Liverpool Banter Archive October 24 2017

24 Oct 2017 19:31:02
Hi eds
Seen a lot written about Moreno and the left back situation this season. Just wondering if any of the eds had any idea why Robertson is finding it so hard to get a look in? I know he came late and wasn't fully fit but by now at the very least you would expect to see him given some chances rotating with Moreno.
I know moreno looks better and he should be applauded for the work he has put in and the improvement but he still makes a lot of mistakes and in my opinion is in no way making the position his own.

24 Oct 2017 19:53:54
Love posts like this lol. The glaring failures in the team notably the keeper and the other defenders yet people still post and try to roast our
A. Most improved defender
B. This seasons most reliable
C. Hasn't been at fault
D. But yeah I get let's blame him for everyone else's failings and short comings.

24 Oct 2017 20:58:55
Bit harsh there p1. I love Moreno as a person, and there is no doubt he has improved a lot this season, and the OP hasn't been particularly harsh on him - he has just asked a very reasonable question - 'where the hell is Robertson? '. Am asking the same question myself. I would have thought he would be in a few squads or on the bench for a match or 2, but he appears to have vanished. The modern version of Lord Lucan.

24 Oct 2017 21:15:47
weird buy.

24 Oct 2017 23:29:19
NICK,
I think we have to start asking was he a KLOPP signing. all these defensive issues have to be laid at KLOPP’S door, from alternating keepers to giving LOVREN a new contact, the MORENO conundrum, all show indecision from KLOPP. in the next few months we will find whether KLOPP sinks or swims. he struggled with this at DORTMUND.

25 Oct 2017 00:59:57
P1, at what point did I roast Moreno?
Is he the best player at the club? All I said was that he hasn't made the position his own and isn't undropable which I stand by. In case you hadn't noticed he is a member of the shocking defence. My main point rather than Moreno's performance was why buy a player and not even give him a fair chance, no even making the match day squad 90% of the timr.

25 Oct 2017 02:12:48
wembley78 - what's with all the capitals mate.

25 Oct 2017 05:17:52
Other then change for changes sake, I can't see how moreno can be dropped.

25 Oct 2017 08:56:53
Undoubtedly Moreno has improved and I hope he continues to do so I really do. When he scored that goal against spurs a couple of years ago I thought we were going to have one hell of a left back in our team. Sadly, for whatever reason, he didn’t develop from there. So I applaud him for the effort he has obviously made (something ed 1 has referenced over the course of last season even when he wasn’t getting game time) . That said, just because he has improved it does not necessarily mean he is good enough. Robertson has had, ?2 games is it. It’s a very fair question to ask where he is as he doesn’t even make any match day squads. His delivery from outside has been pretty impressive, he is surely deserving of some game time is he not?

25 Oct 2017 09:24:08
There was an article with Roberston in it and it made sense the LB position is a specialized position so why would you have two LBS in the match day squad? it doesn't make sense when you could have others on the bench who can play that position/ and others I. E Milner can drop in if theirs an injury TAA can come across.

25 Oct 2017 11:06:29
I’m sorry but Moreno still keeps leaving big spaces behind him as he pushed forward. This means he’s constantly getting caught out of position and allowing the opposition to put more pressure in the central defenders who are having to cover. Gary Neville called it right during the game. Now I love seeing Moreno surge forward but not if it means we keep shipping goals. Why isn’t the Scottish lad getting games, we looked better balanced with him playing?

{Ed001's Note - and Robertson does the same thing because that is how teams instruct their full backs to play, as Neville knows full well. The problem is that they should either be instructed not to get forward as much or we should have a midfielder covering the gap left (or dropping between the centre halves to allow one of the centre backs to cover out wide). We do neither and that would not change because Robertson is there.}

25 Oct 2017 11:21:20
Point taken Ed. Cheers.

{Ed001's Note - welcome mate.}

25 Oct 2017 12:50:18
Alex, you kind of contradicted yourself dude. Asking why Robertson isn't getting a look in. It IS because moreno has made it his own. He is far from perfect and I still get high blood pressure when our left flank is targeted but he has been okay. No, he's been good. Going forward he is very exciting and he hasn't made many big mistakes. He is a tough little sod too. Little 'Ard nut.

Personally I think Robertson was a good bit of business. A fair bit of player for very little cash. I think, and I could be way off, that he is still adapting to our style, when he has played he likes to get a cross in, which is great, but we don't have much height up front or power. He needs to get out of the habit and play more intelligent pass's. I think the lad has got it in him.

Klopp told moreno that he was going to buy a lb in the summer and moreno asked him "what do I have to do to get in the team? " Whatever klopp said it seems to be working. I think if moreno starts to feel the love of the fans he will go up a gear. I'd love to hear a positive song about moreno, I think he deserves it and I think we will see a different player.

24 Oct 2017 18:30:54
How's everyone doing this evening?

{Ed025's Note - good mate..hows you ST?..

24 Oct 2017 19:08:35
Any update on joe ST?

24 Oct 2017 20:09:38
I've been incredibly busy ed wanted to come on here sooner, update in what way sandon?

{Ed025's Note - if work gets in the way of you posting ST...pack the work in mate..

24 Oct 2017 20:59:52
Is that what koeman did ed 25 lol.

{Ed025's Note - it looks very much like it p1, him and the titanic should never have left southampton mate..

24 Oct 2017 21:23:35
How is he enjoying being in the 1st team ST?

24 Oct 2017 21:45:41
Haha I'll be more regular now, and Ye he's enjoying it a lot but still wants lovrens place.

24 Oct 2017 22:04:27
Think Joe’s chances have dramatically improved after Sunday, ST!

24 Oct 2017 22:17:00
He deserves his place too ST.

24 Oct 2017 22:17:54
He gets my vote.

24 Oct 2017 22:18:55
Well I think we all want that ST👍🏼.

25 Oct 2017 03:27:56
After the abuse/ personal threats Lovren received I'm sure he'd be happy to let let Joe take his place while he sits on the bench. If Gomez makes a few mistakes the cretans will be calling for his head aswell. Make no mistake I believe dropping Lovren is for the best but the rubbish he's received lately is over the top and all those involved should be ashamed of themselves. Good luck young Joe and let's hope your given time and patience to prove yourself.

24 Oct 2017 22:07:45
Would that be the Olympic you mean ed 25?

{Ed025's Note - not many people would know the olympic p1 so im sticking with the titanic mate..

24 Oct 2017 18:26:15
Watching the game again (I know?! ) I think it's clear we got done tactically as well. Tottenham left 2 roaming forwards which often seemed 2 on 2 with our CBs with a quick transition from defence to attack. Our high press was awful too, often pressing one at a time so they could play it around us with ease.

The last goal for example, they passed it ridiculously easily around Coutinho (who pressed high on his own), then into their right midfield. Moreno stepped up into no mans land, allowing them to pass down the line and into space behind him for Kane, forcing Matip to cover onto the touch line and vacate the CB position. Why didn't we have a flat back 4 like every other side and a couple of players owning midfield? There were gaps all over the park. In the end they shut it down but only by fouling which they scored from.

I've noticed for a while now the high press is very effective in some games, but we seem to struggle without Hendo/ Gini/ Lallana/ Mane/ Firmino all in there as a team, as they are all very effective at swarming all over the players and cutting out the passing lanes. At the moment we seem caught between a high press and sitting deep and doing neither sometimes.

I agree with some other posters on here we need to shake up the back 5 with Karius or Ward and Gomez at CB, but I would also like to see us giving them a bit more cover in a 4-2-3-1 and try make it harder for players to expose our back 4 quit so ruthlessly. Then transition far quicker to a front 4 of Mane, Coutinho, Salah and Firmino to run at their defence and play the one touch passes with a bit more confidence they have cover behind them.

25 Oct 2017 03:57:08
I honestly think we're missing Lallana. He's gone from taking too many touches to being the player who gets us moving forward quickly with his close control and quick feet he gets out of tight situations impressively then releases the ball quickly. Lately we've been too slow shifting from defence to attack which is due to both Adam and Sadie being missing. Our midfielders are all too similar and slow play down. And just to add no one seems to have mentioned Cans part in Spurs third just before the break as going in at 2-1 and in the front foot could of changed the mentality of both sides. Can looses the ball then gives a stupid free kick away which led to the goal. Matip didn't help matters and then Migs gifted them a fourth. In fact all four Tottenham goals were glaring mistakes by us which could of been avoided. Personally I'd put Ward in goal and play Gomez and Klavan in defence. I know most will disagree with Klavan and opt for Matip but at least Klavan will give his all where Matip doesn't look interested. I want players to fight for my club or do one.

24 Oct 2017 17:56:44
Ed001

If you were our manager mate were would you strengthen in January? And with whom?

{Ed001's Note - centre back, no idea who is attainable but that is what the club should be busy finding out now!}

24 Oct 2017 18:07:50
That lad Vvd from Southampton looks decent. Shouldn't cost too much either. I'll get my coat.

24 Oct 2017 18:23:30
Agreed. i've asked approx 50people since sunday the same question mate and everyone has the same answer. let's hope our Manager who is paid much more than me and you thinks the same lol. We definitely need to be finding out now who is available. I take it the club statement issued for you no who still stands so let's hope there are others in the world available.

24 Oct 2017 18:26:30
I believe that for the right money, Chris Smalling might be available. Just saying.

24 Oct 2017 18:31:06
Isn't a cdm more needed?, I mean hederson and can don't seem to have much defensive awareness as seen on the third totenham goal. Them and wijnaldum all do the same thing and we need someone to sit with many Keita going forward.

24 Oct 2017 19:34:40
When I say the right money, I'm talking about a couple of Curly Wurlies and a Mars Bar.

24 Oct 2017 20:30:46
Honestly, did someone actually say Smalling? some people have no clue.

{Ed025's Note - i was thinking the same mate..

24 Oct 2017 20:26:31
How about two Curley Wurlies, a packet of space dust and we take your bus 👻.

24 Oct 2017 21:26:49
Half a Curly Worly and a packet of Love Hearts😁.

24 Oct 2017 12:28:16
Ready the post over the last few day we are all in agreement that Migs can’t be in goal again. This weekend will be very interesting. Also can’t wait for prematch interview.

24 Oct 2017 13:00:11
You watch him be in goal again, as shocking as it'd be it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

24 Oct 2017 13:33:20
Me neither corleone. It won't surprise me if he is in the sticks. None of us have seen a great deal of the other two keepers, perhaps migs is the best of the three? He needs to be dropped, lovren too.

24 Oct 2017 13:45:02
This feels all too familiar Waiting for the obvious call to be made. Klopp doesn't rate migs according to ed1 yet still keeps playing him. Total madness.

24 Oct 2017 13:56:40
I've watched a lot of Danny Ward Superred. Admittedly most of it was at youth level, but he has always been massively talented. His distribution, vocal qualities, reflex saves and command of his area is all exceptional. He is reasonably good in one on one situations, saves penalties well, but he does seem to struggle with shots from further out which move/ dip/ swerve. At least he only has one significant draw back though.

Mignolet is a good penalty stopper and that is where his list of qualities ends. I cannot think of a worse Premier league keeper in my lifetime. Possibly Gomes when he was at Spurs, though even he has improved enough to be regarded as better than Mignolet now. Maybe Jansen, the big fat bloke who played in goal for Burnley years back. Aside from that, Mignolet is the worst I've seen. I cannot think of a single other keeper who has been at fault for 3 goals in one game on several occasions.

There is no way he is better than Ward or Karius. Maybe he is in training, but as soon as it is in a pressure situation, he goes to pieces.

24 Oct 2017 15:02:48
Fair enough mk. Amazing how quick we have forgotten his fine form last season that helped us secure fourth place. All I know is migs is constantly preferred to the other two which tells me he is the best. That is worrying. Like klopp or not, he has been in football all his life and I'm sure he knows when a player is better than another. Part of me wishes he had not found that form last year as he is undermining our progress. Maybe it would've been better to finish fifth and have a new keeper. I know ward isn't in front of hennesy for Wales and hennesy ain't all that. I think karius is the geezer we need. If he is exactly the same age as ward why is karius always picked in front of him? He must be the better keeper. When we went out to Leicester in league cup ward was pretty woeful.

{Ed001's Note - Ward was not woeful at all. That is nonsense. I think you need to go back and rewatch it because that is simply not even close to true.}

24 Oct 2017 15:09:28
Ward was excellent at Leicester 😲 he made the mist convincing claim I've seen in a Liverpool shirt ever, his kicking was great, and both goals conceded he had no chance with.

{Ed001's Note - exactly mate, everyone was raving about him afterwards and wanting him in the team.}

24 Oct 2017 15:13:25
Fine form? That lasted 4-5 games. He seems to have forgotten his fine form too. He is not a good keeper, never has been. There is no way ward or Karius can be any worse. But they are younger and need experience give one of them the rest of the season and if they're no better then we buy one in the summer. It’s a no lose situation for me.

24 Oct 2017 15:26:29
Taxi for Superred! 🚕.

24 Oct 2017 15:34:29
I'm still having wet dreams over that claim Ward made on the edge of the box, Ed. Mignolet flaps at balls in his 6 yard box without even needing a challenge to distract him. Ward catches balls 18 yards off his line through a crowd of players!

That kind of relief of pressure cannot be understated. Unlike a defensive header or a punch, it also regains controlled possession, rather than just temporarily repelling danger. Same for his kicking. When Mignolet kicks it, we may as well shape up to defend, whereas when Ward kicks it, players shape up to attack. If the team has no confidence in a keepers ability to catch or kick a ball, it can have so many knock on effects. Mignolet fills our whole team with nerves, from front to back. Ward seemingly had the trust of his team mates.

Karius kicks well too though, and in my opinion he sweeps up behind the defence better than Ward. However he is also a bit weak on high balls so defensively the team is still a little on edge; though nowhere near as bad as it is with Mignolet.

Superred, judging Ward on not being picked over Henessey makes little sense. Naingollan can't get in the Belgium squad ahead of Fellaini or Witsel. That should say it all about judging players based on international selection. Klopp does not think Mignolet is the best. He wouldn't have signed Karius, kept Ward, and tried to sell Migs if that were true. As for why he picks him, i honestly don't know. Aside from Klopp, i doubt anyone knows!

24 Oct 2017 15:45:13
Anyone remember the 2 saves he made in the pre-season game against Athletico? they were outrageous!

(only pre-season but great ability! )

24 Oct 2017 15:55:56
A top keeper makes 2 or 3 mistakes a season Minolet makes at least 10 the problem is when he doesn't make one in a couple of games you start to think he turned the corner then a spurs game comes along and he has to start again this has been going on for 5 seasons now he had chance after chance it's time to go end of.

24 Oct 2017 16:43:33
If you think Mignolet is somehow better than Ward or Karius, you need to go watch another sport.

24 Oct 2017 17:12:16
but they are all not good enough. if one of them was they would be starting right now it was the biggest issue in our team and wasnt even thought about in the summer, the club are deluded.

24 Oct 2017 17:17:24
Ward no brainer, get him in. Drop Lovren and play Gomez CB with TAA right back. I'd drop Moreno and stick Robertson in too. Gruijc in for Can. Shake it up Klopp.

24 Oct 2017 17:21:18
can i ask a question ed.
did Wagner want ward back at Huddersfield this season? . i can't understand if he did why klopp stopped it and dosnt give him any game time baffling thanks.

{Ed001's Note - yes and no one knows why we did not sign a 3rd keeper on a free so he could go on loan. Big mistake that.}

24 Oct 2017 18:00:29
Huge mistake. the lad could be getting PL experience that would be immensely valuable to his career, and we’d have a proven stopper at the end of the year. As it is we still don’t seem sure he’s good enough to play for us, (which we all think he is) and he’s sitting behind someone else making mistakes yet he’s still not getting a shot?! How must that feel?

Baffling why we did it unless Klopp always had it in mind to sell Migs in Jan, start Karius from that point forward and use Ward in backup games/ cups etc. which doesn’t seem to be the case so far.

24 Oct 2017 18:01:38
Dean, lots of posters on here think Moreno has improved, based on one pre-season game.

On that basis, why isn’t Ward performance against Atletico getting him into the team?

We’ve seen over 5 years that Mignolet is not reliable enough, surely those within the club were not hoodwinked by a good end to last season?

24 Oct 2017 18:29:06
There was no 'fine form' i said this at the time, you're all just fickle. He had nothing to do and still looked jittery as hell, he just didn't actually concede. If klopp is truly 1) a good manager and 2) a manager who believes in youth he HAS to gibe ward a chance.

25 Oct 2017 04:16:01
My biggest issue with Migs is he'll try to get his hand down to the ball when it's right by his foot instead of just getting his foot on it. 9 times out of 10 the ball hits the net. I can remember 2 occasions where Lloris just stuck a leg out and prevented us scoring.

24 Oct 2017 11:23:15
Not posted in a while or looked on here due to our woeful form and knowing there will be some bad reactions.

I've enjoyed watching some of our football with klopp as I did at first with Rodgers. Both seemed to find a very good attacking way of playing for the first season or two but then neither addressed the glaringly obvious problem lfc have had for a long time. Our defence and gk.

We have needed a commanding confident keeper for years now and a controlling defender. If carragher had been in the team against spurs he would have ripped lovren to pieces. Our defence is too slow and cumbersome for this style of play. Last season we got away with it as we put most of our chances away. This year the team seems so low in confidence (except salah) I can't help but think this is due to the problems at the back seeping through fornthe players through out the team.

I had big expectations with klopps, and at first I was happy, but if he was such a good manager why hasn't he fixed the problem we have. Not the attack but the defence. Instead of chasing Chamberlain why not use the 35million on a cb? Why not make a statement sell lovren and migs and replace them? If he is so good why did he not have a second option instead of Virgil?

I'm not saying klopps out, but surely he should be asked what his plans are and why he is making the same mistake every week playing the same defence?

Just my thoughts after a torrid start.

24 Oct 2017 13:12:36
Agree to a large extent - Klopp has done a fantastic job going forward but defensively it’s been poor and we haven’t improved, whether that’s recruitment or Klopp I don’t know but clearly he has had too much faith in Migs and Lovren in re-signing their contracts and perhaps he could have been more demanding of replacements.

My other concern is we sold our only true DM and then has proceeded to mix and match on the deep CM role and in our style of defence (sometimes seems we’re caught between a high press and dropping deeper, and instead doing neither) . Not a bad thing to show willingness to adapt but too often that’s left Hendo isolated and our CBs left with 2 on 2 which is not sensible given their confidence and our current GK. How do other sides somehow always seem to be in two banks of 4 when we lose possession but we have 7 or 8 players stuck in front of the ball?

I think we’ve shown we can become more pragmatic in defence, and one away loss to a very good Tottenham side doesn’t kill our season (We’ve also played most of the top sides already) but I feel Klopp is under some form of pressure for the first time in his career at Liverpool. We have a glaring issue to solve that he’s so far shown an inability to correct. I reckon if he can’t solve in at least by the summer then this time next year many will be asking whether he’s able to solve it at all.

I hope he can, because if he can I believe he’ll take us all the way to the top.

24 Oct 2017 15:29:38
Defensive mistakes have cost us points. Let alone the keeper our defenders have made mistakes resulting in draws. Klopp has said the players he has wanted and gone for them alone. Breaking transfer rules and showing no respect to other clubs. I like the attacking football, but Rodgers had the same attack going forward and nothing at the back. Yes we have better players now, but again not at the back. We can't praise him for his attack whilst not blame him for the defence. He needs to sort it out b4 we are too far behind. We can still pull back our season it's not all doom and gloom, but shocking that the defence hasn't been fixed.

24 Oct 2017 10:12:18
Ed001 is there any chance we could add Roberto Carlos to the legends list please mate? In his 44 years he's certainly done a lot, very interesting fella and a brilliant player, what a free kick taker he was, most notable against France in 97, incredible.

{Ed001's Note - don't worry mate he is on the list.}

24 Oct 2017 10:23:47
Ah brilliant cheers mate.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome, I could not do a series on legends without including him!}

24 Oct 2017 10:44:36
Ed what about some of the Legends who did things in their careers they had no right to achieve 😂 What about Djimi Traore, Wes Brown, Robbie Savage, Alan Smith, Victor Valdes, John Carew, Danny Simpson, Jose Bosingwa! WHAT ABOUT BEBE!

Imagine winning a major trophy, but not being able to trap a pass! These players are legends, because they are proof to all of us fans that we still have a chance to make it 😂.

{Ed001's Note - I think that deserves an article at least, if not a legends one!}

24 Oct 2017 10:59:10
Haha, it would actually be interesting to read about some of the players who won medals by hanging onto the coat tails of a successful team. There have been a fair few!

{Ed001's Note - lots I would say. Probably at least one in almost every one of them.}

24 Oct 2017 13:54:27
In that case how about an article for the players who where really underrated? The water carriers, the ones nobody wants printed on the back of their replica shirts, the uncool, the under appreciated ones the where happy to let the cooler kids take the glory but where absolutely vital to their teams success.
Claude Makelele when he was at Madrid for example, or Lucas for us.

{Ed001's Note - great idea.}

24 Oct 2017 13:55:25
I can't believe I didn't suggest this sooner.

Antonio di Natale.

The guy isn't a legend though, he's a f*****g hero!

{Ed001's Note - added to the list mate.}

24 Oct 2017 15:09:44
Who was that ginger guy who played for arsenal? Ray Parlour. There is an underrated player!

24 Oct 2017 17:40:32
Steve finan all the way. Totally underrated and still sorely missed in our team imo.

24 Oct 2017 09:13:52
Hearing quite a lot of talk about Klopp but here is my take
I do feel he needs another top class coach besides him but let's be honest under his tenure Moreno has improved Can has improved so has trent and Gomez.
Disappointingly it seems like Lovren has regressed.
Also it is unfair to keep saying the results are solely down to klopp, who can predict mistakes like Lovren is making and the weak heading of Matip once again on Sunday.
These are mistakes made made by full fledge international players who should know better.
The same goes for Mignolet who is going back to the very very bad old days. (yes I hope he is dropped for Karius or ward soon)
If these were youngsters you could forgive them but they are not which is why we are all so very fed up of them now
what I am saying is that a coach can only coach so much but experienced international players have to be relied upon to play and not keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again.
I will finish on a positive, how great was is to finally see Gomez in centre of defence on Sunday? Kudos to Klopp for having the guts to play him there in such a big match and also for playing Trent and Gomez in champions league matches when he could of played milner there or Can at right back
big thumbs up from me for that.

24 Oct 2017 12:21:09
I think we the fans made this situation creating an atmosphere of pressure to the players making them not able to play at easy.
4 games of the season played and we started to talk about how bad the defence were.

24 Oct 2017 15:25:33
players get paid in millions to work under pressure if they can't do thier job properly then don't play for liverpool.
the only thing Lfc fans are guilty for at this moment is accepting mediocrasy.

24 Oct 2017 15:37:03
Great post johncrow. When a team plays well the players get the praise, when the team loses it is the managers fault. I know that is what they're paid for but you can't blame klopp for individual errors. Although he needs to be ruthless and drop migs completely and drop lovren for a few games. Lovren will bounce back though. He needs a decent partner

He HAS been brave with some of his selections, even though he was forced into playing gomes and taa at right back. It was a massive shout to play taa in the ucl qualification games and the lad was class. He is going to be some player.

24 Oct 2017 17:49:46
Rogers wouldn't accept help from a director of football and he hadn't done a great deal. Not sure klopp who has had some decent success will entertain the possibility of anyone but his assistant's ideas which is a shame. Your spot on that a manager can't be held responsible for erratic mistakes but lovren and mignolet have been making these same calamitous errors for quite a while. The fault falls on the manager for naively believing they won't continue. Totally agree that throwing in youth would be beneficial because at this point it's looking like it's not going to make a difference. I would possibly suggest klopp puts a blanket ban on twitter for them for the first few matches with the amount of "support" the younger lads get.

{Ed001's Note - both Mainz 05 and Dortmund have a sporting director who performs the function of a DoF.}

24 Oct 2017 06:19:22
It is embarrassing for "fans" to behave in such a way, stuff like this is akin to those who sing about Munich or Hillsborough, absolute knuckle draggers who have no business following ours (or any) football club. He played badly but it is a football game - I think it says a lot about the state of some peoples lifes that they take it that seriously. I hope Lovren doesn't have to put up with any more of this nonsense, it's bang out of order.

{Ed025's Note - absolutely seano..

24 Oct 2017 09:50:03
ashamed of this behaviour really. after a bad performance, then all this? the mans human too. feel for him, this has to end now. infact it shouldn't even have started.

23 Oct 2017 17:51:40
Hi Eds and Reds,
Let's get away from talking about yesterday as it just depresses me, I was wondering what you guys all thought of Fowler and Torres, I was a bit too young to remember much about Fowler apart from his second stint but Torres was one of my favourite players growing up, even though is departure left a bit of a bad taste. Also, was it possible for that guy to shoot and not get it in the bottom corner? His accuracy was phenomenal! Thanks for the great site Eds, I'm on it daily.

{Ed001's Note - Fowler was better, he had it all, he could beat a man, deadly with free kicks around the edge of the box, a true penalty box predator who also had the vision and range of passing to play deeper. One of, if not the, best player I have ever seen play in the flesh.

Torres was great but it was mainly down to having a fantastic burst of acceleration which no one could keep up to. That gave him a split second to hit a shot or power past etc. Once that went he was finished.}

24 Oct 2017 04:50:20
Ed001, how do you rate Rush compared to Fowler? I rate Fowler the better finisher, but Rush the better all round footballer. Rush had such a good footballing brain, knowing when to press and how to make a defender go where he wanted them to. The old cliche of defending from the front could have been coined just for Rush, IMO.

{Ed001's Note - Rush taught Fowler so much about the game it is difficult to compare the two. Plus Rush had Dalglish feeding him, Fowler had no one of that quality around him at all. I prefer Fowler as I would say it was the other way round, Fowler was better all round, he could pass etc, whereas Rush was the purest predator on earth. He had acceleration to get to balls no one else could etc.}

24 Oct 2017 08:36:23
Loved Fowler as a player, for me one of the most natural finishers I have ever seen play the game, just check his goals and enjoy it. Still remember his 4 minute hat trick vs Arsenal and when he broke into the team you just knew he was special. McManaman on the wing supplying him.

Rushie was amazing as well, but when you think of him you think of the partnership he had with King Kenny, don't think we have ever come close to having anywhere as near as good a partnership since though we have had some good ones.

We have been blessed over the years with some amazing attacking players, its been an absolute joy to watch some of them play for us, great memories. If we were half as good in defence at times we would not have went so long without a title.

24 Oct 2017 09:06:52
Fowler was probably my all time favourite. He had it all, what I'd do for a clone of him now. Torres doesn't come close to Fowler in my opinion, he was a good player no doubt, but no god.

24 Oct 2017 12:20:17
Fowler was awesome but don't do Torres a disservice lads! Between 2007-2009 he was the best striker in world football. He made players like Vidic and Ferdinand, or Ramos and Pepe, look average.

He was a special talent. My first real hero growing up so perhaps I'm biased, but he was a machine. No defender on earth had his number. If he was fit, you were conceding.

Never saw Fowler Mk I, play live and from highlights he does look like he was genuinely on the same level as Messi/ Ronaldo in terms of goal scoring. That doesn't mean Torres was bad though. He wasn't 100% reliant on pace either. His link up play, long shots, work rate and aerial threat was massively under rated. His threat in behind was definitely his main weapon, but not his only weapon. I wish he'd never left.

24 Oct 2017 13:54:05
I loved fowler. It was my gdneration but I remember rush and I'm sorry but rush was the better forward.

24 Oct 2017 12:20:17
Fowler was awesome but don't do Torres a disservice lads! Between 2007-2009 he was the best striker in world football. He made players like Vidic and Ferdinand, or Ramos and Pepe, look average.

He was a special talent. My first real hero growing up so perhaps I'm biased, but he was a machine. No defender on earth had his number. If he was fit, you were conceding.

Never saw Fowler Mk I, play live and from highlights he does look like he was genuinely on the same level as Messi/ Ronaldo in terms of goal scoring. That doesn't mean Torres was bad though. He wasn't 100% reliant on pace either. His link up play, long shots, work rate and aerial threat was massively under rated. His threat in behind was definitely his main weapon, but not his only weapon. I wish he'd never left.

{Ed001's Note - I never said pace was his weapon, I said acceleration, there is a huge difference. It was what made him special, which is why he has been half the player since. As for being the best, he wasn't. Best in the Prem, yes, but nowhere near the best in the world.}