Liverpool FC Forum

Sabre wrote:I've been a defender of Riise for quite a while. When Rafa arrived I didn't think he'd convince Rafa. But no matter who arrived to the club, no matter he wasn't in the initial plans of Rafa, he eventually ends playing regularly every year, and that means something. Nobody has given Riise anything for free, he has earnt every drop of respect he has.

Important in some of the aspects of our game like the throw ins -that also counts mates-, important due to his stamina, he's there to score because at min 75 he has the stamine to run and reach this positions, when the opposition is tired, he breaks them down with one of his runs... John Arne Riise won't be ever a popular Spanish liga player but I think any decent manager would consider him a great team player. We can't do a team with fashionable players, we need men like Riise.

He's not great defending but he's not bad neither, and with the things I've already mentioned letting alone his goals I think he's a versatile and useful player.

Sabre wrote:I've been a defender of Riise for quite a while. When Rafa arrived I didn't think he'd convince Rafa. But no matter who arrived to the club, no matter he wasn't in the initial plans of Rafa, he eventually ends playing regularly every year, and that means something. Nobody has given Riise anything for free, he has earnt every drop of respect he has.

Important in some of the aspects of our game like the throw ins -that also counts mates-, important due to his stamina, he's there to score because at min 75 he has the stamine to run and reach this positions, when the opposition is tired, he breaks them down with one of his runs... John Arne Riise won't be ever a popular Spanish liga player but I think any decent manager would consider him a great team player. We can't do a team with fashionable players, we need men like Riise.

He's not great defending but he's not bad neither, and with the things I've already mentioned letting alone his goals I think he's a versatile and useful player.

Sabre wrote:Perhaps he hasn't, but we must admit there's a serious lack of decent Left and right backs in Europe. It's a fact that Real Madrid is still playing with Roberto Carlos, who's quite old. It's a fact that a team like Barcelona is playing with average players like Oleguer, or slightly better -although utter shíte last game- like Belleti. I know Del Porno de ex chelsea player quite well, is he that good? no he isn't! yet they went and paid an important sum for him! The left back of Atletico Madrid is very criticised, every fúcking team in Spain seem to have a problem in that position!

If we leave aside Alves, who is wanted by half the planet, I don't see better left backs or right backs than the ones we have every week, and I'm supposed to see the two best leagues of the world!

which left backs would convice you for Liverpool, AB? I don't see many of them in Spain at least.

Sabre wrote:

Outside of England, Lahm is a very good considering he's right footed and playing as left-back. Impressed me a lot at the World Cup.

Yes I agree on Lahm, I hadn't seen a player like him for quite a while. I guess until now we were quite limited money wise and he must be highly rated, in case we have the money now, I agree that Lahm could provide things that we haven't currently in the squad. But then, note that Fabio Aurelio is a good player aswell, and when he came here he came fed up of not playing in his natural position, he was fed up of being the sub of Vicente when his natural position is the left back. He came but Rafa has still used Riise often, that's why I say Riise must have something for Rafa's eyes.

The english league players you mention I have seen them a bit, when they play against us, but that wasn't enough to make an idea of them -meaning I don't remember-, thank you for the note, I'll look at them closer now.

I forgot to mention another example of the lack of this kind of players like Lahm, natural L/R backs, is the lenght of the career of players like Angloma or Carboni in Valencia who played until they were >35!

As for looking for young players, yes you're right we must keep seeking, and of course never stop to improve the squad when we can. Just pointing out that yes, Riise can be improved, but not by just anyone.

A.B. wrote:

Sabre wrote:I've been a defender of Riise for quite a while. When Rafa arrived I didn't think he'd convince Rafa. But no matter who arrived to the club, no matter he wasn't in the initial plans of Rafa, he eventually ends playing regularly every year, and that means something. Nobody has given Riise anything for free, he has earnt every drop of respect he has.

Important in some of the aspects of our game like the throw ins -that also counts mates-, important due to his stamina, he's there to score because at min 75 he has the stamine to run and reach this positions, when the opposition is tired, he breaks them down with one of his runs... John Arne Riise won't be ever a popular Spanish liga player but I think any decent manager would consider him a great team player. We can't do a team with fashionable players, we need men like Riise.

He's not great defending but he's not bad neither, and with the things I've already mentioned letting alone his goals I think he's a versatile and useful player.

Very good post. However, whilst I agree that is very verstile and a good squad player. Imo he shouldn't be a starter as we can do much better in that area.

We would be much more defensively solid than we already are if we had a better left-back. Riise is a very likable lad but in all honesty he hasn't improved much since he joined from Monaco.

Lando_Griffin wrote:He did f*ck all for 93 minutes, and scored a pearler of a goal.

MOTM should have gone to JC, IMO.