Liverpool FC Forum

by **Roger Red Hat** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:17 pm

Scottbot wrote:
Lee J wrote:i saw oniel on the telly the other night discussing one of the euro games and he blatenly inturupted Alan Hanson to put his opinion across and kept raising his voice until he was heard. WHO THE FK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE O'NEIL? Interupting Alan Hanson is NOT ON YOU CNT!

It's Frank Doberman!

please explain

by **Reg** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:27 am

Let Barry go.... push him back into the water.... make a PR issue of it and show MON to be the pr.ick he is.

Who gives a sh.it? Keep Xabi.

by **desmdlow** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:04 am

Just posted this in the Xabi thread. think this is more appropriate here... Another angle to see this Barry-Alonso saga.. Is Rafa paving his way for next season already? I have a feeling Martin Oneil will not sell Barry cheap and i dont see us having the financial muscle to match his valution. However, this bid is paving a way for next season where Barry can buy out his contract. Similar to that of Owen Hargreave, bid & bid to no avail then next season there u go..? How is that angle?

by **tubby** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:51 am

Its possible but then if this coming season turns out :censored:

then Rafa may not even be here to see that pan out.

by **desmdlow** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:55 am

bavlondon wrote:Its possible but then if this coming season turns out then Rafa may not even be here to see that pan out.

you got a point.. but i really can't see us breaking the bank to sign Barry this season..

by **Owzat** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:32 pm

If you were to say Barny will not turn Liverpool into a title winning side single handedly, or that he's not the be all and end all and we can do better, you would be unlikely to be proven wrong. So why humiliate yourself by being held to ransom by a t w a t like M O'Squeall?!??!? He'll have the last laugh at this rate, he must be getting plenty already with us being such fools to play his little game. It's no wonder the media are linking villa with so many £6m (aroundabout) transfers, they're spending the funds on much better bets. If Barny were that great the mancs would have bought him ages ago, they're not adverse to signing English players or overpaying for someone. And Chelsea could have bought him instead of aiming for Gerrard if he were anywhere near as good.

I really hope we don't get Barny, not because he's not a good player but because of the way it is going. It is also money better spent elsewhere, we don't need to be spending £15m+ on a CM right now.

by **tubby** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:42 pm

I think we have made too much noise about it and its not even like any other team is interested in him yet Rafa seems intent on buying him at any cost now.

by **Bretc** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:59 pm

I still dun understand Rafa's obsession with Barry. Yes, he's a decent player but better than Alonso? I doubt so. The few reasons I can think of are (1) Barry's an Englishman - useful for the stupid UEFA quota rules; (2) Paves the way for 4-4-2 when Masch is not available? - Alonso/Gerrard partnership is not as good as Barry/Gerrard? If this means signing Villa for a 4-4-2 formation, then i wouldn't mind!

But Rafa is a 4-2-3-1 man, so I'm still not quite convinced why he wanna replace Alonso with Barry. Unless he really has a grand plan to buy Villa? And then what? Put Barry on the bench to play 4-4-2 with Gerrard/Masch? I'm still confused.....

by **bigmick** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:07 pm

Bretc wrote:I still dun understand Rafa's obsession with Barry. Yes, he's a decent player but better than Alonso? I doubt so. The few reasons I can think of are (1) Barry's an Englishman - useful for the stupid UEFA quota rules; (2) Paves the way for 4-4-2 when Masch is not available? - Alonso/Gerrard partnership is not as good as Barry/Gerrard? If this means signing Villa for a 4-4-2 formation, then i wouldn't mind!

But Rafa is a 4-2-3-1 man, so I'm still not quite convinced why he wanna replace Alonso with Barry. Unless he really has a grand plan to buy Villa? And then what? Put Barry on the bench to play 4-4-2 with Gerrard/Masch? I'm still confused.....

Well you don't need to remain confused for long. One of the good things about having Rafa as manager is that once all the signings are made, you can put up just about any permutation of the available players which can possibly be imagined and the odds are that sooner or later you'll see it in real life.

by **Owzat** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:20 am

Alonso would be the 13th 1st team player Rafa has signed and sold in four seasons, that is unless someone else is sold first like Carson. He would be the most expensive signing to be sold, Rafa has yet to sell anyone he signed for £7m or more. I was quite amazed Rafa has only sold twelve players he has signed, although that is four a season if you consider they can't be sold in the season they are signed. Alonso is the longest remaining signing of Rafa's, Carson was signed in January I believe.

I'm holding back from posting the Longevity thread related stats (in full) but here's a taster :-

Players Signed Under Rafa (by season)

2004/5 : Signed 6 (4 sold, 2 remain)
2005/6 : Signed 10 (5 sold, 5 remain)
2006/7 : Signed 6 (3 sold, 3 remain)
2007/8 : Signed 12 (0 sold, 12 remain)

34 (major) signings in four years and of every previous season's signings at least half have since been sold. Of the 22 signed that remain, 12 were signed in Summer 2007 (over half) Carragher, Gerrard, Finnan and Hyypia make up four of the 1st team squad. The average length of time any of Rafa's signings have been at Anfield is 1.62 seasons - dragged down since 1/3 were signed last season so the most they could have been here is one season.

The point being?!?! That Rafa doesn't seem to have a great record at identifying a target that will be at Anfield for a long time, far too many short term solutions or simply wrong purchases. Torres, Mascherano, Skrtel and Babel are signings that should make us believe that will change. The thing that lot have in common is they are all young :-

DOB

20/03/1984 Torres
08/06/1984 Macherano
15/12/1984 Skrtel
19/12/1986 Babel

So incredibly Torres is the oldest of that crop of good signings. Barny was born 23/02/1981, may cost more than anyone bar Torres and frankly isn't that good. In terms of ability, potential and lifespan would he top that list or be bottom? He also concedes three years in age, only nine of our first team squad are older than 27 - Gerrard, Carragher, Benayoun, Crouch, Voronin, Hyypia, Finnan, Kuyt and Aurelio. A number of those names have been linked with moves away or some don't care enough if we keep them or let them go (Crouch, Voronin, Kuyt, Finnan to name four)

Pros and Cons of Barny

PROs

- Left footed
- Good energy in midfield
- Good all-round midfielder
- Versatile
- Takes pens (but so does Gerrard)

CONs

- Expensive
- Not the youngest
- No big game/CL experience
- We don't really need him
- Probably won't make a major difference

It's the combination of the Cons that worry me, too many for the ransom we're voluntarily holding ourselves to

by **Ace Ventura** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:01 am

Owzat, am confused.

Why do you always call Barry, Barny ??

by **maguskwt** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:12 am

Bretc wrote:I still dun understand Rafa's obsession with Barry. Yes, he's a decent player but better than Alonso? I doubt so. The few reasons I can think of are (1) Barry's an Englishman - useful for the stupid UEFA quota rules; (2) Paves the way for 4-4-2 when Masch is not available? - Alonso/Gerrard partnership is not as good as Barry/Gerrard? If this means signing Villa for a 4-4-2 formation, then i wouldn't mind!

But Rafa is a 4-2-3-1 man, so I'm still not quite convinced why he wanna replace Alonso with Barry. Unless he really has a grand plan to buy Villa? And then what? Put Barry on the bench to play 4-4-2 with Gerrard/Masch? I'm still confused.....

Barry is even more suitable if we stick to 4-2-3-1 mate...

with that system alonso is seen to be too deep so the connection between midfield and the forwards is not that good with both masch and alonso playing... with barry he ventures forward more than alonso and hence can provide interplay between him and gerrard...

by **agoodmentality** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:07 pm

The player we should've bought from Barca is Gio Dos Santos (the new Ronaldhino,)

There was talk of Rafa being intrested a couple of summer's ago, but Spurs have stepped in got this kid for less than £10M

Mark my words "This kid is gonna be a star"

With regard Barry for £18M, that's a joke really, especially after Damien Plessis's performance against Arsenal last season.

by **Toffeehater** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:47 pm

agoodmentality wrote:The player we should've bought from Barca is Gio Dos Santos (the new Ronaldhino,)

There was talk of Rafa being intrested a couple of summer's ago, but Spurs have stepped in got this kid for less than £10M

Mark my words "This kid is gonna be a star"

With regard Barry for £18M, that's a joke really, especially after Damien Plessis's performance against Arsenal last season.

DOs santos is not that great mate , why would barca sell him if they saw that kind of potential , between dos santos and borjan , i would pick borjan who trains ahrder than dos santos who seems to be following ronaldinho's footsteps in the wrong way .

As for plessis playing well , it was only one game and he is not yet ready for first team football as a starter or even as a cover , maybe some appearances in carling cup and Fa cup matches.

by **Fo Dne** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:50 pm

agoodmentality wrote:The player we should've bought from Barca is Gio Dos Santos (the new Ronaldhino,)

There was talk of Rafa being intrested a couple of summer's ago, but Spurs have stepped in got this kid for less than £10M

Mark my words "This kid is gonna be a star"

With regard Barry for £18M, that's a joke really, especially after Damien Plessis's performance against Arsenal last season.

Yeah totally agree, its daft to buy a top class player when you have a youth player who had one decent game in the first team.

Total madness.

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