After an inconsistent year, Liverpool's midfield arguably needs another overhaul this summer. Joe Allen has struggled to impose himself; Lucas Leiva is still trying to get back to optimum performance level, and currently has no real competition; Jordan Henderson has improved, but Brendan Rodgers doesn't seem to rate him enough for a regular starting place, and Steven Gerrard isn't getting any younger. Liverpool lack real steel and genuine guile in central midfield, and Reds legend Steve Nicol has urged the club to push out the boat and sign one of of Europe's best midfielders.
In an interview with Talksport at the weekend, Nicol was asked who he'd advise Brendan Rodgers to buy this summer, and he responded:
"[Bastien] Schweinsteiger would be fantastic in the middle of the park for Liverpool. Maybe not a Souness in terms of physicality, but a player who can defend, and also open up defences with his skill"
Yes, it would be great to see a player of Schweinsteiger's experience and quality at Liverpool, but the chances of the Reds being able to attract him are slim to none. Having said that, in January, the German international hinted that he'd like to play abroad at some stage. He told Fox Sports:
"Moving abroad has always been in my thoughts. You never know what will happen, though it must be an international club when I leave"
Dietmar Hamann is a big fan of his fellow countryman, and sfter watching Bayern Munich dismantle Arsenal in the Champions League last month, he tweeted:
"Bayern tore an average Arsenal team apart today. [Bastien] Schweinsteiger said he [Wilshere] is top class, but what was he meant to say? Schweini showed today who is world class and who isn't"
£20m-rated Schweinsteiger is a massively important part of the Bayern machine, and earlier this month, Jupp Heynckes made it clear how important the 28-year old is to the German club's cause. He raved:
"Bastian is a key reason that we concede so few goals. Sergio Busquets is one fabulous player, and in my view Bastian shares with him the status of the world’s best midfielder. In today’s football you need to play intelligently and combine effectively in tight spaces. Schweinsteiger can do all that. That’s what makes him priceless."
Schweinsteiger is (arguably) an ideal replacement for Steven Gerrard, but could he play in the same team as Liverpool's captain? How would the Reds midfield look with both players included?
----------------- Lucas
--------- Gerrard --- Schweinsteiger
Suarez ---------------------------- Coutinho
--------------- Sturridge
If you had to choose between Xabi Alonso and Schweinsteiger, who would get the nod...?
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
In an interview with Talksport at the weekend, Nicol was asked who he'd advise Brendan Rodgers to buy this summer, and he responded:
"[Bastien] Schweinsteiger would be fantastic in the middle of the park for Liverpool. Maybe not a Souness in terms of physicality, but a player who can defend, and also open up defences with his skill"
Yes, it would be great to see a player of Schweinsteiger's experience and quality at Liverpool, but the chances of the Reds being able to attract him are slim to none. Having said that, in January, the German international hinted that he'd like to play abroad at some stage. He told Fox Sports:
"Moving abroad has always been in my thoughts. You never know what will happen, though it must be an international club when I leave"
Dietmar Hamann is a big fan of his fellow countryman, and sfter watching Bayern Munich dismantle Arsenal in the Champions League last month, he tweeted:
"Bayern tore an average Arsenal team apart today. [Bastien] Schweinsteiger said he [Wilshere] is top class, but what was he meant to say? Schweini showed today who is world class and who isn't"
£20m-rated Schweinsteiger is a massively important part of the Bayern machine, and earlier this month, Jupp Heynckes made it clear how important the 28-year old is to the German club's cause. He raved:
"Bastian is a key reason that we concede so few goals. Sergio Busquets is one fabulous player, and in my view Bastian shares with him the status of the world’s best midfielder. In today’s football you need to play intelligently and combine effectively in tight spaces. Schweinsteiger can do all that. That’s what makes him priceless."
Schweinsteiger is (arguably) an ideal replacement for Steven Gerrard, but could he play in the same team as Liverpool's captain? How would the Reds midfield look with both players included?
----------------- Lucas
--------- Gerrard --- Schweinsteiger
Suarez ---------------------------- Coutinho
--------------- Sturridge
If you had to choose between Xabi Alonso and Schweinsteiger, who would get the nod...?
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
Xabi anytime..
ReplyDeleteany midfield without allen in will do for me....but will he really want to come to a team which gets thrashed by the saints
ReplyDeleteAnd in latest news, Enrique compares Coutinho to Suarez....Does it ever stop Jaimie?
ReplyDeleteWasnt this the same guy who said Dante a couple days ago him n Lawro remind me of pele and maradona regards to there comments on the reds i mean how realistic is bastian coming to us i mean critical realism is the real focus and mostly all i see is legends and people in the room talk about unrealistic targets play some FM or fifa and that might happen but not in this lifetime and why is arguably the most complete midfielder on the planet valued at @ 20 million or is it just another figure plucked from obscurity ?
ReplyDeleteI'm sick of reading your posts. You talk complete and utter bu****it. Why the hell would Schweinsteiger leave Bayern who are about to win the Bundesliga and are guaranteed Champions league football for a team that may not even finish with a Europa league spot. You do not have a clue what you are talking about!
ReplyDeletethen instead of sniping why don't you make your points clearly for debate and if your so sick of reading the posts then don't waste your time posting comments like that as they will be deleted
ReplyDeleteEnrique keeps shooting his mouth. He should try with his boots
ReplyDeleteXabi. yes
ReplyDeleteI doubt FSG would approve of either deal because of the ages..And they are certainly not going to sanction a big money deal on a player near his 30s
ReplyDeleteLooks like we may need to look for a new striker as well now, to replace Suarez. After his latest interview in Uruguay. Can't blame him though, if he wants to leave the mediocre players he plays with now.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you go from working with Guardiola to working with Rodgers?
ReplyDeleteWhole team does it - praising each other to the hilt but never delivers when the crunch comes.
ReplyDeleteXabi any day of the week. And not just on sentiment either, on ability. Obviously Schweini would be a welcome addition but if I had to choose, Xabi. The ideal replacement for Gerrard is already there in Suso and if he doesn't make it, Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Shaktar Donetsk. That man will cost 50 million three years from now when Juventus snap him up from under noses in July. I think a Lucas replacement has priority anyway.
ReplyDeleteI think Nicol has seen a Bayern match at the weekend for the first time in his life and has copped on to the fact that they're actually a pretty decent team. Something we, on the other side of the pond, have known for a couple of decades now.
ReplyDeleteif only oh well at least we can dream till the harsh reality of the summer transfer window bites
ReplyDeletecompletly agree m8 just one thing he has not worked with guardiola yet ;-)
ReplyDeletemaybe we could trade allen for him, allens younger would fit into Guardiolas type of play as hes already managed the spanish version ;-)
ReplyDeleteAlonso all the way
ReplyDeleteDid you see Suarez's comments today. What a S**t! We need to get rid ASAP. Think Jaimie was right all along. We need an article to comment on this outrage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dirty, disloyal, disgusting footballers. I cannot accept someone can be misquoted this much. No chance :( :( :(
ReplyDeleteDid you see Suarez's comments today!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDisgusting Suarez comments today!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was obvious .. but still shocking, lets just try to sell him as expensive as possible :/
ReplyDeleteOutrageous Suarez!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnyone got a link?
ReplyDeleteso what if he wants to go obviously he says hes happy at the club but may not be convinced by rodgers and fsg that he can reach his pinickle at lfc ita a sign of the times
ReplyDeletehes definitly leaving ian ayre has just told the bbc that suarez is not for sale,and going nowhere ,ian ayre is fsg,s mouthpiece suarez will be gone in the summer ,i predict a riot,fsg will pocket a fair bit of the transfer fee were going nowhere ,with these yanks a bit like the last owners ,YANKS OUT
ReplyDeleteI truly doubt they will pocket any of the fee, they haven`t so far, so no logic in this comment. FSG have done more than enough to give us back CL spots, and keep someone of Suarezs talents, they are not to blame. It`s been the poor managers that are to blame. I don`t blame Suarez if he does leave, as he is way better than being in a club who finish around 7th.
ReplyDeleteNot a chance we'll get Schweini. We're not that high up the food chain at the moment. Xabi we stand a better chance of getting because of the past, age and his contract situation. But in terms of who I prefer out of Xabi and Schweini, I'd take Xabi. Yep, Xabi isn't a spring chicken anymore but if used right, he can play at the top for quite a while in a deep lying role.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised one bit by Suarez comments. The timing could be better and the frankness of it isn't very erm PC but hardly something unexpected from the guy, as he isn't afraid to shoot his mouth off. The longer we go without CL football, the harder it gets to resist offers from CL clubs. Like it or not, he is a player that deserves to be given a shot in CL again as he is that good now. Wouldn't blame him if he left this summer.
yes sure no striker in the summer buying cheap players with potential,employing a manager with no experience if this his them competing ate to think what they will be like when they tighten there belt
ReplyDeleteLol! Xavi the Spanish Allen!!
ReplyDeleteLol! It will be ribery next!
ReplyDeleteThese idiots do not know the meaning of crunch. let alone football.
ReplyDeleteBit harsh but that's where we are - if FSG were in charge when we were raking it in from champions league under Rafa maybe it would be a different story..but we all know about G&H..we've had to go back to go forwards...but in BR I trust..
ReplyDeleteDitto - would hurt like hell but then again it did when Owen and Torres left or further back rush - somehow each time we find a better replacement - although even I think he's irreplaceable. I worry where we will be when SG and LS are retired and left...
ReplyDeleteWhat is up with his shooting ffs?! If he struck the ball with the same conviction as he does while drooling over LS I'd be happy.
ReplyDeleteeach to there own i do not trust rodgers and think hes out of his depth
ReplyDeleteglad you saw the funny side
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean, so what? Were we really expecting to make CL this season....? If Suarez decided to stay last summer he should give us a fair chance to prove what we can do next season; that was always the plan from what i can make out.
ReplyDeleteI think you discredit your argument by always reverting to anti-Rodgers/FSG rhetoric.
there as been no sign of improvement imo things have got worse if suarez feels the same way way should he stay ,he may think it will be a waste of another season
ReplyDelete