LFC(3)! The Rise of the REDS!!!

[Taurean]

Momo is good but not Veira standard yet... he's too rash and make careless tackles. If it's other referees, he prob would be sent off already. That said, 5m pound for me is worth the money as replacement for Hamann.. If only he develops Hamann's vision and interception.

Moreover, to sweeten it, we snatched Momo from the nose of EVERTON

:thumbsup: Momo is still young and will mature in time to come esp under the guidance of Rafa .

It would be such a waste of talent if he landed with Everton.

:cheers:

 

[ldft]

Momo is good but not Veira standard yet... he's too rash and make careless tackles. If it's other referees, he prob would be sent off already. That said, 5m pound for me is worth the money as replacement for Hamann.. If only he develops Hamann's vision and interception.

Moreover, to sweeten it, we snatched Momo from the nose of EVERTON

Think Rafa's midfield purchases have been pretty good, Alonso (Excelent), Garcia (sometimes frustrating but does create a lot), Zenden (Pretty good) and Sissoko (Great potential and works very hard) My concern is with his choice of defenders, he lets Henchoz go and brings in Pellegrino and puts Hyppia on the bench?? :dunno: What was he thinking about?????:angry: And to compound matters, he brings in Josemi, and leave Finnan on the bench. It's like tearing down 50% of your brick wall, and errecting a wooden picket fence and expect to stop bullets. :dunno:

Hopefully he has learned from that and brings in people of Cara / Hyppia's quality, than really have a solid back line.

 

[nemesis32]

Think Rafa's midfield purchases have been pretty good, Alonso (Excelent), Garcia (sometimes frustrating but does create a lot), Zenden (Pretty good) and Sissoko (Great potential and works very hard) My concern is with his choice of defenders, he lets Henchoz go and brings in Pellegrino and puts Hyppia on the bench?? :dunno: What was he thinking about?????:angry: And to compound matters, he brings in Josemi, and leave Finnan on the bench. It's like tearing down 50% of your brick wall, and errecting a wooden picket fence and expect to stop bullets. :dunno:

Hopefully he has learned from that and brings in people of Cara / Hyppia's quality, than really have a solid back line.

Honestly.... i think henchoz is good but not very good. He's committed but clumsy, i would compare with as a slightly better than Cygan thats it. Buying Pellegrino is a mistake but Rafa needs cover for Hyypia and Carra so he bought him. Buying Josemi might not be as big a mistake but he does suffer from injuries. Both were purchased because of Rafa's familiarity with them but did not perform for the manager.

However, to be fair to them, not many people can set EPL by fire in their 1st season or 1/2 a season, not even Henry, Reyes etc. Moreover, i think they came in at the time of transition when Rafa is implementing the zone defense, which is now almost perfected which resulted in our clean sheets. Also, Reina is less prone to errors than Dudek and as a whole the team is defending better as an unit, so makes finnan, riise etc looks good also.

 

[ldft]

Honestly.... i think henchoz is good but not very good. He's committed but clumsy, i would compare with as a slightly better than Cygan thats it. Buying Pellegrino is a mistake but Rafa needs cover for Hyypia and Carra so he bought him. Buying Josemi might not be as big a mistake but he does suffer from injuries. Both were purchased because of Rafa's familiarity with them but did not perform for the manager.

However, to be fair to them, not many people can set EPL by fire in their 1st season or 1/2 a season, not even Henry, Reyes etc. Moreover, i think they came in at the time of transition when Rafa is implementing the zone defense, which is now almost perfected which resulted in our clean sheets. Also, Reina is less prone to errors than Dudek and as a whole the team is defending better as an unit, so makes finnan, riise etc looks good also.

Agreed, Henchoz not great, but would have provided better cover better than Pellegrino any day. Josemi being injury prone is one thing, giving away 2 too many free kicks in dangerous areas, of which resulted in goals against us is my issue with him. True, Reina at the moment looks more consistant than Dudek, no argument there.

Anyway, got World Club championships to look forward to. Another trophy?:sweatsm:

 

[kelccm]

Liverpool is quite consistent this couple of months, so let's hope it can continue to perform and bring back the World Club championship!!

 

[urban]

Liverpool is quite consistent this couple of months, so let's hope it can continue to perform and bring back the World Club championship!!

And perhaps even get 2nd in the EPL come the end of the season.

And Arsenal, please make it 1-0 against the Moan-rinho's Chelski.

 

[Cheesecake]

steady la!

3-0 win over deportivo saprissa!

sad to say, the gulf in standard is too wide. just a stroll in the park.

Crouch nets a brace! :bsmilie:

 

[giddygoat]

saw the first half at a coffee shop. probably broke the record for longest time needed to drink a teh si comfy match and not troubled. but i am very happy to see crouchie score again. nice first goal, very good instinct. and beyond that, he adds much to the team. we actually look dangerous now when we launch those long balls up because he does so well to win headers and direct the ball to the other players.
standard gerard blaster, poor keeper beaten at near post.
how was the third goal?
seriously, i still get a tear in the eye whenever i see us in our euro jersey with the gold pippings. never fails to remind me of the miracle of last season. liverpool, european champions..blimey!
let's hope we beat sao paulo and be world champions too!

 

[giddygoat]

a bit worried when i saw us field such a strong team. hope they don't get injured or burnt out. december is a long month for the epl and we need our players fit to keep up our run.
when poor crouch got his face kicked, i was crossing my fingers hoping i's not a broken jaw or something. maybe now his teeth would be straighter....

 

[burger]

Honestly.... i think henchoz is good but not very good. He's committed but clumsy, i would compare with as a slightly better than Cygan thats it. Buying Pellegrino is a mistake but Rafa needs cover for Hyypia and Carra so he bought him. Buying Josemi might not be as big a mistake but he does suffer from injuries. Both were purchased because of Rafa's familiarity with them but did not perform for the manager.

However, to be fair to them, not many people can set EPL by fire in their 1st season or 1/2 a season, not even Henry, Reyes etc. Moreover, i think they came in at the time of transition when Rafa is implementing the zone defense, which is now almost perfected which resulted in our clean sheets. Also, Reina is less prone to errors than Dudek and as a whole the team is defending better as an unit, so makes finnan, riise etc looks good also.

Pellegrino was on a free transfer in the January window. I believe that he wanted some cover for the central defence and Pellegrino was just a temporary signing, actually more like a stop-gap measure. In any event, he was only on a 1/2 year contract.

 

[giddygoat]

i wouldn't be too harsh on rafa for signing pellegrino. he didn't know english football that well then. when you have a player you are familiar with and he's available for free. why not? we needed some cover anyway. actually, i wouldn't even be too hard on pelle. i think if you put him into an italian or spanish side, he can still be a good player. rafa respected him for his ability to read the game and to command the backline. his ability to read the flow of a game would compensate for his lack of pace except that english football was simply too different from what he was used to. you cannot read something you're unfamiliar with and without the ability to predict moves and close them down. pelle was essentially a blind turtle on the pitch and a liability. but if he was younger, i would have said, give the man another season and we'll see.

i was surprised the way henchoz was treated though. i was never a big fan of him. the man was more heart than ability and his heroics were matched by his gaffes. an average defender but he looked good because houllier and hyypia organised the defence well. but i thought he'd at least play third fiddle in the team and get a few games when hyypia or carra was rested. maybe rafa didn't like his attitude?

the squad is still thin. how much does rafa have to spend i wonder? wish we could secure some investors soon.....
a few singings like theo walcott, simao, etc and definitely a defender would be nice.

 

[urban]

.....
the squad is still thin. how much does rafa have to spend i wonder? wish we could secure some investors soon.....
a few singings like theo walcott, simao, etc and definitely a defender would be nice.

I am not sure Rafa is going to blow 8m pounds on a youngster. Especially since we have Pongolle and Mellor in the wings. If Cisse plays like he did against Deportivo Siprassa we would have 3 very good 1st strikers and 2 backup young strikers.

However, i think he will sign a certain Mark Gonzales and Simao. As for Centreback, he may go British and sign from a midtable team....someone under-rated....Who knows, even Wayne Bridge. If you sit on a bench in Chelsea, you might as well sit on Liverpool's and have a better chance on playing.

 

[Cheesecake]

Cisse had a very good game against D.S.
very impressed with his overall contributions. surprised that he put in so much effort becos there're alot of hearsay that he's moving to Marseille and aid them in their struggle. i believe that he might ask to leave during January period which is a real mixed bag of feelings.


You'll Never Walk Alone!

:bsmilie:

 

[giddygoat]

I am not sure Rafa is going to blow 8m pounds on a youngster. Especially since we have Pongolle and Mellor in the wings. If Cisse plays like he did against Deportivo Siprassa we would have 3 very good 1st strikers and 2 backup young strikers.

However, i think he will sign a certain Mark Gonzales and Simao. As for Centreback, he may go British and sign from a midtable team....someone under-rated....Who knows, even Wayne Bridge. If you sit on a bench in Chelsea, you might as well sit on Liverpool's and have a better chance on playing.

no, not likely. but the 8mil valuation was becos chelsea was in the mix. if they are not involved, the price should be lower. anyway, walcott is just wishful thinking. we haven't had a really exciting attacking talent since mellor fizzled out. would hate to see all the best talent go to chelsea, man utd and arsenal.

want to see a winger and a centreback most of all. i thought mark gonzalez was a done deal but he can only join next season when he gets his spanish citizenship? cos i think we exhausted our appeals already. or can we try again in mid season? simao would be nice cos he can play both wings. but i must admit, riise was brilliant in the left wing last night (like him better there than with him in leftback where he has less chances to shoot). and kewell is doing so well too so i wonder if gonzalez would get a chance.

i have a feeling we may see upson or riggott in the side. i doubt rafa would splash a lot for a defender from a foreign league after his experience with pellegrino. it is not easy adapting to the english game when you join in half-way in the season and is thrown into a game immediately.

 

[Cheesecake]

i think last evening's opponent is simply not good enough to post a threat to us. maybe the good performances of Cisse and gang is to me, irrelevant.

no disrespect to D.S, they are simply overwhelmed by the occasion of playing the Reds. a few TV close-up during some stoppages in the game revealed some of the D.S players were smiling and clearly enjoying themselves, perhaps non-competitively.

in fact, the Reds were not really even playing at 50% of their potential. it was no more than a stroll in the park. we could have scored much more, they too, perhaps can nail 1 or 2 goals due to some slack defending from the Reds. not that i'm complaining esp. after the Reds came through a tough week and has every right not to go in 100% for fear of injuries.

i believe the clash with Sao Paulo will be much more furious and entertaining. i hope we can lift the Toyota Cup! :thumbsup:


You'll Never Walk Alone!

 

[giddygoat]

Cisse had a very good game against D.S.
very impressed with his overall contributions. surprised that he put in so much effort becos there're alot of hearsay that he's moving to Marseille and aid them in their struggle. i believe that he might ask to leave during January period which is a real mixed bag of feelings.


You'll Never Walk Alone!

:bsmilie:

he did very well didn't he? but one thing was that he had often been played out of position. i hope rafa plays him in position more and maybe he can shine. he improved on his team play it seems and is less selfish than he had been at the start.
i am in two minds about him. he has the technical ability to be a very good player, especially feeding off crouch or morientes. but i find his attitude irritating. i hate the way he behaves when he is substituted and he moans too much about no playing. he needs to think more of the team and put his head down and earn a place. if he can do that, he'd be great. would like to see him stay at least till end of the season to prove himself.

 

[giddygoat]

sao paolo would be a nice test. we always struggled against pacy or skillful opponents and the brazillians would pose more problems than the costa ricans. need to keep watch on amoroso and cicinho especially.

 

[nemesis32]

Agreed, Henchoz not great, but would have provided better cover better than Pellegrino any day. Josemi being injury prone is one thing, giving away 2 too many free kicks in dangerous areas, of which resulted in goals against us is my issue with him. True, Reina at the moment looks more consistant than Dudek, no argument there.

Anyway, got World Club championships to look forward to. Another trophy?:sweatsm:

I do not like to defend pelle but will the results be very different if Henchoz played instead of pelle (bearing in mind that henchoz is clueless abt the zone defence that Rafa is preaching)? I doubt so. So to me, it sort of evens out.

I do hope we win another trophy as we have never won this.

An interesting interview with carra -
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N150848051215-1501.htm

 

[nemesis32]

I am not sure Rafa is going to blow 8m pounds on a youngster. Especially since we have Pongolle and Mellor in the wings. If Cisse plays like he did against Deportivo Siprassa we would have 3 very good 1st strikers and 2 backup young strikers.

However, i think he will sign a certain Mark Gonzales and Simao. As for Centreback, he may go British and sign from a midtable team....someone under-rated....Who knows, even Wayne Bridge. If you sit on a bench in Chelsea, you might as well sit on Liverpool's and have a better chance on playing.

for centreback, actually i rather we sign someone already playing in EPL... someone like Ledley King or maybe Distin (i think he's very underrated.)

A right winger is also a must and maybe a RB if we sell Josemi (i think he's going back to Spain)

 

[urban]

I do not like to defend pelle but will the results be very different if Henchoz played instead of pelle (bearing in mind that henchoz is clueless abt the zone defence that Rafa is preaching)? I doubt so. So to me, it sort of evens out.

I do hope we win another trophy as we have never won this.

An interesting interview with carra -
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N150848051215-1501.htm

I think Pellegrino was signed to provide short term cover and also "teach" the younger defenders a thing or two about zonal marking. Of cos, his lack of pace really exposed his failings during his time at Liverpool.

Rafa likes to give people chance if he believes they are trying and working hard and willing to put in the effort for the team. Having said that, he will replace the player if they are not performing after some time.

1) Henchoz - attitude (this may have happened off the pitch or during training)
2) Pellegrino - willing to play him, he failed as a good-enough defender for EPL and Rafa let him go without extending him at all
3) Crouch - supported him despite his lack of goals and clumsy play during his early Pool games
4) Cisse - no matter whether he is the top Pool scorer or the best striking talent or the fastest player around, he is not going to start if he sulks and refuse to play according to instructions.
5) Traore - Rafa wanted to sell him but Traore pleaded and was willing to play any position. Rafa like this attitude and kelp him.

Some people think that Rafa favours his Spanish armada. But this is clearly not so if he thinks they do not fit his requirement.

1) Nunez - shipped out even though he was a decent right winger for most of his time here
2) Pellegrino - no need to drink expensive sparkling water, so out he went
3) Josemi - played him for a series of games; not better than Finnan, Rafa switched to Finnan as a more permanent right back for us.
4) Morientes - what a pedigree, Spanish some more.... but he does not start every game. Only striker that is almost always on the team sheet..... Crouch (a clangy Englishman).