Naby Keita

[Kenneth]

Disagree on the Xabi Alonso statement. He was an instrumental player for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich for a number of years.

Same with Mascherano at Barca too.

They all went on to better things after leaving LFC and won loads of trophies. They played for - and were vitally important to - some of the biggest club football sides in the world. And won trophies. Can't get bigger than that.

The likes of Coutinho, Torres, McManaman, Owen all went to other clubs. All won things. But were not really important for any sustained period of time (McManaman perhaps an exception but he didn't really do it for 5-8 years like the others......more like 2-3 if my memory serves me correct?).

Such a pity FSG didn't take over LFC instead of H&G. Rafa was a cunt-hair away from having football domination.

Even so, none of the players you mentioned improved as players having left.

[Kenneth]

I tend to agree. Maybe if there was a league that was the slowest league on earth he might have a chance.

He was a dynamic player in a walk around league. The dynamism isn't really noticeable in the PL.

[Fredo]

Given that since he's played for us he's given absolutely no indication that he would be I've some justification for it at least. What I don't do is throw out some grandiose, unjustifiable piffle, always at the extreme end of the scale, in an off-hand self-evident way and expect not to be called out on it.

Who are you to “call me out on it”

That’s your opinion. Our manager probably has a different one to yours and paid £50m for him based on obvious evidence he has the potential to become a world class player. It hasn’t turned out to be the case yet for injury reasons, which obviously you chose not to consider because of your blinkered reasoning.

It would be funny to see you still banging on about it next year if he’s still around and we’ve not sold him.

[Venton]

Who are you to “call me out on it”

That’s your opinion. Our manager probably has a different one to yours and paid £50m for him based on obvious evidence he has the potential to become a world class player. It hasn’t turned out to be the case yet for injury reasons, which obviously you chose not to consider because of your blinkered reasoning.

It would be funny to see you still banging on about it next year if he’s still around and we’ve not sold him.

I'd be happy to eat my words, although I didn't say anything about selling him. The test should be whether or not he's a "world beater".

[danperkins]

Lucky for us there's absolutely no chance of that, he's nowhere near being a world-beater fully fit.

[Rich]

Ok Suarez I can agree with, though posting 'numbers' in the PL is vastly different than posting numbers anywhere else in the continent.

Alonso won loads at a decent level, but then so did Macca and Owen. As a cruder example, so did Bale. Not sure any of these players exceeded their peaks though, maybe maintained it for a short while.

Alonso had average games because look who he had to play next to when Gerrard was injured or rested.

Are you talking about Michael Owen?!

[Ben_Itez]

Three pages down?!

Last time he played we won 7-0.

I know he’s injury prone but when he’s fit he offers us SO much. Quality player IMO! He gets the balled played quick. Added to 8/9 first choice players out he’ll offer us some great options 👍🏻

[Norbs]

Plays well then disappears for weeks, page 3 is probably a decent representation of him on Est

[Doc_Piptorious]

Three pages down?!

Last time he played we won 7-0.

I know he’s injury prone but when he’s fit he offers us SO much. Quality player IMO! He gets the balled played quick. Added to 8/9 first choice players out he’ll offer us some great options 👍🏻

Fully fit there is a quality player there. He is like Thiago in that he is almost press proof and receives the ball so well under pressure.

The problem is what most will say, and that he just cannot stay fit/uninjured for a decent run of games.

Was one of those that was really excited when we signed him as he was amazing in the Bundesliga and he was managing 25+ starts a season in a 34 game league when there.

Am just hoping we do not break Kabak as we have form for Bundeliga players becoming injury prone when with us. Matip was putting in regular 25 to 30+ game league campaigns when in Germany and played in every league game for Schalke in his last season there and poor Thiago gets assualted on the pitch after joining us along with getting covid.


Though to be fair to the club we do not discriminate with it comes to injuries and we share them around.

[danperkins]

Taking into account the massive fee and wage, could it be argued that this far it's one of, if not the worst signing we've ever made?

[Norbs]

Most expensive perhaps but if he'd been able to stay injury free he'd have performed.

I just don't understand how these players weren't injury prone before coming here. It's not like the German league lacks intensity

[Fredo]

Taking into account the massive fee and wage, could it be argued that this far it's one of, if not the worst signing we've ever made?

His career is not finished here yet, so I would argue this will have to wait.

[poorscousertommy]

Taking into account the massive fee and wage, could it be argued that this far it's one of, if not the worst signing we've ever made?

It's nowhere near as bad as Aquilani.

You don't half go overboard sometimes

[Norbs]

I would argue this

[ntto]

Joe Cole says hello