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Lallana alternatives

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keniget

keniget

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So with the debate raging over what Lallana is and isn't worth, let's take a closer look at possible alternatives (though of course it doesn't really have to be one or the other, we could sign them all!).

Roberto Firmino

Just had a cracking breakthrough season for Hoffenheim.

Stats:
http://www.espnfc.com/player/_/id/147234/roberto-firmino-barbosa-de-oliveira?cc=5739

Some analysis and comparison against Coutinho:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...firmino-help-liverpool-win-the-premier-league

Obligatory compilation:


Thoughts? Let's get the ball rolling.
 
I've only seen him in 2 games and so by the rules of SCM I can't comment.

From what I've seen I like him, can pick a pass and score as well as having a decent engine. Would be a good buy if he adapted.
 
From what I can guage from reading various rumours, we've sounded Bayern out about Shaqiri but won't make an actual offer unless we miss out on Lallana....so the alternative to Lallana seems to be Shaq.
 
Dusan Tadic (not the war criminal) only has a year left on his contract. He scores loads and assists even more. LW/LM/AM. Would be no good at CM though.
 
From what @studsup had written about him earlier, I understood that Firmino plays pretty much as a striker and not as an attacking midfielder.

Three options I can think of - Shaqiri (who we've been linked to continually), Cabella and Dzagoev.

All three would be in the Sturridge price range - and are as talented, and as well-established in first team football as Lallana.

If we're talking about younger options, there are scores of options - they'd be much more projects though. I haven't been watching as much European football recently, but there are Coutinho like talents around aplenty. @cloggypop has raved about Klaasen, and I was very impressed with what I'd seen of Adam Maher and Djuricic (haven't seen them play at all this season though).

Kovacic is in the same mould. Zagreb (who're an absolute conveyor belt of talent btw) replaced him with someone called Marcelo Brozovic who apparently has been brilliant. He's in Croatia's World Cup squad so I'm looking forward to see him play.

Colombia has some great talent as well apparently - Cuadrado and Quintero are both players I want to see play.
 
dmishra said:
From what @studsup had written about him earlier, I understood that Firmino plays pretty much as a striker and not as an attacking midfielder.
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He can play across the front line but yeah that's why I added the "doesn't have to be one or the other" bit as some options may not be exactly like for like and could be complementary signings.
 
To me an alternative to Lallana would be a player who is ready to deliver top-notch performances consistently next season – not a youngster, no matter how talented. Also, ideally it should be a player who is able to play as an attacking CM as well as on the wing or AM. Basically someone like Coutinho, but with more experience.

So far among the players we've been linked with Shaqiri has been mentioned as a most likely possible alternative. Now he is not quite a finished article, unlike Lallana, but playing at Bayern probably gives him just enough experience despite his young age. And he did play at CM at times under both Heynkes and Guardiola.

If Mkhitaryan was really unsettled at Dortmund, as some papers were claiming earlier, he would surely be the prime alternative (or rather, Lallana is an alternative to Mkhitaryan, who was Rodgers' prime target last summer). But now it doesn't seem the Armenian is going to leave Dortmund this season.

Ivan Rakitic would also be a prime alternative, but there was no peep about him possibly going to Liverpool since March. I suspect Barca or another very big and wealthy club are already well on the way to signing him. I wonder who Rodgers would choose between him, Mkhitaryan and Lallana if money were the same.

Firmino is a free-spirited attacker who scored and created a lot of goals in a gung-ho Hoffenheim team. To me he would be more of a luxury player rather than a key player like the other 3 above. I can't imagine him in CM either.
 
I can't even remember I wrote anything about Firmino, though the name rings a bell. Must be some copy and paste I did from something I read, because I've never seen him play. 😀

But if he comes and turns out boss, I'll be back to say "Told ya!".
 
How come Dzagoev hasn't moved to a 'bigger' club yet? Very good player anytime I've watched him for club or country.
 
Griezmann, Turan, Koke, Shaqiri maybe. All of those must cost less than an exorbitant 25mill.
 
ILD said:
How come Dzagoev hasn't moved to a 'bigger' club yet? Very good player anytime I've watched him for club or country.
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Agree 100%

A quality player ... Dzagoev & Honda carried CSKA.

A player with great technique and a very level headed individual - unlike Arshavin.
 
rurikbird said:
Ivan Rakitic would also be a prime alternative, but there was no peep about him possibly going to Liverpool since March. I suspect Barca or another very big and wealthy club are already well on the way to signing him. I wonder who Rodgers would choose between him, Mkhitaryan and Lallana if money were the same.

Firmino is a free-spirited attacker who scored and created a lot of goals in a gung-ho Hoffenheim team. To me he would be more of a luxury player rather than a key player like the other 3 above. I can't imagine him in CM either.
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Heh, could Firmino thrive in a gung-ho Liverpool? I think we could do with a player like that even if we do primarily focus on an attacking player that can play further back in midfield - someone to replace Aspas and Borini.

On the subject of being gung ho, someone made the very good point of needing players that can manage the game a bit better the other week and perhaps guys like Lallana and Rakitic are more equipped to do that.

Do you see Rakitic is a like for like alternative? He is less suited to playing on the wing and thrived as the main man at Sevilla. Will a bigger club see the same Rakitic we saw last season?
 
Level-headed most of the time – except his regular uncontrollable flashes of anger, which get him sent off and suspended for violent conduct. This is a problem that will never go away with him, unfortunately. It's in the genes.

Doesn't seem he's going anywhere. I'm guessing he feels pretty comfortable in Russia.
 
keniget said:
Heh, could Firmino thrive in a gung-ho Liverpool? I think we could do with a player like that even if we do focus on an attacking player that can play further back - someone to replace Aspas and Borini.

On the subject of being gung ho, someone made the very good point of needing players that can manage the game a bit better the other week and perhaps guys like Lallana and Rakitic are more equipped to do that.

Do you see Rakitic is a like for like alternative? He is less suited to playing on the wing and thrived as the main man at Sevilla. Will a bigger club see the same Rakitic we saw last season?
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Yes, I could see Firmino in a "3rd striker" category, but not in the "playmaker" category. And gung-ho teams never win anything.

I think Rodgers has been actively looking for a goal-scoring CM/AM from the very beginning of his time here: he tried to sign expensive targets like Mkhitaryan, cheaper ones like Sigurdsson, tried to grow one from youngsters like Shelvey and Luis Alberto. He managed to partially solve this problem by moving Coutinho infield, but he needs somebody more consistent.

Rakitic is actually a good winger as well – earlier in his career he played RM or RW a lot. Yes, I would say he is like for like with Lallana. They are both essentially the main playmakers at their respective clubs.
 
ILD said:
How come Dzagoev hasn't moved to a 'bigger' club yet? Very good player anytime I've watched him for club or country.
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Well, he is still only 23. Also I believe he was injured for a significant part of the start of last season.

If he has a good World Cup, I'd expect some top team to come calling.
 
rurikbird said:
To me an alternative to Lallana would be a player who is ready to deliver top-notch performances consistently next season – not a youngster, no matter how talented. Also, ideally it should be a player who is able to play as an attacking CM as well as on the wing or AM. Basically someone like Coutinho, but with more experience.

So far among the players we've been linked with Shaqiri has been mentioned as a most likely possible alternative. Now he is not quite a finished article, unlike Lallana, but playing at Bayern probably gives him just enough experience despite his young age. And he did play at CM at times under both Heynkes and Guardiola.

If Mkhitaryan was really unsettled at Dortmund, as some papers were claiming earlier, he would surely be the prime alternative (or rather, Lallana is an alternative to Mkhitaryan, who was Rodgers' prime target last summer). But now it doesn't seem the Armenian is going to leave Dortmund this season.

Ivan Rakitic would also be a prime alternative, but there was no peep about him possibly going to Liverpool since March. I suspect Barca or another very big and wealthy club are already well on the way to signing him. I wonder who Rodgers would choose between him, Mkhitaryan and Lallana if money were the same.

Firmino is a free-spirited attacker who scored and created a lot of goals in a gung-ho Hoffenheim team. To me he would be more of a luxury player rather than a key player like the other 3 above. I can't imagine him in CM either.
Click to expand...

I agree. To me the top candidate should be Cabella. A very smart player, and he's coming off two very good seasons in Ligue 1 (14 goals from midfield last season).

Like Lallana, he has also just broken through to the national team. Unlike Lallana though, his price should be reasonable. He's apparently refused to sign a new contract - and Arsenal and Newcastle have both been linked for 7 million.
 
Cabella is a good shout. Newcastle were interested but with the decent season he's had he could end up in a bigger club.

I'd be wary of signing Dzagoev. The lad is clearly talented but I'd rather pay the extra 5-7 mill for Lallana than 15 for Dzagoev. Firstly I dont think he'd be ready to hit the ground running and secondly I've got doubts about how he'd settle.
 
Yeah at the end of the day you never know how a fancy Dan like Dzagoev would do in a game of two halves, on a wet Tuesday night in Stoke. Would he give 110% early doors? Does he like it up him?

Have me and Hansern missed any other shit lazy clichés?
 
Rosco said:
Yeah at the end of the day you never know how a fancy Dan like Dzagoev would do in a game of two halves, on a wet Tuesday night in Stoke. Would he give 110% early doors? Does he like it up him?

Have me and Hansern missed any other shit lazy clichés?
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It's a guy who's used to play in snow. Weather will not be an issue.
 
Modo said:
It's a guy who's used to play in snow. Weather will not be an issue.
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Snow and wheater isnt an issue. Its more the pace of the Premier League compared to the Russian league.
Sad to say, Russian players havent exactly set the Premiership on fire so thats also why I'm not to sure about this signing. Its a bigger gamble and for 5-7 mill extra I'd go for the safer option.
 
Hansern said:
Snow and wheater isnt an issue. Its more the pace of the Premier League compared to the Russian league.
Sad to say, Russian players havent exactly set the Premiership on fire so thats also why I'm not to sure about this signing. Its a bigger gamble and for 5-7 mill extra I'd go for the safer option.
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Arshavin had a good first season.
 
Modo said:
Arshavin had a good first season.
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Great, so we're signing Dzagoev for 15 mill for one good season 😉
Dont know where the 15 mill has come from though. He'd cost more than that imho. If he has a good World Cup then thats a given. I'm going to the Norway-Russia game on saturday. Will be interesting to see him live.
 
Hansern said:
Great, so we're signing Dzagoev for 15 mill for one good season 😉
Dont know where the 15 mill has come from though. He'd cost more than that imho. If he has a good World Cup then thats a given. I'm going to the Norway-Russia game on saturday. Will be interesting to see him live.
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Arshavin was like 35 when they signed him
 
Rosco said:
Yeah at the end of the day you never know how a fancy Dan like Dzagoev would do in a game of two halves, on a wet Tuesday night in Stoke. Would he give 110% early doors? Does he like it up him?

Have me and Hansern missed any other shit lazy clichés?
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Hahahaha
 
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