Rickie Lambert

[Buzzo]

He's just not of the required quality. How many of the top 5 or 6 would take him? Us and Soton.

[danperkins]

Really feel for Lambert.. he really isn't as bad a player as we've seen for LFC. Just hasn't worked out for him unfortunately. Once he plays ahead of Mario i'm happy & hopefully he can get on the scoresheet before the end of the season.

[Exiled_red]

According to the Mirror Chelsea are looking at him as a replacement for Drogba

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...ansfer-5635162

[meffin]

[Helios Creed]

if that isn't a joke then I can only assume that Jose wants to show off his superior mgmt skills by turning Ricky into a top striker.

I would keep him btw - in a team that was playing well and scoring goals, he'd be a good option to change things round or bring on for the last ten mins to keep the opposition defence busy. Upgrade Ballo and Borini... at least one of the replacement needs to be a quality goal scorer.

[baitman]

if that isn't a joke then I can only assume that Jose wants to show off his superior mgmt skills by turning Ricky into a top striker.

if jose really thinks hes that clever then he should see if he can do what rodgers couldnt and try and polish the balotelli turd.

I would keep him btw - in a team that was playing well and scoring goals, he'd be a good option to change things round or bring on for the last ten mins to keep the opposition defence busy. Upgrade Ballo and Borini... at least one of the replacement needs to be a quality goal scorer.

[dww]

I like Lambert and I think he could have been more useful to us this season. We have barely, if ever, played a system that suits him. To me if we are going to keep him then we have to look to play in a way that gives him a chance to shine. Otherwise he's a wasted squad slot.

[frank the tank]

I agree. I think that he didnt get a fifth of the chances that Mario got - which is very unfair.

If the club can sell Borini and somehow Balotelli as well, then I would certainly keep lambert. If we ever go back to playing with 2 strikers up top with a diamond formation, then he would be a great guy to have on the bench.

If the club were willing to sell him in the summer, then he would be a brilliant signing for about 10 clubs in the league.

It isn't his fault we don't play to his strenghts, and to be honest we probably should have during the second half of the season.....

[baitman]

It isn't his fault we don't play to his strenghts, and to be honest we probably should have during the second half of the season.....

i think the perception of lamberts 'strengths' might be that we should be sending it long all the time for the big man are well wide of the mark.

most of his play is combining with the runners around him. he will often be the ball winner and then lay it off, but he will also often be the ball player from midfield, the follow up and get in the box for a goal or assist.
other than his penalties and good free kicks he scores a fair few shots from tap ins to edge of the box shots.

he is never going to be the guy to leg it onto a defence splitting pass, hes more likely to be the guy providing that pass. in a team that are pressing and attacking together [like southampton with lallana and rodriguez] then he will be the guy helping others look good.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNWRp689Uuk"]Rickie Lambert ll All assists and goal ll Southampton 2013/14 - YouTube[/ame]

[Exiled_red]

I like Lambert and I think he could have been more useful to us this season. We have barely, if ever, played a system that suits him. To me if we are going to keep him then we have to look to play in a way that gives him a chance to shine. Otherwise he's a wasted squad slot.

I would rather have played him than Balotelli.

[frank the tank]

i think the perception of lamberts 'strengths' might be that we should be sending it long all the time for the big man are well wide of the mark.

most of his play is combining with the runners around him. he will often be the ball winner and then lay it off, but he will also often be the ball player from midfield, the follow up and get in the box for a goal or assist.
other than his penalties and good free kicks he scores a fair few shots from tap ins to edge of the box shots.

he is never going to be the guy to leg it onto a defence splitting pass, hes more likely to be the guy providing that pass. in a team that are pressing and attacking together [like southampton with lallana and rodriguez] then he will be the guy helping others look good.

Rickie Lambert ll All assists and goal ll Southampton 2013/14 - YouTube

i fully agree. I think Rickie is the type of guy that can get the ball, hold it up and let the runners behind him go beyond him for him to thread passes to and then get in the box. He isn't a target man like a Crouch or Andy Carroll - but he isnt a "take on the defender" type of player like Sturridge or Suarez either.......

The issue I have is that Balotelli isnt either.....and he has had many more chances...

[Fosterbloke]

Plus he's captain material and we need as many of them as we can get next season.

PS. How did we accommodate him better in the last game when he assisted Coutinho (quite nicely I might add!)?

[Cormack74]

if jose really thinks hes that clever then he should see if he can do what rodgers couldnt and try and polish the balotelli turd.

Was he ever Balotelli's Manager at Inter?

In which case he's already failed.

[Paddy]

Plus he's captain material and we need as many of them as we can get next season.

PS. How did we accommodate him better in the last game when he assisted Coutinho (quite nicely I might add!)?

He's not captain material for Liverpool. Too old, won't start enough, and isn't good enough to warrant a change in system to accommodate him. I'd still keep him though.

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/ThoseScouseLads/status/602808455863336960[/ame]