Poll The Scouse Cafu

[#roadred]

He played like a possessed man. It was as if he felt his manhood being challenged when Januzaj or Rafael brought the ball down his side of the field.

"I'm pitching my tent here, today. Piss off with that weak shit." he seemed to say.

And Januzaj would have this ringing in his ear: "Here, pretty boy - welcome to the man's game."

He'll never live down that 'celebration woody', will he?

 

[Insignificance]

I am impressed with how well he reads the game. And for Man U fans to see their record signing and season savour Juan Mata being played of the park by Jon Flannaghan (not even in the England U21's!!) must hurt.

 

[Mystic]

Surely he's too ugly to be a professional footballer?

 

[gkmacca]

Surely he's too ugly to be a professional footballer?

"Jones is going to be a phenomenal player,' said Sir Pissed of Rat-Arsed. "I have no idea where his best position is. He could play anywhere on the pitch. But he will be one of the best players we have ever had.'

 

[Fox]

If I was Roy Hodgson I would be very worried watching Jones against us. The ease that Suarez got passed him from Magics pass was madness.

 

[gkmacca]

He's playing like his face.

 

[SummerOnions]

And to be fair to Kelly, he's had a load of injuries.

By the way, Kelly is meant to be thick as all fuck, even for a footballer. Everyone takes the piss out of him, he's a proper moron.

his voice is standard wool. merrrrtt

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

Enrique is better than him but who knows how much more Flanno can improve?

There should always be a place in the squad for Flanno, hes proved himself now and is one of those reliable versatile squad players you can count on in the same way the mancs used to with the likes of O'Shea and Brown.

 

[Markeh]

Enrique is better than him but who knows how much more Flanno can improve?

There should always be a place in the squad for Flanno, hes proved himself now and is one of those reliable versatile squad players you can count on in the same way the mancs used to with the likes of O'Shea and Brown.

Yea, we're going to need a lot of those reliable sorts if we make the champions league. Bonus points to him for playing on the left too as a right footer, worse players have made a career at big clubs out of being versatile and reliable.

I'm not sure that Rodgers would ideally keep Enrique but his injury may have taken him out of the shop window and lowered any value he had, so we might be going into next season with these two options at left back. Cissokho is defo a goner.

 

[cloggypop]

He made the European team of the week in whoscored

http://www.whoscored.com/

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

He made the European team of the week in whoscored

http://www.whoscored.com/

Koscielny is in there too. I suppose it's a list generated just from stats. He's partnered Mertesacker well, but I think he's way overrated.

 

[Mystic]

Wasn't Koscielny the ref in our game with United?

 

[Oncy]

Can we please use his proper name.
Its 'cousin lenny'
Ok?
Ok.

 

[rurikbird]

From the Guardian:

The Liverpool defender Jon Flanagan is to be awarded a new contract this summer having resurrected his Anfield career under Brendan Rodgers.
The 21-year-old has established himself as a key part of Liverpool's title-chasing team, in the right and left full-back positions, and Rodgers has compared the defender to a young Steve Nicol following Sunday's accomplished performance at Manchester United. Flanagan enters the final 12 months of his existing Liverpool contract at the end of the season but will be offered a long-term extension in recognition of his growing influence at the club.
Rodgers confirmed on Thursday: "Jon will be given a new contract. Come the summer he's got another year so he will definitely be given a new deal in the summer, no question. He has been outstanding. He reminded me of Steve Nicol against Manchester United on Sunday – a right-footed player on the left side, steady, aggressive, no fear; he's been a revelation, and particularly in the big games. It's great when you see a young player develop like that. You can see the confidence he has now. He has made himself an important member of the squad."
The Liverpool-born academy product made his first-team debut under Kenny Dalglish almost three years ago but did not kick on and played only twice in Rodgers' first season in charge. Since returning against Arsenal in November, however, Flanagan has developed into a consistent and confident defender, one who Liverpool's manager believes could have a long-term future at left-back.

Rodgers added: "If he keeps his focus and keeps working well he can do that. He was only born in '93, he's only very young, but his performance levels are so mature. United had to change [Juan] Mata over at the weekend. He booted Mata over to the other side and then [Adnan] Januzaj as well. He's not easily fazed.
"I think the biggest thing for me has been his temperament; that is one of his attributes. He never really featured for me at all at the start. There was José Enrique and others considered in front of him but the most impressive thing for me was that the kid just kept going. He showed his determination. We spoke a number of times about him going out on loan but no one came in for him on loan. That didn't faze him. He went away with the reserves to Seville and was pushing skips through the airport.
"How I work is I will always give players an opportunity. I will never disregard players early, they will always have a chance to show that they care and they can improve and that is what he has done. I had Gareth Southgate down here yesterday and he was raving over him. He is a wonderful young talent but in order to stay at that level he needs to focus and concentrate on staying in the team."
Rodgers expressed dismay at Flanagan's exclusion from both England's Under-21s, managed by Southgate, and the senior side for the international friendlies at the start of the month. But, after the meeting with the Under-21s coach, he is content for the defender to concentrate on Liverpool's pursuit of a first league title since 1990.
"He [Southgate] has obviously got Jack Robinson at left-back and I think he has more or less kept the same squad for the Under-21s," said the Liverpool manager. "I think for young Jon it is more a case of focusing on his Liverpool career. That, first and foremost, is what he has craved over the last few years. He thought the opportunity might have passed him by but now he is grabbing it with both hands and doesn't want to let it go.
"You can see the hunger and his quality in his performances. We had another debrief of the United game this morning and you could see the quality in his one-touch passing. It was excellent."

 

[Wizardry]

I loved it when Januzaj tried to out run him down the wing and flano matched him then used his shoulders to win the ball. Superb

There wasn't any shoulder involved but he got away with the arm and elbow across the chest so fair play to him.

He is reasonably athletic, has as much heart and determination as Carra with more pace.

I think his positional sense is quite reasonable but his technical ability - some video clips excepted - is a long way off special. If he's going to be a consistent part of the team going forward he's going to need to develop that side of his game - particularly an ability to get in quality crosses under pressure.

I know his primary responsibility is to defend and he's doing a very solid job in that regard but in Rodger's system the fullback really needs to provide that outlet down the sideline. He's going to need more technical ability than he's demonstrated so far to do that. Not saying he can't develop that - but it's going to take some work.

 

[FoxForceFive]

Yep. Spot on.

When he does break with it, or offers an out ball (which isn't often enough), I expect it to come back again quickly as they regain possession, & so do the players around him, they don't commit in as many numbers or as quickly.

When you compare it to Johnson, who many make out is shit, he offers almost no respite in that sense.

All that said, I really like the lad, there's a long way to go, but given the level of his improvement in a relatively short period of time I'd not bet against him working hard enough in these areas & becoming a mainstay in the side.

I expect to see Chelsea target him when there we play them, by having a spare man near him to take advantage when he does lose it, or to push harder in the centre so the ball is given to him more & in wider positions to prevent us breaking quickly from the back. Mourinho is very good at hitting teams weak spots & exposing them.

 

[Modo]

I think he's proven himself to be a good back up. I still think Johnson and Enrique offer us more but he can become a valuable squad player, like he's already been this season.
I'm almost embarrassed about the stick I gave him when he popped up in the line up earlier this season.

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

I think he's proven himself to be a good back up. I still think Johnson and Enrique offer us more but he can become a valuable squad player, like he's already been this season.
I'm almost embarrassed about the stick I gave him when he popped up in the line up earlier this season.

Bet most of us are, him and Sterling should really have taught us now not to get on young players backs so quickly when they have rough patches of form.

 

[keniget]

There wasn't any shoulder involved but he got away with the arm and elbow across the chest so fair play to him.

He is reasonably athletic, has as much heart and determination as Carra with more pace.

I think his positional sense is quite reasonable but his technical ability - some video clips excepted - is a long way off special. If he's going to be a consistent part of the team going forward he's going to need to develop that side of his game - particularly an ability to get in quality crosses under pressure.

I know his primary responsibility is to defend and he's doing a very solid job in that regard but in Rodger's system the fullback really needs to provide that outlet down the sideline. He's going to need more technical ability than he's demonstrated so far to do that. Not saying he can't develop that - but it's going to take some work.

That's why I see him as being more of a squad player going forward right now - a John O'Shea / Wes Brown / Phil Neville type. There is nothing wrong with that, Utd benefited greatly from those types of players over the years filling in gaps.

 

[Red Bird]

I think he's much better than most (including yours truly) would have thought he would turn out to be. He's only 2, practically cost zilch-- especially when you consider that we when we paid money for Dossena and Konchesky-- and has plenty still to learn under a very good coach.

 

[red_maradona]

he continuously surprises me at his level of play - i'm expecting him to be a squad player but i can see a bit of carra about him and he could go on to become a legend

 

[FoxForceFive]

I think he's much better than most (including yours truly) would have thought he would turn out to be. He's only 2, practically cost zilch-- especially when you consider that we when we paid money for Dossena and Konchesky-- and has plenty still to learn under a very good coach.

He's only 2?

He's a big lad for his age.

 

[Athens]

He's only 2?

He's a big lad for his age.

They must be giving him growth hormones like what Messi got.