpool again in the right way. So only in those circumstances will we see The Cassette come to Liverpool.

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  72. Well I don't fully understand FFP, but there was a stora saying we need to sell player(s) worth 15 mill to be on zero. I know you can be in minus zone with some plan how to get to zero or something, but basically I think it is time to buy how much you sell?

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  73. Wielder of the Secret Flame of Anfield?

    *Goes quiet.* *Sadface*.

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  74. Really rate your opinions but stoped reading after the first sentence. We will be in CL next season, for sure.

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  75. Why, my young hobbit, everyone wields the flame of Hillsborough

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  76. I really got worried we werent going to have a club things were indeed dire we all complain now about things but what we see today pales in comparison.
    I am so grateful we got fantastic owners who are running the club well if only they had bought the club years earlier.

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  77. He may need to put full use of his super powers to work on Origi he has been awful.

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  78. Weren't we going to win the league too according to some?

    We still need to play all the teams who are ahead of us except Spurs. Chelsea, Arsenal and Southampton are all away from home.

    Do not count your chickens before they hatch...

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  79. Win the league, hopefully- according to me. Still confidant of CL and silverware...

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  80. One week at a time lads and lets remain positive but cautiously so.

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  81. If it doesn't work, don't ask me. I was not brought to middle earth for this.

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  82. You need to stop getting your panties in a twist every time someone offers hope of a UCL qualification ;)

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  83. welcome back mr nick1811

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  84. That is why I will not keep my hopes up. The room for error is 0 plus we have Thursday night matches coming. Two slip ups will see us tumbling down that massive mountain we are currently climbing.

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  85. Just call me nick ;)

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  86. The Sth ham game is make or break for me i think a win and we are looking a chance a loss well its really uphill.

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  87. I think we should put in a bid of 40mill and 1 pound for Sanchez in the summer and if not maybe see if barca want to offload Suarez for Sterling . Imagine getting him back

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  88. Hazard is a killer. Clinical, making regular game winning plays. Couts isn't there yet.
    Some people just cannot admit the truth. Courts over Hazard is just bloody stupid.

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  89. los pollos hermanos

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  90. Hi Logez, did you miss me?

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  91. Well if aint Jesse Pinkman.

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  92. The only chance I see for us is to win 10 out of 13 EPL matches.

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  93. Lacazette & Pjanic BRILLIANT Brendan, go get em!!.........Fast forward to August - ''Hi Danny I would like you to meet Daniel, Divock and Mario........Oh, that's Fabio, he's just leaving"

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  94. How annoying to see Ibe cup-tied tomorrow. For the record he made a 30 min appearance from the bench in the 3rd for Derby against Southport. He would have been on the bench for an FA cup tie with Rodgers approval and therefore aware of the implications. This is poor club management and as we get closer to Wembley I feel very sorry for the player.

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  95. Your English is excellent bud, where did you learn?

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  96. Music, movies, fotball, living in a tourism oriented city... Oh and a bit in the school... It is safe to presume you are English, what city?

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  97. Really negligent indeed.. Though I have a feeling, he'll get to Wembley few times..

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  98. No I am not f*#king English! I'm Scottish my good man. I live in Glasgow

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  99. Sorry mate... Send them English bastrds homewards.. Beautifull anthem you have...

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  100. Haha thanks bud

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  101. Yea a few times. You?

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  102. Thanks...didn't realise this many people would be happy to see me back haha

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  103. Yes I wouldn't want to be in that young man's shoes thank you very much

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  104. Next year.. Met a guy here in the bar- he gave me a job in his travell agency and he rewards his employees with a trip if they do well. Guess what my plane ticket will say...

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  105. Hopefully with Liverpool because I have an awful feeling that Uncle Woy will take him on a downward slope quite soon. I have a theory that playing for England is a retrograde step in a players development, Shelvey, Mart Kelly, Ross Barkley also never the same. Maybe they pick up bad habits, any theories ?

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  106. Toure and Gerrard are free I know, but so is Khedira so that's only 2 purchases so why not possible? Plus Gerrard and Toure off the books frees up wages

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  107. Better let you get back to work then. You've got targets to hit!

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  108. Yes welcome back and I hope you left the dog house as you found it.

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  109. Great expectations, too many squandered tournaments, wrong managers... And people(especially press) in England do not support the team, quite the opposite actually...

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  110. Still in preparations, at the moment in a bar that rarely has guests.. And what a target it is..

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  111. Welcome back Sir Nick. The kingdom was in good hands while you were away.

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  112. They are just intimidated by your photo...

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  113. Jamie, have you got plans to develop an ios / android app for the site?

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  114. Whaddya mean? Most Glaswegans live in England ;-)

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  115. Also international football now with qualifying groups, pointless friendlies is such a poor standard of competition compared to Champs Lge and big Prem games like at anfield last Tuesday. Who benefits ?

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  116. This is what they should really created in the Internship movie

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  117. especially you. You've stolen my secret flame of arnor and placed it in your photo...

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  118. I don't thibk so mate. There's no way we can't afford that much a season. I don't really understand it but it doesn't make sense that one of most lucrative clubs invite league can't afford fifty mil a season. Surely.

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  119. You aint Heisenberg lady.

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  120. *slowly raises hand*

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  121. My Dad is one of them too

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  122. He's in on it too...

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  123. Now that's what I call a profile picture.

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  124. Hey FdotM. That's on the list, yes. Hopefully, I'll get round to it soon.

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  125. Half glass empty man

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  126. What glass man is what I think he is...

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  127. Logan was absolutely full glass last season, but then he spilt his drink. I think that's the real reason why he's sad now...

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  128. 'Where's Ricky though? I've been dying to meet him!'
    -'...who?'

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  129. Nah, at least I know there is no further disappointment ahead for this season ;-)


    I said yesterday, I am more interested to know what FSG's plans are once the season has ended.

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  130. Like I said, I will not keep my hopes up.

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  131. I take it Sterling is this year's Suarez? :-)

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  132. I like the cut of your gib

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  133. Speaking of, we ought to sign that Saúl dude from Atletico.

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  134. you mean the fella that gave Fabio a lift

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  135. Read Scholes thoughts on ManU in the BBC football section today. He beautifully sums up my frustrations with our style of play when we struggle. It isn't the players that drive crazy, it's the timid style we display that leads to trouble. You can see the trouble brewing every time we start to play that way.

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  136. Lacazette is 35 million MAX.
    Ter Stegen (or Perin) 15 million MAX.
    I agree with Jay Jay that 50 million should be possible (without sales) and 50 million for those two is a maximum, I'd guess 35 million is more realistic.

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  137. Another pointless friendly comin up soon - please don't pick Sturridge or Sterling - pick Harry Kane and get him injured instead

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  138. I have to agree with everything you said about Hazard. There's something about Coutinho that makes me want to see him play. I've never liked Hazard, just because.

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  139. just shut up and everything will be ok

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  140. Not really. Eric Cantona. Check it up. He was offered to Liverpool but the rest is history ........

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