Y.N.W.A. Thread (Liverpool fans thread)

[Red Bear]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/uk_news/england/2205505.stm

Couldnt be bothered about talking about the Gerrard case to be honest(find all that sort of thing boring)but thought Id post a blast from the past for Jimbo as he seems interested in that sort of thing.
Like Terry Gerrard was found not guilty.
Footballers,night clubs affray.Wont be the last case either.
On Mascherano and Alonso I think Mascherano will stay.If they want to give us 30 million for Alonso Id take that too.
Realistically we can afford to let one of them go but not both.They didnt really play a lot of games together last year either.Nice to have both but letting Xabi go for 30 million could buy a nice replacement.

Wish i was that optimistic
Much rather lose Masch than Xabi, especially from a league perspective, Masch isnt needed against the pissant little sides that sit back against eg stoke, wheras xabi still runs our midfield ther and allows Gerrard to play the advanced midfield role and link with Torres. Xabi goes Gerrard has to move deeper, where he's still bloody good, but Torres loses a link to the midfield unless we find a decent forward (maybe Babel a chance of slotting into that role, or Nemeth).
In teresting that one of the bigger sh*tstirrers on this forum anyway would come in here when his club has only bought one player of note (same as us) and is gaining the manager who managed to see AC Milan miss champs league qualification.

Looking forward to this season but we really have to keep Xabi imo or the good work we did last year in the league is somewhat wasted.

 

[Ridders]

Wish i was that optimistic
Much rather lose Masch than Xabi, especially from a league perspective, Masch isnt needed against the pissant little sides that sit back against eg stoke, wheras xabi still runs our midfield ther and allows Gerrard to play the advanced midfield role and link with Torres. Xabi goes Gerrard has to move deeper, where he's still bloody good, but Torres loses a link to the midfield unless we find a decent forward (maybe Babel a chance of slotting into that role, or Nemeth).
In teresting that one of the bigger sh*tstirrers on this forum anyway would come in here when his club has only bought one player of note (same as us) and is gaining the manager who managed to see AC Milan miss champs league qualification.

Looking forward to this season but we really have to keep Xabi imo or the good work we did last year in the league is somewhat wasted.

Excellent Post . Without Alonso imo we are no chance to win the league. Imo Alonso is about as important as Gerrard is to making sure that we get the best out of Torres

 

[Red Bear]

Arbeloa ---> Real Madrid for about 3.5 mil pounds i think, pretty sh*t deal

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Aquilani is signing for you guys apparently. Great buy, if he can stay fit. He has not gone one season yet without a major injury. Knowing our luck, this will be his first and he'll kill it at Liverpool.

He has great potential, excellent passer of the ball, dynamic, good tackler. More of an attacking player than a defensive one, likes to get forward. Has a rocket of a shot from distance, so he'll be good for at least five goals.

I'll be following Liverpool more closely if this goes through, that is painful for me.

 

[Red Bear]

you know you love us hybrid

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Really, I don't.

 

[Foz]

Only seen Aquilani play a couple of times but been very impressed by him.Hope he can stay fit(and we buy him).May not need to play a massive amount of games given Rafa did use one of either Mascherano or Alonso in most games.
I always liked Alonso for home games and Mascherano for away games but playing both was always an option.
If its right we sold Alonso for 30 million and pick up Aquilani for 17-21 million looks good business to me particularly as Alonso made it clear he didnt want to play for Rafa(Liverpool).

 

[Red Bear]

Faaaaaaark
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N165303090804-1808.htm

 

[Ridders]

Truly a sad day. Hardly a surprise given the way Benitez shopped him at the start of the season gone by. Jeez that one backfired didn't it Rafa.

 

[Foz]

Could of been worst.Could of sold Alonso for 15 million last year and ended up with Gareth Barry and no change.
Whilst I like Alonso and regard him as a class act Rafa's clearly made a good business deal here.
Wonder if the trend of players getting sent off for fouls on Alonso will continue?
Just got to make sure Mascherano stays which I think he will.
Both Alonso and Mascherano(national duty)have been absent at times over the last couple of years but remember we do have a guy named Gerrard who can easily slot into thhe midfield in a crisis.
Its not the loss of Alonso as such that worries me about a title challenge its the depth factor that would be a problem if Gerrard and Mascherano were both injured.

 

[Ridders]

If you play Gerrard deep, who's the link to Torres? Imo Alonso was so important as apart from him and Gerrard, there insn't anyone one else in the team with the ability to provide quality service to Torres.

 

[Foz]

You could also ask who is the strike alternative to Torres?
Anyone else think we need another striker as well as a replacement for Alonso.
Anyone got a list of assists for Liverpool last year?
Think Reina got 2?
Also think we may have scored the most goals and that's with the Torres injury situation.
Still reckon its depth that cost us winning the title last year(and the ability to beat the minnows at home last year).

Interesting table.
http://www.soccer-europe.com/EPL/goalsandassists.html

 

[Foz]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/s...cc=3436&leagueId=23&league=eng.1&seasontype=1

Heres a list of stats for the whole squad.
Torres 14 goals in 20 games.
No mention of Reina.(assists).

 

[Tommy Smith]

Chelsea must be closet Liverpool fans. With Ronaldo gone United are nowhere near the same threat they were and now the loss of Alonso may have extinguished Liverpool's threat.

Id put my money on Chelsea as favourites for the title right now...

 

[WireMan]

Poulson from Juve is also been mentioned as a possible replacement.

This isn't a good move for Liverpool, but the way he was treated last season by Rafa this has been coming. Awesome man management.

 

[shiznit]

FERGIE STARTS RAFA BAITING
Ferguson writes off Liverpool title challenge
By Soccernet staff
August 5, 2009

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has written off Liverpool's title chances and declared Chelsea to be biggest threat to his team's hopes of retaining their Premier League crown.

Much is expected of Rafa Benitez's Liverpool this term after they finished a close second last season but Ferguson, who is chasing an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title, doesn't think his arch-rivals will be able to maintain their improved level of performance.

"Liverpool had probably their best season for 20 years and still finished four points adrift," the United manager told The Sun. "It will be hard for them to match last season, let alone improve on it( :lol: ). Other teams will know more about them, so it has to be Chelsea as the main threat."

Benitez, who had a few high-profile run-ins with Ferguson last season, is bound to bristle at such comments and will be determined to knock United of their perch. But with Xabi Alonso about to join Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema at Real Madrid, it is difficult to see how a Liverpool side whose focus continues to be the axis of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard can get better.

The arrival of Carlo Ancelotti also brings an unknown dimension to Chelsea, although Ferguson believes the Italian's past record makes him an opponent to be respected.

"Ancelotti will play the Milan way," said Ferguson. "It brought him two European Cups - it should have been three because they should never have lost to Liverpool( :shock: :lol: ), so why should he change?"

That put-down of Benitez's proudest moment as Liverpool manager from Istanbul in 2005 will not endear him to the Anfield club either.

From: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=665189&sec=england&cc=3436

Fergie's at it again... :lol:

after last years beating in the mind games i wonder if Rafa's up for more...

 

[pantherz9103]

Not good news about Alonso, but I'm still hoping for a title challenge and a title. Last season we finished only 4 points adrift despite missing Torres and Gerrard for so much of the season, if they stay on the field, we should expect to challenge again and Man U shouldn't be so lucky again to eek out so many 1-0 wins without the portugese diver.

 

[Red Bear]

Tell Whiskey nose to worry about his pedestrian central midfield, sh*tty youngsters(anderson and nani) and average width. We'll worry about our own side

 

[Red Bear]

The aquaman has been signed...and is injured until October - brilliant idea!
Wouldnt mind seeing Gerrard drop back and using Babel as the linkman till then, or else i guess Lucas will play.

However aquamans wife?

 

[hybrid_tiger]

I thought he'd be back in September?

Regardless, he hasn't played since March. Massive risk with this signing.