4 Jul 2014

Transfer U-Turn: BR to ditch rip-off £20m deal & sign 'fantastic' £8m star instead. Mistake?

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has reportedly decided to scrap his pursuit of Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno, and will instead focus on trying to sign his back-up target for the position.

According to the Daily Mail this week:

* LFC refuse to pay an 'excessive' £20m transfer fee for Moreno.

* BR is giving 'serious consideration' to making an offer for Bertrand.

* The Chelsea man is 'keen' on the move.

* Rodgers is a 'long-term admirer' of Bertrand.

* He's available for around £8m.

A report last month in The Guardian claimed that Bertand is 'top of LFC's wish-list', which suggests that Bertrand was always Rodgers' first choice, and it's possible he moved onto Moreno after being initially rebuffed by Chelsea.

Rodgers worked with Bertrand during his time as a coach at Chelsea, and he also signed the 24-year old on a season-long loan whilst at Reading, where he made 51 starts during his loan-year with Royals, which clearly shows his faith and trust in the player.

The Reds boss also showered Bertrand with praise, predicting a bright future for the defender. Indeed, during one particular 2009 interview, Rodgers told GetReading:

"He’s going to be a top talent. He’s one of the few left-sided players who is good defensively and can go forward. I know what he can do and he’s 100-per-cent committed and is a big possibility for the future"

There are clear positives to this deal:

* Rodgers knows Bertrand.
* He's undoubtedly talented.
* Won't take time to settle-in.
* Desperate to prove himself at a top club.
* Capable of making an immediate impact.
* Hell of a lot cheaper than Moreno.

Having said that, I'm a little wary of this potential transfer. Signing Bertrand will leave Liverpool with too many homegrown players in key positions, and whilst that may be good for the England team, it's arguably not conducive to winning trophies.

The abject and continual failure of the England team proves that a first-team squad stacked with English players is not equipped to consistently compete at the highest level.

Harsh but true.

With Champions League football on the table, Liverpool need a mix of different styles, and an influx of top-class technique. A team of English players with negligible experience of Europe is just not going to cut it next season. As an example: if the club signs Bertrand, Rodgers could conceivably field the following team:

---------------- Mignolet

Flanagan ----- Skrtel -- Sakho --- Bertrand

----------------- Gerrard

----------- Hendo ----- Lallana

--------------- Sterling

--------- Lambert ---- Sturridge

Sorry, but I just don't believe that this team is capable of winning the Premier League or the Champions League. LFC need at least one truly top-class full-back, and in my view, Flanagan, Bertrand, and Johnson are not good enough options for a team with serious hopes of consistently challenging for the biggest trophies.

You can get away with playing two of those three together on a semi-regular basis, but not all season.

polls


Author:


76 comments:

  1. Ohh lord! He just doesn't cut it. From Moreno/Rodriguez to Bertrand? Might aswell keep flanno at LB then or hope Enrique stays injury-free

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  2. Would sign bertrand as take the risk enrique recovers full form as our starter. Would then invest money in a real right back and send glen packng. Let flanno be backup across both positions.

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  3. Referencing a 2009 article? are you serious? we have been linked with how many players since the end of last season alone. We did fine last season under brendon, even if we lose luis 30 goals, just need someone to step up with 12-15, (remember, every team wants a 20 goal a season striker and we had 2!!!!) and not concede 10, we wont be far off.

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  4. We need two world class players if we are going to compete for top 4 again. Can sturridge and Lampert provide the 30 plus missing goals now that Suarez is going. Dont think so. Sanches is a must must must.

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  5. I know that I will cop heap feedback that Liverpool team you have there does not look to spectacular We wont win much

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  6. With the Suarez money , we need to sign Pedro and Sanchez ASAP or I fear the worst...

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  7. That team would never take to the field

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  8. Vidal and A. Sanchez will do it

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  9. Go for Marco Rojo if Moreno is too expensive

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  10. Bertrand is absolute crud. Chelsea reject who was very average at Villa on loan. No thanks. I'd rather have Cissokho back again

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  11. Ahverruz Maritz1:03 am, July 05, 2014

    I read that we're looking to get Yedlin on a trial basis...

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  12. The only key transfer necessary for Liverpool to win anything is...... ship out Steven Gerrard.

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  13. George Hardaker1:46 am, July 05, 2014

    I suppose we will have our answer at the end of this coming season but that line up does not inspire me i'm sorry to say, we were promised "quality" signings i expect a few world class players or we will fail!

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  14. In order for LFC to re-establish themselves as a force in England and Europe, it certainly needs more than just English players. Rather disappointly, LS is almost certain to go by now and right here LFC is displaying it's ambition by targeting and over-paying for either over-hyped or outcast English players. I can probably understand it when LFC is having English managers all the years after RB but I just cannot understand the brains of those American owners. Even though they are baseball-crazy but they should have that common football sense like how England fared in major competitions all these years. To me, the owners are not treating LFC like their cash cow, instead they are constantly throwing money into the drain by financially supporting LFC's senseless purchases of players, be it local or foreign. At least those Arabs and Russians know how to throw money at the right players to elevate their status into being super powers of English football. Looking at the outlay from FSG and LFC's achievement so far is something unbearable to dissect and discuss. Even though many fans will say that FSG is just out to milk the club dry, which is total crap of course.

    To ask a squad full of England internationals to challenge for EPL title and European Cup is a joke of the highest order. Looking at the progress for player search till date, we can safely kiss the 2 titles goodbye by now, or at least after LS leaves for Barcelona. Now I'm just overly curious to see how big a pull factor for renowed international stars like Alexis Sanchez to play alongside a group of England internationals at LFC with some of them not even first team regulars in the national team.

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  15. You got it spot on with the thing about liverpool being filled with england players who are serial failures at international level. I mean why build your team around players of a nation that blows ??

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  16. And from suarez to lambert also....starting to worry

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  17. Moreno was clearly first choice, we moved for him as soon as the window opened. Personally I think we'll end up getting Moreno. Nobody else has gone in for him and we've had more pressing transfer business to be dealing with and I suspect we'll go back in for him and manage a compromise between the two clubs.
    If we do end up with Bertrand it wouldn't be the end of the world. He's fairly uninspiring but he and Enrique would be good competition for each other.
    You say that you couldn't win the league but after Suarez, sturridge was to goalscorer in the league. Is there a more exciting young player in the league now than sterling? All English. Best 2 midfielders in the premier league's history are probably Gerrard and Scholes. John terry and rio Ferdinand were right up there in the list of top centre halves. Ashley cole is probably the best left back the leagues seen andAlan shearer is the premier leagues all time top scorer. All these people are English. Point is if you have the right English players and manage them properly there's no reason you couldn't win the premier league.
    English players for whatever reason consistently under-perform when they play for their country, the reason England fans were so frustrated by the golden generation was they never produced anything close to their club form for England. By in large they have been poorly managed as well so I don't think you can say they never perform well in big tournaments for England so they're not good enough to win the premier league

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  18. I just cannot get excited about Bertrand. I would rather spend what it takes to get a first line left back or bring up the kids behind Enrique. Although Enrique doesn't add to the offense at all, he was ok on defense. Bertrand just looks average to me just like Enrique, hence no added quality. Sounding more like last summer despite the rumored 75 players we are tracking, tabling offers, in the pole position for.

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  19. agreed....................

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  20. but we didn't go from suarez to lambert...we went Aspas/Borini to Lambert. Suarez hasn't been replaced yet...

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  21. That....would be awesome................IF we didn't already have Flanno and McLaughlin. Yedlin was great for the US team at only 20. He does need to work on having more options once in the attacking third, but he showed incredible maturity and put in some pretty good crosses considering he didn't really have anyone to aim at.

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  22. Yes, lets just release one of the best midfielders of his time, one of the greatest players in Liverpool History, a hero of the Kop, a living legend, the definition of a one club man. Yes he might not be at his best anymore, and he probably shouldn't start every game anymore, but he shouldn't be "shipped out".

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  23. His crosses looked good because there is no one to aim at. Usually, whenever there is a target, he misses it by a country mile!

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  24. Hahaha...this year we will get kicked top, bottom and centre. No chance of getting UCL again. All the transfer are going as i expected. Lallana in, Bertrand in, next we will buy 30 yr Huntellar. Great!

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  25. Sorry guys cannot agree with Enrique serving any positives. The guy cannot defend...too slow...and going forward is incapable of an assist. We haven't had a decent LB since I cant remember. Our system can operate without Suarez...in the big matches, he sort of goes missing anyway.. We need Coutinho to push on and convert more of those shots...We need contributions from our Lucas and Allen replacement ...none of those misses like Everton. And obviously ,need a more dominant CB. Add a better 'keeper too...Mignolets footwork, and dealing of crosses, is terrible. Honestly though, why cant we get Kroos?Go the Greek CB Manolas he did well...shouldn't cost the earth...Who's our player w the Xfactor?

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  26. We are losing 43 goals (31 goals, 12 assists). BR insisted on 70-80 goals just to make champions league. We would require a 20 goal striker or two 10 goal wingers to compete again, if everything clicks (the opposite of whatever happened last season at Spurs) we might challenge for title else at least we can make CL..

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  27. It is VERY clear Alexis does not want to go to Liverpool.

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  28. How true. Not to mention the fact Stevie is one of the five best LFC players ever.

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  29. You need to visit this site more often then

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  30. I think the team is not set up right.... I would go with the following subject to us signing Lovren and or possibly signing Ashley Cole:


    Mignolet


    Flanagan Lovren / Skrtl Agger Cole / Bertrand


    Gerrrard Henderson / Can


    Lallana Coutinho Sterling


    Sturridge


    Bench From: Reina, Skrtle, Sakho, Lambert, Johnson, Enrique, Can

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  31. Agreed. Brazil totally ruined that game with the cynical fouling. Neymar's injury = karma for their desecration of the game, and for the favouritism of referees towards them during the tournament, You reap what you sow. Germany will deservedly kick them out of the tournament in the semi-final.

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  32. Get a grip. Your 'question' is facetious, and devoid of common sense.

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  33. Our club is in good help no matter what. As Sahin, where's this player now. Same like BR, i see a good player having a good personality, attitude and desire to win, to learn more important than anything! A football match is 11 vs 11, not Sahin vs 11!

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  34. biggestfandownunder8:54 am, July 05, 2014

    Fair point, Jaimie ... about too many home-grown players. Although Moreno is hardly world class (and not an improvement on Bertrand, IMO, and not what I think you're suggesting), it only dawned on me when you put those names down on paper how narrow our team may be (even with Johnson in place of Flano). To me, it shows how larger than life Suarez is.

    Beside world-class pedigree, we do need some characters in the mix, and might be short a few.

    I've always been a fan of Sakho, and watching him at the World Cuo, I think the bloke is huge. We need him to have a break out season in the Prem. Apparently, he's quite a character, and may be the missing ingredient (he was understandably quieter in his maiden season last year.) I know you're not a big fan of his, Jaimie, but he'll prove his worth still coming season.

    The transfer season is still young, and one big signing--Sanchez, please!--would spice things up perfectly.

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  35. Where does Coutinho fit in this team????

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  36. Rodriguez all the way

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  37. No, that team you show above won't win the league. There are two keys to improving it:


    1. What happens with the Suarez money? A player like Sanchez (or someone with a similar level of creativity) will push Lambert to the bench and play just behind Sturridge. This kind of player would totally change how we play and I expect a big money signing. We have a ton of cash to spend and if the right player should be found it could be all re-invested. That kind of player will add 10+10 goals and assists, minimum, and turn a team that looks slightly better than average to being one that is suddenly very very good.


    2. Brendan Rodgers. Just because we have England players doesn't mean we somehow inherit a legacy of historical English under performance. What England have done over the past couple of decades is totally irrelevant to the current Liverpool team. The recent world cup performance is more relevant but that team was not managed by Rodgers. It's very clear that he is a key part of why Liverpool play so well. It's not just the case that he picks the team and then tells them to go do whatever they like, the reason we played so well was in no small part due to the brilliance of the manager. His tactics take a team that might not seem very threatening to score a ton of goals and tear other teams to bits. We saw this last season and there is no reason to think it won't continue.


    Bertrand would be a part in that, but not to any extreme extent. He's essentially a continuation of the kind of quality we used to get from Johnson or Enrique at his best. Wings back, in an attacking sense, don't get much better than that and while they are important in the formation they don't define the team.

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  38. Yep, two world class player are required and the money that Saurez brings in should help. lets not forget the Lallana also rates very highly in terms of assists but I would have liked to see Firminio (goal scoring midfielder) but that seems to have gone cold and in terms of strikers then it has to be Jackson as Sanchez does not want to come. The team shown by JK does look very incredibly weak, though I seriously doubt this will be representative of will actually play barring injuries.

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  39. Even despite the fact that Neymar has scored 4, assisted 1, had the most shots, 14, and created the most chances, 13, in this world cup, he is clearly their best player.

    Who would you nominate? The other good performers have been Thiago Silva, Oscar and possibly Julio Cesar

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  40. Every time I read your comments I imagine some angry hissing man with spit flying everywhere ;)

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  41. Sorry mate but have you watched Moreno on a regular basis? He's good going forward but not a great defender. In the PL he would come under more pressure from the high ball and be expected to put his foot in more. I've seen him shy away from a 50/50 a couple of times too. I think Bertrand will be a solid buy, he's got champions league experience and knows what the PL is all about plus Brendan save all your pennies and throw them at Sanchez because if Suarez is off we need Sanchez badly. Finally Jaimie where is Coutinho in your possible team for next season?

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  42. Agreed, Lambert was always going to be an option coming from the bench. As for the Suarez replacement it has to be Sanchez, Ayre really needs to pull his finger out and get him to Anfield.

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  43. I actually think that next season, Gerrard shouldnt be starting every league game and Can can be his, and Hendersons competition. He is an excellent defensive midfielder but also very good box to box player. I think hes going to surprise alot of fans.

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  44. Would you give Wisdom a go? Done well out on loan.

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  45. That is sniping at its finest sir. You need to be ban considering this the second time you have personally attacked me.

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  46. Both sides were to blame IMO. As Lawro would say two threes

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  47. Our expectations of the coming season have been seriously weakened with the departure of Suarez. We do not yet know what ( if any) signing will be made to improve our drastically poor defence yet. Perhaps there is something defence-wise that we are yet to learn about. We know little to nothing about what goes on behind the closed doors of " the committee".

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  48. I think it would be tough on Sakho to come into a new team, a new country, try to break up an established defensive partnership and also take a leadership role in the team. He's clearly got leadership potential but what player comes straight into a new team and asserts himself immediately? I think maybe after a good world cup campaign and a good pre-season Sakho will have the chance to be a bit more influential and confident. He's all the basic ingredients to be a great defender, I'd like to see him get over his first season nerves and really establish himself in the team.

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  49. Look I just found an error within your ban, not the first time, while I agree your heading in the right direction your rash in your choice of words. You do however like to personally attack me though, and that's not okay. Accept I'm right, and further develop your statement. I do believe bad tackles and diving, whether caught or not by the ref, fifa or whatever league should be able to take further action, it should bans not fines. I think it's the only way to try and clean up this ugly end of the game. Tackles are hard though, cause sometimes it is purely accidental, things happen though.

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  50. Aha! I see you have the Can-Can there. Should entertain the crowd.

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  51. Replacement for Suarez, I would love it to be Reus!

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  52. Sounds like a chinese curse to me

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  53. Why all the guessing? At best it'll be a guess. Two different persons, two different players. I believe you are stereotyping. Turkish/German midfielder. If Can where the exact same player but from another country eg. Spain, you'd try,to force your comparisons on him just with another player. Trouble... A bit weird to talk about that now, a few days after he officially signed. Words count for nothing, only actions. Let see how it goes and take it from there instead of guessing.

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  54. another rubbish article by Jaimie K. Give it up, you're embarrassing.

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  55. I've not seen him play so can't say how he'll fair but if he doesn't immediately start cm every game he has to have patience he's still 20, he was played out of position alot last season,what was his reaction to that?

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  56. This web site is so pants...you don't have to ban me ... I'll ban myself.
    ( ahh I feel so much better)lol

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  57. HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY PAL!

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  58. The Dutch player you're talking about is Van Bommel - the dutch did not supsend him, he retired - getting a red card in his last game!

    The whole Uruguay-FIFA thing goes way beyond the Suarez debacle - there are a few issues there: Uruguay has formally questioned the way money is distributed from TV rights, the past 2 world cups Uruguay have been subject to some questionable reffing (vs. Senengal 2002, vs. Ghana and NED 2010), and probably the biggest issue is that there are proposals underway to change the qualifying format - dropping South America from 4.5 places, to 4, and awarding it to asia. The last 3 times Uruguay have qualified for the WC, was throught the last .5 place, playing a play-off. Unfortunately the way FIFA works, every member association no matter how small or irrelevant, gets an equal vote if changes are proposes - Countries like the Cook Islands, Hong Kong, Pakistan (those who sat on the diciplinary committee for LS) will likely vote for removing the .5 spot and awarding it to Asia .

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  59. Muhammad Ibrahim12:52 pm, July 05, 2014

    Need to get in:

    Aleksander Mitrovick,
    Stephan El Shaarawy (if actully recovered from injury)

    Nico Lopez
    Mario Fernandez
    Matio Kovacic
    Ricardo Rodriguez
    Roberto Firminio
    Steven Caulker (As Lovren will not be cheap - and Caulker will be a great addition to our defense for the long term)


    Suarez according to reports is good as gone, and this time round we are hearing much about keeping him from the Liverpool camp - hope we can spend that money wisely - it is sad that Alexis Sanchez does not want to come to us, perhaps he prefers the London lifestyle or maybe even he sees that ARSENAL will guarantee him CL football for many years to come - whereas our first priority this season is to get in the top 4 again.

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  60. I think we're in serious trouble. We scored out way to the top last season. If we lose luis input we have to try and replace it. Sanchez seems the only viable option and for some ludicrous reason seems to favour a move to the gunners over Liverpool. Presumably for the fact that they are a London club! Other than him or maybe James Rodriguez I don't know who is out there who can come in and do even half what he has last season. Hope I'm wrong but BR and Ayre better do dome seriously good business, and not be scared to get their hands in their pockets

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  61. And still one of our best 5 players too

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  62. Just as ridiculous as people saying that Suarez was a replacement for Torres.

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  63. You are complaining about losing a player who scared 31 goals for us like it's the end of the world. How's this for stats; last season, we scored 101 goals, Man City scored 102 goals, so we were the second best scorers in the league, the third best scorers in the league were Chelsea with 71 goals. So therefore, without Suarez's goals, we still would had a top 4 attack. Perspective, with another striker scoring 15-20 goals and getting 5-10 assists, as well as a winger getting 10-15 goals and 5-10 assists, we aren't in a worse position and if we get Sanchez, we get that winger, if we get Shaqiri, we also get that winger. I fully believe Sturridge will get better and he has the potential to be our 30 goal striker.

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  64. It looks like we may be getting Shaqiri, now he is world class. It would be amazing if we could get James Rodriguez, another world class player.

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  65. And you are feeding a troll.

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  66. Incapable of an assist? I can remember many times when he has fed Suarez, either from deep or from around the box.

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  67. Wow. You're ridiculous. Deleting comments and attacking people. You are out of control. This is bs its comforting to know you're above everybody and can ignore your own rules.

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  68. What about his injury record? You're usually against signing injury prone players, but he has averaged 28 league starts a season.

    I know they only play 34 games in the Bundesliga so it might not seem as big a deal in terms of number of games missed, but injuries at centre-back, I think, are the most destabilising ones a team can suffer.

    Also, of the 3 sample seasons (a figure picked reasonably arbitrarily, but I think a more representative picture of his current health than a larger sample size) he started the most games in the earliest of these two seasons. If you consider just the two most recent seasons, he only starts 26 league games a season.

    Surely the physicality of the Premiership and the more robust schedule would only exacerbate this?

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  69. Well if Sting and the lads can't find him, then no one can. They're a watchful bunch.

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  70. So they can have more bad or average teams?


    Sounds like great business. Until African and Asian teams start showing better.....and I mean it is always maybe 1-3 teams that get through. They might as well combine Oceana? and Asian WCQ as well.


    Uruguay should also quit depending on that .5 thing as well.
    Maybe the next NT coach will use more domestic players to help out and not be so anal when it comes to sticking with the same 20 players?
    It would also help if Bolivia and Ecuador were not allowed to play in altitudes best suited for Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.


    They also talked about doing that in North America and perhaps Europe. Removing one spot from each of those as well... or .5 spot.
    Either way...some of these teams in that WCQ are a joke
    I mean Luxemborg? San Marino? get to play in their qualification?


    Armenia and Turkey, teams in that area should petition to play in the Asian qualifications. They would have a better shot at making it.

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  71. Brendon's New Teeth12:01 pm, July 06, 2014

    Don't worry about Can getting frustrated being played out of position. He should consider himself very lucky to even make it onto the pitch. We are Liverpool. He needs to fight and prove that he can add value to our current central midfielders. It's the same at every other top club. You look at the Real Madrid or Chelsea battalion of top central midfielders who are always on the bench then you realize how low we have sank as LFC fans to be putting up a case for Can. He is now at LIverpool, he will need to revise his preferences if the LFC manager deems it necessary.

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  72. Brendon's New Teeth12:21 pm, July 06, 2014

    We all know Neymar's preferred position to be more effective. But does he play there at his current club? No. Why? Because he is at a big club that feels there are other better players in his preferred position. The same goes for every other player who joins LFC. We are Liverpool, a big club, and players should adjust to suit the demands of the club. Players have preferred positions, Liverpool chooses effective positions.

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  73. Just FYI. Van Bommel was not the the one who karate kicked Alonso in the finals. That much I remember. Ws it De Jong and does he not have a history of bad tackles?

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  74. You are correct - De Jong was the Karate Kicker, and a bit of a goon - However if you're talking about Dutch goons - Van Bommel is the most notorious.

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  75. You're probably right on most of those points. Don't think Uruguay need to use more domestic players, rather try some of others that are based in Europe, and drop the duds like Lugano.

    Should be an interesting Copa America - No suarez then who? El Diente (Nico Lopez)? La Joya Hernandez???

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  76. How about a coach who uses his players where they are at their best......and not trying to make them fit his idea of what they should do.


    I mean cavani. He has been wasted for the NT.....because this coach does not use him at what his best strength is....and He thinks any MF must be better at defense than creating.


    Cavani needs a creator but he can succeed with even an average one. That is who you use, yes along with Abel and possibly Nico....but he has underwhelmed at Udinese.


    I am getting excited though at the signings for the Reds and the fact they are moving forward from Luis which is best for Liverpool, and probably him.

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