Raul Meireles

[saj]

im not a fan. i would much rather we still had aquilani

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[pondus]

I'm a big fan of his, and under the right manager with the right tactics he would be a great player. He can pass, shoot, his movement is great and he gets stuck in, and I believe we will see that when we have a manager that plays him in his right position and don't play these ****house tactics.

[billd]

His passing was crap tonight granted. But it wasnt like the players around him were giving him many options. I think its clear to see hes got intelligence as a footballer, plus hes got wicked shot on him. Play him in position and give him a bit of time... i reckon he will become a good player for us.

His body movement and through ball to Torres for the second goal on Sunday was superb.

[cream]

Meireles can't play as a DM, he's just a bad fit. Put him in Chelsea and he'll be great in their system. He's a 4-3-3 player.

Which is the way we should be playing with our personnel.

[little dave hedgehog]

JimBoardman Jim Boardman
RT @JimmyRiceWriter: Meireles was forced off through illness.

makes sense. i heard that playing footy in england can give you malaria.

there's also some kind of **** going around if you play in spain, that just makes you keel right over, dead.

[Icon]

WTF does Nani have then?

[little dave hedgehog]

His body movement and through ball to Torres for the second goal on Sunday was superb.

no idea how that ball made it to torres tbh honest.

i've watched it again and again, and not been dispossessed of my initial thought which is that the ball leaves raul's foot, and ivanovic waits until he's had a chance to cut out the ball to turn around and mark torres, when if he'd stood his ground he could easily have hoofed it clear.

[cream]

wtf does nani have then?

aids

[little dave hedgehog]

WTF does Nani have then?

a bad case of thinking it's ok to be a cunt

[danperkins]

Slightly more mobile, pacy version of 'the little prince'?

Tippy tappy bull****, alright on the ball but little bite and end product?

[billd]

no idea how that ball made it to torres tbh honest.

i've watched it again and again, and not been dispossessed of my initial thought which is that the ball leaves raul's foot, and ivanovic waits until he's had a chance to cut out the ball to turn around and mark torres, when if he'd stood his ground he could easily have hoofed it clear.

Fair point Dave, but I think Rauls body movement made Ivanovic think the ball wasn't goint to go there.

[little dave hedgehog]

i think he couldn't make up his mind until it was too late. it was inexplicably **** defending.

[Zapater]

As I said when we signed him, I've seen him tons of times at Porto and I didn't think he was the answer. I won't judge him yet as Roy has clearly sabotaged almost any chance of him giving a quality individual performance as he's been used horribly incorrectly and played out of position.

My main concern with him is that he's just that inbetween player that doesn't have the ability to get things done by himself. He needs to be with a genuine defensive midfielder or with a proper creative player because he does a bit of both, but not enough of either to justify himself as a player in his own right. In a 4-3-3 with Porto as he had the luxury of playing with both of the above (Lucho/Belluschi and Assuncao/Fernando) he never really had to do anything but keep things ticking over. I just don't see him as a Liverpool midfielder. Sure, maybe a decent option, but never a starter and for the price we paid for him I really think we'd have been better off looking elsewhere. As a few other people said above, I'd have preferred to have seen Aquilani given a proper chance this season than have Raul. When it comes to Aquilani, like him or hate him at least people can agree he is a genuine creative player and will help us go forward especially due to his ability to play between the lines and link players with short passes. I just don't see what Meireles adds.

His passing is below par, his shooting is **** - yes he shoots with power but it's very wayward, which is reflected in his poor scoring ratio.

All of that being said, if he has an extended run in his position under a competent manager and proves me wrong; I won't be complaining.

[DannyMan2006]

Quite clearly Gerrard and Lucas are first choice in his correct position and as such he will be played out of position and will not impress.

January will be interesting for him. If we buy a striker likely Kuyt will be back on the Right, whilst if we buy a Rw then that person will play there. Where does that leave Raul?

[Ben_Itez]

As I said when we signed him, I've seen him tons of times at Porto and I didn't think he was the answer. I won't judge him yet as Roy has clearly sabotaged almost any chance of him giving a quality individual performance as he's been used horribly incorrectly and played out of position.

My main concern with him is that he's just that inbetween player that doesn't have the ability to get things done by himself. He needs to be with a genuine defensive midfielder or with a proper creative player because he does a bit of both, but not enough of either to justify himself as a player in his own right. In a 4-3-3 with Porto as he had the luxury of playing with both of the above (Lucho/Belluschi and Assuncao/Fernando) he never really had to do anything but keep things ticking over. I just don't see him as a Liverpool midfielder. Sure, maybe a decent option, but never a starter and for the price we paid for him I really think we'd have been better off looking elsewhere. As a few other people said above, I'd have preferred to have seen Aquilani given a proper chance this season than have Raul. When it comes to Aquilani, like him or hate him at least people can agree he is a genuine creative player and will help us go forward especially due to his ability to play between the lines and link players with short passes. I just don't see what Meireles adds.

His passing is below par, his shooting is **** - yes he shoots with power but it's very wayward, which is reflected in his poor scoring ratio.

All of that being said, if he has an extended run in his position under a competent manager and proves me wrong; I won't be complaining.

Totally agree.

Aquilani would have been a much better option for his place in the squad....to me it was absolute madness to get rid of him, especially for free, after we'd nursed him back to fitness and form towards the end of last season.

I've not written Meireles off yet as he's new to the club/league etc and is clearly suffering from being played out of position and under Roys excruciatingly negative and old school tactics.