The OFFICIAL Liverpool Supporters thread

[AZOffaly]

That's the question Seanie. It will be interesting to see what he does, but I'd be thinking Kuyt mightn't play as much this year. Keane and Torres up front. Gerrard the head of a 'diamond' with Mascherano anchoring it.

Alonso and maybe Barry the other 2 in the diamond.

[under the bar]

I think Keane is a good striker in the same mould as Henrik Larsson.

I take it you mean he is an all-rounder like Larsson as opposed to equally skilled as Larsson? He will never equal Larssons skill or vision.   I think Keane's not unlike Shearer as an all rounder but again not in the same bracket.

[stevo-08]

That's the question Seanie. It will be interesting to see what he does, but I'd be thinking Kuyt mightn't play as much this year. Keane and Torres up front. Gerrard the head of a 'diamond' with Mascherano anchoring it.

Alonso and maybe Barry the other 2 in the diamond.

I'd agree with that AZ. In fairness Torres was only rested for 2 games last season (apart from a few games at end of season when we were out of the running) so despite what the media like to portray, he was an ever present in the team. So too Gerrard. Thats not going to change next season. Rafa's "rotation" involved using Kuyt on the wing (his preferred option) or else voronin/crouch up front with Torres (this was used less often).

So I would think that Robbie will effectively take the place of crouch, kuyt & voronin with the latter 2 playing much less frequently. Actually maybe Rafa can produce the miracle of the summer and get rid of voronin altogether.

[lynchbhoy]

I think Keane is a good striker in the same mould as Henrik Larsson.

I take it you mean he is an all-rounder like Larsson as opposed to equally skilled as Larsson? He will never equal Larssons skill or vision.   I think Keane's not unlike Shearer as an all rounder but again not in the same bracket.

hes not as good as Larsson, and may never be quite as good, but Larsson was not a prolific scorer and as I said was rubbish at one on ones etc a bit like Keane.
Keanes vision and skill are not far off Larssons.
imo
and this opinion I have held for about three or four years now - between keane and henrik

[nifan]

I reckon Larson was much stronger in the air.

Benitez has said "He can play with Torres up front and also on the right" - I hope that doesnt mean he will nearly always be out on the right.

[Stalin]

People questioning Gerrard's workrate? I have heard it all now.

Im not a Gerrard basher, and Im one of the most biased Liverpool fans you'll ever meet I would say. What I said was far from absurd. I've been frustrated by Gerrard on many occasions when he has been leading an attack or looking the ball in an advanced position, only for the attack to break down and Gerrard standing with his face screwed up semi-huffing as the rest of the team scrambles back.

[Stalin]

To whoever asked above, Ngog is going straight into the first team squad. Id say he will be used to the same extent as Babel last year, at least initially. Nemeth has joined up with the first team, Ablett wasnt allowed to use him for the reserves v Stockport the other night in case Rafa wanted to use him for the first team this week. Peter Thompson was playing! Think it ended a draw.

[under the bar]

Larsson was not a prolific scorer

Eh?  He won the Euro Golden Boot on 50 goals.    He was also the higest scorer for a British club in Europe ever in a 6 year stint at Celtic!  His goals-per-time on the pitch ratio at Barcelona was higher than any other player in Europe!

[lynchbhoy]

Larsson was not a prolific scorer

Eh?  He won the Euro Golden Boot on 50 goals.    He was also the higest scorer for a British club in Europe ever in a 6 year stint at Celtic!  His goals-per-time on the pitch ratio at Barcelona was higher than any other player in Europe!

stats stats stats
yes , but have you ever watched him play ?
He missed three chances to every goal he scored.
He scored so many goals as the decent celtic side created so many against inferior spl teams for him
Dont think his team mates at barca were too bad either.

I am a big fan of his, but also a realist - he fluffed way too many chances - the likes of Ian rush would have stuck away a hundred if he was the target man in Larssons golden boot season !

[Gabriel_Hurl]

He scored none for Inter in 6 games

Never scored for Inter, eh?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=phcSBb1DSs4

http://www.kickinmagazine.ie/robbiek1592000.htm

Ireland international Robbie Keane scored his third competitive goal in three consecutive games as he helped Inter Milan to an important win against Ruch Chorzow in The UEFA Cup in Poland last night.

Keane got back to striking form when he scored the opening goal in Ireland's 2-2 draw against Holland at the start of the month and he followed that up with Inter's first in their 4-3 loss in the Italian SuperCup against Lazio last weekend.

Last night's goal was the third of three for the Italians on the night and it settled the game in Inter's favour. Inter struggled to break down the stubborn Polish defence until coach Marcello Lippi decided on a change in the 55th minute.

Lippi replaced Yugoslavian midfielder Vladimir Jugovic with the more attack minded Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba which lit the touchpaper. His impact was immediate as he swung over a corner, which Clarence Seedorf cracked into the net with a great volley.

Keane could have doubled the scoring a minute later when he got on the end of a Vampeta ball to hit a magnificent goalbound volley, but the goalkeeper somehow got a touch to it.

Recoba doubled the lead with a well taken goal. After picking up the ball outside the Chorzow box he hit a curling right foot shot in the top corner of the net.

Keane finished the scoring with a trademark predatory goal. Recoba swung over a corner from the left-hand side which flew to the back post.

Columbian defender Ivan Cordoba towered above everybody to head the ball back across goal and Keane pounced right in front of goal to hook the ball into the net.

Stay off Wiki, O'Neill

[Hound]

To whoever asked above, Ngog is going straight into the first team squad. Id say he will be used to the same extent as Babel last year, at least initially. Nemeth has joined up with the first team, Ablett wasnt allowed to use him for the reserves v Stockport the other night in case Rafa wanted to use him for the first team this week. Peter Thompson was playing! Think it ended a draw.

I seriously doubt Ngog will get anywhere near as many games as Babel did last year. He scored one goal in his 18 games last season in France - "not the finished article" was how I think Rafa described him.

[el_cuervo_fc]

I seriously doubt Ngog will get anywhere near as many games as Babel did last year. He scored one goal in his 18 games last season in France - "not the finished article" was how I think Rafa described him.

I seem to recall Babel being described as the same when he was purchased

[Hound]

I seriously doubt Ngog will get anywhere near as many games as Babel did last year. He scored one goal in his 18 games last season in France - "not the finished article" was how I think Rafa described him.

I seem to recall Babel being described as the same when he was purchased

Babel was a Dutch international who cost a heap of money. To compare the two is ridiculous. Ngog will be a bit part player fighting it out with Pacheco and Nemeth for the odd run in minor competitions or when there are a lot of injuries. Anyone who expects to see him playing 10 league games (even as sub) in the coming season is in dreamland.

[Stalin]

Its far from ridiculous Hound- Babel was a 'name' last season because of his performance at either the u21 or u23 Championships with Holland. Ngog has a good record at France U21 level. Most his performances for (the abysmal) PSG last season were as a substitute. A factor in Ngogs' price was that he was entering the last year of his contract.

Benitez:

"He is training with the first team," Benitez told Liverpoolfc.tv. "Maybe he would find it difficult to play 90 minutes right now, but he will be able to.
 
"Normally he will be available for the first team next season. He is a player who wants to improve quickly, so he will learn and then settle down.
 
"We have known the player for one or two years. He was in the last year of his contract and was a good price. He is a young player and has a lot of experience to gain, but he can also give a lot to us now as well as in the future."

[under the bar]

stats stats stats
yes , but have you ever watched him play ?
He missed three chances to every goal he scored.
I am a big fan of his, but also a realist - he fluffed way too many chances

Absolute rubbish that he needed 3 chances to score.  I've watched him in the flesh dozens of times and in hundreds of other games. He was superior to Rush in every aspect of his game.  In the UEFA cup semi final he got one chance away to Boavista and tucked it away.  Against Porto 2 chances and took them both.  He won the CL for Barca virtually single-handly setting up both goals when he came on.    As a predatory goal taker he was second to none and in his ability to create an assist out of nothing he is way out on his own.   

You can mock the standard of the SPL but his Europen tally in 6 seasons eclisped every Liverpool or other English player.