Comments on Liverpool-Kop: What's the big deal? Sell Mascherano and sign THES...

the players that liverpool should get rid of first...

2009-08-09T13:59:33.000+01:00

the players that liverpool should get rid of first and foremost is lucas, coudln't score couldn't pass couldn't tackle couldn't do anything. after that will be whoever that wants to go be it alonso(gone), mascherano etc. after that riera(not up to the standard of the club, not consistent), get silva as replacement or cappel from sevilla maybe. should took arshavin really but its gone. the one man who could bring the premiership to anfield is henry if he wants to come. for midfield hardman since aquilani is the creative one, steven defour or christian poulsen.

Jaimie, I remember you saying somewhere among your...

2009-07-16T13:55:54.183+01:00

Jaimie, I remember you saying somewhere among your comments that Kuyt wouldn't play starting right wing for any of the other teams. Well, I beg to differ. He starts as right forward for one of Europe's best teams (one which thrashed both Italy and France in Euro 2008) - the Netherlands. The Dutch play a 4-3-3 with Kuyt on the right.

why dont u think that defense is not very importan...

2009-07-12T22:51:10.682+01:00

why dont u think that defense is not very important, really, there isnt anything wrong with spending a lot of money on a defensive player, they are just as important, if not more important, than offensive players

Really? Jeez, I didn't know that. Thank you so mu...

2009-07-10T17:06:11.272+01:00

Really? Jeez, I didn't know that. Thank you so much for educating me.

u do understand their is more to the game than cre...

2009-07-10T16:26:38.462+01:00

u do understand their is more to the game than creativity, right?

@Anon - your figures are completely and utterly wr...

2009-07-09T17:34:47.901+01:00

@Anon - your figures are completely and utterly wrong.

Appearances in all competitions 2008-09:

Zambrotta - 40
Seedorf - 40
Jankulovski - 37
FLAMINI - 36
Pato - 36
Kaka 35

Inzaghi - 32
Maldini - 32

Milan statistics 2008-09

At least make an effort to get it right.

right flamini is behind abbiati 28app zambrotta33 ...

2009-07-09T16:51:57.230+01:00

right flamini is behind abbiati 28app zambrotta33 jankulovski31 maldini30 seedorf30 kaka28 pato27 pirlo26 ambrosini24 flamini22 beckham18 from half the season.
In case you haven't seen hes behind 4 midfielders in apperances thats because you midfield marvel played last season either on the bench or at right-back

Hleb started 5 games last season 5 thats less that perrenial sub babel starts.

your idea of improving liverpool champioship winning side is to tear apart the midfield and replace it with a benchwarmer and a rightback

hleb scored 11 goals in 3 years kuyt will score more than that every season. and comparing hlebs goal tally to alonso, hleb is an attacking midfielder alonso is a defensive midfielder why are you comparing them oh carragher has only scored 5 goals in 10 years he is terrible?

mascherano is the best holding midfielder in the world he dont need him to have creativity because he have alonso
mascherano-alonso-gerrard = destroyer-passer-runner = toure-xavi-iniesta
its the best formula for a midfield if it works for barca I think it'll do for us

Allan - Please provide specific examples of Masche...

2009-07-09T15:02:52.277+01:00

Allan - Please provide specific examples of Mascherano's alleged 'mental and inspirational abilities' and how these affect the team.

What I've seen re this is Mascherano lose his discipline on more than one occasion, the most notable incident being his sending off at Man U.
He is also prone to lapses of concentration (Arsenal CL last year being the prime example).

People on this thread are basically saying that Masch is irreplaceable etc but I see not concrete evidence for this. In fact, I see evidence of the opposite:

14.04.2009: Chelsea 4 - 4 Liverpool

21.04.2009: Liverpool 4 - 4 Arsenal

Two of the biggest games of the season - what happened to Mascherano's supposed defensive prowess?

The mistakes he made in these games/lack of defensive cover contributed directly to Liverpool being knocked out the CL and losing their grip on the title.

When the pressure was on, the 'best defensive mid in the world' didn't defend.

Could Flamini do any worse? I think not.

Again you fail to give Mascherano credit for his m...

2009-07-09T14:52:11.306+01:00

Again you fail to give Mascherano credit for his mental and inspirational abilities. He is very much a part of the winning mentality that brought so many points in the last 10 minutes last season. The crativity in midfield is what Alonso is for.

The problem with breaking down the lesser teams has been the wings as I see it, not creativity in the middle. Now with Johnson we have more firepower on the right. Benayoun stepped up late in the season and provided unpredictability. I fail to see how Hleb (currently called Dribbly McNogoal by Arsenal supporters) is better that him in any way shape or form?

Also remember, that a fit Daniel Agger will provide additional pressure in the middle against the "park the bus" teams.

Lastly, we KNOW that Mascheranog+Alonso in the middle works as a very good balanced unit. I will take that any day of the week over Flamini who MIGHT work.

I should not that the figures for Flamini I cite a...

2009-07-09T14:49:57.681+01:00

I should not that the figures for Flamini I cite above are serie A only.

In all competitions last season it the same: Only Jankulovski, Seedorf and Zambrotta made more appearances for Milan.

Yes, so much for not making it/establishing himself at Milan.

Really, certain people on this thread spout so much inaccurate nonsense. It's quite amusing really.

Allan, You're entitled to your view but again I d...

2009-07-09T14:40:42.095+01:00

Allan,

You're entitled to your view but again I disagree with you. I believe Flamini could *easily* replace Mascherano: he is combative; energetic; technically superior; has a wider range of passing and is headstrong, but in a good way. If he's good enough for Arsenal and Milan, he's good enough for us.

And let's please dispell the ridiculous myth that Flamini hasn't made it at Milan: In the entire squad, Only 3 players made more appearances than him last season: Kaka (31); Pato (36); and Zambrotta (34).

Flamini was one of Milan's most influential players. However, Gattuso will be fully fit next season, which means Flamini could be tempted away.

Re Hleb - Again I disagree. Kuyt and Mascherano epitomise the Benitez style of play: Prioritising defence, work rate and 'playing it safe' over skill, creativity and individualism.

Kuyt has a role to play but irrespective of Glen Johnson's arrival, he is ot the answer to our right wing/midfield conundrum for an entire season. Hleb could play there and in other attacking positions. Hleb is more skillfull and more mobile than both Kuyt and Benayoun and he will offer more of an *overall* creative threat than both players.

I'm don't care if he doesn't score bags of goals; I want Hleb for his creativity; game intelligence; short-passing game and his ability to retain possession and keep the ball moving forward.

@Anon - I have never called for Rafa to be sacked....

2009-07-09T14:29:21.648+01:00

@Anon - I have never called for Rafa to be sacked. Please provide a link to the article where I've said that. I've made no secret of the fact I am not a fan of Rafa, but I've never called for him to be sacked.

I don't have a problem with Masch but at the time he was signed, I thought £17m for a defensive mid *at that time* was too much. He is a good player but when the defensive midfielder who offers nothing creatively starts to become your most important player, then something is seriously wrong.

Liverpool would survive *easily* without Mascherano! Defence has never been a problem for the club under Houllier or Rafa - creativity and flair is the problem.

Mascherano could be replaced with another defensive mid who could do the job just as well. And this myth that Masch is 'the best defensive mid in the world; is just that: myth.

Last season was littlered with mistakes from him, some of them crucial, lile CL games against Arsenal. Masch is not irreplaceable. There was life before him you know; there will be life after him too.

You are just plain and simple wrong. But please co...

2009-07-09T13:59:14.653+01:00

You are just plain and simple wrong. But please consider these points before dismussing them entirely.

I agree to some extend, that Flamini might be a good player for Liverpool. But as a supplement to Mascherano, not a replacement. Mascherano brings so much more than his skills as a holding midfielder to the plate.

His winning mentality is unrivaled and his energy and workrate sparks the entire team. You won't see these things in Flamini. You won't see Flamini huddling up the defense or midfield and making a battle speach before an important match like Mascherano sometimes does.

I think the same point applies to Hleb. He could provide some cover on the wing, but not a replacement.

The purchase of Glen Johson has made the right side much more potent, as he is far better going forward than Arbeloa. Combine this with Kuyts space making workrate, and you've got a fairly good pairing on the right.

And anyway, Hleb doesn't provide anything that we don't already have in Benayoun.

Actually your last article on Paisley-Shankly was ...

2009-07-09T13:56:48.154+01:00

Actually your last article on Paisley-Shankly was wonderful.

However going back to your articles from 18 months-24 months ago, you were calling for Rafa to be sacked. And you never wanted us to sign Masch. You obviously don't like something bout Masch?

Anon - you seem to be under the misapprehension th...

2009-07-09T13:21:29.767+01:00

Anon - you seem to be under the misapprehension that I'm somehow bothered about people choosing not to visit this site.

Quite simply - I'm not. If people want to read stuff on here, they will. If they don't, they won't.

You telling me that x, y and z don't bother to come here anymore makes no difference to me. What should I do, curl up in the foetal position and cry?

I don't write stuff to appease the masses or fit in with the prevailing view of so-called Liverpool 'fans' such as yourself; As I've said time and time again, I'm just one fan with anj opinion. If you can't hack that, then I would suggest it is you who has the problem, not me :-)

You're quite welcome to argue football related points here, but give it a rest with the desperate attempts to belittle me already :-D You're not going to crush my confidence or make me change the way I think so what's the point?!

I find it very strange that you waste your time posting on this site when you clearly hate it. People repeatedly doing things they hate is rather stupid, is it not?

Just a though ;-)

Jamie, now your slagging on Rafa. Seriously mate j...

2009-07-09T13:07:55.499+01:00

Jamie, now your slagging on Rafa. Seriously mate just stop. At least half of the people I have shown this article to, haven't even bothered to read it as they don't read anything off your website anymore.

http://forums.liverpoolfc.tv/showthread.php?t=115567

1. Was I comparing Alonso and Hleb. No I was comparing Yossi/Kuyt and Hleb. They get as many assists and far more goals than him.

2. Keane could not score. Simple as. He had no "end product" and it was never going to work out for him at Liverpool.

Crouch, Keane, Bellamy, Pennant, Kewell are some examples of EPL experienced footballers who struggled or failed at Liverpool. That is basically every player we have recently signed that has EPL experience. It is basically a myth.

Anon - I couldn't care less whether you or anyone ...

2009-07-09T11:56:05.584+01:00

Anon - I couldn't care less whether you or anyone else thinks I have 'credibility' - I write what I think, and if you don't like it, hard luck!

On the subject of credibility - You seriously need to stop plagiarising your 'facts' from other commenters and make sure that when you pose an argument your 'facts' are not blatantly incorrect.

a) Hleb scored 11 goals, not 7 in his time at Arsenal. he also provided 17 assists.

Hleb statistics

Goals are not the only criterion for judging 'end product'. Xabi Alonso scored 12 goals in 116 games in his first 3 seasons at Anfield. Taking tino account goals to game ratio, this is a worse record than Hleb. using your spurious logic, Alonso must be a really bad player!

Hleb provided Arsenal what Alonso provides for Liverpool: setting the tempo; dictating the pace of the game; retaining and keeping the ball movin; bringing others into the game.

b) He did not have '3 full seasons' as you put it; In his second season, he was injured and played only 17 games.

2. Your Keane conmparison is nonsense. Benitez's mismanagent is the reason Robbie Keane didn't make it at Anfield.

Why Robbie Keane 'failed' at Anfield

Plus, it is far more likely that players who have vast experience of the premiership will settle in quickly. This is simple deductive reasoning.

3. Hleb is stronger and more skillful than Yossi and is also a better dribbler and his short-passing game is far superior, as are his ball retention skills. They are not similar players at all.

4. I wasn't suggesting that Hleb replaces Kuyt; Hlen and Kuyt can operate in the same team. They can share the right flank and Hleb can also play the link man role better than anyone in the team, bar Gerrard.

Jamie, I realise that you don't have a great reput...

2009-07-09T11:02:05.424+01:00

Jamie, I realise that you don't have a great reputation among Liverpool fans after speaking to many of them.

So I will you give you a few tips, which will help improve your credibility.

1. Research before you write. Hleb has no end product what so ever. In three full seasons at Arsenal he only managed 7 goals!

2. Don't make brash statements such as that Flamini and Hleb will settle right into the Liverpool side because they have played Premier League football. They played in a team who has a very different style to us first of all and secondly look at Robbie Keane, he has spent many years in the Premier League and he failed miserably at Liverpool.

3. Look at Liverpool's squad. Yossi is a similar player to Hleb, but he has far better end product. Hleb is a poor man's Yossi.

4. Love him or hate him, Dirk Kuyt will be starting almost every game under Rafa. His vital goals last season almost brought us a Premier League title, yet Hleb almost never scores, so we lose those goals Dirk brings us.

I would agree they are both good players but you w...

2009-07-09T08:24:43.385+01:00

I would agree they are both good players but you want to sell Masch because he wants to go and buy two players who left Arsenal so easily. They both got on the map because of Arsenal then left for bigger fish. Now they come back to Liverpool and have great seasons then another club (maybe not bigger than Liverpool) offers them more money and they decide to walk out again. I'm sure Rafa might look at them as unreliable as Michael Owen.

What about Felipe Melo, he actually scores goals t...

2009-07-09T07:07:56.087+01:00

What about Felipe Melo, he actually scores goals too!!!!!!!!

spot on mate .if masch actually wants to leave,hle...

2009-07-09T02:49:57.836+01:00

spot on mate .if masch actually wants to leave,hleb would be a good signing at 5 mill ,class at arse,but why did wenger let him go ? bad attitude ? if masch or alonso do go ,its got to be villa or weill miss our best chance in 19 years

And please whoever it is stop with the Masch wants...

2009-07-09T01:46:00.559+01:00

And please whoever it is stop with the Masch wants to leave garbage, ot's only the press being hysterical so grow up.

Who woouldn't be flattered if Barca said they wanted to sign you?
Gerrard would say what Masch said.
Get over it!

Oh Jamie, you really messed up with this one. Your...

2009-07-09T01:40:43.188+01:00

Oh Jamie, you really messed up with this one.
Your flippant attitude to two extremely important and industrious players is insulting. The first person who disagrees with you you threaten to delete his post!
I'm not going to pain myself with going into details, just compare Kuyt's stats with other RWs in the league, and then tell me one other who gives you what he does every time he plays.
Not to mention the way he seems to come up with goals at the most important of times.
You also forget Johnson's arrival and how he and Kuyt will complement each other, Kuyt's defensive qualities and GJ's attack. It's upside down but you should know what I mean.
I'm not even going to begin with Masch, he would eat your Hleb and Flamini for breakfast, and for whoever keeps on about his attitude, behave!
Who's famous quote is this?

Don't change a winning team.

We were steamrolling teams and to disrupt that as spectacularly as the OP describes would be disastrous, epecially with rejects from other teams.
Jamie, why do you think Barca want Masch so much?
The top teams of the world want our players, and for a good reason, they're the best, simple!
Maybe the lure of big bucks is too much for some to cope with, they see two lesser players and a few mill in the bank as a better option..
Quality...quantity...etc..etc..
Maybe if we sold Gerrard to City we could buy Ireland and Robinho, maybe have enough money left for Negredo?
Maybe not.

what a fool you are if you believe what you wrote ...

2009-07-09T01:04:43.256+01:00

what a fool you are if you believe what you wrote is true mascherano if sold would not be able to be replaced his all round game and spirit and fight would not get replaced he a clas above the two players mentioned and i see your fantasy was hleb on the right thers no way in hell that rafa is gonna drop kuyt for no one OHHHHH then he wakes up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Out with Mascherano since his heart is no more wit...

2009-07-09T01:01:02.350+01:00

Out with Mascherano since his heart is no more with Anfield and his brain ... in his ass!!!

I would welcome Hleb & Flamini over Mascherano due to the influence they had exuded in some of Liverpool's defeat to the Gunners in some of the past matches.