aqualini = keane mark 2?

[Dreambeliever]

[quote author=GOD_23 link=topic=39094.msg1063694#msg1063694 date=1267646896]
[quote author=Dreambeliever link=topic=39094.msg1063531#msg1063531 date=1267623898]
[quote author=ILD link=topic=39094.msg1063524#msg1063524 date=1267623324]
[quote author=Dreambeliever link=topic=39094.msg1063518#msg1063518 date=1267622903]
[quote author=ILD link=topic=39094.msg1063234#msg1063234 date=1267567401]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=39094.msg1063181#msg1063181 date=1267566339]
Uh oh
[/quote]

Tut tut Pat. I defended you in the oher thread when you said this

Bottom line GJ should be at RB or Rafa should not be at the club.
If you spunk 18m on a f*cking right back you better play him there or you should be get the boot.

Now your contradicting it by saying he is not a defender, and we're more solid without him.

[/quote]

No contradiction.

I don't rate GJ defensively at all on his showings for England Chelsea or for us this season. So no I wouldn't play him there but in reality I'd never have spent a massive part of our budget on a full back. 18M is f8cking huge when you consider our most expensive defender before him cost 8M. So in two summers Rafa has bought 2 full backs for a combined totall of 26M. That's f*cking crazy, considering one is one of the worst full backs I've seen for us and the other is more like a wing back come rw that a RB.

But Rafa obviously did rate him and if he did and invested that amount of our money on him he better f*cking stand by him and play week in week out at RB.

If he doesn't play him there when fit he should get the sack. And if GJ turns out to be rubbish as a RB in the long run then Rafa should also get the boot.

You can't keep spunking away 20m a summer on players that don't cut it when we are virtually broke. Something has to give and it should be Rafa.
[/quote]

It's still a paradox. You think Rafa shoud play him at RB because we spent 18million on him but you wouldn't play him there yourself or even bought him?

Some are getting carried away with the whole Johnson saga. He is a cracking player. When he returns, we move Caragher into CB and Johnson RB. I have no problem Johnson playing RW from time to time but some make out that if we start him in defence we will automatically leak goals. Scare mongering is all that is. Our defence was all over the place at he start of the season and Johnson had a few poor games in t build up to his injury but I wouldnt right him off as a RB over it.
cf. Evra.
[/quote]

I haven't written him off either but I think a big part of our back four being so shit was him generally being very high up the pitch exposing Carra in particular.

Carra barely passes half way and leaves little or no space for players to attack in behind.

The crux of it is we needed a RB a creative CM and a striker.

We got Aquaman (20m) GJ(18m) and ??? Nobody.

And currently sitting what 7th or 6th proves what a f*ck up that was by Rafa. No fire power, no replacement for Alonso or least not one that gets given a chance ( I really feel for Purple, he hasn't gotten a proper run of games) and a RB that has had almost as many shacky games as good ones before getting injured. Not good not good at all.

Its like we had a car that needed a new cylinder head for the engine but instead we bought top of the range wheels when when standard one's would have done. We didn't need an 18m RB. a 6M would have done with a proper striker.
[/quote]

Actually pat, Carra gets forward quite a bit from RB, not that's it's often effective.
[/quote]

I should have said gets forward ahead of the ball. Carra's comes forward but he plays by the rule of always being behinf the play so if we lose posession he is in the right place.

 

[Squiggles]

We've made *loads* of fullbacks in midfield positions at some point.

In fact nearly all of them.

And yet you raise the issue when we moot the idea of playing our best footballing, most attacking fullback there. Odd.

 

[Dreambeliever]

[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=39094.msg1063731#msg1063731 date=1267650899]
We've made *loads* of fullbacks in midfield positions at some point.

In fact nearly all of them.

And yet you raise the issue when we moot the idea of playing our best footballing, most attacking fullback there. Odd.
[/quote]

I guess I would just hope when you smash your regard fee by more than double for a defender you at least hope that the position is sorted for a long time. 18m on a RB should mean we don't have to worry about a RB for 5 years.

People are already saying maybe we should play someone else there. Anyway I've raised my thoughts on it so will leave it there.

Back to Aquaman, well he looks like he's been shafted completely. His Liverpool career up until now reeks of complete mismanagment. I'ts the joke of the league that isn't funny anymore. He simply hasn't been given the chance.

 

[SaintGeorge67]

Agreed regarding Johnson, although on Aquilani, he's been poor when he's played. You could argue he needs more games to improve, but the I'm sure people would also be having a pop at Rafa for sticking with a shit player.

 

[Dreambeliever]

[quote author=SaintGeorge67 link=topic=39094.msg1063748#msg1063748 date=1267651564]
Agreed regarding Johnson, although on Aquilani, he's been poor when he's played. You could argue he needs more games to improve, but the I'm sure people would also be having a pop at Rafa for sticking with a shit player.
[/quote]

I don't think anybody would though in his first season. Second maybe but first season most reasonable fans would give an Italian a season to adjust.

Yes he has been shit but his confidence is zero, his match practice is low and his experience in England is low. Lucas is undroppable however a 20m new signing isn't even given 3 starts on the bounce.

I'd understand if he'd played 5 or 6 games in a row and was shit but he hasn't. Rafa should go for this alone. If you ask for 20m to replace Alonso you'd better bloody play the lad and show some faith in him.

He must be thinking what the f*ck he's done to be treated like this.

 

[Ryan]

[quote author=Dreambeliever link=topic=39094.msg1063745#msg1063745 date=1267651415]
[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=39094.msg1063731#msg1063731 date=1267650899]
We've made *loads* of fullbacks in midfield positions at some point.

In fact nearly all of them.

And yet you raise the issue when we moot the idea of playing our best footballing, most attacking fullback there. Odd.
[/quote]

Back to Aquaman, well he looks like he's been shafted completely. His Liverpool career up until now reeks of complete mismanagment. I'ts the joke of the league that isn't funny anymore. He simply hasn't been given the chance.
[/quote]

He's not been good, reliable, or promising enough to get a place ahead of Lucas. That's the long and short of it.

 

[Farkmaster]

He'd have played more if we weren't a mess of a team when he returned, and we didn't get knocked out of the carling cup/FA cup. As it is, we needed to regain some sort of defensive steel, and the sad fact is that even Lucas looks substantial in that department next to him.

Either Gerrard plays on the right, or Aquilani will struggle to get games, especially away from home. This all begs the question as to why the fuck he was purchased.

Whether or not Aquilani comes good, his signing this year was obviously a failure.

 

[Judge Jules]

[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=39094.msg1063731#msg1063731 date=1267650899]
We've made *loads* of fullbacks in midfield positions at some point.

In fact nearly all of them.

And yet you raise the issue when we moot the idea of playing our best footballing, most attacking fullback there. Odd.
[/quote]

We may have done it, but it's been pretty unsuccessful. IMO it's legitimate to question the approach in that light.

 

[Squiggles]

Rafael Benítez has assured Alberto Aquilani that he is not the forgotten man of Liverpool despite having to sacrifice the Italian's adjustment to English football in the race for a critical place in next season's Champions League.

Liverpool will go fourth in the Premier League with a win at Wigan Athletic tonight when Aquilani, the club's £18m signing last summer, may again find himself on the substitutes' bench with Lucas and Javier Mascherano preferred in central midfield. The Italy international has endured a frustrating first season at Anfield with his debut delayed by an ankle injury and then Liverpool's poor form affording Benítez little leeway in his efforts to blood Aquilani.

The Liverpool manager has explained his predicament to the 25-year-old, who has started only seven games since his arrival from Roma and completed 90 minutes only once, and says the midfielder accepts that a top-four finish takes precedence over personal trials.

Benítez said: "When you have been injured for a while it's not easy for a player. Then, when you are available and the team isn't doing well, it makes it even more difficult. You have to decide if you can afford to give him two or three games when you know he's maybe not at the level he could be, so you could end up losing some of them.

"Alberto isn't stupid. He knows the priority now has to be the team and what's best for that. All he can do is keep training and make sure he is ready when we need him. But as I said, the most important thing we have to think of is the team, not one player."

The England right-back Glen Johnson is in contention for his first appearance of the year tomorrow night. He has not played since the 1-0 away win over Aston Villa in the Premier League on 29 December, where he was substituted after 89 minutes just before Fernando Torres scored. Benítez, though, admitted the relaid pitch at the DW Stadium will not influence his thinking of starting Torres or, by contrast, omitting Aquilani.

He added: "When I didn't play Alberto at Wolves it wasn't to do with the state of their pitch, it was because of the kind of game and because others were available, which meant we could manage in a different way. So whether I play him at Wigan or not isn't a decision that will be determined by the pitch.

"But we have had a conversation about things and he knows the situation. Alberto is a very good professional, who was a big name in Italy and wants to show his quality here. When you're like that but cannot play for three or four months and then you're available but can't play because the team is maybe doing really well or has problems, it's a difficult situation for any professional."

The Liverpool manager, meanwhile, has said that Mascherano is now focused on his Anfield career after having his head turned by interest from Barcelona last summer, and expects the Argentina captain and the Spanish goalkeeper Jose Reina to commit to long-term contracts before the end of this season.

"I am 100% certain that Pepe will stay with us and I'm really confident Javier will too – both for a long time," said Benítez.

"I've spoken to Javier about what's going on and, while it wasn't easy when you have a top side like Barcelona asking about you, he's really focused now. I have confidence both will be sorted out sooner rather than later."

 

[Squiggles]

Anyone else get the feeling Aquilani will blame Benitez for missing out on the World Cup and demand to leave in the summer?

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=39094.msg1065109#msg1065109 date=1267990039]
Anyone else get the feeling Aquilani will blame Benitez for missing out on the World Cup and demand to leave in the summer?
[/quote]

Give a shit. He can fuck off. And so can Benitez.

 

[manwithnoname]

He's not been good, reliable, or promising enough to get a place ahead of Lucas. That's the long and short of it.

This is the most depressing - but true - sentence that Ryan O'Tomkins has ever typed.

That perhaps ANYONE has ever typed.

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=Brendan link=topic=39094.msg1065116#msg1065116 date=1267990881]
[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=39094.msg1065109#msg1065109 date=1267990039]
Anyone else get the feeling Aquilani will blame Benitez for missing out on the World Cup and demand to leave in the summer?
[/quote]

Give a shit. He can fuck off. And so can Benitez.
[/quote]


so bren, there is no possibility that aqua is half decent but being eased in?

 

[manwithnoname]

so bren, there is no possibility that aqua is half decent but being eased in?

Eased in?

It's fucking March

And I'm afraid to say that there have been far too many signs in his games so far that Purple is a bit of a shithouse, and also rather unsuited to the Premiership.

I said when we signed him that I was pretty confident he would do OK, given that all he really ahd to do was shift the hideous mediocrity that is Lucarse out of the team.

That he hasn't managed this means that he has been an unmitigated disaster and Benitez should be sacked.

 

[KopKing]

[quote author=Brendan link=topic=39094.msg1065120#msg1065120 date=1267991592]

so bren, there is no possibility that aqua is half decent but being eased in?

Eased in?

It's fucking March

And I'm afraid to say that there have been far too many signs in his games so far that Purple is a bit of a shithouse, and also rather unsuited to the Premiership.

I said when we signed him that I was pretty confident he would do OK, given that all he really ahd to do was shift the hideous mediocrity that is Lucarse out of the team.

That he hasn't managed this means that he has been an unmitigated disaster and Benitez should be sacked.
[/quote]

So far it may look that way, but its way too premature to write off Aquilani. The time to judge him is the end of next season. Posters now use him as an example of a poor signing and that's absurd.

 

[Spionkop69]

[quote author=KopKing link=topic=39094.msg1065121#msg1065121 date=1267992259]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=39094.msg1065120#msg1065120 date=1267991592]

so bren, there is no possibility that aqua is half decent but being eased in?

Eased in?

It's fucking March

And I'm afraid to say that there have been far too many signs in his games so far that Purple is a bit of a shithouse, and also rather unsuited to the Premiership.

I said when we signed him that I was pretty confident he would do OK, given that all he really ahd to do was shift the hideous mediocrity that is Lucarse out of the team.

That he hasn't managed this means that he has been an unmitigated disaster and Benitez should be sacked.
[/quote]

So far it may look that way, but its way too premature to write off Aquilani. The time to judge him is the end of next season. Posters now use him as an example of a poor signing and that's absurd.
[/quote]

On the basis that he was brought as a replacement for Alonso and an improvement on Lucas. So far, even including his injury which was not his fault, he has not delivered. In fact, he's not been allowed to deliver.

So that's down to him and the manager. He may become a better signing but after last season we needed someone to deliver this season and for £20m total fee, we are entitled to expect a little more than we have had so far.

 

[manwithnoname]

So far it may look that way, but its way too premature to write off Aquilani. The time to judge him is the end of next season. Posters now use him as an example of a poor signing and that's absurd.

Absurd? He's been the worst signing of the season by any team in the Premiership. Trufax.

 

[monsieurdantes]

lionel messi couldn't shift lucas out of this team. just be proud that you were alive to see the origin of lucas. centuries from now people will look on with no idea, and will believe in some myth of lucas being older than time, and that he was here before the club itself

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=monsieurdantes link=topic=39094.msg1065124#msg1065124 date=1267992856]
lionel messi couldn't shift lucas out of this team. just be proud that you were alive to see the origin of lucas. centuries from now people will look on with no idea, and will believe in some myth of lucas being older than time, and that he was here before the club itself
[/quote]

Dantes, I don't wish to sow seeds or anything so crass, but......have you ever considered, y'know, adding Lucarse to your list

 

[monsieurdantes]

You would have me die trying what you know to be impossible?

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=monsieurdantes link=topic=39094.msg1065130#msg1065130 date=1267994120]
You would have me die trying what you know to be impossible?
[/quote]

Um...pretty much, yeah.

 

[monsieurdantes]

i would need to strike when he is at his weakest. which would mean there'd be upwards of 40,000 witnesses

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=monsieurdantes link=topic=39094.msg1065137#msg1065137 date=1267994925]
i would need to strike when he is at his weakest. which would mean there'd be upwards of 40,000 witnesses
[/quote]

Ahahahahaha!

 

[keniget]

Hahaha, that's incredible.

 

[Judge Jules]

[quote author=monsieurdantes link=topic=39094.msg1065137#msg1065137 date=1267994925]
i would need to strike when he is at his weakest. which would mean there'd be upwards of 40,000 witnesses
[/quote]

Purely hypothetically, of course, how would you go about it?

 

[keniget]

Lucas will actually probably be offered a new deal in the summer as he'll only have a year left to run by that point.

 

[Skullflower]

we really need to give him a new deal for his sell on value if nothing else. i still think he's a great squad player to have.

 

[monsieurdantes]

[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=39094.msg1065154#msg1065154 date=1267996344]
[quote author=monsieurdantes link=topic=39094.msg1065137#msg1065137 date=1267994925]
i would need to strike when he is at his weakest. which would mean there'd be upwards of 40,000 witnesses
[/quote]

Purely hypothetically, of course, how would you go about it?
[/quote]

I would put on a stewards uniform under my clothes. Go to the game as normal. Excuse myself to the toilet to get changed. Then walk straight down to the advertising hoardings and wait. If I couldn't get the uniform, I'd have to keep an eye on the stewards, and wait for one of them to go to the loo. Either way I'd be near the touchline and noone would suspect anything.

I'll wait for a throw in or something, for lucas to come within striking distance. And then I'd strike him across the face. With the back of my hand. He would retaliate, and hopefully be impisoned for my murder.

 

[Skullflower]

did you watch gran torino last night, dantes?

 

[monsieurdantes]

no, i need to do that before my murder it looks hilarious