25 Mar 2015

'Shocked' legend blasts: £12m star has destroyed Liverpool's CL hopes, not Gerrard

Will Steven Gerrard's infamous red card against Manchester United cost Liverpool a place in the Champions League? That's the laughable narrative currently being spun by the media/rival fans, but LFC legend Steve Nicol has refuted that suggestion, and warned that another incident from the game is 'big trouble', and is more likely to sabotage the Reds' push for a place in the top four.

When asked on Tuesday if Gerrard's moment of madness had cost Liverpool a place in Europe's elite competition, Nicol told TalkSport:

"I'll be absolutely shocked if [Martin] Skrtel is not suspended. That's what's going to cost Liverpool a Champions League place".

£12m-rated Skrtel is the subject of an FA charge for violent conduct, and if he's 'convicted', he could face a three or four game ban, which will inevitably disrupt Liverpool's vastly improved defensive unit.

Like last season, Skrtel - hailed by Rodgers as a 'warrior' is Liverpool's most consistent defender; he is the glue that hold the defence together, and if the FA impose a suspension, the Reds face the worrying prospect of having Sakho/Lovren partnership at the heart of defence.

If Skrtel is put to the sword, then what is Liverpool's best option in defence? For me, it has to be:

--------- Can --------- Toure --------- Sakho

I still rate Lovren, and believe he'll come good next season, but right now, Toure is the more consistent performer, and he also brings much-needed leadership ability, which will be essential during the Champions League run-in.

As for whether Skrtel's absence will cost Liverpool a place in the Champions League - no chance. If the Reds fail to make the top four, the following will arguably be responsible:

* Terrible first four months of the season.
* Rodgers' failure to quickly identify and implement change.
* Abject attacking transfers (Balotelli, Lambert, Lallana, and Markovic)

The risible failure of the those four players to consistently contribute score/create has hurt Liverpool this season, with the Man United defeat the latest example of Balotelli and Lallana failing to step-up.

Bottom line: Balotelli, Lambert, Lallana, and Markovic cost a combined £66m and they've contributed a piffling 13 goals between them.

In my view, this - not a 3-game Skrtel absence - is more likely to cost Liverpool a place in the Champions League.

Author:


109 comments:

  1. The one that boggles me is Baltelli. Lambert was never supposed to be a major contributor of goals, but somehow he's all but vanished but as for Markovic and Lallana, when they have been fit and in form (however briefly) they've looked pretty decent. Granted they should have contributed more, but that's down to their inherent ability and NOT their price, which I'm sure they had no say over. The spotlight of scrutiny is partly due to the staggering amounts we've had to pay for them, but whose fault is that? Benfica and Southampton had no need to sell, and if we were going to persuade them, then they were going to milk us for all we could afford. I still think both will come good however, but as for the anonymous strikers it's hard to anticipate the same. That said however, even though we've lost one of our main sources of goals last season and Sturridge has been on again off again, we're still in with a shout for a Champions League place. If we don't make it, is it all doom and gloom? No, we cut our teeth on the Europa league, build experience and become stronger. We have made the bi purchases last summer, and we have experienced players, strengthen a few key positions, particularly up front and a defensive midfielder and we should be in fine fettle.

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  2. And putting to much faith into injury prone Sturridge!

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  3. Rodgers is the only one to blame for the Man U defeat.
    Moreno is worst player in the history of Liverpool Football Club.
    all five goals conceded against Man U in the two legs is thanks to Moreno.
    Man of the match for Man U is not Mata but Moreno.

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  4. Dybala. That's a great shout. He has the makings of a top forward.

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  5. For Liverpool's sake, I'd agree with "unfortunately". And, thank you.

    It was the thought of the full leathers that made me consider "fortunately".

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  6. Coutinho and Suarez are not exactly greyhounds, though.

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  7. Man, you just totally leveled up from Twistadee.

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  8. Too harsh, there were 8 or 9 players that didn't turn up on Sunday.

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  9. Most annoying thing about Sturridge performance on Sunday is when he lost the ball (which happens too often since his come back) he doesn't make any attempt to track back/retrieve it. Either a sign of his own self importance or he's not fit.

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  10. For me Sakho should take the central berth, ( should MS get suspended) yes he is naturally a left sided player, but he has leadership qualities exuding from his pores and the central position requires that.

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  11. Mr. Point Of View7:43 am, March 25, 2015

    What d point go in CL then kicked out at early stage IF WE KEEP PRODUCE SAME

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  12. It should be a progression through continued qualification..... and then there's the money.

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  13. Yes!

    I won't rehash my long rant about signing Balo that I posted the other day, but cripes, whoever championed that signing needs to be put in a wheelchair, pushed out onto the the barren ice plains at the south pole...and left there...

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  14. $$. Club is more appealing.

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  15. Wholeheartedly agree with you, JK.

    * Terrible first four months of the season.

    * Rodgers' failure to quickly identify and implement change.

    * Abject attacking transfers (Balotelli, Lambert, Lallana, and Markovic)

    This totally nails it. Blaming Skrtel? Rubbish. He may not be the most graceful player, but he's as committed to our cause as anyone.

    Don't know who's been co-ordinating our purchases, but there hasn't been a lot of congruency between purchases and playing systems.

    We rinsed it last year with the diamond, so why didn't we just replace Suarez (granted, you don't just "replace" a player of that calibre) with the nearest we could get to him and continue with a formation our players were used to and comfortable in?

    Adding Balo was just a desperation signing, imho. A joke of a desperation signing.

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  16. Interesting stats about Lallana, cheers me up a little.

    The thing with Mata, though, is, in and around the opposition box, he's pretty much an elite creative player with a great eye for goal. Granted, he doesn't offer anything in terms of pressing/power/pace, but his little jinking/twisting/vision play is really, really impressive.

    I was disappointed we signed Downing, but tbh, I never really invested myself in Mata coming (not like Salah). What really royally annoyed me was when Moanrinho sold the little scamp to my most hated team - and the team with which I figured we'd be vying for in pursuit of those two CL places not already bought and paid for by oil money.

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  17. It is true that over the season the factors you mention have arguably (don't you love that word?) will have played a greater part in where Liverpool finish.


    But having overcome those difficulties and seeing top 4 within our grasp it is only natural that the focus turns to mistakes over the final run in especially when they come against our main rivals.


    Two stamps in one match from our players after all the hypocritical hyperbolic hooha over Chelsea is more difficult for me to take.

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  18. Maybe GJ can put in a good word for us...hahaha

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  19. Tevez was the replacement he should have bought.

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  20. As I've said before the players badly let both the manager and supporters down against MU . Their attitude was totally wrong and they lacked discipline . Bottle job first half and that terrible miss by Lallana to level things before HT . Then the red mist from Stevie and after seeing that Skirt does the same ..... they only have themselves to blame . It seemed they just threw in the towel ! Before this game we had the momentum and the confidence that went with it . Strong mental approach is so important and even more so now in the run in and this was sadly lacking in this game . I still think we could and should have got a result especially at Anfield ..... We can all look back and criticise things that weren't right at the start of the season but we are where we are and now seem to be on the right track going forward . We've had the reality check and hopefully learnt from it .
    I cannot accept that both Gerrard and Skirtel didn't know what they were doing and the future implications of their actions which could well cost us that CL place . Inexcusable .

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  21. So Skrtel is fighting the charge by the FA for his stamp on De Gea.



    Does he think he is going to get away with what he did??? He has just earned himself a 3 game ban whereas he could have walked away with a fine and slap on the wrist.

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  22. I would more or less agree with this. Still hold out some hope for Markovic and I don't think Lallana has been as bad as some people make out.
    The signing of Balotelli has been this season's biggest mistake imo. He was totally unsuited to our playing style and it is my opinion he unsettled our dressing room when he first arrived - the body language between him and the rest of the squad at the first few months of the season said it all for me.
    Lovren's had an absolute shocker so far but I've felt for a while that he would benefit from a stint playing in the centre of our back 3 and with Skrtel looking likely to be suspended, it's a good opportunity to try and bed Lovren back in to the squad and give him some confidence boosting game time.
    Unfortunately, I fear that between the result on Sunday and missing some key personnel, top 4 may just be a step too far. Still lots of football to play however and I for one am not ready to give up on this season just yet. YNWA

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  23. Blackburn, Swansea and UTD had us figured out now would be a good time to make some tweaks. I reckon Rodgers should revert to a back four now so my team vs Arsenal.

    ---------------Mignolet---------------
    Flanagan Toure Sakho Moreno
    ------------------Lucas---------------
    --------Can----------------Hendo---
    ----------------Coutinho------------
    --------Sterling--------Sturridge--

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  24. Surely it must be Can - Lovren - Sakho.
    Although Lovren prefers to be on the left side of a centre-back pairing, Sakho is actually left-footed.

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  25. Every little detail is up to the Man in charge whoever that is, tactic, style, formation, players, transfer.Obviously he's inexperienced and profile has cause majority of the top and world class players to reject joining LFC but he's stupidity of paying the large amount of transfer fees to average players that he THINK is world class cause frustration.

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  26. Nevergonnacrackthecode11:06 am, March 25, 2015

    I would from now on play something like this:
    ....................................................Sturridge
    .................................................Balotelli..
    ..........Coutinho..............Lucas..................Can..............Sterling/Henderson
    ..............Moreno ................Sakho............Lovren..................Manquillo
    .......................................................Mignolet


    in a 4411
    Liverpool do not need a pressing style, it doe snot suit Balotelli or Sturridge
    , just play to win games

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  27. Nevergonnacrackthecode11:10 am, March 25, 2015

    We have a lot of good players but we need to set them up right .
    Get Balotelli,Lallana and Markovic in their rightful positions,


    The 442 is our best option now
    ....................................................Sturridge.................Balotelli/Sterling
    ........................Lallana/Markovic..........Henderson/Can....Lucas...Coutinho

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  28. southgeezers out.. and the rest of the lot..

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  29. We would miss the passing on the side. The middle man should be no nonsense, head it, clear it.

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  30. He could have accepted the charge but instead he is fighting against it.


    I cannot recall Skrtel being charged before so if he had accepted then punishment might not have been that bad.


    If he loses the appeal then he could get 3 games and up.

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  31. It works the other way around, If he loses the appeal then 3 will be the minimum.

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  32. Read multiple sources that 3 is what he is appealing against, are you sure?

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  33. Early injures to Can, Lallana and Sturridge and Lucas?

    Continued injuries to Sturridge? Lucas, Lallana and Allen?

    Poor performances from Lovren and Skrtel in the early part of the season? A combined 10 errors in less than fourteen games I think it was. Lovren may still be topping the chart.

    Poor form of Mignolet? Although he does seem more rattled when Lovren is on the pitch.

    Gerrard getting sent of is up there.

    It's almost like there are lots of reasons, but poor early form is definitely part of it and those payers who were terrible early on (Lovren) take some blame.

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  34. You've been back for days no?

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  35. Third from the top, at the moment..

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  36. Blaming Skrtel is ludicrous! He's a defender trying to poach a goal at the bitter end when our strikers are loafing around.His heart is that big for us.


    As for tactics and formations, when all else fails, you go 442. The most balanced formation there is. Numbers at the back and mid with a strike pairing for attack. If you can't play in that system, you really shouldn't be playing football at all.


    There shouldn't be a style or way of playing written in stone. United pressed us higher up coz we keep trying to pass it from the back.So predictable.


    We thought we could tackle LVG and United with their own tactics of 3 at the back which LVG tried at the beginning of the season and only his flexibility in strategy has kept United afloat.


    We also trying too hard to turn average players into exceptional ones and it doesn't work all the time.


    Ultimately tho, we are still in contention and competitive which is all you can ask for in football.The rest is our will and some help from lady luck.

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  37. Jaimie, where do you come up with these statistics that Balo, Rickie, Lallana and Lazar have contributed with 13 goals? All competitions accounted they have scored 15 goals (Balo 4, Rickie 3, Lallana 5 and Lazar 3). In addition, they have also contributed with 5 assists (Lallana 4 and Lazar 1). Though, this correction does not nullify your point in any way as this quartet has rather abysmal record with 20 goals overall contributed in 118 combined matches!

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  38. Surprising how it just takes one really bad defeat to Man U after a 13 match undefeated streak to bring home the inadequacies of BR.

    Just shows the streak was papering over BR's cracks.

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  39. First three paragraphs I couldn't agree more!

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  40. Yeah exactly. When we look at why we didn't win the league last year it was the Chelsea and Palace games people look at rather than the odd draw here or there earlier in the season.

    As for the stamps. They deserve what they get but still not 100% on Skrtel's. I can understand why Gerrard nd Skrtel did it. We were physically bullied in the game and I wanted to spark someone so they must have too. Costa is just a dirty get. He wasn't frustrated or worked up. He wasn't retaliating, he was just being a c*nt.

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  41. No they charged him and it would have been three games anyway.

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  42. And the manager for waking up too late?


    Why is he not mentioned?

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  43. Excatly. Costa spits, trips, and does all those dirty stuff continuosly with the meanest intention, there is a big difference between him and Skrtel as a defender has to do most of the things he does. And not comparable with Steven at all..

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  44. 100 % agree Logan.

    As for Migs, why did BR buy a brilliant shot stopper but one who cannot kick the football for dear life and then expect to play tiki taka football from the back?

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  45. Neverevereverevervevrvervevrvvvrvrvvevvvgonnnnnnaaaaaaacrackdecode.

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  46. Yep.. Believe it or not, I missed the lad..

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  47. Implied in the poor early form.

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  48. Your crazier than he is Ivan.

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  49. Any goalkeeper that is going to play in a useless system that we saw first half of the season is a dead man walking.

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  50. No it was papering over the cracked. Must have been awful for so many to keep quiet for so long.

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  51. Yup. I guess it is more accurate to say our poor start, bad transfers, etc are the reason we missed top 4, but Skrtel's red will be why we couldn't fully recover successfully.

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  52. Lazer has been a wingback for the most part. I would hope for more but the only time he has been played as a proper attacker he scored. It's a touch harsh on the young lad who is maybe settling in a bit slower. No other Serbs may be a factor.

    Lallana has suffered with many injuries. Like I mentioned yesterday he has not been great but it's a touch harsh to criticise him too much.

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  53. Though Ivan is my (imaginary) friend so you are confusing me calling me by his name..
    But it is easier to know he is there, than constantly thinking "I am wasting my time reading this post- it is nevergonna.."

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  54. We changed shape slightly in the first half and went to a back four in the second. Had Gerrard not been sent off we don't know what could have happened.

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  55. Hmmn.. I would draw your attention to De Gea who has been simply brilliant over the past 2 years in a very average Man U team.

    All I ask is for a keeper to kick the ball and not expect it to go out to touch 3 times in 4 :-)

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  56. No Mings was poor. You can't rewrite history.

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  57. Watching the stamp time and time again.. And just no I noticed something that made me even more sad.. When Mario passed it to Martin he had two players on the left ready to cross with Skrtel, himself and Hendo in the box or pass it to inexpicably alone Hendo on the right. With only 3 to 4 manures defending!!

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  58. Shame the posters who have been backing BR all season are no longer singing his plaudits and have run out of excuses for him.

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  59. They do cost us games!

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  60. I guess the point was to criticize this group as overall bunch. Considering how much money was poured for them, they deserve some criticism. However, I do feel that Lallana and Lazar has done OK, especially during 2015, and thus they are not the main culprits here.


    As for Lambert, I feel that he is an interesting alternative that can shuffle the match on an occasion, if he is used properly. This would mean that the rest of the team must accommodate Lambert's strengths better (inadvertently this would also lead to an increased number of hoof balls). Unfortunately, BR has failed to utilize Lambert's strengths and if this continues, sadly I do not see much of use for him in the future. If this is the result, Lambert proves to be a very poor buy by BR.


    With Balotelli, my initial fears have realized. He just seems a bad fit for the team with his incoherent press-up play and poor finishing. Although I love the character he brings to the game, he is definitely the one of the aforementioned four that has done the worst.

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  61. Neither been singing his praises all season (as it was near impossible anyway at the start) nor been making excuses. But If I were to make one I think that him changing formation in the second half with only one goal in it was easily changeable with 11 men. To pick out that one game so you can come back and crow is laughable. We had the best form in the league in the run up and if Gerrard kept his head we could easily have gotten something. It's people like you that have ruined Anfield.

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  62. Yeah appealing against three, you were right there but for losing an appeal the panel could decide to ban him for longer.


    He is not going to get off, he should have just accepted it.

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  63. With Costa getting none for stamping him I highly doubt it they will give him more. And if it wasn't intentional..

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  64. for real? reading his posts makes me so agressive

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  65. Haha.. yeah, me too..
    But it is easier to know he is there, than constantly thinking "I am wasting my time reading this post- it is nevergonna.." Though it is probably a lose lose situation..

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  66. He's charged with violent conduct - same offence that SG was sent off for. Violent conduct is default 3 game ban.



    There is a possibility that an additional game is added for a trvial contest of a charge. There is (IMO) no case for that to happen here; he has a solid case for contesting the charge.


    Personally, I don't think they can prove there was amy intent or malice. His stride lengths remain consistent.


    However, I do think he could have avoided contact if he really wanted to, but might have had to throw himself to the ground, or hurdle in such a way that he risked overstretching and possible injury to himself. Whether those adjudicating think the onus was with him to do that might be the deciding factor.

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  67. It's the grouping together I don't agree with. They are all individuals and were individual deals. Even Lambert at four mil doesn't seem like the worst thing in the world.
    The Tomkins times looked in to transfers and it was seen that around 40% of transfers work. You get that or above and your doing alright. I think there is an over willingness to try and make out that our success rate is below average when it is not.

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  68. I agree with you Jaimee on the attaacking quadruplets bought by BR but I disagree a bit on Balo. I feel its BR who cant utilise Balo's abilities. Its not every number nine who can press, mark and track back as much as BR would like Balo to do. With that emphasis from BR you can tell that BR will create flops out of most true Nines that we can get eg Vietto, Lacazette. Even if we were (HYPOTHETICALLY) to get Higuain and Benzema, BR;'insistence on the number 9 tracking back like that would mean they (any one of these hypothetical guys) would be CONSISTENTLY drawn away from the box- which is their PRIMARY STRENGTH-the one which we would be buying them for and would have to pay the reported 18-40million Pounds for.


    If we are buying someone because of their INSTICNT AND TRICKERY IN THE BOX, then forcing them to spend much of their time outside the box (pressing, chasing, hackling or whatever), then WE (BR, the set-up) are to blame not the player. If football revolved so much on players being forced to adapt then we just have to go out there and buy anyone because "they should adapt". My main bone of contention is that: We want players for their specific set of skills in specific areas e.g. dribbling, shooting, acceleration. So far, BR's deployment of Balo has been in direct conflict with Balo's most productive zones and skill set

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  69. I think your response is a bit harsh. Yep I may be a neigh sayer this season, but that has not stopped me praising BR whenever he got it right.

    I always like to see the long term view and for me that does not see BR at the helm.

    Similarly, the one game against Man U does not prove anything and no I am NOT crowing. The same deficiencies have been there throughout the 13 game winning streak if you look hard enough. Call it luck, call it grafting, call it whatever you like, but BR managed 13 games undefeated - so well done on him.

    My point is he was at fault for the start of the season, and despite the 13 game streak, we are still no closer to securing 4th place, which was a bare minimum requirement after spending £100m+ in the summer.

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  70. Skirtel 3 match ban

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  71. Yup! Not Liverpool quality. I was for the Lambert signing but man has he flopped...still scored 3 goals.


    Sell them. We need to copy Chelsea's model. Buying potential from Germany and Holland and loaning them out.

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  72. Lambert doesn't play nearly enough for it to be held against him.


    The majority of his appearances this season have been for the last 20 minutes of games. He's not a Craig Bellamy who's a sparkplug off the bench

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  73. Or one that doesn't load pressure onto his own backline with suicidal passes to heavily marked/closed defenders.

    His decision making at times is shocking. The manager might have told you to play it out of defence, but if there isn't a pass on simply kick it!

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  74. And has taken to Instagram to post a picture of a bunch of clowns aiming it at the FA. He is going to have many people laughing at him if they decide to take action against what he has posted.

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  75. Oh no- if they do take action it will probably be a fine- but why do it in the first place?

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  76. Reason for LFC not making top 4:


    - Poor dealings in the transfer market
    - Replacing quality with quantity
    - Poor tactics
    - Keeping Gerrard in the team for so long
    - Ignoring Sakho and Can
    - Poor team performances for the 1st few months

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  77. Now thats happened the poor man will be born with no a##hole.

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  78. After Lallana's miss on Sunday nothing about him will chear me up !

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  79. The signing this season that have stood out for me are Moreno, Can and Markovic. All three are young, have loads of talent and plenty of room for improvement with the correct coaching. £20m for Markovic was a bit too much. Total £42m


    Lambert, Manquillo, Balotelli, Lovren, Lallana. Lets be honest about these 5 players. What have they done to prove that they will get better than they already are which cost us £65m.


    The money we had available this season could and should have been spent much better.

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  80. for POSSIBLY not making top 4..

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  81. Jaime your prediction is the reason why we lost to manc's

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  82. Can't say I'm in any way an expert on Marko, but everything that I'd seen of him came down the left wing. And when he made his first appearence, against Citeh as a sub, he looked really effective on the left side. Surprisingly he's rarely been used there since. (He's right footed I'm sure, clearly likes to play 'inverted'.)

    Same with Lallana, everything good at Soton seemed to be him on the left. rarely used left-sided at LFC.

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  83. yep exactly, he's even haunting me in my dreams ;-)

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  84. Perhaps a stupid question...


    What's the point in a player appealing a ruling of a panel that made the original ruling?


    Is he appealing to a different panel?

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  85. Firstly I am sorry. The weekend was frustrating enough with what the implications are for the season and to see so many of the posts that had gone away for so long bounce back with apparent glee just sickens me. Not saying that is you. You were just in the crosshairs and that's on me. I haven't been able to get the game as much this season due to work but when I have it has been dreadful atmosphere and my mates say it is always like that now. There is far too much negativity and it spreads. On to the pitch too.

    As for the streak, yes we have still shown some issues and they have been managed, or adjusted to suit the game and it is far from luck. It was the manager and players. We are closer to the top four than we were before the streak too. Quite literally in positions in the league and points. As for it being a bare minimum requirement for us does that not go for Arsenal £95m, Chelsea £118m, City £88m or United £160m? That is five teams with the same minimum requirement. Of those teams who lost their top scorer?

    Top four isn't over yet. We just have to pick ourselves up again and go on another run.

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  86. The only way we will finish top 4 now is fop UTD to really screw up badly.


    Let's look at it this way. Rodgers said we will need 74 points to take 4th.


    UTD are on 59 points, 24 points to play for. Added together there is 83 points. Subtract 9 and you get 74.


    We are already in trouble looking at that as we are on 54 add 24 = 78. We have to win 7 out of 8 to have a small chance of getting 4th but UTD will have to drop 9 points.


    I think the mountain is far to big for us to climb.

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  87. Interested to hear on who? Lambert was a cheap backup option at 4m, Manquillo is a loan deal so no harm done and he has been a victim of the formation change.


    Lovren one of the best defenders in the premier league last year, you would have looked at him and though, young for a CB, premier league proven, good deal despite being a little expensive. Alas so far it has not worked out.


    Lallana has been decent in spells this year, his injuries havent helped and again everybody raving out his premier league performances last year.


    Balotelli - Last minute panic buy - This is the signing that annoyed me. Rest i can see the reasoning.w

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  88. And Arsenal and City will qualify based on current number of points? Too many matches with each other and chelski to say it is over. those matches alone could see City drop to 5th, let alone manu. And yes we need to win on Sunday to be in the mix, but if you don't believe we can than I really can not qualify you as a fan.

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  89. And we will win all the bloody matches for fcuk sake!!!

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  90. You are telling me we that there were no other option but Lallana at £25m? Southampton signed Tadic and Mane combined for less than that.


    There are far to many excuses being made for our disastrous season.

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  91. There is a time when one has to be realistic.

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  92. Yes because Tadic and Mane where on everybody's radar weren't they and you would have been happy at the time if we had signed them? My point being is hind sight is a wonderful thing when judging transfers.

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  93. And we we ended up being the club massively overpaying for Lallana. He is injured again and has done nothing to suggest that he is going to make it at LFC.

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  94. Tadic would have much bigger chances of floping here than Markovic and Lallana. If you can't see that, you are blind. What experience did he have prior to S'oton? He would've handeled the pressure and expectations better than those two?!?

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  95. A bloody football fan here, not a stock market dealer.

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  96. How do you know Tadic would have flopped here when he is having a better season than Lallana.


    I would rather have taken a £10m chance on Tadic than £25m on Lallana.

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  97. I can recall saying the other day that I admire your optimism.

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  98. So why is it you are constantly trying to prove me wrong?!? You would like me to be right, right?

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  99. No, I am not trying to prove you wrong. This is a site which is based on opinion.

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  100. Really, opinion?!?
    My question is why do you feel the urge to counter my positive opinion whenever you see one? And only when we lose or play badly?

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  101. Again hind sight, i didnt hear you calling for us to sign an unknown Tadic instead of Lallana before it happened. Yes we over paid for Lallana but nobody would have had a problem with it at 15m. Everybody was saying good signing but slighty over priced - virtually nobody questioned his ability.

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  102. That is utter BS. Go find examples and then we will have this discussion again.

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  103. I was never for us signing Lallana.

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  104. Most of LFC's transfer failure is due to 2 transfers - Coutinho & Sturridge. Those are only 2 signings that LFC could strike gold with a chancy dig & every-time since are expecting the same.


    Every team has scouts & the market is quite open - you can't get world class strikers for cheap. I think, we have wasted too much on potentials & bench strength; to be honest I don't expect LFC with such an academy to buy players for bench. We need to spend big on 1 or 2 key spots, may be even some premium. KD did that, but his choice of player was wrong.


    I think,there are at least 10/12 U21 players in academy who can load the bench on merit - come July, we must spend BIG for just 3 players. We have best part of Suarez money, also got extra money from BT (& CL), there 'll be decent sales proceeds, besides the debt servicing & some other cost lines are closed - we should have a significant budget for 3 players
    1. a top class CF - my choice Lekkazzette - 30mn (Vietto is fine for 12mn, but young & exciting Latin strikers at that price don't come - if so, he must be ordinary)
    2. a right back - that Porto boy Danilo - 20mn
    3. a replacement for SG - my choice was Pogba, but that's out of question - may be someone with 30mn


    If Sterling leaves, we must target The French kid Griezzmann, even for premium & if still Mignolet is a question mark, may be Cech for 15mn.


    If we can get 1 quality striker + Origi, I am quite confident we won't be struggling for goals - it's the defensive half that I am more worried - CM, DM, RB, CB, GK......... at least 4/5 spots we are extremely shaky or running with make-shifts.

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  105. I agree 3 top players and a backup GK if possible:
    1. Lacazette
    2. Danilo
    3. Khedira (free)
    4. Perin

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