In May, Southampton swiftly rejected Liverpool's derisory £10m offer for right-back Nathanial Clyne, but this has not deterred Brendan Rodgers, who is seemingly hellbent on continuing his quest to turn the Reds into a facsimile of the England team.
According to the Liverpool Echo today:
* Liverpool are 'now preparing an improved offer' for 24-year old Clyne, who is valued at £15m by Southampton.
* Manchester United are also interested, but Clyne is 'keen on a move to Anfield'.
Clyne - hailed by Roy Hodgson as 'impressive' - is definitely on the outs at Southampton. Ronald Koeman rates him as 'one of the best right full-backs' he's had in his teams 'in the last 15 years', but the Barca legend seems resigned to a transfer. Last month, he told ESPN:
"We're still speaking with Clyney and his agent, but of course we have to know in 10 days. He's very happy and of course there is some interest but nobody has really bid for the player".
Ex-Red Jamie Redknapp is a fan of Clyne, and in a recent column for Sky Sports, he enthused:
"I’ve been really impressed with him [Clyne]. He’s athletic, technically good and he’s showing plenty of promise. He’ll learn an awful lot from Ronald Koeman".
I see no incentive for Clyne to leave St. Mary's for Anfield. Historically, Liverpool is a much bigger club, but overall, the Reds have regressed badly this season, and I doubt many players will want to join a club where managerial change is a possibility in the near future.
Plus, wherever Clyne ends up, the transfer fee is likely to be £20m+, and in my view, there are comparable options out there for that kind of money (i.e. Barcelona's Martin Montoya).
For me, what's most concerning is Rodgers' blind quest to populate the team with British players. If Clyne and Joe Gomez sign, the team could conceivably lined up like this next season:
--------------------- Mignolet
Clyne ---------- Skrtel --- Sakho ----- Wisdom/Gomez
---------------- Milner --- Henderson
--------------------- Lallana
----------- Sterling -------- Coutinho
---------------------- Ings/Sturridge/Lambert
In my view, a team where 70% of outfield players are British is destined for failure in the league, and especially Europe.
There's a reason England have failed to win a trophy since 1966: English/British players are just not good enough at the highest level.
Additionally, success in the Premier League is only possible when British players are complemented by top-class overseas footballers. In this regard, Liverpool have Coutinho...and that's about it.
Perhaps the Reds should put in bids for Danny Welbeck, Micah Richards, and Aaron Lennon, too?
Author: Jaimie K
According to the Liverpool Echo today:
* Liverpool are 'now preparing an improved offer' for 24-year old Clyne, who is valued at £15m by Southampton.
* Manchester United are also interested, but Clyne is 'keen on a move to Anfield'.
Clyne - hailed by Roy Hodgson as 'impressive' - is definitely on the outs at Southampton. Ronald Koeman rates him as 'one of the best right full-backs' he's had in his teams 'in the last 15 years', but the Barca legend seems resigned to a transfer. Last month, he told ESPN:
"We're still speaking with Clyney and his agent, but of course we have to know in 10 days. He's very happy and of course there is some interest but nobody has really bid for the player".
Ex-Red Jamie Redknapp is a fan of Clyne, and in a recent column for Sky Sports, he enthused:
"I’ve been really impressed with him [Clyne]. He’s athletic, technically good and he’s showing plenty of promise. He’ll learn an awful lot from Ronald Koeman".
I see no incentive for Clyne to leave St. Mary's for Anfield. Historically, Liverpool is a much bigger club, but overall, the Reds have regressed badly this season, and I doubt many players will want to join a club where managerial change is a possibility in the near future.
Plus, wherever Clyne ends up, the transfer fee is likely to be £20m+, and in my view, there are comparable options out there for that kind of money (i.e. Barcelona's Martin Montoya).
For me, what's most concerning is Rodgers' blind quest to populate the team with British players. If Clyne and Joe Gomez sign, the team could conceivably lined up like this next season:
--------------------- Mignolet
Clyne ---------- Skrtel --- Sakho ----- Wisdom/Gomez
---------------- Milner --- Henderson
--------------------- Lallana
----------- Sterling -------- Coutinho
---------------------- Ings/Sturridge/Lambert
In my view, a team where 70% of outfield players are British is destined for failure in the league, and especially Europe.
There's a reason England have failed to win a trophy since 1966: English/British players are just not good enough at the highest level.
Additionally, success in the Premier League is only possible when British players are complemented by top-class overseas footballers. In this regard, Liverpool have Coutinho...and that's about it.
Perhaps the Reds should put in bids for Danny Welbeck, Micah Richards, and Aaron Lennon, too?
Author: Jaimie K
That line-up looks crap. So weak. It has a Spurs feel to it. Not a top 4 team.
ReplyDelete-------------------- Mignolet
ReplyDeleteClyne ---------- Skrtel --- Sakho ----- Wisdom/Gomez
---------------- Milner --- Henderson
--------------------- Kovacic
----------- Frimino -------- Coutinho
----------------------Lacazette
There is ZERO chance of that line up
ReplyDeleteClyne would be a good signing, English or not. What's that word when you don't want to employ someone because of his nationality?
"Plus, wherever Clyne ends up, the transfer fee is likely to be £20m+, and in my view, there are comparable options out there for that kind of money (i.e. Barcelona's Martin Montoya)."
ReplyDeleteIf you doubt that Clyne would join the reds then how could you possibly imagine Montoya joining the team.
I do however feel that Clyne is actually a defensive Jordan Ibe in some respects with that vital attacking flair BR looks for in his wing backs and I make the comparison based on potential and confidence with the ball.
Would be interesting to see both played on the right!!
Don't twist my words. It has nothing to do with nationality per se; it's a historical fact: British players are not good enough at the highest level. You can change 'British' to other nationalities, like Danish, American, Scottish, Australian etc, and it will remain a historical fact.
ReplyDeleteThose nations don't do well at international tournaments because their players are not the best in the world.
Ditto England. As such, if you stack a team with players from a nation that fails to excel, then - as history proves - you get exactly the same thing.
Liverpool can sign Micah Richards who is also a free agent and i think he can be bargain signing of the window.
ReplyDeleteSeems pretty obvious Rodgers wants to get the boot come Jan.
ReplyDeleteYou've seen Richards' horrific injury history, right?
ReplyDeleteThe offer should be: We give you 15 million no problem but first you give us back the 20 million we paid too much for Lovren and Lallana. We'll forget about Lambert and call it even if you just fork over the player plus five million. If that's not good enough, go f yourself.
ReplyDeleteSounds fair to me.
ReplyDeleteWe got Joe Cole on a free and paid a shitload to Fark off.
ReplyDeleteEnglish or not I'm not particularly bothered. He's better that what we currently have and we do need a right full-back. I'll take one from Clyne, Trippier and Montoya. At least this would stop Can being wasted (and exposed sometimes) in defence.
ReplyDeleteLonger term this would give us competition: A.New.FB and Manquillo on the right, and Moreno and a post-injury Flanagan on the left. I'm guessing with Flanagan injured we won't be seeing the back of Enrique until the end of his contract.
I thought Milner was the bargain signing of the window?
ReplyDeleteI hear what you're saying and I don't disagree we're weak at right back but we do have other more pressing positions to fill and there are better and cheaper options out there than Clyne.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I really don't understand most of our purchases of late. Milner will bring the experience and professionalism lost by Gerrards departure but I can't see him getting into our midfield. Left wing back (where he played a lot a City) would be most likely. Ings is not the finished article and I can't see him capable of replacing Sturridge when he inevitably is injured. Bogdan is maybe better than Jones but NOT a serious challenge to Mignolet. Clyne makes sense... If Clyne does sign I can see LFC going for a 3-4-3 line up...
ReplyDeleteMignolet
Skrtel, Sakho, Lovren (with Toure, Illori, Gomez or Wisdom for cover)
Clyne, Can, Henderson, Milner/Moreno
Ibe, Sturridge, Coutinho
Assuming Sterling is sold of course. It still leaves Lucas, Allen, Lallana, Markovic, Teixeira, Ings, our 3 flops of Balotelli, Borini and Lambert, Sinclair, Bannagan, Bogdan maybe Kovacic (fingers crossed) etc all to fill the subs bench and cover for injuries
Now thats a good line up.....
ReplyDeletehistory also records quite a successful team based on 6 or 7 first teamers from Britain added to quality foreign inspiration.
ReplyDeleteBarca likewise more recently. Spain had done nothing internationally until Barca put together their side- it wasn't the other way around
Why stop there, is Cleverly still for sale....
ReplyDeleteMan United are the exception. And Spanish players are on a totally different level to British players, technically, mentally; in every way possible.
ReplyDeleteHe went to Everton mate but if we were not too busy pursuing Milner we most probably would have gone for him.
ReplyDeleteHe's not on a free. so no deal
ReplyDeleteYeah thats a good lineup but only in our (Lfc fans) dreams.
ReplyDeletePut Moreno instead of Wisdom/Gomex and Can instead of Frigman and that is a world class 11.
ReplyDeleteI don't think he will go for 20mn+.....especially in the last year of his contract!
ReplyDeleteBecause Montoya is not getting much game time in Barca...????
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't your point though was it? You said
ReplyDelete'If you stack a team with players from a nation that fails to excel, then - as history proves - you get exactly the same thing at club level'
Both Utd and Barca did exactly that and excelled. We won't end up 100% British, we definitely need overseas creativity and skill to prosper. But your theory has been disproved more than once, so it can be done.
sad to say it but everything you read about L.F.C. at the moment feels as though were going backwards
ReplyDeleteAnd Rodgers has gone all quiet now. His big mouth is missing now.
ReplyDeleteI think 12 or 14 will do it. Anything else, we let it run, keep him (clyne) interested, risk the season with the RBs we got and go for him for free next season. That is if there are no better options
ReplyDeleteHow can Man Utd be an exception? They have won majority of the league titles since the inception of EPL. You can't rule them out because their achievements are to be big to be called as an exception.
ReplyDeleteIf managed well, a team with English players can win titles, no doubt.
Lowballing abounds- I read we returned for Clyne after £10m being rejected by offering £11m!
ReplyDeleteJust pay the going rate and NO MORE- no more £25m Lallanas or £20m Lovrens- but why wait for another side t pay the fee and end up losing out AGAIN
Those teams had Ferguson and Guardiola who made average players look special like your Nani's and all. With the greatest respect to Rodgers, he is nowhere in their bracket.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good news. Maybe he has finally realized that action speaks louder than words and hope we start with a bang this season...!! Improbable though.
ReplyDeleteI actually think we don't need a RB. We should focus on getting a LB.
ReplyDeleteNani never looked special. And Fergie never did it again after 92 either.
ReplyDeleteBoth were in another league to Rodgers though. Or even Klopp.
I feel Pep is overrated.
ReplyDeleteBecause the majority of those were not won with mainly British players and in regards to 1999, Schmeichel, Stam, Johnson, Irwin, Blomqvist and Yorke were not British. Neither is Keane who would have played for Butt had he not been suspended and neither is Solksjaer, who scored the winning goal. Also that was 1999 which was an entirely different game to now. Ajax won the CL only four years earlier with 9 Dutchmen in their starting lineup. They couldn't even afford one of those today.
ReplyDeleteYou complain when he speaks and complain when he doesn't.
ReplyDeleteIsn't keeping his mouth shut just the ticket?
Exactly my thoughts hence 'risking' the season with the RBs we have and concentrate on other areas of the team.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people never take this into account but when Pep took over Barca, they were bang average and were finishing below Villareal in the league. And, they lost Ronaldinho, Deco and Eto'o. He built the team from scratch and made them the best in the world.
ReplyDeleteRead Eric's response above. Man United's trophy winning teams were not dominated by British players. They had a good mix, but not 7-8 Brits in the starting line-up week-in, week-out.
ReplyDeleteThey're the exception because only once in a generation will a team filled with Brits consistently win trophies (Liverpool in the 70s/80s; Man United in the 90s/00s).
Rodgers isn't going to replicate Ferguson's success.
Agree, we won't get any of these players.
ReplyDeleteCompared to England, Spain have excelled.
ReplyDeleteBeckham Giggs. Scholes. 2 x Nevilles. Gillespie. Butt.
ReplyDeleteThat's 7 mainstays during that period. Blomqvist?
hardly a mainstay. And Solkjaer was sub most of the time, not 1st 11
He has done it plenty of times even after 92. He had a midfield of Carrick and Fletcher for such a long time and he made Phil Jones screen Ronaldo if I remember right. And, he got all these low level players like Smalling, Cleverley, Welbeck and still won the league with them and after he left, almost all those players left.
ReplyDeletePrior to 2008 - the period I refer to- they won 1 European Championship in 84 and a WC in 64
ReplyDeleteEngland in the same period won a WC in 64 and a semi extra time loss in 90
Not exactly excelling, either of them. Spain nothing for 20 then 24 years ..
The frustrating thing is none of those players should be out of our reach and if that's the case we need to overhaul our recruitment team immediately.
ReplyDelete....."In my view, a team where 70% of outfield players are British is destined for failure in the league, and especially Europe.
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason England have failed to win a trophy since 1966: English/British players are just not good enough at the highest level....."
Have to say that, while i understand where you're coming from, I disagree with that statement as a blanket statement. There's a reason why you may feel this. And that is.....because they are not given the opportunity to play at the highest level often enough. Mainly due to being pushed out of the picture by distinctly average oversea's players who are, in fact, no better than their english counter parts. its just perceived that they are better because people buy into the media narrative.
Example....the amount of oversea's player in the english lower leagues. Why are those players playing instead of the opportunity going to local players? I bet we all know a guy we have played with at amateur level that could easily play professionally. We should be giving the opportunity's to those guys instead. Which in turn (over time) help to raise the overall standard of english players from grassroots to top level.
How do we know if a player like Charlie Austen isn't good enough to be a CL top scorer (like luis fabiano) if he never gets the chance to play in the CL.
Lets be more realistic and put players in that want to move to LFC ,
ReplyDeleteYou dreaming if you think Kovacic, Firmino and Lacazette are coming to LFC .
And daniel instaed of Lacazzete..
ReplyDeleteHey it was not my lineup.
ReplyDeleteGillespie played 9 games for them in two years. Butt only played when Keane didn't and P Neville only played when Irwin didn't.
ReplyDeleteAlso a very good point
ReplyDelete!hsibbur fo daol a tahW
ReplyDeleteSorry my apologise !
ReplyDeleteCharlie Austin doesn't get to play CL not because he doesn't get the chance now but because he never got the chance when he was a kid. English football is, along with many other English inventions, stuck in the dark ages. At youth level the focus is not on developing football players into the modern game. Too much emphasis is still on graft, hard work and "upper body strength". How often have you not read on this forum and many others that a player may be "a bit lightweight". Or not tall enough? Barcelona just won the Champions League, league and cup (again) with mostly players well under 6 feet tall. If English talents were taught to develop into technically gifted football players and the right assets of the game would be highlighted, I'm sure England could do what Spain did or, an even better comparison, what Germany did. Germany was always the ugly duckling of football. Horrible to watch but they did win games and titles. It's an attitude thing Germand have that the English no longer have. That never say die attitude died with the Premier League when very average players started making 150k a week and pretended they were popstars wearing sarongs and all that rubbish. So unless England start building from the ground up, the Charlie Austins of 2030 stand as much chance of playing in a CL final as the one of 2015.
ReplyDeleteSorry luis Adriano
ReplyDeleteThat's because hes on a beach with his new squeeze.
ReplyDeleteHow long did it take you?
ReplyDeleteWorld Cup in '64?
ReplyDeleteBut where is Lovren in your team sheets ?
ReplyDeleteEngland if managed well,,,,, the you talking about Germany not England anymore!
ReplyDeleteI must have missed it.
ReplyDeleteI believe a major reason is the price tag of good British players along with their salary. Take Sterling for example (last rumors say MC is willing to pay 40M and 180K weekly salary). One can get a much better developed player with better end product or two potentially similar players thus hedging the risk of failure from abroad.
ReplyDeleteWell it's looking likely that we will sell sterling at some point. I just hope we get 2-3 quality signings with the money instead of 4-5 squad players. With regards to Clyne, If we could get him for 15m well and good but I wouldn't spend anymore than that seeing as wecould get montoya for around 10m.
ReplyDeleteBut my preference would be to go for someone like Martin Cacares from juve who could play rb or cb and is a proven winner. He could allow us to go 3 at the back again without dropping Can back to cb and he's more than solid as an out and out right back. The same could be said for Howedes of Schalke who can play right across the back four.
Either of those two, or cb's of their quality that could play full back aswell, plus a proven 15-20+ goal scorer should see us into the top four again. I know it will be tough to attract top talent seeing as we're out of the champions league, but at the end of the day it's all about wages. If we show some real ambition and offer them enough they will come.
And just for kicks here's a team or two I think we could/should field
Mignolet
Cacares/Howedes Skrtl Sakho
Can Coutinho
Ibe/Lallana Henderson Milner/Kovacic
Sturridge Bacca/Teves
Or
Mignolet
Cacares Skrtl Sakho Moreno
Can
Coutinho Kovacic
Henderson
Sturridge Bacca/Teves/Higuain
Totally agree with your points about youth coaching Eric. And at least we've begun to make a start in addressing this issue by, for example, insisting that players under 11 years old should not play 11-a-side football and should play on smaller pitches in smaller sides allowing for more opportunities to "get on the ball".
ReplyDeleteHowever, is it also not true to say that footballers are always learning throughout their careers, and as such, should they be given the opportunity to play against better players more often, that they would improve as players themselves. Example....if Danny Ings had the chance to play the likes of T Silva, Chiellini, Ramos, etc every week. Would he not become a better striker than if he plays against R Dunne, Shawcross, S Dann every week?
Spain won a world cup in 1964? dunno where to begin with.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool is making a big mistake going all out for only British players, British players can not win you title, you need players from other nationalities to complement those highly rated British player for you to have complete winning team that we are hoping for. Sell Sterling and get Firmino, forget Clyne and go for Martin Montoya, add Mateo Kovacic to add more bite to your midfield, forget Benteke and go for more flexible and hungrier attacker.
ReplyDeleteThe level of coaching in England has increased so much over the last ten years. Things are already very different to how they were. The record of England age-group teams is improving all the time. The important groups, U17 and U21, are at the very top of the European game.
ReplyDeleteThe U17s were very unfortunate not to defend their UEFA title at this summer's tournament, played Russia off the park in their 1/4 final but didn't get the breaks, a game in which Sheyi Ojo excelled.
The U21s are justified favourites with Germany for the upcoming tournament in the Czech republic and were excellent in qualifying. They also beat Germany, Italy and Portugal in friendlies recently.
The obvious technical deficit that used to exist is no longer there. English players look similar technically to those from Argentina and Germany, with the same emphasis on tactics and the intelligent use of athleticism. So my feeling is that the attitude behind the argument expressed in this article of Jaimie's is somewhat out of date. English football is headed to a good place and we will be seeing more and more English players at the top of the European game in the coming years.
Now if you said Germany or Italy it would've made more sense, but Spain? everybody knows that prior to 2008 they were odds on underachievers of the tournaments, at least England won the '66 WC on the home soil.
ReplyDeleteAgreed with everything Jaimie, if this is given more chance for at least 2more season the team will be 100% British
ReplyDeleteThose two right backs are very good, but unfortunately, our scouts didn't know anywhere outside England
ReplyDeleteWisdom or Gomez ahead of Moreno no way and i think we need more overseas talent though.
ReplyDelete16 out of Bayern Munich's 25 man squad are German. that's 60-70%
ReplyDeleteI think your theory is off the mark
Don't forget Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham.
ReplyDeleteThen there was the 1995(ish) era of Paul Parker, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, David May, Paul Ince, Lee Sharpe..... which was also the early years of Beckham, both Nevilles, Scholes and Butt.
I've not even touched on the other Brits of Giggs, Hughes, Keane, Irwin and McClair.
I'm with you Mike on this one
That's squad, not regular first-team. You keep trying to twist my words - My point is clearly that a team filled with *British* players is not good enough to consistently win trophies, and that is true.
ReplyDeleteWill sign for Man U but note this B R believes that Ayre has been outstanding in the transfer market so far - OUTSTANDING
ReplyDeleteP S We already have 11 right backs
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you. At the end of the day a football club is also a business and has to think that way.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we need to start changing the attitudes of young english kids then. ??? (and their agents too lol)
Glad I'm not alone!
ReplyDeleteI always felt that while there was doubtless a lack of emphasis on good solid technique as a cornerstone of player development, our real problem from 1990-2010 was with tactical backwardness. That problem went right through our football. But even in the football league now you see teams having technical and tactical nous. Obviously the two are related. But the dominance of 4-4-2 in English football was like a religion, an unquestioned truth. English players understood 4-4-2. And that was that.
It's changed now, totally changed. It's partly about structure and development and investment. But also young English kids these days aspire to play the kind of football they see the very best in the world playing on Youtube, and I believe they get a level of tactical education from playing FIFA which no coaching manual has ever matched in terms of influence. Street and parks football is unrecognisable from 20 years ago, and looks more like Futsal than the kinds of scrummage me and my friends used to get stuck into. I just hope it turns into tournament performances before I'm too old to understand what's going on :)
yeah, man doesn't criticise his boss in public. shocker
ReplyDeleteHaha, yeah, i remember those day's. 30/40 kids all crammed into a caged 6-a-side pitch. playing "wait your turn to try and take everyone on" totally forgetting that actually you have teammates your allowed to pass to. Ahhh the good old days. The days of "if in doubt kick it out". Thank god those dark days are long passed. (i still can't believe we used to teach kids "if in doubt, kick it out". What better way of teaching them to be scared of the ball)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you raised the point of tactical awareness. I think this is critical to the development of young players.
Its all well and good being technically proficient, but not much use if you don't know how to use this proficiency.
We need to crack this nut and ensure our young players are "students-of-the-game".
The best players in the world are not just technically gifted, but they are all very tactically aware as well
I only hope that your optimism for the future is well founded. I have a sneaky suspicion though that the real tactical awakening will take another generation yet. Unfortunately, there are still quite a few tactically deficient coaches out there at the moment and i suspect that it wont be untll our more tactically aware youngster become the coaches of tomorrow, that the real shift will take effect.