Many Reds fans - myself included - were surprised to see young LFC attacker Suso sent out on loan in the summer. He's a player Liverpool could definitely do with at the moment, and he'll hopefully return in the summer ready to make an impact in the first team. Rafa Benitez brought Suso to LFC's academy in 2009, and it now turns out that the 20-year rejected one of the biggest clubs in the world to come to Anfield.
Speaking to the official LFC site today, Suso admitted that he actively sought a loan move over the summer, and revealed that he almost signed for one Spain's biggest clubs. He explained:
"I was going to sign for Real Madrid, but he day before I was going to sign for them, Rafa called me and we were talking about how he really wanted me to join Liverpool.
"Comparing Real Madrid and Liverpool, there were more chances to become a professional footballer. At Real Madrid, the possibility to go into the first team was really difficult; maybe now it is changing a little bit, but years ago it was really difficult"
Benitez left Anfield club less than a year after Suso's arrival, and it would be another two years before the youngster got a taste of first team action. In Brendan Rodgers' first season, Suso made 20 appearances for Liverpool, but as the season progressed, his chances became more and more limited as Philippe Coutinho took Anfield by storm.
With two goals and five assists in 13 appearances so far, Suso is having an impressive season for Almeria, and although he was amenable to a loan move, I still can't understand the logic behind letting him go, and spending €7m on Luis Alberto, someone with even LESS top level experience than Suso, who plays in exactly the same position (!)
To me, it just doesn't make any kind of logical sense:
* Alberto obviously has talent, but Suso could've easily taken his place in the squad.
* The Reds could've spent the €7m on someone else (or put it towards the total fee for another player)
* What happens when/if Suso returns in the summer? If LFC sign more attacking midfielders in January and/or the summer, competition is going to become unhealthy in that area, which means one of either Suso or Alberto will probably fall by the wayside.
Depending on how the rest of his season goes, I have a feeling that Almeria will try to sign Suso in the summer, and if Liverpool let him go, who actually ends up with the best deal? Is Alberto better than Suso? Does he have more potential? Is he more likely to succeed at Anfield.
From what I've seen so far, I'd rather have Suso over Alberto.
Author: Jaimie K
Speaking to the official LFC site today, Suso admitted that he actively sought a loan move over the summer, and revealed that he almost signed for one Spain's biggest clubs. He explained:
"I was going to sign for Real Madrid, but he day before I was going to sign for them, Rafa called me and we were talking about how he really wanted me to join Liverpool.
"Comparing Real Madrid and Liverpool, there were more chances to become a professional footballer. At Real Madrid, the possibility to go into the first team was really difficult; maybe now it is changing a little bit, but years ago it was really difficult"
Benitez left Anfield club less than a year after Suso's arrival, and it would be another two years before the youngster got a taste of first team action. In Brendan Rodgers' first season, Suso made 20 appearances for Liverpool, but as the season progressed, his chances became more and more limited as Philippe Coutinho took Anfield by storm.
With two goals and five assists in 13 appearances so far, Suso is having an impressive season for Almeria, and although he was amenable to a loan move, I still can't understand the logic behind letting him go, and spending €7m on Luis Alberto, someone with even LESS top level experience than Suso, who plays in exactly the same position (!)
To me, it just doesn't make any kind of logical sense:
* Alberto obviously has talent, but Suso could've easily taken his place in the squad.
* The Reds could've spent the €7m on someone else (or put it towards the total fee for another player)
* What happens when/if Suso returns in the summer? If LFC sign more attacking midfielders in January and/or the summer, competition is going to become unhealthy in that area, which means one of either Suso or Alberto will probably fall by the wayside.
Depending on how the rest of his season goes, I have a feeling that Almeria will try to sign Suso in the summer, and if Liverpool let him go, who actually ends up with the best deal? Is Alberto better than Suso? Does he have more potential? Is he more likely to succeed at Anfield.
From what I've seen so far, I'd rather have Suso over Alberto.
Author: Jaimie K
It would be maddening madness if Suso was cast aside but this seems so often to be the way with our youth players. Rodgers has said he sees Suso as a no.10. He sees Coutinho as a 10 (he's said he sees him there long-term). I'm not sure if he has been drawn on the issue, but you'd think he sees Alberto as a 10. Perhaps he sees Alberto playing deeper.
ReplyDeleteSuso has always been the one from the post-Rafa 'decent generation' (my own term) of academy players that I've fancied to make it in to the first team, so I'll be mightily disappointed if he doesn't make it.
Your right JK, I couldn't see the logic in the Alberto signing either, nice to sit through match of the day with a grin on my chops, got to say, what an equalising goal from Southampton v City .
ReplyDeleteSuso on his left foot looks like David Silva. I think he is a special type of player in the Coutinho mould and it would be ridiculous if we let him go. I think JK missed the quote where he asked to go on loan.
ReplyDeleteWith Suso and Assaidi to return there are decisions to be made. We can accommodate them: Moses out, Aspas out, Alberto out (loan). If those two return it would cut out the necessity for Rodgers to make his poor medium priced signings and focus on what the squad really needs.
I forgot about Borini. He could return and be back up for Suarez and Sturridge. I'd have him over Aspas.
I don't want to see these Aspas/Alberto/Borini type signings from Rodgers again. With his failure to use them effectively against Norwich and West Ham, they are borderline useless.
Suso made 20 appearances for us last season but only had the one assist.
ReplyDeleteThe idea was probably to send him out on loan this season to get him to play regular football and develop his game. He may have scored two and have five assists this season in La Liga but can he do it in a more demanding league like the EPL?
We will have to wait and see till next season whether Suso still has a future at Anfield.
If LA was bought for a mil EUR, I guess I can understand the logic of having another potential youngster in the squad. But for EUR 7 mil, I don't understand it at all. To make things worse, BR preferred to play VM, a loanee, out of position than LA, so the logic behind the transfer became more profound for a fan like myself. The boy is 21 years old and not 16. If he doesn't get a chance to play when the first team regular, Coutinho, is out, he probably never will.
ReplyDeleteTo be sarcastic, I'm now waiting to see who's the next Tom Ince. Suso or LA or both.
It would be nice to know what Rodgers honestly thinks about these players. He'll never say so in a press conference, he'd especially not go into details about a player's tactical shortcomings. Even just recently when talking about Andy Carroll he was still quite complementary and didn't write off the former 'Pool striker, instead posing the issue as a purely team tactical choice. So if Suso or Alberto or even Coutinho turn out to have various issues with their games we'll never get the manager's view of it. Clearly all three players have talent and ability but their careers are dependently wholly on the plans and intentions of the the manager who holds their contract. I tend to take a dim view of fans who think they know better than the manager, an experienced professional who sees these players on a daily basis, when we barely get to see the player for a few minutes each week. Ultimately the club manager will always have a better understanding of the player and he will have plenty of valid reasons why they don't make the first team, just because we don't know what they are doesn't make them invalid.
ReplyDeleteSuso seems to be the kind of player we want and Rodgers has said plenty of positive things about him. If he continues this good form throughout the La Liga season and yet can't get a spot in the first team squad for Liverpool next season you would have to wonder what is going on.
Hopefully, next season we would be in the champions league. All these players will add to our squad depth. Trust me Rodgers has a plan for Suso, Luis Alberto and Coutinho
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with the Author - Suso is better than Alberto, and is a class act. I think a front four of Suarez, Sturridge, Coutinho and Suso would be awesome for us!
ReplyDeleteThe one thought i have is maybe a spanish club may or already have made a crazy offer for Coutinho meaning Suso and Alberto will be competing with each other.
ReplyDeleteWe will get offers, that is for sure but highly doubt Rodgers will be selling Coutinho.
ReplyDeleteHave seen so little of Suso and Alberto, it's hard to measure who is better and therefore who we should keep. If Alberto can't get in against west ham would Suso? We had good kids but they need more chances. thrilled for Kelly and Flanagan and would really like to see Ibe get a sniff.....how else will we ever know if they are keepers???
ReplyDeleteYes i know unfortunately the manager doesnt always have the final say.
ReplyDeleteFSG are fully behind Rodgers and signings like Coutinho are part of FSG's master plan which is building a team for the future. Do not see why FSG would want to sell Coutinho either. Where will LFC find another player of his calibre for 8 million pounds?
ReplyDeleteDamn straight rather Suso but you never know what goes on behind the scenes. Nacho was supposed to be better than either of them yet he was quietly released in the summer. I wonder if we have any chance of recalling him now with Gerrard injured. Without Stevie our midfield lacks any kind of creativity what so ever.
ReplyDeleteLook at the amount the football Alberto has got this season, suso would have got the same so it is good for suso to go out and get experience and come back better.
ReplyDeleteAlberto is not ready, Rodgers even admitted it this week, the premiership is too physical for him right now so it will take him longer to adapt, so players do and he is one for the future but just think about next season with continuo, Alberto and suso all in the squad ..... And if we get champions league or worst case Europa league with the extra games they will all get good playing time
Too often we expect an immediate impact from these players yet we then contradict ourselves by wanting the old boot room back , give these people time to settle and then judge them
agree jk i think suso has the x factor in aspects of his game that alberto doesnt
ReplyDeleteagreed rogers/ commitee who ever seems to sign a certain type of player just for the sake of it
ReplyDeleteThe player himself may get a great offer and leave who knows but i am certain Rodgers knows what he is doing.
ReplyDeletelets be honest our midfield has lacked creativity for some years ...what gerrads injury gives us is a chance to play tino there
ReplyDeletedon´t think so - coutinho is still far from the finished article, and if you look at the top clubs - who of them would really need coutinho? bayern do have loads of midfielders, barca are breeding their own army, real even had to give up one of the best to arsenal because they have so many... there not many clubs that could be really interessted and if we get CL theres no way we would sell him anywhere... for the future i definitely can see suso and coutinho in the same starting 11, and thinking about it makes me smile ;-)
ReplyDeleteatm nobody knows whats rodgers idea about alberto - he should be given more gametime thats for sure..
well you cant gain the x-factor without getting played... lil tino has more confidence and he shows that the way hes moving the ball and passing - but i think alberto could be a similar impact player or at least a good backup player. what a shame his place is behind moses who´s not even a midfielder if you ask me..
ReplyDeleteHa ha. Love the irony of this comment. Our fans were even questioning why Rodgers signed Sakho and blamed him for wasting money on him.
ReplyDeleteSakho, Mignolet, Allen, Alberto, Ilori, Sturridge and Coutinho are all showing signs or have already proven to be succesful signings.
So 7 out of 11 signings by Rodgers and his committee have already/will still come good.
Irony...
Which is the better result? Arsenal win? Everton win? Or a draw?
ReplyDeleteArsenal win. The more points teams below us drop the better for us.
ReplyDeletethink so too arsenal win would be imense - league title is not the target!
ReplyDeletePoor mancs...NOT!
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteYep, I've decided to support Arsenal tonight.
ReplyDeletedraw for me with luka and ramsey sent off
ReplyDeleteWhat irony? Gilstrap and I are clearly referencing the Aspas type of signing by Rodgers. Sakho, Mignolet, Sturridge et al are not Aspas type signings.
ReplyDeleteWe are talking about medium priced transfer failures, which ultimately add up.
Unfortunately like every manager not every signing is going to work out. Just look at how many medium priced failures Rafa brought in.
ReplyDeleteThere is plenty of wealthy clubs who could bid for him still as i said who knows Coutinho may want to leave never say never.
ReplyDeleteIt seems Rodgers can do no wrong in your books. Upon what factual basis will Ilori prove to be a success? You're jumping the gun. Aspas/Alberto cannot fail by themselves - Rodgers has ignored them. Furthermore, if Borini, Assaidi and Suso return there will be absolutely no need for these Aspas type signings during the summer window which is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteWell we are sitting 2nd in the league after 15 games so Rodgers quite clearly is doing a good job.
ReplyDeletei read somewhere that suso himself asked to be loaned out into la liga. And in terms of prospects its all gud fr LFC i think.
ReplyDeleteSuso is getting regular playing time at Almeria and that wouldn't happen here (see Alberto). This is great for his development. I hope Sterling does the same next season and wouldn't mind Alberto going out on loan too. Next season we should have Suso back with a years experience of playing in Spain's top flight (did wonders for Coutinho too). It's perfectly logical to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree. We need more mid-fielders not less. We need ot play them more. I expect the rotation to begin in earnest when we break into the FA Cup rotation. These players need to play...simple fact.
ReplyDelete