Liverpool FC

[Kibe Kru]

Oh well... the season's over now, so how do you guys think we can improve for the next one?

I do think we need a right back (playing Carra there just makes no sense, and Arbeloa is not up to the standard. Rafinha?). Skrtel did well at centre back, Fabio Aurelio is decent enough, if a bit injury prone. I guess we have a good defence overall.

Mascherano was awesome in the midfield, and while Xabi is struggling with his form, I still think he's a great player. Then we've got Stevie. I wanna see more of Lucas, I know how good a player he is, he just needs to adapt better and get used to the pace. Pennant, Benayoun... oh well, we need players for the wide positions. Kuyt is a hard worker, and I respect him a lot for that, but he needs to show a lot more.

Up front we've got Torres, who played brilliantly this year, and Crouch, who I believe was not used enough this season. I'd completely understand it if he were to leave this summer, though I personally wouldn't like to see him go.

With all the board problems we seem to be having, it's tough to know whether we'll have money to invest or not. Also, Benitez's job is uncertain. I'd like to give him one more go at the league title.

 

[tim5303]

Think A right back is a must and hopefully this will be Rafinha, people seem to like him although I have to say I haven't seen a great deal of him.

Right and left wings also need looking at. Babel is okay, but don't think Pennant and benyaoun are up to it. Steve could easily play right, so maybe Villa coming in behind Torres could work

 

[newbie original]

Ha, as I predicted....we lost! I must say, the moment Riise's goal went in, I knew we were out(I was surprised, by our play, leading up to that) and, to be honest, I really did not care!! I must say this.....you really enjoy a game MORE if you don't care if your team wins. That's something I will consider for future games.

Own goal or not, we shouldn't be RESTRICTED to ONE goal at Anfield.......no matter who the opponent is!!! I just couldn't see us threatening Chelsea in London and, frankly, it was quite surprising that we got 2 against them.

Now, whether or not he WANTS to admit it, Benitez motivated Drogba MORE than he already was!!! Frankly, Rafa aggravates me A LOT by the things he says. He really should just shut his mouth and get back to making those hand gestures and plastering that constipated look across his face. This game was lost before we played it.....and it comes down to Rafa providing, NOT JUST Drogba but, the entire Chelsea team with more motivation than they already had. It was the opposite with us and Mourinho(although no one said it), in that he drove us to step up......Rafa has now taken over that role. Grant gave us nothing!

Villa as an AM?? No that wouldn't work for us, and he would get bitchy and complain. Frankly, as far as buying a striker/AM is concerned.........if Benitez is going to play with ONE striker, and Gerrard as AM, all other strikers(Villa, etc.) and attacking midfielders can PISS OFF!!! We don't need them!!!!

This game proved that we NEED Shifty Agger and that Carragher can't do **** as RB. Aurelio's injury, in last week's game, did not help! Hyypia is done....he's washed up and should be used EXCLUSIVELY in a back-up role. Ditto for Riise.....if that makes him angry and he wants to leave, then he can **** off!!! He's past it now.

One thing I must say is that towards the end of the season, the emergence of Torres(really only happened at the end of the season) proved that Rafa can adjust to the EPL, something that I strongly believed not to be the case. And since Hicks has all the cards AND he wants Rafa, YES, Benitez WILL be back with us next season. Only a major management change(Americans out and DIC in) AND a change of heart from DIC (they currently WANT Benitez) would result in him leaving.

 

[pede54]

I was dreading Crouchy coming on. I think he would have made a massive difference last night. Thanks Rafa for not using him.

 

[newbie original]

So.............it appears we've made an offer for Garreth Barry from Aston Villa. He's an England player, incase you didn't know. I wonder where he would fit in...

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill says he does not want to let such players go and that the offer involved a "mish-mash" of Liverpool players. Apparently, O'Neill might consider the possibility of wanting to bring Peter Crouch back to Villa.

What do you guys think?

 

[tim5303]

Don't particularly see the need for Barry - he is normally best in the centre of midfield although I believe he can play on the right. Still rate MAscherano and Alonso as being better than Barry despite Alonso's mediocre season.

Barry can play right back as well but why would we want to move him rom his best position just doesn't make sense

 

[Kibe Kru]

I'm all for increasing the number of English players in the side, and Barry is a good player, but playing him in the centre of the midfield when we've got Stevie, Masc and Xabi, and then Plessis and Lucas pressing for places in the near future, I just can't see the need for him. Maybe we'll play him in the left, and that would be a good addition, though I can't say much about his speed.

 

[newbie original]

BTW, I forgot to mention.....he's also the captain of Aston Villa.

He's definitely got to be playing in the centre. Otherwise it's a waste because, like you said, he's not fast enough on either wing. I'm bitterly dissapointed with Xabi Alonso this season. If Alonso is one of the guys we let go then I wouldn't mind bringing this guy in as a direct replacement. He has to be willing to take up Alonso's role or else we shouldn't even bother making an approach.

 

[newbie original]

Martin O'Neill:

'I'm particularly disappointed to hear that business is being conducted in public and I just want to be clear on this in that we're trying to build a side here and we're not a feeder club.

'It's particularly disappointing to find out that Liverpool have carried the story in their local paper. It's certainly not the way that the Liverpool of old conducted business. I prefer to do things with a bit or privacy and a bit of confidentiality.

'That's particularly disappointing, especially at this time.'

EDIT: Aston Villa lost 2-0 to Wigan. Their chances of catching Everton take a big hit.

 

[newbie original]

Rafael Benitez has given the green light to a summer of change at Anfield - but admits he is keen to hang on to beanpole hitman Peter Crouch.

The Liverpool boss, who has confirmed his interest in Aston Villa's Gareth Barry, has made it clear that there will be new arrivals and key departures from his squad.

Sunday's final home league game with Manchester City could be a farewell to Anfield for several players, with the Spaniard clearly declining to distance himself from a host of summer moves.

But Benitez has opened the door to a string of exits, with the belief that he has been told he must sell as well as buy if he wants to bolster his squad for next season.

Source: Fox Soccer

-----------------X------------------

And on a side note, according to Liverpoolfc.tv can, the names of the 10 players fans most want on their new(2008-2009) home shirt are:

1. Fernando Torres
2. Steven Gerrard
3. Javier Mascherano
4. Jamie Carragher
5. Pepe Reina
6. Ryan Babel
7. Martin Skrtel
8. Xabi Alonso
9. Dirk Kuyt
10. Daniel Agger

This is according to the pre-order stats, with about two thirds of the people who request a name, ending up selecting the number 9.

 

[Help?]

What a signing Torres has been. I always rated him quite highly and didn't give in into all this (he is overrated nonsense talk). Liverpool have finally found a player that could score goals like Owen used to. Now they need to sort out that backline including the ever flopping Reina in big games (especially United) and they could be on their way to fighting for EPL. or not.

 

[newbie original]

Oh he is better than Owen, who never got past 20 EPL goals....it was a wise choice by Rafa NOT to bring Owen back, instead of getting Torres, during the last off-season. Similar good buys(2 probably) this off-season and I think we will have a chance at closing the gap with the top 3, while maintaining our form in the CL.

Back to Torres, I thought he would struggle like that other Fernando character we brought in a few seasons ago.....Morientes....his pace proved me wrong.

 

[newbie original]

Well, 1-0 victory over Man City in Anfield FINALE. We really attacked a lot in the second half. Torres was all over the place and Kuyt could have had 4....he was really good. Mascherano could have set up a pair, had he not chosen to go for it on his own. Game reflected home record....just could not put the opponent away. On FIVE such occasions this season, we blew the lead at home(resulting in draws) and those ALONE could have resulted in an extra 10 points which would have put us you know where. The crowd seemed to believe that Alonso(came on in 70th min) was doing so for the last time as a Liverpool player...at Anfield.

Speaking of the crowd, I distinctly heard "USA" chants around the 40th minute.......maybe a vocal American group present???

 

[Kibe Kru]

I don't know, I just feel there's gonna be major transfer market activity for us this summer... which will be at least interesting... I got a bit tired of our underachievements this season...

 

[newbie original]

Yeah, that will be happening. Infact sooner rather than later because it appears that Benitez has told the Daily Star that we will not be waiting until August to sign new players. He thinks that the fans will see proof of that in a few weeks.

 

[Kibe Kru]

Let's just hope it's not another squad player, or another player for the future. We need a stronger starting XI.

 

[pede54]

The new kit looked good today. Much prefer it to the previous one. Nice kit indeed.

 

[newbie original]

Patrik Berger(remember him) has apparently "advised" Garreth Barry that a move to Anfield would be ‘the opportunity of a lifetime’ thus making their(Berger and Barry) manager's job, of convincing the England midfielder otherwise, that much harder.

As for the kits, I initially thought that I was going to hate the short sleeved SLEEVE stripes, which seem to end abruptly. After having seen it, I rather like it..infact I prefer it to the long sleeved version...very mid-90(Robbie Fowler)ish.

 

[newbie original]

Well, Martin O'Neill has told Patrik Berger that he has played his last game for Aston Villa as he was upset by the player's comments to (Liverpool target?) Garreth Barry.

http://sports.setanta.com/en/Sport/...ts/sport-space/football/great-britain-locale/

 

[newbie original]

Crouch says that he needs to feel wanted by the club and is in need of a place in the first team. I doubt Rafa will want to keep him. We just cannot offer him a starting place unless Benitez plays with 2 strikers.....which I can't see happening. If he leaves, though, we would need to either buy someone to replace him OR stop using Kuyt on the RW so much and make him the replacement.