The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - RIP Diogo

[new devil]

  That is funny....What do yous think of the pre-season form? Have any of the new signings played any games?

[GalwayBayBoy]

Increasing reports that left-back Luis Enrique is on his way to Liverpool from Newcastle for around 6M.

[el_cuervo_fc]

Increasing reports that left-back Luis Enrique is on his way to Liverpool from Newcastle for around 6M.

This rumour seems to be gathering pace

[laoislad]

Increasing reports that left-back Luis Enrique is on his way to Liverpool from Newcastle for around 6M.

This rumour seems to be gathering pace

What would everyone make of him? Don't know much about him myself.

[el_cuervo_fc]

Well it can't hurt to have a natural left back.  To be honest I wouldn't know much about him either but reports of him seem to be decent enough.

[Minus15]

Wouldnt have seen much of him myself but I was at the Newcastle game in April and he was by far Newcastle's best player that day - both attacking and defending. Looked to have a good left peg and quite quick and strong. Able to hold the ball in tight situations. I think if the figures quoted are true it is a decent bit of business.

[nifan]

Enrique sounding like a done deal, but never done til its signed.
Gary Cahill linked now as well - 17m!

[Bingo]

Enrique seems to be strongly linked in a number of places, if the money is right at £5.5m, then its a good buy at a good price.

Also heard than Dann from Birmingham is also getting close. Think I'd prefer Cahill if the money is available. Both would be in a similar mould as Carra like defenders but Dann seems to have had a few injuries over last few seasons.

Cole also likely to be on the road out, so i'm guessing the players leaving have made it possible to get a few in. Few others likely to depart - Ayala, Insua, Poulsen.

[gawa316]

Great bit of business if price of 5.5mil quoted is true.

Chat seems to have moved from Dann to Cahill, either would be a good signing with Dann drastically cheaper due to brum's financial problems

[gawa316]

Enrique seems to be strongly linked in a number of places, if the money is right at £5.5m, then its a good buy at a good price.

Also heard than Dann from Birmingham is also getting close. Think I'd prefer Cahill if the money is available. Both would be in a similar mould as Carra like defenders but Dann seems to have had a few injuries over last few seasons.

Cole also likely to be on the road out, so i'm guessing the players leaving have made it possible to get a few in. Few others likely to depart - Ayala, Insua, Poulsen.

Will Ayala leave on loan or for a fee? Very difficult to seem him break into the team with Carra, agger, Skrtel, Wilson, Kelly and possible new signing ahead of him in the queue. Shame cause he looked a decent player everytime I seen him play.

To add to Insua and Poulsen I wish we could get rid of degen and El Zhar but don't see it happening.I wonder when there contracts are up?

[brokencrossbar1]

Enrique will give the team natural balance and is at a good price range to allow young Robinson to develop into his eventual replacement. Insua will probably go if he is not happy to accept no 2 role. I personally would prefer. To keep him as given Aurelios injury problems he would not be a great no 2 as he would not be reliablly fit. Robinson could be forced into too many games when 5-6 a year at his age is plenty.

The Cahill/Dann situation is an interesting. Do you pay 17m for a slightlly older but better player and pay him higher wages and can slot straight in to the team or pay 12m for a younger, rawer player on less wages but who has better potential and is a life long Liverpool fan? I would be much happier with taking Dann as outside of the price/fan issue he is closer to an Agger type player than Cahill and if youi had him to interchange with Agger and Skertl and Carra to rotate then you would have a bit of continuity. Enrique and Dann wouild be good business as both clubs want/need to sell and Bolton don't. 

[Bingo]

Talk that Ayala will get a fee, maybe even 1m with a sell on clause but I'm sure that just speculation. I've given up on Degen and El Zhar, just get shot at this stage, be it loans, pay up part of their contracts and release them or whatever. Nothing to be gained by club but as is always the case, the players are happy to sit on there contracts and take the money. Both on loan last year and did nothing to attract any further interest in them.

The value is in Dann but the one issue is injuries and he has struggled in last few years, any player can get hit with injuries but players with a run of injuries often struggle going forward - King, Agger, Auerlio, Ferdinand etc and Dann been out for a while with his latest. Its a toss up really but of course Dann represents better value if KD is happy with his quality.

[brokencrossbar1]

I think the whole injury thing is a bit of a curve ball tbh.  For instance he is 3 years younger than Agger and has played over 50 games more than him, excluding Internationals.  He had to miss the end of last season due to surgery in January but outside of that he has missed very little. He would be a far better investment and at 24 you could give him a 5 year deal and it would be well worth it.

[Bingo]

In two seasons with Birmingham he had 50 appearances in all comps - he had several runs of missing 2/3 games with injuries prior to big injury at end of last season. Prior to that at coventry it was the same, he had habit of missing small runs of games.

While in a bigger squad with more quality he may be able to be managed better but some commentators have said that his latest injury was a severe one and could hold him back for a period.

Not by any means ruling him out but it has to be considered. Maybe he was missing those games to attend matches at Anfield!!

[el_cuervo_fc]

A much stronger Liverpool team on show today:

Reina

Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio, Henderson, Spearing, Adam, Downing, Aquilani, Carroll

It's definitely a lot closer to the probable starting team for next week