Exit door - who'll be taking it now?

[Mattshark]

I agree with you. He is creative, can play in a variety of positions, scores goals and is adapted to the PL. We would be mad to sell him for anything other than very silly money.

Exactly we are not going to find a player like Luis who will work hard and chip in with over ten goals a season and be able to create something out of nothing with out spending nearly all our money on player. He is our only truely creative player.

[Maestro]

CIAO TO

Dudek - Not the player he used to be
Riise - The worst LFC player of the past 2 seasons..Nonsense. Absolutely wrong. He's been off colour this season, but last year?
Even when off form, certainly not the worst player
Aurelio - Will never make it in the English game, light weight. Disagree....it's too early to tell, he's shown signs of improving and Rafa likes him. Unlikely that he'll leave
Luis Garcia - I like you KING LUIS but sadly I dont see a future for you at LFC Can't see Rafa getting rid -still an important player for us
Zenden - Squad player but always injured, lets cut our loses and release him
Kewell - Read Luis Garcia
ROBBIE GOD I'm made up he finished his career with us. Sadly, he is on his last legs. Hope he scores his last goal at the KOP END so he can retire a happy man.
Pongolle - Doing well in Spain, we should make at least 3£ m for him. Good luck lad.

Apart from what I've written red, I agree.

[sean_lfc]

I think definites to go will be

Dudek
Zenden
Robbie
and the rest of the French pile (ALT, Pongo, Cisse)


Kewell will depend on how he fares from when he comes back til the end of the season. He's a very solid player when he's fit (and I believe this whole groin thing might finally come to an end and give us a fresh Kewell. Don't know why the **** I keep on supporting him, but he can play very well).

Don't know about Riise to be honest, I like him but I'm blinkered and do not think he has what it takes. Sure, he scores belters, but his total lack of a right foot leaves me bereft.

Crouch is a difficult one, because we would be able to get a decent amount of money for him, however he's a real character in the team and I think this gets overlooked. Morale plays an important role.

Pennant and Bellamy will not be sold after having been here just one year. Not the Liverpool way (unless a player is complete ****e and for all to see).
This of course is just opinions, Pennant in some people's eyes is complete ****e. But I believe he's a half-decent squad member and will get (if only marginally) better, more importantly, more solid and consistent. Same goes for Bellers.

Hyypia might stay for another year, just to have that senior spine in the team.

Don't know about Aurelio, he's settled here apparently and with time and a decent run should be a valuable squad member. At least he can deal with the ball at his feet and provides some good crosses and freekicks.

Garcia will stay, he's a special player and for the 7 million or whatever we paid for him we would never get a replacement in his mould.

Probably forgot a couple of players...but overall that's it.

[REDSCOUSER]

lads, as I said i like Garcia..its just that I can't see him fit in Rafas plans if he signs the players he wants..Garcia main problem is that he does not have a main position to play..one day hes on the left, another on the right then up front behind the main striker..some might say versatility..some say what is his best position ?
Riise is sh2te. He's still dreaming of that shot against Barthez. He has not progressed one bit for 4 years now. Get rid.

[Mattshark]

lads, as I said i like Garcia..its just that I can't see him fit in Rafas plans if he signs the players he wants..Garcia main problem is that he does not have a main position to play..one day hes on the left, another on the right then up front behind the main striker..some might say versatility..some say what is his best position ?
Riise is sh2te. He's still dreaming of that shot against Barthez. He has not progressed one bit for 4 years now. Get rid.

So ****e he is an important part of the best defence in the country?

Garcia is verstile, that is part of what makes him such a great player to have is that he can play a range of positions and do well in all of them, he scores plenty of goals and he is more than acclimitised to the premier league. Does it matter that he can play various positions well? Someone doing this is clearly a bonus and could also suggest a serious viable replacement?

[Maestro]

So ****e he is an important part of the best defence in the country?

Exactly. I do think people have an agenda against Riise.
He's always been a solid player for us, and played an important role in our amazing defensive record last season.
I'm not saying he should be an automatic choice at left-back, but I also don't believe he deserves to be gotten rid of after such a blip in form.

[dww]

Riise is sh2te. He's still dreaming of that shot against Barthez. He has not progressed one bit for 4 years now. Get rid.

He is far from as bad as you portray. I would like to have a different first choice but he was very good for us last year and our defence has been good again this year. He has obviously gone through a dip in personal form this year but he is a solid member of the defensive unit and even if he is second choice next year he will at least understand the system we play.

[Maestro]

He is far from as bad as you portray. I would like to have a different first choice but he was very good for us last year and our defence has been good again this year. He has obviously gone through a dip in personal form this year but he is a solid member of the defensive unit and even if he is second choice next year he will at least understand the system we play.

Also, it seems people are suggesting we keep Crouch as back up as he's good for team morale - is this not also true of Riise?

[sean_lfc]

Also, it seems people are suggesting we keep Crouch as back up as he's good for team morale - is this not also true of Riise?

Sure.

But look at it this way. Rafa is a perfectionist. And I think he will want to continue to improve the squad with better players over the years. Riise is not a bad player, neither is Aurelio. But to challenge for the title, I assume Benitez might want someone who is just 'that little bit better' (i.e. maybe two-footed or someone who doesn't get caught out of position that often).

Not really saying '**** off Riise', but I have always seen the LB spot as a spot that can and will improve and for that MAYBE one of either Aurelio or Riise will have to make way. And considering we would be able to get the better deal for Riise might sway Rafa towards letting him go. But who knows. Rafa mentioned he liked Riise, top professional, top trainer and top stamina.

[dww]

Also, it seems people are suggesting we keep Crouch as back up as he's good for team morale - is this not also true of Riise?

Quite possibly. You often see pictures of Crouch out with people and them refering to him but all you hear about Riise off the field involves text messages and glamour models. So I suppose he is good for a laugh one way or another.

[Maestro]

Sure.

But look at it this way. Rafa is a perfectionist. And I think he will want to continue to improve the squad with better players over the years. Riise is not a bad player, neither is Aurelio. But to challenge for the title, I assume Benitez might want someone who is just 'that little bit better' (i.e. maybe two-footed or someone who doesn't get caught out of position that often).

Not really saying '**** off Riise', but I have always seen the LB spot as a spot that can and will improve and for that MAYBE one of either Aurelio or Riise will have to make way. And considering we would be able to get the better deal for Riise might sway Rafa towards letting him go. But who knows. Rafa mentioned he liked Riise, top professional, top trainer and top stamina.

Good post - fair enough. You may be right.
I just think people are being unnecessarily derogatory of Riise's contribution to our team over the last few seasons. It's unfair.
I would not cry if we replaced him with a superior player, far from it, but people seem to enjoy knocking him.
I think it's ridiculous for example to say that he is LFC's worst player for the last 2 seasons.

[REDSCOUSER]

Good post - fair enough. You may be right.
I just think people are being unnecessarily derogatory of Riise's contribution to our team over the last few seasons. It's unfair.
I would not cry if we replaced him with a superior player, far from it, but people seem to enjoy knocking him.
I think it's ridiculous for example to say that he is LFC's worst player for the last 2 seasons.

I think it's ridiculous for YOU to knock my opinion just because you don't agree

[redlancer]

I'm with the people who don't think there will be a massive clearout.

bar RB/RW and LB cover we have the squad in place just to add the finishing touch's.

Rafa's built this team up over the past few years and IMO will need the "lesser" players to stay put.
We need a RB/RW
We need to sort out the left - but he will IMO stick with Speedy and replace Kewell.
Crouch may go and in come the world class gaol scorer we need
Even if we get a LB can still see Riise here.
Garcia aint going nowhere.

IF we're going to bring home no19 we need to use this team as a base and not do a massive cull.

[dww]

I'm with the people who don't think there will be a massive clearout.

bar RB/RW and LB cover we have the squad in place just to add the finishing touch's.

Rafa's built this team up over the past few years and IMO will need the "lesser" players to stay put.
We need a RB/RW
We need to sort out the left - but he will IMO stick with Speedy and replace Kewell.
Crouch may go and in come the world class gaol scorer we need
Even if we get a LB can still see Riise here.
Garcia aint going nowhere.

IF we're going to bring home no19 we need to use this team as a base and not do a massive cull.

I don't think we need Crouch to leave to bring in another striker. We can afford to keep 4, Fowler will in all likelyhood leave, so there is a spot free.
I guess it depends how Arboela settles as to wether we need a new RB.

[sean_lfc]

I agree with that. Riise is definitely not our worst player and has not been stale for 4 years (albeit his 'potential' being limited by his one-footedness etc.)

I just think that at some time certain 'good players' from our squad will be culled to make way for even better ones. And I think these positions will include LB/LW/RW and over time RB. (I didn't mention the striker's position, because I believe we will need one extremely good player to come in and bang the goals in when others might not be performing to their best). I can see Kuyt, Bellamy, Crouch + someone of the stature of Villa to come along.

Who knows, maybe Crouch will have to make way 'for the greater good', as he does have qualities we need but is lacking in others that might be more important to the greater good (for instance being a bit faster, getting those headers into the back of the net and being a more mobile/robust player). Then again, maybe Rafa decides that Bellamy has less qualities than are necessary (which I doubt). Maybe we'll keep those 2 (PC + CB) and get 2 extremely good extra forwards to compliment Crouch/Bellers/Kuyt. We just dont know.