The Official 10/11 Liverpool F.C. Thread

[Jagger]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

ya, that was surprising to me

It wasn't as though Man City put on a master class, Liverpool were just poor all around

You're right. That was last season revisited. Masch's mood or poor mindset spilled over to the entire team it seemed.

Boy, now I have another Manchester team to dislike immensely. Fancy that. They were nothing particularly special though. Liverpool were beyond poor, however. Sad.

[Nuje]

Well, that was damn disappointing. I've had some time to calm down from that, but....wow. I don't ever want to see crap like that again.

[Locke]

Apparently Barca are up to £22M on Masch now.

Also, strange rumour, but apparently Aquilani failed his medical with Juventus, according to what I'm hearing Juve are trying to work through it, but if it doesnt work he may remain a Liverpool player.

A lot of my optimism for this season has really taken a thrashing.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by rubecube

What the hell does Glen Johnson bring to a team? He was awful today. Looked totally confused and didn't even attempt to come off the post and make a play on that second goal.

More than Corluka.

Well when Roy manages to pick a formation that suffocates anything positive Johnson is good at this happens.

[Locke]

Potentially, a new bidder has emerged.

'''The overseas buyer we represent has completed due diligence,'' he said. ''A huge amount of work has been done. It is none of the groups mentioned in the press. The ball is now in our client's court to make an offer. I do not think the deal will be done before the transfer window closes this month but the next pressure point is October when some of the RBS loan of £237 million has to be repaid. It may happen then. But in the present climate these things are impossible to predict.'

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...ngland&cc=5901

Based on some of the things I'm reading and hearing about, this season might just be writeoff.

[Locke]

Aquilani is gone, and Juve have the right to Buy him outright for £16M at the end of the year.

Liverpool look set to sign Carlton Cole.

Masch is still being sold, albeit slowly and with much fanfare.

The Reds are off to Turkey for a Europa League game, with no Torres or Gerrard and obviously no Mascherano, with only a 1-0 lead.

Gerrard seems hurt again, back injury, probably minor. I wouldnt want to go to Turkey either...

There is apparently a new Bidder on the sale of the Club which probably wont happen until Oct. 6 when the club effectively belongs to RBS. By which time who knows where they'll be in the standings if they repeat performances like the one against City.

Torres has been horrible. Hes obviously not fit, but who knows, he was brutal at the World Cup too.

I hate Gillette and Hicks. I cant express it properly really. If this forum didnt have swear filters this hate would likely have degenerated into a profanity laced tirade long ago.

[Locke]

Just a fun Story:

Paul Murray
Heres quite a famous story of an incident that happened on a pre season tour to the U.S.
When the plane landed Bob Paisley asked Bill if he would like to go to the airport bar for a drink. Bill looking at his watch exclaimed "its bloody three in the morning im off to bed" When Bob tried to explain that they had crossed an international time zone and it was in fact 7 in the evening U.S. time. Bill in typical Shankly fashion pronounced that he was off to bed and no Yank was going to tell him what time it was.

Miss you Shanks. Now more than ever. Time to get rid of the Yanks.

[Locke]

Hodgson is pissed.

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson's anger at Inter Milan's interest in Dirk Kuyt has led to him claiming that ex-Reds boss Rafael Benitez would be reneging on an agreement not to raid Anfield for former players.

"When he left the club Rafael Benitez signed an agreement that he would not poach players from Liverpool. We haven't received an offer from any club so this is something obviously going on behind the scenes, with the agent possibly talking to the manager of Inter Milan.

"It is something between the clubs but Dirk told Liverpool he no longer wants to be involved as this is something that regards his career and life. It doesn't mean he wants to leave at all costs, but when a club like Inter comes along it's normal to look into the situation further."

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...nsfers&cc=5901

[Dagger]

Soccernet is a tabloid site.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Dagger

Soccernet is a tabloid site.

Whatever, they just compile reports from other sources, they're not breaking news or anything.

[Locke]

And in Today's Liverpool news:

Rafael Benitez has stressed that he is not in charge of transfers at Inter after Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson accused him of reneging on an agreement not to raid his former club.

Pretty much what I said a few days ago. And...

"We have a technical director and a chairman who both have a very good relationship with Roy Hodgson so it's a problem for them," he said. "I will not talk about this because I am the coach.

"The coach cannot sign any players. It has to be the technical director and the chairman. The club can do it. I am the coach, not the manager."

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...nsfers&cc=5901

Rafa pretty much saying what Dagger said a few days ago. I still maintain that its pure and utter BS. I highly doubt its a coincidence, hes just getting around the agreement not to poach by telling someone else to do it for him.

Sneijder desperately wants Inter to sign Kuyt. Roy maintains that hes not asked to leave and that hes not for sale.

Lionel Messi, who plays alongside Mascherano for Argentina, has reportedly told Liverpool that they must allow him to move to Camp Nou. "Javier won't play for the club again, I can assure you of that, and I think the Liverpool coach knows that now," he is quoted as saying in the Daily Express. "Javier's family are unhappy and the pressure of seeing that is making him depressed. Liverpool must act humanely and let him go."

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...nsfers&cc=5901

Either Messi is thicker than a phone book or hes a hopeless idealist. You dont get players of Mascherano's quality for free. I'm behind Roy on this one, you get what you pay for. If you dont pay the asking price, you dont get the player. Simple.

Masch has a contract. He has to honour it if nobody comes up with the cash for him. If he refuses to play than hes in breach and he can sit at home, in Liverpool, not playing and not getting paid.

And lastly:

Michael Owen will risk the wrath of Manchester United supporters by pulling on a Liverpool shirt again when he turns out in Jamie Carragher's testimonial a week on Saturday.

Now the 30-year-old has agreed to return to his spiritual home and once more don the red shirt he wore with such distinction during his years at Anfield.

Owen's motives are honourable, of course, as his appearance against an Everton XI will help to raise money for Carragher's chosen chairty.

Nevertheless, hardline United fans will be less than impressed. The rivalry between the two clubs is as fierce as ever, despite Liverpool's recent struggles, and many United supporters will take a dim view of the fact that he has agreed to wear a Liverpool shirt.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz0xj7stJQA

Dont know what kind of a welcome hes going to get, but I give him credit for doing it. It is for charity afterall.

[Locke]

Also, Away leg against Trabsomethingorother in Turkey today.

I'm torn on this. Honestly, I dont think this squad has to depth to really make it in this tournament, so I dont think I'll be crushed if they bow out today, its going to be tough with no Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano, obviously no Aquilani to replace any of them. Thankfully Cole is there and hopefully we're beginning to see a resurgence in form from Babel.

And, I must admit, Ngog has improved dramatically. He still needs 5 chances to score 1 but hes getting better and getting timely goals.

[Jagger]

2-1 win against the Turks today.

Looked dodgy for a while until two late goals sealed the deal

[Locke]

Kuyt was horrible. The midfield was horrible. I dont know what else to say really. For a while there I wasnt sure they were going to pull it off. Ngog was brutal in the first half, but the whole team did a 180 for the second half.

[d_phaneuf]

Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt: "A lot of people have said a lot of things about my future, but for me it is at Liverpool. I like it here at the club and I want to stay here and win things."

[Locke]

I have my doubts. His head was in Italy for the entire first half, and the first goal was basically him just giving the ball away.

[Dagger]

I think for all the talk of Hodgson's amazing player management the club has not responded as of yet.

They looked completely terrible the first half, and decent with great spells in the 2nd half.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Dagger

I think for all the talk of Hodgson's amazing player management the club has not responded as of yet.

They looked completely terrible the first half, and decent with great spells in the 2nd half.

I think part of it is that there is still way too much BS flying around the club.

Between takeover talks, the sale of players, the Masch fiasco and the attempted poach of Kuyt, the attempted purchase of players and the still lingering fitness doubts surrounding Torres, not to mention the glaring shortcomings of the team, they just cant settle down.

I'm hoping that with the closing of the transfer window and the impending exit of Masch the boys can get down to focusing on playing football. Unfortunately Masch is really screwing the club because by the time they get his fees in, the window will be closed and they'll have to limp along till the next transfer window.

I have high hopes for the end of this season. I'm hoping that by the time the January window opens the club is sold, Roy has some cash and some targets and that the teams prospects in the League arent totally shot to hell.

But thats just hope. The practical side of me says that as ugly as this is, its likely to get a LOT worse well before it gets better.

I had moderate expectations for this season. The club wants to be back in the top 4 and the Champions League. I dont see it. I wouldnt mind finishing higher than 7th, but I dont want to finish lower, which at this point, looks more likely.

[Dagger]

I don't trust Roy with money. Almost all of his reported targets are crap, and their valuations are worse.

I agree with you. It will get much worse. Honestly I see Torres leaving in January, and Reina being told to bugger off because they received a decent offer.

I think we'll be sold when we are a midtable club. We still have value because of our badge, but if investors wait they can get the badge a lot cheaper.

[d_phaneuf]

Raul Meireles according to the guardian is now a Red for 10.7m£