Liverpool FC Forum

[RedorDead]

I'm not a fan of these sorts of threads based on supposition and ifs and buts....BUT...they have their place and for what it's worth here is my suggestion for a starting line up nexty season.

                                                   Reina

Finnan                  Carra                                 Hyppia/Agger              Riise

Gerrard/Kuyt          Alonso                               Sissoko                     Kewell

                                Kuyt/Defoe             Crouch/Cisse



I am not saying that is the best we can do but I think it is quite a likely starter, would just love to see Kuyt come from Feyenoord, been watching him a couple of seasons and he is top drawer.
As an after thought I wish people would stop going on about major investment being the be all and end all of this club. We have never been a club to throw ten's of millions of pounds into the transfer market. Our record signing is £14mill. I admit that investment of a sensible and proportioned amount to support the financing of a new stadium is very important but we are not a poor club and are again in the champions league. We have won more trophys than Arsenal and Man Utd in the last few seasons who have spent a lot more money than we have on players and I know this is a seperate thread but if us winning the premiership means us having a billionaire sugar daddy then I honestly would rather forget the league and compete for the smaller trophies like, say the European Cup!!!

[Rafalution]

reina
alves
areulio
hypia
carra
sissoko
xabi
stevie g
pennant
gonzalez
defoe

Don't you just love posts like this one !! Talk about a complete re-build of the team !

Let's be realistic here people ! We won the Champions League last season, we haven't had a bad season this year and the defence has had one of the best seasons in the club history and here we have guys replacing our two full backs with two new players who are completely untried and untested in the premiership ! Remember the last time Rafa tried this (Josemi anyone.....). Even though Aurelio and Alves are probably better class than Josemi, that counts for nothing when you play in the premiership (Morientes is obviously class but cannot cut it in the premiership).

Reality say's that we will see at most 2 - 3 players who may push or claim a first team spot in the summer and I would imagine a couple more players like Paletta who will be given a season or two to adjust to England and the premiership before being given a chance in the first team.

My personal prognosis about the state of the team which finished this season was simply that we are short of cover on the right hand side and maybe a striker short. Apart from that we are looking pretty healthy as Rafa is bringing in quality cover like Agger and Gonzales for other positions in the team.

I for one will be very surprised to see more than 2 new faces in the first team on the first day of the premiership.

For me, the most interesting part of the summer will be who exactly is allowed to leave the club as that will dictate who comes in. If Cisse and Moro remain I cannot see us buying another striker.

[bigmick]

Just a couple of quick points here. I can tell you one Liverpool team that would go very close to winning the Premiership next season:

                                             Reina

                Finnan         Hyppia               Carra              Riise

               Gerrard         Alonso                Momo             Kewell

                                  Crouch               Fowler   

and thats exactly the same one we played in most of the second half of the season last campaign. It is my profound belief that had we been in a position where we had an alternative to the hapless Morientes and the unpredictability of Cisse for the first two thirds of the season, we would have run Chelsea very close indeed.
Thats not to say we shouldn't sign anybody. On the contrary, there are a couple of players (Sami and Fowler being the obvious two) who would appear unlikely to be able to start every game next season, but we don't need the wholesale changes which some are suggesting, with two new full-backs a new left winger and a new striker. A little bit of calm assessment is what we need and is what I'm sure we will get.
One last point and it is in answer to the couple of posters who have blamed the chairman/Parry for our lack of ability to compete with Chelsea. Firstly and most obviously, no team on planet Earth can compete with Chelsea in the transfer market and unless Bill Gates takes us over and developes a love of football and a casual abandon to spending money, it will be forever thus until Abrhamovic moves on for whatever reason. This is hardly anybody at the clubs fault.
Secondly, and its something which doesn't get mentioned enough in my view is the fact that the powers that be were instrumental in firstly identifying and then bringing the current manager to the club. Almost everybody I would have thought can now see this was a piece of inspired judgement so credit where credits due, we may not have bottomless pits of money but the guys ain't all bad.

[bigmick]

Sheesh I've almost put the same post up as the Rafalution. Great minds think alike I guess mate

[babu]

Sheesh I've almost put the same post up as the Rafalution. Great minds think alike I guess mate

go on mate, pat yourself on the back, you deserve it.

 

[RedorDead]

I agree Mick, the starting 11 I put forward only had extra cover at right wing and upfront, it seems obvious to me that other than cover and youth Rafa won't spend big anywhere else in the squad, and why should he?
I don't know the exact figures without looking it up but am I right in thinking that since Christmas we scored more points in the league than Chelsea? Must have been close, and we knocked them out the FA Cup...all it takes is continued disillusionment of some of there big players and manager as has been seen and our continued progress and we'll be challenging next season, new signings or not.

[andy_g]

have to say that i agree with the pair of you. in that as far as the starting eleven goes we have most of it in place already. the 11 that bigmick suggests wouldn't be the usual starting eleven but would be for a number of games and would be one that i would have every confidence in. players that come in will be to give quality alternatives rather than to overhaul the squad spectacularly. i would like to see, more than anything, this new striker and for what its worth i think bellamy, defoe or kuyt could all do a job there. i'm excited about seeing gonzalez coming in and playing but i really don't want that to be at the expense of kewell and i have no idea what benitez is going to do about that. finally i would like to see alves coming in for the other right back slot. as much as i like kronkamp and think he is a solid player i can't help but think that rafa brought him in as temporary cover of a higher standard than and as a better bargaining chip than josemi and nothing else.

[XSD]

Quite possibly we could have this team:

                   Reina
   Alves Carragher Hyypia Aurelio
Kewell Gerrard Sissoko Alonso Gonzalez
               'new striker'

Looks solid. If we do land those fullbacks like I expect that would be a very good back four.

[RedorDead]

Posted: May 24 2006,11:47 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quite possibly we could have this team:

                  Reina
  Alves Carragher Hyypia Aurelio
Kewell Gerrard Sissoko Alonso Gonzalez
              'new striker'

Looks solid. If we do land those fullbacks like I expect that would be a very good back four.

I agree that Aurelio is a top left back although I profess to know little of Alves...but i cannot see Rafa making such a drastic change to the back four. Our defence set records last year and was extremely solid and reliable. Why change two of the four positions, it would probably mean changing three out of the four because there is a chance Sami will play a reduced number of games next season. I can't see it XSD mate. Those players may come in but I'd be very surprised to see them both start on day one of the season, it would take some working in for them to become genuine starters over Riise and Finnan.
Having said that, I left out Gonzalez in my starting 11 and it may well be that he pushes harry out, we'll see I guess, still it's exciting times.

[bittenByTheAnfieldBug]

According to the Spanish press, Liverpool is asking for 4 million Euro and Di Vaio for Morientes.

http://marca.es/edicion....68.html

It's looking good so far.

[tubby]

Alves will replace Cafus place on the right in the Brazil squad. Its quite lucky actually how he already hasnt been picked up by a major European team.

[crazyhorse]

Alves will replace Cafus place on the right in the Brazil squad. Its quite lucky actually how he already hasnt been picked up by a major European team.

Hey Fella - WE are a major European team!

[XSD]

Posted: May 24 2006,11:47 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quite possibly we could have this team:

                  Reina
  Alves Carragher Hyypia Aurelio
Kewell Gerrard Sissoko Alonso Gonzalez
              'new striker'

Looks solid. If we do land those fullbacks like I expect that would be a very good back four.

I agree that Aurelio is a top left back although I profess to know little of Alves...but i cannot see Rafa making such a drastic change to the back four. Our defence set records last year and was extremely solid and reliable. Why change two of the four positions, it would probably mean changing three out of the four because there is a chance Sami will play a reduced number of games next season. I can't see it XSD mate. Those players may come in but I'd be very surprised to see them both start on day one of the season, it would take some working in for them to become genuine starters over Riise and Finnan.
Having said that, I left out Gonzalez in my starting 11 and it may well be that he pushes harry out, we'll see I guess, still it's exciting times.

I can see it. The back four has been superb no doubt, but Benitez will want it to be even better next season. Riise isn't the most solid left-back defensively, he is a strong tackler but I feel without his shooting ability he wouldn't command a LB spot in a decent side. Finnan is very good defensively but Alves offers a huge amount of attacking potential and width when we go forward, also you must factor in Alves is very young and can learn defensively. Finnan isn't so young now. Benitez isn't shy to make big or controversial changes when he thinks it will suit the team. Changing our fullbacks could bring us closer to the title despite the defensive achievements of last season.

[RedorDead]

maybe come next may they'll be in but after a very short off season due to the world cup I don't think there will be a major rebuild in defence. I may be wrong XSD and it will intersting to see, maybe one or the other will start. I would be a bit gutted to see Riise dropped though, he has been a top player for us for a long time, I know he isn't the best defensive player out there but nor is Roberto Carlos. Riise is very very fit, is a good enough defender to be part of a record setting back four and is a serious attacking threat. I for one am a big fan and to see him dropped would be a shame.

[stmichael]

This is how I see it.

1. Aurelio is a done deal and he will be a Liverpool player before the world cup.

2. Liverpool have a genuine gentlemens agreement to sign Pennant from Birmingham both clubs have agreed the transfer and Pennant is delighted, no news on the transfer fee though.

3. Bent is a definate NO-GO. Charlton want too much money for him, and Rafa would rather wait to see if his first season (Which in my opinion was a cracking season for him) was actually a fluke.

4. Defoe is getting closer to his move to LFC, but it all depends on whether a fee can be agreed by both clubs.

5. And finally Don't be surprised if Newcastle make a move for Cisse, Roeder is show some interest in the France striker, but it will again rely on the transfer fee.

Thats all my LFC Transfer News, anymore and i will keep you posted....