The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - #DankeJürgen

[corn02]

What's the story with Johnson's character? I thought he was a bit of a wide boy. Didn't he get done for robbing toilet seats from B&Q or something? I hate signing w**kers for Liverpool.

He done a Dunne and has turned it  about, why he is the opposite of Pennant.

Gerrard stole a ruler when he was six.

[blewuporstuffed]

Madrid car boot sale

Arjen Robben,
Ruud van Nistelrooy,
Klass-Jan Huntelaar,
Wesley Sneijder,
Rafael van der Vaart,
Royston Drenthe,
Javier Saviola,
Gabriel Heinze
Mahamadou Diarra

All decent enough players!!
if they could get any of them as part of a deal with arbeloa, it would be decent business

[Rossie11]

Pool could get the likes of Croatian right back Srna from Shahkar for about half Johnsons fee.
He can play right back or right side midfield.
Far better option in my book.

[supersub]

Wouldnt mind seeing sneider from madrid, hes a good quality wide player that could prove very useful for the pool!!!

[ludermor]

Has any other club produced so many top class player from their academy over the past 10 years?
Frank Lampard
Michael Carrick
Jermaine Defoe
Joe Cole
Glen Johnson
Roi Ferdinand
Mark Noble (future irish midfielder  )
Anton Ferdinand (i )
And they look like they have several decent young players coming through last year ( Tomkins, Collison, Sears, )

[Rossie11]

Has any other club produced so many top class player from their academy over the past 10 years?

The one Barca have I hear is above average  

[girt_giggler]

Van der Vaart &  Sneijeder....both top quality IMO. 

[ludermor]

Has any other club produced so many top class player from their academy over the past 10 years?

The one Barca have I hear is above average  

They seem to have 1 or 2 decent players alright 

[stevo-08]

It's been a long while since I had the time to post on this forum, but glad to see the same wise heads giving their input.

anyway, about the johnson signing. I, for one, would be really happy if this goes through. Is he worth 18m - certainly not, but does he improve the team - Yes, big time if you ask me. The full back position is an area where we've done adequate/mediocre in recent times. Arbeloa hasnt done anything wrong but johnson offers so much more going forward. And with dirky in front doing enough defending for 2 teams, creating acres of space, an attacking full back like johnson would absolutely thrive. Dont underestimate the role players like cole, bosingwa & evra played with chelsea and united.

and actually, there was an interesting article in the guardian sometime ago about full back. makes good reading if you have the time.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/mar/25/the-question-full-backs-football

oh and by the way -

United took 58 from 60 from the bottom half last season, I dont know what we took but I would imagine it was closer to the 45 point mark.

to expand on that, united took 70 points out of a possible 72 from bottom 12 teams.   Liverpool took 57. And that's where the title was won and lost. A good attacking full back would really help break these lower team down. Also, from a united perspective, it's the reason why ronaldo will be sorely missed - for the last few years, he would tear these teams apart. Remains to be seen how his replacement(s) do.

[corn02]

It's been a long while since I had the time to post on this forum, but glad to see the same wise heads giving their input.

anyway, about the johnson signing. I, for one, would be really happy if this goes through. Is he worth 18m - certainly not, but does he improve the team - Yes, big time if you ask me. The full back position is an area where we've done adequate/mediocre in recent times. Arbeloa hasnt done anything wrong but johnson offers so much more going forward. And with dirky in front doing enough defending for 2 teams, creating acres of space, an attacking full back like johnson would absolutely thrive. Dont underestimate the role players like cole, bosingwa & evra played with chelsea and united.

and actually, there was an interesting article in the guardian sometime ago about full back. makes good reading if you have the time.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/mar/25/the-question-full-backs-football

oh and by the way -

United took 58 from 60 from the bottom half last season, I dont know what we took but I would imagine it was closer to the 45 point mark.

to expand on that, united took 70 points out of a possible 72 from bottom 12 teams.   Liverpool took 57. And that's where the title was won and lost. A good attacking full back would really help break these lower team down. Also, from a united perspective, it's the reason why ronaldo will be sorely missed - for the last few years, he would tear these teams apart. Remains to be seen how his replacement(s) do.

Have to agree with every part of that.

[Rossie11]

I hear what your saying about improving the team Stevo and Corn and
18m wouldnt be a problem if it was a small % of the summer transfer kitty.
By the looks of it its more than 50% of the war chest
So if for the "last piece" of the PL jigsaw we are putting our faith in Glen Johnson then we are screwed.
We need cover for Torres up front. I would prefer spend the cash on guaranteed goals than hopeful assists..

[stevo-08]

Rossie, I'd agree with that. Johnson certainly isnt going to make up the difference to winning the PL. He's already proven himself in the premier league and is a big improvement to the team, so that's why I'd be happy if the deal goes through.

But to make that final step, we need another signing - attacking winger/cover for torres. And obviously keep mash & alonso at all costs. There's not too many better midfield partnership around than those 2.

But whether the transfer kitty stretches that far, I dont know. However, I think it's a good sign that rafa is about to spend app 18m this early in the summer.

[Hound]

Real Madrid director of sport Jorge Valdano on Xabi Alonso:

"With regards to Xabi Alonso, Liverpool made an announcement on Sunday and it seems to me they don't want to sell him, so it will be hard for him to end up playing here.

"I've always liked him, since my first time at Real Madrid. I did a massive effort to bring him here a few years back, we met with Real Sociedad but when I left the deal slipped into the background.

"Liverpool valued him at 18million euros last year because he wasn't an essential player. But he is now. They've given him more chances to play and he has responded magnificently."

[blewuporstuffed]

general feeling about johnson seems to be, good player,will be happy to get him but way over priced.
pretty much the way i felt when they signed robbie keane.........................

dont think he will be the final piece in the jigsaw, but a piece Liverpool need all the same.just hope rafa has enough in the kitty then to bring in a quality wide player and decent second striker

[GalwayBayBoy]

Going by reports in the papers today Portsmouth still owe us 7 million for Crouch which I presume is being written off as part of the Johnson deal (if it even happens).

Johnson along with a good forward/attacking midfielder along with maybe a left-back of some description would probably represent a decent Summer's business.