I've made this thread because I get so many questions for my perspective on Liverpool Football Club, mainly in threads that have nothing to do with it, because people don't know my views. Not knowing my views has lead a few people to believe that I'm overly biased towards my team and the manager. I try to strike a fair balance between fact and my support. On matchday, I support Liverpool and nothing comes close - for the rest of the time I like to look at the club as openly and objectively as possible; I find the best way is to back things up with facts and citation.

So, this thread is for my thoughts on things that are happening. That included this like players, ownership, transfers, management and also things like images and videos of cool things that other football fans might want to see.

I might also do some posts about the history of the club. We have a long and successful history, both on and of the pitch. There are a huge amount of wonderful stories to be told. I'll include articles I find that might be of interest to non LFC supporting folk.

I'm more than happy for people to stick in any questions and I'll answer them as thoroughly as I possibly can, I'll also back them up where possible. The only request I have is that, despite loving it, can we keep the banter (or slagging!) out of this thread. It's all in the name of creating sensible debate and (my newly thought up slogan of...) a thinking [wo]man's forum.

how did Robbie Fowler go from being arguably the finest finisher in the world to some fat bloke at Cardiff?

oh oh and "when was the last time you were embarrassed by your club"

I'd be embarassed by their FA Cup performance. Havant gave them a good test and Barnsley beat them... both them games at Anfield.

I guess my question would be about Babel.

I really wanted Arsenal to sign him before you lot got your hands on him. He showed some glimpses of class last year coming in from the wing.

As TH14 had left us, I guess I thought he was the closest to that style of "left-wing goal-scorer" I'd seen.

How do you see Benitez utilising him this year?? And can he fulfill his promise this term, or does he have a while to go??

Not sure to take your questions as a dig because I've written no banter please, or as a genuine question that requires and answer.

Firstly, he's a fat bloke at Blackburn ;)

Secondly, his downfall was simply because of lots of injuries and age. It's happened to hundreds of players before and it'll happen to hundreds in the future. You already know the answer to this question, so I guess I was right that it was an attempt at a dig, or banter.

The last thing I want this thread to be is people like you or PGFC coming in for an argument, I just want it to be informative and thoughtful if I'm going to spend time writing articles.

The American argument being played out in the media.

Who will play centre-half this year, will Carragher still be in there or will it be the two angry guys with moobs?

Why would it be a dig? You asked for question and i asked one.

He WAS a fat bloke at Cardiff he is now a slim bloke at Blackburn :good:

and to TDE i dont think being outplayed and then losing is something to be embarrassed about, the media answer is more like it. I have been embarrassed many times by our club so just wanted a different teams view is all

Lastly when have i ever started an argument with you? You were the hostile one when you came here and its petered out.

Loosen up bad boy

Good question and exactly what I am hoping this thread turns into. So thanks for that.

He'll probably be used as the left of the three in a 4-2-3-1 and the left most of a 4-3-3. I can't see him being used as a main striker all that often with both Torres and Keane able to play there. I think that's a shame because I believe he can be, and will become, better than Keane and as prolific as Torres.

I think that he's got another couple of seasons of learning and improving before we see everything he can be.

I think he might develop a little like Henry did, drifting from the left in his younger years at Juve and occasionally at Monaco. Then I think he'll be moved in as a striker.

He is a player that will always be good in both positions because he's so fast and strong. He's an excellent finisher and has a long way to go before we see what he can really do. I've no doubt that he'll be a world class player in the future.

Do you think Rafa has it in him to take you to league glory?

Where do you think Liverpool will finish in the league this season? and what trophy/ies to you think you will win?

I've no idea who will play, I can only tell you who I want to play. I think Agger is the best young centerback in Europe, bar none. However, I think Skrtel is currently our number one defender on merit. He was phenomenal last season.

They have every attribute between them. Unlike Carra and Hyypia, they both have pace to burn and we'll benefit from that by being able to play a much higer line when they are in a pairing. Unlike Carra, both players (especially Agger) can pick passes and run the ball up the field and both players have good feet when under pressure. Skrtel is a big, hard as nails defender but is also good on the ball.

What neither of them have is the same level of experience as Carra or Hyypia, both of whom are veterans and have won nearly everything (with one notable exception). So for me, it's a perfect scenario to have two players as experienced to back up the two players with so much talent and quality.

Yeah, I do. I explained this in another thread yesterday, I'm not sure if you managed to catch it? If not I'll search it out and paste it in here.

In the top three, probably 3rd. Although this depends on what happens between now and the end of the transfer window. With Mascherano, Lucas and Babel at the olympics, I'm not sure we're going to make a great start.

I think we might give the European Cup another go, we've reached three semis and two finals in 4 seasons. Can't grumble.

When will Rafa quit/get sacked?

In the sense of, he's living off (rightly) a European pedigree. So, conversely to Chelsea, when does doing well in cup comeptitions become tired and the importance transfers to the league. If he fails to come even close again, im not sure how close he's come before, do you think he'll ever be off?

Or will he live off Euro glory and say that the league isnt important.

Nope mate, haven't seen it.

I've no idea. Hopefully not for a bloody long time yet. He's 4 years in. Fergie, the second best boss in football history in my opinion, took 7 years to win his first title. I hope he's given at least as long because his starting position was dreadful.

I'm not sure that's true. He's got league winning, European Cup winning, FA Cup winning, Super Cup wining pedigree. He's also transformed our squad.

He knows and has said the league is the number one objective. So he'll never say the league isn't important. He knows it's the most important. It's not the best though, the European Cup is the best trophy a club can win and if we win that, it'd nuts to sack him for not winning the league, wouldn't it?

I think so, anyway.

From the other thread.

Do you think the Torres-Kuyt-Keane strikeforce will be better than the Fowler-Riedle-Owen one in 97?

Why the hell did Liverpool bring in Gerard Houllier as "joint-manager" to work alongside Roy Evans? Do you think that was fair on Roy? Surely it was never going to work with both of them in charge?

This is more of a POTW type question but - what is your favourite Liverpool match? Gotta be one of the 4-3's?

Well, the question would be better if Torres, Keane and Kuyt was Keane, Gerrard, Torres (Babel and Kuyt will be wide). The answer is... We'll soon see :D

I think it'll be very good, if it brings us the title or the European Cup, then yes. I think it will be more fluid and harder to stop.

I dunno. It seemed sort of logical at the time. Roy was a fantastic manager for talented players playing great football but the reason we didn't win titles under him is because our defence just didn't work. Houllier was a good tactician and knew all about defence.

You're right though, two in charge was never going to work.

AC Milan Vs Liverpool. 3-3. Liverpool win on Pens. We lift the european cup in the greatest final of all time.

:doh: Completely forgot about the CL final.

what was wrong with this thread?

http://z13.invisionfree.com/goonersweb/ind...showtopic=33659

:sulk:


for compensation related to intellectual property violation, I would like to request that you change the title of this thread to "TiBbles Liverpool Football Club Thread."





did I say :sulk: ?

TiBs Gerrard isn't really that badly injured is he? Your lot are saying that to get us to pay the full whack for Alonso.

Do you feel that Cripps was abused as a child?

First point - he'll be fit for the opening game of the season but probably not the game against Standard.

Second point - you're not having him you bastards!

Would you deem your season last year as a success or failure?

If you are to have a similar season this year, do you believe people will start to consider Rafa isn't the one to take your club onto PL glory?

And not just as a child...

A massive underachievement. I think we should have finished a lot higher in the table, in my opinion. There are reasons for it, not excuses, but reasons.

There already are some. I don't think most sensible people will, though. We all knew the time for Houllier to go and we all made our feelings known to the football club. That's why he was sacked. The overwhelming support is for Rafa because the man is a genius, albeit a hampered one.

That's exactly my point. Gerrard can probably play against Liege but it's an implicit threat to play Alonso in the CL and get him cup tied. In the meantime we're trying to smoke you out with the stories about de la Red, Veloso and so forth.

At least both clubs are going about with a modicum of respectability unlike most of the others ;)

He can't. He's got a tear in his thigh muscle. Believe me, it's not a front to trick Arsenal ;)

Firstly, he won't be cup-tied. Secondly, if he was to be cup-tied, we wouldn't play him because his value would drop.

I doubt we'll sell Alonso at all, unless there is a massive offer. I doubt even more that we'll sell him to a rival and if we do, it won't be for cheap.

I think I missed the debate about how you get cup tied for CL, never mind.

Alonso may be needed now while Gerrard is injured and Masc and Lucas are away at the Olympics, but what when everyone is fit and back? Masc became Rafa's first choice last season and Alonso was demoted. If/when Barry comes he'll be further down the pecking order - he must know that and won't appreciate it. You have to look at things from his viewpoint too. He has too much class to be a squad player.

Btw, that Insua, he doesn't look bad does he?

Well, our first choice midfield has been...


-----------Masch--------Alonso

---Kuyt-----------Gerrard-----------Babel


So really, the only problem is Barry coming in, in which case I believe it will be the above in some games and this in others...


----------Gerrard-----Masch------Barry----------

----------Keane------Torres-------Babel

He wasn't demoted, bud. He was injured for most of the season with two bad foot breaks. He did struggle for a while to get fit after the long lay off, but he made a good come back in the 4-2-3-1.

Well, he's desperate to stay by all accounts - so we'll just have to see.

Not bad, a bit chubby and very raw. Dosenna looks bloody good though.

What about Degen, is he the other high-quality full-back you've been looking for?

Because those two areas were obviously the weakest parts of your squad last year, hence the buys there, with Aurelio, Arbeloa, Dossena and Degen all coming inside the last few years.

Like Aurelio, he's another freebie. Like Aurelio, he's a free because he's injury prone. If, like Aurelio, he proves to be a brilliant player in the time he is fit, then that'll do me.

He's very attacking but ultimately, I don't think so.

Aurelio, Degen and Arbeloa cost a combined fee of 2m. So we're not going all out to sign that vital right back.

With Riise gone and Finnan on his way out, I think we've needed a couple of new additions. Arbeloa is a good player, that's why he was taken to Euro 2008 with Spain.

Dosenna was 6m, that's the second most expensive defender we've ever purchased (the most expensive was Skrtel at 6.5m - a far throw from the likes of Rio Ferdinand at 30m and Carvalho at about 20m or Bosingwa at 18m or Del Horno at 11m etc etc etc) but one thing I can tell you is that in the changing rooms Fabio Capello and his staff were raving about him to Gerrard, saying that he was easily the best left back in Italy. From what I've seen of him so far, his passing and attacking is brilliant and he made a world class tackle on the line to stop a goal at rangers. He's a porky sod, though - he needs to shift a stone. All that pasta ;)

I agree though, my main criticisms of Liverpool (and Rafa for not spending more money there) over the last few seasons have been us not spending enough in wide areas. If you look at the spine of our team from last season, it holds up to any team in the world.


----------------Reina-----------------

---------Carra--------Agger----------

---------Masch-------Alonso
---------------Gerrard

----------------Torres



Now you look at our wide positions from last season....



Finnan--------------------------Riise



Kuyt-----------------------------Babel




Backed up with


Pennant------------------------Aurelio



Pennant------------------------Benayoun





They don't stand up to the quality needed, in depth, in wide area's. We've added Dosenna, who I believe will become a very good player in that position. We've added Degan to back up Arbeloa. I think that's strong enough. Babel is easily good enough.

We're also looking at bringing another wide player in. I hope it isn't, but it looks like it might be Downing.

The question, in my opinion, has to be asked as to why we've spent so much money on Barry and Keane to strengthen and already brilliant spine. Nearly 40m (alright, we've recouped a lot and have Masch and Lucas out at the olympics and Gerrard injured..) in that central area. I'd have got Keane to replace Crouch, I don't have a problem with that but we've lost Kewell (arguable if we'll even notice) and Pennant is on his way. I'd have said that forgetting about Barry and brining in Silva or quaresma would have been more beneficial over all.

Rick Parry (CEO of LFC) has just released a statement regarding the transfer of Gareth Barry...

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...080809-2245.htm

So....Rafa out, TiBs? :popcorn:

Why is that necessary?

Tibs dont u find it fustrating the amount of ins and outs at liverpool football club each year?

where do liverpool need strengthening?

why have u chosen to come to a arsenal based forum( i really wanna know :))?

Parry is telling Rafa to shut up about Barry and get over it, I think.

Couldn't he do it in a more private manner?

Frankly, I'd be slightly embarassed if I was a Liverpool fan...