The Liverpool FC Thread XII

That's true but Hazard is our source of creativity in a defensive system. He's not going to do well defensive wise because of that and attacking wise he'll also struggle because there's no support as everybody is playing defensively. The tactic was pass to Hazard for a reason. It obviously is the closest to perfect 1/2-0 tactic as it showed last season.

Although tbh Hazard isn't as efficient or clinical as we'd like him to be but I believe that's down to playing with inferior players in the AM position. He's essentially playing with 2 box to box midfielders next to him than actual playmakers and I'd still argue Suarez and Sturridge playing in front of you is better than having Costa, Oscar and Willian to play with.

On the one hand 'he's defensively excellent and one slip against Atleti doesn't count' and on the other 'he was never asked to do any defensive work?'

Don't want to go more into it because it was merely a tools of comparison. No definitive statements either way, other than the stats show Raheem to have been excellent/better than Hazard defensively last year, for whatever reason. And for whatever reason, they were pretty close in an attacking sense. And for whatever reason, this means Raheem's level of performance last year was pretty remarkable for a teenager if he's going toe to toe with the league's 'premier winger', and would suggest that he does deserve a contract of 100k if he asks for one.

I guess so. Like I said Sterling deserves 100k because he's your best creative player but not because of his actual ability. Although tbh if Chelsea bought Sterling and gave him 100k 5 year contract I wouldn't really complain too much. Walcott is on the same e.g.

The problem with Bony is that he just doesn't do it away from home.

Aside from his goal at Upton Park last weekend, the man has only had two shots on target away from the Liberty all season.

Like I say, I like Bony a lot. I always have. He's someone that guarantees you 15 league goals a season, and a player like that is worth his weight in gold. If you look at someone like Rooney, in only 2 of his 10 seasons at United, has he got more than 17 goals for the season - so Bony's goalscoring record is outstanding and he'd be an excellent player for any team in the league. Bony is powerful, a great finisher from the edge of the box and a genuine goalscorer. Like I say, my main issue with him is just that he is still predominantly a target man, and bringing him in would mean that would just mean that we're better at a style of play that limits the rest of our team. He'd do Ricky's job much better than Ricky does it, but in an ideal world we want someone to be playing like Sturridge up front, not like Ricky. We already have (in Ricky and Balo) two Lambert style players. I wouldn't be opposed to Bony at all and the more I think about it, the more I want him, but there's still doubts over how he'd fit in.

Lacazette is just a name I'm throwing out because we were vaguely linked in the summer, he's done well this season, and he seems to have transitioned from youth prodigy (he won France a youth world cup iirc) to an accomplished senior pro. When I saw videos of him in the summer he seemed to fit us pretty well, he likes taking on his man, shooting from range, he's rapid and strong and he's scoring goals properly now, he's like Sturridge without the finesse.

I think the risk of 'unproven in the league' is overrated - in general imo if the player was genuinely good enough in the first place then he'll work here. Imports like Kagawa flopped because they were misused/underused, players like Gaston Ramirez were never good enough in the first place, and even someone like Forlan, long been painted as the classic 'couldn't adjust to the PL' flop was simply not given enough games and was mistreated. I think in general if the player is good enough and given time, they'll work out. Lacazette has the frame and the style of play to succeed. There will be a Veron here and there but I don't think it's a big enough risk to not buy a player from abroad if they're more suited to your style of play and you can live with an adjustment period - because it's not as if players from smaller teams in the PL haven't struggled when moving to big clubs.

I don't think Bafa is much better than Lambert, and I think Lambert has been over-used and is now underperforming due to fatigue.

As I said above, Bony pretty much guarantees you 15 or more goals a season. That's outstanding and few players do that really. Dzeko and Lukaku are of the same calibre and they both moved for £30m. Bony is a snip at £20m.

That's probably down to his team/system, rather than anything to do with his game.

Bafa is younger though, and was available on a free. I'd agree Lambert i underperforming to fatigue at the moment, though I'd personally rate Gomis higher than Lambert from what I have seen of both. Both are different anyway, Gomis is more explosive, whilst Lambert more technical.

I still have my doubts on Bony. I've seen him play in different systems, and when he plays with someone else up front (Bafa and also with Michu). He's better than Balotelli, Lambert, Gomis, Borini comfortably though. And for around £20m isn't too bad I guess if there isn't many other options available. I'd rather him at Swansea though, as him and Sigurdsson are lovely together.

I've never seen Lacazette play, but heard quite a lot about him. What type of player is he?

Well our team is currently no better than Swansea's, so I doubt he'd be our solution.

Liverpool news conference

Posted at 14:43

Brendan Rodgers also confirms reports that midfielder Adam Lallana broke some of his ribs in the 3-1 win over Leicester on 2 December, but says the former Southampton playmaker is available to face Manchester United.

Guess that's why he didn't play against Basel?

Well, I disagree. I think his actual ability merits 100k, easily (Navas is on 80, Willian is on 70, Herrera was signed this year on 80). I think what doesn't merit him getting 100k is his relative youth/lack of seniority - but that's made up by him being the team's star creative player.

It's a really steep rise up from your standard 70 and 80ks in each team (your Oscars and Milners and Navas's and Willians) upto your big boys on 175k+ (Toure, Aguero, Fabregas, Hazard). Sterling slots in somewhere around 100k for me (Silva and Nasri are 140k roughly).

You'd suspect he'll be on the bench again on Sunday if that were the case? We had a similar situation with Herrera, played him for 45 minutes against WBA with a brace fitted and he clearly wasn't fit. However we put him on the bench for a few games due to our injury situation.

On a related note, you guys will be pleased to know Di Maria has been ruled out for this weekend. Jones and Rafael are back in the squad however, so i'd expect Van Gaal will go with this team:

Our 10 behind the striker are much better than Swansea's 10 behind the striker.

Oscar, Milner and Willian are all better than Sterling though. Oscar and Willian are also reasonably young too. Plus below the Top 6 teams in terms of wage spend there are a number who are better players who are on far less than £100k.

Yea it would make sense for him to be on the bench. Fellani will just mow him down so is it worth the risk?

Actually delighted that ADM is not going to play. I think he's the one who would actually hurt us the most.

Shame we don't have many fit CBs otherwise a back 3 might have been good against such a narrow attack. Not that much pace for you up front.

I'd like to see us play:



But I can't see that happening. Probably will be Allen in there and Gerrard will end up playing as AM instead.

Lol nah.
Sigurdsson, Montero, Dyer, Ki, Williams are all easily good enough to get into your starting line-up imo.

Oscar, Milner and Willian are all better than Sterling though. Oscar and Willian are also reasonably young too. Plus below the Top 6 teams in terms of wage spend there are a number who are better players who are on far less than £100k.

Lol nah.
Sigurdsson, Montero, Dyer, Ki, Williams are all easily good enough to get into your starting line-up imo.

Was rather looking forward to seeing Di Maria running at your defence! His absence really shows how much we need another winger. Can hardly blame Van Gaal for being cautious though, we'll need him over the Christmas period. Some people seem to think Falcao will start, with Rooney taking Mata's place, but that would be even worse

Wouldn't say Dyer is better than anything Liverpool have in that position. Fabianski > Mignolet though.