Liverpool Football Club Thread

[glb]

New season, new thread. In our 122nd season will we improve on last season's seventh, or slide further towards mid-table mediocrity? (I'm guessing a slight improvement and a sixth-place finish).

Before we get to that, we've got the question of whether Suarez will stay or go, and whether Rodgers will further bolster our squad having already added free agent Kolo Toure and almost completed the deal for Spanish forward Iago Aspas.

Pre-Season Friendlies

July

13th Preston v Liverpool

20th Indonesia v Liverpool

24th Melbourne Victory v Liverpool

28th Thailand v Liverpool

August

3rd Liverpool v Olympiakos

7th Valerenga v Liverpool

10th Celtic v Liverpool

[Chewylegs]

I am really looking forward to the new season,I expect us to make a much bigger push for Champions league qualification, especially if we can get Suarez to stay and buy a couple more quality players but I won't be buying a new shirt!!

[Stig]

What I'm very happy about is how we're getting business done early so we don't fall into the same trap as last summer. Players are coming in and going out all way before the deadline. It's good for us to get the coming seasons sqaud together for some pre season.

[Keiths_Dad]

Luis Alberto deal is done as well apparently, and more progress has been made towards Mignolet. Assuming we land Mkhitaryan (sp?) as well, I think we'll have a squad capable of getting us back near the top, even without Suarez.

[glb]

Yep, BBC is reporting Alberto's due on Merseyside today for his medical:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22996681

£6.8m the reported fee.

[Azrael]

Don't see Suarez being a Liverpool next season sadly. Was hoping we would get one more season out of him. Still, glad we're doing business and getting new players in early. Reckon we could make a push for 5th this season.. if Bale leaves Spurs.

[hmm]

Was hoping we would get one more season out of him.

Given the amount of games he'll be suspended for, he'd need to stay another couple of years at least to provide that...

[Oh Danny Boy]

Don't see Suarez being a Liverpool next season sadly. Was hoping we would get one more season out of him. Still, glad we're doing business and getting new players in early. Reckon we could make a push for 5th this season.. if Bale leaves Spurs.

Depends if these signings come off. Has anyone seen Alberto play? I know nothing of him. I'm getting quite nostalgic with all these Spanish signings, its like Benitez never left. If Rodgers can mold a strong English spine with some Spanish flair as successfully as Benitez did then its all good.

I can't see Bale solely carrying Spurs attacking threat for another season. They need a couple of decent strikers at least. Rodgers would be expected to push for fourth next season and if the summer continues as it is I can see us starting the season with a stronger squad.

[Naysonymous]

Make sure you continue this rather fantastic chant if Mignolet signs. Cheers.

[Chewylegs]

Lmfao! Hopefully we won't have to sing about the keeper as much as Sunderland do!

[Keiths_Dad]

Don't know about that - I spent pretty much the entirety of our 2007 Champions League campaign getting wankered and singing to all that cared to listen about the exploits of Pepe Reina.

[Stig]

Alberto officially signed

[larrydavidsanger]

I'm really not bothered if Suarez goes as long as he goes abroad. Who we'd get in to replace him is my real worry, there's not too many names I can think of that would be up to banging in 20+ goals a season who isn't already at a Champions League club. Benteke is an obvious one but I'm not sure how he'd fit into our system.

Other than that, I'm really happy with how the transfers have been proceeding already and from what I've heard of Mhkitiryan, if we get him it'll be a real coup. I guess if we're signing Mignolet, Reina's off somewhere, even if it's not Barcelona... Monaco?

[dogsout]

Who we'd get in to replace him is my real worry, there's not too many names I can think of that would be up to banging in 20+ goals a season who isn't already at a Champions League club.

Sturridge?

Seriously, we don't need a like-for-like replacement. Take the money and use it to improve other areas of the team. I think Sturridge showed enough last season to warrant some faith.

[Commander Jameson]

I love how we are getting our business done early this season. I'm still hoping for a powerful defensive midfielder to complement/cover for Lucas, but a tad worried that we haven't really been linked with anyone in that position.

[dizogg]

I love how we are getting our business done early this season. I'm still hoping for a powerful defensive midfielder to complement/cover for Lucas, but a tad worried that we haven't really been linked with anyone in that position.

Wanyama maybe?

[DeNeo]

Sturridge?

Seriously, we don't need a like-for-like replacement. Take the money and use it to improve other areas of the team. I think Sturridge showed enough last season to warrant some faith.

I know we're bringing in other attackers, but I'd be worried if we were left with just Sturridge, especially as Alberto is young and Aspas is unproven (as is Borini). I think we will improve other areas of the team if Suarez goes, but I'd hope we'd spend a portion of the money on another striker.

[DeNeo]

I don't particularly want to lose Reina, but if him leaving means we can do this, I wouldn't be too unhappy:

If Suarez leaves we could focus on left back and another striker.

[dogsout]

I know we're bringing in other attackers, but I'd be worried if we were left with just Sturridge, especially as Alberto is young and Aspas is unproven (as is Borini). I think we will improve other areas of the team if Suarez goes, but I'd hope we'd spend a portion of the money on another striker.

I really don't see why we'd need another. All of these guys can play there:

Sturridge

Borini

Aspas

Luis Alberto

And we only play one through the middle. It'd be a waste of money. If we get someone who is more 'proven' than the three I've listed after Sturridge, we'd be spending a lot of money in order to have somebody to essentially sit on the bench when Sturridge is playing. Or perhaps they'll be so good that it means Sturridge has to sit on the bench. Either way we're spending money on a luxury.At a time when we're supposed to be getting leaner and meaner. I think having one great option with a further three ready to step in, should the need arise, is enough for one position. Hopefully the money we save by not replacing Suarez directly can go towards providing a similar level of depth in the other positions.

I understand the concern at placing so much faith in untested, new signings but we're kind of in the position where we have to do that. It's certainly a more sensible option than making doubly sure we have enough fire-power, at the expense of being able to create chances from midfield or keep goals out at the other end, etc.

[dogsout]

I don't particularly want to lose Reina, but if him leaving means we can do this, I wouldn't be too unhappy:

If Suarez leaves we could focus on left back and another striker.

I think we should be keeping Downing, for sure. I'd also hope we'd keep a hold of Spearing. What's the sense in selling Jay? He's hardly on a top wage, wouldn't command a big fee, and isn't a bad lad to have kicking around the squad. Sure, he's limited but if you're looking for cover for Lucas, we could do a lot worse. He wouldn't ever moan because he's not in the team, he's always been ready to jump in if needed, and being a local boy, I expect he'd be happy in this sort of role.

Look at the Mancs over the years and the way they've held on to guys that everyone laughed about and called shit. One season they might have a few injuries at right back, and one of their 'shit' squad players would fill in and get a lot of games, but the next season they'd be out of the team. Would Demento sell them after that? Would he fuck! He'd keep them for as long as they could be useful or as long as they were happy in that role. I concede it's easier to be happy at a club in the top echelons of world football, but I'm sure you see my point. I can't see the sense in selling Jay for £3m and spending £10m on someone 'better' who is only going to sit on the bench 90% of the time, the same as Jay. And on top of that, he's not necessarily going to be happy doing so and, as a result, might play like shite when he he is needed. Let's not forget, we have Allen to figure, and the stick and pressure he was exposed to this season.

As for Downing, I think he was worth his place from November on. Is he worth £20m? Certainly not. Is he good enough to be in contention this season? I reckon so. He was very consistent last season and perhaps he can build on that this year.

I see us shifting back to a proper 4-3-3 this season and it looks as though we should have at least two good options for every position from the midfield forward (bar DM, obviously). I see Shelvey, Skrtel, Coates, Suso (yeah, shoot me) and Assaidi as heading the list of expendables. Suarez will most likely go, and I think his departure will solve more problems than his presence creates. I'd say our list of priorities should now rank in this order:

Defence

Midfield

Attack

[V3zna]

I'd imagine Suso is destined for a loan out for a season rather than a sale.

[Keiths_Dad]

I'd rather not sell Shelvey - I said early on in the season he's the future Lampard, and I still stick by that. If we could loan him out to a team lower down the table for some regular first team football, I'm confident he'd come back as a full international.

[DeNeo]

Good stuff

The worry comes from the first half of last season, before Sturridge joined. We were so reliant on Suarez that in most games, if he didn't score, I was wondering who on earth would. If we sold Suarez and Sturridge got injured/lost form, we'd be relying on unproven players to get us through. Of course, the hope is that these players would share the goals around more than our current crop did last year. These stats are pretty awful:

League Games Played/Goals Scored

Suarez - 33/23

Sturridge - 21/11

Gerrard - 36/9

Henderson - 30/5

Downing - 29/3

Coutinho - 13/3

Sterling - 24/2

Shelvey - 19/1

Borini - 13/1

Lucas - 26/0

Allen - 27/0

The argument can be made that Suarez is a bit greedy, so took shots when a pass would be better, therefore without him other players might score more. And apparently we would've still finished 7th even without his goals.

If we do the 2 players in each position thing, without Suarez it looks like this (I'm deliberately leaving Suso out as he didn't play as much, same with Assaidi):

Downing/Alberto-----Sturridge/Borini------Aspas/Sterling

Coutinho/Shelvey------Lucas/Allen------Gerrard/Henderson

Altogether, those 12 players scored only 35 goals in our league last year. Which is a massively misleading stat as it doesn't take into account Borini's injury, Sturridge not playing that often for Chelsea, or the goals Coutinho, Alberto and Aspas scored in other leagues. But it does show we'd be light in terms in proven goal-scoring (Alberto was playing in the Spanish 2nd division for a start). I'd happily sacrifice Downing if it meant bringing in a more experienced attacker. As part of the front 3, his goal-scoring return is awful.

If we sold Suarez and added Mkhitaryan, we might get away with it. But I'd still be concerned we'd be leaving ourselves a bit light up front.

You're right though, defence should be the priority before we get into all that.

[Stig]

So we've officially signed Mingolet. Really happy how we're getting our business done so early, getting the team together and having a proper pre season to prepare. We really do need a new CB though, unless he's gonna keep Skrtl, Coates and bring back in Kelly and Wisdom (if need be to fill in those roles).

[DeNeo]

This is really weird. We're signing what appears to be our first choice targets before the transfer window is even open.

Rick Parry wouldn't have stood for this madness!

[Chewylegs]

So we've officially signed Mingolet. Really happy how we're getting our business done so early, getting the team together and having a proper ore season to prepare. We really do need a new CB though, unless he's gonna keep Skrtl, Coates and bring back in Kelly and Wisdom (if need be to fill in those roles).

I can't see Coates staying and Wisdom, who did well last season at times, is still very raw and needs to be loaned out for a period of time.

Our defence let us down so many times last year, you'd hope Rodgers would see it as a similar position to the Reina one and get in some tough competition. Toure will be good but not enough.

[Oh Danny Boy]

I don't like to see the club taking the quick option and buying an established CB at the expense of developing their own players. If Rodgers feels that Kelly, Wisdom and Coates are able to step it up next season then i'm behind him.

In reply to a previous post I hope the club never sells Shelvey, he'll be a vital player for us one day

[DeadRussian]

I listened to a whole episode of The Anfield Wrap, because my gaffer was on it. Liverpool fans find a lot to chat about, don't they?

[Commander Jameson]

We're a very interesting club.

[Stig]

It's much better during the season when they actually have the games to talk about and not just idle transfer gossip. During the off season they have to play for time a lot.