The OFFICIAL Liverpool Supporters thread

[GalwayBayBoy]

As some one else said earlier, to talk of a top 4 is not really representative of the premiership at the minute. To put Liverpool in the same bracket as Arsenal, Utd and Chelsea is just wrong. They are in the same bracket as Man City, Villa and Everton. I know the top four thing prob comes from the CL qualification but it seems there is a massive jump from 3rd to 4th and who gets 4th this year is anyones quess!!

Liverpool finished in 3rd above Arsenal last season and were in the Champions League final. Arsenal haven't won a trophy in 3 years so by that logic neither should Arsenal be in the Big 4. Liverpool win their game in hand and they are 3 points behind Chelsea so they are hardly miles behind 3rd position at present.

[myball22]

Also Liverpool have won the last two European trophies (barring Newcastle's Intertoto win  ) and the only English winners this century /millenium (take your pick) and won 5 in all (only bettered by Milan and Real) so maybe they should be called the "Big 1" 

[Uladh]

They'll be the big one all right when they finish outside CL qualification. The one big english fish in the uefa cup pond.

[Chrisowc]

The reporting about Liverpool and comments on phone-ins and message boards are getting hysterical.

Radio 1 said yesterday the biggest shock of the 3rd Round was Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Luton.

Ian Mcgarry of the Daily Mail said on 5 live that Rafa's record in the FA Cup was attrocious apart from winning it that is.

FFS!

[Minder]

They'll be the big one all right when they finish outside CL qualification. The one big english fish in the uefa cup pond.

You were badly missed during your hiatus....

[GalwayBayBoy]

The reporting about Liverpool and comments on phone-ins and message boards are getting hysterical.

Radio 1 said yesterday the biggest shock of the 3rd Round was Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Luton.

Yeah some of the reporting around the club is getting ridiculous. Definitely a little campaign underway to stir trouble in the media. While it was a shite performance against Luton how can it compare to Everton getting beaten at home or Blackburn getting thrashed at home?

[GalwayBayBoy]

Martin Skrtel to sign for Liverpool after passing medicalJan 8 2008




by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

 


MARTIN SKRTEL has moved a step closer to becoming the most expensive defender in Liverpool history after passing his medical.

A club record £6.5m fee has been agreed with Skrtel's club, Zenit St Petersburg, and personal terms have been agreed with the player.

Skrtel is now waiting for the deal to be rubber stamped by Liverpool's owners.

The Slovakia international centre back is Rafa Benitez's top target for the January transfer window and the Reds boss is looking to get the transfer wrapped up as quickly as possible so he can incorporate Skrtel into the Liverpool squad.



With Daniel Agger still continuing his rehabilitation from a broken metatarsal, Benitez has been short of cover at centre back for several months and was keen to add competition for places to such a crucial position.


If the 23-year-old completes his move today he is likely to go straight into the squad for Liverpool's trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday.


Fabio Aurelio has been ruled out of that fixture with a minor hamstring injury and the Brazilian today admitted he is becoming increasingly frustrated with the succession of injuries which have blighted his Anfield career.


"It's a pity I've had to stop again because I was feeling good," he said. "It's normal after a long injury to pick up little problems when you come back but, hopefully, I will only miss one league game and be back for the Aston Villa game the following week.


"I've spent a long time out and it's very difficult to explain how frustrating it's been."


As one player is about to arrive at Anfield another could be about to depart.


Juventus are the latest club to register an interest in out of favour Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko, with coach Claudio Ranieri hinting the Mali international is a player he would be keen to snap up.


"He is a player that I like a lot and I know well," he said. "I had the pleasure of coaching him at Valencia."


Inter Milan are also interested in signing Sissoko but as yet neither Serie A club has turned their interest into a concrete offer.


Meanwhile, chief executive Rick Parry was today meeting Tom Hicks and George Gillett in New York in a bid to bring Liverpool's long running new stadium saga to a positive conclusion.


After plans for a 76,000 capacity ground on Stanley Park were abandoned last month, Hicks and Gillett instructed two leading firms of architects to come up with new designs.


Dallas-based HKS and Manchester firm AFL have both produced their proposals and it is now up to the owners to decide which one they wish to pursue

[Silky]

It's the Big 3 because Liverpool have never won the Preimiership whereas Man U, Chelsea & Arsenal have all won it more than once.

Until we win a Preimiership we will be sucking the hind tit. This year is gone because all of the Big 3 are not going to fall away leaving the way open for Liverpool. Saying "If we win our game in hand we are only 3 pts behind Chelsea" is pointless. Firstly I wouldn't bet on us beating anyone in the that game in hand and secondly 3 pts behind Chelsea and 9 behind Arsenal is still 4th plave and nowhere near good enough.

Time for change at the top IMO but I wouldn't be surprised if those Yanks left before Rafa BTW. The weak $ and credit crush is hurting them big time and they may move on leaving the way open for owners who know something about football to take over.

[stevo-08]

It's the Big 3 because Liverpool have never won the Preimiership whereas Man U, Chelsea & Arsenal have all won it more than once.

exactly. and we havent come within an ass's roar of winning the top league in 17, going on 18 years. When I say the top 3, I mean the only 3 teams capable of winning the PL. Yes we won the champs lge in '05, and took big scalps along the way, but looking back on it now - with the likes of traore, kewell, smicer, biscan & cisse in the team, i still cant believe we won it.

The top 3 have invested heavily for many years now and we are playing catchup big time. Is benitez the man to bring PL glory?? I thought so originally but Im becoming less & less convinced. It was his tactics/selections, and not funding, that cost us vital points againt Portsmouth, Reading & Wigan - could easily have got an extra 7 extra points from those matches and be right in contention.

The only thing is - if Rafa got the boot, could we be in danger of losing reina, alonso & torres???

[AZOffaly]

 If I was picking the team today, and trying to keep this settled as possible for the entire run in it would be 4-5-1 or 3-5-2 against the weaker teams.


4-5-1 would be

Reina

Finnan
Carra
Agger
Riise

Babbel
Masherano
Alonso
Gerrard
Benayoun

Torres

Gerrard wouldn't play as an 'off the front man' striker, that doesn't seem to suit him. Instead I'd play him as an auxilliary central midfielder, with instructions to arrive late into the box. It would also allow him a bit of space to play passes for Torres. Torres likes those passes where he can spin away from his man and run onto it. Alonso and Mascherano could then control the tempo (namely pass it to a red jersey and make themselves available to receive easy passes from defenders)



3-5-2 for games v Fulham, Wigan, Birmingham etc etc would be

Reina

Carra
Agger
Arbeloa

Babbel
Mascherano
Alonso
Gerrrard
Benayoun

Torres
Crouch

Same midfield formation but Arbeloa in for Finnan, because Arbeloa can play a bit more 'tucked in' than Finnan. Crouch comes on for Riise because he can add something different. In those games where the opposition are packing the midfield.

For Rafa's 'rotation' then you could substitute Kewell for Benayoun, Pennant for Babbel, this new hulk for Agger or Carra, and Kuyt (God help us) for Crouch. But whatever happens, In all the league games between now and May, I think they *have* to play Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard and Torres.

[Billys Boots]

instructions

Gerrard can follow those?   

[brokencrossbar1]

AZ I said that they should play that formation last year (3-5-2) and my mind has not changed on that.  I think that to get the best out of the players available that has to be done.

I have been a Rafa backer for a long time and I still think he can do it. The biggest change that is needed is not on the field but on the sideline.  They need to get a replacement for Pako as he was, in my view, the players man and had their respect.  They need someone in who can rebuild that link and get the confidence again.

One small adjustment I might make to that line up at 3-5-2 is that I would play Lucas in CMF and push Babbel up with Torres with Gerard on the right.

[The Real Laoislad]

I would also like to see Lucas get more gametime..Not convinced about Babel though

[Uladh]

3-5-2 will get the job done against weaker opposition but is too exposed for games against top opposition or european games.

babel hasn't convinced at all, nor has vorinin but benyhoun (sp) has done very well.

btw there are better things to do with £17m than buying Mascherano (who i was a huge fan of playing in s america).

[GalwayBayBoy]

I have no problem keeping Mascherano (who has probably been our best player in the past month) if we get rid of Sissoko for 10M. If we leave him go you can be sure one of the big European clubs or united will quickly jump in there. Basically selling Sissoko and Carson lets you keep Mascherano.

If any of our central midfielders hasn't been performing over the past 18 months (apart from Sissoko) it's Alonso IMO.