Patrick Berger

[mark1975]

True. But that scenario with Leonhardsen preffered to Berger is so fucking Bizzare that I get pissed off Even today.

I don't know where you've got this notion from, Leo played and got alot of stick, but he played out of position mainly on the right (or sometimes left), when his success at Wimbledon had been in the middle. He had no bearing really on Berger. Berger battled it out initially with Collymore and came on as a sub playing often as a second striker, and eventually ended up more or less an ever present on the left wing.

As for Berger's quality, I was a big fan, but he wasn't without his flaws. He didn't really enjoy or thrive playing on the left, because he wasn't super quick and he wasn't a dribbler, he knocked the ball infront of him and ran with it, he was good on the break in that sense, but not so much at taking players on. What he could do was crack it from anywhere with ferocious power. When he wasn't scoring spectaculars, he wasn't a particularly great team player in that he wasn't exactly suited to a pass and move side, he was quite one footed and he could be pretty selfish with he ball (which could be a good thing), but he also had a habit of being a bit of a passenger too, in many games. He preferred to play in the middle and the few times he played in a central three, he really thrived and was more of a threat, his passing could be great at times from there too.

 

[Judge Jules]

Agreed. Insig being Norwegian himself has obviously got some kind of home-grown bee in his bonnet about Leonhardsen, but the guy did well against us for Wimbledon more than once and I was pleased when we signed him. He was just one of a parade of decent players whose Liverpool careers were spoiled by Uncle Roy picking them anywhere but the positions in which they were used to playing (Berger himself was another at times) and he was always respectful about LFC after he left.

 

[Portly]

It's always a sign of a manager who has lost his grip, when half the team are playing in the wrong positions. I felt that Uncle Roy destroyed the career of a promising midfielder, Jason McAteer, by playing him as a right back.

 

[Halmeister]

Is he our best looking ever player? This requires a poll.

Redknapp?
Garcia?
Torres?
Berger?

Erm, Alonso!?

 

[Judge Jules]

It's always a sign of a manager who has lost his grip, when half the team are playing in the wrong positions. I felt that Uncle Roy destroyed the career of a promising midfielder, Jason McAteer, by playing him as a right back.

Yep. He also insisted on trying to shoehorn Leonhardsen and Berger into wide positions (Berger bizarrely on the right at times) and playing Babb in a back four when it was clear that he had to play in a three or not at all.

 

[gkmacca]

Is he our best looking ever player? This requires a poll.

Redknapp?
Garcia?
Torres?
Berger?

Torres was a fake. Once the hair went back to mouse he looked like some spotty herbert you'd see at the checkout in Asda.

 

[Oncy]

Im happy to have other suggestions.

 

[i_rushie]

David James

 

[refugee]

Agreed. Insig being Norwegian himself has obviously got some kind of home-grown bee in his bonnet about Leonhardsen, but the guy did well against us for Wimbledon more than once and I was pleased when we signed him. He was just one of a parade of decent players whose Liverpool careers were spoiled by Uncle Roy picking them anywhere but the positions in which they were used to playing (Berger himself was another at times) and he was always respectful about LFC after he left.

I'm not Norwegian, and I hated Leonhardsen because he was absolute gash in every game I saw him play. I honestly can't think of a single thing he was good at

 

[Judge Jules]

For us he was poor, but it can't be repeated often enough that that's because Uncle Roy insisted on sticking him out of position. He was never, ever a wide player. By contrast I remember him causing us no end of trouble when he played as a central AM for the Wombles and ran at our midfield and central defence.

 

[Hansern]

Agreed. Insig being Norwegian himself has obviously got some kind of home-grown bee in his bonnet about Leonhardsen, but the guy did well against us for Wimbledon more than once and I was pleased when we signed him. He was just one of a parade of decent players whose Liverpool careers were spoiled by Uncle Roy picking them anywhere but the positions in which they were used to playing (Berger himself was another at times) and he was always respectful about LFC after he left.

This is very true. I'm Norwegian (shocking I know) and remember Leonhardsen as a quite decent but also a bit limited player. He had a great engine though and could run all day. He was mostly effective as a central midfielder were he could make those forward runs all day long and quite often found himself in decent scoring positions. He was good for our national side in a 4-5-1 as one of the 3 central midfielders.

He wasnt Liverpool material when we signed him but he had been good for Wimbeldon. It made no sense whatsoever to play him out wide and as you say his Liverpool career wasnt helped by that fact. Which made his signing pretty pointless.

Not a bad player but also one more of the "money spent on someone who shouldnt have been signed in the first place".