Transfer Rumours

[Spaghetti Legs]

He did better than Lloris, who cost Spurs a few goals and some nearly goals last season with his over-eagerness to rush out and sweep. Unfortunately for him, he didn't always make the right decisions on when to come out for it. Also, if you're pointing out De Gea's howler against Sunderland, how can you then list Howard, who had some tasty howlers himself last season against Chelsea and City? In fact, he was absolutely shit against City when we needed Everton to get a result to help our title hopes.

Yeah, this is the thing, you really shouldn't look at a howler or 2 and let that scew your whole judgement on a player and let the 35/40 other games he played well in count for nothing, Gerrards performance last season is a good example, if he didn't slip and we won the league i'd bet a fair few fans who are all a bit meh about his performances last season would have been looking back with a way more positive slant on him, same with Kolo, honestly thought he done a sound enough job overall for us last season but those 2 massive howlers just completely override any of the good he has done in a lot of minds, even now if you ask another opposing fan about him near on every single one of them would lol and say he is a shit clown, all based on those 2 mistakes.

Same goes for a player hitting a purple patch, remember Amir Zaki? i fell for that one, thought we were seeing some great striker making his mark lol, even Giroud looked the nuts at the start of last season, it is hard not to be influenced by short term form or certain high profile incidents with players, that's why i don't think its the wisest move to write van Persie off after a stop start season under Moyes where he was clearly unhappy but still managed a 1 in 2 record in the PL.

Btw im very likely being hypocritical bastard on some of this, lol, it really is hard not to be heavily influenced by the short term or certain big incidents when sometimes you should hold your horses look at the bigger picture.

 

[gene hughes]

Yeah, this is the thing, you really shouldn't look at a howler or 2 and let that scew your whole judgement on a player and let the 35/40 other games he played well in count for nothing, Gerrards performance last season is a good example, if he didn't slip and we won the league i'd bet a fair few fans who are all a bit meh about his performances last season would have been looking back with a way more positive slant on him, same with Kolo, honestly thought he done a sound enough job overall for us last season but those 2 massive howlers just completely override any of the good he has done in a lot of minds, even now if you ask another opposing fan about him near on every single one of them would lol and say he is a shit clown, all based on those 2 mistakes.

Same goes for a player hitting a purple patch, remember Amir Zaki? i fell for that one, thought we were seeing some great striker making his mark lol, even Giroud looked the nuts at the start of last season, it is hard not to be influenced by short term form or certain high profile incidents with players, that's why i don't think its the wisest move to write van Persie off after a stop start season under Moyes where he was clearly unhappy but still managed a 1 in 2 record in the PL.

Btw im very likely being hypocritical bastard on some of this, lol, it really is hard not to be heavily influenced by the short term or certain big incidents when sometimes you should hold your horses look at the bigger picture.

This is too long. The credibility/length ratio is all out of whack. Can you summarize? I tried reading the last para hoping to get the gist but it was gibberish. Something about a big picture of a horse?

 

[ChastenedMUFC]

It's just the sheer amount of dross in Utd's squad that amazes me. There are so many players there and so little quality. I like Januzaz, and Carrick is decent, but otherwise?

Fellaini
Cleverley
Nani
Young
Welbeck
Hernandez
Smalling
Rafael

Shit.

On the other hand there's no CL and an easy start, so they can't be ruled out.

I'm surprised at how many think Hernandez is shit. I think he is an absolutely lethal finisher, one of the best I have see at OT. He is probably off this season bit if he goes to another PL club where he gets decent service he will get them 20+ goals a season.

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

This is too long. The credibility/length ratio is all out of whack. Can you summarize? I tried reading the last para hoping to get the gist but it was gibberish. Something about a big picture of a horse?

Lol, not surprised you struggle to comprehend anything more than a simple sentence, Gene.

 

[ChastenedMUFC]

Of course it matters. Look at SG. Lost a bit of pace, lost a lot of stamina and strikers have to do quite a bit more chasing than a DM. His age will also be detrimental to resilience to injury and recovery from.

Depends on the player really.
SG was always player who's engine and drive on the field made him stand out. At his peak he was all over the field for you, getting older losing this pace/stamina was always going to diminish his game.
RVP on other hand has always been a player that lives off lethal finishing, clever movement and positioning. Those are traits that are less effected by getting a little older.

As I said with Moyes, the general perception is that it is all his fault, the reality is slightly different but someone had to take the hard fall. He can choose the team but how they play on the pitch is something else and even Ferguson didn't like what he saw with Rooney & RvP. Ross would love this one.

It definitely wasn't all Moyes and the players didn't do enough themselves last season. But tactically we were terrible last season. Moyes definitely got less out of the players than they were capable of while SAF got far more. Hoping this season LVG will also get more but he won't get as much as SAF. And as I've said before without more quality players we ain't getting top 4.

 

[dmishra]

As compared with what? I see a defence, a midfield, and an attack that are all worse than all the top 4 teams'.

Huh? They won the league a year ago with that attack.

Even last year, Rooney and RvP managed 37 goals between them.

Add Mata, who's statistically amongst the most productive attacking players in the league.

And Welbeck and Hernandez are by no means 'shit' either. Hernandez has scored 60 goals in 4 seasons in England. Welbeck isn't the best scorer, but he provides good industry and is quite an intelligent player as well.

That's easily a top 4 attack. And that's not counting Januzaj and Kagawa, who LVG might make something out of.

Their defence is still terrible, and the midfield needs a lot of work. But Herrera and McCarthy are decent additions - not entirely uncomparable to Allen and Henderson from 2 years ago.

They're very likely be a top 4 threat this year.

 

[gkmacca]

Enough about this. Let's talk about Arsenal!

 

[Judge Jules]

I'm surprised at how many think Hernandez is shit. I think he is an absolutely lethal finisher, one of the best I have see at OT. He is probably off this season bit if he goes to another PL club where he gets decent service he will get them 20+ goals a season.

Don't think anyone's said he's sh!t. If they did, they're way off beam - he's a very dangerous finisher on his day and no defence can ignore him. However, he couldn't command a regular place in your side even when your other options were limited through injury etc, because his general play isn't all that. He's basically a very high class goalhanger, and few teams can accommodate that kind of luxury over the course of a Prem season. I'd have thought he'd be better off in Spain.

 

[mark1975]

Seriously, who gives a fucking shit about United. They're United, we're Liverpool.

They've got a good attack with depth, but their two BIG players are at the wrong end of their careers, whereas we've got a young side with the best years ahead of them. Take Rooney and RVP out the equation through eventual decline and the supporting players aren't worth that much or capable of carrying a top side.
Sterling is what, 19/20? He's looking like he's becoming one of THE best young players in Europe, Sturridge has proven himself to be a prolific, class act who also has his best years ahead of him. I'd take those two over a fat, overrated hype machine and an ageing RVP any day of the week.

Yeah, they're dangerous, so are we. Only our current attack has longevity.

 

[Frogfish]

......... RVP on other hand has always been a player that lives off lethal finishing, clever movement and positioning. Those are traits that are less effected by getting a little older

I can't think of any other top team in Europe, never mind the PL, that has a 31 year old leading the line (and NO Drogba doesn't count). He won't be as lethal a finisher because he's lost that yard of pace to get him into the position to score, and the stamina to last 90 mins. He'll be subbed off often and I'll also be surprised if you don't supplement your attack by January at the latest.

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

I give a shit about them, they will be the biggest threat to our top 4 place next season.

Nothing wrong with having a conversation weighing up our rivals strengths and weaknesses, there really is no need to get all insecure about it.

 

[Ryan]

I'm surprised at how many think Hernandez is shit. I think he is an absolutely lethal finisher, one of the best I have see at OT. He is probably off this season bit if he goes to another PL club where he gets decent service he will get them 20+ goals a season.

There's no room for goalscorers with zero else to their game these days.

I'm serious too.

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

I can't think of any other top team in Europe, never mind the PL, that has a 31 year old leading the line (and NO Drogba doesn't count). He won't be as lethal a finisher because he's lost that yard of pace to get him into the position to score, and the stamina to last 90 mins. He'll be subbed off often and I'll also be surprised if you don't supplement your attack by January at the latest.

So even though there is no evidence of his goal scoring record, finishing abilities and movement diminishing, its going to next season simply because he turns 31? lol.

 

[Frogfish]

So even though there is no evidence of his goal scoring record, finishing abilities and movement diminishing, its going to next season simply because he turns 31? lol.

Time stands still for no man .. blah blah blah. The evidence will be there by the end of the season so you can bookmark this and then come back to give it a Like !

 

[HC]

RvP looked sharp and fairly clinical in the world cup?

I'm fairly certain/concerned Lvg will get the best out of him and Rooney, having a system designed to benefit the pair of them will make up for any short comings his fitness brings over the course of a season, barring major injuries

 

[Frogfish]

Liverpool defender Kolo Toure will stay at Anfield despite the club receiving a bid from Turkish side Trabzonspor, according to Sky Sports sources.
The 33-year-old has a year left on his current contract after signing from Manchester City on a free transfer last summer.
He made 24 appearances for the Reds last season, including 15 starts in the league as Liverpool narrowly missed out on a first league title since 1990.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers said Toure - part of the Arsenal 'Invincibles' side and a two-time FA Cup winner - was a key part of his plans for the new season, even if he was not a regular starter.
"Kolo has been an incredible player. We brought him in because he is a winner, an authentic winner," said Rodgers, talking at a news conference on Liverpool's pre-season trip to the United States.
"He's someone who doesn't play every single week but when he does play, he plays very well. Every day of his life in training, he gives his all.
"Players like Kolo and Steven Gerrard, the older statesmen of the team, have been absolutely first class. We're hungry and ambitious; we went close last year.
"That inspires us and gives us great motivation to go on this year. That is the beauty of this group of players - it's a very hungry group because that's what we're trying to bring in."

 

[Frogfish]

Liverpool and Manchester United will step up their interest in Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus after the German club identified a replacement for the winger.
According to The Daily Express, Dortmund are considering signing Roma's Adem Ljajic to take Reus' place at the Bundesliga outfit following reports that the 22-year-old is unhappy in Italy.

Reus has been linked with a move to The Premier League in recent weeks after the 25-year-old reportedly rejected a new deal with Dortmund, with his current contract with the German giants set to expire in 2017. Although Dortmund denied that they would sell Reus this summer, the player's agent Dirk Hebel recently talked up the transfer gossip linking his client to England.
"Marco would make any big European team stronger," Hebel told Bild.
"That's why it's completely normal that a number of these major European teams are interested in signing him."

Despite not wanting to part with one of their prized assets, though, reports in the German press have suggested that Dortmund may consider selling Reus for about £50m in the coming weeks - with the club worried about his £27m release clause becoming active next summer.

Reus enjoyed a successful campaign with Dortmund last term after scoring 21 goals in 41 appearances for Jurgen Klopp's side last term.
The Germany international is currently out of action with a serious ankle injury, which he sustained in Germany's final World Cup warm-up friendly against Armenia in June.

 

[Halmeister]

Even if he did become available, I can't see him coming to us.

Plus Mystic has made me hate him.

 

[Skullflower]

not one good source has linked us with reus.

 

[Halmeister]

not one good source has linked us with reus.

Yup. Or any with decent information/quotes.

 

[cloggypop]

Twitter ITKs linked us!!!

 

[Mystic]

Even if he did become available, I can't see him coming to us.

Plus Mystic has made me hate him.

Why?!

 

[Frogfish]

Laurent Blanc insists he is very happy to hear Edinson Cavani committing his future to Paris Saint Germain. Cavani has been linked with a possible move to England, but the former Napoli man insists he is happy in the French capital and Blanc has welcomed his stance.

 

[Frogfish]

Van Gaal: "Maybe we don't need new players"
Louis van Gaal says he may not sign any more new players this summer following Manchester United’s impressive pre-season form.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

Van Gaal: "Maybe we don't need new players"
Louis van Gaal says he may not sign any more new players this summer following Manchester United’s impressive pre-season form.

A happy Van Gaal makes me happy. I hope they stay injury free for the rest of the transfer window and the players have an outstanding pre-season.

 

[Frogfish]

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has told the Evening Chronicle he has all but given up on trying to sign Queens Park Rangers striker Loic Remy.

Pardew had recently confirmed he was monitoring Remy's situation after the France international's transfer to Liverpool collapsed.
However, he has now said he does not plan to move for the striker, who impressed on loan at Newcastle last season.

"I think he's had plenty of chances to come to us," he said. "We made it very clear that we would like to have him and it hasn't really happened and therefore sometimes you have to say 'Where's the line drawn for us as a club?' as we have our own respect and our own professionalism. "So maybe that one has gone away, but like all transfers they're never, ever over, so we'll keep our finger on the pulse."

 

[Frogfish]

A happy Van Gaal makes me happy. I hope they stay injury free for the rest of the transfer window and the players have an outstanding pre-season.

Wouldn't that be lovely. It's all BS though - you watch him go out and spend £100m on 3 players now.

 

[Frogfish]

I've said it before ----- I'd have him ! It's on.
___________________

Brendan Rodgers has heaped praise on former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli as the Liverpool manager continues to search for Luis Suarez's replacement.

Rodgers is in the market for a new striker after a proposed move for Queens Park Rangers forward Loic Remy fell through due to a failed medical. Ahead of his side's friendly with AC Milan in North Carolina, Rodgers said Balotelli, who was linked with a summer move to Arsenal, has all the qualities required to be a leading striker.

"Balotelli is a big talent," Rodgers said. "I saw that in this time at Inter Milan as a young player and obviously going to Manchester City when we had a real close eye on him there. "He's got all the qualities. He's 6ft 3ins, he's quick, his touch is terrific and he can score goals. He went back to Italy to play and he's still so young.
"If his focus is right, his concentration is right and he leads the lifestyle of a top player then he can play for any team in the world."

 

[cloggypop]

It is not on!

Chris Bascombe @_ChrisBascombe · 51m
Despite polite pre-match words from Rodgers, LFC have no interest in Balotelli. None. Zilch. Zero. Nil… much to relief of their PR staff…

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

Time stands still for no man .. blah blah blah. The evidence will be there by the end of the season so you can bookmark this and then come back to give it a Like !

The whole thing with players getting written off when turning 30 has always been over played and annoying, the Suarez conversations about his age used to do my nut in, he's 27 = that means he's nearly 30! oh no the dreaded 30!, he'll soon be half the player! he'll lose this, he'll lose that etc etc etc... lol, load of bollocks mate.