Ha! So there's a spurious story by no-one reputable in one tabloid and this results in a gripe against the club? And, for what it's worth, tying up summer signings early is pretty much the best way of going about transfer business.
Rodgers in Rome, Pjanic Buying ???
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Ha! So there's a spurious story by no-one reputable in one tabloid and this results in a gripe against the club? And, for what it's worth, tying up summer signings early is pretty much the best way of going about transfer business.
Well, in fairness we've complained (rightly enough) about poor performance in the market before now. Maybe the powers that be have taken the point and are trying to proactively avoid a repeat of previous failings.
37 million is madness - sheer madness.
I don't understand this idea that we should be looking to replace Gerrard with *anyone*, let alone Pjanic. He last played a role even roughly equivalent to what Pjanic would provide about five years ago. Since then he's generally been either injured or accommodated. The footballer he is now won't be much missed, whereas what he does provide to the club is irreplaceable by anyone anyway.
Looks very much like Masher in that clip, with a better eye for a pass. Much more intimidating than Lucas as a DM,.
But, how many cards does he pick up? He times his slide tackles well in the clip, but many of them would be easy reds if timing is a just a little off.
He and Sakho could teach others the art of the slide tackle.
Wow. He is the anti-Allen... Energy, drive and a slick pass...
Are you suggesting we just stick with the quartet of Can, Henderson, Lucas and Allen?
I've never seen him play, but based on that clip I desperately want him, Mascherano comparison very apt, he's fucking fearless, picking up cards would definitely be an issue, but having that sort of energy and ferocity in our team would add a new dimension which would be hugely beneficial. Our team loves to catch oppositions off guard with our pressing and tackling and then set off a quick counter attack when we win the ball, this guy looks made to do exactly that.
Btw, that rumoured fee of 37m pounds seems little more than his value...I think 30m pounds is already more for him, which is actually more than 40m €. So paying 7m Pounds more means we will pay almost 10m € extra. Now a days I dont get bothered by fees we pay because we have to take risk otherwise we will never get good players
More or less. I think we should sign someone to replace Lucas long term, but as I always preach, I'd rather that was a really good young prospect such as the ones we've been linked to: I think we may as well stick with Lucas for the next couple of years now.
I'd also sign Milner on a free if possible, to add experience and quality.
2012/13: 14 in 34 games for Cagliari!
2013/14: 7 in 17 games for Cagliari; 5 in 17 games for Roma; total = 12
2014/15: 5 in 21 games for Roma - he's improving! 😀
Yeah I've liked Nainggolan for some time. Would be a good signing.
£37 million the fee for Pjanic is being quoted as in the paper today..
£37 million.. fuck me.. never...
£37 million.. fuck me.. never...
We understand that Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre and chief scout Barry Hunter were in Rome on Tuesday evening to watch AS Roma defeat Torino 2-1.
We profile one player that The Reds might be monitoring, midfielder Miralem Pjanic.
Ayre was joined by chief scout Barry Hunter in Rome last night. Photo: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda.
Report by Nikola Mitrovic
As this season enters it’s final stages, preparations for the next one are already underway and football scouts throughout the world are working hard in quest for identifying the right players for their respective clubs.
Liverpool is no exception to that. However, next transfer window might carry a significant difference to previous four summer transfer windows should their last eight fixtures prove fruitful – Liverpool should qualify for Champions League and thus unlock the upper echelons of football talent.
As witnessed last season, the call of Champions League was enough to sway their primary targets off the course to Anfield and Brendan Rodgers and his players are currently exceeding expectations in order to bring five-time European champions back to football elite and prevent the unsuccessful transfer scenarios from repeating themselves.
Liverpool’s league form has done nothing to quell the speculation among fans with regards to future transfers. A few key areas of strengthening have been identified, though, with one of them being central midfield. While the variety of midfielders linked with Liverpool ranges from physical ball-winners to quick-thinking playmakers, it seems that a pattern emerges, not just when it comes to midfielders but to players in every position, a pattern that suggests that Brendan Rodgers is looking for hard-working, intelligent and strong-willed players, in addition to them possessing good technical ability. The latest name to fit that description is young Roma midfielder and Bosnian international Miralem Pjanic.
Pjanic in action against Liverpool in a pre-season friendly at Fenway Park in 2012. Photo: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda.
MIARLEM PJANIC
Date of birth: 2 April 1990 (age 23)
Place of birth: Zvornik, SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality: Bosnian
Height: 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position: Attacking midfielder
Primarily an attacking midfielder, Pjanic came through the ranks at FC Metz before making a move to Lyon, where he hadn’t progressed quite as quickly as those who have seen him at Metz expected of him, partly due to a foot injury and club’s inconsistent form in the period of time he spent there. However, his talent and attitude made it only a question of time before he was given a chance to impress in a better placed club and Roma was the club that believed in him the most, belief which he paid off handsomely with his performances.
Strengths
Pjanic’s technical ability is arguably his biggest quality. His impeccable ball control, precise passing and sublime, almost arrogant dribbling skills he employed to keep the ball at his feet or skip past opponent were met with approval even from one of the greatest masters of those trades, Francesco Totti himself.
One would argue that training alongside Totti and generally playing in the Italian league has broadened the scope of Pjanic’s skills (look at his stunning lob against Verona at Olimpico earlier this season and you can draw comparisons to Totti’s signature move, “cucchiaio” (spoon)). When he was at Metz, he was more of an all-action attacking midfielder than the elegant one he is today.
However, while he’s not relying on pace, he has kept the will to press high up the pitch and win the ball in opponent’s half, which undoubtedly suits the way Rodgers sets his team out. His vision of teammates’ and opponents’ positions and lightning-quick thinking also stand out from the first time you see him playing (he currently has twenty two assists in less than three seasons with Roma), as well as wonderful set-piece ability, especially free kicks.
Weaknesses
While it is hard to find a true flaw in Pjanic’s game, one would expect such a skilled offensive player to score more than he does. In that sense, he is more of Andres Iniesta or David Silva, where goals are a bonus to his creative play and usually a work of art, rather than Frank Lampard, where goals are the essence (Pjanic currently has eleven goals for Roma in all competitions). He can also be considered a temperamental player, accruing eighteen yellow and two red cards during his time at Roma, which is a bit unexpected from an attacking midfielder.
Conclusion
Miralem Pjanic is the kind of player who would probably fit into Liverpool’s first eleven, provided he gets quickly accustomed to pace of Premier League and lack of breathing space afforded by opponents. His tenacity in opponent’s half would work well in tandem with either Henderson or Allen pressing on in front of either Gerrard or Lucas, while he would offer genuine creativity and set-piece ability too.
Ball retention is another important aspect of his game, which would be a step in the direction of possession-based football Rodgers wants to take in long-term with his team. Also, the pace that Rodgers injected with Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling would be well exploited by Pjanic’s clever through and diagonal balls.
As an aside, Pjanic’s game intelligence, passing and composure on the ball could see him occupying the deep lying playmaker role in the future and dictating the tempo of the game in the way Pirlo and Gerrard do so at the moment.
With only one year left on his contract and World Cup looming large, where he will feature with Bosnian national team, Pjanic will not be short of suitors Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Arsenal all publicly linked with him.
Should Liverpool reach Champions League and should Rodgers decide to pursue him, Liverpool’s style of football and good working relationship with Roma could prove to be the key in his possible transfer to Anfield and Rodgers would have another future gem at his disposal, ready to be polished and shine as brightly as ever.
We profile one player that The Reds might be monitoring, midfielder Miralem Pjanic.
Ayre was joined by chief scout Barry Hunter in Rome last night. Photo: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda.
Report by Nikola Mitrovic
As this season enters it’s final stages, preparations for the next one are already underway and football scouts throughout the world are working hard in quest for identifying the right players for their respective clubs.
Liverpool is no exception to that. However, next transfer window might carry a significant difference to previous four summer transfer windows should their last eight fixtures prove fruitful – Liverpool should qualify for Champions League and thus unlock the upper echelons of football talent.
As witnessed last season, the call of Champions League was enough to sway their primary targets off the course to Anfield and Brendan Rodgers and his players are currently exceeding expectations in order to bring five-time European champions back to football elite and prevent the unsuccessful transfer scenarios from repeating themselves.
Liverpool’s league form has done nothing to quell the speculation among fans with regards to future transfers. A few key areas of strengthening have been identified, though, with one of them being central midfield. While the variety of midfielders linked with Liverpool ranges from physical ball-winners to quick-thinking playmakers, it seems that a pattern emerges, not just when it comes to midfielders but to players in every position, a pattern that suggests that Brendan Rodgers is looking for hard-working, intelligent and strong-willed players, in addition to them possessing good technical ability. The latest name to fit that description is young Roma midfielder and Bosnian international Miralem Pjanic.
Pjanic in action against Liverpool in a pre-season friendly at Fenway Park in 2012. Photo: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda.
MIARLEM PJANIC
Date of birth: 2 April 1990 (age 23)
Place of birth: Zvornik, SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality: Bosnian
Height: 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position: Attacking midfielder
Primarily an attacking midfielder, Pjanic came through the ranks at FC Metz before making a move to Lyon, where he hadn’t progressed quite as quickly as those who have seen him at Metz expected of him, partly due to a foot injury and club’s inconsistent form in the period of time he spent there. However, his talent and attitude made it only a question of time before he was given a chance to impress in a better placed club and Roma was the club that believed in him the most, belief which he paid off handsomely with his performances.
Strengths
Pjanic’s technical ability is arguably his biggest quality. His impeccable ball control, precise passing and sublime, almost arrogant dribbling skills he employed to keep the ball at his feet or skip past opponent were met with approval even from one of the greatest masters of those trades, Francesco Totti himself.
One would argue that training alongside Totti and generally playing in the Italian league has broadened the scope of Pjanic’s skills (look at his stunning lob against Verona at Olimpico earlier this season and you can draw comparisons to Totti’s signature move, “cucchiaio” (spoon)). When he was at Metz, he was more of an all-action attacking midfielder than the elegant one he is today.
However, while he’s not relying on pace, he has kept the will to press high up the pitch and win the ball in opponent’s half, which undoubtedly suits the way Rodgers sets his team out. His vision of teammates’ and opponents’ positions and lightning-quick thinking also stand out from the first time you see him playing (he currently has twenty two assists in less than three seasons with Roma), as well as wonderful set-piece ability, especially free kicks.
Weaknesses
While it is hard to find a true flaw in Pjanic’s game, one would expect such a skilled offensive player to score more than he does. In that sense, he is more of Andres Iniesta or David Silva, where goals are a bonus to his creative play and usually a work of art, rather than Frank Lampard, where goals are the essence (Pjanic currently has eleven goals for Roma in all competitions). He can also be considered a temperamental player, accruing eighteen yellow and two red cards during his time at Roma, which is a bit unexpected from an attacking midfielder.
Conclusion
Miralem Pjanic is the kind of player who would probably fit into Liverpool’s first eleven, provided he gets quickly accustomed to pace of Premier League and lack of breathing space afforded by opponents. His tenacity in opponent’s half would work well in tandem with either Henderson or Allen pressing on in front of either Gerrard or Lucas, while he would offer genuine creativity and set-piece ability too.
Ball retention is another important aspect of his game, which would be a step in the direction of possession-based football Rodgers wants to take in long-term with his team. Also, the pace that Rodgers injected with Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling would be well exploited by Pjanic’s clever through and diagonal balls.
As an aside, Pjanic’s game intelligence, passing and composure on the ball could see him occupying the deep lying playmaker role in the future and dictating the tempo of the game in the way Pirlo and Gerrard do so at the moment.
With only one year left on his contract and World Cup looming large, where he will feature with Bosnian national team, Pjanic will not be short of suitors Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Arsenal all publicly linked with him.
Should Liverpool reach Champions League and should Rodgers decide to pursue him, Liverpool’s style of football and good working relationship with Roma could prove to be the key in his possible transfer to Anfield and Rodgers would have another future gem at his disposal, ready to be polished and shine as brightly as ever.
Aren't Roma owned by one of the members of FSG? If so, we should be in pole position to buy this guy if we so decide.
I think there are 5 major shareholders, each with a 20% stake, in the company that owns Roma. DiBenedetto, who is a partner in FSG, is one of them.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_R._DiBenedetto)
How many reds? And, how many games suspended?
Would love some more aggression in our team!
This is all exaggerated rubbish - makes him sound like Zidane. He's nowhere as good.
No reds at all in these last 3 seasons. That's surprising. Suspended once in 2014/15, and three games each in 2013/14 and 2012/13.
Yellow cards in cups:
2014/15 cup: 3 (2 domestic, 1 CL)
2013/14 cup: 2 (domestic)
2012/13 cup: 0
With his card-collecting record like that, he's surprisingly not among the leaders in the Serie A in terms of fouls*, and is ranked 20 in tackles per game (not sure if that's successful tackles or tackles attempted).
Serie A player leaderboard:
-- http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/10...1369/PlayerStatistics/Italy-Serie-A-2014-2015
* among players with minimum appearances higher than average appearances in the league
Thanks for the details. I'm sold. Sign him up. Should be entering the peak of his career. So, 4-5 year deal would be perfect. It really seems like the perfect upgrade for Lucas with a bit of Gerrard thrown in.
Well, strictly speaking, he's not the one I'm pushing for us to get though. Not that he isn't good enough, but because
(1) I've not seen him in a full game beyond a pre-season one (he was good in that game) and some youtube highlights of his performance in a couple of other games. Critically, you can't usually see how a player does when he doesn't have the ball or is not attempting a stat-tracked event (e.g. tracking opponents' runs, pressing them to force a pass, etc.).
(2) I think whether we go out and get a CM depends on the futures of the CMs we have now, such as Lucas' plans (to stay or go), contract talks with Henderson (1 year left), Lucas (if he wants to stay; 2 years left) and Allen (2 years left), as well as injuries / performance considerations.
Anyway, Nainggolan does look like an interesting player - maybe I'll get around to watch some full games of Roma and form a better opinion.
Right now, the one player I am following though is Vietto, the young Argentinian striker at Villarreal. He reminds me of Torres, except that he can play in a front two.
(1) I've not seen him in a full game beyond a pre-season one (he was good in that game) and some youtube highlights of his performance in a couple of other games. Critically, you can't usually see how a player does when he doesn't have the ball or is not attempting a stat-tracked event (e.g. tracking opponents' runs, pressing them to force a pass, etc.).
(2) I think whether we go out and get a CM depends on the futures of the CMs we have now, such as Lucas' plans (to stay or go), contract talks with Henderson (1 year left), Lucas (if he wants to stay; 2 years left) and Allen (2 years left), as well as injuries / performance considerations.
Anyway, Nainggolan does look like an interesting player - maybe I'll get around to watch some full games of Roma and form a better opinion.
Right now, the one player I am following though is Vietto, the young Argentinian striker at Villarreal. He reminds me of Torres, except that he can play in a front two.
It's where he plays now. Of course when we are attacking he's much further forward but when coming out of defence he often picks up the ball deep and runs past 2-3 players - a couple of years ago I referred to how valuable this is because it breaks the oppositions formation and creates space.
But, surely he's in an attacking position - not a rigid position - some flexibility to roam, but with little responsibility to track back and defend the space in front of the back four - which surely is the CM's job - currently Henderson & Allen (or Lucas when fit).
If we play the diamond midfield (like last year) he can fit in at 10 or at one of the central positions - but even then - it works best IMHO if it's a game where we're not having to throw resources at defending.
If that makes sense.
Well if you have three CMs then they can't/won't all be protecting the back line at the same time, they obviously have different responsibilities. I can see that Coutinho's defending has improved markedly in the 2nd half of this season. He's tracking back more but then delegates responsibility once players get into the final ¼ of the pitch. Personally I feel coming from deep suits his game and his skills far better than sitting on the edge of the box trying to thread passes.
[article]Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic is reported to have rejected a huge offer from English Premier League side Liverpool.
It has been rumoured in recent days that the Reds were interested in the the Giallorossi man, who has a release clause in his contract.
Today, the Gazzetta dello Sport carries reports of a huge offer, with a transfer fee set at €50m and Pjanic offered an €11m per year salary.
However, the sports daily states that the Bosnian international has rejected the offer, as he is unwilling to leave Roma for a team which cannot guarantee Champions League football.[/article]
It has been rumoured in recent days that the Reds were interested in the the Giallorossi man, who has a release clause in his contract.
Today, the Gazzetta dello Sport carries reports of a huge offer, with a transfer fee set at €50m and Pjanic offered an €11m per year salary.
However, the sports daily states that the Bosnian international has rejected the offer, as he is unwilling to leave Roma for a team which cannot guarantee Champions League football.[/article]
Fuck him. Moving on.
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