Liverpool FC Forum

[Leonmc0708]

you may have read this post, but I feel it brings up its own questions, so I want to hear from you....

Listen, we have got the nucleus of an really good squad, and a very promising first XI.

We do need to strengthen, in most areas, but doom and gloom is not the order of the day.

Goalkeeper - pretty much OK, Dudek is experienced cover for Kirkland, who if he keeps fit will be the England No1 for years to come.

Defence - Finnan at right back and Carragher on the left is ideal for me. Although some pace is needed in the centre, Hyppia has proven to be solid, but he is often found wanting with a speedy forward on his coat tails. Biscan MUST be shipped out, Traore is good enough to cover for the centre. The biggest dissapointment is Henchoz. If as it looks like the lad is determined to leave, (and who could blame him after the treatment) I will be sorry to see him go, but probably Hyypia will be the best or the two when paired with a faster partner. I am thinking of players like (but not necessarily them) Toure (Arsenal) Van Buyten (on loan at Man City) or possibly like Gallas (Chelsea).

Midfield - we really need a couple of players in the midfield area. Gerrard does not need me to talk up his attributes, and Kewell will always get a game on the wing (either). Hamann is a superb foil for Gerrard, so he must stay, but I beleive sometimes there is no need for the more defensive midfielder, and I would advocate Gerrard and Cheyrou in the middle, so this leaves a winger. We need a real out and out winger, a player who can beat people and get a good ball in. Again not these players in particular, but lads like Gronkajear (Chelsea), Rommedhal (Danish lad) or Wright Philips (Man City). We also need to sign a goal scoring midfeild player, like Scholes (Man Utd) who can weigh in with around fiften goals a season. Possibly Cheyrou could fill this gap, or Le Tallac.

Striker - we have got some good options here. Owen will stay and there is no better striker in Europe in my opinion than him on his day. Baros is an excellent player, busy tricky and speed to burn. If Cisse comes, he will be an excellent aquisition, and should slot in alongside Owen very well. I would probably keep Heskey also, no problem having too many options, and also he scares the s##t out of Foreign defenders. Pongolle and Mellor are still young, and bench and occasional league cup appearences will sharpen their skills and help groom one or both of them to replace Owen when he leaves in a couple of years.

Squad - players like Riise, Smicer, Murphy, Vignal are good squad players, versatile and dependable in the short term. However Biscan, Diouf, Diao must be shipped out. They will never be good enough as first team regulars, and are not in my opinion versatile enough to warrant keeping them on.
The young lads like Mellor, Otsemobor, Le Tallac, Pongolle, Welsh etc must be kept, our two truly World class players were after all brought thru the ranks. Also Alou Diarra is going to be an unbelievable player, and should be kept at all costs. He is in the Patrick Vierra mould in look, physique and style of play, and some performances I have witnessed have been awesome.

The debate about who should be the manager is for another day, but the squad GH takes forward, or indeed A N Other inherits has a sound base.

Stu, your comments in particular I look forward to...

[DrLiverpool]

Diouf is the best right winger we have in the squad and I think he will greatly improve in the next few season.
Finnan I dont perticularily like he hasnt done much this season but his the only right back in the squad (there is also Otsemobor but his s**t too)

I think its a great idea to have a defensive midfielder. Have a diamond formation sort of thing with Hamann the defensive and Gerrard as the offensive midfielder.

We need a striker and a central defender with pace (mexes off auxerre is class) get him and Cisse off them and we dont need much more.

I heard somewhere that the manager has only 30mil to spend this summer. Is this true ?

[115-1073096938]

haha cheers.

Personally i'd like to see the team built around a counter-attacking system but without the defensive midfielder and using two overlapping full backs and two wingers.

This squad i feel is only three players away from being able to challenge on a consistent basis for top honours.

The goalkeepers are shithot. In my opinion in terms of ability we have the best in the league (Dudek) and potentially one of the best in europe in Kirkland.

I think Finnan will prove to be a superb right back next season. Technically he's superb and he can defend. His form and confidence has lacked at times this season but apart from Gerrard every player has been the same.

I'd like to see Riise rediscover the form he showed in the first season and make the left back spot his own. He has the ability and he's part of the reason we've done well recently i think. His form and attitude seems to have improved and this is a good thing.

As much as i love Carragher i wouldn't want him in the first team. He can play all across the back but he shouldn't be a regular. Well correction, if we sign that "pacey centre back" we all want then he shouldn't. Until then i'd go with him and Sami in the centre.

Sami, Class. End of.

Vignal i think has superb potential and is another option at left back. Ideally him or Riise should make that there own.

Traore. Not half as bad as some make out and a good option at the moment imo. I'm suprised he hasn' been paired with Sami as he's the right type of player we need in there next to him. As to weather he has the quality or not i supose only time will tell.

Henchoz, good centre half. Should be kept on as backup untill he requests a transfer.

Murphy, good squad player and can score goals and change games.

Hamann, great player but we don't need him anymore. Gerrard plays this role and as his natural game and drives the team forward aswell. I agree with your comments about Cheyrou pairing Stevie, the pair of them would add te right mix and i feel would get us a good amount of goals.

Gerrard... no need to comment.

Kewell, one of the best left wingers in Europe. We need someone on the right to compliment and who can provide width on the otherside... Pennant maybe? I'd keep Smicer as backup as he's clearly capable and can play in the wide midfield positions and as a second striker.

Owen, Baros, Pongolle, all to stay with Cisse coming in. I'd also keep Diouf as he's a good player, people think he's sh##e, he isn't. He was just horribley overpriced.

I'd get rid of Heskey, Diao and Biscan.

I'm goin to bed its late, if it doesn't make sense i'll re-write it tomorra.

[115-1073096938]

DrLiverpool.

LFC have played there best football playing a flat 4-4-2. This diamond sh##e is what gets us into trouble in the first place. Gerrard is a defensive midfielder, not an offensive one. His strengths are his tackling, his athletisism, aggression, work rate and influence. Not his vision, technique and flair (altough he is superb in these area's aswell).

He needs a creative midfield player in there with him, not a holding player.

If we are to move forward we need to scrap Hamanns position and play a flat 4 across the midfield.

[simic_ie]

I agree with Stu, remember the old saying, football is a simple game made complicated by idiots. Simply play a flat 4-4-2 system get the best players you can for each position, and let them play. I'm not saying the best technical player for each position but the best player for the team( this is what the manager is for, getting the blend right) .... which is why I'd have to keep Carragher in the team in some capacity, he's a local lad and would die for the jersey, and he can do a job. I'd like to see him play centre half alongside Sami for the rest of the season, i remember him playing there last year against everton (I think) and he was excellent. I think centre half would suit him more than full back because he doesn't need to get forward.

[adayinthelife]

The squad has a very good nucleus but also alot of rubbish like:traore=cant tackle or pass and not good enough
      biscan=see above
      diao=is not as bad as people say but still not good enough
      smicer=has talent but lacks heart and has had his chance
      diouf=is not a right winger and not good enough up front

We have potentially best keeper in prem in Kirkland.Riise is a quality left back and Finnan is best right back at club.Sammi and Henchoz are class partnership together but houllier has destroyed that.We have best mid in prem in Gerrard the maestro and Kewell on left wing is only bettered by Duff.We need to get Van Der Vaart along side Gerrard in centre and we need a right winger like Van Der Meyde who inter paid only 4m for last summer.Up front we have Owen but not for much longer if houllier hangs around and Baros who has awesome skill and will create as many as he scores.

[Eazy-E]

Dudek is a superb keeper although he was poor last season after the World Cup for Poland...keep

Kirkland can be good i just hope that his career will stop being plagued with injury...keep

Traore is improving he gave away too many penalties last season and cost us but he is learning...keep

Riise is brill he is a definite starter for me good on overlapping runs...keep

Henchoz is good but i just don't like him i hope he goes...sell

Hyypia is the best centre half we have and we know he will stay...

Biscan has to go he brings nothing to the team and looks like he does'nt no what it means to wear the Red jersey...sell

Finnan, i'm unsure about this guy he was terrific for Ireland in the World Cup but he is getting pushed around too much now by strikers...keep

Carragher is not the player for me but he is good for backup...keep

Murphy's confidence is not what it was and he is just a shadow of his former self, i hope he returns to form but he should'nt be on the wing he is more central...keep

Diouf is having a hard time he was bought as a striker and is now being played on the wing...keep

Diao is not at all what he was in the world cup but if he was given the chance maybe he could impress, but that does'nt look like it will happen...sell

Gerrard...keep

Hamann has only got a couple more year's left in him but i say keep him for another year...keep

Cheyrou is only young and he scored a few goals this season..keep

Smicer has to go he is too skinny and is afraid of the ball...sell

Kewell, he will perform next year...keep

Heskey slow and only performs in some matches so i would...sell

Baros, he is excellent pacy, eye for goal and good skills definite LFC player...keep

Owen...keep

Sinama is one for the future and will do well as will Le Tallec...keep

Le Tallec (see above)

[DrLiverpool]

DrLiverpool.

LFC have played there best football playing a flat 4-4-2. This diamond sh##e is what gets us into trouble in the first place. Gerrard is a defensive midfielder, not an offensive one. His strengths are his tackling, his athletisism, aggression, work rate and influence. Not his vision, technique and flair (altough he is superb in these area's aswell).

He needs a creative midfield player in there with him, not a holding player.

If we are to move forward we need to scrap Hamanns position and play a flat 4 across the midfield.

I'm only in favor of the diamond formation because its what we have to make do with at the moment. Hamann is the second best central midfielder in the squad. You cant leave him on the bench and play smicer (not bad a player in my opinion) or cheyrou (who are both left not central midfielders in my opinion).

It would be great if we got a good crative and attacking central midfielder in the summer.

[BiscanisGOD]

Find 10 more Biscans.  Play everyone off the park

[DrLiverpool]

Kirkland can be good i just hope that his career isn't plagued with injury...



Henchoz is good but i just don't like him i hope he goes...

Kirklands career is already plagued with injury. You should say something like "I hope his career stops being plagued with injury".


How can you say just get rid of henchoz because you dont like him ?
Henchoz is the best option we have for centre back why wouldnt you like him ?

*we need 2 centre backs hyypia then henchoz*
(in order of quality)

[115-1073096938]

Cheyrou certainly isn't a left winger.

Thats the problem. If he was played in the middle we might see the best of him.

As for Hamann and Gerrard... THEY CAN PLAY IN A FLAT MIDFIELD.

End of.

[chiggz_likes_owen]

with the 2 auxurre players cisse and mexes we could have a good looking squad. Mexes and Hyypia in central of defence, one is pacey and other has expericnce. Cisse and Owen up front should be good.

Diouf is good talent-Kewell will play better next season hopefully so they are on the wings with hamann and gerrard in the middle-Mexes and Hyypia in central-Carragher and Riise have to improve defensively, espically Riise which I know GH has told him to do already. That to me sounds absoutely class:)

I wish well for Gerrard and Owen as without them, the LFC puzzle is very much incomplete. Comon Guyz

Lets hope for a better premierleague nest season and be part of top 3 material. 

[Eazy-E]

Mexes is not coming to Anfield.

[stmichael]

i agree with stu that we are only three players short of having a very good side. the problesm is that once our first choice players get injured, the cover isn't good enough. the problem with the current squad is motivation not ability. our main problem has always been that our key players have not ALL been fit for a whole season. how many games have pires or henry missed for instance?

next season the only direction we can go is forwards. we need a new boss but that is unlikely at this current stage. everyone knows the dead wood that needs to be cleared out. we have a bigger squad than man u or arsenal but they have more QUALITY. it's not about numbers. it's fine splashing 14m on another striker but there's no guarantee of success. you need to buy players to create a BALANCE which is something we don't have. we brought kewell for width but how many games has he stuck to the left wing?

the truth is that a lot of our players will be at euro 2004 so they should return next season fitter and stronger. as cr#p as this season has been, i will renew my season ticket because i love the club. here's next season team if we finish 4th.

kirkland
finnan
hyypia
mexes
carragher
rm?
gerrard
hamann
kewell
baros
owen

heard a rumour that hamann may be off to valencia in a swap for aimar. now that would be dreamland. probably b#ll#x though.

[Owzat]

We should keep most of the squad, well at least 16 players - Dudek, Kirkland, Vignal, Traore, Hyypia, Henchoz, Finnan, Carragher, Kewell, Hamann, Le Tallec, Gerrard, Smicer, Pongolle, Baros and Owen (hope I haven't missed any good player) We should look to offload and replace the rest over the next season or two and build from there

Most important change is of manager, the above changes would probably follow