03 Jul 2024 23:42:00
Hi Eds
Is it true Rabiot's agent is hawking him around prem clubs on a cut price sign on fee and (relatively) low wages? Are Liverpool interested at all?
{Ed002's Note - Adrian Rabiot (CM/DM) Juventus are looking to replace their midfield misfits. They are looking to sell and move off the wage bill players they no longer want to fund replacements they have already identified. As a free agent, Rabiot will, like every other player, be offered to Newcastle. A third party has been instructed to find him a new home and whilst he could have been used in part exchanges previously he has let his contract run down and will leave as a Free Agent in the summer. Liverpool offer an unlikely, at least to me, solution but they have declared an interest and know what the financial implications are. I suspect Manchester United interest has gone. Milan and Real Madrid offer wildcard options. Wage demands are excessive.}
04 Jul 2024 09:10:13
I’d hope have no interest in him, he’s a player whose opinion of his own ability far exceeds his actual ability. Also he’s not the kind of midfielder we’re missing. Players like him and Kimmich should be avoided like the last plague.
04 Jul 2024 09:30:29
completely agree VV - plus I doubt Edwards would see him as LFC quality off the pitch never mind on the pitch.
04 Jul 2024 10:40:10
I made it clear last summer I wanted us to sign Rabiot and my opinion hasn’t changed. He’s a very good aand very versatile midfielder. DM, CM, AM, LB, LM etc.
No brainer given he’s a free agent. On paper he suits Slots preferred tactics as well.
04 Jul 2024 11:01:48
Partially agree with MK. He looks top class for the national team but somehow he has had a very mixed club career.
04 Jul 2024 11:26:14
Why would we need Rabiot?
04 Jul 2024 12:40:07
I personally think he is a very capable player with an excellent engine, covers a lot of ground, presses decently well, is good in the air and has shown with France that he’s positionally disciplined and tactically smart, the problem is he’s good at a lot of things but not great at any, he’s not a creative player in the middle of the park, just a decent box to box option with good physical qualities, plus he comes with his infamous mom. I remember him saying before that he’s a Liverpool fan though….
04 Jul 2024 13:06:21
All I'm saying is he is quick, strong, good in the air, carries the ball well, is press resistant, scores goals, has a good passing range, screens the defence well, presses effectively and can play multiple positions. He might not be great at anything but there is literally no weakness to his game. He's a very good player and if he is a Liverpool fan as well then I'm even more sold.
He'd be a good fit for us sat in midfield either next to Endo with more freedom to get forward himself, or next to Macca allowing others to be more adventurous. Only my opinion of course, but I see him as an upgrade on pretty much every sitting/ box to box midfielder in our squad. Not because our players are poor, but because Rabiot is so well rounded.
04 Jul 2024 13:21:27
If he’s at the base of our midfield we aren’t winning the league and we’ll be just as soft through the middle. He’s nowhere near good enough as a defensive midfielder, he’s terrible defensively and switches off far too much. He’s certainly not quick, he is as quick and mobile as the Titanic. Never once seen him have a good game where he either stood out or dominated. Absolute nothing footballer.
04 Jul 2024 13:23:42
He’s a club football misfit. No thanks. He’s perfect for United though.
04 Jul 2024 13:50:58
VV, I honestly don’t believe you that you’ve watched him. He’s so blatantly not slow or immobile ?
FPF, I’m not sure misfit is fair but I kind of get what you’re saying. He’s played about 200 games for both PSG and Juventus winning 6 league titles and 16 domestic cups. Scored nearly 50 goals despite being a relatively defensively minded midfielder as well. Fair enough if you think we can do better or already have better like, and I’m not saying you’re wrong for not wanting him as it’s totally subjective. But a club football misfit? Not sure that’s got much basis in fact. I sort of know what you mean, because of how he behaved in his last season at PSG would’ve been concerning if it was recent, but that was 5 or 6 years ago and nobody really knows what went on behind closed doors with his mum stirring the pot etc. On the pitch, he does his job well and he hasn’t really set a foot wrong off the pitch since his early 20’s.
It’s all about opinions and at least you’re not pretending you’ve watched him like other posters who’ve just googled his height and assumed he must be a lumbering brute.
04 Jul 2024 13:55:04
Rabiot - “Absolute nothing footballer”
You can always rely on VV for a rationale assessment of a player ?.
04 Jul 2024 14:09:14
Leaving two big European clubs on a free. Misfit vibes.
04 Jul 2024 14:30:24
Depends how you spin it FPF. You could look at it another way. He clearly honours his contracts and his shortest stint at any of his permanent clubs is 5 years. I'd say only having 2 clubs by 29 years old points to the complete opposite of being a misfit. Surely a misfit is someone who bounces from club to club never quite settling or fitting in?
04 Jul 2024 16:05:19
Vv I have no idea where you get your evaluations of players from, or maybe you have him mixed up with another player? The whole basis of rabiot’s game and value on the pitch is getting around from box to box, you might not like him but he covers ground and presses, he hasn’t been known to be slow either.
04 Jul 2024 16:25:11
You should be his agent, MK. You may do even better than his dear mother.
I don't see the need for Adrien Rabiot at the club. The only midfield position we are currently lacking is a DM. In fact, we're overstocked with CMs after buying 3 last summer.
04 Jul 2024 16:13:50
VV passes his sentence on players in such a forthright way that you’d think he has to know what he’s talking about to be so vehement about it. Giving you the benefit of the doubt here VV, you must have seen so many players play that you might have got them mixed up a bit.
04 Jul 2024 18:51:00
FPF, maybe I’m over thinking it, but I think you are under thinking it. We are not going to be playing the same way next season, and those CM’s were Klopp style CM’s. Macca and Gravenberch would be more suited to AM in a 4-2-3-1. Szobo probably more suited to LW/ RW. I wouldn’t be surprised if Elliott is used more at RW or AM too. Slot has historically preferred a duo of CM/ DM players at the base of the midfield. He’s mainly used versatile all round midfielders there, probably because his system is so fluid and players have to adapt to certain scenarios. Listen to some of his ex players talking about his tactics and how they’re trained with videos exactly where to position themselves in each scenario. Players like Koopmeiners and Rabiot who many might not recognise as orthodox DM players are the exact types he likes in that infamous “double pivot”. He has also had CB’s and FB’s stepping into midfield a lot too so you don’t necessarily need a destroyer type DM in there if that carries over to Liverpool.
The only players we really have naturally suited to this are Endo, Morton and Bajcetic. Jones, Trent, Gravenberch and Macca can probably do it, but it’s just not the best use of their abilities in my opinion, though I wouldn’t be shocked if at least one of them is moulded into the role. So again, just my opinion, but I think we do need more players in that CM/ DM mould given Bajcetic is very raw, Morton is unlikely to stay and Endo can’t play 60+ games a season at his age. Time will tell mate but Slots whole system at Feyenoord was built on that 2 man midfield base so I will not be at all shocked to see him bring in his own men to play there. Most of the midfielders Klopp signed were attack minded and capable of being utilised further forward in the 3 behind a striker. If I’m wrong you can say I told you so in a few weeks time but I very much expect it will be a CM/ DM player like Rabiot, Kimmich, Koopmeiners or Ederson. I just don’t see players like Ugarte/ Paulinha getting on in a Slot team. They’re too technically deficient.
04 Jul 2024 21:51:40
Rabiot wage demands are excessive enough to put a variety of teams off him already, he's also looking for a long contract.
04 Jul 2024 23:13:15
Honestly MK, I’m only really looking at the squad mix as I have no idea whatsoever of what Arne Slot will want to do at Liverpool with the players he inherits. I just think we need another midfielder that is defensive minded in the 21/ 25 man squad.
I’d be pleased with any of Ederson, Varela or Ugarte. I still regret that we missed out on Gabriel Moscardo in January. He was an ideal profile to replace Fabinho. Archie Gray is a bit too young so can understand why we’ve passed on him.
05 Jul 2024 15:54:31
Very good player - hardworking and very versatile - would certainly be an asset to the midfield but the wage demands I've heard are high and apparently his agent/ mother is an absolute nightmare to deal with - to put it nicely lol.