Liverpool Banter Archive May 04 2015

04 May 2015 22:32:49
Eds, I know you say not to get bogged down on the DoF front, but if FSG were to look to appoint one this summer is it possible Rodgers would walk out without prompting? Just wondering cause I'm really starting to fear we do as Macca suggested and keep with him until December/January by which time Klopp would have become a reminiscent 'what if', and that's one of the possibilities I've come up with as he refused one on appointment

{Ed002's Note - You are clutching at straws.}

05 May 2015 00:25:45
Pretty sure the chances of Klopp coming, even in the event of Rodgers leaving, are remote at best, Toddy.

04 May 2015 20:44:44
Big if but thought I'd put out there for opinions. If Klopp were to agree to come to us would it be possible he could attract the likes of Rues joining us?

{Ed002's Note - No.}

04 May 2015 20:52:21
Rues going to Bayern Munich.

04 May 2015 20:56:55
Well for Christ sake let's not go for klopp then !!

04 May 2015 21:15:55
Klopp would get far more out of the current squad then what Brendan Rodgers "I am the best man for the LFC job" would.

05 May 2015 00:21:24
Or Brendan "it's never my fault" Rodgers or Brendan "I confess, it wasn't me" Rodgers or along with any more of his pathetic aliases.

05 May 2015 12:00:25
I think big Sam could get more out of our squad than Brendan right now.

04 May 2015 18:57:26
Consider this,

LFC last season ended on 84 points. The league last season was won with 86 points. This season Chelsea only needed 83 points to clinch the title and City are only on 65 points this season in 4th!

It just shows how bad the top 4 has been this season and the fact that we lost one top player i.e. Suarez but replaced him with players to the value of +-£120m LFC are already 19 points worse off than last season after 35 matches.

How can this be considered as progress? And we are not even managed a place once in the top 4 this season even with a UTD side who have been dreadful all season!

Rodgers needs to go if this club is thinking of moving in the right direction. All we are doing with Rodgers in charge is heading back to where we ended up with H & G & Rafa in charge.

04 May 2015 20:08:08
How the hell can you compare as we are now compared to Dick and Doms time at the helm,have you read the book epic swindle I've got it as I've said previously anybody who wants to borrow it send me your address and I'll post it to you,read it then you will never mention those two Cowboys again.

04 May 2015 20:19:28
Do you know how much debt the club is under currently?

Maybe Ed002 can remind you Reusch. Now go back to bed and sleep it off.

04 May 2015 21:09:51
Just to correct myself, it is actaully UTD in 4th on 65 pts and City on 70 pts.

It still proves how poor the top 4 has been this season. If Arsenal win tonight they have to beat Hull by 5 goals. Arsenal have a game in hand but even if they had to win all their remaining games they would still finish 2 points less that what we did last season.

There is absolutely no chance Rodgers will take us to top 4 after spending £120m this season and have less to spend at the start of next season. Keep on dreaming.

Plain and simple, Rodgers needs to go.

05 May 2015 00:32:27
The PL has been poor for the past two seasons and the standard is detail rating drastically, which shows that Chelsea won the PL only because the other teams kept screwing up and all they had to do is not make mistakes and hold their water. Ten years ago, that points haul would only get you third or second but NEVER first. Hence, the reason BR pissed away our season because had we had a way much better start to the season, we would have still been in the running in a poor league and he screwed up big time. Cut bait now and show,him the door

04 May 2015 17:19:06
Eds I no we're interested in him son but is there any truth in lazzette of lyon rumours he wants to come to anfield cheers

{Ed001's Note - Ed002 has answered this repeatedly, can't you just try reading the posts instead of making me waste my time typing this reply?}

04 May 2015 18:36:22
Lazette? Never heard of him ?

05 May 2015 00:34:07
Might be Markovic's younger sister

04 May 2015 16:48:52
Here is my opinion about our signings of last summer

Balotelli - Complete and utter disaster when we could have had Remy for half the price and would have fit straiht away.

Markovic - Clearly paid to much for him and the sad part is we already had Ibe, Suso and Brannagan who could have been given a chance instead of spending £20m or so on a forward and play him at RWB for most of the season.

Lallana - Once again we horribly overpaid for this player when we could have just kept Suso or given Luis Alberto another shot this season.

Moreno - Has plenty of promise but again, why sign him when we have Brad Smith who would not have done any worse this season.

Manquillo - Kelly, Wisdom, McLaughlin and could have even given Ilori a run at RB. This loan signing was just a complete and utter disregard for LFC's money and youth players.

Lovren - Another player we massively overpaid for wwhen we already had Sakho and yes Agger no longer had the legs but would again have done no worse than Lovren.

Origi - What was the point of this signing when he is not going to be ready for the EPL next season and will most likely be loaned out.

Lambert - Value for money but clearly not good enough to be starting for LFC. Decent plan B though but has hardly been given a sniff.

Can - The only signing this season which has made a measurable impact.

Now, it does not matter who wants to say what, Rodgers is responsible for each of the signings this season. He agreed for them to join the club and plenty of money has been wasted by overpaying for players and overlooking what we already had at the club.

It is a plain and simple fact that Rodgers knew Suarez was leaving last season already and he failed to replace him with having +- £120m available to him and instead went quantity over quality as we did not need each and every player Rodgers signed this season which is another fact. If only Can had joined last summer and he had made use of the player we already had at the club like Kelly, Suso, Ibe, Wisdom, McLaughlin, Brannagan, Alberto, Agger, Ilori, Smith etc then would we have done any worse this season if we did not have Lallana, Moreno, Markovic, Lovren, Balotelli, Manquillo and Lambert?

04 May 2015 17:54:03
Remember reading somewhere that 8 players signed think 1 has played over 20 league games. Not sure that is true as think can & moreno surely have but still of 8 players bought only 2 start (or roughly £25m of the £110m+ spent can be argued to have been well spent)

04 May 2015 18:31:00
I agree totally the signings have been far from good enough and we needed proven quality but if we had just played what we had at the club already everyone would have moaned that we didn't spend big. This summer we need proven leaders winners with top level experience. That goes for the manager as well. Someone who will use different tactics for different games and man manage properly

04 May 2015 18:42:23
I find it absolutely disgraceful what we did with the Suarez money. Didn't even TRY to replace him, disgusting how we basically destroyed our own top 4 hopes before a ball was barely kicked !!!

04 May 2015 18:42:55
Tbh the club has not wasted as much money as people are making it out to be. In the longer term, i think the likes of Moreno, Markovic and Can will prove good value for money while Lovren and Lallana will contribute well but not reflecting on what the club paid (which was way too much in the first place). Balotelli and Manquillo have failed to justify their fees and that is unlikely to change with only 3 games to go and neither having much of a future at LFC. Origi was just a pointless signing when the club already had Yesil, Sinclair and Ojo waiting for their chance.
Yes the club failed to get its priorities right but the players that came in (with the exception of Balo, Manquillo and Origi) will justify their price tags and worth in coming seasons. The players are not bad at all. Its the manager who is failing to get the best out of them by using ridiculous tactics and playing everyone out of position.

04 May 2015 19:00:32
To be fair lovren should have played a lot more next to sakho to have the chance of making a partnership, he shouldn't have been bought as his replacement when sakho wasn't even leaving. So yeah waste of a signing if your not selling sakho or skrtle.
Moreno has played out of position for most of the season but we really needed a left back and we bought a decent one there with potential to be really good once the new manager uses him properly.
Can was a cracking buy, probably up there with coutinho and studge as Rodgers best signings, shame he's been wasted in defence and even more wasted at right back recently.
Markovic hasn't made enough of an impact for me considering his price tag and the fact you rightly point out we had enough decent players in his position already, another player we will probably see the best of under the new manager and in his natural position.
4 players there I feel could turn out to be good signings, I'm unsure on Lallana now, I know he has had injurys this year but is he going to get into a team that contains sterling and coutinho? He's got a fight to be a first team regular and considering his price tag and reputation he can only be seen as a bad signing for me. (So far anyway).

04 May 2015 20:15:18
This is just a re-hash of Ed002's piece on the other page.
The players in are up-grades on what we had. Not all have been instant hits this season, bit then again I can remember a couple of years back when there was similar moans about wasting money on Henderson.
Upgrades have always happened, always will. There's been players signed who have never had a look-in for a couple of years (Terry Mac), others that never made it out of the old Central League team.
These days it the loan system that's replaced that.
For gods sake, I wish people would stop panicking. Not every player can come in and just wham be straight there.
We're 5th, not 15th or about to get relegated.
Achieved with a very under-performing strike force.
Get some goals back in the side and you will see the difference.

04 May 2015 23:16:17
I'd like to see what all of them can do under a new manager honestly. Eriksen, Chadli, Lamela all look much better with a year under their belt and a new manager.

05 May 2015 00:07:34
I think we need to give the signings another season. No doubt we didn't need Llalana or Markovic but they're both quality (or perhaps best described as potential in Markovic), Origi is young but might surprise after a season in PL, he's quick and strong, Moreno and Can could be much better after a season, and Manquillos hardly been given a fair shot at RB to know either way. Obviously Balo and Lambert haven't replaced Suarez, but then that's probably more BR/committees fault than anyone else as they just don't fit our system.

I think a top striker, a midfielder to replace Gerard and a top RB and we should see the team flourish, and with the pressure off a bit, hopefully some of the younger signing.

Yes we failed on our approach last year since we didn't buy a top striker, but I still have hope for many of the signings in the coming year or two.

05 May 2015 00:30:57
The signings will look much better next season that is for sure! And the ideology from last summer when they all signed should come this season! There not flops. !!

And just to clarify about markovic he was literally bought so Chelsea didn't take him next year, that is why we paid so much. Whoever watched the kid saw something.for us to push for him but it wasn't that we valued him exactly at what wr paid but if.we had of.waited Chelsea Could of had him.for.7mil. The kid will come good, he's going to be something special!

05 May 2015 12:05:43
Chelsea could of had him for that price at the time we bought him but decided he wasn't ready yet, even at that price. We thought we knew better and paid 4X as much.

05 May 2015 14:10:52
But we didn't have any such deal like Chelsea, so to us and anyone that's what they charged! We also got him so if he had of had a depay like year at benfica we didn't miss out! He was worth about 15 taking into account his contribution to benfica and his potential, but they charge what we will do to sterling, Everton with barley etc.

We would all be fuming if he had gone Chelsea thus summer for 7.5 mil and turned into a star! The owners pit there money were their mouth was and made sure we hot him, how it pans out we still don't know but it was a hood sign of intent from everyone involved inside the club!

04 May 2015 16:37:27
aside from all the bashing was reading today that Jimmy Greaves had a massive stroke. I remember when he was on Saint & Greavsie and they was giving there tips for the forthcoming season ( when we was top) and he tipped us for: league, F.A Cup, European cup, The boat race, grand national. ha, made me smile. best wishes to him and his family

05 May 2015 13:32:26
Yeah I remember that show he was great and I wish him the beSt , people tell me he was a top top striker , I seen clips etc etc and he did bang them in

04 May 2015 14:29:21
{Ed001's Note - We have posted a new article entitled, Liverpool's Transfer Policy Woes

04 May 2015 15:39:50
Decent read, spot on about Ings. He may be 'cheap' and talented but with his mentality you may as well have someone from the academy fighting in the team, trying to establish himself rather than someone that irks away from the responsibility. Being a striker as well it's paramount that they belive in themselves enough to take a spot kick. Much as I hate seeing sturridge take pens be never shies away from them.

04 May 2015 16:22:10
Good article. LFC need winners with a strong mentality and a desire and hunger to win trophies no matter what. If Ings cannot handle the pressure of taking a simple penalty in spite of being a striker, then there is no place for him at LFC. People give Sterling so much grief for not stepping up to the plate against Besiktas, so why should we even consider Ings who is mentally weaker?What exactly would he offer that yesil or Borini could not?
Fingers crossed he ends up at Man Utd because i think we will have dodged a bullet there. The club should go for winners with experience, not half decent players who would just add to the numbers in the squad and bloat an already inflated wage bill. Go for Depay (best Eredivisie player by a long shot and won PSV the title single handedly) and Vietto(who has been very impressive while leading Villareal's strike force and i think LFC will finish in the top4 comfortably next season. Sell Sterling to fund these deals if necessary as Ibe can replace him easily.

04 May 2015 16:49:32
I still wouldn't trust BR, if he is still around next season, to do the right thing with the money any in the quality players LFC need.

04 May 2015 17:59:44
If any money should be given to an LFC manager next season, it defo NOT be given to BR otherwise, we will relive the same debacle next season because he will NEVER change due to his stubbornness and arrogance

04 May 2015 13:00:53
it funny that BR golden boy joe allen has never been played out of position, then he plays hendo and ibe and sterling out of position and they get moaned about not playing good where as joe allen gets off scott free even when he wasnt playing good in his position BR kept picking him, its a pity lambert and ballo and borini never got the game time joe allen got at least they would have been in a position to score goals as attackers because its harder for a midfielder to score goals in every game, i'm not having a go a joe allen but BR for not picking players who could have made more of a difference if they had been played as much as BRs favourite

04 May 2015 13:36:37
don't think Allen could play anywhere else anyhow? my biggest gripe with CM is with a bit of coaching and effort I think Shelvey would of been a better replacement for Gerrard as captain. Typical of BR can't see the wood for the trees

04 May 2015 14:31:14
Shelvey? Good grief

04 May 2015 17:30:03
Shelvey had a chamce to stay and choose to leave Henderson stayed and battled

04 May 2015 18:01:51
Shelley is too hotheaded and inconsistent to be a Liverpool player and Shelvey is now his level. He is however better than Allen

04 May 2015 18:05:11
Shelvey's far too rash, defensively naive and lacks pace.
Would have been nice to see if he could improve, but don't think he would ever be good enough to be a major player for us, let alone captain.

I honestly don't think we've missed him since he left, to be honest.

04 May 2015 18:21:24
I always thought Shelvey was lined as Stevies replacement.

Good player and will get better still, but wanted to leave.

04 May 2015 19:11:58
Can't really see joe Allen playing up front.
He played a lot out of position when we first bought him actually. I remember him being our best player for a short while actually when he first joined. Gone downhill since though.

04 May 2015 20:05:12
I get what you think of Shelvey But he did just need to be shown/coached. defo more suited to capt than Henderson.

05 May 2015 11:54:26
I agree that shelvey could have gone on to be a good player he had the steel and bite in midfield, he is better than Joe Allen and with a bit of coaching and a word about his hot headedness he could have been a very good player , BR needs to pick players to do a job and not just pick his favourite ,

04 May 2015 12:03:59
Did Rodgers really say that?
I haven't seen it, but if it's true it's an absolute disgrace.
20 years service. Arguably our greatest ever player and this is what he's reduced to?

Having said that I hope our fans can hold themselves back and keep some self respect, the banner the other night was in very bad taste.

04 May 2015 09:47:15
Morning all another manager question. When BR was appointed who else was in the running, would any of those still be available and be in the running? I know Martinez was and some may consider him a bullet dodged just can't remember any other names?

{Ed002's Note - The club approached Andre Villas-Boas - he has recently told another club that he is not interested in the Liverpool job at this time.}

04 May 2015 10:21:38
I know a number of managers publically ruled themselves out before they were approached including Klopp.
Guess this much talked about admiration for LFC he has was in short supply then?

04 May 2015 12:13:16
Tbf Dortmund were flying at the moment in time and he had a long contract with them.

04 May 2015 13:10:02
Dortmund had just won the league so why would he be interested?

04 May 2015 14:32:37
He's leaving BVB - might make a difference. F De Boer probably available too if his brother is to be believed

04 May 2015 18:24:55
Thanks for the input everyone appreciate your response. Why would AVP advise another club he wasn't interested in LFC ED I don't see what that would have to do with the other club given perhaps I am missing something? It has been a long day so apologies if I am being slow here.

{Ed002's Note - Why look for a rationale for what people say?}

04 May 2015 06:31:17
Hi eds,

I see a number of names being thrown up. Benteke, Cavani, Falcao, Immobile, Martinez.
Whom do you think has the realistic chance of moving to liverpool next season, given no champions league?

{Ed002's Note - Try the search engine.}

04 May 2015 09:38:23
I'd have thought benteke was the only realistic option due to wages.

Is he the answer though?

I have my doubts

04 May 2015 10:23:54
I think it will be Origi plus another.

Rodgers wants Depay
We'll probably end up with Danny Ings due to no Champions League and no money.

04 May 2015 11:26:29
I would rather the club pushed for Vietto and Depay than look at Ings. We could afford both if Sterling leaves (which is looking likely). Depay has world class potential and so does Vietto who also reminds me a bit of Aguero when he plays. But that would probably mean the club will have to go for the cheaper options for CM and RB. Compromises will have to be made and i hope this time the right decisions are taken and only players like Depay and Vietto who would walk into the first 11 are targeted instead of more squad or inferior players.

04 May 2015 13:11:42
Our first transfer business should be showing BR the door.