Liverpool FC Forum

[7_Kewell]

Chivu IS class and would love to see him in a Liverpool shirt

[115-1073096938]

St Michael Chivu is a good shout.

Admittedly i haven't seen alot of him, what i've seen he looks good and alot of people seem to rate the lad. Hopefully not just because of Championship Manager.

[LFC #1]

I doubt theres a British player available offering value for money. Foreign managers talk about their desire to buy British but unless you can afford the cream theres no value beyond that crop. Rafa will look but take his money overseas. I dont think we will sign any players from Britain.

I don't buy that Parch - It's a viscous cirlcle. Managers don't want to buy British coz that generally means buying from a league below Premiership level. They want proven players with some pedigree of playing in a nation's top division. Consequently, top flight English football is full of foreign talent and the transfer prices of English players (which are considered desirable - in a footy sense!) have sky-rocketed.

Just look at some of the dross that has been shipped in from abroad over the last 10 years. There seems to be a mentality among managers, the press and fans that English players doing the business in the championship and below are simply not good enough for 'this club'.

Tottenham have gone out and bought a lot of young British talent over the last 12 months with the likes of Robinson, Dawson, Reid, Huddlestone & Davenport. Hopefully it will work for them and we might see a few other teams follow suit.

I'm not saying any club should buy British players simply coz they are British but get fed up of everyone jumping on the 'he plays in the 1st division so will never be good enough bandwagon'. Just look at Rob Earnshaw - Big Mick got lambasted on here for suggesting the lad (i was one of the many culprits!) but he has matched Baros' goal tally in half a season playing subs for a Bryan Robson team!

Would you swap Bruno Cheyrou for Kevin Nolan? Thas a toughie......

Excellnt post.

It's often true that a lot of these players are not good neough for LFc, but to completley dismiss the likes of ashton etx is garbage.

Just because they play for a lowly club, everyone thinks they are rubbish, well of thats the case then only the top 6 teams should bother turning up week in week out. Their is talent out there if you look for it, and although these smaller clubs may be getting rlegated, doesn't mean all of their players are rubbish.

Tkae Ashton for exa.ple, is class week in week out playing for a relegated club like Norwich, and his scoring rate since coming from Crewe is immense.

A player like him would do the business at the top clubs, I a. sure of it. If he can score goals at Norwich then with a better midfield behind him like ours why couldn't he score 20 a season?

[115-1073096938]

Alot of players don't have the ability to make the step up and be excellent players. The excellent youngsters are normally at the big clubs already, however there are alot of players out there who are premiership class.

At Norwich they have Green, Ashton and Francis. Ashton and Green have the potential to play for top clubs.

At Palace there are premiership quality players, Routledge, Johnson and Ben Watson (ginger haired midfielder). None of them could play at best clubs i don't think, but they're definately premiership players.

Players that might be available that would improve our team from this country and lads that have the potential to play in a great side. Some aren't good enough yet but will get there in there career. I can't think of any others, the likes of Wright-Phillips aren't what they're made out to be. He's a good player, but he stands out in a poor side. As Huckerby did at Coventry a few years ago. He's not what some people think he is.

GK - van der Sar, Green
RB - McMahon
LB - None
CB - None
RM - Pennant
LM - Downing
CM - Joe Cole
CF - Ashton, Defoe

Not a very big selection really.

[MilitiaRusher]

I agree. In the lower leagues in England, Im sure there are lots of hidden talents that could be bought with a bargain price. By sending numerous scouts, Im sure we could do that. But I guess Rafa would rather invest on Spanish Lower Leagues/La Liga, which is fine.

[Scottbot]

as centre backs go, i'd seriously make an effort to get christian chivu from roma. the guy is a superb player, and he's left footed which is a rare commodity for a centre half. at the moment, roma are still not safe from relegation and are in financial turmoil.

Good shout Mick - Saw quite a bit of Chivu a couple of seasons ago on Eurosport and the guy was class. Strong in the air, comfortable on the deck and a good reader of the game.

Not sure of his form the last 18 months though. With Roma struggling he could be a possibility.

[taff]

Alot of players don't have the ability to make the step up and be excellent players. The excellent youngsters are normally at the big clubs already, however there are alot of players out there who are premiership class.

At Norwich they have Green, Ashton and Francis. Ashton and Green have the potential to play for top clubs.

At Palace there are premiership quality players, Routledge, Johnson and Ben Watson (ginger haired midfielder). None of them could play at best clubs i don't think, but they're definately premiership players.

Players that might be available that would improve our team from this country and lads that have the potential to play in a great side. Some aren't good enough yet but will get there in there career. I can't think of any others, the likes of Wright-Phillips aren't what they're made out to be. He's a good player, but he stands out in a poor side. As Huckerby did at Coventry a few years ago. He's not what some people think he is.

GK - van der Sar, Green
RB - McMahon
LB - None
CB - None
RM - Pennant
LM - Downing
CM - Joe Cole
CF - Ashton, Defoe

Not a very big selection really.

You seem to have a blockage when it comes to smaller clubs.  Take Dean Ashton, Andy J and Earnshaw who have scored for smaller clubs in the premiership and scored a lot.

Would you rather persevere with Mellor and Baros because theyre already here so they must be good eh.

Im amazed that you talk sense most of the time but dismiss smaller players.  This is after all a internet chat room. 

There is a argument for British being overpriced but I also hate the not good enough for the premiership.  This is partly because of the overhype of the premiership and peoples insistence that there is no life outside of it. 

Werent we not good enough for the champions league.  Thank the lord Benitez and the players did not listen to the hype.  JC was written off but how many of the European teams would like to have someone like him now.

[LFC #1]

take eveton for exmaple. How many of their players would you honeslty want at our club???

Cahill..... thats about it really.

Yet they finished above Us, Newcastle and Spurs, all clubs with big sqauds and quality players.

I for one am not advocating we go out and buy all English lads from lower league clubs as it wouldn't help us, but to completely dismiss any player who doesn't play for one of the top 6 is absurd.

If you put together a squad of the best players outside the likes of LFC, ManU, Chlesea and Arsenal, and were bale to gel them together sucessfully then it would probably come very close to winning the league.

[115-1073096938]

You seem to have a blockage when it comes to smaller clubs.  Take Dean Ashton, Andy J and Earnshaw who have scored for smaller clubs in the premiership and scored a lot.

Would you rather persevere with Mellor and Baros because theyre already here so they must be good eh.

Im amazed that you talk sense most of the time but dismiss smaller players.  This is after all a internet chat room. 

There is a argument for British being overpriced but I also hate the not good enough for the premiership.  This is partly because of the overhype of the premiership and peoples insistence that there is no life outside of it. 

Werent we not good enough for the champions league.  Thank the lord Benitez and the players did not listen to the hype.  JC was written off but how many of the European teams would like to have someone like him now.

Taff, I've never wrote JC off. I've never wrote Ashton off. I never wrote Phillips off when he was in the first division or Marcus Stewart.

Im not saying i've seen everyone out there, but the ones i have i know who's good enough and who isn't. There is a massive difference in the game now. The players at the top are generally the best. Years ago it wasn't like that, you could go and find footballers and make them into a great team. Now you NEED GREAT players to have a GREAT team.

These lads in general aren't good enough. Theres alot of players out there who just don't cut the mustard. The likes of Francis and Johnson and Earnshaw are definately premiership quality, of that i have no doubt, but they are not and never will be GREAT players and will never be mentioned in the same breath as players like Schevchenko, Owen, Gerrard, Zidane etc. They aren't going to improve our team, so whats the point?

FWIW i don't think Earnshaw or Johnson are any worse than Baros, but whats the point in replacing like for like? You won't move forward if you do that.

I've seen it all before, i know a good player when i see one.

It was the same with Huckerby to Leeds from coventry, if he can be a one man team there and score 15 goals, imagine what he can do in a good Leeds side... what happened? He doen all because he was asked to play above a level he could.

[115-1073096938]

Ok, my point... Best team without looking at Newcastle, Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea.

GK - Robinson**
RB - McMahon*
LB - Barry*
CB - Southgate
CB - King*
RM - Pennant**
LM - Downing**
CM - Cahill
CM - Bouba-Diop
CF - Defoe**
CF - Ashton**

Subs:
GK - Given*
DF - Mellberg
MD - Wright-Phillips
MD - Malbranque (not the player he was)
CF - Keane*

The ones with two stars next to them are the ones who can be a key player in a great side in the next few years.

The ones with one star could become first teamers in a great side. Look at those players and name me anyone better. Theres probably one or two but you'll struggle after that.

[LFC #1]

At centre half, I'd include Jean Alain Boumsong from Newcaalte Stu. If he became available he'd be a good signing IMO. From what i have seen he looks a class act, too bad Houllier didn't sign him when he could of.

[115-1073096938]

Read the first line of the post again Scotty

[LFC #1]

oh

[stmichael]

i like ashton a lot. i've always liked him from the first time i saw him at crewe. he reminds me of a young alan shearer i.e. he's not quick but he has a great physical presence, is good in the air and has an excellent touch.

if he wants to move on in his career then he has to leave norwich. i wouldn't be surprised at all if he ended up at somewhere like villa or newcastle.

[LFC #1]

good point that St mick. Thinking baout it, he actually reminds me a lot of Shearer, very similar qualities in both of them. If he turns out to be even half as good he would have done well.