12 May 2015

Chance for Liverpool? Boss admits 'unreal' €20m star may 'leave', and confirms contract 'talks' are ongoing

Liverpool have been linked with a number of goalkeepers this year, including Inter Milan 'stopper Samir Handanovic, and according to Inter boss Roberto Mancini, there's a strong chance that the Slovenian star will leave Serie A this summer.

In February, the Liverpool Echo claimed that Liverpool are considering a summer move for Handanovic, and when asked about the 30-year old's future this week, Mancini told reporters:

“There are talks and hopefully they’ll find the middle ground over the next few weeks. We’ll see if we’re able to keep him or not. It’s not guaranteed that he’ll leave. I consider him to be one of the best goalkeepers in Europe"

Liverpool reportedly tried to sign Handanovic two years ago, and at the time, Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato claimed:

"Liverpool have offered £12m, but Inter believe that Liverpool [should' make an extra effort to get up very close to the equivalent of €20 million, which could persuade Massimo Moratti to sell"

If Inter don't extend Handanovic's contract soon, they'll face the possibility of losing him on a free, which will undoubtedly alert a lot of top clubs around Europe.

The question is, with Mignolet rediscovering his form, do Liverpool still need a new goalkeeper? In my view, the answer is categorically, and unequivocally, YES.

Mignolet had his chance, and in the grand scheme of things, a brief spell of good form means very little. The Belgian is basically playing for his future right now, so it's no surprise that his form has impv

If Rodgers is lulled into a false sense of security and fails to act yet again (like last summer), then he'll deserve all the criticism that will inevitably come his way if/when Mignolet reverts to type.

The same applies to Lucas; he's playing well at the moment, but the club cannot rest on its laurels. These players need to be replaced, or - at the very least - challenged in the squad, and if Liverpool are to consistently challenge for the title, then continuous improvement is the name of the game.

This used to be a common feature amongst the classic Liverpool teams of the 70s and 80s; Paisley et al never took anything for granted, and each year, the club would bring in great new players to challenge the stars who'd been integral to winning titles, even though it looked like they weren't needed.

Is Handanovic - nicknamed 'The Saint' in Italy - an improvement on Mignolet? Stats:

Handanovic

* 142 goals conceded in 122 games (1.1 per game)

* 43 clean sheets (35% of games. One every 2.8 games)

* Averages 2.4 saves per game.

Mignolet

* 106 goals conceded 92 games (1.1 per game)

* 28 clean sheets (31% of games. One every 3.2 games)

* Averages 2.7 saves per game.

Clean sheets aside, there's little between Mignolet and Handanovic right now, and the deciding factor may be the unquantifiable aspects of a goalkeeper's quality, such as leadership, communication, command of the box, and distribution.

Former Inter goalkeeper Francesco Toldo is a big fan of Handanovic, and in January, he raved:

“Handanovic is unreal. He’s carrying the team with his great saves. He should be given more acclaim. He really excels and it’s difficult for him, because the defence suffers at times, but he’s always ready.

A viable replacement for Mignolet?

Author: Jaimie K



111 comments:

  1. Ho ho, game on in Munich!

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  2. Handanovic will only leave Inter to play in the Champions League which Liverpool wont be playing in anytime soon.

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  3. What about Kovacic? Any news today?

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  4. He is thinking about putting his house on the market

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  5. Enough of these "unreal" transfer rumours ;-)

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  6. Stan Dinaround8:36 pm, May 12, 2015

    A brief spell of good form means nothing, but a breif spell of poor from means stringing him up and hanging him out to dry.

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  7. Stan Dinaround8:38 pm, May 12, 2015

    Just transfered my potatoes to my mouth as I type,, Who knew I was able to multi task....? Better keep this quite, don't want the missus finding out..

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  8. Stan Dinaround8:39 pm, May 12, 2015

    I know a bloke who could do him a good deal on a new one in Liverpool....

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  9. rotchie the red8:40 pm, May 12, 2015

    I dont think Mignolet needs replacing, but all players in a squad need to feel pressure for their place in the team, we were linked with stegan not so long ago when Mignolet was playing bad and the way stegan is playing for barca tonight maybe we should try for him.

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  10. Stan Dinaround8:42 pm, May 12, 2015

    How nice would that be, but the guy is playing for Barca agianst Bayern in the semi of the CL.... We have absolutely no hope.

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  11. Let's get their front three as well. They need a new right back, I've heard, so maybe we can accept them in part exchange for Flanagan.

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  12. That is interesting news, thank you Stuart.

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  13. You are killing me.. I am supposed to wait for another hour for potatoes...

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  14. Good you can google "how to get potato out of your keyboard"

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  15. I heard your bloke only cares about the money so not that sure it would be a good deal...

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  16. Stan Dinaround8:45 pm, May 12, 2015

    Have to now, you just made me spit mine all over my screen....

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  17. If you did some rudimentary research (or just engaged your long term memory), you'd realise that it's not a 'brief' spell of form.

    Mignolet has a long history of conceding lots of goals, at Liverpool and at Sunderland. Last season, he made more goal-creating mistakes than any 'keeper in the Prem (OPTA), and conceded far too many goals (53 in 40 games).

    Mignolet's current good form is the exception for his career to date, not the rule, and if you could see past the end of your own nose, you'd be able to discern that.

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  18. Stan Dinaround8:46 pm, May 12, 2015

    What you having, boiled, baked or roasted? mine are light and fluffy, with just the right amount of butter and cheese.... uummmm um!

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  19. Stan Dinaround8:47 pm, May 12, 2015

    David De Gea would have conceded a lot of goals at Sunderland and at LFC last season...

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  20. Unfortunately the reality is this -1) in the last 6-8 years Liverpool have only challenged for the title once -2) Liverpool have 0 "world class" international players apart from possibly Coutinho 3)Brendan Rodgers is the Liverpool manager - for these reasons I don't see any top players rushing to join the club this offseason.

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  21. Not including Messi, if you could have three players from either team to add to our current squad from the Bayern-Barca semi, who would you get? For me, Muller, Benatia... and Suarez.

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  22. Stan Dinaround8:48 pm, May 12, 2015

    You boys are on a roll tonight, more cleaning for me...

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  23. Mine are late. And I don't have money for cheese.

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  24. Twice in the last 6 years in fact.

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  25. Stan Dinaround8:50 pm, May 12, 2015

    Ouch! Don't worry though mate, I'm thinking of you each time I chew....

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  26. Luis? Oh, it ain't, he is busy..

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  27. Stan Dinaround8:51 pm, May 12, 2015

    Like all 3, Would love to have Masch back aswell...

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  28. Neuer definitely , Neymar also definite - both still yet to peak and will be good for next 10 years

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  29. Did you see that thing ust now between Muller and Alba? Amazing player with an amazing attitude..

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  30. Typing, eating potatoes, cleaning your keyboard fending off attacks from JK and checking the site's comments policy. Now that IS multi-tasking.


    If you could just add nagging you would be a match for any woman........

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  31. Stan Dinaround8:52 pm, May 12, 2015

    Isn't Ming on the way to winning the Golden Glove this season...?

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  32. Look forward to the presentation when he fumbles it......

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  33. Müller, Boateng and Suarez

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  34. Sorry Jamie if you feel this is amounts to needless criticism but I think it's a bit unfair to keep phrasing your own interpretations of Rodgers thoughts, as fact.
    Above, you say "if Rodgers is lulled into a false sense of security and fails to act yet again" - do we know this actually happened or could he simply have been told no funds were available.
    This isn't meant to be confrontational and an apology will be forthcoming if I've missed something but you are kind of using that sentence to attack Rodgers and also perpetuate a similar view in others and as far as I can see it's a complete fabrication.
    As I say I'm quite happy to eat humble pie if wrong and I won't be crying into my cornflakes in the morning because you've said some nasty things about BR, just interested where the view comes form.

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  35. ... and then boots it out for a corner in a massive panic before screaming meaninglessly at everyone within earshot and pointing at Steven Gerrard.

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  36. Boateng would be good for us, need some muscle in the side for sure.

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  37. rotchie the red8:59 pm, May 12, 2015

    no hope for Flanno because I heard a rumor that Glen Johnson's agent went to a stag party in Barcelona at the weekend.....has to mean he has agreed terms.

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  38. Got to disagree he has saved Inter plenty of times this season - player of the season for them and best GK in Italy right now - only Neuer , De Gea and Courtois currently are better than him.If he leaves Arsenal and Man United (if De Gea joins Madrid) are possibilities not Liverpool.

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  39. Remember when he hated Liverpool so much he started biting people to engineer a move to Barcelona? Good times.

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  40. rotchie the red9:03 pm, May 12, 2015

    surely he'd love to expirience the carling/milk/capital one league cup (or what ever it's called)...

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  41. As Stan says Mascherano for me, boy we could use him back in our team, I thought he was probably in the top three players during the world cup. I'd also have Suarez and Saurez too.

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  42. Not sure what to make of your comment..

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  43. Haven't read all the posts here so might be somewhere, but does anyone else think Mignolets distribution is crap? He puts defenders under pressure. Yes, we're supposed to play out of defence, but there are limits imo.. If only he had the distributions skills of Pepe then he'd be a good goalie :)

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  44. for me it'll always be the Rumbelows.

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  45. You're only allowed to choose three

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  46. It's a big yes from me. I like Mingo and want him to retain the number one spot for now but - wow - I've never seen a top flight keeper kick the ball out of play so often, something he needs to do a lot of work on this summer.

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  47. Not sure what we would have said had it been Mig letting in the first goal though

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  48. Nobody wrote that today, common knowledge unfortenately. If he fixes that, he'll be good enough.

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  49. he's got it all, pace, power and tecnique. One player I would also love to see at Anfield is Alaba.

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  50. I had just s assumed he was jfollowing tactical instructions from BR

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  51. Could we afford his entourage though

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  52. Do you support Bayern in German football?

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  53. Stan Dinaround9:14 pm, May 12, 2015

    That all though hilarious, is a low blow my friend.... It's more likely Lovren would have knocked it from his grasp....

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  54. Strange tactic.. I get very nervous when we start 'playing' out of defence, we get pressurized quickly.. Not meaning we should hoof the ball upfield ofc, but maybe a little variation and some good running off the ball would be an improvement.. A nice long throw out to a winger perhaps at some point etc..

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  55. Stan Dinaround9:16 pm, May 12, 2015

    Proper historic football trophy every pro should aspire to have.... I think it'll be an easy sell if you tell him he's our No.1 for that tournament....

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  56. Stan Dinaround9:18 pm, May 12, 2015

    Great times my man.... Ahhh! great times indeed...

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  57. I was referring to the rugby tactic of kicking it in to touch and hoping to win the lineout ;-).


    But I agree when the passing is slow and the other team is pressing my heart rate goes through the roof.

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  58. Stan Dinaround9:21 pm, May 12, 2015

    If I had to pick a team to follow in Germany, "if" forced at gun point, Iwould pick St Pauli because they are 100% fan owned... and like a little hippy commune run type football club...

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  59. Would Lovren have found his way to the arena?

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  60. Stan Dinaround9:22 pm, May 12, 2015

    Yes, andfor some reason we keep forcing him to keep trying, and we are only ever interested in GK's with equally bad or worse, especially Handanovic... His kicking ability is shocking.

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  61. I don't phrase anything like that as 'fact' - that is your interpretation, and it's incorrect.

    I give visitors credit for knowing the difference between fact and my opinion, and the difference is obvious. I'm not going to put 'IMO' after every third word, and if people mistake obvious opinion for fact, that's their issue, not mine.

    As for the Mignolet view - with respect, do I really need to explain this? Mignolet had a 'mare last season; conceded 53 goals in 40 games, and made more goal-producing mistakes than any keeper in the Prem.

    Rodgers should've replaced him last summer, but didn't. What happened? Mignolet had a nightmare in the first half of this season, which contributed to derailing Liverpool's season.

    Yes, Mignolet has improved since the turn of the year, but when he was really needed, he failed, just like last season (SAS's heroics took the heat off Mignolet last year)

    Rodgers failure to act = failure to replace Mignolet over the summer, and if he Rodgers stick with him next season, I have no doubt he'll revert to type.

    When players are in danger of being scrapped, they try harder, concentrate more etc, and Mignolet is no exception. There's a fire under him right now, but if Rodgers doesn't buy a top-class new keeper, he won't have any real competition next season, which is the way it was at the beginning of this season.

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  62. I have a St Pauli shirt!

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  63. rotchie the red9:28 pm, May 12, 2015

    I have a St Michael shirt.....

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  64. Stan Dinaround9:28 pm, May 12, 2015

    You do have some responsibility to be clear in your meaning if you want to be considered a real journo, or just another rag off shoot..... Then, not everybody understands sarcasm or gets irony....and can be easily mislead... Not your fault, just the way of the web.

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  65. Stan Dinaround9:31 pm, May 12, 2015

    Nice.... Cracking little club.

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  66. Stan Dinaround9:35 pm, May 12, 2015

    That bloke who hangs around in car parks in his little Reliant Robin would be on hand for just an occassion I assume....

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  67. I don't support any german team at all but I like St Pauli, Mönchengladbach and 1860 Munich

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  68. A mann of taste, I see.

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  69. I have also heard that they are planning to build a new infants school in London. So Raheem could be on the move

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  70. Better be a big one.

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  71. Is it wrong to admit to being royally amused by two 'solid geezers' engaging in such effeminate talk of "multi-tasking"..."light and fluffy"...and my personal gay-vorite, "...I'm thinking of you every time I chew"...???

    Answers on a postcard, unless you're one of the two 'geezers' in which case enscribe it in "butter and cheese" across thine, ahem, table...

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  72. Fair enough, I think many people would also interpret the above in the same way I do and disagree with your assertion that the difference is obvious.
    "Rodgers should've replaced him last summer, but didn't. What happened?"
    FSG would not provide him with funds to do so.

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  73. "Simultaneous nagging"

    Quality.

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  74. Only if the man he was supposed to mark tightlly remained outside...

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  75. He's so poor, his pedo line is, "want to buy a sweetie"

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  76. The Rumbelows. OMG, priceless. Not literally.

    Old school shop names.

    As a kid, our teacher asked us what impression we got from the store named Currys.

    Sadly, due to PC, SD and dear old JK, I'm unable to print what some kid said, but suffice to say it involved people who are reknowned for their curry making skills.

    For the record, I approve of curry.

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  77. Gladbach for me too my man, coz of '77. Also for having "Glad" in their name.

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  78. That midweek home hat-trick against Norwich never, ever fails to put a smile on my face.

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  79. Mate, I've been growing ever more infuriated with the ongoing incongruence and scatter brain nature of all our operations.

    When your new manager comes in trumpeting to all across our green and peasant land that it's death by football for the opposition for now on...and one of his first moves is to bring in the lumbbering, leaden footed panic master...made me wonder if we were in for a very bumpy ride with a moron at the helm.

    Luckily, we had Luis lighting it up last year, but sadly, without his magic, Brenston Pickles shortcomings are ever more apparent.

    Just like his teeth.

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  80. It takes some beating but there's so many! I like when he picked the ball up in our half of the pitch and then ran the whole of Everton's half, with Jagielka chasing him and stuck it in the net.
    The thing that makes me smile about that one, at the time and now, - it was at a stage when he'd done so many astonishing things that as soon as he got the ball, even in his own half, you just started wondering whereabouts in the goal he'd put it - great memories.

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  81. Did you see the Hendo, Ming and Sterling deoderant advert on TV?

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  82. While he was the only player(alongside Honda maybe) that played well- he was on fire and majority of those goals came during that time. When shi te hit the fan and when it was obvious that CL is too far whole team started to fall apart and he was (with Mexes) the first to let the team down with cards and misbehaviour. than some poor form of his own kicked in and at the moment he is at the lowest point of his career.

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  83. The way Mignolet solve his tasks now (in 2015) means that we probably need to use almost the entire transfer budget on a world class keeper to get someone better. There are not many of them and they will probably not play for Liverpool.

    Give me a striker, please!

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  84. I agree, a bit of a cliché but it's a team game and I think right now Mignolet is doing enough to keep his place. Certainly a striker is first, second and third priority and will have a much bigger impact on improving the team.

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  85. Well he has that x factor that we are lacking. Also has the pace upfront we are lacking. So if he's gonna be available why not?

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  86. I like this player. Was hoping Liverpool would of snapped him up last Season instead of wasting a kings ransom on Lallana and Markovic. Menez has the cutting edge to his game that we are sadly missing since Suarez left. Every team needs a bit of nastiness and unpredictability in attack. Aggressive like Tevez this guy.

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  87. Now ibe wants more money.
    Hahahahaha thanks again Rodgers
    Over hyped, over used, over praised now wants to be over paid.
    Where have I heard that before. ......?

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  88. Where did you read it now? I saw it is the club delaying it till the end of the season.

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  89. I've been thinking for ages, trying to just pick 3. At first I agreed with you and then I thought... Neuer, Lewandowski, Mascherano, Pique... It's too hard

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  90. Menez only if he can start as a striker. That's really all we need...s striker.

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  91. I'd rather we go after Icardi and/or Kovacic.

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  92. A decent bottle of Scotch calms the nerves nicely.

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  93. Neither will go to Liverpool - Inter will finish 5th/6th Liverpool will finish 5th - the only way they are leaving is for a club who plays regularly in the CL.

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  94. Another transfer target who is "bound" to "escape" from our attempts to sign him and "tie him down" to a "watertight" contract.

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  95. All that source makes a sticky situation.

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  96. Muller, I'd leave Lahm out of respect for German football supporters, Neymar and Javi Martinez or Neuer.

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  97. Not another player that slips :(

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  98. No mate, do not watch any television at all.

    What happens? Is it cringeworthy?

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  99. It was amusing the first time, but iy had a bloke (LFC fan) sat in his car minding his own business, and the lads were late for an award show, well you get the picture, hence the reference to the bloke in a Reliant Robin....

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  100. Thanks for plot.


    Sounds pretty lame, but at least it doesn't display an almost entirely naked Chris Kamara...smh lol

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  101. Only in Italy would you get banned from football for blasphemy

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  102. I might not agree with the sentiment but those descriptors are top draw! made me chuckle :-)

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  103. He'd probably be suspended all the time anyway.

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  104. In some you'd just be hacked to death by followers of their merciful Gods

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  105. Stan Dinaround8:14 pm, May 13, 2015

    Better thank god for small mercies then...

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  106. Jt Trenton_Red5:49 pm, May 14, 2015

    I love the back heel goal in the clip.
    Always looking for the fowl. Don't think he will fit in here. Just a hunch.

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