Liverpool FC Forum

[Paul C]

Would we want him? Would he cut it in the prem?
Hes smaller and skinnier than garcia , I know hes a good player but I am not to sure if he will cut it in England.

Size dont matter

I agree, I keep telling women that   

[Liverpool 4 EVA]

Aimar is AWESOME!!

I don't care about his small stature, he's very similar to what I have seen in videos of Maradona in his style of play.

Amazing ability to run and dribble, hold the ball, and make that cutting edge pass....

PLEASE COME TO LIVERPOOL!!

[JBG]

As usual we see Stu's two cents were he pisses on everybody else's opinion.

Size and physicality does matter.

Sean Wright Phillips and some of the others are bad examples are they grew up in England and are schooled in English football since they were kids. They succeeded despite themselves. SWP is tiny but is immensely strong, as is Owen and Fowler.

Zola was a small player but was incredibly strong.

Aimar is an excellent talent but I'm not sure whether he'd cope in England. There are precedents here: Juan Sebastian Veron, although a tall man, could not handle the physicality of the Premiership, but back in Italy he has begun to shine once more.

Faustino Asprilla struggled to adapt to the pace here, even though he is also a tall man.

Karel Poborsky is one of the better right sided players in Europe of the last 10 years yet was a disaster at Man UTD. The same goes for Diego Forlan.

Juninho succeeded but only after a season of being kicked all over England.

I'm not saying that all small players will struggle as that is not true but its incorrect to say that people who question Aimar's ability to cope in the Premiership are "pathetic" and show a "lack of football knowledge". Give up the old cliches of "If you are good enough you are old enough" etc etc etc and show some real insight Stu.

I would be worried that Aimar is too small: he's great ability but I don't know his character and I think its fair to say that the odds are stacked against him succeeding. He would be a major boost to us if he was to fit in but I'm not sure.

[The_Rock]

i am sure rafa will know what to do if he gets aimar. He is a class player..no doubt about it.

Also the english league is a little less physical than previous years.....

[stapo1000]

This is truley pathetic.

All this not strong or big enough to play in the premiership shows a complete lack of football knowledge.

Its a ****** statement.

Zola
Wright-Phillips
Owen
Fowler
Juninho

To name a few off the top of my head.

If you're good enough, you're good enough. I can't see Rafa signing him as he plays in the same position as Luis Garcia and Le Tallec.

We need an out an out centre midfielder, he isn't one. Failing that we need 2 wingers, again, he doesn't fit the bill. We also need an out an out striker. Again, we don't have one good enough.

He's none of those.

i agree totally. if you're good enough, you can play in any league in the world no matter how small or weak you are

[Scottbot]

Size and physicality does matter.

Have to agree with this. Size and strength does matter in a league where so few diminutive players have succeeded over a long period of time. Look to the European leagues and you will see many more players of their ilk. The examples of Zola and Owen are more the exception than the rule.

How many players of their size and build have really succeeded in England over a period of several seasons?

Juninho was outstanding during his first season at Boro the year they went down and reached both cup-finals but he hardly set the world on fire during his next two stints in English football. Kinkladze and Berkovic are two similar players who had their moments but were again unable to sustain a high level for more than a season or two. SWP looks like he has what it takes but he's got to do it for a few more seasons yet.

The early signs from Garcia, another light-weight, diminutive player with a big box of tricks are promising right now but time will tell whether we've got ourself the next Zola or another Kinkladze.

I think everyone agrees Aimar is pure class but i would have some worries about the inevitable kicking he would take form the Stubbs, Todds and Savage's of this league. that's not to say i wouldn't be excited if we signed him though. I would just be very surprised if we did because i don't know where he would play.

[115-1073096938]

Juninho succeeded but only after a season of being kicked all over England.

I'm not saying that all small players will struggle as that is not true but its incorrect to say that people who question Aimar's ability to cope in the Premiership are "pathetic" and show a "lack of football knowledge". Give up the old cliches of "If you are good enough you are old enough" etc etc etc and show some real insight Stu.

I would be worried that Aimar is too small: he's great ability but I don't know his character and I think its fair to say that the odds are stacked against him succeeding. He would be a major boost to us if he was to fit in but I'm not sure.

Alright smart ******.

Kinkladze and Juninho. That better for you? The reason they both went the way they did was injury, nothing else.

Midgets with class. To be politically incorrect as usual

You don't need strength at all. If you're quick enough to skin someone without them getting near you or you're that good at timing headers and tackles you never need to make a physical challenge what do you need strength for?

I'm sorry JBG but you don't need one particular attribute to play in a certain league. Class is class  wherever and whatever context it comes in.

You could Zidane anywhere in any team ever and he'd stand out because he's one of the worlds greatest ever players. Not becuase he suits this style or that. The same with Maradonna (pre-beer belly days) and the rest.

Size isn't an issue ever and never ever in this life will ever be in terms of football. The correct mental attitude and LEVEL OF ABILITY is.

Luis Garcia lacks strength, but he doesn't make up for it by being a quick thinker or particularly quick in terms of pace.

Its about alround ability, not one stupid attribute.I Otherwise the Heskey's, Taggarts, Stubbs' and Elliots would all be the outstanding players over here.

If you're good enough, you're good enough, if you aren't, you fail. Its that simple.

[JC_81]

Yeah people like zola and swp are small and have succeeded in the prem, but there are also guys like smicer who have not

Its not just the fact that physical stature DOES matter in the prem, but those who are not physically strong need the mental toughness to compensate for it.  Aimar sounds like a temperamental little sh1t and if the going gets tough for him he will want to ****** off back to spain

On top of that garcia is just as good as him IMO and we don't need him

[the return of HAS]

Though size is a factor, it nowhere near as important as some people make out.

It’s about the pace of league and the free time you get on the ball before you are challenged. Look at Veron for example, when he was at Lazio he was one of the best players in the world, absolutely outstanding. He came to the Premiership and looked an average player. He is the sort of player who likes to take his time on the ball and pick his pass. Now he is back in Italy and is having quiet a good season with Inter.

Smicer is a decent footballer, but he is just not suited to the Premiership. If he goes to a league that suits him and plays in the role that suits him, he could be a decent player, I think the same goes for Cheyrou.

On the subject on Aimar, I don't know if he could adjust to the pace and rigours of the Premiership, but it is irrelevant because he wont be coming to Liverpool. We just don't need him at this point. Garcia is playing in the role that Aimar used to occupy when Rafa was in charge at Valencia.

[Scottbot]

Size isn't an issue ever and never ever in this life will ever be in terms of football. The correct mental attitude and LEVEL OF ABILITY is.

If it isn't an issue then why do we see so few Zolas, Owens, Juninhos and the like?

[L-type]

I have a video thats about 60 megs of aimar, pretty sweet I'd post it on yousendit.com but i know someone will want to get it after it expires, so tell me if you want to see it, and tell me if theres a better upload site

[jonnymac1979]

I'm sorry JBG

Sorry Stu, you posted that in my 'bad ear', can you just repeat those words again as I never thought I'd see the day you apologised.

[liamac]

If size is such a big thing , why does Heskey fall over every blade of grass , or if tackled by even a midget  falls over and looks like he has been run over by a frigging dump truck ? 

[115-1073096938]

If it isn't an issue then why do we see so few Zolas, Owens, Juninhos and the like?

Cannavaro.

5'9 and one of the best centre halfs to walk the earth in the last  10-15 years. 

The reason for this is obvious, the average height of a male is between 5'10 and 6'2. The same reason there aren't many massive footballers like Crouch and Koller. Size doesn't make you a better player.

Attributes do. It you have the ability it doesn't matter weather you're 5'5 or 6'5. If that was the case all the best players would be the tallest and biggest build. Owen's one of the best strikers this countries ever produced, compare him to Crouch, Heskey, Campbell etc etc.

Size means nothing. Ability is everything.

[bigmick]

Clearly size and physique are a factor, to pretend otherwise is just plain silly. You can debate till the cows come home about how big a factor, Stu would have us believe it's about as important as the colour of the guys hair whereas others would claim it to be crucial. But a factor it is nontheless.
If anybody doesn't believe me please answer me this. If a midget (sticking with Stu's politically correct theme) and I mean a proper midget, a dwarf was blessed with the ball control of a young Gascoigne does anybody seriously believe he could make it at the top level? Of course not. You might say it's a ridiculous way of demonstrating the point but it'll do for me.
On a broader note, I actually think that in certain positions we are in the early stages of a "sizest" revolution. Goalkeepers under 6 feet tall are already the odd ones out whereas when I was a youngster anybody over 6ft 2 waws considered a giant. Similarly, midfield players of the Vierra, Gerrard, Bouba-Diop type are becoming more prevailent. Twenty years ago they would have made Gerrard into a centre-half once he sprouted over 6 feet tall. The times they are-a-changin..
Having said all of that, i agree with Stu that Aimar is absolute class and would sign him in a shot