In May, Liverpool legend John Aldridge claimed that Rickie Lambert 'will be leaving Liverpool this summer', and new reports this week suggest that the striker is definitely on his way out of Anfield.
In his column for Sunday World, Aldo appeared to reveal a snippet of inside information. He noted:
"Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert [Combined cost: £30m] are among the...high earning...players who will be leaving Liverpool this summer"
According to an ESPN 'source' today:
* Lambert has conceded that he 'expects to leave' Anfield this summer.
* West Brom, Crystal Palace, and Aston Villa are interested in signing the veteran striker.
Lambert is also linked with a shock move to Chelsea, with The Mirror claiming that Blues scouts watched in action Lambert during Liverpool's recent 2-1 victory over QPR.
A fanciful notion, but I just can't see Mourinho being interested in Lambert, who's barely featured for Liverpool since the turn of the year.
Whatever happens, Lambert's days at Liverpool are surely numbered:
* He had plenty of chances to make a difference in the first half of last season, but Lambert's inability to score regularly contributed to Liverpool's poor pre-Christmas form.
* In the second half of the season, Lambert barely played, and even if he'd been a regular, it's doubtful he would've weighed in with the goals needed to propel the Reds into the top four.
* Now, new arrivals Roberto Firmino, Danny Ings and Divock Origi (Combined cost: £47m*) will almost certainly be ahead of Lambert in the Anfield pecking order.
* If Christian Benteke signs (or some other top striker), Lambert will struggle most weeks to make the match-day squad.
Lambert - hailed by Adam Lallana as an 'excellent' striker - is not a bad player; in the season prior to signing for Liverpool, he smashed in 25 goals/assists in 39 games for Southampton, which shows that he's a solid Premier League striker.
Alas, at Liverpool, Lambert just hasn't been given a consistent chance, and unluckily for him, he's failed to make the most of the opportunities that came his way.
Lambert described his move to Liverpool as a 'dream' come true, but over the course of last season, that dream turned into a nightmare.
On a related note: Liverpool signed three Southampton players last summer, and all three have abjectly failed to make the required (and expected) difference at Anfield. Ditto Luke Shaw at Man United.
Here's hoping that Nathaniel Clyne will buck this depressing trend...
* Firmino: £29m | Origi: £10m | Ings: £6m (probable compensation fee)
Author: Jaimie K
In his column for Sunday World, Aldo appeared to reveal a snippet of inside information. He noted:
"Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert [Combined cost: £30m] are among the...high earning...players who will be leaving Liverpool this summer"
According to an ESPN 'source' today:
* Lambert has conceded that he 'expects to leave' Anfield this summer.
* West Brom, Crystal Palace, and Aston Villa are interested in signing the veteran striker.
Lambert is also linked with a shock move to Chelsea, with The Mirror claiming that Blues scouts watched in action Lambert during Liverpool's recent 2-1 victory over QPR.
A fanciful notion, but I just can't see Mourinho being interested in Lambert, who's barely featured for Liverpool since the turn of the year.
Whatever happens, Lambert's days at Liverpool are surely numbered:
* He had plenty of chances to make a difference in the first half of last season, but Lambert's inability to score regularly contributed to Liverpool's poor pre-Christmas form.
* In the second half of the season, Lambert barely played, and even if he'd been a regular, it's doubtful he would've weighed in with the goals needed to propel the Reds into the top four.
* Now, new arrivals Roberto Firmino, Danny Ings and Divock Origi (Combined cost: £47m*) will almost certainly be ahead of Lambert in the Anfield pecking order.
* If Christian Benteke signs (or some other top striker), Lambert will struggle most weeks to make the match-day squad.
Lambert - hailed by Adam Lallana as an 'excellent' striker - is not a bad player; in the season prior to signing for Liverpool, he smashed in 25 goals/assists in 39 games for Southampton, which shows that he's a solid Premier League striker.
Alas, at Liverpool, Lambert just hasn't been given a consistent chance, and unluckily for him, he's failed to make the most of the opportunities that came his way.
Lambert described his move to Liverpool as a 'dream' come true, but over the course of last season, that dream turned into a nightmare.
On a related note: Liverpool signed three Southampton players last summer, and all three have abjectly failed to make the required (and expected) difference at Anfield. Ditto Luke Shaw at Man United.
Here's hoping that Nathaniel Clyne will buck this depressing trend...
* Firmino: £29m | Origi: £10m | Ings: £6m (probable compensation fee)
Author: Jaimie K
Surely there will be movement out of the Club be it the three mentioned above or even Markovic who is rumored to be sold
ReplyDeleteReally feel for Lambert. I think even he wouldn't have a clue why Liverpool bought him in first place. Hope he finds a good club.
ReplyDeleteLuckly we were not taken to the cleaners with Clyne.
ReplyDeleteSoton probably felt sorry for us.
ReplyDeleteThey ripped us off the year before... £20m on Lovren, £24m on Lallana and £4m on Lambert - even if they gave us Clyne (who only had 1 year left on his contract anyway), we still overpaid Southampton :D
ReplyDeletePersonally I would VERY disappointed if Benteke joins! He doesn't fit into our style of play, doesn't work hard to get the ball back, gets caught offside a lot, goes months without scoring, 1 in 3 passes fail to reach a team mate and goes absent a lot in matches too - look our ineffective and quiet he was against Arsenal in the FA cup!!
Personally I think Lacazette would be our best option - his style of play is perfect for our system, could be cheaper all round. I know he is unproven in the EPL but so was Torres and Suarez and look how they turned out for us! Benteke would be another Andy Carroll!!!
We ripped our selves off we pursued Lallana for months never looked at another option and they should have laughed off 20 mill for Lovren.
ReplyDeleteI think that is very harsh on Benteke. He has a PL goal ratio of almost a goal every other game which is an excellent record in the premier league. He has more to his game than Carroll .
ReplyDeleteI have my reservations about him joining us but think some people are being overly harsh on the lad.
Been a few outs an more to follow i would expect:
ReplyDeleteAspas 4.4m
Coates 4m
Jones - 0
Gerrard - 0
Johnson - 0
Expected:
Lambert 4m
Borini 8m
Balotelli 10-12m ?
Alberto 3m
Enrique 4m
Lucas/Allen 8-10m
Would have been a great story having a big Liverpool fan come player,be a success story for the team he loves.But unfortunately Lambert doesn't make the cut,got to feel for the guy.YNWA
ReplyDeleteBenteke most definitely better than Carroll but I really do not see things working out for Benteke at LFC. He will have a chance to prove me wrong should he sign.
ReplyDeleteIf we were going to get him for half of the £32.5m Villa want then there will be less risk involved. If Benteke flops then it will be another player which we will loose massive amounts of money on. Even £20m is too much.
We are one of the worst teams when it comes to negotiating our way through deals. We get screwed over 90% of the time.
ReplyDeleteNobody wants Enrique or Balotelli.
ReplyDeleteTwo players who we are going to struggle to move on.
Only if somebody can finally insert some sense into Balo's head then there will be no need for Benteke. Unfortunately the guy is stuck in Super Mario Land. We need a player in the mould of Suarez. One who can create something out of nothing and with the amount of money willing to be spent on Benteke, surely we can use that to lure a player which fits the profile.
We may be able to find Balotelli a club in Turkey if we can persuade him to leave, i cant see anyone wanting Enrique he is just a permanent sick note.
ReplyDeleteCarroll at Newcastle had a better and more consistent record than Benteke. He is also a better footballer, holds the ball up well, brings other players into the game, higher pass completion etc.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of their style, they are similar and require a similar set up - part of the reason they both do well at clubs like Villa, Newcastle and West Ham where crosses and long balls are more commonly used.
Carroll though has been affected more by injury since joining and leaving LFC (Benteke has had a few too) but at Newcastle Carroll was more prolific and consistent. For a big guy he also has more skill and footballing ability (when fit). I guess if you only know Carroll from his LFC days onwards then Benteke possibly does look a better footballer.
Benteke also goes months without scoring, he is also goes absent a lot in matches - doesn't work hard for the team. can easily be marked out of the game (look at the cup final against Arsenal) We already have 1 Belgian overpaid Striker (Origi) - lets not make it 2!!!
"super Mario Land" the best comment ever :)
ReplyDeletehilarious logan !
I put Lambert down as one of the worst strikers ever to wear an LFC shirt , his pace & movement was nil . he could not even head a ball . Whether it was all down to him or a combination of him & the tactics used by the `clueless` Rodgers is any ones guess a bit of both I guess . Anyway lets hope he accepts the fact that he has no chance of even getting a place on the bench with the new arrivals , & goes some place else maybe Tranmere.
ReplyDeleteSo did Carroll at Newcastle before he joined us. Carroll also has a better pass completion and actual footballing ability but because we don't play the long ball or crosses, he (like Benteke) struggled.
ReplyDeleteBenteke goes months without scoring, often very quiet in matches, doesn't work hard to get the ball back, caught offside easily and 1 in 3 passes fail to reach a team mate. These aren't rumours or being harsh but actual facts.
What we have to do is only offer around 18 mill plus Lambert for him and do not pay him a salary that means we are stuck with him a`la Borini .
ReplyDeleteHow much are we paying Origi anything more than 10k pw. will be too much .
ReplyDeleteLogan ; I hope Firmino is our new Suarez .
ReplyDelete"On a related note: Liverpool signed three Southampton players last
ReplyDeletesummer, and all three have abjectly failed to make the required (and
expected) difference at Anfield. Ditto Luke Shaw at Man United.
Here's hoping that Nathaniel Clyne will buck this depressing trend"
True that, but Clyne is the more 'complete' looking of them, and has the least to prove. Lovren, Lallana and Lambert were all put in a high pressure situation in an underperforming team. We needed goals, so Lallana and Lambert were immediately put under immense pressure, and our deficiencies in defence were a big issue, meaning Lovren would be under the microscope from day 1. This was increased exponentially by their big old price tags.
Clyne is a bit of a different story, he's a right back to start off with, which is one of the lower pressure positions, you arent really judged on goals/assists and the goals conceded is more the domain of GKs and CBs. Added to this is his very reasonable price tag and the fact that he's had 2 premier league seasons with the saints, both of which he did really well. I've got absolute confidence in the boy, I think he'll be our new Glen Johnson, and by that I mean our new old Glen Johnson, and by that I mean a new old young Glen Johnson.
The Glen Johnson from 4 or 5 seasons ago.
haha, yeah he always didn't know why, but he didn't wanna tell that to his dream club ;)
ReplyDeleteLambert is a thoroughly decent goalscorer, when given appropriate service. Problem is, he was bought as a 'plan B' striker, but in the complete absence of a 'plan A' striker, and thrown into a side that rarely crosses the ball and always looks (frustratingly often) to play the ball through the middle. He was never even given a decent run of games in the team to prove his worth. The failure to utilise him correctly lies entirely with BR in my opinion. Lambert will probably bag 10 or 11 goals next season playing at somewhere like Palace.
ReplyDeleteCarroll at Newcastle had only half a season of EPL.
ReplyDeleteJK dislikes all Glen Johnsons anyway...
ReplyDeleteLambert is a decent striker (at his age ) but does not fit lfc system. He's more like a target man in my eyes,he lacks the pace to play the role Brendan wants.
ReplyDeleteWith benteke deal itching closer everyday, I'm seriously worried..., benteke is a good player for Aston Villa (or some other teams ) not for lfc.... I would rather see us keep Lambert, borini or balo than signing him
Barcelona defender Martin Montoya has arrived in Milan for a medical ahead of sealing a loan move to Inter.
ReplyDeletewhat a mistake it would be to get rid of lucas,he gets slated by lots of people,who are blind to see the job the lad does and is capable of doing,his injury was a big loss last,season how badly are defence needs him sitting in front of them breaking up play,very underrated player.should be kept..and maybe give balo another chance maybe?
ReplyDeleteI think you can forget about Lucas and Allen leaving. I know Milner is supposedly Gerrard's replacement but he's by no means a central midfielder. I can see him on the right wing but in central positions we have not made any additions and lost Gerrard. Assuming Can will move up a line, and another CM coming in (so many rumours, one of them must be true), that won't leave us overstaffed in that area. Especially if we revert back to 4-3-3. Plus, who on earth would pay 8 to 10 million for players who've spent 50% of the past few seasons on the treatment table?
ReplyDeleteHis injuries are a "big loss" every season. That's why we should plan for life without him. He cannot be relied on.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure Enrique will find his way somewhere else. Balotelli? Well we knew that when we signed him last summer and we signed him anyway. All Pascoe and Marsh's fault of course
ReplyDeletecouldn't care less ;-)
ReplyDeleteBenteke at £32v million is CRAZY - Several top players when asked rated Balloteli a much better player - THINK B R THINK = He does not suit our style of play. As for Lambert and Borini - Way off the pace SELL and then sell 6 more - we all know them including Allen and Enrique NOW
ReplyDeleteNo I didn't, but his loan was in the championship, so it's not comparable.
ReplyDeleteHey One good thing - LFC have started to listen to my advise re toughening up - Sturidge boxing on you tube - Look out Floyd Mayweather - your days are numbered
ReplyDeleteNot really most of Carrolls rise to fame was in the championship, Benteke does it for a weak side in the PL week in week out, He can move and has a good shot, We dont really get the whole lone striker thing as our wingers cut inside all the time so support will be there, he will just need to learn to take it on his feet more and not just be a target man... until we need him to be
ReplyDeleteI agree with your sentiments.
ReplyDeleteSimply put, I'd go all out for Lacazette, wafting bags of gold under his nose, because that it seems is what attracts him. And if we can somehow make him believe we want him more, and he'll get more adoration from the Kop than any other place, we may get him to turn his head.
As much as it's a long shot, he'll end up being a better fit to LFC than any other Premier League team - and if I may say, a cheaper option than Benteke.
Pretty underwhelmed by that lineup. Lucas?? Really? He needs to be shipped out. Really struggled over the past few seasons. Ball retention poor and just a bit slow.
ReplyDeleteAs for Benteke. £20m I'd say yes but we're going to end up paying the full whack and he isn't good enough for that. Agreed the Lambert comparisons are unfair but we need someone quicker footed and more nimble for the style of play from last year.
Too true.
ReplyDeletePlus Alberto we are struggling to offload to but hes young.
Balo will probably be a loan with option to buy or a depserate deadline day deal.
Enrique we will release a year early...
Missed out 2 BIG names that could also be on their way out...
Lovren - Skrtel signing a new contract, we are not selling Sahko and we have 2 kids waiting to step up plus our reported interest in the Monaco CB makes me think Lovren was NOT a BR buy and with West Ham reported interest we may sell him on.
Markovic - Honestly if we sell him I wont be too disappointed. I would sell him for 12 to buy Shaquiri personally...
I don't think he is the answer but i really don't think it matters cause i think BR is playing it safe with a proven player from the EPL so maybe it will work.
ReplyDeleteAs weak as you believe Lucas is, and I agree we need a new mobile DM, Lucas at the moment is STILL our best and only DM in the squad.
ReplyDeleteAnd when fit, you may be surprised to learn that Lucas is up there amonst the best DM's in Europe statistically. So careful what you wish for.
If nothing else he should be kept in the squad as a backup DM and for breaking in the new boys, especially Firmino - do not underestimate how hard it is to integrate into a new city/language when not playing football, and how many girlfriends cause player unrest because they do not settle in the new city. Lucas does a fantastic job in the background to keep these guys happy. Additionally, he's the closest thing we have to the only ("adopted") Scouser in the team.
Better to ditch Allen than Lucas.
Playing it safe for LFC or for his own neck?
ReplyDeleteSo who plays CDM?
ReplyDeleteAllen?
Can whose a born Box to box.
So why did BR buy him in the first place, and when he did deem it OK to player Lambert, change LFC's style of play to suit him?
ReplyDeleteMy personal view is Lambo lost his confidence from missing a penalty against City in the pre-season and never recovered his mojo - together with having a manager who does not know how to play to his strengths.
Spot on - and another BR failure.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you.
ReplyDeleteLucas should not go simply because he's currently our ONLY DM, And even if we were to buy a more mobile DM, we'd need a backup.
Allen will not be sold, because he is the secret love child of BR on a teenage trip to Swansea.
Who knows what will happen with Big Ben but one thing is for sure he is way over priced unless he shells out 20 to 30 goals next season and then he will be worth every penny but he may then want to move on to so called bigger club.
ReplyDeleteLacazette would have been my preference but i guess that ship has sailed, Rondon too would have been nice but thats dreaming he probably would fit right in with Cortinho and Firmino behind him as would have young Vietto.
Yep, need to buy a new more mobile DM.
ReplyDeleteBut should still keep him as a back-up DM,
In my humble opinion he should have been made the team captain after SG left for a number of reasons.
1. Only "adopted" Scouser left in the squad
2. Most senior pro in the squad
3. Completely selfless and humble guy
4. Does fantastic work gelling the players behind the scenes, which will be needed when Firmino comes.
5. For me the first name on the match day squad, as he balances attack and defence - until such time as we get a more mobile DM.
I agree that Lacazette is made for LFC, and don't believe that ship has left the harbour - yet.
ReplyDeleteNeed to throw silly money and make him feel wanted. It's an outside chance, but one we should at least try, as he is clearly a better/cheaper option than Benteke.
Shame more don't see your sense ;-)
ReplyDeleteI second your post wholeheartedly.
ReplyDeleteLambert was never intended to be a first team player and that was pretty much known and what happened next with the striker debacle is also pretty well documented. My problem lies in the fact that Lambert was bought to be this Plan B so to say but Rodgers never played him. Most of his appearences were 5-10 mins off the bench with the team looking hopeless. No one can prove their worth in such limited gametime. In all honesty, he has not been that bad, certainly not as catastrophic as portrayed to be. He had decent link up play and played better than others at times. He has not been a failure but just a pointless buy because he has never been played.
ReplyDelete"World class goal machine"? You sure?
ReplyDeleteSorry, it's 5th/6th again until he learns how to coach defenders and gets a halfway competent keeper.
£300 ? Why not free? And you also said sterling (the mercenary ) should be sold for 8m wow!
ReplyDeleteIf we are determined to sign a Cristian Ben, let it be Cristian Benavente of Real Madrid.
ReplyDeleteRondon is by no way a dream signing., boy, do you actually watch him play? He's just scoring those 'cheap and lucky goals and using his body strength as an advantage to bully defenders
ReplyDeleteNo one can prove their worth 5-10mins?
ReplyDeleteAsk sir Alex about Hernandez
That's something I have difficulty subscribing too though. Everyone doesn't mind Lucas being at the club because he's such a nice guy but at the end of the day he contributes very little. Same goes for Allen. So yes first of all we need a better player in his position but at the same time I want to see guys like Rossiter get a chance in competitive games rather than our managers always going for the, assumed, safe option. Look at what Van Gaal did at Man United last season or Wenger has done at Arsenal so many times. Just throw them in there. Some will float, some will sink. But we're talking about managers here who consistently finish inside the top four (in Van Gaal's case in all of the leagues he's managed in)
ReplyDeleteI actually believe Allen is a very good player. He's just injured too often. His talent can handle this level, his body can't.
ReplyDeleteNo. We get in a new one. Illaramendi, Clasie, etc
ReplyDeletei understand your point and agree to some extent but its still annoying we cant seem to pluck players out of relative obscurity. they always have to be picked up by mid-table teams (in epl or abroad), do really well and then get sold on to us for ridiculous fees. i guess its the same for all big clubs because they want proven talent and dont want to take a risk but its not like we're real madrid, barca, man city, chelsea etc who have the money to do what they want.
ReplyDeletefor just 21 million pounds.. remind me why LFC aren't going after lacazette..?
ReplyDeleteIf we can do a deal with City over Sterling and bring Dzeko to Anfield and a fair ammount of money, i personally would be happy, and we could try bringing Carvalho and Lavezzi too, then top 4 would be manageable, who knows we could even be a threat for the title, if and its a big if, our defense starts gelling and our keeper can actually control his areas and command the defense like he should.
ReplyDeleteWell lets see how much we get then ?? I called Sterling a mercenary and worse but I never said sell him for £8 million - thats crap
ReplyDeleteJust checking.. are you sure your dad is who he says he is? And whether a DNA test may determine BR genealogy ;-)
ReplyDeleteCome on - please try to extol the virtues of Allen such that I and the masses can be woken from our slumber?
Three points:
ReplyDelete1. I agree at times we need to blood youth, and BR does not do this well compared to the likes of Wenger or LvG.
2. As to the fact Lucas does not contibute - wholly disagree. Simply because he does not score or play an exquisite pass does not mean his contribution to the team is negligible. He is the only player in the team who plays the DM role well, sniffs out danger, breaks up attacks and reads the game well. And when he plays the DM role there is an element of harmony between attack and defence.
3. And it for all the positive points Lucas offers that Allen cannot reciprocate is why he is no DM. So if Allen does not contribute going forward or in defending, what exactly does he do? He is nothing like a Welsh Xavi, and simply an extra player in midfield occupying space - and needs to be offloaded.
Anyone else peeved that Bayern Munich signed Douglas Costa when Liverpool should have signed him?
ReplyDeleteGutted for Lambo, think the dream that never came true would have been better than the dream that blew up in his face.....
ReplyDelete10-12m for Balotelli? Are you joking me??? Liverpool probably couldn't get more than £5m for him right now. Best to take the hit but have a sell on clause, as if he does rediscover his form, no doubt there is another £20m move somewhere.
ReplyDeleteand they say wishes do come true, poor Lamb
ReplyDeleteAnybody please, why are we not going for ADRIANO.?
ReplyDeletePlease anybody help me out here,
Absolutely, and I'd certainly like to at least hear we'd made an 'enquiry' about the possibilities of signing Lacazette and backed it up with murmurings of 'end of the rainbow' amounts of gold.
ReplyDeleteHaving re-read this thread just now, I see a lot of our fears are being addressed and perhaps there may be some room for movement but for me the underlying issue remains:
Even if Benteke 'may' be able to excel at the type of play we require - why take the risk of finding out - unless of course we've run out of other options and are again, back to a 'Balo-gate' type scenario.
Just picking my way through to todays news/threads though so perhaps this ones already been put to bed and I'll see we're now talking other targets :)
Why would a player choose us over Bayern?
ReplyDeleteSince when did we have a divine right to sign players?
I noticed that about Benteke too - absolutely useless in the Cup final.
ReplyDeleteLooks like that one was perhaps never on the cards then, but when his name was being mentioned don't think we really expected to be snapping Clyne up so soon. Still happy with our new RB and hope we've got we've got the better deal :)
ReplyDeleteSeems to tick more boxes than Benteke that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteBecause he has signed for AC Milan and Rodgers wants benteke
ReplyDeleteAre either of those facts.
ReplyDeleteI just don't get this fascination for Benteke. 32mil??? The are better and cheaper options IMO. Liverpool need to sign a player in the Suarez mold and Lacazette or Reus fits that type of player.
ReplyDeleteI am one of those that believes Lucas and Allen should be moved on. In the case of Lucas on if we have a CDM replacing him that is more mobile and has a physical presence
ReplyDeleteI didn't say Lucas does not contribute when hes on the pitch. I said he is injured too often to contribute. You cant really impact a season if you barely play. Plus he often fouls in the wrong places or very clumsily so even as a DM we could definitely improve on him. Allen is no DM. I absolutely agree.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Clasie.
ReplyDeleteHard tackler and good football IQ.
Why move Lucas on considering his value is 7M - which is what we paid for Aspi$$.
ReplyDeleteRather keep him and get another CDM for competition.
I strongly disagree with you but can understand your point of view. I find Robbie Fowlers' comments regarding the signing of Benteke to be spot on but found an article which explains my thoughts on why he would be a huge success far better than I could.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if any of it sways you. Just for the record, I thought Benteke was a signing we should of made after his first season at Villa.http://eplindex.com/69168/dispelling-benteke-myth-thrive-liverpool.html
Interesting article folks. Thoughts?
ReplyDeletehttp://eplindex.com/69168/dispelling-benteke-myth-thrive-liverpool.html
Thanks for posting. I seem to be one of the few that see what you see as I completely agree with everything you've said.
ReplyDeleteThe most annoying thing for me is the complete and utter refusal of people to consider that the guy was playing for a woeful team completely devoid of anything other than basic attacking ideas under Lambert, yet was still able to maintain a good scoring rate. As you have pointed out, he isn't injury prone either so when people site this as a reason it really is hard to take them seriously as they obviously just suck in whatever is the latest popular thought and then constantly spew it out with no reasoning.
I've seen the most vehment of the anti Benteke brigade go back on his own opinion simply because someone stated goal stats, as though he didn't know these facts about the player before he started comparing him to every lame target man under the sun.
Lets assume Balotelli and Lambert are shipped out and that Sterling leaves. I am not fully convinced on the line-up above and reluctant to make too many assumptions on who we sign (although I appreciate the thread relates to us theoretically acquiring Benteke). Assuming the squad as is and Sturridge fit and with the departures I refer to (above) be interesting in some thoughts on best starting 11. Personally I think Henderson is massively over-rated (and now fancies himself way too much - I would never let him near a corner, free kick or penalty) but I think we are destined to remain blessed with his apparent "greatness". I also agree with some of the below comments that Lucas is the best DM we have and he ain't very good. My starting 11 would be
ReplyDeleteMignolet
Skrtel, Sakho, Moreno and Clyne (tempted to drop the defensive liability Moreno, shift Clyne to left and put Milner in at RB)
Henderson (reluctantly), Milner, Lucas (reluctantly again / Can instead?)
Coutinho (or Ibe or Markovic), Sturridge (or Origi), Firmino
- but we don't appear to be able to fit Can, Lallana, Markovic, Allen, Ings, Lovren, Origi in any starting 11 - thats fully £110m of players we have recently bought. What a waste of money - better off with 3 x 35m world class starting 11 players.
Thoughts, alternative teams (from the players we have) please?
No worries.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest when it was announced we were going for him I was disappointed and in that group who didn't think eh would fit us..
Not because of him but because BR is quite bad at utilizing strikers whose names don't start with an S - Sturridge and Suarez...
But that i smore on BR than the players.
yes borini runs around like a headless chicken.,
Aspas was on a Diouf trajectory of poor performances
Lambert had heart but no legs
Balo.. well less said the better...
But Benteke could work.
Agsin I still have reservations mainly because of price... For 22M we could get Lacazette. For 20M Bacca was available both higher in my pecking list than Benteke.
Another alternative is Beharino. His biggest problem is having the agent from h311