Liverpool FC Forum

by **Bad Bob** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:46 am

I GUESS it's also possible that he was brought in as cover to Arbeloa and maybe Finnan if he stays rather than as first choice RB. Hardly one to set the pulses racing but perhaps shrewd business to get a back-up defender on a free.

Look, I'm not expecting great things either but I'll wait and see. As for the Swiss team, I was just reporting what I heard not making excuses for him.

by **Ace Ventura** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:54 am

Think i am yet to see Owzat post anything positive.
Now i know its difficult when Chelsea are spending about 13 million or whatever it was on Bosingwa, and Alves was available but we cant compete.
Nobody knows how much Rafa has to spend on here so i think for now the fact that he has brought in an unknown player to many cant be questioned too much.
Nor should Degen be handicapped from the start just because we a) havent heard of him or b) he didnt cost 10 million+

Cant you lay off the negativity until at least you have been proved right ?

by **bigmick** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:03 pm

I must confess I think there has been more debate about Deggan than his importance to the team probably will merit. I don't think for a second he will replace arbeloa as first choice right back, but I do suspect Finnan will be nudged on back to his house in Wimbledon Village (and no doubt a spell at Fulham).

I'm actually quite happy that Arbeloa will be our right back, as I think he's a solid enough player. Part of me is even happy that we are going to have fairly moderate cover (because I remain convinced that Deggan will be at best another Kromkamp) as it will discourage rafa from "resting" the Spaniard after every second game.

I remain absolutely convinced that Rafa has seen the light and that we will see much less rotation next season. Unfortunately however I also am concerned that our man won't be able to resist the odd "tinker" here and there, and I tend to agree with what Bob posted up earlier that he will limit it to the full-backs and wide positions. Quite why the full-backs and wide midfielders need more "rest" than central midfielders, centre forwards, goalkeeper and centre backs is a complete mystery to me but no doubt we'll have an opportunity to revisit that one as the season progresses. I would have thought that once you've come to the conclusion that players can play quite a few games before they become tired, they don't need resting in the first few weeks and that consistency of selection aids consistency of performance you may as well just go the whole hog but it probably won't happen. Hopefully Deggan is as good as I think he will be, Dossena is a worldbeater and two more "options" are effectively closed off. Looks like the left midfield slot will get rotated about every twenty minutes at this rate.

I guess at least he'll be fresh though whoever it is at any given moment. Should we get involved in the title race by the end of the season, our left wingers will be sprinting around like things which sprint around a lot.

by **Sabre** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:05 pm

Tomorrow you'll be able to watch both Alonso, Arbeloa and Reina because Aragones is going to do massive rotation.

by **bigmick** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:16 pm

Notice how he's waited until they've already qualified for the next round though Sabes before he's started to rotate. If you watch the Champions League groups next season, you'll see Ferguson and wenger do much the same thing. You never know, now we've done it the hard way a couple of times Rafa may even try this method as well.

by **Sabre** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:22 pm

Hehe, Aragones is not a rotationist, my comment was with a pinch of salt. He's just saving his players from injuries, but I'm sure that if the second or first place was at stake, he wouldn't make any changes bar the one or two that the match or the form of players dictate.

by **account deleted by request** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:00 pm

bigmick wrote:I must confess I think there has been more debate about Deggan than his importance to the team probably will merit. I don't think for a second he will replace arbeloa as first choice right back, but I do suspect Finnan will be nudged on back to his house in Wimbledon Village (and no doubt a spell at Fulham).

I'm actually quite happy that Arbeloa will be our right back, as I think he's a solid enough player. Part of me is even happy that we are going to have fairly moderate cover (because I remain convinced that Deggan will be at best another Kromkamp) as it will discourage rafa from "resting" the Spaniard after every second game.

I remain absolutely convinced that Rafa has seen the light and that we will see much less rotation next season. Unfortunately however I also am concerned that our man won't be able to resist the odd "tinker" here and there, and I tend to agree with what Bob posted up earlier that he will limit it to the full-backs and wide positions. Quite why the full-backs and wide midfielders need more "rest" than central midfielders, centre forwards, goalkeeper and centre backs is a complete mystery to me but no doubt we'll have an opportunity to revisit that one as the season progresses. I would have thought that once you've come to the conclusion that players can play quite a few games before they become tired, they don't need resting in the first few weeks and that consistency of selection aids consistency of performance you may as well just go the whole hog but it probably won't happen. Hopefully Deggan is as good as I think he will be, Dossena is a worldbeater and two more "options" are effectively closed off. Looks like the left midfield slot will get rotated about every twenty minutes at this rate.

I guess at least he'll be fresh though whoever it is at any given moment. Should we get involved in the title race by the end of the season, our left wingers will be sprinting around like things which sprint around a lot.

I am not quite sure why you think Rafa will rotate less this season Mick? He usually rotates heavily in the early months of the season before gradually reducing the amount as the season goes on. He has done that every season apart from the first, when injuries and the lack of an adequate squad forced him to play a more settled team.

I think Rafa firmly believes rotation in necessary if we are to compete in all competitions, and the only reason it was reduced slightly more last season was our early exits from the league cup and FA cup.

Personally I am not anti-rotation (I was once a believer :down:

)but while my views have changed over the past year, I still believe that sensible rotation has a part to play.

I do think you make a strong arguement that we need to get the team playing well and achieve some momentum before ringing in the changes though. I think the importance of CL money will ensure that we play a full strength team, so I do expect to see weaker/different teams for the league games proceeding or after CL ties at least.

by **Toffeehater** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:21 pm

Ace Ventura wrote:
Owzat wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:Degen's apparently been injured recently and was still recovering. Perhaps that's why he didn't play?

If that were the case then why bother taking him? If he was unfit to start and was only ever going to be cover then they may as well have taken fit cover. It can't have been the Owen and Rooney scenario, two players deemed too important not to go.

I'm not expecting much of Degen, so why on earth are we signing him? Because he was free?!?!?!?!?! Probably just to bolster cover and play him in the Carling Cup.

Whats to say he didnt get the injury in training after the squad was announced ?

I am also not getting excited about this signing but think its totally unfair to get on his back so soon.
What will happen with fans if all this criticism continues before we have seen him play is that the first misplaced pass or mistake people will start moaning.
Its not really the Liverpool way, he may not be what we all wanted but Rafa has his hands tied, lets give Degen a chance before writing him off.

Exactly

by **bigmick** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:41 pm

Doesn't really belong here as he's not a Liverpool player, although a few have mentioned him a s apossible. Just thought I'd post up though about this Arshavin bloke who played for Russia today. Fecking hell what a lovely footballer. Looks more like Peter Beardsley (in the way he plays

) than I originally thought. Vision and awareness in abundance. Get him Rafa.

by **LFC2007** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:12 pm

bigmick wrote:Doesn't really belong here as he's not a Liverpool player, although a few have mentioned him a s apossible. Just thought I'd post up though about this Arshavin bloke who played for Russia today. Fecking hell what a lovely footballer. Looks more like Peter Beardsley (in the way he plays ) than I originally thought. Vision and awareness in abundance. Get him Rafa.

by **SupitsJonF** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 5:21 am

I thought Alonso played well today, didn't score a goal but he still completed most of the passes and did a good job as Captain in creating chances and keeping the flow for Spain going giving them chances.

But now I suppose he's worth 20 Mil, because he's on the Spanish team and wore the captains armband, or is that something only MON can do?

by **Ciggy** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:45 am

Anderson is Injured By Mascherano

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It may have been Brazil versus Argentina, but it was not without a taste of the North-West of England, it seems.

The South American rivals played out a rather disappointing goalless draw last night in their World Cup qualifying clash, a game that will more likely than not be remembered for the jeers directed at Dunga and the injury picked up by midfielder Anderson.

The Manchester United man went to ground following a challenge from Javier Mascherano, and would not get back up.

He was in considerable pain as the medics tried to work on the outside of his left knee, and was almost in tears as he was stretched off after three long minutes.

There is fear of ligament damage, something that could rule the youngster out for the start of the season if not more, particularly if it is the anterior cruciate ligament.

However, a confirmation will only come after scans later today, so there is reason for Manchester United and Brazil fans to hope it is nothing serious.

Is right Tommy lad. :cool:

by **club_Levis** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:12 am

bigmick wrote:Doesn't really belong here as he's not a Liverpool player, although a few have mentioned him a s apossible. Just thought I'd post up though about this Arshavin bloke who played for Russia today. Fecking hell what a lovely footballer. Looks more like Peter Beardsley (in the way he plays ) than I originally thought. Vision and awareness in abundance. Get him Rafa.

The Pavluschenko ( sp) guy also would be a great addition to replace Crouch.

by **Bad Bob** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:56 am

SupitsJonF wrote:I thought Alonso played well today
.
.
.
But now I suppose he's worth 20 Mil, because he's on the Spanish team and wore the captains armband, or is that something only MON can do?

by **Judge** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:02 am

david silva on his way soon me thinks

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