Apparently we have made a £5m bid for Matt Taylor

[Rehan]

I dont quite understand all this J.A.R bashing when he has been an important part of the premierships most consistent and best defence for the past 5 years, for ****s sakes its not our defence we need to improve on, and whats to say the new l.b whoever that may be doesnt have a **** season or doesnt gel with the other defenders?! ****ing leave the defence well and truly alone and concentrate further up the park.
Also maybe J.A.R will perform better once he actually has someone decent in front of him!!!!

Riise does tend to get criticised often on here, Don't understand why, he is part of our defence which is one of the best in the league and as a bonus he can score important goals and looks a threat whenever he has any space too shoot

[Darth Marty]

i know, it drives me to distraction! everyone is entitled to their opinion but i find it difficult to see just why he gets absolutely hammered so often. But there we are, our opinions mean jack ****...Rafas is the only one that counts and Ill gladly defer to his expertise in these matters.
For the record though Id like J.A.R to stay and play regularly as I think hes more than good enough.

[Johnny]

I like Jar but if theres better out there then replace him,same goes for all our players,we want the very best,no time for sentimentality.

[Sir Bob]

When i've seen Taylor play, he's always looked very decent and I wouldn't be opposed to him at all. People don't fancy him because he's not a 'name' player playing for a big club.

People should remember where many of our great players came from. Rush, Keegan, Neal, Clemence, Hanson, Barnes, Nicol, Lawro etc. all came from small clubs. Imagine if the internet had been up & running then. What we're buying some small arse from Scunny who Doncaster rejected. Or a striker from Chester. Players don't have to come from abroad or from 'big' clubs to be good. There's loads of decent talent out there playing for the less fashionable teams.

[Shaggy]

When i've seen Taylor play, he's always looked very decent and I wouldn't be opposed to him at all. People don't fancy him because he's not a 'name' player playing for a big club.

People should remember where many of our great players came from. Rush, Keegan, Neal, Clemence, Hanson, Barnes, Nicol, Lawro etc. all came from small clubs. Imagine if the internet had been up & running then. What we're buying some small arse from Scunny who Doncaster rejected. Or a striker from Chester. Players don't have to come from abroad or from 'big' clubs to be good. There's loads of decent talent out there playing for the less fashionable teams.

That's not true at all - certainly not in my case. For instance I was absolutely delighted when we signed Finnan. Not a fashionable name from an unfashionable club, but he was one of the top 3 right-backs in the country at the time and has since cemented that position in his time at LFC.

The same can't be said of Taylor, in his position. He's similar to Riise insofar as he's neither a genuine full-back or a midfielder - he strikes me as a wing-back - and his goals are nearly always spectacular. Not sure what else he offers - he's never impressed me defensively. In fact don't think he's much better than Stephen Warnock, if at all.

[Svennis]

I haven't seen this Taylor play too often, and I would like to ask from someone who has, is he another Riise who scores few great goals per season but overall standard of his game isn't high enough?

[dww]

The same can't be said of Taylor, in his position. He's similar to Riise insofar as he's neither a genuine full-back or a midfielder - he strikes me as a wing-back - and his goals are nearly always spectacular. Not sure what else he offers - he's never impressed me defensively. In fact don't think he's much better than Stephen Warnock, if at all.

He is much more positinally aware than Warnock. However his runs are less dynamic (Warnock has to all intents and purposes been given the freedom to play as a winger in attack at Blackburn and look at the success he has had).

I think Taylor is a good player but as Howard_lfc says would he improve our squad enough to justify paying a decent fee for him? In my opinion not but at the top level small increments are imprtant so if Rafa feels he offers something over Riise maybe he would.

[Shaggy]

I haven't seen this Taylor play too often, and I would like to ask from someone who has, is he another Riise who scores few great goals per season but overall standard of his game isn't high enough?

I think so mate, but clearly there are others who disagree.

Taylor has been around for a while, playing at a consistent level most of the time, yet suddenly there seems to be interest in him at the end of a season in which he's scored about half a dozen long-range wonder goals. Coinicidence?

[thekop]

When i've seen Taylor play, he's always looked very decent and I wouldn't be opposed to him at all. People don't fancy him because he's not a 'name' player playing for a big club.

People should remember where many of our great players came from. Rush, Keegan, Neal, Clemence, Hanson, Barnes, Nicol, Lawro etc. all came from small clubs. Imagine if the internet had been up & running then. What we're buying some small arse from Scunny who Doncaster rejected. Or a striker from Chester. Players don't have to come from abroad or from 'big' clubs to be good. There's loads of decent talent out there playing for the less fashionable teams.

Spot on mate

Although its harder for players to arrive from smaller clubs with the potential to make it into "Big Clubs", their must be quite a few out there just waiting for their chance to prove themselves, although their is a rule saying that a Club must have so many English players in their squad, i feel that there's still not quite enough being done to give the homebred youngsters a good chance of breaking through (my opinion on course)

[ARIMAN]

I`d prefer Gary O`Neill, if we were going to get a player from Pompey.
Taylor not bad, good squad addition, expectially if we are unloading two Left midfielders. Whether he is "good enough" for us to make a challenge for the EPL - well its a mute point - if he is effective within a system of play, and Rafa can get the most out of him - well thats the most important thing

The time of getting potential EPL standard players from the lower divisions is dwindling - due to EPL clubs multination approach - any kid who is half decent in their early teens will get trials/signed up. Less likely to be an unearthed gem there (plus the differences in leagues is astonishing)

[Kopite_Colin]

That's not true at all - certainly not in my case. For instance I was absolutely delighted when we signed Finnan. Not a fashionable name from an unfashionable club, but he was one of the top 3 right-backs in the country at the time and has since cemented that position in his time at LFC.

The same can't be said of Taylor, in his position. He's similar to Riise insofar as he's neither a genuine full-back or a midfielder - he strikes me as a wing-back - and his goals are nearly always spectacular. Not sure what else he offers - he's never impressed me defensively. In fact don't think he's much better than Stephen Warnock, if at all.

I actually think Rafa may be heading towards a 3-5-2 formation to accomodate Masher, Alonso/Momo & SG and 2 forwards. Alves and Riise or someone like Taylor wouldn't surprise me at all. Maybe that's why we're after Milito. A back 3 of Agger, Milito and Carra. Hhhmm.

[dww]

I actually think Rafa may be heading towards a 3-5-2 formation to accomodate Masher, Alonso/Momo & SG and 2 forwards. Alves and Riise or someone like Taylor wouldn't surprise me at all. Maybe that's why we're after Milito. A back 3 of Agger, Milito and Carra. Hhhmm.

I really hope he doesn't. I'm pretty certain he will play a back four next season. there is no way we will win the PL in my opinion if we regularly play a back three.

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Handy in the squad isnt a world beater though

[Craig_H]

Hope JAR doesn't get on here and read this thread. IMO ppl seem to be forgetting all the years good service he's given us. So his form dipped a little this year - does that mean we sell him? In that case Stevie and Xabi might as well get sold as well.......

Spending £5m on Taylor to replace JAR is simply throwing money away. They are both good players but is Taylor £5m better than JAR? No.

[Diego]

why waste 5 million on a squad player. Even if riise left there is enough cover there with aurelio, arbeloa and insua. 5 million could make the difference in chashing a dream wide man or striker.

i hope it's nonsense, the signing of taylor would make no real improvement to our team. Next thing we'll hear is the signing of another central midfielder!

cause we have buck loads of cash, and there is no budget, it's player specific, so money spent on him doesn't affect other transfers...