Liverpool FC Forum

by **Stu.Murph** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:35 am

Unfortunately a deal today has been done to take Woodgate to Boro for a fee of £7,000,000 which I believe (should he stay fit) will prove to be an incredible peice of business.

The lads missed eight of a possible forty one games this season.

Should we have signed him?

If so why?

If not, why not?

Discuss.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:48 am

His ability is unquestionable, but the fact is he has spent a large portion of his career on the sidelines.

£7m is a steal for a player of his calibre, but the fact remains that he's as likely to rupture his ligaments as complete a World-class interception.

Better off out of it IMHO.

by **Fowler_E7** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:52 am

Pros: He's a damn good defender, probably the most talented of the English defenders to be fair, good in the air, strong in the tackle and is quite comfortable with the ball at his feet. Also the price Middlesboro payed for him was quite good.

Cons: Very, very, very injury prone. To be fair he has played the majority of this season, but how many time has this guy played even 30 games a year? no more than 3 seasons i would have thought, for a player of his age that cant be good. I think he's on some sort of restricted training regime where he trains less than the other players at Boro, i couldnt see Benitez doing this sort of thing for him at Liverpool.

Overall i say he's a quality player, but if we signed him it would have been a gamble. If he proves his fitness at Boro for another year or so i think we could go back in for him whenever we wanted if needed as he hardly gonna reject us to stay at Boro, so i dont think the price would be ridiculous.

by **Stu.Murph** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:56 am

Fowler_E7 wrote:Pros: He's a damn good defender, probably the most talented of the English defenders to be fair, good in the air, strong in the tackle and is quite comfortable with the ball at his feet. Also the price Middlesboro payed for him was quite good.

Cons: Very, very, very injury prone. To be fair he has played the majority of this season, but how many time has this guy played even 30 games a year? no more than 3 seasons i would have thought, for a player of his age that cant be good. I think he's on some sort of restricted training regime where he trains less than the other players at Boro, i couldnt see Benitez doing this sort of thing for him at Liverpool.

Overall i say he's a quality player, but if we signed him it would have been a gamble. If he proves his fitness at Boro for another year or so i think we could go back in for him whenever we wanted if needed as he hardly gonna reject us to stay at Boro, so i dont think the price would be ridiculous.

For me we need a centre half badly, as Drogba emphasised my point the other night I feel. Woodgate fits the bill perfectly.

The obvious bad point is his injuries. But for me thats the only bad point about the lad.

He is apparently on restricted training, but the fact remains he's a top class centre half and easily the second best in the country and possibly the first. His injury record is obviously a concern, the other question I suppose I should have asked, if not Woodgate who?

by **Lando_Griffin** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:00 am

I've just checked his stats, and in a career which began in 1998, he has made 172 appearances, which, I'm sure you'll agree, is pretty pathetic for a centre half.

Yes that includes time out for his trial, but even still - that is shocking.

In a smaller timespan, Sami Hyypia (Who joined us in 1999), has made 272 appearances, with dwindling regularity in the last 3 seasons.

Better off out of it.

by **Stu.Murph** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:03 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:I've just checked his stats, and in a career which began in 1998, he has made 172 appearances, which, I'm sure you'll agree, is pretty pathetic for a centre half.

Yes that includes time out for his trial, but even still - that is shocking.

In a smaller timespan, Sami Hyypia (Who joined us in 1999), has made 272 appearances, with dwindling regularity in the last 3 seasons.

Better off out of it.

I still say he was worth the gamble.

I'm obviously not as set on this and I'm not as :censored:

with Rafa as I was over the Ashton, Anelka and Kuyt incidents as with Woodgate I can understand the reasons for not taking the risk. Personally I would have.

The problem is though, who now? We NEED a first choice centre half badly. Agger is a good squad player and will be fantastic back up, but he's not good enough to play first team every week especially against the better sides.

by **babu** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:04 am

Anyone know how the hell Boro can afford 7 million for a centre half?

by **Fowler_E7** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:11 am

Stu.Murph wrote:the other question I suppose I should have asked, if not Woodgate who?

i cant think of any obvious names that spring to mind, but i wouldnt mind a centre back with some good experience (around 28/29) being signed to come in to add to the competion for places. Also someone of that age would be good to step in for when Agger loses form. Agger is still only 22 and will have a few more terrible games like he did the other night before he is a top class central defender, BUT i believe he will come good and be as consistent as the other top Defenders in the league.

by **red37** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:04 am

Woodgate is a fantastic Defender of which there is no doubt. What is in question has already been said.

Alternatives? Hell they're not exactly growing on trees thats for sure, but my shout (and was from the start of the season) is still Roberto Ayala. Even if only for one season maybe two at a push, to allow the rest of the younger ranks time to edge up the ladder. With him and Sami, along with Carragher leading by example, the likes of Agger and the lads further down the pecking order would certainly have few better opportunities to learn their craft.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:42 am

I'm beginning to wonder if Rafa will go for Gabriel Milito from Zaragoza again, now we have increased funds.

He seems a very good defender from what I have seen, and although I realise he is quite short for a CB, this didn't deter Rafa the first time around.

If I remember rightly, Milito was his first choice CB, but money was the stumbling block.

To be honest, though, whilst I agree that Agger is never going to be a World-class defender, we still have one of the strongest backlines in World football, largely due to the organisation therein.

I personally would say that; by all means - improve the quality of our central defenders. But I would also say other areas are in much greater need of improvement at this moment in time.

by **The Manhattan Project** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:22 am

Anyone know how the hell Boro can afford 7 million for a centre half?

They mortgaged the entire city of Middlesbrough.

by **dawson99** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:27 am

Woodgate is a class player and seems to have got over his injury but he was always boro bound. They got him out of his madrid nightmare and woodgate paid them back. We also have jamie and agger (agger will be first team all the time, but not yet)

Would have loved to have got woodgate but he ws only ever gonna stay at boro no matter how bad i think there style of football is

Dunno why buying Ayala would be a bad shout. Get him for a season, get Agger learning off Carragher and Ayala, he could have worse teachers right?

by **jkop** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:49 am

The Manhattan Project wrote:
Anyone know how the hell Boro can afford 7 million for a centre half?

They mortgaged the entire city of Middlesbrough.

by **bigmick** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:24 am

I do hope that on the strength of one goal conceded against Chelsea people aren't going to start going on about Agger and making rash judgements. I'm aware that Stu doesn't really fancy him but I think he's wrong and is allowing his admiration for Hyppia to cloud his judgement, other peopel would be well advised to look at the goal in the cold light of day before blaming Agger for its concession.

I actually thought he played Drogba very well on the night and although he initially got muscled out of it for the goal (and lets face it he's not the first or last that Drogba will do that to) he got himself back right side before getting done with the self same trick which Sami fell for a couple of seasons back. Drogba at this point though wasn't in a shooting position, he'd made a yard to play a square pass.

Arbeloa had gone to sleep completely and allowed Cole to run in behind him. Dreadful piece of defending and the Dane was entitled to expect better from the right-back. Had Cole been covered, Drogba had nowhere else to go and would probably have gone for a highly speculative shot. Riise had gone walkabout initially allowing Carvallo to play it into the huge channel left by his absense. Quite why he deemed it necessary to commit himself forward so far at 0-0 in the away leg of a Champions league semi final only he would know. The Dane was entitled to expect the left-midfielder to be breaking his neck to get in bhind him and offer him some cover but unfortunately that left midfielder was Zenden and in any case Riise's foray forward was entirely a freelance operation.
Agger was not blameless, but he figures way behind Arbeloa and Riise in the blame stakes for me. Keeping tabs on Drogba and not letting yourself get muscled out of it is not easy against the best centre forward in the league, whereas not letting the other striker in a two man attack run past you is basic defending, as is staying somewhere near your position. .
Agger is a good player and we need cover, not a replacement who will only play half a season.

by **Leonmc0708** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:30 am

babu wrote:Anyone know how the hell Boro can afford 7 million for a centre half?

Steve Gibson ?

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