14 Mar 2013

Transfer risk: LFC chase exciting £26m Madrid star. Management nightmare...?

Liverpool are reportedly planning a summer bid for Real Madrid full-back Fabio Coentrao.

Reports in England this week claim that the Reds and Chelsea are interested in the skillfull Portuguese star, who has started less than half of Madrid's Primera Liga games this season.

Liverpool have been linked with Coentrao several times in the past:

* October 2010: Portuguese newspaper Jornal Record reports that Roy Hodgson is monitoring Coentrao, with a view to a possible January transfer.

* April 2011: The Daily Mail reports that Kenny Dalglish also wants the Portuguese international.

* May 2011: Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha claims that Liverpool have agreed a fee of £25m for Coentrao.

Prior to his move to Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid star Silvio predicted that Coentrao would become the best left-back in the world. he enthused:

"He is a spectacular player. He is the best left-back in Portugal and he will surely be the best one in the world. He will wind up being considered the best player in his position for many years"

Has Coentrao lived up to that billing? He's a solid player for Madrid, but he's also received a lot of criticism for the quality of his performances over the last year.

In January, Spanish newspaper AS claimed that Madrid boss Jose Mourinho was planning to sell Coentrao, having grown tired of his disruptive influence, which the paper detailed thus:

* November 2011 - An hour late for training (repeat offender)
* January 2012 - Arrived out of shape after Christmas break. Dropped by Mourinho.
* March 2012 - Caught smoking. Fined and left out of the squad for Villarreal.
* July 2012 - Reputedly a 'bad influence' during Madrid's summer tour of the USA.
* August 2012 - 4 games ban for calling the referee a 'bastard'.
* January 2013 - Massively late for training again.

In February, Spanish newspaper Marca - basically the media mouthpiece for Real Madrid - echoed AS's report:

"José Mourinho is at his wit's end with Fabio Coentrao, whose form has been a far cry from what is expected of a Real Madrid player. [Against Granada], Mourinho was forced to correct [Coentrao's] positioning and yelled instructions from the sidelines with the aim of sparking an improvement. Alas, it was not to be"

Coentrao - who cost Madrid £26 in 2011 - sounds like a bit of a nightmare to manage, but his talent cannot be denied. Would Liverpool be able to afford him though? Aould he consider coming to Anfield? Do Liverpool even need him?





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38 comments:

  1. He is beyond our means and sounds beyond our control. This wont and can't happen.

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  2. The good times are back6:50 pm, March 14, 2013

    For that money we can buy 2 CB's and add about another 5 million to the 26 million and buy backup for Enrique.

    3 players for the price of one. Coentrao is not worth 26 million.

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  3. For what we probably have to pay he would not really offer much of an improvement on Enrique. Jose has been improving his game a lot while he's been here, I don't think he should be replaced just yet!

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  4. I like the player, but he's overpriced at 28m. He's worth up to 15m, IMO, and he is very similiar to Enrique. 

    If we got him for 13 or around that sum he and Enrique can battle it for the left back spot. 
    In terms of disruptive influence - it might be a dealbraker, considering we already have a few troublemakers in the squad.

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  5. liverpool4life5657:39 pm, March 14, 2013

    No, where he going to play? Waste of money. We need centre backs. And then a CDM,CAM,ST.

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  6. Chronic late (pushing the envelope of coach patience), smokes, is volatile when calm is required.  This is a recipe for locker room poison and I don't care how good he is, L'Pool don't need him. Think Balotelli and tell me we need Coentrao. We don't.

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  7. He's not similar to Enrique.  Enrique is a team player and keeps himself in top shape.

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  8. No thanks. Only Messi could justify that sort of behaviour.

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  9. We need another left back, but not him. I wouldn't pay more than 8m on a left back now with Enrique settled. That said, Robinson is too young still, and playing one of 4 right backs in left back is not a solution. Flanagan, Wisdom and Johnson should focus on right back, while Kelly returns to the centre to save his career.

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  10. If we really need another left back and I'm not sure we do because I like Enrique and for me Robinson is an adequate back up. I would like us to go for either Shaw at Southampton or the young Swansea left back (sorry cant remember his name) who both look excellent to me. Coentrao is a decent player but not one i think is suited to the English league, I don't think he'd appreciate the physicality or the constant stream of high balls he'd have to defend over here. I also think we could sign either of the left backs I've mentioned above for half the price of Coentrao. Centre backs Brendan, find us a top top quality centre back....

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  11. can you get any more annoying ? its never ending terrible stories

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  12. I know. What an awful bastard he is for forcing you to read these stories.

    Oh, wait...

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  13. just not what we want at the back...we need some solid and consistant defenders nothing flash 

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  14. For a professional no one can justify that sort of behaviour not even Messi

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  15. By the looks of it he has a big ego otherwise he is talented  but out of our transfer kitty fund. Secondly he expects nothing less than Champions League something that Liverpool can not offer at the moment. But then again Liverpool can attract  SOME world class players without CL.

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  16. While I don`t want him, due to his nature, not talent (as that is very good), I could imagine us going for him. We are tight on cashflow, and if you look at the players we have brought, it does look like we are going for risky players, as you get them at a knock down price. This means we can ideally get a better player, for less cash examples below.

    Sturridge - injury problems in past, alleged disruptive behaviour
    Coutinho - injury problems in the past
    Sahin - Not played many games partly due to injuries
    Allen - Normal buy, no bad history in terms or injury or behaviour
    Borini - Suffered injuries before buying
    Assaidi - Injury problems

    The running theme here is we have been taking risk on players, in the hope they work out ok, while some of them had minor injury problems, for most this lead to them not getting much game time, so while all clearly talented, it was a gamble if that talent would actually turn into something.

    I would imagine this theme will carry on, esp as Rodgers has often spoke about his ability to transform injury prone players.

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  17. George Best did ;-)

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  18. Not more any penny more than 8 mil pounds.

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  19. How about Wisdom returns to the centre and Kelly focuses on right back? Wisdom did form very good centreback partnerships with both Coady and Sama.

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  20. Danilo Luiz da Silva, AGE 21. Right Back. And play Glen LB

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  21. nah...i don't see this happening...26M for one player...we have passed KK n Comoli's era...

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  22. So we've established he can do tricks, can pass a ball to the opposition, can run with the ball like a headless chicken but can he defend?

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  23. not needed ,to expensive and probaly would not come

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  24. Yeah and his career was over by the age of 28 !!! Says it all really, waste of space.

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  25. DEVARAJEN CHELLAPEN1:24 pm, March 15, 2013

    sofiane feghouli should be made a must instead. He will be worth it. We should have 4-5 players that can have a serious threat for the opposition.. we not there yet. suarez and gerrard won't play like that always and for whole seasons. defensively, we need at least one CB, not one with potential, but a ready-made one, that keeps it neat like Vincent Kompany.

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  26. believe me George Best was no waste of space,bit of a nutter yeah,bad attitude yeah .....definitely not a waste of space.

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  27. How was a guy who had as much talent as Messi and Maradonna put together and spent most of his time down the boozer and yet his career was over by the time he should of been reaching his peak not a waste of space !!!

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  28. Branding someone a waste of space speaks of their character and personality.... he had big problems,and couldn't control them.Gazza, Merson, Adams and many many others in life have had similar problems,that my friend does not make them a WASTE of space.You've been fortunate if you've never been there. I was extremely lucky enough to have met George,like Gazza he was a gentleman.Seen George play quite a few times........ NO WASTE OF SPACE !!

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  29. Branding someone a waste of space speaks about them as a person. George Best was gifted with a talent only a handful of people in both yours and my lifetime ever receive. I am sure he was lovely fella and was a gentleman, that I am not questioning. The fact remains he wasted the gift he was given and unfortunately neither you nor I, or the rest of the footballing world got to see the Best of George Best, and that effects his character so it's a Catch 22.

    Ps There is a huge difference between George Best and Merson and Adams. Gazza can be held in the same regard but at least he waited until his career was over before completely going off the rails.

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  30. Leave him where he is ,we need team players not immature petulant brats( joey Barton alike)

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  31. I hope next season UAE tycon will realy serious want to take over LFC.If he can make take over,money is no realy big problem for LFC yet.LFC will cannot been bullied by power of money again.What ever or which ever players LFC can race to sign in.

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  32. Where i refer to the other players,i refer to their problems large or small.I don't refer to their talent,in that their was no comparison. Maybe you refer to a waste of talent,but i reiterate George Best was never ever a waste of space.We seen him,at his best,and were blessed to do so.You belittle a footballing magician,and a great man because he was an alcoholic,i sincerely hope you and yours never have to go there.

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  33. You may think you saw him at his best Brian. It is well known now that players mature and are usually peaking at 28 years of age. At this stage Best had gone beyond help, so to say we saw him at his best is all but incorrect. Am I belittling him..no..certainly not...he did that to himself. He was offered as much help as anyone could of, he just couldn't help himself and for that he must accept responsibility, too many times excuses are made. We live in age where this all to well known and there can be no excuse made for a lack of education, there can only be ignorance. George Best was a genius, but to say he didn't waste his talent would again be denying the truth that is as plain as the nose on your face.

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  34. I'm sure Pepe would be thrilled...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN_hn8emcfk

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  35. Mr. Point Of View9:59 am, March 16, 2013

    he should expected this nitemare and make no complaint....he know marcelo is there...still choose for BRANDED TEAM...for famous? for money? for love to compete in football is bullshit...harsh but true...

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  36. Strong difference in branding Best "a waste of space" and saying "to say he didn't waste his talent" that's a lot less personal,and more over l agree he wasted his talent.Lest we forget Best and all who are afflicted with such problems.

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