In November, Halmstads BK striker Valmir Berisha claimed that several top-flight clubs - including Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur - had put in offers to sign him, and with the January transfer window imminent, the young Swedish striker has confirmed that he is close to making a decision about his future.
Liverpool have been linked with Berisha - described as being 'like Robin Van Persie and Zlatan Ibrahimovic' - several times over the last couple of months, and in November, his Agent, Anders Karlsson, toldreporters:
"I can say that there are teams from England, Germany, Holland, Spain, Portugal and Italy. The interest is high from England, as well as the power of the pound."
In early December, The Mirror claimed:
"Liverpool are close to an agreement with rising young Swedish star Valmir Berisha. Brendan Rodgers has tracked the striker for months. Talks are now ongoing with his club"
Soon after, 17-year old Berisha claimed he'd rejected offers from Manchester United and Arsenal, and confirmed Liverpool's interest. He told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet:
"I have got offers from from England, Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland and Russia. The clubs who have shown the biggest interest are Ajax, Milan, Liverpool, Sunderland, Tottenham and Celtic. They have all made me a contract offer.
When asked last night about his immediate future, Berisha told reporters:
"Right now I'll choose between three clubs. One is a smaller club, one medium and one large. I'm getting close to a decision, but it seems that new clubs are still ringing and you have to consider them"
Berisha grabbed seven goals in seven games for Sweden in the recent U17 World Cup (won by Nigeria), and when asked about his expectations for his next club, he explained:
"I want to join a club who need a striker. Then I can exploit that to get playing time. I don't think I will join a very big club. My agent has give me suggestions, but he lets me decide."
The Reds arguably need striker back-up, but realistically, even with Daniel Sturridge injured, there's very little chances of an untested 17-year old striker with zero experience getting regular playing time at Anfield. However, according to The Mirror:
"Rodgers has been impressed enough to offer [Berisha] the chance of a swift progression into his first team squad".
Believe that, and you'll believe anything. Rodgers probably made the same promises to Tiago Ilori - who is three years older than Berisha - and he's nowhere near the first team right now. Before making a decision, Berisha should examine the fortunes of teenage strikers at Anfield over the last 25 years. In that time period, only Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler have progressed through the academy to become regular starters for LFC.
For me, Berisha would be foolish to move to Anfield at this stage of his career.
Author: Jaimie K
Liverpool have been linked with Berisha - described as being 'like Robin Van Persie and Zlatan Ibrahimovic' - several times over the last couple of months, and in November, his Agent, Anders Karlsson, toldreporters:
"I can say that there are teams from England, Germany, Holland, Spain, Portugal and Italy. The interest is high from England, as well as the power of the pound."
In early December, The Mirror claimed:
"Liverpool are close to an agreement with rising young Swedish star Valmir Berisha. Brendan Rodgers has tracked the striker for months. Talks are now ongoing with his club"
Soon after, 17-year old Berisha claimed he'd rejected offers from Manchester United and Arsenal, and confirmed Liverpool's interest. He told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet:
"I have got offers from from England, Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland and Russia. The clubs who have shown the biggest interest are Ajax, Milan, Liverpool, Sunderland, Tottenham and Celtic. They have all made me a contract offer.
When asked last night about his immediate future, Berisha told reporters:
"Right now I'll choose between three clubs. One is a smaller club, one medium and one large. I'm getting close to a decision, but it seems that new clubs are still ringing and you have to consider them"
Berisha grabbed seven goals in seven games for Sweden in the recent U17 World Cup (won by Nigeria), and when asked about his expectations for his next club, he explained:
"I want to join a club who need a striker. Then I can exploit that to get playing time. I don't think I will join a very big club. My agent has give me suggestions, but he lets me decide."
The Reds arguably need striker back-up, but realistically, even with Daniel Sturridge injured, there's very little chances of an untested 17-year old striker with zero experience getting regular playing time at Anfield. However, according to The Mirror:
"Rodgers has been impressed enough to offer [Berisha] the chance of a swift progression into his first team squad".
Believe that, and you'll believe anything. Rodgers probably made the same promises to Tiago Ilori - who is three years older than Berisha - and he's nowhere near the first team right now. Before making a decision, Berisha should examine the fortunes of teenage strikers at Anfield over the last 25 years. In that time period, only Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler have progressed through the academy to become regular starters for LFC.
For me, Berisha would be foolish to move to Anfield at this stage of his career.
Author: Jaimie K
Ask Borini. He never made it and is scoring for fun.
ReplyDeleteI'll pass him for now.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely shitting it for today's game. It's like pre-match for spurs all over again, except just a little more intense; but I strangely feel a little more confident than I was against Spurs. So City have Aguero and Zaba out. For any other normal team, that'd make you think, 'oh, that's really cool! That's a large chunk of their team with a big influence on the game gone!' Oh no...not with City. No Aguero and Zaba? No worries, they'll just chuck in another two stars from bench, like they all just come in on one big conveyer belt! Bloody shits me! Meanwhile, we're down to about 17 or 18 players.
Just imagine if we had Suarez in earlier games of the season; particularly against Swansea and Southampton. He would have added that extra, absolutely top tier, world class firepower that very possibly would have pushed us over the line, and we'd be 5 points better off than we currently are.
Pretty scared for today. City could do some real damage to us. My prediction:
City 0 Liverpool 6
are we going to lose 4-0 today? or maybe 4-1, or 3-1? I hope Rodgers can spot a game in which he need to adapt himself to. Playing in free style they will bash us. We need specific defensive discipline today, with close personal guarding of their attackers.
ReplyDeleteIf they just score goals with wingers passing by and a pass to the box where an attacker is free then we've done nothing in our hands to stop them.
The only positive that probably after this game we will see again why we have to enforce our midfield in Jan asap.
Firstly, how can you feel more confident? Do you believe that if we lose any midfield control Rodgers will/had prepared rightly for it? I say no they though of course i hope. Our defensive way so far has been so random and so one dimensional, and needs tons of work. If today we preform the right moves that will be truly encouraging towards what BR is capable of at the moment. I personally think it's Pellegrinis year, with all the love and respect to our club.
ReplyDeleteSecond, we SHOULD be about 5-6 points let's say better of right now. Simple as that.
my prediction Liverpool most likely to 1 or 0 goals, with a slight chance to 2. But anything can happen in football.
ReplyDeleteIt's Chelsea that i'm dying we beat. Oh man how i wish.
I feel more confiedent because we usually turn up at City, unlike white hart lane. I really don't actually know what the score will be.
ReplyDeleteYa i agree. There's always two ways for young players and every day is always a new day. If he scores and works well he has every chance on the world. I actually rate our academy very very highly and i just doubt we had the right strikers there for some time now. Something we got to improve and maybe this is the big start.
ReplyDeleteYes, it probably is Pellegrini's, possibly Mou's and maybe Wenger's or Brendan's.
ReplyDeleteAnd this match could dish up anything. City are due for a less explosive home performance, while Liverpool find themselves in the midst of great form. Arsenal came in tired and after a loss.
ReplyDeleteThe thing with Pellegrini is that after what he has been threw in recent years, and he's been out there for long - especially the sold game against Durtmund last season after his father died and Malaga simply were suppose to win, he has the most down to earth clean perspective at the moment. That's only an opinion and guts sense.
ReplyDeleteYou other point is right, we do somehow turn up at City and they have weird days this season. Aguero out also is a big advantage in a case we show up.
2 offsides in one goal. it's not cool if malaga get's to semi's and not awesome durtmund. It was maybe the worst football day i have witnessed.
ReplyDeleteI like Pellegrini, he seems like a good bloke. I don't City either. It felt like Liverpool themselves won the league after their dramatic last minute win to steal it back from Utd. The only time I remember when we haven't turned up is when they thrashed us 3-0 early on in the Roy Hodgson days, when we were just so lifeless.
ReplyDeleteMaybe two weeks ago it would have been easier to say our midfield stands no chance today, i still think he doesn't and we need new mids, but today i can't and we will learn today sums it up i guess.
ReplyDeletetwo weeks ago our midfield looked slow because of Gerrard (God bless the guy). We'll see what happens, and watch to find out whether Henderson and Allen can continue on with their great form.
ReplyDeleteOur midfield is looking much better. Some though that Spurs and their physical midfield was just going to steamroll us but did not happen.
ReplyDeleteAll we need to do is play with the same intensity and pressing as we did in the Spurs match. If we do not allow City time on the ball then they will get frustrated just like Spurs did. The worst thing we can do is camp in our half of the pitch and let them come at us as then they will punish us. We need to take the game to them.
5-6 points better off when we are top of the league and 14 points better off than last season?
ReplyDeleteLets face it, for us to get anything from this game is possible but improbable, but we will still believe.
ReplyDeleteNavas Vs Flanagan, thats a worry, he was easily beaten in one to ones against Cardiff, I wonder will BR go with Kelly and GJ, or maybe Agger, the teamsheet will be interesting, then the tension begins, and its head behind the sofa time. Not on TV here, will have to listen to it on the Radio, no strong signal here to get it on the net. YNWA.
Read somewhere that Flanno might not be fit for the game so then probably will be Kelly down the right and Johnson on the left.
ReplyDeleteI think with this tactic it's more up to what kind of they City has, and what kind our defense has. Of course i think we have all the chance in the world to win but i will hate to see us making the same mistakes that every team done at Eithad so far, which is lack of defensive discipline with specific preparation. Arsenal did just that against us. When i predict today's game i refer to City at her best at home this season. For example, simply, they have better defensive mids, especially way more essential with the ball.
ReplyDeleteOf course if we earn midfield i would be overwhelmed and happy, but judging the players quality, if they're on their a game they will score goals if Rodgers isn't prepared for the other option.
I've said it, if they score the same goal they have scored this season which is a simple pass from wing to attacker in box, and he is not predicted and guarded personally before staring at the ball like sculpture, then we done nothing defensively in our hands to beat then.
Also of course if we lose midfield than defensive organization should be at least a level above the one we had so far.
WE HAVE TO MAXIMIZE POSSESION. GOOD LUCKKKK REDS
Actually i think Allen was weak at cardiff and he still worries me. Last thing i will say, i just hope we get a midfielder in Jan
ReplyDeleteYes maybe that will do, that Navas is a fine player.
ReplyDeleteYes. Who cares what other teams do.
ReplyDeleteThink of it this way. If you play with Bayren in the league, and they have a bad half season in they're standards, you get an opportunity don't you? So instead of being happy you are close to Bayren in during the first half a season, won't it be better to take an opportunity and get a gap? Why not? Who cares? Who said Liverpool aren't right to be 6 points of the lead? Arsenal were a second ago but that's over. If they didn't take these opportunities till now they would be near United and Spurs.
Listen, you see a game, Against Newcastle, we should have won, against Swansea, should have won, against Hull, should have won, against Southampton, should have won, against Everton, should have won. So you say okay, shlt happens, but at least two and half of these games should have taken the other way, cause we had a chance.
Look at Bayren, they don't look sideways, they take opportunities and win. There's alot of mentality put to it, even more the skill. And they are champions that no one challenges because everybody is too bothered with shlt and headlines and looks sideways all the time.
I think were first and that's great but it has alot to do with other teams bad form which if we played better which we could we would have taken more advantage of.
And remember, two games from now we can sit with United and Spurs, so wouldn't it have been nice to have some extra points at the moment? Most of the teams that are 2-6 points below us played city and chelsea - we didn't.
Brad Smith?
ReplyDeleteJaimie, I've heard you make this comment a few times now but lets be honest in 25 years how many other teams have brought through strikers of the quality of Owen and fowler, united haven't, Chelsea haven't, arsenal haven't! City haven't, Newcastle haven't Everton haven't, do I need to carry on?
ReplyDeleteCantona! Oh wait... Drogba! Oh wait...Henry! Oh wait...Shearer! Oh wait...Cahill! Oh wait....Yeah you're right!
ReplyDeleteAlso you have no idea what Brendan Rodgers has said to llori, I'm the opposite to you here, if I was to speculate like yourself what he said to llori I highly doubt he said your my number 1, I will start you over first team stalwarts skrtel and agger and ill start u ahead of our most experienced defender kolo toure!, doesn't sound right does it?
ReplyDeleteAll those players were signed from different clubs, Owen and fowler came through our youth set up! I'm not sure how you can't understand that?
ReplyDeleteHa, you obviously didn't get my joke!
ReplyDeleteHence the 'oh wait' bits...
ReplyDeleteI agree. Having watched City a lot I also do not rate Demichelis as he tends to give the ball away countless times. Possibly an avenue for us to exploit.
ReplyDeleteApparently Flanagan is out now too so the team line up will be interesting. Cissokho in or Johnson RB, youth options...
I can't see us stopping Man City from scoring, probably at least two, so we'll need to score at least three to win the game. Which isn't beyond us. Suarez virtually starts on two goals these days. One from Sakho at a set piece and we're golden. 3-2 or 4-3 win for the reds!
ReplyDeleteWhich prediction usually turns up a 0-0.
Haha I really didnt!
ReplyDeleteHe was agreeing with you ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnd, to be fair to Everton, Rooney was one of their youth players before he jumped ship.
Like RVP? You mean easily injured and turn on his club at the slightest smell of a pay raise?
ReplyDeleteEverton........Rooney
ReplyDeleteYou're incredibly negative in a majority of your stories Jamie. One might even accuse you of an astonishing amount of negative bias to the extent that you journalistic ability is severely distorted. I don't care if this gets on here or if your cronies come on and destroy the comment if it does get on, I simply feel you should know that from a neutral perspective you are allowing your personal hatred (for whatever reason) to soil your ability.
ReplyDelete