Liverpool Thread

Re: Liverpool Thread

I think Dempsey will be a deadline day deal, Adam Johnson would definitely improve your wide options but would be surprised to see City sell as it would weaken their squad a tad for options.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

YoungGun_UK said:
I think Dempsey will be a deadline day deal, Adam Johnson would definitely improve your wide options but would be surprised to see City sell as it would weaken their squad a tad for options.
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I think City are open to selling now, £11m I think, but Sunderland are leading the chase it seems.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Cole and Liverpool need to find a way out of their mutual misery

TONY BARRETT

At lunchtime on Saturday, April 3, 2010, Joe Cole scored a famous backheel at Old Trafford that helped Chelsea towards their last Premier League title and earned him a place in the folklore of the club.

Even when the ball was making its way into Edwin van der Saar’s goal through the legs of Patrice Evra, though, it had already become clear that Cole’s future lay away from Stamford Bridge regardless of any heroics against Manchester United.

Contract talks had long since become protracted with Chelsea no longer convinced of his worth to the club following a serious knee injury and, according to reports at the time, the club baulked at Cole’s demand for a pay increase that would have taken his weekly wage from £80,000 to £100,000. However, there was someone in football who was willing to offer the England international that kind of deal though and in the minutes that followed Cole’s famous backheel he sent text messages boasting of how he was going to make Cole a Liverpool player.

That man was Christian Purslow, Liverpool’s then chief executive, who accompanied the messages he sent with a request for the information to go no further or else the deal would be jeopardised. So clandestine was Operation Joe Cole that even Rafael Benitez, the then Liverpool manager, was not aware of it.

Benitez had already made his feelings clear on Cole, in public as well. Prior to Liverpool’s defeat by Arsenal at the Emirates on February 10, 2010, the Spaniard had held talks with Purslow at London’s Melia White House Hotel with the pair discussing potential transfer targets for the following summer.
Having sold Robbie Keane the previous winter and being left with only the increasingly injury-prone Fernando Torres and the unproven David Ngog as frontline attackers, Benitez made it plain that his priority when the transfer window opened was to sign a forward. Purslow told Benitez that he had a better idea – Cole was likely to become available in the summer and better still he would be on a free transfer.

Benitez’s angry reaction was such that Purslow was left in no uncertain terms that his manager would not even consider the proposed move. So volcanic was it that guests staying at the luxury hotel were left stunned by the exchange that took place in a reception area that was also open to the public.

As far as Benitez was concerned, if a free transfer was the best that Liverpool – then struggling under the weight of the debts piled onto the club by Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr – could do then the only position he wanted filling was in attack. His suggestion was to move for Marouane Chamakh who was himself set to become available on a free transfer four months later.

Purslow disagreed with his manager, and with the assessment of the likes of Jose Mourinho, Fabio Capello and Carlo Ancelotti, who all doubted Cole's ongoing ability to cut it at a big club, and continued to pursue the former West Ham United player. Chamakh, meanwhile, joined Arsenal where he remains despite a less than productive spell that seems destined to come to an end as soon as Arsene Wenger can find a new home for the Moroccan.

A similar situation is unfolding at Anfield where Brendan Rodgers has inherited a player who has been taken off injured in the two competitive matches in which he has featured in for his new manager. Rodgers would like to offload Cole but the problem is there isn’t much of a market for a player who has shown precious little to justify Liverpool’s decision to sign him and who, a moderately successful season on loan at Lille notwithstanding, has thus far failed to disprove the opinion of the Chelsea hierarchy that he was past his best.

Even those negatives, though, could probably be overcome if he was not earning astronomical wages and herein lies the problem. Depending on who you listen to, Cole is being paid anything between £90,000-£110,000 by Liverpool every single week. Over the course of the four-year contract he signed when joining the club in July 2010, that equates to a minimum of £18,720,000. In return, Cole has started just nine league games and scored only two goals.

It is madhouse economics and during a period when Liverpool, who recently paid off Alberto Aquilani just to get the Italian (a £17 million fee followed by weekly wages of £80,000) off their books, are striving desperately to get their finances in order, Cole’s nine-minute cameo at West Bromwich Albion at the weekend could not have been more badly timed.

If the sight of Cole clutching his hamstring shortly after coming off the bench was telling, then even more so was the reaction of his manager when the 30-year-old indicated that he was unsure whether or not he could continue. Unlike Cole, Rodgers had no doubts and replaced him immediately with the out-of-favour Andy Carroll.

The injury means Cole could now be out for the next four weeks, a layoff that would mean the midfield player will only be fit for action once the transfer window has closed. In the meantime, Rodgers is likely to be imploring his physiotherapy team to work some magic, more out of a desire to stand at least an outside chance of moving Cole and his wages on than out of a belief that he can become the first Liverpool manager to extract value for money from him on the pitch.

None of this is the fault of Cole. He merely did what any professional would do when offered such a lucrative contract after realising that his future lay elsewhere. He arrived at Liverpool with the best of intentions and his professionalism and value as a team-mate has never been in question even though his worth to the team and value for money quite clearly are.

In some ways, albeit not in a financial sense, Cole is a victim in all this. His career is stagnating to an alarming extent, so much so that his name is not even mentioned in dispatches when England squads are mentioned. He moved to the wrong club at the wrong time and now appears trapped there by a contract that makes potential buyers run a mile. For someone who has always lived for football and for the joy of playing the game that is a tragedy, even if it is an extortionately well remunerated one.

Somehow, Cole and Liverpool need to be put out of their mutual misery. The past two years have shown that they are not good for one another and Rodgers is now the third Liverpool manager, following on from Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish, who is struggling to find a use for him.

Should Rodgers manage to add to his squad before the transfer window closes at the end of this month then it is almost inconceivable that he will be keen for Cole to remain but for a parting of the ways to occur one of two things must happen. Either Cole must accept that his Liverpool career is over and look for a new club in the knowledge that wherever he goes he will have to accept a significant pay cut, or else Liverpool will have to come up with a pay off to help ease him through the Shankly Gates.

Whatever happens, that backheel at Old Trafford must be starting to feel like it happened in another lifetime for Joe Cole.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

YoungGun_UK said:
I think Dempsey will be a deadline day deal, Adam Johnson would definitely improve your wide options but would be surprised to see City sell as it would weaken their squad a tad for options.
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they will probably replace him with Sinclair from Swansea i guess...
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

PIPA23 said:
they will probably replace him with Sinclair from Swansea i guess...
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Actually I think he's better than Johnson I don't understand why Liverpool doesn't take him I think he's also cheaper and more easily transferable.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Anasie10 said:
Actually I think he's better than Johnson I don't understand why Liverpool doesn't take him I think he's also cheaper and more easily transferable.
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becouse we can´t bid for Swansea players before someone else does, + there are payment and wages, and we can´t compete with City in numbers, we don´t play CL...there are many factors..

we could bid for Allen, becouse Tottenham did made a bid before us.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

PIPA23 said:
becouse we can´t bid for Swansea players before someone else does, + there are payment and wages, and we can´t compete with City in numbers, we don´t play CL...there are many factors..

we could bid for Allen, becouse Tottenham did made a bid before us.
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So can you bid for him now City have bid for him?

He might want to play regular football? rather than earn ridiculous money?.....who am I kidding :LOL:

It would be better for him to go to Liverpool...oh well, when will these players learn?
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

players don´t care mostly, it´s their job...

untill UEFA chainges something, they have no reason to care what club they play for, except for players that can choose to go for CL team to actually win something other than big sallary..
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/live...-for-hearts-in-europa-league-100252-31670441/

JOSE ENRIQUE has been ruled out of Liverpool FC’s trip to Hearts with a knee injury as boss Brendan Rodgers prepares to ring the changes for tomorrow night’s Europa League clash at Tynecastle.

The Spanish left-back still hasn’t recovered from the knock he picked up in training prior to last weekend’s opening Premier League game at West Brom and will remain at Melwood to receive treatment.

Skipper Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez, Martin Skrtel and Glen Johnson will also stay behind when the squad travel north of the border today.

That quartet will be rested to ensure they are firing on all cylinders for this Sunday’s league showdown with champions Manchester City at Anfield.

The absence of Suarez is likely to mean a first start of the season for Andy Carroll. The £35million frontman’s future remains uncertain but with no suitable offer on the table ahead of next week’s transfer deadline Rodgers intends to utilise his talents.

Newcastle insist they won’t increase their bid of £12million for Carroll but Liverpool have no intention of doing business with them at that price.

Daniel Agger, who is suspended for the visit of City, is set to start against Hearts, while Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Jay Spearing and Jonjo Shelvey will also come into contention.

However, there will be no Reds debut for Morocco winger Oussama Assaidi who completed his move to Anfield from Heerenveen last week.

The 24-year-old trained with the squad at Melwood yesterday but is cup tied having played for the Dutch club in the qualifying round. Assaidi will be available to play for Liverpool in Europe from the group stage onwards.

Rodgers remains hopeful of making another couple of additions to his squad before the transfer window shuts but Manchester City winger Adam Johnson won’t be one of them.

Liverpool have distanced themselves from reports linking them with a swoop for the England international and reports they are ready to match City’s £10million asking price are wide of the mark.

The Reds are pressing on with other targets but they have given up hope of landing either Real Madrid’s Nuri Sahin or Barcelona’s Cristian Tello on season-long loans.

Sahin has chosen Arsenal ahead of Liverpool due to the lure of Champions League football, while Tello is no longer available having forced his way into Tito Vilanova’s plans at the Nou Camp.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Opta Sports ‏@OptaJoe
7 - Andy Carroll (8 v West Brom) is the only player to have created more chances in a PL game in 2012 than Cazorla v Sunderland. Selfless.
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Interesting.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

But his job is to put ball in the back of the net, no?

People make far too much of stats these days. Liverpool lost 3-0 to an inferior team at the end of the day....same problems are lurking as last season i.e. scoring goals. Suarez, Carrol and Borini will not get you enough goals IMO, LFC desperate for a true no.9
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

We've been strongly linked to Sturridge, who's eager to cone here, but RDM blocked it. With Chelsea now agreeing a fee for Moses, a £10m bid for Sturridge is expected.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

I have only managed to bag myself 2 tickets for Sunday's game.

Ex Liverpool pros did a school boy thing at our work and managed to get some tickets at face value, also I might get the chance to have a drink in the players lounge after as the tickets are from david Johnson who has the carlsberg lounge or something

Surprised my old dear as she is a long time lfc fan and I always wanted to go to a game with her

Anyways, where is the best place to park lads?
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

Tonight's game was so painful to watch so I had no choice but quit watching it.
I hope we don't play like this on Sunday cos' we'll be crushed by City.

Carroll was supposed to play tonight I have no idea what happened, there are rumours saying that he picked an injury which I very much doubt to be true.
I think Liverpool is trying to sell Carroll by the end of the transfer window to Newcastle most likely that's why they didn't want him to play tonight cos' if he did he wouldn't be eligible to play for Newcastle in EL should the transfer happen.

Just heard the news that a deal for Moses has been agreed which is good news for Liverpool if we are to make a bid for Sturridge which is likely to be accepted since Moses can be considered as an upgrade for Sturridge.
So with him, Dempsey and a replacement for Carroll(in case he leaves) we would have plenty of firepower upfront and goals would come.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

besarti said:
Tonight's game was so painful to watch so I had no choice but quit watching it.
I hope we don't play like this on Sunday cos' we'll be crushed by City.

Carroll was supposed to play tonight I have no idea what happened, there are rumours saying that he picked an injury which I very much doubt to be true.
I think Liverpool is trying to sell Carroll by the end of the transfer window to Newcastle most likely that's why they didn't want him to play tonight cos' if he did he wouldn't be eligible to play for Newcastle in EL should the transfer happen.

Just heard the news that a deal for Moses has been agreed which is good news for Liverpool if we are to make a bid for Sturridge which is likely to be accepted since Moses can be considered as an upgrade for Sturridge.
So with him, Dempsey and a replacement for Carroll(in case he leaves) we would have plenty of firepower upfront and goals would come.
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Carroll is carrying an injury which was mentioned by Rodgers yesterday, who wanted Carroll to play if he passed the fitness test.

Playing in the qualifiers doesn't cup-tie you when it gets to the group stages so that's nonsense.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

i didn´t watch the match but, the moment i saw live was this...

7846361430_9f88d5a120_o.gif


i thought we already are past this ..

nevermind, good away win, result is what matters after all..
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Poor for most of the match, we only started to half play after the own goal. Sterling was excellent, Borini came more into it but everyone else was average. Actually Shelvey had a poor game, too many simple passes going astray and rash tackles.

Hoped to see Adam Morgan get a few more mins than he did too.

Good to go to Anfield with the lead but we'll need to do better and keep the ball more.

Oh, and Carragher has been great for the club but he shouldn't play again. Such a liability.

Sahin expected to have a medical for Liverpool tomorrow. This feels like the Hazard saga all over again, dragging on and on...
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

Excited about Sahin coming in, but the thought that he will come and
do well and then leave at the end of the season is bad.
On the bright side, he may not adjust to England, and then leave without us spending 20m on him. Damn !! Wish we had just taken Carroll and Downing on loan, would have saved us 50m !!

With Sahin coming in, how's our midfield going to be?
He seems more like a proper central midfielder.

When the heck are we going to get a striker?
I see the likes of Adebayor, Ba, Cisse, Jelavic, Pobregnyak being signed
for smaller fees and we're shafted with Andy Carroll.
Why on earth can't we find a decent striker who won't break the bank.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Sturridge, Dempsey and Sahin all in by the end of the week would be a good upgrade to the first team!
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Still Sturridge is not a target man, he's more like Suarez but it'll be great to have him in the team.

I don't know why we didn't sign Jelavic in January. Everton has been buying wisely for all these years and they would have been CL contenders if they kept hold of their stars such as Rooney and some others.
They have a decent team this season so who knows...

If we get Dempsey, Sahin and Sturridge, I'd be very pleased. And then comes January we could get our target man and the team would be pretty much completed.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

besarti said:
Still Sturridge is not a target man, he's more like Suarez but it'll be great to have him in the team.

I don't know why we didn't sign Jelavic in January. Everton has been buying wisely for all these years and they would have been CL contenders if they kept hold of their stars such as Rooney and some others.
They have a decent team this season so who knows...

If we get Dempsey, Sahin and Sturridge, I'd be very pleased. And then comes January we could get our target man and the team would be pretty much completed.
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Dempsey, Sahin and Sturridge would be great.
But I doubt it. I read in the Telegraph, that Rodgers has no money left to spend. So that is why he is going after loans. If we sell Carroll and Adam, maybe we can get Dempsey and Sturridge.


Sterling looked really good today. He's too young, but hopefully he will be given some more chances. He is so confident on the ball, makes Downing look really average.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

mathewsss said:
Dempsey, Sahin and Sturridge would be great.
But I doubt it. I read in the Telegraph, that Rodgers has no money left to spend. So that is why he is going after loans. If we sell Carroll and Adam, maybe we can get Dempsey and Sturridge.


Sterling looked really good today. He's too young, but hopefully he will be given some more chances. He is so confident on the ball, makes Downing look really average.
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I think I read somewhere that FSG have released another £10m for Rodgers to spend so that should help. We've also free'd up a lot of money from wages of players that have left (Maxi was on a fair amount I believe) so that can be reallocated.

Bolton have offered us £2m for Spearing so I imagine he'll be gone soon too.
 
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