So How Good Are Our Players Really

[Poker]

With money likely to be available how many of our players are 100% secure in the first team squad.

Id go for Reina, Finnan, Agger, Carra, Xabi & Stevie.

I think everyone else is expendable and probably overated

Momo for example is Viera without the ball but more like Paul Stewart without it.

Interesting times ahead

[Nicey]

Interesting post and a very valid question. Well I think Risse and Finnan need stronger competition for there spots for sure. I think if we accept that Stevie G is happiest playing in the middle then we need a world class option on the right. Your observation on Momo is a little harsh but there is an element of truth to it. That said he is just a nipper relatively speaking and has a lot of improving to come. I hold him in very high regard as a player. I would like to see us really nail down the different ways to play with the combinations of Momo Stevie and Xabi in the middle. Different horses for different courses. Rest one of them when needed.

I would like to see at least one “Older” world class signing as I think the team needs a few more wise shoulders. On the left, it has to be seen which Harry Kewell returns, whilst he has been great for us at times, particularly last season. He is pushing on a little in years and we could do with an out and out world class player ready made if you like in his mid 20’s on the left. I would say we have room for one more World Class Striker. I rate Kuyt and Bellamy as world-class, Crouchinio although he is excellent and there is definitely a place for him, does not fair well against top opposition.

I think this is Robbies last season with us anyways at the top level. Love him to bits, still has the brain but the engine is a couple of yards off to be able to do it all again next season. One of the most enjoyable things I have experienced in the last 10 years was seeing Robbie Fowler play for Liverpool FC again. Thank you Rafa.

I would mostly agree with you assessments of the untouchables, Stevie, Carra, Pepe, Xabi perhaps Finnan. But hey if we ever want to make any money on players sometimes we have to let them go whilst they are still good. So with that in mind, Garica, Risse, Kewell, Crouchy, Pennant, Bolo could all be up for sale in my eyes. Raise the overall level of the squad to like for like in terms of Quality.

Interesting times ahead, I know I am excited. My Chavski mate has been lording it up for the last 3 years, I miss winding him up about being 4th fiddle to Liverpool FC
I take it you are a card player we should start a Poker thread, share tips, stories etc. I fecking love Texas Holdem

[SouthAfricaRed]

With money likely to be available how many of our players are 100% secure in the first team squad.

Id go for Reina, Finnan, Agger, Carra, Xabi & Stevie.

I think everyone else is expendable and probably overated

Momo for example is Viera without the ball but more like Paul Stewart without it.

Interesting times ahead

Do you really think Momo, Kuijt and Riise are expendable?

I dont think so. They are hard workers for the squad and I wouldn't replace any of them.

The positions I'd look at would be the following :

RW (Our Obvious weakness, Maybe even two of them if Pennant doesn't shape up)
LW (Dont know if Gonzalez will make it but he could use competition anyway. Kewell looks gone. Aurelio - Injury prone and not sure if he'll adapt)
Striker (I'm happy with Kuijt, Crouch and Bellamy but we need to replace Fowler with a similar goal poacher as competition for Bellamy)
RB(Finnan has been a bit dodgy this season. He can do with decent competition)
LB(Riise needs competition, Warnock is a hard worker, but not convinced he's good enough)
CM (Backup for Momo, Xabi and Stevie G. This was exposed with Xabi and Momo injured. Zenden not the answer)

The ideal would be a RW that can double as a RB (Alves), A Good RW (SWP) , a LB (Risse could play LW and LB), World class striker to replace Fowler and a young CM to act as backup for the current Trio

[Nicey]

Finnan has been a bit dodgy this season???

Name one game, Cara perhaps, Sami defo but Finnan has been same old same old .. A rock

[SouthAfricaRed]

Finnan has been a bit dodgy this season???

Name one game, Cara perhaps, Sami defo but Finnan has been same old same old .. A rock

The second goal against Bolton is one example

Against Everton, not covering Cahill for first goal

I'm not saying he was bad this season, but not as good as last season. He could do with competition

[Howard_lfc]

The second goal against Bolton is one example

Against Everton, not covering Cahill for first goal

I'm not saying he was bad this season, but not as good as last season. He could do with competition

Lucas Neill will be here in January.......

[dww]

I think Reina, Agger, Carra, Xabi, Gerrard are probably safe from being displaced from the first XI. Garcia, Kuyt, Finnan, JAR, Gonzales are all safe as squad players at least and if Bellamy keeps doing well he will join this list. Everyone else has a lot to prove before they can be thought of as safe bets to be in a squad put together with the intention of winning the league with a large amount of funds behind it.

Having said that I hope we keep Crouch as I like him a lot as a player and he seems good for the squad.

Edit: I forgot about Momo - he is clearly safe and a top player.

[AFII]

If Kewell makes a good recovery then I can't see him being sold. Rafa have showed that he is prepared to wait for him.

A fit Kewell is one of the best left wingers in the World and he was one of our most important players last season even that he wasn't 100% fit.

[ningnangnong]

If Kewell makes a good recovery then I can't see him being sold. Rafa have showed that he is prepared to wait for him.

A fit Kewell is one of the best left wingers in the World and he was one of our most important players last season even that he wasn't 100% fit.

[enema of the state]

With money likely to be available how many of our players are 100% secure in the first team squad.

Id go for Reina, Finnan, Agger, Carra, Xabi & Stevie.

I think everyone else is expendable and probably overated

Momo for example is Viera without the ball but more like Paul Stewart without it.

Interesting times ahead

diagree widely with you mate on all but the last point.

reina, agger, riise, alonso, sissoko, gerard and kuyt (+ kewell at his very best) are players who i could envisage as 1st 11 in a title-winning lfc side. hyppia was clearly in this bracket at one time but his legs have now gone ditto fowler.

carragher, finnan, crouch, bellamy, garcia, gonzlez, aurelio, warnock, pennant, zenden etc.. are players who would never have been more than squad players in the 1970's or 80's. 1 or 2 of these would never have played a game for lfc in that era

[Shaggy]

Finnan has been a bit dodgy this season???

Name one game, Cara perhaps, Sami defo but Finnan has been same old same old .. A rock

Finnan has been miles and miles below par this season.

[enema of the state]

Finnan has been miles and miles below par this season.

every season since and including houllier's last

an lfc title winning right back is a neal, a nicol (or even a rob jones or markus babbel with better luck) finnan aint up to scratch end of.

[Shaggy]

I agree we need a better right back than Finnan. He’s steady, too steady in fact. I think you’re being a touch harsh – he had a **** first season but he was excellent in Ged’s last season and has had two good seasons under Benitez. This season, though, he’s been pretty poor.

[enema of the state]

I think you’re being a touch harsh

youre right - but look where tolerating mediocre players has taken us

time we had better

[friedk]

The only way you can make wholesale changes to a squad and be successful is if you do a Chelsea, and that something I don't think (or at least hope not) will happen.

I think what it does do, besides giving Rafa his first choice players as opposed to scraps, is it will allow us to compete in a Rooney type situation. As wonderful a human being as Shrek is, he would benefit any squad.

What United have done well is, from a successful base, they have spent big on the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo, and Saha to move them up a level. Their weakness is that their first team is their only team and I think they will suffer as the season progresses.

I think we have a good squad, but in order to compete for the league we need the likes of Alves and Villa to take us that extra step. And if, for whatever reason, a superstar becomes available, we must make a move for them. If big money is spent correctly, it makes it worthwhile. So where you have a situation where around £25 million seems ridiculous for SWP, £30 million seems a bargain for Rooney.