Liverpool FC Forum

[Owzat]

I must apologise up front for asking you to do this again, but if I explain why then perhaps you won't mind so much. I want to establish in a proper manner who is "pivotal" to the Liverpool starting XI. If we all state our first choice XI then it would be safe to assume that we would all include "pivotal" players (they wouldn't be very pivotal if they didn't make your 1st XI!   )

If you could all give your first choice XI in a 4-4-2 formation then I will work out which players we agree on. If 17 out of 24 of us prefer Baros over Heskey then we can safely say there is 71% agreement that he is a first choice player.
If you have posted your XI before, you can always copy and paste it into this thread

My 1st choice XI

GK Dudek
LB Vignal
CB Hyypia
CB Henchoz
RB Finnan
LM Kewell
CM Gerrard
CM Hamann
RM Partridge
CF Owen
CF Baros

ps, I'm not just being difficult with that selection, I feel the XI there would give us a good base. It would be touch and go between Dudek and Kirkland, Diouf and Partridge, Carragher and Finnan/Vignal, I doubt there would be too many other eyebrow raising choices. I would say only Hyypia, Henchoz, Kewell, Gerrard, Hamann and Owen are dead certs in my XI, so there are only six "pivotal" players IMO

[big al]

Hamann is the key player the team.

[RedSi]

GK Dudek
RB Finnan
CB Henchoz
CB Hyppia
LB Carragher
RM Murphy
CM Gerrard
CM Hamann
LM Kewell
CF Owen
CF Baros

Pivotal Subs: Heskey, Kirkland

Murphy is the least important of the above but there's no-one else in the squad I'd put in ahead of him, Steed Malbranque would be the ideal choice for RM imo.

[greenred]

Owzat,has houllier ever even started partridge?Im not sure.

[RedSi]

He hasn't as far as I'm aware - he was seemingly s##t-hot on loan at Cov then I've not really heard anything. Am I imagining things or did he/has he broken his leg.....?!?

[columbia]

kirkland

carragher
hyypia
henchoz
fiinan

kewell
gerrard
hamman
murphy

owen
heskey (if he's at his best)

[115-1073096938]

GK Dudek
RB Finnan
CB Henchoz
CB Hyppia
LB Carragher
RM Murphy
CM Gerrard
CM Hamann
LM Kewell
CF Owen
CF Baros

Pivotal Subs: Heskey, Kirkland, Vignal, Le Tallec, Pongolle

Murphy is the least important of the above but there's no-one else in the squad I'd put in ahead of him, Steed Malbranque would be the ideal choice for RM imo.

I'd say Baros is least improtant but yeah i'd go along with that. I like vignal but Carragher has to play and i like Heskey (at his best) but he's not consistent enough.

I can't believe some people are still banging on about Partridge though. He's played once and done ok in an 8-0 win away at stoke but the lads a first division player at best a lower premiership player. In that game he shown how naive he was, the score could have finished in double figures. He's not overly fit, his defensive abilities aren't to clever, his final ball is very erratic and his passing and movement aren't upto standard. Yes he's nippy, yes he can beat a man but he's not top class and never will be.

[greenred]

You got all that from one match which we won 8-0 ? Nice to know you give a player a chance stu.I hope your just as quick to judge some of the dross thats wearing the red shirt at the moment.Gary Mcallister called partridge one of the finest young players he ever worked with,but then he probably doesnt know as much as you stu.

[115-1073096938]

I used to watch the reserves at Knowsley road and saw him live three times playing for Coventry in one game he scored against Derby county.

Also i've seen Otsemobor twice live and once on highlights. My judgement of him is good pace, strong, good fitness, good touch and decent passing.

Average tackler, poor positionally, decent marking and poor decision making in a defensive off the ball situation.

So yes watching a player once or twice i can pick up on alot of things. I've seen Partridge well into double figures and i am obviously of the same opinion of Gerard or maybe he'd have played some games by now. Welsh will get his chance as he's good enough, Otsemobor will get another one as he has the potential. Partridge on the other hand? no sorry.

[115-1073096938]

Gary Mcallister called partridge one of the finest young players he ever worked with,but then he probably doesnt know as much as you stu.

Igor Biscan was hailed as a potentially superb centre half by Gerard Houllier and a Rock by Phil Thompson... I tend to disagree with them both. I think he's potentially a decent squad player at best. But then like you say... what would know.

Players and managers don't always get it right. Partridge hasn't made the grade, if he was good enough he'd have got his chance. They always do.

Name a younster who's moved from our club and gone on to do better things without being given a chance and don't say Thompson because he had his chance then requested a transfer.

[greenred]

I still say one 8-0 win isnt enough to judge him by.Any reports I heard painted him as one of the stars of the reserve team and I cant understand how your opinion is so different. If he is so bad why hasnt houllier sold him yet?Coventry offered to buy him a while back but liverpool refused to release him.Why hold on to a liability who in your words  is... " not overly fit, his defensive abilities aren't to clever, his final ball is very erratic and his passing and movement aren't up to standard." And dont say its because he is injured because houllier could have offloaded him ages ago.Maybe houllier is afraid that a player like partridge who has never been given a chance will come back to haunt him someday.

[JBG]

Patridge was hugely hyped three years ago and Man UTD almost made a bid for him as the long term replacement for Beckham.

Steve Heighway then described him as "the best prospect at right midfield that we have had at Anfield for 25 years".

High praise, but he was never given a chance.

Personally I have never seen him play in the flesh other than a game about 4 years ago for the Irish U21s in Dublin, when he showed electric pace, a few tricks, but was overall quiet.

I couldn't really say much more after only one performance.

As for young former Liverpool players who were never given a chance Stu and have gone on to better things........what about Kevin Nolan at Bolton?

Scored at Old Trafford, scored at Anfield!!!!

Total ownage, Stu, total ownage!!!!!

[Owzat]

It was between Partridge and Diouf for right midfield and Diouf has had more chances. It isn't so much I think Partridge is the bees knees as that we don't really have a fixture wide right. If Kewell plays left midfield then I'd say the real problem is left-back and right-midfield. Carragher does a job at left and right back, but I still want to see someone a little more attacking

[Coley]

What about Riise?

[Owzat]

I think Riise is a terrific player when on form. I think he isn't good enough defensively to play full-back and not good enough going forward for right-midfield. He is a terrific player to have in our squad but I feel the only role he is really suited to is wing-back in a 3-5-2 or 5-3-2