Markovic

[Zlate]

What's the go with Markovic? £20mill signing, can't even get on the bench?

 

[Ryan]

Rodgers clearly doesn't rate him.

I'd be bringing him back into the fold though. It's not like we've overblown with options, as a quick glance at the respective benches last night showed.

And whilst there's promise in Jordon Ibe, he's clearly incredibly raw and is going to take some time, so bringing in someone like Markovic - who cost 20 million fucking pound - is the very least we should do.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

I don't know if Markovic has impressed enough in training to book a place in the matchday squad, but on current form, Ibe probably has to look nervously over his shoulder to see if someone's coming in to take his place soon for a while. It doesn't mean he's shit, and it shouldn't be a shame though. As some have mentioned in the post-match analysis, Sterling dropped back to the U21 level for a little bit in the second half of his first full season, and then sat out a few months to start the second season before being recalled in November and then hitting form and going on a tear the following month. There's no guarantee that the same trajectory will apply to Ibe, but I trust the management in being able to help him fulfil his promise given the experience they have in working with young players.

Back to Markovic - I don't think he should be a shoo-in even if Ibe gets dropped. Teixeira has done impressively in pre-season and in the U21 game last week, so I'd say he should get as good a look as Markovic if Ibe's position does get threatened. The price we paid for Markovic was a mistake, but what's done is done and we should just pick and play the best available player - if Teixeira's performance and attitude is better, then he should be ahead in the pecking order. Kent would probably be a good shout too to get a promotion, and is more of a like-for-like replacement. He's probably headed out on loan though. Bottomline is, there's a chance now for Markovic to get a recall, and he needs to do enough now in training to press his case.

 

[Zlate]

Wouldn't it be best to try and sell or loan him out? Try replace him with someone else like Yarmolenko or a different option to what we currently have?

Such a waste to let our £20 million investment go down the drain

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

Well, there are midweek games to play starting from September, and that means chances will open up for the likes of him and others either in those games, or as replacements in the weekends for a couple of the more established guys called up for those cup games. I think we shouldn't get too hasty or impatient right now with the situation - the chances will be there and what he has to do is to seize them and impress. There are lots of examples in the team today of that happening - Flanagan in 13/14, Gomez in pre-season, Lovren so far, etc. Moreno in his cameos has been useful and he's building a base to work his way back - he'll definitely start soon because at this rate, Gomez will be suspended for accumulating 5 yellows by the time we've visited Old Trafford.

I don't think we need to rush into loaning Markovic out or selling him right now, unless we really think there's no way we can find minutes for him (we can), or because other youngsters have clearly outperformed him. Between now and the end of the December, he'll get some games. If he doesn't impress enough, we can revisit a loan in the winter transfer window, or a sale if he's really not going to work out.

 

[leftpeg]

We screwed up in paying what we did for him. Time to cut our losses before his value drops any further.

 

[Skullflower]

We should have bought shaquiri and loaned this cunt out. Or something. I get the vibe he's not putting the effort in in training.