Summer of 2014: Part 2

I too like Milner, I dont know how are we going to set up next season with so many new signings. It just creeps me out when there are so many new players in the squad...it seems like in our initial few games, the starting XI will be very much unchanged from last season (as of now) probably only change will be Lallana coming in for Suarez

AND WE'RE APPARENTLY IN FOR ISCO DISCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

ISCO, REUS AND HOWEDES LETS GOOOO

RA also dreaming
Isco, not a big fan of him, I would better get Milner and leave Isco...not that same type of player but just saying.

Reus is more possible than Höwdes actually

How are you not a big fan of Isco?! :X

Reus, Isco and De Vrij then.

Red Alert wrote:How are you not a big fan of Isco?! :X

Reus, Isco and De Vrij then.

I'm not sure that I would activley pursue Isco, either.

Sure, he's a quality player, but where does he fit? We already have Coutinho, Lallana and Suso, who can all play the AM #10 role... While he would be a step up (though, the extent of that step is debatable), adding Isco just seems an excessive indulgence in a position where we are already rather well endowed.

I would much rather sign a LB, CB, or even a top-class wide player.

it is just that i am desperate for that big name and probably we need that one spark from somone otherwise I wont sign anyone as of now just for the sake of signing (attacking options).

So if Borini is out, Remy IN and if we are able get someone-top class, otherwise shut the window for attacking dept. Or someone like Milner who has EPL exp and contribute to our team straighaway.

I don't like Milner as an option unless we're converting him to right back to replace Johnson.  

With Remy and Lovren bought I think all we really need is a strong left back. Everyone knows who I'd prefer for that. We're already overloaded on central defenders, midfielders and attackers at this point especially with guys like Suso and Ibe trying to stick around to earn a spot. Why not splurge on an elite fullback?

Attackers: Sturridge, Remy, Lambert, Coutinho, Sterling, Lallana, Markovic (Suso, Ibe, Teixeira, Peterson?)

Midfielders: Gerrard, Henderson, Allen, Lucas, Can, Coutinho, Lallana (Rossiter?)

A big name midfielder and a leftback would be more benefitial than another attacker outside of someone like Reus IMO.

Milner was destroyed the last time i saw him playing RB.

f*** it, we dont need anyone if he is not WC.

Tony Barrett ‏@TonyBarretTimes 17m
As reported in Sportske Novosti, Dejan Lovren's £20m move from Southampton to Liverpool is expected to be completed in the coming days.

Btw Sportske Novosti are saying 20 mil euros i.e. 16 mil pounds .So probably 4 mil in add ons

So Lovren 16M after all ...

So finally, whom are we going to sell now?

So according to Tony Barrett of Times all 3 deals for Lovren, Remy & Origi are very close. Remy might fly off to Boston tomorrow.

  

Don't call me James wrote:I'll say this here, I don't mind Lovren if he replaces Skrtel and Skrtel is sold.

But not for Agger. Not in a million years.

I'm still sticking to what I said earlier in the window. 16m is better than 20m and he's definitely less mistake prone than Skrtel so it's an improvement. Now get rid of Martin por favor.

So the list for CBs is Skrtel, Agger, Sakho, Kolo, Wisdom, Kelly, Illori, Coates. Out of them Wisdom seems to be done to WBA...Illori will surely find some suitor. The fact that Wisdom has found something but not Kelly, tells us so much about Kelly's position right now. Coates, may be also sold, lets see when that happens.

So we would still have 5 defenders left. Now hoping that Kelly finds some club, i am thinking whether we should keep the reamaining four and also Lovren because I am wondering who will buy either Skrtel or Agger as of now playing those 10-12m

I still fully expect Coates and Agger or Skrtel to be sold. It would surprise me if two of Kelly, Wisdom, and Ilori don't go out on loan or get sold as well (in Kelly's case).

Expected/Potential sales this window (in order of relative likelihood):
Assaidi (~7m)
Borini (~14m)
Coates (~3-5m)
Reina (~0m)
Agger/Skrtel (~12-15m)
Lucas (~8-10m)
Suso (~5-8m)
Kelly (~5m)

Keep in mind that Suso still has yet to agree to a new deal and therefore is in the final year of his contract with the club.

I think the biggest improvement to the team from this would be Skrtel being sold. I like his passion and the goals he can provide, but he's too mistake prone to be counted on to help lead us, especially as such an offensive team, to the top 4 again.

^ And yet he's still better defensively than Agger? lol

Lovren as a first team CB is a joke. He's inferior to Skrtel AND Agger in the first place... so much for improvements.

Borini IS going to America so it looks like the rumour to him wanting to stay at Liverpool thus rejecting Sunderland could actually be true. I'd guess he'd be playing on the left side cutting in, just like RedO and I predicted; there was no real chance he'd be playing as a 9 for us.

Red Alert wrote:Lovren as a first team CB is a joke. He's inferior to Skrtel AND Agger in the first place... so much for improvements.

Lovren is better than Skrtel, and much more mobile. He's also less mistake prone which will be a big boon for us this year since we can't afford the kind of mistakes Skrtel makes regularly with the style of play Rodgers has.

Not thrilled about buying third Southampton player in one summer... Also for a position that has a lot of competition already.

lmao art arguable the weakest position in our first 11. Only RB and GK come close.

I don't agree with the general opinion that because we conceded more goals than we should have in 2013-14 --> CBs are the problem.

Our full-backs were worse than our CBs last season and they together with our midfield put our defenders under too much pressure at times last season. You can have the world's best CB partnership but those two alone won't stop you from conceding if the other players let the ball come in danger areas too often.

Two out of Skrtel, Sakho, Agger isn't really worse, imo, than the partnerships Chelsea, Arsenal or City had last season, those teams just had the midfield and full-backs providing better defensive cover than ours.

CBs are less about players, more about partnerships.

Rodgers wants his CB to play from the front foot and be good 1 vs. 1 defenders....Ideally you want an agressive CB + a sweeper. That's why Skrtel + Sakho partnership didn't work, because both are similar and too agressive. Sakho likes to step up, whereas Skrtel likes to defend more deep.

Lovren, from what I've seen and read, is very much like Sakho at wanting to defend from the front, and not backing down. My guess is BR wants us to squeeze the game against opponents, particularly at Anfield, to deny them space.
Most of us aren't convinced by Lovren as an individual, but can't comment on how a supposed partnership of him + Sakho would work. Also, BR was mad at none of our defenders taking responsibility for organizing the defense (something Carra used to do), and Sakho's English was bad, but Lovren is the organizer type so that's why I think BR is keen.

Also...all Mig, Sakho, and Lovren speak perfect French....so could we see our back 3 all sorting out their communications that way ?

Anyways....It's a gamble of a signing, but obvious one Rodgers has been keen on since start of the window. Guess we'll know if it's a good one or not in a few months. at least, the price isn't TOO ridiculous. Ayre has been negotiating very well this year, kudos to him.

Buy some French fullbacks and have our whole back 5 speaking French

But yeah I agree with what Sepi said.

When I get worked over with some of the players being linked with us this window I just stare at this photo and remind myself we missed out on the title on the last day.