The OFFICIAL Liverpool Supporters thread

[corn02]

Sometime it doesn't come across on tv, but if your in the Anny Road or the Kop you can see firsat hand how intelligent Kutys' runs are how much space they create.

I read that as patronising. If it wasn't then apologies.

As for Arbeloa, how many assists has he got this year? I don't believe he has improved to a level that warrants playing a decoy right winger to allow him bomb up and down the line. He's obviously come on a good bit, but to suggest he is some sort of immense creative outlet is not true, in my opinion. I think some of the results speak for themselves in that respect.

Certainly was not meant to come across as patronising and I apologise if it came across as that. I simply meant wqhen your looking at the place face on instead of head on you notice some different aspects.

Maybe your right about Arbeloa, for what it's worth I don't see him as a super creative outlet either, but there certainly has been significant imrovement from him this season. He generally bombs forward and gets decent delivery in.

I checked his stats 1 goal and 1 assist - not great  , but generally i think he has put a lot of good ball in.

[AZOffaly]

So my point still stands. Unless the right back is making a huge, measurable difference in terms of providing goals and assists, then I think it is very wasteful to have a right sided player, in a position which is nominally the more creative and dangerous one, being more of a worker than a real game changer.

I know I sound harsh on Kuyt, and it's not meant to be that way, but I do not think that Kuyt would get a regular game with United or Chelsea, and they have better attacking full backs than Liverpool. I would play him as a striker, or else in situations where you know you need someone with his brilliant work ethic on the right side.

He'd be a situational starter for me, not the first name on the teamsheet.

[stevo-08]

Will Agger go in Jan, with hyypia getting on in front of him, I worry he will go??

This is something I'm worried about also. He hasnt started the last 3 league games. Benitez needs to be very careful because Agger & Skrtel should be the future CB pairing. Contract talks are stalling and Milan are keeping a very close eye on proceedings.

[corn02]

Fair enough, I don;t think we are going to agree.

Juts to keep the argument going - Evra's stats for the season 0 goals and 1 assist.  

[AZOffaly]

Touché

[The Real Laoislad]

Momo Sissoko and himself could have a 'long touch' competition.

That made me laugh out loud 

[magpie seanie]

Someone made a point about the good run Liverpool went on from February last year. I'd suggest that squad rotation (which was blamed for the loss of so many points earlier in the season) meant the players were fresher that they'd be this season.

That said, the longer things go on with United and Chelsea (and Arsenal) playing rubbish the better Liverpools chances are. An early exit from Europe and the FA Cup would help their cause as their squad is quite thin.

[nifan]

Assist statistics are often misleading - alonso has one assist in the league this year for example. Id bet he has a few more "key passes" than that however.

[Armamike]

  Dirk has the touch of a serial rapist and his second touch is a tackle - just not good enough i'm afraid for a team with title winning ambitions.

Sorry mate but for me that is just bollicks. He had a mare of a second half yesterday and should have been replaced, but he played a big role in the two goals. Alsom, he has arguably been the player of the season for us, so to make that assumption on one poor performance is knee-jerk.

You think? I've watched enough games this season and am old enough to remember the quality of player up front that got into liverpool title winning sides of the past, to make my own mind up about Dirk and his contribution. It depends what your aspirations are. I'm talking about the quality needed to win league titles, not finish in third or fourth place every year. Of course he's going to get some assists with goals and score a few, he's a striker ffs. His touch is truly awful and his passing or shooting isn't any better. He might make a bit of a contribution sitting behind the main striker, foraging deep, that's it. He might be worth a place ahead of a few others, but that says more about the lack of quality that has been brought in.   

And yes Dirk gives of his best every game but that's not enough.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Kuyt has generally been quite good this season and is far from being our biggest problem right now. At the moment I still think he's our best option on the right hand side where he has usually played well as his 5 goals and 3 assists testify. When put up front by himself though on the weekend he had by far his worst game of the season. He either needs to play on the right side of the attack or up front with a partner.

That said if we could bring in a fantastic right winger I'd love it but from the options we have for the right Kuyt is definitely the best right now. I just wish Rafa would be prepared to sub him when he isn't playing well but he seems to have a blind spot regarding Kuyt. Granted Keane hasn't been fantastic but he gets hauled off every game no matter how he plays while Kuyt can stink the place out like against Hull and still get the full 90 minutes.

On the positive side we are still top in mid December having played most of the first half of the season without Torres who let's not forget contributed 33 goals last season in all competitions. It's not easy to replace those goals. No doubt though that to have any chance of challenging after Christmas that we badly need a fit Torres.

[doire na raithe]

So my point still stands. Unless the right back is making a huge, measurable difference in terms of providing goals and assists, then I think it is very wasteful to have a right sided player, in a position which is nominally the more creative and dangerous one, being more of a worker than a real game changer.

I know I sound harsh on Kuyt, and it's not meant to be that way, but I do not think that Kuyt would get a regular game with United or Chelsea, and they have better attacking full backs than Liverpool. I would play him as a striker, or else in situations where you know you need someone with his brilliant work ethic on the right side.

He'd be a situational starter for me, not the first name on the teamsheet.

I would have to agree with that.

I would have been a big critic of Kuyt and must say I have been somewhat impressed with him this season so far. I think he has hit a certain amount of form and was at his best in those games on the wide right against Utd and Chelsea where his work rate, along with others, set a tempo for the games which was the reason for success.

However in saying this, I think he is currently playing to his absolute maximum best (bar saturday) and we are seeing him at his full potential which I don't believe is good enough to be a regluar starter for a premier league challenging team. What he provides in work rate he lacks in class.

Someone summed up the Kuyt situation very well to me I thought. He is a similar player and of a similar level to Park (I would probably argue Park is a slightly better player) but yet Kuyt is a regular for Liverpool and Park is just a squad player for Utd.

[stiffler]

Rafa in hospital today to get a kidney stoned removed.

I hope you make a speedy recovery big guy.

[EC Unique]

Lets hope they put his other 2 stones back in and then he might play 2 strikers up front

[Minder]

Lets hope they put his other 2 stones back in and then he might play 2 strikers up front

Hilarious as usual EC.

[EC Unique]

You have to admit Minder I have a point