v Sparta Post Match

[SB]

tbh, i can't even remember how long he was here.

I do remember how it was being reported as a coup for Houllier, for signing him before the world cup when he scored against France in the opener, how wrong they were.

I know I was gutted we did the dirty on Anelka. He thought he'd done enough for a contract and Houlier changed his mind and signed the Joof instead.

[RichC]

Did you see 'wee Patty' Nevin waxing lyrical over the Konk yesterday. 'Proper leftback'. 'Lokk at how good his positioning is'. 'Wingers must hate to play against him'.

Erm...ah... erm What the ****?

Konchesky

christ I was wetting myself about that, what on earth was he talking about - I mean the guys been kicked out on loan to Forest, there is a reason for this and it's not because he's defending as he should be now is it!

[PTP]

it was pretty dire but so what...i was expecting it, and trying to put a positive spin on it in some way , the last two results have shown us that there is still loads of work to be done.

There has been a clear improvement under dalglish, but the squad really lacks some pace, some bite, some class. - We all knew this anyway

add agger, gerrard, suarez and carrol to that side and we look 10 times better

We need to start improving/upgrading the players we have

Kuyt - we need a pacy right winger
Maxi - we need a proper left winger
Cole - we need a joe cole of 5 years ago, someone who can cover the right/left mid, but also offer something different through the middle.

And we are desperate for another centre mid - a box to box battler who can fight and tackle and get us going - someone with real fight, a bit of bite and an engine.

And of course a left back.


right last nights result has done us no harm, away from home weakened team 0-0 - take that.

We just have to take each game at a time and fight through to the end of the season.

go as far as we can in the europa (i still have a sneaky feeling we might go all the way) and make sure we finish no worse than 6th - something i think we are capable of now.

Do that and it would be a hell of turn around and end to the season - but then massive rebuild needed - 5 players need to come.....3 of which have to be first team and big improvements for left back, left mid and right mid. - the other two need to give us something we lack to add to/improve the squad - the centre mid I mention, and then someone else to create/score goals.

[Chazza]

Kuyt and Maxi were atrocious but **** me Joe Cole takes atrocious to new levels. What's wrong with him? Half the time he couldn't even stand up, legs buckling, blowing like he'd run a marathon. Absolutely dire. We know he's better than this but I feel a bit sorry for him. Diabolical.

When he came on his first touch nearly set up a chance for Ngog and I was thinking he might come on a make a difference here. Then as soon as he tries something and it doesnt come off, a flick/pass, the confidence seems to drain out of him and he just becomes a body taking up bad positions and making bad decisions.

[RichC]

For me we need some creativity from the flanks come next season, now 1 of either Dirk or Maxi is ok in the starting 11, but you need then someone with some guile or pace to actually offer something from the other side.

I myself would take Maxi over Dirk going forwards as Kennys passing game suits his style of play better as he's a much better technical player than Dirk.

[Buzzo]

Did you see 'wee Patty' Nevin waxing lyrical over the Konk yesterday. 'Proper leftback'. 'Lokk at how good his positioning is'. 'Wingers must hate to play against him'.

Erm...ah... erm What the ****?

Konchesky

That was massively random. He must have been paid to say that, it didn't fit in at all with the rest of the pre-match chat.

They could easily have also plaed footage of wingers (Lennon) running past an out of position PFK to run on to a through ball and slot yet another winner against us.

He was a truly horrible signing, end of story.

[PTP]

For me we need some creativity from the flanks come next season, now 1 of either Dirk or Maxi is ok in the starting 11, but you need then someone with some guile or pace to actually offer something from the other side.

I myself would take Maxi over Dirk going forwards as Kennys passing game suits his style of play better as he's a much better technical player than Dirk.

see i think neither are good enough now to be in the first team but i'd happily keep one of them in the squad as cover.

Which one to keep is difficult - Kuyt has been here a while so has more of an association with the club, is very professional, has that work rate and also could offer extra cover up top if desperate......but he has zero pace and zero ability to control a ball or deliver a final pass....Maxi is defo the better technically.

Who would we get more for?

we need as strong as a squad as possible....so ideal world we'd improve on both of them and keep them both - i'd be happy with something like this for the left and right mid spots

Any two of
Young
Hazard
Nzogbia
Turan

and then kuyt, maxi, and someone from the youth pushing through to provide cover (sterling/amoo??)

in fact...**** it ideal world....sell

Cole
Jovanovic
Aquilani
El Zhar
one of maxi or kuyt.

And sign
Hazard
Young
Nzogbia
keep one of maxi/kuyt
and have a youngster pushing through - once the youngster has shown enough we can bin of the maxi/kuyt


thats what we need to get us back challenging - well the above, plus a battling centre mid and left back

[RichC]

see i think neither are good enough now to be in the first team but i'd happily keep one of them in the squad as cover.

Which one to keep is difficult - Kuyt has been here a while so has more of an association with the club, is very professional, has that work rate and also could offer extra cover up top if desperate......but he has zero pace and zero ability to control a ball or deliver a final pass....Maxi is defo the better technically.

Who would we get more for?

we need as strong as a squad as possible....so ideal world we'd improve on both of them and keep them both - i'd be happy with something like this for the left and right mid spots

Any two of
Young
Hazard
Nzogbia
Turan

and then kuyt, maxi, and someone from the youth pushing through to provide cover (sterling/amoo??)

in fact...**** it ideal world....sell

Cole
Jovanovic
Aquilani
El Zhar
one of maxi or kuyt.

And sign
Hazard
Young
Nzogbia
keep one of maxi/kuyt
and have a youngster pushing through - once the youngster has shown enough we can bin of the maxi/kuyt


thats what we need to get us back challenging - well the above, plus a battling centre mid and left back

I agree in an ideal world we'd replace both of them but not sure the money will be spent to replace them both - rather bring in one top player than 2 "make do signings" hopefully wrong and we splash out big time and bring in two but we still need a LB, probably another CB and someone to shore up the midfield.

Lots of cash is going to be needed for that so just being realistic here and looking at the team as a whole (obvioulsly you're plans far out do mine!)

[anfieldanfield]

Patecho is obviously very average in training and wont make it at LFC. The obsession over him on here is bizarre.

[cream]

For me we need some creativity from the flanks come next season, now 1 of either Dirk or Maxi is ok in the starting 11, but you need then someone with some guile or pace to actually offer something from the other side.

I myself would take Maxi over Dirk going forwards as Kennys passing game suits his style of play better as he's a much better technical player than Dirk.

Neither are good enough. Suarez will take kuyts place in the team and we need another wide player to replace Maxi.

[Nick77]

I don't even know why some of the players even bothered to go to Prague, I mean ffs the youngsters would have given Sparta a better run for their money than most of the players out there last night! We managed ZERO shots on target over 90 mins, which in my book is an utter joke!!!

[cream]

I don't even know why some of the players even bothered to go to Prague, I mean ffs the youngsters would have given Sparta a better run for their money than most of the players out there last night! We managed ZERO shots on target over 90 mins, which in my book is an utter joke!!!

With an attack of Kuyt, Ngogg, Maxi and Cole, it's hardly surprising really.

[PTP]

lol - my brain just kinda spewed out those ideas as I was typing the post

yeah i'd say minimum we need

1x top left back
1x quality winger with pace/finally delivery
1x solid centre mid

And we have to be prepared to spend £50m ish on those 3 players - say a left back and centre mid for around £15m each and a winger for £20m.

that's bare minimum barring no major player leaves (ie reina)

i feel we could recoup some of that.

Konk £3m
Jovanovic £5m
Poulsen £2m
El Zhar £2m
Spearing + Darby £2m
Aquilani £10m

I feel thats fairly low prices and reckon we should be able to get £25m selling of the squad ****e not required.

So if we do the above we should be stronger....but if we really want to compete and push on we have to be prepared to go the extra mile - right now, we are behind utd/chelsea/arsenal/city and spurs in terms of quality/strength - doing the above should hopefully move us closer.....but.....all of them will be looking to improve as well which would mean we would still be behind......if we really want to compete then we need to do the above as a bare minimum and also look to add

Another quality winger for the right side
another creating midfielder that could cover a couple of positions
improve on kyriakos/skrtel - being very picky, not as vital
improve on ngog - being very picky, not as vital

£15m on the winger, £15m on the creative midfielder, £10m on defender and £10m on the striker

So another £50m ish needed - which can be funded by selling

kuyt or maxi £5m
ngog - £6m
cole - £5m
skrtel - £8m

again nearly up to £25m


I think thats how far behind we are..... we do the all of the above we'd be left with

reina
jones
gulasci

johnson
kelly

agger
new cb
carra
kyriakos
wilson

new lb
aurelio

gerrard
new centre mid
lucas
meireles
shelvey

new left mid
maxi
youth

new right mid
maxi
youth

carroll
suarez
new striker or ngog if we wnat to save some cash until the season after

[PTP]

****ing hell - another brain spew...apologies again.

[Exiled_red]

Kenny obviously thinks Jones is **** as he hasn't featured once ....Gulacsi is our back up now. Thanks Hodgson you ****ing moron. £2m pissed away on Jones, £5m pissed away on Konchesky and the same on Poulsen. Worst £12m ever. And many of us amateurs could see it. Hodgson couldn't.

Add to that however much we had to pay Fulham to get Hodgson plus however much we paid him to go his appointment probably wasted us £20m+ not including lost revenue