Liverpool Thread

Re: Liverpool Thread

Personally i saw both situations and i disagree that theres been anything happening, SAF simply said "We've bidded for a player that will improve us greatly" no names mentioned while Benitez was asked on the Keane situation and said "We've contacted them and now we'll see" :SS nothing wrong so far as i see?
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

WTF?? An interviewer asked Rafa about Keane, he said he was a quality player, and they would see what they could do, and then himself reminded the interviewer that it was about Degen and Dossena. How is that tapping up?

Levy trying to save face just before losing his two best players to balance the books.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Great article by Jol on Keane

In the Tottenham dressing room I pinned up a motto: “The Team is the Star”. If any player sums up that philosophy, it’s Robbie Keane. Normally it’s not the best combination to have a striker as your skipper. Robbie is different. He’ll do any job a manager asks and seeks togetherness with teammates socially as well as on the pitch. Character-wise, if you had 11 Robbie Keanes on your side, you’d have a chance of winning any game.

Robbie doesn’t play the game for personal accolades but deserves any which come his way, and yesterday he reached 100 against Sunderland. Only two other players in the past 30 years have reached a century. Their identities, Teddy Sheringham and Glenn Hoddle, show how special it is. At Spurs, Robbie is appreciated, the fans regularly voting him player of the year, but I wonder whether in the country he gets the recognition he deserves. He is only 27 and hardly any other striker in England comes up with the goods so regularly. He’s worth £15m to £20m - at least. Nobody scored more times in the Premier League in the calendar year of 2007 than Robbie. But the statistic which is even more revealing involves his number of goals away from home. It’s about 50%, and it’s a very rare footballer who performs as well in hostile stadiums as on his own ground. In my time as Spurs manager, Dimitar Berbatov didn’t come close to 50%. Robbie’s consistency is a result of his coolness and character. It’s a big reason why after two years of saying “I have three first-choice strikers though only two can play”, I changed my policy and announced “Robbie is my No 1”.

In my first six months it was difficult for Robbie, he was a substitute almost as often as he played from the start. He moaned, like most footballers would, but his effort and performance didn’t drop in training or in games. He scored a number of important goals during that period coming on as a substitute and that reflected well on him. Many strikers you put on the bench sit there with a miserable face and when you send them on, their attitude is: “I’m only involved for 20 minutes, what can I do? If I don’t score nobody will complain.”

Robbie would charge onto the pitch, desperate to get a goal and a win for the team. And when he played from the start and I substituted him, he hated it. He’d rather stay on the pitch and move to left-back than clock off early. This made him a great player to have when you needed to make a tactical change.

You could tell Robbie to move wide and close down the full-backs to stop the opposition starting attacks from the flanks, and he’d do it happily. Similarly, with Berbatov being a real No 9 I needed his partner to be more of a No 10 and Robbie adapted without asking questions. He developed into a good provider of assists.

When I first set eyes on the Tottenham squad, I would not have put Robbie among those who stood out as natural athletes. Then we did the physical tests. Quickest over 10 yards? Robbie. Over 20? Robbie was second only to Ledley King. Stamina? He was near the top in those tests. Later, Aaron Lennon would arrive and take the mantle of the club’s top speed merchant but Robbie (and Ledley) still ran him close.

On top of that, I’d seldom seen a player who could score in such a variety of ways. Robbie gets goals with his right foot, left foot, from volleys, chips and free kicks. The only things he can’t do are tackle and head the ball. He has an ability with penalties which is almost unique - most players decide in advance which side they’ll put the ball but Robbie runs up, watches the keeper and makes his choice in the very last milliseconds.

Off the pitch he can be a funny guy. I’ve always enjoyed having Irishmen in my dressing room. They love companionship. In my experience, they do everything they can to ensure there’s a good atmosphere and spirit, whether it’s organising games on the team bus or sitting down next to a guy who is by himself in the training ground canteen. Andy Reid was similar. I remember on a preseason trip to France, Andy and Robbie leading everyone in a round of singing until 4am. I didn’t want to stop them, I thought: “This is what a football team is all about.”

In Holland we say: “Be a man in the night and a man in the morning.” That means if you want to stay out until the early hours having a drink, don’t be a sissy the next day. Be a man and get on with your work. Irish players are like that.

Robbie is good at making new players welcome. Some fans didn’t agree, but when Ledley was injured he was my automatic choice to be captain. It puzzled me that only once during my time did another club - Everton - try to buy him. I look at some of the strikers being signed by Europe’s top clubs and think Robbie’s better. It would have been nice if goal No 100 had come against Arsenal on Tuesday but I knew Robbie would score yesterday.

Keane the rare breed

- Robbie Keane is a rarity in that he is as good away from home as at White Hart Lane.

- Keane was top scorer in the Premier League in the 2007 calendar year with 19 goals, one ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo of Man Utd
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Everton tried to sign him? :LOL:

Dossena will be playing tonight.
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

Leto doesn't half piss me off sometimes, just far too rash with passes.

Voronin scores 2 in 2 ... he's having a decent pre-season like like time :LOL:

Cavalieri worries me slightly. He seems pretty uncomfortable coming for the ball and his distribution is poor too.
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

Did you mean "Like last time" you do have to remember your playing crap teams :))
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Exactly, hence the laughing. He only does decent when faced against poor quality pre-season teams. As soon as he's faced with half decent quality, he really shows up.

Leto is having another poor game, following on from the last match we played. He really does seem to lack in decision-making.
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

Not too bothered. It's only pre season. Need to get your fitness levels up.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Like me and CW have just said, there needs to be a bit more to Liverpool.

They just look like they can't be arsed at all. Voronin is the player who looks like he's working the hardest! :ROLL:

They should be running a bit harder, pushing themselves a bit more. This isn't a workout, it's a stroll.

And why can't Benayoun shoot first time? So frustrating when he has a chance to shoot and he tries to take it passed the defender again (usually resulting in the defender coming away with the ball). He just tries tricks too often, he has a decent shot on him too, so he's wasted in a lot of chances.
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

Whats with this negative pessimism about a pre-season game? I think you worry too much :) What's the score?
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Finished 1-1, Koolaje.

Very poor game, very lazy performance. Hopefully saving themselves for the league or something :))
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

pre season or not, all this talk regarding fitness levels, i don't agree with

you are playing teams that are divisions below the standard liverpool are supposed to be at, regardless of the teams fitness

they have had a month off ffs thats all and they are at a fitness level of an athlete or they should. even if the other team was fitter (not likely, sharper - shouldn't be)

the liverpool players should have the quality to pass through them, where the fuck was the build up

to not be able to dominate lesser teams does concern me, these players should be breaking their necks to win these games regardless of who they are playing and what is at stake, they are looking at putting a mark on that position.

i would be suprised if other top 4 prem teams look and play so half assed in pre season if they do then they need a slap aswell

no excuse
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Well MU got a full team against the Kaiser Chiefs (US team) and they got a draw thanks to Eagles scoring late. So we're not the only one (I hope)
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Bitter Rivals said:
pre season or not, all this talk regarding fitness levels, i don't agree with

you are playing teams that are divisions below the standard liverpool are supposed to be at, regardless of the teams fitness

they have had a month off ffs thats all and they are at a fitness level of an athlete or they should. even if the other team was fitter (not likely, sharper - shouldn't be)

the liverpool players should have the quality to pass through them, where the fuck was the build up

to not be able to dominate lesser teams does concern me, these players should be breaking their necks to win these games regardless of who they are playing and what is at stake, they are looking at putting a mark on that position.

i would be suprised if other top 4 prem teams look and play so half assed in pre season if they do then they need a slap aswell

no excuse
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Come on!

The Wisla were much fitter than us, that's because they've been training from before. The most important thing is to build the fitness until the season starts. This is only pre season friendlies.

Oh, and Voronin just won FIFA World Player of Pre Season.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Righttttttttttttt now we can sell him for 5 million more :)

Number 15 is Pacheco right? He provided with the sweet pass to Voronin for the goal. Feeling good about him.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Nah, wasn't Pacheco. Pacheco didn't come on until something like the 75th minute or so.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Just read on 365 that fergie didnt even mention berba or spurs in the interview spurs are whinging about. Reminds me of last season, or the season before, when they threatend to take benitez to court for saying spurs wanted to trade cisse for defoe. Strangely they never did anything, as it was probably true.

This will probably end up going the same way.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Apparently Spurs have been doing the same with a young Crystal Palace player, its all handbags really.

I can't name a team that doesn't tap up. How else are you meant to attract players?
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Abhishek said:
Come on!

The Wisla were much fitter than us, that's because they've been training from before. The most important thing is to build the fitness until the season starts. This is only pre season friendlies.

Oh, and Voronin just won FIFA World Player of Pre Season.
Click to expand...

i don't disgree that fitness is important but to say other teams are fitter who are leagues below is silly

or if that is true then thats a joke, because our players should be at a peak fitness level, which may drop slightly having a month off but should not drop to a level where they stuggle to compete against lesser players

technically we should be able to outplay them, even if our fitness is in doubt, we should be able to work the ball and cause the other shower of shite to tire

it is more like pre season means fuck all to them and it is a stroll in the park

they could push so much more, voronin was the only one working his bollocks off that game , that i noticed anyway

while pre season does not mean much, i wouldn't wanna pay to see that shite playing so they have a obligation to perform to a standard when they put that shirt on albeit pre season
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Bitter Rivals said:
i don't disgree that fitness is important but to say other teams are fitter who are leagues below is silly

or if that is true then thats a joke, because our players should be at a peak fitness level, which may drop slightly having a month off but should not drop to a level where they stuggle to compete against lesser players

technically we should be able to outplay them, even if our fitness is in doubt, we should be able to work the ball and cause the other shower of shite to tire

it is more like pre season means fuck all to them and it is a stroll in the park

they could push so much more, voronin was the only one working his bollocks off that game , that i noticed anyway

while pre season does not mean much, i wouldn't wanna pay to see that shite playing so they have a obligation to perform to a standard when they put that shirt on albeit pre season
Click to expand...

All I'll say is, don't worry YET :-pp

The fact that Voronin looks a pretty good player in pre season shows that it means fuck all ;))
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Abhishek said:
All I'll say is, don't worry YET :-pp

The fact that Voronin looks a pretty good player in pre season shows that it means fuck all ;))
Click to expand...


haha yea i know that, just i feel disappointed watching us play as if we don't give a shit thats all

:SAL:
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Abhishek said:
All I'll say is, don't worry YET :-pp

The fact that Voronin looks a pretty good player in pre season shows that it means fuck all ;))
Click to expand...

The fact that Voronin looks a pretty good player shows the others certainly aren't pulling their weight ... it takes a severe lack of effort by other players to make Voronin look good! ;))
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

DagsJT said:
The fact that Voronin looks a pretty good player shows the others certainly aren't pulling their weight ... it takes a severe lack of effort by other players to make Voronin look good! ;))
Click to expand...

Oh come on, give the Voronator some credit :LOL:
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Why so much negativity from the pre-season matches? Do you think benitez wouldnt give them a bollocking if that was the case. If anything I think it's benitez and the fitness coaches telling them at which percentage they need to play and how much effort they should be putting in. Just enough to build themselves up but not too much to increase injury chances. In the same way the vorinator looks fitter, more effort because he needs to after the injuries and is further on the curve. Most of the squad are probably working to get the "normal" levels back after a month or so, vorinator is working hard to get back to normal levels after a few months of being out. That or he is playing for a summer transfer. Hopefully the later.

Either way, the lack of effort is most likely planned.
 
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