John Arne Riise, blast or past?

[Joe King]

Is he past it ?
I'm sure a lot of you know my opinion, but if you don't I think he is pants and Rafa is right not to renew his contract. What do you Est'ers think?

[Shaggy]

Here we go again!!

Past it? I don't rate him very highly but past it??

For me, now Zenden's gone, he's our weak link. A steady squad player but I wouldn't want him in the team for the really big games.

[Joe King]

Here we go again!!

Past it? I don't rate him very highly but past it??

For me, now Zenden's gone, he's our weak link. A steady squad player but I wouldn't want him in the team for the really big games.

Squad player?! He's not even that good! I would like that Heinze deal to be done asap

[Shaggy]

Squad player?! He's not even that good! I would like that Heinze deal to be done asap

Well as I said I think he's got stacks of deficiencies but he can do a job in the back four or in midfield. He's a solid enough pro and he's been a great servant to us, in fairness.

[Morph]

Squad player?! He's not even that good! I would like that Heinze deal to be done asap

easily good enough to be a squad player, he's scored some great goals for us, and some of the criticisms on him are way over the top

[Joe King]

He might have served good years for us but I think its time to get rid of dead wood. He lacks pace of the wing, lapses in concentration, takes shots from God awful angles and despite this he still starts nine tenths of the games.

[anfieldanfield]

Great player to have in the squad. Loyal, consistent, versatile(ish) and rarely injured. It would be foolish to sell.

But as a regular starter for a side looking to lift the title ? Not for me.

[Joe King]

Great player to have in the squad. Loyal, consistent, versatile(ish) and rarely injured. It would be foolish to sell.

But as a regular starter for a side looking to lift the title ? Not for me.

He is good to start games in those that are pretty much an easy win and one where we can take off the shackles and just go for it but since we have very few games like these he shouldn't play in a very disciplined side.

[anfieldanfield]

He is good to start games in those that are pretty much an easy win and one where we can take off the shackles and just go for it but since we have very few games like these he shouldn't play in a very disciplined side.

I dont think that makes sense at all.

For what it's worth I think he'll start on Sunday.

[Joe King]

I dont think that makes sense at all.

For what it's worth I think he'll start on Sunday.

He'll start but my thinking is is that why doesn't Rafa look for another left back...will Heinze be the answer? I hope so!

[Darth Marty]

****ing bull****...hes easily good enough to be in a title winning team and he sure as hell is good enough to be our regular left back for a few seasons yet. I cant see that heinze is a huge improvement, if an improvement at all, over j.a.r and I think only 2 or 3 players in the premiership, and 4 or 5 in europe, are better. Rafa sells j.a.r it would be his first major mistake.

[Dhav]

I certainly think that Riise is good enough for us, as a squad player at least and I reckon he has a future at the club even if Heinze does come. But he can often be a liability defensively, what with his half-hearted challenges, poor positional play and lapses in concentration.

[Darth Marty]

Name me 5 better left backs based on todays form/ability etc.

And no ****ing loading up FM and picking those you think, I want reasons as to why you mention them....50 caps, played all games last season and won the league...anything that proves your point.

Id say Cole, Lahm and Zambrotta..........anyone else is just personal preference and certainly not a huge improvement. So lets buy one of those three or shut the **** up.

[Marky]

I'm baffled/perplexed/stunned by all the Riise bashers, i really am.

[Farside]

Where did all this Riise bashing come out off. He is a very good player. There is a hell of a lot of clubs all over Europe that would love to have as good a left sided player as him. Unbelievable at fee kicks, so what if he hasn't got a decent shot with his right leg, plenty right footed players that can do nothing with their left leg. As a player he is good enough to play on Premiership winning team.