Crouch & Riise off in Jan? Players in?

[AFII]

You have seen him in two matches, Pompey and Fulham away, correct me if I am wrong. In both matches we lost, we didn't play particularly well. Now, I watched him in the reserves against Sunderland and he looked pretty ordinary, nothing special and made a fair few mistakes. If he was that good, he would have started the season as the primary left back ahead of Arbeloa but Arbeloa has deserved it. He has played out of his skin and has tremendous fitness.

I have seen him more times than we he has played for us. He dominated on the left in the U20 WC and that against players that in most cases are two year older than him.

You can laugh at me now just as most did when I said that Agger would replace Hyypia after a few months after we signed him.

Insua is as big talent as Agger.

[AFII]

It's my opinion and we will have to wait and see if Rafa gives Insua a chance who is right.

[Joe King]

I have seen him more times than we he has played for us. He dominated on the left in the U20 WC and that against players that in most cases are two year older than him.

You can laugh at me now just as most did when I said that Agger would replace Hyypia after a few months after we signed him.

Insua is as big talent as Agger.

This isn't the U20's tournament. This is the dogs bollocks, age doesn't matter when it comes to top class football. Look at Owen when he broke out, Rooney, Fabregas to name a few. If he was really good, Rafa would have thrown him in into the side.

Agger didn't come into the side straight away when he was side in January, granted, but the season later he replaced Hyypia. Insua has been at the club for a season, I'm right in thinking, surely if he was as good a talent as Agger, he would at the same stage of development and be in the starting line up with Aurelio being injured, all the talk of Riise being sold and Arbeloa not being a left footed player and covering Finnan at right back after his recent injury.

[AFII]

Agger replaced Hyypia almost straight away. It was an injury that allowed Hyypia to get his place back.

[Red_Polo]

I have seen him more times than we he has played for us. He dominated on the left in the U20 WC and that against players that in most cases are two year older than him.

You can laugh at me now just as most did when I said that Agger would replace Hyypia after a few months after we signed him.

Insua is as big talent as Agger.

I'd suggest the U20 world cup is not the best way to gauge how someone matches up against Premiership standard. As for players being two years older than him, a lot of the best 19/20 year old players wouldn't have been playing in the U20s.

I'm not saying he isn't a big talent - as I said I think he has a good chance of making the breakthrough, and hopefully fairly soon. But clearly he is not 'our best left back' now. The coach at Boca didn't think he was ready yet, Rafa doesn't think he's ready yet, when that changes then great he'll have a chance to prove himself as worthy of being called our best left back. No matter how good he eventually proves to be, what you are saying about the current situation is just pie in the sky.

If anyone doubted Agger would replace Hyypia then they were idiots because we paid good money for him to do exactly that, not potentially be a good player in the future. It was hardly some outlandishly brilliant insight on your part, in fact the way I remember it most people on here expect Agger to be eased into the first team and take over from Hyypia within about a year. He did it in more like 6, which was a very ****ing nice surprise, but he was always viewed as someone who WOULD take over from Hyypia, not MIGHT.

It's my opinion and we will have to wait and see if Rafa gives Insua a chance who is right.

Well, no not really. The thing is, you seem to think if Insua becomes our first choice left back in say the next 18 months then you'll have been right all along. Which is silly. You said he IS our best left back, which is very different to saying he WILL be our best left back.

[Alpha]

Agger replaced Hyypia almost straight away. It was an injury that allowed Hyypia to get his place back.

When we signed Agger, he was 21 years old, already a full international, Danish talent of the year and the most expensive Danish signing of all time.

I'm in no doubt that sooner or later, Insua will be our first-choice left-back but I'm also in no doubt, that as usual Af, you are exaggerating.

[Harv]

£30 mill

Sign Nasri and Quaresma.

wingers/creativity sorted

Maybe try sign Gomez from Stutggart, he has looked a crackign player every time ive seen him.

[paulcooper4]

Its a nice bit of money if its true. If he sells Crouch then its near 30 million to spend, do I hear Mancini being mentioned?

Hope not, watched him the other night against the mancs and he was ****e.

[carrsim]

while i doubt the validity of the quotes in the story, there is no escaping the fact that both players have started this season poorly and both have less than 2 years on their contract.

therefore january will be a crucial period for both.

a lot depends on england's euro 2008 chances. If the team qualifies then crouch might assess how many games he's getting to ensure his place.

and even if he is cup tied, the only way he is getting into a champs league team is if he goes abroad...

[ningnangnong]

Maybe try sign Gomez from Stutggart, he has looked a crackign player every time ive seen him.

I agree.

Would be an ideal replacement for Crouchy if we sold him.

[Harv]

I agree.

Would be an ideal replacement for Crouchy if we sold him.

indeed. For one he can actually get some power on his headers, and ispretty quick from what ive seen.

[bazza76]

If we sell Crouch in January I'd like to see us bring in Anelka. Him and Torres would be awesome up front for us.

They would be two frightening strikers to have alright for the opposition. But, I can't see Rafa wanting two strikers that are so similar, I could be wrong, but.

[ningnangnong]

But, I can't see Rafa wanting two strikers that are so similar, I could be wrong, but.

Kuyt and Voronin are similar aren't they?

[Alpha]

Dark horse replacement for Crouch = Samaras.

[AFII]

Rafa to sling Crouch out the window
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE THE BIG EXCLUSIVES WITH THE BIG NAMES ON TODAY'S BIG GAMES STRIKER JANUARY SALE Today LIVERPOOL v TOTTENHAM KO 3pm
By Steve Bates

Peter Crouch will be dumped by Liverpool in January - with Rafa Benitez set to be handed a £24million transfer kitty by Anfield's new American owners.

I can reveal Kop boss Benitez has lost patience with Crouch, who has complained recently about his lack of first-team chances.

And I understand the Spanish coach was less than impressed with the £7m striker the day after Champions League defeat by Marseilles when the England star attended a book signing and another commercial engagement.

Crouch has been a victim of the Benitez rotation policy and has voiced his concerns at a lack of regular starts.

But the Liverpool chief privately believes the big forward does not have the mental strength to cope with his strategy - and he will be up for grabs in January.

That is sure to alert Newcastle and Manchester City, who are keen on Crouch - and it will boost the Liverpool war chest to over £30m with Benitez ready for another spending spre e. Benitez said: "We have been working on buying new players since the beginning of September and we are thinking about January and also July.

"Which position is most important for us? All of them. We are looking for strikers and defenders, wingers and goalkeepers. That process started on September 1.

"My scouts are travelling around, watching players now. Always it is more difficult to buy in January but it depends on the work you have done before.

"Sometimes you need to go for it in January because you cannot do it in July. And we do not have problems in the financial area because we were selling a lot of players and saving a lot of money so we have £25m, more or less.

"We were spending big money but we were also making money so I think the balance is good."

Crouch looks like being on the bench again today as Liverpool face Tottenham, with Fernando Torres and Dutchman Dirk Kuyt the likeliest pair to start up front.

Meanwhile, Bolo Zenden has revealed how Benitez can break players who have not got the mental toughness to cope with his approach to the modern-day game.

While at Anfield, Dutch star Zenden witnessed the chopping and changing used by Benitez to keep his stars fresh.

Zenden was sidelined more than he played during his Merseyside spell before moving to Marseilles.

"The rotation is something he has worked with ever since he came to Liverpool and before," said Zenden.

"It is clear that he has success with it so every player who comes in knows that he will rotate his squad and they have to adapt.

"That's not easy for some players, I know that. But it is the way he works. And how many finals has he reached? How many things has he won with Liverpool and with Valencia? So it works.

"That means you have to have the right mentality to play for Benitez. Of course, it is not easy if you are not playing every week but it is the Benitez way so you must go along with that way.

"Some players will have more trouble doing that than others."

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/footba...name_page.html