Liverpool Thread

Re: Liverpool Thread

DagsJT said:
I'd rather have Arbeloa than Finnan. I rate Arbeloa quite a lot personally. He does make mistakes, he can go missing but he's got a lot of talent and he'll only keep getting better. I don't rate him at centre-back though :LOL:
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Yeh, Arbeloa is quiet decent, but I do think he's pretty good. Nice to see him get a call up for Spain :)

Don't think he's a center back though. We have messed up there, haven't we? 2 years ago, we had the best CB partnership in the league with Sami and Carra. But both have lost their sharpness IMO. Sami has still been our best CB this season, but god, have we missed Agger! I really thought this season would be Agger's breakthrough season, where he would establish himself as one of the top CBs in Europe. Someone on RAWK, compared him to Nesta, and I can see where he's coming from. He isn't obviously at that level, but Agger is one of the most natural defenders I have seen in the past few years. Not physical, but his reading of the game is superb, he knows where the ball is going to go. Shame he got injured. Might take him a whole season to get back in shape. I personally, can't wait for a Skrtel-Agger partnership, as I think that's where the future is.

Just a question though, seeing how Hyypia and Carra might start getting rested in the next couple of season, who do you think Rafa will give the captain's armband to, if neither those 2, or Gerrard is on the field?
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Mascherano. Without a doubt he's a future captain at only 23. Once he curbs his temper, he'll be the perfect captain I feel.

Agger-Skrtel is one of the most exciting DC partnerships I can think of. They're both great readers of the game, but strong and physical players and both have enough pace about them. Quality :D
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

DagsJT said:
Mascherano. Without a doubt he's a future captain at only 23. Once he curbs his temper, he'll be the perfect captain I feel.

Agger-Skrtel is one of the most exciting DC partnerships I can think of. They're both great readers of the game, but strong and physical players and both have enough pace about them. Kwalitee :D
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Fixed :D
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

:LOL:

Looking forward to the derby, how do you think we'll set our our stall? Will we go on the attack and try to kill the game early? Or keep a standard tempo, and be happy with how the game plays out as a point suits us more? Or more defensive knowing Everton need to win and we hit them on the counter?

I think we will need to defend deep either way. Yakubu is in good form it seems, and the pace of Johnson can cause us problems. Rooney put a good show on how pace can beat our defense if they play on our defender's shoulders. And Yakubu/Johnson can/will exploit that.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

DagsJT said:
:LOL:

Looking forward to the derby, how do you think we'll set our our stall? Will we go on the attack and try to kill the game early? Or keep a standard tempo, and be happy with how the game plays out as a point suits us more? Or more defensive knowing Everton need to win and we hit them on the counter?

I think we will need to defend deep either way. Yakubu is in good form it seems, and the pace of Johnson can cause us problems. Rooney put a good show on how pace can beat our defense if they play on our defender's shoulders. And Yakubu/Johnson can/will exploit that.
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Small club, attack obviously :D

Just kidding, I think we will play at our own tempo, like we did against West Ham but Rafa will still hope to kill it early, with the CL game after 2 days. I would bring in Sami for Skrtel, simply because, Sami knows what the game means. I have a feeling Torres might have a big game here. I bet he already knows how big the rivalry is (similar to Atletico Real), and apparently he's already developed a scouse accent :D
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Torres worry for Spain & Reds
Spaniard in fitness fight for Merseyside derby

Last updated: 25th March 2008
Torres worry for Spain & Reds


Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is a major doubt for Spain's friendly with Italy.

Torres is struggling for fitness after suffering knocks to his ribs and ankle during Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.

The former Atletico Madrid ace sat out training on Monday and he is extremely doubtful for Wednesday's clash with World Cup holders Italy.

Liverpool will be hoping Torres will recover in time to be fit for this weekend's Merseyside derby with Everton, live on Sky Sports 1 on Sunday.

Liverpool's other Spanish contingent Xabi Alonso, Jose Reina and Alvaro Arbeloa are all expected to feature for Spain against Italy.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Don't worry. Rafa is pulling a bluff here. So that Torres doesn't get injured :D
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

I hate these pointless international friendlies.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

I instruct the the national manager only to play my players for 45 mins per game :)

Oh, I thought this was the Football Manager thread ;)
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

:LOL: Got this off rawk...

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Re: Liverpool Thread

It's the Daily Mirror, I definately wouldn't read much into it. And I'm pretty sure the PFA and Liverpool would have a LOT to say about a two-week fine considering it's a ban for two bookings and not a straight red.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

DagsJT said:
It's the Daily Mirror, I definately wouldn't read much into it. And I'm pretty sure the PFA and Liverpool would have a LOT to say about a two-week fine considering it's a ban for two bookings and not a straight red.
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Let's just hope Parry doesn't get involved :pray:
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Never thought I'd see the day Andy Gray defended Liverpool in any shape or form.

Matches between the big four rarely come and go without incident and another instalment of action between Manchester United and Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal didn't disappoint.

We've had 'Pizzagate', 'Keown v van Nistelrooy' and the three red cards in last season's Carling Cup final to name but a few. So we shouldn't really be surprised that there was yet more infamy on Grand Slam Sunday. And we shouldn't be surprised either that the subject of debate this week, of all weeks, would be about respect, or a lack of it, shown towards referees.

After Ashley Cole brought the hot topic to the top of the news agenda last week with the contempt he showed for Mike Riley, players were going to be walking a tightrope on Sunday afternoon and in the end it was Liverpool's Argentine international Javier Mascherano who put a foot wrong and slipped.

Dismissed

Already on a yellow card when Liverpool were 1-0 down at Old Trafford, Mascherano chose the wrong moment to ask referee Steve Bennett 'what's happening?' when team-mate Fernando Torres was booked after he was fouled by Rio Ferdinand. Bennett drew another yellow card, then a red and Mascherano's afternoon was done.

While many will continue to argue that Mascherano should have been nowhere near the referee and didn't need to get involved, Andy Gray stood up for the Liverpool midfielder, telling The Last Word, that football has a problem if you get sent off for asking the referee a question.

"First of all I think Mascherano was disappointed with his booking," he told the Sky Sports show. "We could tell the minute it happened when he slid in on (Paul) Scholes, a lot of referees would have let it go, but Steve Bennett decided that he would book him.

"He was rattled by that, Mascherano, you could see it in his play.

"Steve Bennett has his own way of refereeing a game but it is not mine. A lot of people might say that he was absolutely, 100 per cent right. I don't think he was.

"I agree that he (Mascherano) should have stayed away. He didn't, so forget that. Are you telling me that Steve Bennett is going to send off every single player that comes up to him and says, 'what's happening?'."

Contempt

Gray argued that there was a big difference between Cole's and Mascherano's misdemeanours and that Cole, who escaped dismissal, should have seen red while it was rough justice on Mascherano.

He said: "Ashley Cole should have been dismissed in mid-week. No doubt about it.

"His treatment of the referee was a disgrace. To turn his back on him like that and treat him with such contempt, whether you like referees or not, was wrong, ill-advised and he shouldn't have done it. He should have been sent off and that might have been the end of it.

"But if you are telling me that if you go up to a referee and you stand in front of him and you are being not aggressive and he didn't swear at him (you should be sent off).

"Where are we going with this game? Where are we going with it? Do me a favour. There are problems in the game, we know there are, and Ashley Cole's was an unpleasent part of modern day football.

"But if we are going to send players off for going up to a referee and saying, 'what's happening?', and the referee cannot handle it and reacts like that every time, then we have got a problem.

Abuse

"I will tell you something that happened in the game: Another player, in the second-half, went over to Steve Bennett and he gave him a verbal volley of industrial language. Right at him.

"I'm not telling you (who) because it is not my business to get players into trouble but that is what happens. Suddenly, if you say 'what's happening?' to the referee, you get sent off, but if you give him a volley, you don't."

Although Manchester United were leading when Liverpool went down to ten men, Gray believed that Bennett's decision had an impact on the game, saying it changed the way that Rafael Benitez's side had to approach the match.

Title

He said: "It is a scoreline that suggests that Liverpool have been hammered but the truth of the matter is that they weren't hammered.

"The two goals came at a time when they were down to ten men and they knew they had to chase the game.

"If they had any ideas at all about being in the shake of this title race, I think Steven Gerrard and Benitez and his team knew that they had to win at Old Trafford."

With Arsenal losing at Chelsea, regardless of how or why events unfolded, Manchester United now have a five-point cushion over Chelsea in second at the top of the Premier League and a vastly superior goal difference to both Arsenal, now six points adrift, and Chelsea.

Liverpool, 14 points behind United, have a bigger battle on their hands holding off Everton for the final Champions League spot (watch the Merseyside derby live on Sky Sports from 3.30pm, Sunday March 30).

Javier Mascherano won't be there, suspended of course, but the debate about whether he should or shouldn't have been sent off will rage on.
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Re: Liverpool Thread

beachryan said:
Alright, done is done, let's get on with it shall we?

1. Macherano's 'extended' ban or whatever is simply taking the piss. He should serve the regular ban. Think Eboue when he was sent off recently against United, protested just as long and just hard, no extension. Consistency inded.

2. Your spine is still one of the best in football, and when they come to play, they rarely lose (see CL). However there seems to be a problem with motivation some days. Gerrard's brilliant but inconsisent.

3. Rafa can't seem to get it right over a 38 game league. But he's been brilliant in cup competitons. It's almost down to personal preference which you value more, but the question has to be could anyone else really do better in both? I don't believe that they could. Chelsea and United have stronger squads, that's not going to change, so realistic expectations are probably on cups no?
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Thats why we miss Pako, mate :(( When the Rafa-Pako partnership existed, Rafa was the person who took care of the mechanical aspect of the team i.e tactics, formations etc. Pako was the one who took care of the human aspect of the team, quite like a shoulder for the team to lean on. Pako was a bridge between the manager and the team. Though he was seen quite some time after his gardening leave in an Arsenal - Liverpool youth game, there's no news of him since. Rumors had it that he might be joining the boot room again, but sadly, he has'nt.
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

Glad to see we have all calmed down btw.

Lets move on and look forward to spanking Everton, and letting United get 18 league titles and then suddenly start winning the league every year after that after we bring in Villa, Alves and Diego and bring through Nemeth and Insua, and have 80m to spend every summer with DIC'S oil money.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Peter Eyres said:
Glad to see we have all calmed down btw.

Lets move on and look forward to spanking Everton, and letting United get 18 league titles and then suddenly start winning the league every year after that after we bring in Villa, Alves and Diego and bring through Nemeth and Insua, and have 80m to spend every summer with DIC'S oil money.
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:LOL:

:DUMMY:
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Peter Eyres said:
Glad to see we have all calmed down btw.

Lets move on and look forward to spanking Everton, and letting United get 18 league titles and then suddenly start winning the league every year after that after we bring in Villa, Alves and Diego and bring through Nemeth and Insua, and have 80m to spend every summer with DIC'S oil money.
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Great post Peter but...

Wasn't you supposed to win the title this season? ...and last season? ...and the season before? You seem to forget that United, Chelsea & Arsenal's squads will ALSO be better next season.

Gotta love your optimism though! ;)
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

Plan M said:
:LOL: Great post Peter but...

Wasn't you supposed to win the title this season? ...and last season? ...and the season before? :lol:

Gotta love your optimism though! ;)
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Weren't you meant to win the Champion's League throughout all these years of dominating our league?
 
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