Gonzalez is the new...

[Ryan]

That's fair enough, you're not impressed, but that doesn't make him the new Smicer. I suppose there may have been a bit of humourous exaggeration in the Smicer comparrison though



Why do you think we vastly overpaid for Pennant? I'm curious, I don't want a slanging match.

Compare him to 21 million for Wright Phillips or the 15 million that was being quoted for Lennon or the 12.5 million for Alves or the 13+ million for Simao.

I'm also curious as to why you think we didn't need him. Most fans I know agree that we have been crying out for a genuine right sided midfielder for 1-2 seasons now.

I'm of the opinion that our number one priority is a goalscorer. A 20-a-season front man, and until we get one of them, we'll struggle to challenge Chelsea. It was all we were lacking last season.

With this in mind, and our relative paucity of transfer funds, I feel spending inflated fee's on a right winger wasn't that necessary.

We have Gerrard, Garcia and the emerging Paul Anderson as more than sufficient right-wing position. And should have been using our limited funds towards more pressing needs.

As for Pennant, well he was touted around at

[Shaggy]

I'm of the opinion that our number one priority is a goalscorer. A 20-a-season front man, and until we get one of them, we'll struggle to challenge Chelsea. It was all we were lacking last season.

With this in mind, and our relative paucity of transfer funds, I feel spending inflated fee's on a right winger wasn't that necessary.

We have Gerrard, Garcia and the emerging Paul Anderson as more than sufficient right-wing position. And should have been using our limited funds towards more pressing needs.

Well let's sack Benitez and get this lad in!

A right winger was absolutely neccessary. We didn't have one. Not one. Garcia is no more a right winger than Cisse was and although Gerrard does a grand job there we all know he's no right winger.

As for Paul Anderson...he won't be a first team option this season as he's simply not ready.

[G_Man]

[QUOTE=Ryan]I'm of the opinion that our number one priority is a goalscorer. A 20-a-season front man, and until we get one of them, we'll struggle to challenge Chelsea. It was all we were lacking last season.

With this in mind, and our relative paucity of transfer funds, I feel spending inflated fee's on a right winger wasn't that necessary.

We have Gerrard, Garcia and the emerging Paul Anderson as more than sufficient right-wing position. And should have been using our limited funds towards more pressing needs.

As for Pennant, well he was touted around at

[Shaggy]

Fair play, you think another striker is the priority, but you won't find a striker in the world who will score 20-goals a season with no service, so whilst a striker is important, so is the service to that striker.
Anderson needs more time in my opinion, he will probably emerge into a first team player but it won't happen in 2006 and we can't really afford to wait until he does.

I'm not going to slate you for the opinions you hold but please be an enough to come on here in 9 months time and admit you made a mistake if Pennant and Gonzalez prove you wrong. One of the things that bugs me about most Crouch-haters is they refuse to recognise his value to the team becuase they were so outraged 12 months ago that we signed him.

Anyone refusing to recognise Crouch's contribution and value to us last season is either blind or hideously stubborn.

[JRG]

[QUOTE=Ryan]I'm of the opinion that our number one priority is a goalscorer. A 20-a-season front man, and until we get one of them, we'll struggle to challenge Chelsea. It was all we were lacking last season.

With this in mind, and our relative paucity of transfer funds, I feel spending inflated fee's on a right winger wasn't that necessary.

We have Gerrard, Garcia and the emerging Paul Anderson as more than sufficient right-wing position. And should have been using our limited funds towards more pressing needs.

As for Pennant, well he was touted around at

[dww]

When you say touted around for

[calvoboy]

Personally speaking, I couldn't care a **** what players have done for other clubs in other leagues, whether good or bad. All I care about is how well they perform for us. Lots of players have come to us with big reputations but then haven't delivered. Morientes should have been class based on previous form, but wasn't up to it in the prem. Nigel Clough should have been exactly what we needed up front at that time, but he never quite fitted into the system. Kewell was top class at Leeds, but hasn't lived up to those standards(consistently) for us. etc. etc. There is a long history of players who look great when they sign but then don't deliver.

Gonzales hasn't played a competitive game yet, so I will wait and see until he has had a run of games for us before I start to make a judgement, and won't get swayed by the hype surrounding his signing and pre-season performance (certainly not in a game where Reina came on at centre-mid, and Fowler came back on having been substituted! It was more like a sunday morning kick-about than a serious friendly match!)

[G_Man]

I agree we need a 20 a season striker, and that Pennat has no great track record. I believe that he will improve and use his undoubted talent in Liverpool - as does Steve Bruce for what that's worth.

His contribution may be to produce a greater strike rate from a number of players by exploiting the width, increasring the strike rate of the exsisting strikers and the midfielders folloiwng up.

I am concerned about his attitude - but again according to the press reports I have read the strong LFC dressing room should go a long way to curbing his off field excess.

Only time will tell and I hope my fears are misplaced.

Good post Ryan

This bit really interests me.

How does a right winger get himself a track record?

Maybe by putting in crosses? Pennant put the most crosses in last season and before anyone says 'any fool can cross a ball' it's not just the crossing, it's the runs,the vision and the skill to find space to get your cross in.

Personally, for a right winger, i think he has got a track record.

[calvoboy]

I'm of the opinion that our number one priority is a goalscorer. A 20-a-season front man, and until we get one of them, we'll struggle to challenge Chelsea. It was all we were lacking last season.

I'd agree with that, but I'm still fairly confident that we will sign one before the deadline. If the rumours are true that we were in for Kuyt - and even the likes of Bascombe were reporting it, so you'd think there was some truth in it - then we've still got around

[Ryan]

although Gerrard does a grand job there we all know he's no right winger.

.

He had the best season of his career playing there, and we made our best challenge for years whilst having him there.

[Ryan]

Fair play, you think another striker is the priority, but you won't find a striker in the world who will score 20-goals a season with no service, so whilst a striker is important, so is the service to that striker.

As a team, we put more crosses into the box than any other side in the Premier League last season.

Without a "recognised right-winger"...

[Ryan]

Fair play, you think another striker is the priority, but you won't find a striker in the world who will score 20-goals a season with no service, so whilst a striker is important, so is the service to that striker.
Anderson needs more time in my opinion, he will probably emerge into a first team player but it won't happen in 2006 and we can't really afford to wait until he does.

I'm not going to slate you for the opinions you hold but please be man enough to come on here in 9 months time and admit you made a mistake if Pennant and Gonzalez prove you wrong. One of the things that bugs me about most Crouch-haters is they refuse to recognise his value to the team becuase they were so outraged 12 months ago that we signed him.

I'd be only too glad too.

Whislt I certainly have voiced my concerns over their ability to adapt and 'cut it' at a side like Liverpool, that by no means suggests I don't want them to do well.

I'd fcuking love it if they helped us challenge for the league.

[Shaggy]

He had the best season of his career playing there, and we made our best challenge for years whilst having him there.

Still doesn't mean he's a right winger though.

I agree in part - he's fantastic there and should remain an option for us this season on the right side of midfield - but in the main he's likely to be playing in his favoured central role. Last season Gerrard simply upped his level - imagine the havoc he'll be able to cause given a roving, attacking central role?

[calvoboy]

As a team, we put more crosses into the box than any other side in the Premier League last season.

Without a "recognised right-winger"...

I'm always sceptical of stats like that (both for the team, and for pennant). It's quality not quantity that counts. Lots of our crosses last year were from too deep, and rarely threatened. Similarly, remember the season under Houllier when we had more shots on goal than any other team? Shame most of them were desperate efforts from 30 yards that Ballooned into the Anny Road upper with 5-10 mins to go in a dull game where we'd created nothing...

[Hustler]

I'm not a big fan of three at the back myself, but Rafa has tinkered with the system before that makes me think that he will do it more often this season. Whether it works or not, I think it depends on the players we've got. 3-5-2 worked well for us during the Evans era because it gave the license for McManaman to roam free while giving the attack-minded full backs (Bjornebye, McAteer, Jones) the chance to go forward. Had Benitez been succesful in bringing Alves, 3-5-2 would have been a real option because Alves is the sort of player that would thrive in that formation. And yes, we also need at least one CB who is comfortable on the ball and should Benitez opt for a back three, Daniel Agger would most probably be one of them.

I wasnt a fan either but watching us the day we played Newcastle in St.James Park changed my mind. It was like we had 14 players on the pitch!