19 Sept 2013

'He's Terrific' - BR hails 'outstanding' £9m striker. Possible transfer target...?

After his recent long-overdue England recognition, Southampton star Rickie Lambert is on the crest of a wave at the moment, and it appears that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is massive fan of the striker.

During his pre-Southampton press conference earlier this afternoon, Rodgers lavished huge praise on Lambert, and made it clear that he sees the 31 year old as a real threat. He told reporters:

"He [Lambert] is one of those players who never got the recognition for what a good footballer he is.

"People are now starting to focus on his qualities. He’s one of the most accomplished footballers I’ve seen.

"He’s been outstanding. Look at his touch; and the different types of goals he’s scored over his career, and he’s a specialist on penalties as well. He’s a terrific footballer, and he’ll be a handful"


Rodgers is often effusive in his praise for players, but to call Lambert 'one of the most accomplished players' he's ever seen is rare praise indeed.

It's been a long, hard road to the England squad for the self-confessed Reds fan, and if things had gone differently, he could've ended up at Anfield. Discussing his career during a press conference last month, Lambert - who grabbed 15 goals/5 assists last season - told reporters:

"I was at Liverpool from age 10 to 15 and I was basically told I wasn’t good enough, which obviously was a hard thing to take at the time. I thought it was the end of the world. But I can tell people in the same situation that it is not the end of the world. It should drive you on to succeed even more"

Lambert scored against the Reds in last season's 3-1 defeat at St. Marys, and after the game, the striker enthused:

"I think everybody knows the relationship I have with Liverpool. It was a massive game and my family were there, but obviously I am professional and my main focus was to try and get three points. The lads are absolutely buzzing after that result".

Looking at the timeline, €9m-rated Lambert would've been 15 in 1997, which means he probably got the bad news from Steve Heighway - who ran LFC's Academy at the time - or Roy Evans, Liverpool's manager in the mid-1990s.

It's hardly surprising Lambert didn't make it. Look at the competition he faced: Michael Owen broke through into the first team in 1997, and Robbie Fowler was already well-established.

If Lambert wasn't good enough back then, what about now? Is he good enough to play for today's Liverpool team? One thing's for sure, I'd take Lambert over Carroll and Fabio Borini any day of the week.

As for Rodgers' praise - perhaps he privately sees Lambert as a possible transfer target...?



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22 comments:

  1. Like Lambert a lot but at 31, is this a wise move even at January? Besides, Southampton couldn't be that stupid to rip the heart and soul out of their team...............

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  2. Yeah seems a touch too effusive even for Rodgers. Like Jaimie I would take him over Carrol or Borini and one benefit of getting a player like that even so late in his career is that he is a red and he would play every game like it was his last.



    Not for 9 million euros though. I think with Osvaldo Lambert may be used less. Could we get him for a good price.

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  3. I've not seen much of them this season but be interesting to see how the dynamic works with him and Osvaldo, as it seems like he has been starting both. As Osvaldo likes to play as the front man as so does Lambert.

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  4. Rodgers did buy/have Danny Graham at Watford and Swansea, who is a hard working main striker and not exactly not the most silkiest of players. Doesn't surprise me if he likes Lambert but Rodgers has different resources, circumstances and ideas now, so I don't think he will go for Lambert. I think Diego Costa provides a more expansive game as well as the aggressiveness and work rate to give some of the work that Suarez and Danny Graham have provided for Rodgers off the ball. Obviously seems a no-go now as Costa has signed a new contract.


    There is the thing of 'sell on value'/'buying young' that FSG seem to be keen on and I'm sure Rodgers is working within that framework, so I think Lambert would cost a little too much for his age, considering what we seem to be after.

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  5. that never works

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  6. I still haven't lost my faith on Borini

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  7. I would keep Borini over him. Borini will improve, whereas Lambert is at the twilight of his career. Watching Borini for the U21s and in preseason he looks like a top player in everything, but his finishing. He just needs that sharpness that comes with playing and he will score goals.

    While I think Aspas needs time and patience to adapt, based on what I have seen, I would feel more confident with Borini at RW than Aspas.

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  8. He is definitely a better option than Carroll and Borini. He is a big player with technical ability and he will be a threat to us.
    Did you guys see Kenny Dalglish article on the Mirror claiming his 2012 Liverpool side "overachieved"?
    Man.

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  9. anotherprofitanotherday9:53 am, September 20, 2013

    Coutinho's injury and more will cost us a draw at Newcastle. That's too bad, we were up for 16 out of 18. No prediction for the Manchester on League Cup. Gonna be a wild game.

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  10. SUarez to score the winner :P

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  11. Shearer and Ferdinand were fantastic at Newcastle but yep, its a different time now

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  12. It all depends what Rodgers means by "accomplished". There are other words he could have chosen -- "brilliant", "exciting", "talented", "effective", "inspiring", "creative", "imaginative", "devestating" etc -- so why "accomplished"?



    Would I be happy to be described as "accomplished" at work?



    Not particularly. I might describe an experienced colleague who has never really done an outstanding job as "accomplished"; it implies in a sense that he has nothing left *to* accomplish, that his work is done, he's come as far as he's ever going to. He makes few mistakes in his area of particular expertise, but he is not going to, and perhaps has never, grown beyond it.



    You couldn't describe Coutinho as "accomplished", I don't think: but we'd all pick him for any attacking role except that of target man ahead of Lambert.



    If I described Xavi as "accomplished", it would mean one thing, because of what he has achieved in football -- Champions Leagues, international trophies, recognition of his place as the leading midfielder of his time. But Lambert has become "accomplished" leading the attacks of journeyman teams in obscurity, and is enjoying a late period of recognition at one of the Premier League's lesser clubs.



    Or to put this another way, the accomplishments that he has accomplished in order to become recognisably accomplished are accomplishments that accomplish him for no higher recognition than that he has accomplished those accomplishments.


    #toomuchtimeonmyhands

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  13. He also described him as 'outstanding' and 'terrific' in the same press conference.

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  14. I think his trying to give Lambert the spot light over Osvaldo knowing that it can damage Saints maximizing their game, which is exactly what we need due to the fact are game is not at his top.

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  15. Why Are There Videos Of Tottenham On A Liverpool Site

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  16. BR and superlatives go together like a horse and carriage.

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  17. If finishing 8th is overachieving it says everything about the quality of player that was bought in during the KK's second term in charge.I was grateful for another trophy to put in the cabinet.But that's the only thing to show for such a big outlay.

    I think the days of dominance now SAF has gone has come to a end, at least for the next few years.I don't think there's one team in this league that's head and shoulders above the rest.Every top club apart from ARSENAL is going through a transition period.

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  18. Hahaha ... minds games starts :)

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  19. I would give BR's remarks some slack. He's not going to fire Lambert up by telling the press he thinks Lambert isn't very good. What would be the point of that? He's talking to the press for cripes sake. Why tell them anything important at all?

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  20. For the right price (between £8 to £10ml) I think He would be a strong back up for our attacking department. He's good touch, vision and He's such a good moves. He's comfortable with the ball and He would suit in our system. I would pick him over Carroll and Borini and Aspas all the time as well. For the right price it would be a wise move.

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  21. I can confidently predict this will never happen.

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